Advertise on podcast: Engedi Church | Pastor Brian Aulick

In a culture where disagreement often leads to division, Jesus calls us to a different way of treating others. Because every person is made in God's image, everyone is worthy of honor, even when we don't agree with their beliefs or choices. As we speak with kindness, express gratitude, disagree respectfully, and lead the way in honoring others, we reflect the love of Jesus and show the world a better way to live.

Jesus calls every believer to be a disciple who makes disciples, helping others know Him and grow in their faith. Through the example of Paul and Timothy, we see that making disciples doesn't require having all the answers or getting everything right. It's about building relationships, sharing what we've learned, and helping others follow Jesus so they can do the same for someone else.

God created us for connection, but being close to others isn't always the same as being truly connected. Though relationships can be complicated and challenging, Scripture reminds us that meaningful connection is God's idea and an important part of growing together in Christ.

A healthy spiritual life begins by staying connected to Jesus, recognizing that we cannot produce lasting fruit apart from Him. As we remain in Christ, our lives increasingly reflect Him through worship, Christlike character, serving others, generosity, and sharing our faith. Even seasons of pruning can produce growth when we invite God into our hardship, receive His work in us, and trust Him to make our lives more fruitful.

Knowing that Jesus is Lord is different from understanding what His lordship requires of us. Following Him means more than confessing the right answer—it means denying ourselves, releasing control, and choosing His will even when it costs us the life we imagined. Life on the other side of surrender begins when we take up our cross daily and allow the truth of who Jesus is to reshape the way we live.

Jesus is passionate about His Church, and He invites us to share that same zeal for the body He gave His life to build. Rather than simply consuming the local church, we’re called to be active participants. That's why Engedi is committed to follow Jesus, become family, and change the world.

Hearing God’s voice isn’t reserved for a few extraordinary moments; the Holy Spirit desires to lead, guide, and encourage God’s people in everyday life. Scripture teaches us to hear from God through devotion, holiness, faith-filled expectation, and responsive obedience. As we draw close to God and listen, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit and experience the confidence, joy, and strength that come from following His lead.

Jesus promised that every believer would receive the Holy Spirit, empowering them to live beyond their natural abilities and step into the purpose God has for them. Looking at the early church in Acts, we saw that the Holy Spirit fills believers who continually repent, pray together for God's Kingdom, and faithfully obey His leading. Rather than settling for an ordinary, routine faith, we are invited into a Spirit-led life of boldness, holiness, and holy adventure as we partner with God in His mission.

During his sabbatical, Pastor Brian was reminded that God is actively at work around the world, building His Church and drawing people to Himself. Reflecting on Scripture and the lives of faithful believers who sacrificed for the sake of the gospel, he challenged us to invest our time, resources, and lives in what will last for eternity. Though following Jesus will always involve a cost, there is no greater purpose than helping people take steps toward Him, trusting that our labor for Christ will never be in vain.

Time is one of God’s most valuable gifts, yet it is easy to live as though there will always be more of it. Scripture calls us to recognize the brevity of life, respond to God while it is still “today,” and stop delaying the obedience, forgiveness, generosity, and witness we already know He is asking of us. The time to wake up, live with eternal urgency, and fully follow Jesus is not someday; it is now.

Trusting God means choosing to rely on His wisdom instead of our own, even when life doesn't unfold the way we expected. Through Proverbs 3 and Paul's example in prison, we're reminded that God often deepens our faith through disappointment, using difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Himself and reshape our perspective. As we submit every area of our lives to Him, He promises to guide our path and reorder our priorities.

It is possible to look like a Christian on the outside while remaining spiritually lifeless within, settling for cultural habits or consumer faith instead of a genuine relationship with Jesus. Authentic faith remembers the gospel, turns away from sin, and keeps pursuing Christ with a heart of ongoing repentance and devotion. We do not have to cover our shame or overcome our brokenness in our own strength, because Jesus clothes those who trust Him with His holiness, healing, power, love, and victory.

The feeding of the five thousand reveals that Jesus isn't simply interested in meeting our immediate needs—He is inviting us to trust Him with what we have and discover that His presence is the greater gift. By placing a small lunch into Jesus' hands, the miracle reminds us that surrender is where God's provision begins, and that He often uses our limitations to reveal His power. Ultimately, every miracle points beyond itself to the cross, where Jesus, the Bread of Life, gave Himself so that our deepest hunger could be satisfied in Him alone.