Best Christian OConnell Podcasts (2024)

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Lessons from Little Guys | Proverbs 30:24-28 29:17

5d ago29:17

29:17

Where do you look for role models? Who do you want to learn from? Most of us want to learn from those who are great—the successful businessperson, the best football player, the smartest scientist. This morning the Proverbs will tell us to look in a different place for life advice—to four “little guys” who know some things we should know. - Pastor R…

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The Biggest Barrier to Wisdom | Proverbs 16:18 32:34

12d ago32:34

32:34

We’ve been talking about wisdom—the ability for broken people living in a broken world to navigate life as well as possible. Wisdom is knowing what to do and having the strength to do it. This morning we’re going to look at what the Proverbs have to say about the biggest barrier that gets in the way of our becoming wise. - Pastor Ron Kool Support t…

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Wisdom About Work | Proverbs 10:9 40:27

19d ago40:27

40:27

We don’t always realize it, but the Bible actually says quite a bit about work. Work was created by God and was intended to be a source of dignity and appropriate pride for all of us. But now we’re working in a broken world (and we are broken people) and work doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. So how do we navigate work well? What do the Proverbs …

1
Deal Wisely With Anger | Proverbs 16:32 36:21

19d ago36:21

36:21

We all have to deal with anger. For some of us it’s our own anger—we too often blow up and damage the people around us or we clam up and simmer with anger. For some of us it’s the anger of others—our spouse gets mad and yells at us or calls us names. Anger is a reality in our world and the writers of the Proverbs tell us that we need to learn to de…

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Give Me Some Good News in My Doubt | John 20 37:33

26d ago37:33

37:33

Doubts are a tricky thing when it comes to faith. Because unlike sin and grief, some doubts are good to have. Some doubts don’t cause us any trouble because they’re grounded in truth and some can even be useful and constructive. But what about doubts concerning the nature and faithfulness of God? How does Jesus give us good news in the midst of THO…

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Give Me Some Good News in My Grief | John 11 36:23

1M ago36:23

36:23

Perhaps the most difficult seasons of faith that we endure are seasons when we experience pain, suffering, and loss. Deep down we know that suffering is part of the deal when it comes to being a Christian, but when grief hits hardest, it can feel as if God has forgotten about us and our pain altogether. But there’s good news, even in my grief. The …

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Give Me Some Good News | John 8:1-11 35:13

2M ago35:13

35:13

For the next three weeks we’re going to be looking at stories from the Gospel of John for some much needed good news in a world that has plenty bad to offer. The best news usually comes when we think there’s only bad news or no hope. But there is good news in all seasons, even in the times when we fall short and blow it. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Sup…

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Choose Friends Wisely | Proverbs 13:20 37:16

2M ago37:16

37:16

Did your parents always want to know who you were hanging out with? Were they constantly asking about your friends? If they were, then it’s probably because they were wise and they loved you. The people we hang around with matter—a lot—and this morning we’ll look at what the Proverbs have to say about our friends. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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Watch Your Tongue | Proverbs 18:21 34:36

2M ago34:36

34:36

Our tongues are relatively small—they only weigh about three ounces. But they are powerful. They can cause great damage in our lives and the lives of others. They can also be the source of great blessing. This morning we’ll look at what the Proverbs have to say about our tongues. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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Pure Wisdom | Proverbs 1:1-7 34:35

2M ago34:35

34:35

At times we can all be fools. We make foolish choices. We say foolish things. We go foolish places. At times we can all be fools. And we need help. That’s where the book of Proverbs comes in. Proverbs is a book of God’s wisdom that can help us navigate life well. This morning we’ll start a series on the book of Proverbs. - Pastor Ron Kool Support t…

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And Then What? | Acts 28:17-31 33:25

3M ago33:25

33:25

As we come to the end of the book of Acts, we have several questions yet to be answered. What will Paul do in Rome? What is going to happen when Paul appears before Caesar? Will Paul ever get to Spain? This morning we’ll see how Luke finishes the story he’s been telling us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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How Should We Look at Ourselves? | Acts 28:1-16 32:52

3M ago32:52

32:52

It’s interesting to think about how we should think about ourselves. Should we look at ourselves as bad people? As good people? Should we be proud of ourselves or ashamed about who we are? This morning we’ll look at what Luke tells us about Paul and about how we should look at ourselves. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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A Hero's Heart | 2 Samuel 23:8-17 32:51

3M ago32:51

32:51

This week at Hillside, our kids have been learning what it means to be a hero. We’ve been following the life of David and learned that hero’s have a pure heart, they face their fears, they trust in God and offer forgiveness. There’s one more story we’ll look at together as a church and see that what ultimately makes someone a hero in God’s eyes is …

1
Life (Driver's) Education: The Necessity of Yielding | Joshua 24 32:51

3M ago32:51

32:51

One of the lessons new drivers need to learn is what it means to yield. It’s not the same as stopping—but you may have to stop. It’s not the same as going—though you may get to go. Yielding can be hard to learn when driving. But it can also be hard to learn when we’re following God. This morning Pastor Jul Medenblik will teach us about being yielde…

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Preparing for a Crash | Acts 27:27-44 27:53

4M ago27:53

27:53

Sometimes you know that there’s a crash of some sort coming. Even with God’s help, sometimes we hit the rocks. Paul and his companions on the ship know that they are going to “run aground” (crash) on an island during a terrible storm. This morning, we’ll look at what they did to prepare for the rocks and what we can do. - Pastor Ron Kool Support th…

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God Will Not Be Stopped | Acts 27:1-26 37:53

4M ago37:53

37:53

God has promised us some pretty amazing things—His presence and strength, a new earth where everything will be the way it is supposed to be, new bodies that will never get cancer or die. Some days it’s easy to believe in God’s promises. We just know they’re going to happen. But some days we wonder—is it really true? Will God keep His promises? This…

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Paul's Last Altar Call | Acts 25:23 - Acts 26 35:38

4M ago35:38

35:38

In his last recorded speech in the Bible, Paul stands and gives a defense before King Agrippa in preparation for his arrival to Rome and ultimately Caesar. Paul makes a lengthy speech in his defense, and what is significant to notice about his speech is that Paul can’t talk about himself without talking about Jesus at the same time. For Paul, every…

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Do I Wait or Do I Go? | Acts 25 33:29

4M ago33:29

33:29

Sometimes we’re in situations where we’re not sure what we ought to do. Does God want us to stay where we are and wait for Him to do something? Or does God want us to take matters into our own hands and do something ourselves? This morning we’ll look at a situation in which Paul has to figure out whether he waits or whether he takes matters into hi…

1
Living With a Clear Conscience | Acts 24 34:35

4M ago34:35

34:35

Paul’s missionary journeys have placed him in stressful situations repeatedly. Wherever Paul seemed to tell people about Jesus, trouble followed. Living with a clear conscience when things are good is hard enough. How do we live with a clear conscience before God and man under pressure? We see in the example of Paul before Felix we can live with a …

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God Behind the Scenes | Acts 23:11-35 33:57

5M ago33:57

33:57

As we’ve gone through the books of Acts, we’ve seen God do a number of miracles—healings and earthquakes and blindness and bright lights. This morning we’re going to look at a passage in which God doesn’t do any of these kinds of miracles. He’s behind the scenes, working through “natural” means and circumstances. We’ll think about how God might be …

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Paul in a Politically Charged Environment | Acts 22:22-23:11 36:48

5M ago36:48

36:48

We live in a politically charged environment. Some of us have experienced broken relationships over political divisions. In an election year, things might well get worse. How do we live in this? How do we handle politically charged environments? This morning we’ll take a look at Paul in a politically charged environment and see what we can learn ab…

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Paul Tells His Story | Acts 21:37-22:21 36:26

5M ago36:26

36:26

One of the opportunities we sometimes have is the opportunity to tell others about Jesus. It can be an exciting thing to do, but it can also be scary. This morning we’re going to take a look at one of the most effective ways we can share our faith—we’ll see how Paul simply tells the story of when he met Jesus. As we look at Paul, we’ll all be chall…

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Paul in Jerusalem | Acts 21:17-36 34:51

5M ago34:51

34:51

Paul has been on his way to Jerusalem for quite a while and he’s finally arrived. He’s been looking forward to being in Jerusalem but he also knows that troubles are ahead of him. This morning we’ll see what happens when Paul goes into the city. As too often happens, the first trouble comes from other Christians. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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Conviction and Community | Acts 21:1-16 34:21

6M ago34:21

34:21

Sometimes Christians disagree. One of the things Christians disagree about is the strategy we ought to pursue. We might have the same goal, but we might have different ways of getting there. What do we do then? How do we decide? This morning we’ll look at a situation in which Paul and a lot of his friends disagree and we’ll watch as they figure out…

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Easter - The Beginning | Mark 16:1-8 36:25

6M ago36:25

36:25

The site of an empty tomb on Easter morning is a symbol of victory. Death has been defeated, the bondage of sin has been overpowered by God’s power and love. But the first time people saw an empty tomb on Easter, they became so scared and confused that they ran off in a silent panic. What could possibly be scary and confusing about Easter + the emp…

1
The End - Good Friday | Mark 15:39 22:23

6M ago22:23

22:23

As we gather together this evening for worship, we’ll take time to follow Jesus from His arrest to when He died. It is a sad, painful journey. But it also is a journey that leads to life for us. In our meditation, we’ll take a look at the person at the cross who sees most clearly—a Roman Centurion. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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The Mocking | Mark 14:43-15:32 31:59

6M ago31:59

31:59

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but…Most of us know the rest—words will never hurt me. It would be nice if it were true, but it’s not. Words and gestures do hurt us and Mark wants us to know that Jesus faced a tremendous amount of mockery, scorn and humiliation on His way to and while He was on the cross. We'll look at what this has to teach …

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The Cup | Mark 14:32-42 35:03

6M ago35:03

35:03

We move ahead to the day that Jesus was crucified. In the early hours of the morning, we see Him at prayer, but this is a different kind of prayer than we have seen before. Jesus is in anguish. He is struggling like never before. And as we realize why Jesus is overwhelmed, we begin to see the pain and suffering He will endure for us. - Pastor Ron K…

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The Ransom | Mark 10:35-45 32:25

7M ago32:25

32:25

One of the things that was most difficult for the disciples to understand was why Jesus came. They got that He came to save but they didn’t get HOW He would save and what the Kingdom of God would be like. They just didn’t get it. This morning we’ll watch as once again Jesus tries to help them (and us) “get it.” - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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The Trap | Mark 10:17-31 40:16

7M ago40:16

40:16

Summary: We want to follow Jesus because at the end of the day we know that the best life, eternal life, can only be found in following Jesus! So if following Jesus offers us the best eternal destiny, why do we find it to be so difficult to follow Jesus as God’s Word tells us? Usually, it’s because we’re still holding onto something. However, new l…

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The Call | Mark 1:14-20 35:05

7M ago35:05

35:05

It was only two words. Two fairly simple words. But they changed the lives of these fishermen forever. Nothing was the same after Jesus came to them and said these two words. This morning Jesus says the same words to us: Follow Me. The disciples followed. Will we? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the showBy Ron Kool, Arek O'Connell

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TOO AMBITIOUS: Challenging the Status Quo + Stephanie O'Connell Rodriguez 45:22

7M ago45:22

45:22

Welcome to the women of ambition podcast. I'm your host, Alyssa Calder Hume. And today we are going to look specifically at ambition for women as per normal, but we're going to be looking at it through the lens of culture and how religion and socialization and so many other factors come into play for women and how we are socialized to be able to ex…

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Be Shepherds | Acts 20:18-38 36:11

7M ago36:11

36:11

Many of us don’t like to think of ourselves as leaders. We’re just followers. But for almost all of us we will be, at least for a time, leaders. If we are parents, we are leaders. If we lead a small group, we are leaders. If we are elders or deacons, we are leaders. This morning we’ll take a look at what Paul said to the leaders of the Church in Ep…

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(Different) Models of Leadership + Nina Simons, Bioneer Co-Founder 59:49

7M ago59:49

59:49

Alyssa Calder Hulme: [00:00:00] Welcome to the women of ambition podcast. I'm your host, Alyssa Culler Hume. And today we have a fantastic guest on our show. Nina Simons is co founder and chief relationship officer at Bioneers and leads it's every woman leadership program throughout her career, spanning the nonprofit, social entrepreneurship, corpo…

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Getting Ready for Trouble | Acts 20:1-17 35:34

8M ago35:34

35:34

The Apostle Paul’s missionary trips are going to come to an end. He’s heading to Jerusalem, and he knows he’s heading for trouble. As Paul begins his trip to Jerusalem, we see him busy with a number of details, putting things in place while he still can. In doing this, Paul teaches us some important lessons about what it means to be in the church. …

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Impostures Syndrome and Black Ambition: DEI, Racial Capitalism, and the History of Policing in the US + Whitney Knox Lee, Esq. 59:14

7M ago59:14

59:14

Alyssa Calder Hulme: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Women of Ambition podcast. I'm your host, Alyssa Calder Hume, and today we have Whitney Knox Lee. Whitney is a civil rights attorney, an equity and inclusion consultant, a mother and wife, and the host of the Empatrix podcast. Whitney Knox Lee, Esq.: Yes. Alyssa Calder Hulme: Thank you so much for bein…

1
Not Enough Room for the Both of Us | Acts 19:23-41 36:01

8M ago36:01

36:01

Paul’s time in Ephesus ended with a bang! A large number of people are converted, God’s power is on display, and the people in Ephesus show a radical devotion to God upon their conversion. Time and time throughout Acts we keep seeing that the Gospel always transforms, it often divides, and is never compromised. Is our faith in action a walking test…

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Three Marks of a Dynamic Church | Acts 19:1-21 36:56

8M ago36:56

36:56

Paul is going to spend three years in Ephesus planting and growing the church there. The church becomes an important church and plants other churches. What made this church so effective, so dynamic? This morning we’ll look at three marks of this dynamic church. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the showBy Ron Kool, Arek O'Connell

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Growing Pains | Acts 18:18-19:7 34:28

8M ago34:28

34:28

We’ve been following the growth of the early church. It’s been exciting to see the movement grow from a small group in an upper room to a large body of believers spread across a good portion of the world. But wherever there is growth, there are also growing pains—there are challenges that come up. This morning we’ll look at some of these challenges…

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Help for the Weary | I Corinthians 18:1-17 34:57

8M ago34:57

34:57

Sometimes we just get tired. We’ve been going along and doing okay, but things start to catch up with us. We want to keep going, but it’s not easy. We’re worn out. At times like this, we need help from God—help like God gave the Apostle Paul in Corinth. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the showBy Ron Kool, Arek O'Connell

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This is Who You've Been Looking For | Acts 17:16-34 36:08

9M ago36:08

36:08

When Paul preaches to the people of Athens, he is dealing with people who do not accept the authority of the Bible. He must find a different point of connection with these folks. As we see what Paul does, we learn important lessons about how we talk about Jesus to our family members, friends and others who do not know Jesus and who do not believe t…

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Remember the Rekabites | Jeremiah 35 37:09

9M ago37:09

37:09

As we approach a new year, we tend to do two things. First, we reflect on the past year, and we resolve what to do the following year. As you consider what type of year you want 2024 to look like, our text in Jeremiah will encourage us to remember a faithful group of nomads called the Rekabites. Perhaps they will help us all resolve to be faithful!…

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The Gift | John 3:16 25:46

9M ago25:46

25:46

For many of us, we would rather be on the giving end of gifts than on the receiving end. We like to give to others, and if someone gives us something, we want to be able to give them a gift back. It’s not always easy simply to receive a gift. But at the heart of the Christmas story is a gift from God that we can only receive and never repay—the gif…

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The Refining Fire | Malachi 2:17-3:5 33:27

9M ago33:27

33:27

At this time of the year, we sing songs that talk about God coming near to us. We sing, “O Come, O Come, Immanuel,” or “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. But before we get too excited, we need to hear the prophet Malachi. He reminds us that when Jesus comes, it’s not just angels and stars and happy t…

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The Tender Plant | Isaiah 11:1-9 33:43

10M ago33:43

33:43

The most difficult circumstances and seasons to have hope in are the ones where nothing seems to go right. We look at the world around us and it feels like everything is falling apart and certain evils, injustices, and suffering don’t seem to have an end in sight. But Isaiah prophecies of one who can put an end to it all, the one that we can put ou…

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The Bright Morning Star | Numbers 24:17 & Revelation 22:16 32:54

10M ago32:54

32:54

This morning we begin getting ready for the arrival (advent) of Jesus on Christmas day. To help us get our hearts ready to welcome Jesus, we’re going to look at four images from the Bible that help us understand who Jesus is. We start with an image from 1,400 years before Jesus was born—He is the bright Morning Star. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the s…

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Talking About Jesus | Acts 17:1-15 36:48

10M ago36:48

36:48

If someone didn’t know much about Christianity and they asked you to tell them about Jesus, what would you say? What words would you use to describe Him? What would you focus on? This morning we’ll listen in to what Paul said about Jesus to people who didn’t know who Jesus was or what Jesus did. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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Growing in Gratitude | Psalm 103 27:27

10M ago27:27

27:27

On this Thanksgiving Day, most of us know we should be grateful. And most of us genuinely want to be grateful. But how do we grow in gratitude? This morning we’ll look at three necessities for growing gratitude. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the showBy Ron Kool, Arek O'Connell

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Singing in the Dark | Acts 16:16-40 33:55

10M ago33:55

33:55

Paul and his companions are about to meet some new friends and enemies as they bring the gospel into new territories with new rules. However, God and the gospel message never change. As the gospel begins to challenge and change these new places Paul shows us that even when things get tough, our central commitment is to Christ and the Gospel because…

1
Getting to Where God Wants Us | Acts 16:6-5 30:43

11M ago30:43

30:43

If we’re disciples of Jesus, we want to be where God wants us to be. But how do we know where God wants us to be? How do we know if God wants us to stay where we are or move on to some other place? This morning we’ll see Paul, Silas, and Timothy struggle with those questions. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show…

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Christian OConnell Podcasts

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