What does it mean to build a marriage that honors God—rooted in love, respect, and mutual service? On this episode of *Go Be the Church*, Pastors Eric and Stephen dive into the heart of biblical marriage. They explore how Christ’s love for the church sets the standard for husbands and wives, what it means to lead and submit in healthy, life-giving ways, and how to foster unity without losing individual identity. Expect practical wisdom, challenging insights, and grace-filled encouragement for every married couple—or those preparing for marriage. Because a thriving marriage isn’t about perfection—it’s about two people learning daily to love, lead, and serve like Jesus.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

Dating can feel like a minefield — full of hope, confusion, and sometimes heartbreak. On this episode of Go Be the Church, we cut through the noise with plainspoken, gospel-centered wisdom for anyone dating today. If you’re wondering how to date well — not just for fun, but with marriage in mind — you’re in the right place. Today we’ll unpack a simple rule: “Date slow, but find someone who’s FAST.” FAST stands for Faith, Accountability, Stability, and being Transformed into the image of Christ. We’ll talk guardrails for physical and spiritual boundaries, why motivations matter, how friendship and attraction fit together, and how to end things with honesty and grace when needed. Stay with us — practical, biblical, no-nonsense advice to help you pursue relationships that honor God and protect your heart.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

Let’s be honest—when someone in church says they’re single, what do we usually assume? That they’re waiting, that they’re incomplete, that they’re just in a holding pattern. What if I told you we’ve quietly made marriage the spiritual promotion and treated singleness like the waiting room?

Today we’ll push back on that idea. We’ll lean into 1 Corinthians—where Paul, surprisingly, says he wishes more people were single like him—not to downplay marriage, but to highlight undivided devotion, flexibility for ministry, and fewer divided responsibilities.

Whether you’re single by calling, by season, or by loss, this episode is for you. Singleness isn’t a limitation or a lesser status—it’s a different assignment and a possible path to deep devotion. Your relationship status is not your spiritual status.

Singleness is not second best. Let’s begin

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

What would change if you woke up tomorrow and remembered you’re not just living your life—you’re representing a Kingdom? Scripture says we are ‘ambassadors for Christ,’ and that’s not metaphor fluff. An ambassador doesn’t speak for himself; he speaks on behalf of the one who sent him. So today we’re talking about the weight and the beauty of representing Jesus in a world that isn’t neutral territory. We’ll unpack what it means to carry a message of reconciliation, to live with authority that’s delegated—not self-generated—and to remember that we don’t just carry words, we carry a reputation. This episode is both sobering and encouraging: you are equipped, you are sent, and the way you show up in ordinary life can make the Kingdom visible.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

Before anyone panics—no, we’re not claiming new, capital-A Apostles with Scripture-writing assignments. But we are going to talk about something the Bible makes normal for every Christian: being ‘sent.’ The word apostle literally means ‘sent one,’ and if Jesus says, ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you,’ then being sent isn’t a rare calling for a few people—it’s basic Christianity. Today we’ll get practical about where you’re sent (and why it’s usually closer than you think), why God sends His people instead of doing everything without us, and what it looks like to live with intention without becoming weird, loud, or guilt-driven. Because you don’t have to move across the world to be sent—you just have to move toward people.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

If you asked ten Christians to define the word ‘disciple,’ you’d probably get eleven answers—and most of them would sound like ‘a follower of Jesus,’ without really explaining what that means in real life. So today we’re going to clear the fog. In the first century, a disciple wasn’t a casual listener or a weekend attendee—discipleship meant apprenticeship: proximity to Jesus, obedience to Jesus, and transformation into the likeness of Jesus. We’re also going to draw some necessary boundaries—what discipleship is not, how you can be busy around church and still avoid surrender, and why the difference between Judas and Peter isn’t that one failed and the other didn’t…it’s what they did with their failure. This is an honest conversation about the cost, the call, and the daily reality of reorganizing your life around Christ.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

Be honest—when you hit a genealogy in the Bible, do you read it… or do your eyes suddenly develop spiritual speed-walking? Today we’re talking about why Scripture spends so much ink on names, and why that’s not a pointless detail—it’s a pattern. In the Bible, names aren’t just labels; they’re identity, calling, and often a clue to what God is doing in the story. We’ll look at the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, why certain names show up on purpose, and even why John bothers to name Malchus in the garden. Because the Bible doesn’t just tell stories—it remembers people. And if God is that intentional with names on the page, it might tell us something about how personal He is with the people in His story… including us.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.

Last time, we talked about why the Old Testament matters, but today we’re getting into the how. If we’re honest, most of us have felt the 'Bible Guilt'—that feeling that Scripture is just a textbook we’re supposed to study or a checklist to complete. But what if the Bible isn't just a book of information, but a place of encounter? Today, we’re talking about the power of hearing God’s voice through His Word. We’re diving into the ancient practice of reading Scripture aloud, why your 'quiet time' might actually need to get a little louder, and how to move past the 'I have to' mindset into a genuine 'I want to' relationship with the Living God. It’s time to stop just reading the page and start listening for the Voice behind it. Let’s get into it.

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Copyright 2025 First Christian Church, Champaign, IL.