No one likes to be told they are doing something wrong, but how we respond to constructive criticism says a lot about our character and how open we are to change. This week we will look at how two different groups of people responded to Jesus's message, and ask ourselves how we should respond to him today.
7.24.22 - Expectations VS Reality
Whether it was a super fancy dinner out that ended up tasting terrible, or someone let you down when you trusted really them, we've all had that moment where our expectations did not meet reality. What do we do when its not things or people that let us down, but God? Maybe you've been praying a prayer for years that continues to go unanswered. Or you thought following God would make your life easier, and it is still full of challenges. This week, we will be talking about the relationship between faith and doubt and how to respond when life seems to indicate that God is not in control.
7.17.22 - Overcoming Death
The idea that we will die is usually the kind of thing we try to keep far from our minds. We don't like to think about it and don't do a good job preparing for it. This fact was true in Jesus's day as well. In this message, we will see an incredibly miraculous event where Jesus raised a young man from the dead. This miracle is hard for our skeptical modern mind to believe. So if it is true, what does it teach us about death, and why does that matter?
07.10.22 - Who is Worthy?
Why is "virtue signaling" a thing? All of us are honestly probably a little insecure in our moral or political positions, and so we crave the validation of strangers to assure us that we are in the right. We want to prove we are good enough (or worthy) in some way. In this message, we will talk about what it truly means to be worthy and the key that Jesus gives us to make us worthy.
07.03.22 - Rooted & Fruitful
How can you and I be calm in the middle of the storm? I wish that question weren't so relevant, but it seems like there is a lot of "storm" in our world. In this message, we learn from Jesus as he challenges us to consider what kind of fruit we are producing and challenges us to consider where we are placing roots in the world.
06.26.22 - Clear Eyes
There is perhaps no sin in America greater than the sin of being judgmental. You hear it show up all over. But that is not a new phenomenon. Judgmentalism was a thing Jesus spoke out against also. In this message, we will look at Jesus’ very famous teaching on judging others and see what work we can do on ourselves to grow in humility.
06.19.22 - When Love Doesn't Make Sense
The word love is thrown around a lot in our culture but it is usually left pretty undefined. Love means something like a warm feeling of affection that we have for someone else. Or love means willing the good for another person. When Jesus spoke of love he took it much farther than that. He pushes us to a type of love that almost doesn’t make sense to us. In this message, we will explore that kind of love and talk about how we can practically live it out.
06.12.22 - Blessing and Woe
The way of Jesus is often very different from the existing structures around us. We often find that no matter how much we have, how much we consume, or how well people see us, we are still left unsatisfied and longing for more. In this message, we will journey through what Jesus says about blessings and woes and wrestle with the question, "on who or what are you most dependent?"
06.05.22 - True Authority
We like to believe that we are the captains of our ship. The one who is in control over our lives. But are we always the best one to be at the helm? The direction we go, the decisions we make, and what we believe is right or wrong: they are all impacted by our perspective - by how we see the world around us. But our perspective is limited to how we have experienced life. In this message, we will learn why we need a guiding authority in our lives; one that gives us mission, purpose, and rest.
05.29.22 - Turning Over a New Leaf
This week we have seen a lot of pain and chaos in our world. So, let’s talk about it. Do we need revolution or evolution? Jesus came to offer us an entirely new way of being: a way that is very much needed now in a hurting world.
05.22.22 - Finding Forgiveness
Forgiveness is hugely important to our lives. It is the only tool available to us to change how we relate to our past. In this message, we will look at how Jesus offered forgiveness and see what it teaches us for how we can receive and offer forgiveness today.
05.15.22 - Hearing the Call
God calls people to follow him, but oftentimes we don't hear him. And if we do hear him, we don’t want to follow. And even if we do want to follow Him, it can be a bit terrifying. In this message, we will look at how Jesus called Peter twice and how Peter had two very different reactions to that call and examine our response to God's call today.
05.01.22 - Hope and Change?
Everyone loves a story of hope. It’s good to look ahead and believe that better days are coming. But what happens when those better days ahead require some changes from us in the present? We don’t love that as much.
In this message, we looked at Jesus starting his ministry with a message of hope and change and learned how we can respond to what he is asking of us.
4.24.22 - Be. Become. Do.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all spiritually transformed. We are all becoming like someone or something. How does that process work? What does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus? And how can we walk a different road than the culture around us?
In this week's message, we looked at discipleship and consider how we can walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
04.17.22 - The Way To Die
On Easter, we celebrate Jesus Christ overcoming death and rising from the grave 2000 years ago. Do you believe that? For many, this is just fiction, but for the first followers of Jesus in the ancient world, this fact changed everything. For those of us in the modern world who have to deal with the inevitability of death, this fact can change everything for us too. In this Easter message, we will explore this incredible life changing truth.
04.10.22 - Silence & Solitude
Our world is noisy and busy. Everything is shouting different messages at us, from the phone, to the TV, to the laptop. We can find a spiritual solution to that kind of pressure in solitude and silence. But for many people, getting quiet and alone can be terrifying. In this message, we will dive into that and find a way to unplug and quiet our minds so we can hear God communicate with us.
04.03.22 - Simplicity
To quote Avril Lavigne: "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?" This is our world. We have tools and technology to make life easier, but somehow that makes life more complicated. Culture practically begs us to get more and consume more, and go after more. When is "enough," enough? Is there a better way?
This week we are diving back into our Fast & Slow series with a message called "Simplicity". In this message, we will look at the discipline of simplicity and see how it can help us navigate an increasingly complicated world.
03.20.22 - Sabbath
What does it look like to unplug for a while? Of course, we all say we want to do that. We all desire some downtime. But how often do we try to unplug without really unplugging? How often do we rest but don’t end up feeling rested? In this message, we will look at the ancient practice of Sabbath-ing and how this old idea can help us today navigate the insanity of our world.
03.13.22 - Fast
Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline that we often misunderstand. Are we supposed to actually go without food? For how long? How? Why? What difference will it make for me? In this message, we will look at how fasting can be a key discipline for us even today, and we will look at some ways we can incorporate this spiritual practice into our lives.
03.06.22 - Slow Down
This week we begin a new message series called "Fast & Slow". where we will discuss the number one challenge facing Christians in their daily walk with Jesus: Hurry. (Are you surprised?) When we rush from one event or activity to another, we don't leave space for God to speak to us and actually transform our hearts. In this message series, as we approach Easter, we will talk about how to eliminate hurry from our lives and how to keep pace with Jesus, walking through life at a slower pace that allows us to love people well.