<description>Episode 238 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - Part 2 When Joy Feels Fake by The Porch Community Church</description>

Episode 238 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries -…

Episode 238 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - Part 2 When Joy Feels Fake by The Porch Community Church

Episode 238 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - Part 2 When Joy Feels Fake

<description>Joy.

We talk about it. We chase it. We mistake it for happiness. But Scripture tells us something radically different—joy isn’t something you create… it’s something you receive.

In this message, Pastor Shannon unpacks the real difference between happiness (situational) and joy (relational)—and how Joy isn’t found in better circumstances, but in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Whether this season brings celebration or deep grief… Joy meets you right where you are.
🔥 In this message you’ll learn:

• Why happiness is momentary but joy is supernatural
• How Paul could write about joy from inside a prison cell
• Why joy is a gift you cannot produce on your own
• How to experience joy even in seasons of loss
• Why “Joy has a name — and His name is Jesus”

📖 Key Scriptures:
Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
Philippians 2:18 (NLT)
Luke 2:10–11 (NLT)
Acts 4:12 (NLT)</description>

Joy.

We talk about it. We chase it. We mistake i…

Joy.

We talk about it. We chase it. We mistake it for happiness. But Scripture tells us something radically different—joy isn’t something you create… it’s something you receive.

In this message, Pastor Shannon unpacks the real difference between happiness (situational) and joy (relational)—and how Joy isn’t found in better circumstances, but in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Whether this season brings celebration or deep grief… Joy meets you right where you are.
🔥 In this message you’ll learn:

• Why happiness is momentary but joy is supernatural
• How Paul could write about joy from inside a prison cell
• Why joy is a gift you cannot produce on your own
• How to experience joy even in seasons of loss
• Why “Joy has a name — and His name is Jesus”

📖 Key Scriptures:
Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
Philippians 2:18 (NLT)
Luke 2:10–11 (NLT)
Acts 4:12 (NLT)

Joy Has A Name

<description>The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year”… but for many of us, they aren’t. In fact, studies show that nearly two-thirds of adults experience increased stress and declining mental health during the Christmas season. Between family dynamics, financial pressure, end-of-year deadlines, and the weight of unspoken grief, December can feel more like survival than celebration.
In Part 1 of our Advent Miniseries — The Tension of the Season — we step into that reality honestly. Because Advent was never meant to gloss over our pain. It was designed to name it, hold it, and remind us that hope rises in the waiting.
We explore the tension between what we long for and what actually is — between joy and exhaustion, celebration and sorrow, expectation and unmet reality. Through Romans 8:22–25, we look at the “groaning” Scripture says all creation experiences… and why that longing is a sign of our hope, not the loss of it.
And we revisit the first Christmas — messy, chaotic, and anything but picture-perfect — to remember that Jesus doesn’t wait for the world to be tidy or our hearts to be steady. He comes right into the middle of it. Into the noise, the fatigue, the ache, the silence. Into your reality.
If this season feels heavy, complicated, or different than you hoped, you’re not behind — you’re right where Advent meets us: waiting, longing, hoping.
In this episode, you’ll be invited to slow down, breathe, and bring your honest heart before God. Because Emmanuel — God with us — is still drawing near. Not when we feel festive… but when we simply make room.
Listen now as we begin the journey toward Christmas by acknowledging the tension — and discovering the hope that grows right there in the middle of it.</description>

The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderf…

The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year”… but for many of us, they aren’t. In fact, studies show that nearly two-thirds of adults experience increased stress and declining mental health during the Christmas season. Between family dynamics, financial pressure, end-of-year deadlines, and the weight of unspoken grief, December can feel more like survival than celebration.
In Part 1 of our Advent Miniseries — The Tension of the Season — we step into that reality honestly. Because Advent was never meant to gloss over our pain. It was designed to name it, hold it, and remind us that hope rises in the waiting.
We explore the tension between what we long for and what actually is — between joy and exhaustion, celebration and sorrow, expectation and unmet reality. Through Romans 8:22–25, we look at the “groaning” Scripture says all creation experiences… and why that longing is a sign of our hope, not the loss of it.
And we revisit the first Christmas — messy, chaotic, and anything but picture-perfect — to remember that Jesus doesn’t wait for the world to be tidy or our hearts to be steady. He comes right into the middle of it. Into the noise, the fatigue, the ache, the silence. Into your reality.
If this season feels heavy, complicated, or different than you hoped, you’re not behind — you’re right where Advent meets us: waiting, longing, hoping.
In this episode, you’ll be invited to slow down, breathe, and bring your honest heart before God. Because Emmanuel — God with us — is still drawing near. Not when we feel festive… but when we simply make room.
Listen now as we begin the journey toward Christmas by acknowledging the tension — and discovering the hope that grows right there in the middle of it.

Episode 237 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - The Weary World Rejoices

<description>Hope Has A Name by The Porch Community Church</description>

Hope Has A Name by The Porch Community Church

Hope Has A Name

<description>Can I really make a difference?
That’s the question we’re asking this week in our Asking for a Friend series — and the answer is YES.

In this message, Pastor Shannon shares the heart behind what it means to be the church — not just attend it. Drawing from Acts 3, where Peter and John encounter a man outside the temple gates, we’re reminded that miracles, transformation, and real faith often happen outside the walls — on “the porch.”

At The Porch Community Church, we believe life change happens where Jesus meets real life — in the grocery store, at the ball field, in your workplace, and around your neighborhood. You were made to make a difference.

📖 Scripture References:
Acts 3:1–11
Acts 4:13
Ephesians 2:10
1 Peter 4:10
Galatians 6:9–10

💬 Key Takeaway:
You don’t need to be extraordinary — just available. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.</description>

Can I really make a difference?
That’s the questi…

Can I really make a difference?
That’s the question we’re asking this week in our Asking for a Friend series — and the answer is YES.

In this message, Pastor Shannon shares the heart behind what it means to be the church — not just attend it. Drawing from Acts 3, where Peter and John encounter a man outside the temple gates, we’re reminded that miracles, transformation, and real faith often happen outside the walls — on “the porch.”

At The Porch Community Church, we believe life change happens where Jesus meets real life — in the grocery store, at the ball field, in your workplace, and around your neighborhood. You were made to make a difference.

📖 Scripture References:
Acts 3:1–11
Acts 4:13
Ephesians 2:10
1 Peter 4:10
Galatians 6:9–10

💬 Key Takeaway:
You don’t need to be extraordinary — just available. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Can I Really Make A Difference - Asking For A Friend Week 14

We started in 2002 as a safe environment for regular people to explore faith within community. Everyone is welcome here, whatever your story, your questions, doubts or struggles. So come as you are, because that’s where God meets us — as is. From there, we’ll help each other grow to be all God intended us to be.

The Porch Community Church

Details

Recent Episodes