Is Your Faith Stuck in a Closet? (Holy Habits 2 - Pastor Michael)

Is Your Faith Stuck in a Closet? (Holy Habits 2 - Pastor Michael)

Author: 922 Ministries September 15, 2025 Duration: 32:58

This message examines how keystone habits - small but consistent actions - can create outsized differences in our spiritual lives. When faith feels dry or distant, the solution may not be another Bible reading plan or prayer commitment, but rather understanding the natural environment God designed for faith to flourish.Drawing from Acts 2:42-47, we see the early church devoted themselves to fellowship (koinonia) - actively participating in their shared faith in Christ. This genuine Christian community had three key characteristics: it was committed (they persisted even when inconvenient), generous (they shared resources to meet needs), and genuine (they interacted with glad and sincere hearts, without masks). Despite the clear benefits, many resist community citing lack of time or privacy concerns. However, these excuses often mask misplaced priorities or fear of vulnerability.Embracing God's design for community brings numerous blessings: deeper understanding of our identity in Christ, loving accountability, support during difficulties, strength against temptation, a place to confess sins, and encouragement for spiritual growth. Like pencils bound together become unbreakable, Christians connected in community experience greater strength and resilience. Making Christian fellowship a keystone habit positions us in the environment God designed for our spiritual growth and advances the church's mission by attracting others to the love of Jesus.


Each week, the communities of St. Peter Lutheran and The CORE in Appleton, Wisconsin, gather to explore faith, life, and scripture. This audio feed brings those weekly sermons directly to you, offering a consistent source of reflection and teaching grounded in Lutheran Christian tradition. You'll hear messages that connect ancient biblical wisdom to the realities of modern living, tackling topics from everyday relationships and personal struggles to the broader call to community and service. The voices from 922 Ministries-The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran aim to provide more than just information; they seek to foster a deeper understanding and a practical, resilient faith. Whether you're a long-time member, a spiritual seeker, or someone simply curious about a thoughtful perspective on Christianity, this podcast serves as an accessible way to engage with these teachings on your own schedule. It’s like having a regular, grounded conversation about what it means to live with purpose and hope, drawn directly from the heart of a Wisconsin ministry. Tune in for a straightforward, substantive addition to your weekly routine.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

922 Ministries - The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran
Podcast Episodes
Practice Gratitude (Ultimate Gratitude List 1 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
Gratitude lists are everywhere — but does yours actually work? Research says daily gratitude can boost happiness, improve sleep, and decrease depression. Oprah tried it for a decade. Scientists have studied it. And yet m…
Chosen. Welcomed. Sealed. (Ultimate Gratitude List 1 - Pastor Jared) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:40
Most of us measure our relationship with God by how hard we grip faith. Whether we're doing enough. Whether we've cleaned up enough.But that's not Christianity.Dig into one of the most misunderstood — and most comforting…
Don't Overcomplicate It (Adulting with Jesus 3 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
Steve Jobs promised the iPhone would change everything. He was right — including the way we think about dating, marriage, and having kids. But some things haven't changed.In week 3 of Adulting with Jesus, Pastor Mike exp…
The Hard Launch (Adulting with Jesus 3 - Pastor Steve) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:08
Noah and Zoe have been "just talking" for a while. They like the connection — but they're not ready for the commitment. And honestly? A lot of us approach marriage and family the same way.In week 3 of Adulting with Jesus…
Friends and Your Forever  (Adulting with Jesus 2 - Pastor Timothy) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:43
Do you have a 2am friend? You know the one — the person whose name you'd dial at 2 in the morning when you're stranded on the side of the road, and you already know they'll show up. If you can't think of a name, this mes…
Friends Shape Your Future (Adulting with Jesus 2 - Pastor Bill) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:25
We've never been more connected — and yet loneliness is at an all-time high. What's going on? And what does it have to do with growing up in your faith?In week two of Adulting with Jesus week 2, we dig into one of the mo…
Owned or Borrowed? (Adulting with Jesus 1 - Pastor Jared) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
Adulting is hard. Higher pressure, a more public stage, a brain that's still developing, and a gap between your income and the life you thought you'd be living by now. In week 1 of Adulting with Jesus, Pastor walks throu…
Owning Your Faith  (Adulting with Jesus 1 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
Imagine waking up your first Sunday at college, two hours from home, and realizing that for the first time in your life the choice to come to church is entirely your own. Welcome to adulting.In Week 1 of Adulting with Je…
But What About… Part 2 (God.LGBTQ.You. 5 - Pastor Mike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
How should followers of Jesus think — and live — when it comes to LGBTQ questions? In this final message of our five-week series, Pastor Mike opens the Bible to walk through five of the most common questions people are s…
Christ Redeems what you Regret (Bad Parents 5 - Pastor Steve) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:43
Some Christians have dramatic conversion stories. Others can only shrug and say, "I don't know — I guess I was just raised that way." Is the second kind of story really less of a miracle?In this message from our "Bad Par…