Shows / City Church Houston
City Church Houston
Renewing Houston by bringing the beauty of Christ into broken places. To learn more visit www.citychurch.org.
Episodes
City Church HoustonThe Ten Minas • Luke 19:12-26
At a pivotal point in his journey, Jesus tells a tale about investments, a returning king, and his subjects--but it's really about our journey. This story…
City Church HoustonThe Religious Leader and Tax Collector • Luke 18:9-14
The parable coveys the message that righteousness is unobtainable through our own efforts, and only obtainable through the finished work of Christ on the…
City Church HoustonThe Persistent Widow • Luke 18:1-8
Jesus tells his disciples the story of the persistent widow to encourage them "to always pray and not give up." We are not always told the meaning of one of…
City Church HoustonThe Lost Sheep • Luke 15:1-7
God’s favorite story to tell is about how he finds the lost and empowers the found to do the same. Ayo Omopariola
City Church HoustonThe Mustard Seed • Luke 13:18-19
Just like a mustard seed itself, Jesus' small parable of the mustard seed discloses a large truth: The Kingdom of God is already here, and new patterns of…
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Grief, Grace, and Glory • John 11:32-37
How do we navigate deep and disorienting tragedy? When loss and sorrow shake us, how do we process the pain honestly—and still find hope? Leo Schuster | Lead…
City Church HoustonThe Friend at Night • Luke 11:1-8
Jesus uses the parable of the friend at night to teach about prayer. Understanding prayer, as well as who we're praying to, is critical for anyone who wants to…
City Church HoustonThe Good Samaritan • Luke 10:25-37
One of Jesus' most well-known stories tells the tale of a man who was attacked by robbers and left for dead on the side of a road. The surprising twist in the…
City Church HoustonThe Sower • Luke 8:4-15
Though familiar to many people, the Parable of the Sower is actually a very complex story about finding both grace and hope while we wait on the harvest of…
City Church HoustonThe Old and the New • Luke 5:33-39
When he and his followers are accused of not being "religious" enough, Jesus tells a series of parables that reveal just how transformative the gospel can be…
City Church HoustonParable of Prodigal Son • Luke 15:11-32
This is one of the most famous and beloved story Jesus ever told. Though it's commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son, the story actually features…
City Church HoustonThe Festival of Faith • Esther 9:20-24, 28; 10:1-3
The final feast of Esther is a culmination of the entire story: a two-day festival devoted to the sheer joy of divine deliverance. We learn a deep truth…
City Church HoustonThe Counter-Decree • Esther 8:3–15
Esther is a story of reversals, but never more so than in the story's final twist. In a moment of political intrigue, Esther devises one final counter-decree…
City Church HoustonThe Relief of Justice • Esther 7:1-8:2
This episode is the heart of the Esther story and it has it all: Suspended suspense, intense irony, a dramatic reversal of fortune, and dark humor. While it…
City Church HoustonFor Such a Time • Esther 4:5-17
How do we deal with the things in life that shake us to the core? How do discover who we really are so we live lives of lasting purpose? These are just a few…
City Church HoustonThe Cost and Reward of Faith • Esther 3:1-6, 6:1-10
The rivalry between Mordecai and Haman reveals the cost and the great reward of living by faith. When God extends us invitations to transformation, how we…
City Church HoustonStrength in Silence • Esther 2:5-10, 16-23
Esther finds herself in an ambiguous and complex situation where God is seemingly silent. How she responds during her season of silence gives readers a clue of…
City Church HoustonThe Vision of Easter • Matthew 28:16-20
In these final words of the New Testament's first book we find the reaction was mixed when the disciples saw Jesus. Some doubted. Others worshiped him. Instead…
City Church HoustonJesus: the Final 40 Days • Acts 1:1-9
Jesus' ministry was bookended by important forty day periods of time. While he was alone in the wilderness during his first forty days, his final forty days…
City Church HoustonJesus: the First 40 Days • Matthew 4:1-11
Why does the season of Lent last 40 days? More than any other Biblical reference, Jesus' 40 day experience in the wilderness is the backdrop for the 40 days of…
City Church HoustonDavid • Psalm 40:1-13
Life can feel like one crisis after another. It must have felt that way throughout David's forty years on the throne of Israel. How do we find the space needed…
City Church HoustonElijah • 1 Kings 19:1-8
Coming off of an incredible victory, Elijah is physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted, and needing a true rest that only God can provide. What…
City Church HoustonIsrael • Deuteronomy 1:1-3; 2:7; 8:2-3
It should have taken them less than two weeks. Instead it took 40 years. What can we learn from Israel's 40 years wandering in the wilderness? Leo Schuster |…
City Church HoustonMoses • Acts 7:23-24, 26-34, 36
Moses, one of the most famous individuals in history, is more closely linked to the number forty than anyone in the Bible. His dramatic story helps to enrich…
City Church HoustonGod, Glory, and Grace • Genesis 1:1-5; 2:2-3
The first chapter of the Bible is not only one of the most famous and important pieces of literature, it features what is foundational to a full life. In it we…
City Church HoustonDignity and Destiny • Genesis 1:26-31
How do we build a healthy self-image? Where we we get a sense of purpose in life and meaning in our work? Why does it matter how we treat others? Why do we…
City Church HoustonThe Problem of Loneliness • Genesis 2:15-25
There are many ways to feel lonely—sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with others. The story of scripture honors both the dignity of solitude and the…
City Church HoustonRuin and Redemption • Genesis 3:1-15
Why are we the way we are? Why are we filled with potential, but also profoundly struggle? Why do we have a strong urge for freedom, but also find ourselves…
City Church HoustonOriginal Sin & Modern Sensibilities: A Pastoral Roundtable on the Fall
This conversation will consider the role of the Fall in shaping the story and theology of the Bible. How do we make sense of sin, both our own and others’? How…
City Church HoustonRestless Wanderer • Genesis 4:1-12
In his novel, East of Eden, John Steinbeck wrote about the grizzly story of Cain and Abel that it is important because it is a chart of the human soul. It It…
City Church HoustonLessons from Noah • Genesis 9:8–17
While an ancient tale, Noah's Ark is a timeless account of the promises of an immortal God in the face of mortal suffering and fear. Clint Wilson | Community &…
City Church HoustonThe Language of Life • Genesis 11:1-9
In the famous story of the Tower of Babel we find a cautionary tale of city dwellers whose ambition led to their downfall. It's a powerful reminder of the…
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What Freedom Really Looks Like • Galatians 5:13–16, 22–26
The "Fruit of the Spirit" is not a moral, to-do list, but a pastoral reminder of what life lived with God's Spirit will look like. Pray these words just as we…
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What Freedom Really Means • 2 Corinthians 3:1–3; 6–18
As a light bulb finds a current from outside its glass case, we find real power from beyond ourselves. The Spirit of God is the source of all true freedom…
City Church HoustonThe Magi • Matthew 2:1-3, 9-12
The Magi's journey to see Jesus teaches us about the extraordinary reach this new child king would have and joy-filled response from those who encounter him…
City Church HoustonThe Dreams • Matthew 2:12–15, 19-23
Each Advent we remind ourselves that the powers of darkness are no match for the providential plans of God and the saving work of his Son, the light of the…
City Church HoustonThe Tyrant • Matthew 2:1-8, 12-18
Power can corrupt or cleanse. It can induce fear or freedom. It always, however, reveals. In this fascinating case study of contrasting figures of power, we'll…
City Church HoustonThe Scandal • Matthew 1:18-25
How do you deal with disappointment? The story of what happened when Joseph was blind-sided by the news of Mary's pregnancy offers helpful insights on how to…
City Church HoustonThe Women • Matthew 1:1-17
It may come as a surprise that the first page of the New Testament--the way Christianity introduces itself to the world--is through a genealogy. But this…
City Church HoustonA Blessing of Preservation • Jude 24-25
The benefits to being a person of faith are many, but it isn't an easy life. When our faith seems fragile, feel like we're faking it, that we failed in some…
City Church HoustonA Conversation With Mike Cosper: Facing Spiritual Wilderness
In this special conversation with Mike Cosper, producer of the influential podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and director of podcasts for Christianity…
City Church HoustonA Blessing of Hope • Romans 15:13
Life is tough. If it doesn't feel that way, just give it time! How do we deal with discouragement, even lurking despair, and discover true hope that fills us…
City Church HoustonA Blessing of Grace • Revelation 1:4-6, 22:21
A benediction is God getting the last word. In this benediction--from the last book of the Bible--God speaks a final word of grace to us that's especially…
City Church HoustonA Blessing of Peace • Numbers 6:24-26
True blessings in the Bible are not vain hopes for fortunate outcomes, but confident reminders of God's promised goodness to each of us. Clint Wilson |…
City Church HoustonA Person of Love • Matthew 22:34-40
What's most important in life and in faith? When religious leaders attempted to trap Jesus in his words, he answered their question in way that silenced his…
City Church HoustonA Person of Mercy • Matthew 25:31-46
Maintaining perspective is so difficult. Just getting through the day can seem like a major accomplishment. But a healthy perspective gives us a vantage point…
City Church HoustonA Person of Humility • Matthew 23:1-12
The writer Simone Weil defines humility as "attentive patience." How do we become people who practice what we preach, so attuned to others' needs that we…
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A Conversation on Forgiveness
Why is it so hard to forgive? How do I forgive while protecting my mental health? Leo Schuster moderates a panel discussion with City Church leadership and a…
City Church HoustonA Person of Gratitude • Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus teaches not only that the gospel is for everyone, but also that it is for every moment of our lives. We are never so late, or so lost, that the hope of…
City Church HoustonA Person of Forgiveness • Matthew 18:21-35
Healthy relationships are key to building a great life. So how do we deal with the pain often experienced there? What role is forgiveness supposed to play? How…
City Church HoustonA Person of Rest • Matthew 12:1-14
How do we avoid burnout and find true rest amidst the exhaustion and stress of modern life?
City Church HoustonA Person of Greatness • Matthew 11:1-11
What makes for a truly great life? In the intriguing figure of John the Baptist we have a compelling portrait of someone Jesus himself held up as a singularly…
City Church HoustonA Person of Faith • Matthew 8:5-13
What leads Jesus to be amazed at one man's faith in the face of suffering? Discover a different definition of faith than you may have heard before.
City Church HoustonA Person of Inner Strength • Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus cast a vision for the flourishing life by emphasizing inner character and interpersonal compassion. While this life is attractive, it can feel elusive…
City Church HoustonA Person With Foundation • Matthew 7:24-29
How do we build a truly great life? What makes for an enjoyable and meaningful life, and one that withstands the storms encountered along the way? Jesus…
City Church HoustonFaith & Character
Our “character,” meaning our integrity and personhood, exists because we are created in the image of God; through His redeeming work on our behalf, our…
City Church HoustonFaith & Time
One of the truest challenges of faith is trying to comprehend the timeless God from within our time-bound existence. What can help us glimpse the eternity he…
City Church HoustonFaith & Wisdom
The treasure of your heart will determine the trajectory of your life.
City Church HoustonFaith & Science
When we seek the deep answers of science, and use our God-given intellects to discern the laws of the universe, we are exploring the very nature and…