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Based in Hillsville, Virginia, this is the podcast of ReCreate Church. We are a community of Life and Love.
Episodes
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Trust The Source
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: Luke 17:11-19
Episode Summary
In this Thanksgiving 2025 message, Pastor Michael takes us through the chaotic "Grocery Store Gauntlet" to illustrate how we scramble for resources while forgetting the Source behind them all. Through Jesus' healing of ten lepers, we discover that only one returned to thank Him - and he received not just physical healing but spiritual wholeness. This Thanksgiving, don't just enjoy the resources; return to the Source.
Key Points
- We get caught up in resources (things we use) and forget the Source (where they come from)
- Jesus healed ten lepers as they walked in faith, showing that healing often comes as we move forward with God
- Ten men received physical healing, but only one - a Samaritan outsider - returned to thank Jesus
- The one who returned got healed on the inside, not just the outside
Main Takeaway
USE the Resource, TRUST the Source. Every good thing in our lives - money, jobs, health, family, material possessions - are resources to use wisely and be thankful for. But our true security doesn't come from resources that can run out; it comes from Jesus, the Source who will never run out on us.
Memorable Quotes
- "USE the RESOURCE, TRUST the SOURCE."
- "Thankfulness doesn't start in your cart — it starts in your heart."
- "If your gratitude depends on your resources, it's always at risk; but if your gratitude is based in THE Source, it doesn't matter how much or how little you have."
- "So much of the time, healing comes AS WE GO. The Lord brings change to our lives AS WE WALK WITH HIM."
- "They all recognized the RESOURCE, but only one recognized THE SOURCE. Ten men used the resource, but only one returned to The Source. They got healed on the outside. He got healed on the inside."
- "Resources can run out. Jesus Is THE SOURCE of everything good, and He will never run out on you."
Reflection Question
Are you living like the nine who used the blessing and moved on, or like the one who returned to thank the Source of all blessings?
Tune in to hear Pastor Michael's hilarious "Grocery Store Gauntlet" story featuring grandmothers battling over cranberry sauce, a dad lost in the chaos, and the world's greatest uncle fighting for dinner rolls.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Saturday Nov 22, 2025
Saturday Nov 22, 2025
Not the Boss of Me
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 3:4-7
Episode Summary
In part 8 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael tells the story of Timmy the Tiny, Terrible T-Rex to illustrate our resistance to authority - especially God's. We think refusing to listen to God proves our independence, but it actually proves we're enslaved to our own desires. Through 1 John's teaching, we discover that real freedom isn't doing whatever we want, but wanting what is right because Jesus has set our hearts free.
Key Points
- Sin isn't just breaking rules - it's living like God's authority doesn't apply to us
- Jesus came to remove both the guilt of sin (through forgiveness) and the power of sin (through freedom)
- Abiding in Christ means staying connected like a branch to a vine, dependent on Him for everything
- Practicing righteousness means your overall life pattern shows you're being shaped by Jesus
- Jesus is the standard of righteousness, not comparison with other people
Main Takeaway
Living like you don't have to listen to God doesn't prove you are independent - it proves you are enslaved to your drives and desires. Real freedom isn't doing whatever you want; it's wanting what is right because your heart has been set free.
Memorable Quotes
- "Living like you don't have to listen to God doesn't prove you are independent — it proves you are enslaved."
- "Sin isn't just messing up. It's saying, 'God is not the boss of me.'"
- "Jesus didn't show up just to teach about sin, or even just to expose sin. He came to REMOVE sin."
- "Abiding in Jesus isn't really about trying harder. It's about being dependent on Him for everything."
- "Real freedom isn't doing whatever you want — real freedom is wanting what is RIGHT because your heart has been set free."
- "People reject God's standards of right and wrong because they think it puts them in chains. In truth, it enslaves you to something else."
Reflection Question
Instead of saying "You can't tell me what to do," do you have the guts and humility to say "God, change me" - and then receive what comes?
Tune in to hear about Timmy the Terrible T-Rex, Pastor Michael's legendary childhood mud puddle adventure, and why practicing righteousness is like practicing a musical instrument.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Your Adoption Day
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3
Episode Summary
In part 7 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael shares the moving story of Roxie's adult adoption to illustrate what God does for us through Jesus. We're not just forgiven criminals - we're adopted heirs with a new identity, a new family, and a secure place in God's household forever. Through Roman adoption practices, we discover the full meaning of becoming children of God.
Key Points
- Roman adoption was permanent and gave full rights as heirs - adopted children could never be disinherited
- When we trust in Jesus, God rewrites our birth certificate and makes us permanent family members
- Joining God's family means leaving the world's toxic family system that rejects Him
- If we trust Jesus, we are children of God NOW, though what we will become hasn't yet been fully revealed
- Sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit
Main Takeaway
You're not just rescued from sin - you're adopted as a son. God doesn't merely forgive; He creates family. We don't seek purity to get into the family, but because we ARE in the family.
Memorable Quotes
- "You're not just rescued from sin — you're adopted as a son."
- "When Jesus saved you, He didn't just spring you out of slavery or bail you out of death row; He rewrote your birth certificate."
- "Better to be black sheep in The Family of God than the golden calf in a family that rejects God."
- "A Gospel that does not require surrender of self is not The Gospel."
- "God's Love does not merely forgive; it creates family."
- "You're not just pardoned — you're adopted. You're not just forgiven — you're family."
Reflection Question
Do you see yourself as merely a forgiven sinner, or as a fully adopted child of God with permanent status in His family?
Tune in to hear the touching story of Roxie's adult adoption and discover how Roman adoption practices reveal the permanent, transformative nature of becoming God's child.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
The Evidence
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 2:3-11
Episode Summary
In part 6 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael presents an entertaining courtroom skit to ask a crucial question: If your claim to follow Jesus were put on trial, would the evidence of your life and love be convincing? True faith in Jesus isn't about cultural Christianity or religious activities - it's about a transformational relationship that changes how we live and love.
Key Points
- Knowing Jesus means more than knowing information - it means being changed by Him
- If your life wouldn't be different without Jesus, you may not truly know Him
- Love isn't just sentiment or agreement - it's caring for people like Jesus did, even enemies
- Faith that doesn't change the way you live and love isn't real faith
Main Takeaway
Your life and your love are the evidence of faith - evidence that your faith is real and that Jesus truly transforms lives. We can't earn salvation through good works, but our obedience and love demonstrate the reality of our relationship with Jesus.
Memorable Quotes
- "Your life and your love are the evidence of faith."
- "The proof of truly knowing Jesus is living a life that you could not live without Him."
- "If knowing Jesus does not change your life, then you don't know Jesus."
- "Jesus did not give His life to merely affirm flawed human nature; He came to give us supernatural freedom from the darkness inside us."
- "We ruthlessly oppose evil, and we relentlessly love people."
- "Faith that does not change the way you live and love is not real faith."
Reflection Question
If your claim to be a follower of Jesus were put on trial, and the only evidence was the way you live and the way you love, would it convince a judge?
Tune in to hear the hilarious courtroom skit between a lawyer and a client who thinks honking at Jesus bumper stickers and eating at Chick-fil-A makes him a Christian.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Getting off the Merry-Go-Round of Guilt
Speaker: Michael Shockley
Scripture: 1 John 2:1-2
Episode Summary
In part 5 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael uses the dangerous playground equipment of the 1980s - especially the merry-go-round - to illustrate how we get stuck in destructive cycles of sin, guilt, and distance from God. Through 1 John's teaching about Jesus as our Advocate, we discover how to break free from the concealment cycle and enter the life-giving confession cycle.
Key Points
- We get stuck repeating the same patterns: try not to sin, sin, hide, guilt, distance from God
- Sin doesn't just break rules - it breaks hearts, lives, trust, families, and faith
- Jesus steps in as our Advocate, offering a different cycle: confession, cleansing, confidence
- As our propitiation, Jesus took what we deserved so we could receive what He deserved
Main Takeaway
Nobody can live perfectly, but because of Jesus, we can live peacefully. When we confess instead of conceal, we end up closer to God rather than farther away. Jesus breaks the merry-go-round of guilt and replaces it with grace.
Memorable Quotes
- "Jesus breaks the merry-go-round of guilt and replaces it with grace."
- "Sin doesn't just break rules. It breaks hearts. It breaks lives. It breaks trust."
- "Sin promises freedom, but also leaves you in chains."
- "Jesus doesn't talk God into loving us; God sent Jesus to us out of His Love."
- "Jesus took what we deserved so we could receive what He deserved."
- "A big enough and strong enough person could grab the bars and make it stop almost at once. Do we know anybody big enough and strong enough to stop the destructive cycles in our lives? We sure do!"
Reflection Question
Which cycle are you living in - the concealment cycle (try, sin, hide, guilt, distance) or the confession cycle (try, sin, confession, cleansing, confidence)?
Tune in to hear Pastor Michael's hilarious stories about 1980s playground death traps, accidentally setting the woods on fire, and why fancy hand towels remain a mystery to him.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Weather the Winter
Speaker: Duncan Crook (An Elder of ReCreate Church)
Scripture: John 15:1-8
Episode Summary
Duncan Crook uses the metaphor of winter to explore life's difficult seasons - times of loss, health struggles, waiting, or unexplained hardship. Through Jesus' teaching about the vine and branches, we discover how God works through our "winter seasons" to prepare us, prune us, and prove His faithfulness through us.
Key Points
- Life follows a pattern of sowing and reaping: seed + time = harvest, but the growth is invisible
- Winter seasons serve three purposes: God is preparing you for something, pruning something from you, or proving something through you
- Remaining connected to God during difficult times is more important than understanding why they're happening
- Our faithfulness in winter seasons becomes a powerful witness to God's glory
Main Takeaway
You can't always choose your season, but you can choose your response. When you stay connected to God through winter, you don't just make it through - you come out mature, pruned, and bearing fruit that reveals God's glory.
Memorable Quotes
- "The harvest is inevitable, but the growth is invisible."
- "I'd rather be cut back than cut off. I'd rather go through trials with God than without God."
- "I don't want to just make it through this, I want to get something out of this. I want to come out more mature."
- "Some seasons are so hard and cold that survival is success. So just remain."
- "The greatest witness you will ever have is when you go through a hard time and simply remain faithful."
- "If I have to be pruned and my life has to hurt for a little while, I want it to produce something good. I want it to not be wasted."
Reflection Question
Are you the kind of Christian who shows up in the cold - who remains faithful even when you can't see what God is doing?
Tune in to hear Duncan's inspiring story about running cross-country in freezing weather and how it taught him about showing up faithfully during life's winter seasons.
Special Note
Join us in celebrating ReCreate Church's 7th anniversary on October 22, 2025!
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Calling God a Liar
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10
Episode Summary
In part 4 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael shares a ballad about a chili cook-off between the devil and a humble cook to illustrate pride's greatest danger: self-deception about sin. When we claim we don't need forgiveness, we make God out to be a liar. True redemption begins when we stop making excuses and honestly confess our need for Jesus.
Key Points
- Human beings are masters of self-deception, especially when it comes to sin
- We create elaborate excuses and fig leaves to cover our failures rather than face them
- Confession isn't earning salvation - it's aligning with reality and admitting we can't save ourselves
- When we deny our sin problem, we call God a liar and reject His truth
Main Takeaway
God isn't looking for people who pretend to have it together. He's looking for people humble enough to admit they don't. The only people God can't forgive are those who think they don't need forgiveness.
Memorable Quotes
- "Redemption begins with the honest confession that we cannot save ourselves."
- "If we say we have no sin, who are we trying to deceive? Ourselves."
- "Jesus doesn't ask you to be perfect; He asks you to be real about your brokenness."
- "Confession doesn't change His view of you; it changes your view of Him."
- "As long as you think you can fix yourself, you'll never go to The One Who can truly heal you."
- "You can't fix what you won't face."
Reflection Question
What "fig leaves" - excuses, distractions, or denials - have you been using to cover up what you don't want God or others to see?
Tune in to hear Pastor Michael's hilarious original ballad "The Devil Went Down to Dugspur" and discover why pride is the biggest spiritual roadblock we face.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Saturday Oct 11, 2025
Saturday Oct 11, 2025
The Trouble With Walking in the Dark
Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church
Scripture: 1 John 1:5-7
Episode Summary
In part 3 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael uses a hilarious middle-of-the-night crash to illustrate a powerful spiritual truth: when we walk in darkness, we stumble. Through 1 John's teaching about light and darkness, we discover what it really means to walk with Jesus and why claiming faith without living it is spiritual dishonesty.
Key Points
- God is light with no darkness in Him - He is pure, holy, and true
- Walking in darkness means claiming to follow Christ while living in contradiction to His teachings
- Following Jesus means following all of Him, not cherry-picking what's convenient
- Walking in the light brings fellowship with God, fellowship with others, and ongoing cleansing through Christ's sacrifice
Main Takeaway
You don't have to be foolish or careless to stumble - you just have to be walking in the dark. Walking with Jesus means letting His truth guide us, His love shape us, and His Spirit pick us up when we fall.
Memorable Quotes
- "In the darkness we stumble, in The Light we are stable."
- "There is no such thing as believing it but refusing to live it."
- "Walking in the Light doesn't mean you'll never stumble. It means you're walking in the right direction."
- "Our confidence is not in our performance, but in Christ's Blood."
- "If we try to live apart from Jesus, we are walking in the dark. It's not a matter of IF we will stumble, but WHEN."
Reflection Question
Are you walking in the dark or walking in the light? Are there corners of your life that have gotten shadowy?
Tune in to hear Pastor Michael's entertaining story about crashing into baskets at 4:45 AM and how it connects to one of the most important spiritual truths in the Christian life.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
When the Crow is After You
Speaker: Michael Shockley
Scripture: 1 John 1:4; Psalm 42
Episode Summary
In part 2 of our 1 John series, Pastor Michael uses the metaphor of being chased by a crow to explore how we can have joy even when life feels overwhelming. Through King David’s story of betrayal and exile, we discover that while circumstances may not be okay, we can still be okay through Jesus.
Key Points
- The “crow” represents life’s troubles, discouragement, and painful circumstances
- David’s response to betrayal shows how to acknowledge pain without being destroyed by it
- True joy comes from Jesus, not from positive circumstances
- We can shake our fist at the darkness while still trusting God
Main Takeaway
Joy isn’t something we manufacture or achieve - it’s a gift from the Holy Spirit that sustains us through difficult seasons. When life isn’t okay, we can still be okay because of our relationship with Jesus.
Reflection Question
What “crow” has been chasing you lately, and how can you practice saying “It’s not okay, but I’m okay” in that situation?
Tune in to hear Pastor Michael’s personal struggles with being an “Eeyore” and how the story of David crossing the Jordan River speaks to anyone feeling chased by life’s troubles.
Connect & Give
Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org
Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Testimony
ReCreate Church | Michael Shockley | September 21, 2025
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EPISODE SUMMARY
Today our worship leader John F. shares his personal testimony and talks about the ability people can have to change and how Christ can have such a strong impact on changing lives.
John shares his personal experiences as to how Christ has impacted his own life and changed him as well.