Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi, everybody. Pastor Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast where today I want to talk about spiritual nourishment. I mean, this is what Jesus intended his church to be, a place of spiritual nourishment. Have you ever been so doggone hungry that nothing else mattered until you ate? I have this. I have this weird blood sugar thing.
Back when I was 100 pounds heavier, I had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is, you know, more often than not, you kind of create your own problem, which I did. But my journey out of that has been so fascinating. But there are times if I allow my blood sugar to tank, I mean, I need food now. Our physical bodies need food. But I want you to be reminded that the Bible is replete with opportunities that teach us that our soul needs nourishment as well. We need to feed our soul. That's what we're talking about today. The local church is designed to be a place of spiritual nourishment, not theological division. In John 6, beginning in verse 53, here's what Jesus says. I tell you the truth. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life with me. Now, he's not saying the act of eating and the act of drinking is what makes you a follower of Jesus and assures you of heaven. He's saying that when your heart is in line with his and you have surrendered to him, you will have a desire to participate in communion, to identify with Jesus. He goes on and says, but anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. Jesus is saying, this picture is more than an ordinance. This is a divine opportunity for us to genuinely jump all in with what Jesus has designed for us. Jesus really wasn't talking about physical food. He was talking about himself. Just as our bodies need the food, our souls need, Jesus and the local church is meant to be a place where we're fed spiritually, where we are encouraged, where we are challenged, and where we're reminded of sin and truth, when we come to the Lord's table, participating in communion, it is a picture of that nourishment. It's a moment to pause, to reflect, and to remember that Jesus is the bread of life. When we take the bread and the cup, what we're saying is, Jesus, you are my sustenance. You are what I need. So if you're feeling spiritually weary today, just come to the table, open God's word, surround yourself with other followers of Jesus who'll help nourish your soul. Because Jesus never intended for you to run on empty.
I know that sounds a little foo foo and a little ethereal. So I wanna give you three ways that this can be a real difference make. When we choose to partake in spiritual nourishment, usually it involves three things, or at least for me, one is I talk to God out loud. There's something powerful about riding down the road or going on a walk or sitting by yourself and just having a five minute chat with Jesus and just having a talk with him about what you're feeling, how you're feeling, and asking him for wisdom and direction for your way out. You know, the second thing that usually helps me greatly is when I choose to praise, when I put worship music on and I choose to praise and I choose to thank him with gratitude and joy. And the third thing is I almost always open up the Proverbs or Philippians and I just start reading scripture out loud and it's fascinating what happens to my base of spiritual nourishment. He fuels and feeds me. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11. And we're always streaming live at live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome day.