ReCreate Church’s Podcast

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, April 20, 2025

The Resurrection on Trial

Today, Pastor Michael is discussing the Resurrection and Easter. Michael reinforces the case of the resurrection. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?  The answer is all-important: if the resurrection didn’t happen, then Christianity’s claims all fall apart. Paul covers this in 1 Corinthians 15. 14 

If it did, death has been defeated. 

If Jesus walked out of the grave, you cannot walk away unchanged.

Michael, Duncan, and David present a current version of a trial, with the defense showing Jesus is real and the other side showing it was a ruse.

The defense trumps the trial with eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, John 19: 33-34, heralding the efficiency of Roman executioners. Additional proof for the defense is that no single disciple recanted their belief in the Lord, even though most died suffering for the truth. 

The final proof of Jesus’s resurrection is that people saw Him after He had risen. If it wasn’t a miracle, it was absurd. Tacitus, a Roman historian who despised Christians, even confirmed Jesus’s resurrection!

This is the story of a tomb found to be empty.  Many early Christians were horribly persecuted for their beliefs.  And there were eyewitnesses, even enemies, who concluded: Jesus is risen! We don’t need a comfortable lie but a disruptive truth!

Live for Jesus!

Today’s verses are found in 1 Corinthians 15: 14 and John 19: 33-34.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, April 13, 2025

What Nick and Joe Didn’t Know

Today, Pastor Michael is covering the second part of the Story of the Cross, the Burial.  

Remember, there are three parts to the Story of the Cross:

1. Death
2. Burial
3. Resurrection

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus asked Pilote for Jesus’s body so that they could bury it before it became dark, as was Jewish custom of the day and the Sabbath was about to start.  Pilate gave them permission to do so and they wrapped Jesus in clean linen and placed him in a tomb, carved from the rock.

Where earth sees a grave, heaven sees a garden!

Today’s verses are found in 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, John 19: 38-42, and John 12: 24.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, April 6, 2025

Sacrifice and Salvation

Today, Pastor Michael is on a mission for his next series: to help folks “get it” (the Story of the Cross) and, if you have it, to help others understand it. 

There are three (3) main parts of the Story of the Cross:

1. The Death 
2. The Burial
3. The Resurrection

We’re starting with the heavy one today, the death. When Jesus died, His followers thought it was over: His Message and His Life.  But so much was soon about to unfold!

Today, we’re observing the Lord’s Supper, and Pastor Michael is explaining the mechanics behind this tradition.  Be a believer and ensure you’re right with God, meaning if you have things between you and the Lord that need to be dealt with, deal with them and have an open and honest heart.  

The core idea for today: No Sacrifice, No Salvation. 

Today’s verses are from 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, Exodus 12: 29-30, Hebrews 9: 22, Hebrews 9: 26-28, 1 Corinthians 5: 7 and 1 Corinthians 11: 23-28.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, March 30, 2025

The Most Misunderstood Promise in The Bible, Part 2

Today, Pastor Michael is continuing our theme of studying one of the most famous quotes in the Bible, a quote used anytime one needs encouragement, that promise found in Jeremiah 29: 11.

Things God Wants for You (God’s Plans for You!):

1. Salvation, John 3: 16, John 4: 14.
2. Fellowship, John 15: 5.
3. Obedience,  John 14: 15.
4. Holiness, Romans 12: 1-2.
5. Discipleship, Matthew 28: 19-20.
6. Good works, Ephesians 2: 10.
7. Progress, 2 Peter 3: 18.

Our theme for today is, “Walk with God and the rest will follow.”

(CSB Bible Notes) Many a faithful believer has found comfort in these words of hope.

Today’s verse can be found in Jeremiah 29: 11.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, March 23, 2025

The Most Misunderstood Promise in The Bible

Today, Pastor Michael is drilling down on the lore of Jeremiah, specifically verse 29 and the promise the Lord gave in it. 

When life breaks down, God builds up, our central theme today.

We must continuously look past our current situations beyond the anxiety and hopelessness that can easily consume us and instead focus on the figurative light at the end of the tunnel. This light represents the hope found in God's Word. That hope, a firm assurance, will always help guide us through.

Real-life applications from today’s lesson:

1. Recognize consequences.
2. Accept reality.
3. Make a difference where you are.
4. Trust God’s timing.
5. Believe in God’s plans.
6. Seek God with all your heart.
7. Restoration is coming.

Today’s verses can be found in Jer 29: 11 (central verse) and Jeremiah 29: 4 - 14 (supporting verses)

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, March 16, 2025

Jonah and The Worm

Today, Pastor Michael is back in Jonah and NOT talking about Jonah and the whale.  Today’s story is the highly anticipated, the much heralded, the AMAZING story of Jonah and the WORM!

We pick up the story at Nineveh, where Jonah has warned them to turn from their evil ways.  Which they did! And God spared them for doing so!

But, Jonah isn’t happy about that, one bit!  In essence, Jonah is angry because God was being Himself, behaving consistently.  Jonah was angry because God didn’t do things Jonah’s way.  At this point, Jonah is literally ready to die. 

So, in His infinite compassion, the Lord even made a plant to cover Jonah’s head to shield him from the sun.  Even then Jonah was still angry so the Lord had a worm eat the plant, and Jonah was even madder.  The Lord at this point, told Jonah, (CSB) “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. 11 So may I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals? ”

God wasn’t looking for a way to destroy Nineveh, he was looking for a way to SAVE it!

The heart of our message is “God is God and I am NOT!”

(CSB Bible Notes) 4:1-2 The unexpected and overwhelming success of Jonah’s preaching resulted in Nineveh’s escape from calamity. However, this brought emotional calamity to the angry and self-pitying prophet, who wished he were dead. Jonah had initially fled from preaching to Nineveh because he feared that God, being excessively gracious and compassionate (see Ex 34:6-7), would find some lame excuse to forgive these pagan, warlike Gentiles. Now his fears had come true.

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 4: 1-11.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, March 9, 2025

Every Day is a Second Chance

Today, Pastor Michael is continuing the story of Jonah, a man just bent on not doing the will of God.  We pick up the story with Jonah, having been spat out of the fish/whale, being confronted with God’s forgiveness.  A second chance is given him, even though he’s not quite on board.  And he does go to Nineveh and speaks to the king.  They do what Jonah tells them, notably fasting, dressing in sackclothes and sitting in ashes (hey, it was the ancient world!) and God sees this and does not destroy the city.  So, not only does Jonah get a second chance, Nineveh does as well!

(CSB Bible Notes) 3:1-3 Jonah went to Nineveh as God had commanded. Extremely great city (lit “a great city to God”; see textual footnote) may have a double meaning: great in size (where “God,” Hb elohim, is used as a superlative for “extremely”) and a city “important to God” even though inhabited by Gentiles.

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 3: 1-10.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, March 2, 2025

Jonah and Jesus

Today, Pastor Michael is continuing the story of Jonah and his continual running from God, notably because he did not agree with a decision made by the Lord to warn the city of Nineveh’s citizens of immenent destruction.  Jonah did not like God showing mercy to the Ninevites, so he was trying to get as far away from the situation as he could!

Big problem, though.  You cannot run away from the creator of the universe!

At this point in the story, Jonah is in the belly of a whale (fish in those days) due to him being cast into the sea by sailors who wanted to appease God for Jonah running from Him. 

So Jonah is praying fervently to God from the belly of the whale, obviously knowing God called the storm and the fish, as part of a plan to show Jonah, you can’t run from God.  And Jonah heartily repented in prayer and the Lord made the whale spit Jonah out to dry land. 

Today’s take away is, “Swallowed by sin, set free by the Savior.”

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 1: 17 - 2: 10.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, February 23, 2025

Salvation is in the Storm

Today, Pastor Michael is back with Jonah, the prophet who ’never got it’.  The last time we saw Jonah, he was on a ship bound for Tarshish.  He was essentially in denial of God’s leadership, and he was running from God.

The ship encountered a huge storm that the Lord clearly sent for Jonah’s disobedience.  This storm saved Jonah from destruction; in fact, many things we think of as storms are ‘path corrections’ by the Lord.  

So the ship was in this huge storm, and Jonah crashed out below decks; he was so tired.  The ship’s captain asked Jonah to pray to his God to help them in the storm.  The captain and the pagan sailors recognized that Jonah was running from his God and that bad things were happening to them because of his disobedience.  

Jonah offered to the sailors that they could throw him into the sea.  Jonah, however, was flawed in his understanding; Jonah risked his life for the sailors but not for the city that the Lord told him to go and help save.  Jonah didn’t show much mercy, but the pagan sailors did.

The sailors did throw Jonah into the sea, at which time he was promptly swallowed by a whale!  Even getting swallowed by a whale was an act of God’s mercy!

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 1: 4-17.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, February 16, 2025

Mercy Has No Margins

Today, Pastor Michael is in Jonah, talking about how today’s theme, “Mercy Has No Margins” really shows how God’s people can miss God’s purpose. 

The Lord had sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them that their pagan ways would be held accountable for that evil.  Yet Jonah refused the call and tried to run from the Lord.  He boards a ship, with pagan sailors, at Tarshish, about as far in an opposite direction from Nineveh as he could get.  

Jonah was fleeing, not because he didn’t believe or didn’t want to be called, but because he didn’t believe in the call.  He didn’t feel it far for the pagans or Gentiles to be on God’s team.  And for the Lord to warn pagans of their evil did NOT go over well with Mr. Jonah.  He misunderstood God’s mercy.  He felt good people should get mercy and the bad people should not get mercy.

Jonah (and us!) have to see everyone as a soul that God loves.  

(CSB Bible Notes) God’s holiness is offended by sin. He showed himself to be the judge of the world by holding these distant pagans accountable for their evil, though he also showed his mercy by commanding his prophet to warn them.

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 1: 1-3.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.