Shows
City Church HoustonFaith & Science When we seek the deep answers of science, and use our God-given intellects to discern the laws of the universe, we are exploring the very nature and fingerprints of God, the supreme, creative force of all life. Faith and science are not opposed; they are engaged in an involved and intricate dance.
2024-07-2131 min2024-07-1429 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Courage All of us struggle at times mustering the courage we need in life. God's instructions to Joshua when he was called to succeed Moses give us timeless truths to help us deal with debilitating fear and discouragement.
2024-07-0729 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Pain Trust God in your pain while waiting for him to deliver you from your pain.
2024-06-3033 minCity Church HoustonFaith & The Bible What's the role of the Bible for Christians or people curious about faith? Can we rely on it? How do we make sense of it? And how can it help us improve our lives?
2024-06-2329 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Justice Paul's only strictly personal letter, Philemon, tells us about not only his heart for justice, but also the gospel's heart for justice. Our faith must arc, like the Bible itself, ever toward a more radical ethic of freedom and love for the other.
2024-06-2333 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Hypocrisy Faith is found at an intersection where we learn to set aside our sometimes hypocritical performances of self and embrace our true selves—more broken than we like to admit but more loved than we could ever imagine.
2024-06-0929 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Loneliness In our fast-paced, hyper-online world, loneliness poses a growing challenge to human flourishing. Whatever new form this ancient problem takes, this psalm reminds us that we are ever held in God's hands.
2024-06-0225 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Art Are art and faith compatible or in conflict? Why do artists often feel disenfranchised by the church? How can art help us understand ourselves? How might art actually be an alternative window into the world of faith? In this message we'll consider these and other questions as we explore a biblical theology of art.
2024-05-2627 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Church Many today are disillusioned with the church or just disinterested in it. This message will take modern concerns seriously and reflect on a passage that offers a refreshing vision for the church.
2024-05-1922 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Purpose Not only does having a sense of purpose infuse meaning in our life, research suggests it is linked to a number of positive health outcomes. So why is it so elusive? What spiritual steps can we take to discover it and build our life around it?
2024-05-1231 minCity Church HoustonFaith & Emotions The shortest verse in the Bible is by no means short on significance. When Jesus weeps over the loss of his friend, he reminds us that emotions are a vital part of our human lives, deserving of both our attention and our understanding.
2024-05-0530 min
City Church HoustonreNEW: The Opportunity What can shape us into people who are open-handed and big-hearted? The answer is found in this stirring and stretching ancient prayer.
2024-04-2816 minCity Church HoustonreNEW: The Sacrifice Can you imagine sacrificial generosity in the midst of extreme suffering giving rise to overwhelming joy? While this may surprise us, it's exactly what we find in a moving story about an ancient community of faith. This beautiful example has the power to renew our modern sensibilities about the meaning of life.
2024-04-2125 minCity Church HoustonreNEW: The Investment Generosity is found less by facing greed than by facing fear, which is the root of greed. Sobering as it may sound, Jesus tells us that the path to overcoming our worldly worry is to accept that much of what we treasure will be lost. Only his Kingdom is eternal.
2024-04-1428 minCity Church HoustonreNEW: The Vision What biblical themes animate City Church's vision to renew Houston? How might this kind of church address cultural trends?
2024-04-0722 min
City Church HoustonA Curious Easter Case Study The New Testament author, Luke, was so taken with the story of Saul of Tarsus that he couldn't stop telling it. It's a curious case study of the power of Easter to change a person's life.
2024-03-3119 min
City Church HoustonMore than Conquerors When we're struggling, what do we really need? In these concluding words from Romans 8, a high-water mark in the entire Bible, Paul shares words that can lift us and lead through even the most challenging of circumstances.
2024-03-2422 minCity Church HoustonSuffering and Glory Though far from comfortable, true spiritual growth leads us into the heart of suffering, so that we may taste more fully the goodness of the hope of Christ—who was himself no stranger to pain and loss.
2024-03-1733 minCity Church HoustonLove Without Exceptions Essential to spiritual growth is going out of our way to care for the practical needs people face. We can sacrificially enter in to other people's suffering because Jesus did so for us at great cost.
2024-03-1039 minCity Church HoustonThe War Within How do we change? What do we do with competing desires within us? Here we'll consider different paradigms for spiritual growth and what a healthy and hopeful way forward might be.
2024-03-0328 minCity Church HoustonThe Grace of Freedom Grace is a radical concept. If it grabs hold of us, it will absolutely change us--not making us different versions of ourselves, but new people altogether. This new identity means we're no longer struggling to be free, but free to struggle.
2024-02-2518 minCity Church HoustonDead or Alive? While suffering is often listed as the reason why people struggle to believe or disbelieve in God, it's curious that for the Apostle Paul it is central to spiritual growth and what it means to flourish in life.
2024-02-1825 min
City Church HoustonBlind Faith Jesus came to serve not the religious, but the relegated, not those in possession of might, but those in want of mercy. The figure "Blind Bartimaeus" provides us a model for how realizing our need for Christ's mercy lies at the very root of our faith transformation.
2024-02-1131 minCity Church HoustonHow to be Truly Great How do we know if we can trust our desires and ambitions? How should we think about power? Here Jesus paints a counterintuitive and countercultural vision for dealing with these important dynamics.
2024-02-0428 minCity Church HoustonImpossibility of Belief Jesus' famous encounter with a rich young ruler teaches us important lessons about our relationship to money.
2024-01-2816 minCity Church HoustonFirst and Last What makes us feel like we're somebody? Instead of tweaking our assumptions, Jesus turns things upside down and offers a radically different and refreshingly contrasting vision of life from what we're used to.
2024-01-2125 minCity Church HoustonBedazzled Belief Faith cannot last without wonder. While our spiritual lives must be intellectually and emotionally satisfying, the Gospels remind us that Christ's love and glory are more than we can exhaustively describe or understand. Wonder leads to love, love leads to life.
2024-01-1433 minCity Church HoustonBlurred Belief Is it possible to be able to see but still be blind? Spiritually speaking it is. Jesus' healing of a blind man leads to an eye-opening moment with his disciples. Here we catch his vision for his mission and what it means to follow him.
2024-01-0731 min
City Church HoustonNew Year's Eve Homily 2023 The persistent temptation of our spiritual lives is to choose momentary security over long-term flourishing. The story of exile and the people's return to the city of Jerusalem is a reminder—for any season of life—that true and lasting comfort is found in the presence of God alone.
2023-12-3116 min
City Church HoustonThe Joy Though one might not think of this as a Christmas passage, it captures the essence of Christmas, and Christianity for that matter. It's particularly suited to those who struggle with belief, loneliness, and happiness.
2023-12-2415 minCity Church HoustonThe Freedom Our lives are lived in between the two advents of Christ--his coming in humility in a manger and his future coming in great glory. What difference can this make in our lives? How might it help us face suffering, find purpose, and experience freedom regardless of our circumstances?
2023-12-1728 minCity Church HoustonThe Light Advent cannot be understand; it can only be experienced. Like flipping on a light in a pitch-dark room, Christian hope is an awakening to the life that can be found only in Jesus Christ.
2023-12-1731 minCity Church HoustonThe Word While we may tend to think of Advent as beginning in a manger in Bethlehem, the Apostle John reveals that it began much earlier--in the mystery of cosmic origins.
2023-12-0326 min
City Church HoustonJourneying On The power of grace does not eras our past, but rather re-forms it, transforming who we were into who we are called to be. Free from shame and redeemed by God's undying love, the chorus of scripture's song is that there are no lost causes with God.
2023-11-2634 minCity Church HoustonThe Limping Wrestler With this mysterious story, our series reaches its dramatic climax. Jacob's wrestling with God encapsulates his life and signals his transformation. It also helps us appreciate how we can grow into healthier versions of ourselves.
2023-11-1926 minCity Church HoustonSearing Love One of the most subversive elements of Scripture is the way the Lord elevates and cares for women. This passage might be read as a story about a man and his two wives; but it is also a story about God drawing a beloved daughter close, choosing her to serve his plan to redeem the world.
2023-11-1224 minCity Church HoustonThe Stairway Ever feel like your life is a mess and you're not sure what to do? In a timeless story of stunning hope we find Jacob on the run. His life had fallen apart and things were dark. Having burned bridges with his family and disconnected from God, he was all alone. Yet that's exactly where God met him and revealed to him realities that not only gave him hope to carry on, but changed his life forever.
2023-11-0527 min
City Church HoustonSubjects that Matter: Family of Origin All of us are impacted by our upbringing and families of origin. We may leave the nest, but we take a lot with us. Listen as Nancy Wilson, LPCS, and Leo Schuster discuss recognizing the brokenness in our family systems, including questions like: Why are friendships hard for me? Why do my spouse and I have the same fight over and over again?To visit with Nancy further, visit wilsoncounseling.org. City Church is also able to provide additional resources.
2023-11-0551 minCity Church HoustonSubjects that Matter: Family of Origin All of us are impacted by our upbringing and families of origin. We may leave the nest, but we take a lot with us. Listen as Nancy Wilson, LPCS, and Leo Schuster discuss recognizing the brokenness in our family systems, including questions like: Why are friendships hard for me? Why do my spouse and I have the same fight over and over again?To visit with Nancy further, visit wilsoncounseling.org. City Church is also able to provide additional resources.
2023-11-0551 minCity Church HoustonSuccession Jacob's deceitful disguises can only secure broken blessings, and by lying to others, he is really lying to himself. The path to true self-knowledge runs through the cross, where we see the depths of both the need for mercy and the free gift of God's endless love.
2023-10-2936 minCity Church HoustonThe Genesis of Jacob The origin story of Jacob and Esau tell us of two temptations that can threaten the life of faith: taking our future into our own hands, or abandoning the responsibility to wait on God's timing. The better way is a third way: the way of the cross, and the one who showed strength in his weakness, absolute faith in the face of unimaginable fear.
2023-10-2234 minCity Church HoustonThe Test In this shocking climax to the Abraham story, he is faced with an absolutely horrifying test. How will this man, who has so often struggled in his faith, respond? And what does this famous story teach us today?
2023-10-1533 minCity Church HoustonLaughing Matters Our laughter--or lack thereof--tells us a lot about ourselves and our beliefs. In a creative narrative spanning several chapters, the concept of laughter is used to teach us about ourselves, the ups and downs of life, and faith in God.
2023-10-0833 minCity Church HoustonHow To Hold On Even when we *want* to believe, it can be hard to trust the promises of God. In Genesis, Abraham holds on to faith by ceding his doubts to God's sovereign, loving control. On Sunday, we will talk about some practical ways to do the same—to cultivate deeper trust and more vibrant faith for days when we are faced with distractions and doubts.
2023-10-0138 min
City Church HoustonConversation with Beth Moore Watch New York Times bestselling author Beth Moore’s candid conversation with City Church Lead Pastor Leo Schuster on anxiety and depression, sexual abuse, and the imperfections of church.
2023-09-2453 minCity Church HoustonConversation with Beth Moore Watch New York Times bestselling author Beth Moore’s candid conversation with City Church Lead Pastor Leo Schuster on anxiety and depression, sexual abuse, and the imperfections of church.
2023-09-2453 minCity Church HoustonThe Trauma of Hagar When mistreated or trapped in terrible circumstances, where are we to go? What are we to do when our misery goes unseen and no one seems to hear our cry for help? In this tragic story of trauma, God reveals himself as the One who sees, hears, and loves.
2023-09-2432 minCity Church HoustonThe Frailty of Faith We don't believe or disbelieve in a vacuum. The stuff of life---the good, bad, and ugly-- always affects the way we process spiritual things. How do we live with more stability so we're not subject to our cirucmstances?
2023-09-1729 minCity Church HoustonThe Grace of Faith Is faith supposed to come naturally to us? Why does it often feel like it's such a struggle? How can the life of faith, however difficult it proves to be, help us flourish? We'll explore these questions in this introduction to our fall series "Wrestling With God."
2023-09-1032 min
City Church HoustonThe Fragility of Certainty Peter's famous denial of Christ is about more than threefold repitition: it is a progression of doubts that reveal how fragile our faith can be if we lack humility and vulnerability. In the same way, however, it becomes a progression toward the lasting source of faith: a living relationship with the resurrected Christ, who gives us strength when we have none.
2023-09-0334 minCity Church HoustonHelp My Unbelief Can we believe and not believe at the same time? That was the experience of a desperate father who brought his troubled son to Jesus for healing: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The more we look at the Bible, it turns out, the more we’ll see this man’s experience might have been the norm rather than the exception.
2023-08-2727 minCity Church HoustonThe Dance of Faith While people often talk about faith as though it were a fixed position of certainty, the Bible shows faith to be far more fluid. There’s a movement to it, a dance of sorts between belief and unbelief, devotion and spiritual dryness, strength and sorrow, love and loss.
2023-08-2031 min
City Church HoustonInvisible Worlds "Best things dwell out of sight," Emily Dickinson once wrote. It can be hard to believe what we cannot see, but so much of our life—our loves, our principles, our hopes—cannot be seen. Paul ends the letter to the Ephesians with a reminder of an invisible world beyond our vision, where good and evil struggle, and where the grace of God will ultimately win.
2023-08-1333 min2023-08-0637 minCity Church HoustonThe New Self If we're honest, isn't there often a ravine separating how we want to be and how we are? In Ephesians, Paul offers a profound view of our psychological and spiritual attitudes, challenging us to find new lives by, first and foremost, excavating the deepest beliefs of our hearts.
2023-07-3034 minCity Church HoustonInstruments of Grace How do we find deep purpose in life? How do we grow and mature as a person? How can a person of faith be a peace-maker when religion so often is divisive? We'll discuss how each of these important questions are addressed in this passage.
2023-07-2331 minCity Church HoustonFamilies of Grace Why are families often the most difficult place for us to incorporate what it means to be a person of faith? How can we develop healthy, flourishing relationships within our families?
2023-07-1632 minCity Church HoustonA Profound Mystery While it's an important topic, marriage can be a very sensitive subject. How should we think about it--its purpose, potential, and the pain that's often associated with it? What about singles and those who may feel left out when the church talks about subjects like marriage?
2023-07-0936 minCity Church HoustonExperiencing Boundless Love Paul's second and final prayer for the people in Ephesus asks them to see that the highest ambition of our faith is to know and experience the limitless love of God. While beyond our ability to fully comprehension, God's love holds the power to transform us at the very root of our being.
2023-07-0234 minCity Church HoustonBehind the Scenes How do we deal with discouragement? How do we make sense of our suffering? Paul interrupts himself in this very autobiographical and pastoral segment to share the secret to these age-old struggles.
2023-06-2525 minCity Church HoustonA New Humanity The grace of God frees us from old labels of our past, grants us a new identity for our present, and positions a cornerstone for our eternal future through the work and person of Jesus Christ.
2023-06-1834 minCity Church HoustonThe Miracle of Grace What makes grace truly amazing? Here Paul shows us how it can become a life-changing dynamic for us, help ground in us our sense of self, and discover purpose in all of life?
2023-06-1128 minCity Church HoustonThe Eyes of our Heart Paul wants the church to know what they can’t know on their own, see what they can’t see on their own, and be who they can’t be on their own.
2023-06-0435 minCity Church HoustonThe Seal "Grace has a grand laughter in it," writes the novelist Marilynne Robinson. If we've experienced the marvelous and mysterious love of God, we can't help but find shock and even laughter to think that the God of the universe has gone to the very ends of himself to win us back for himself.
2023-05-2833 minCity Church HoustonThe Gracious Mystery How does Paul open his letter to the Ephesians, which he wrote while chained in a Roman prison? Not by complaining, arguing, or reflecting on his circumstances in a well-reasoned manner. Instead, he opened with a surprisingly emotional outburst of praise. What caused this? Are there lessons we can learn to help us face our own challenges?
2023-05-2133 min
City Church HoustonThe Foot Lamp The dominant theme in this artistically elegant Psalm--the longest chapter in the Bible--is God's word. By treasuring God's word, especially in the face of suffering and sorrow, and allowing it to illuminate our life, we discover the path of true meaning and eternal happiness.
2023-05-1438 minCity Church HoustonThe Honey Book Falling in love with the Bible is like experiencing the joyous and rewarding journey of a fine meal, discovering a diet that balances personal growth and communal service.
2023-05-0735 minCity Church HoustonThe Case Study How often do we read the Bible simply to enjoy it? When we read for the experience, rather than the meaning only, we can enjoy the world of the Bible as we would enjoy the world of our favorite works of literature.
2023-04-3024 minCity Church HoustonThe Living Word While it's important to appreciate the Bible as a work of literature, there's something about it that's also very different, unique even. What is that characteristic and how can it help us enjoy the Bible and even find it to be a powerful tool of transformation in our lives?
2023-04-3031 minCity Church HoustonThe Burning Heart Is there a key that unlocks the meaning of the Bible and helps us to find deep enjoyment in it?
2023-04-1634 min
Hablar Sobre HablarLeo Valente en Hablar Sobre Hablar: "¿Charlas gratis? Empecé con la metodología PEPYLC"Soy Hernán Schuster y te invito a que juntos exploremos el detrás de escena de los que hablan y dan que hablar, de los #RockstarsDeLaPalabra. 🤘🏼⭐🎤
¿Sos un speaker del interior? Este episodio es para vos. ¿Te gustan las personas que no dan vueltas? Este episodio es para vos. ¿Y el humor ácido y corrosivo? Si la respuesta es “SÍ”, TE JURO que este episodio es para vos.
¿Acaso digo todo esto porque nacimos el mismo día y me estoy subiendo al mismo tren? No lo niego, ni lo afirmo 🤫. Solo digo: ¡Que linda es la gente nacida el 16 de Noviembre de...
2023-04-1347 min
City Church HoustonThe Enigma of Easter The end of Mark's Gospel is an enigma. But in this mysterious cliffhanger of a conclusion we find crucial lessons for life. What can we learn from this puzzling Easter story?
2023-04-0924 min
City Church HoustonRedemptive Hope As modern people in a secular age, whipsawed by the instability, sting, and sorrow of life, what can worship actually do for us?
2023-04-0234 minCity Church HoustonSacrificial Generosity Why do so many of us value generosity and find it so difficult to be sacrificially generous? What can help us overcome that disconnect? The answer lies in an unlikely place: reimagining philanthropy as part of liturgy.
2023-03-2627 minCity Church HoustonLove, Mercy, and Justice Learning to love moral principles is not the path Jesus teaches for those seeking peace and purpose. Instead, he tells us of a law of love, which transforms us into a people uniquely committed to justice and mercy for our neighbors.
2023-03-1933 minCity Church HoustonConnecting, Conversing, and Communing If actions speak louder than words, then God is always speaking. Prayer teaches us to listen. We sit with God in our present, and we trust him with our future, because of his faithfulness in the past.
2023-03-1225 minCity Church HoustonCall to Worship We all have habits that are big parts of our life, some healthier than others. What if there were a keystone habit, that if adopted, would help us grow in all areas of life? God invites us to adopt fresh habits of worship--let's call this 'liturgy'--that will help us become more fully human and discover uncommon pleasure in all of life.
2023-03-0535 minCity Church HoustonSacramental Mystery When our days get dark and faith feels flat what are we supposed to do? God's given us two ancient, mysterious gifts to steady us and strengthen us.
2023-03-0532 min
City Church HoustonThe Joy Jesus prays for his disciples' protection; that they be in the world, but not of it. The purpose of this protection? To ensure that we experience true, deep joy in our identity in Christ, which no one can touch.
2023-02-1926 minCity Church HoustonThe Mission What was Jesus doing in the last moments before his arrest? He was praying for us. He wasn't consumed with what was happening to him. He was sincerely interested in us and the quality of life we would live.
2023-02-1234 minCity Church HoustonThe Glory In his final words, Jesus prays for a glory that will last forever. True glory, the kind that doesn't fade or falter, is born from suffering but built to share, transforming our lives into a meaningful mission for the good of others.
2023-02-0531 minCity Church HoustonThe Helper How can we as modern people trust that the Bible, written by humans, is true? How can we believe all that it says about us and God? How do we find real peace, comfort, and courage in a world often punctuated with pain? The answer to these and many other questions lie in what Jesus taught his followers about the Holy Spirit.
2023-01-2935 minCity Church HoustonThe Vine What makes for a truly great, fruitful life, not only one with lasting meaning, but one that contributes to the common good, and fills us with deep happiness? Jesus here casts a vision for this kind of life, shares the secret to discovering it, and shows us how we can grow in it.
2023-01-2234 minCity Church HoustonThe Way As Jesus' life neared its end, his disciples worried about what would come next. Jesus' answer that he alone is "the way" is not some theoretical truth, but rather a deeply loving and practical response to the doubts of our hearts.
2023-01-1531 minCity Church HoustonThe End The night before he died, Jesus shared with his closest friends and followers powerful words from an upper room in Jerusalem. They offer "upper room" perspective, purpose, and peace for us, when we feel limited to the constraints of life in this "lower room" world.
2023-01-0832 minCity Church HoustonNo Cause for Shame We can renew our hope by fixing our eyes on a God who would face the shame of his own death and embrace glory of his own resurrection so that we can be brought back into a living relationship with himself.
2023-01-0117 min
City Church HoustonNunc Dimittis Simeon's Song celebrates a God who draws near to us in order to draw us out from a place of fear and weakness, just as he models in the life and faith of Mary.
2022-12-1833 minCity Church HoustonThe Nativity Why would Luke record the actual birth of Jesus in such a straight-forward, even dispassionate way, given that has so often invited us into the emotional experience of Mary?
2022-12-1128 minCity Church HoustonThe Magnificat When life feels out of control, what are we to do? In Mary's song, The Magnificat, we discover not only what can stabilize us, but what can fill us with soul-satisfying joy.
2022-12-0427 minCity Church HoustonThe Annunciation The story of Jesus' birth begins with Mary, who was chosen for the utterly unique role of mother of God. Her response to the angel's shocking news prompts us to reflect: What is God asking of us? And will we do it?
2022-11-2725 min
City Church HoustonDavid and Worship In this conclusion to the series we see David at his best--exhibiting radical generosity, humility, and selflessness. What strikes us is how free and alive he is. What contributed to that in his life? How can we discover it for ourselves?
2022-11-2035 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Repentance How do we change? How do we grow? In the Christian faith, repentance has always been central to authentic transformation in a person's life. We see this in dramatic fashion when the prophet Nathan confronted David.
2022-11-1340 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Bathsheba While moments such as David's encounter with Goliath showcase him at his revered best, this tragic episode reveals just how flawed he could be. Here we learn about the dangers of power, the power of temptation, and the power to deal with both.
2022-11-0636 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Disability David's loyalty to his friend Jonathan culminates in the extension of communal care and resources to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who is disabled. David honors and recognizes him as an image-bearer of God in the lineage of his chosen people.
2022-10-3024 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Dancing When David brought the ark of God into Jerusalem he danced before the Lord with whirling abandon. His dance gives us a picture of what life can be, even when suffering: a free and overjoyed expression of worship born of grace.
2022-10-2333 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Destiny Seeking God's presence is the meaning and measure of our lives, and David's ascension to the throne of Israel reveals how great find their purpose in patiently, faithfully waiting on his timing.
2022-10-1634 minCity Church HoustonDavid and the Desert David's journey through wilderness is not unlike our own search for spiritual satisfaction. Jesus promises living water, but how do we find it when life feels like a desert?
2022-10-0932 minCity Church HoustonDavid and Friendship Friendship is the antidote to the poison of loneliness. What does real friendship look like? How do we find it? How do we become true friend to others? The heartwarming story of David and his friend, Jonathan, provides compellings answers to these questions.
2022-10-0235 min
En Modo BetaLeo Piccioli: Emprender para salir de la zona de confortLeo Piccioli se define como ex nerd, ex economista, y ex CEO de Staples Argentina y Brasil.
Actualmente es speaker y escritor, autor de "Soy Solo, Historias honestas de liderazgo para ser feliz en el siglo XXI y más allá".
En este episodio de En Modo Beta, charlamos acerca de cómo fue salir de la Corporación para construir el camino emprendedor propio en un gran proceso de transformación personal.
2018-11-3021 min