Have you ever heard a song on the radio and it fits your life EXACTLY? Especially when things go wrong - music has a way of expressing what is in our hearts that mere words just can't. This week at the Byrd Theatre we’re going to continue talking about the story of Jonah and what Jonah does when his life gets turned upside down and inside out. Here’s a hint: it involves a full-blown musical mash-up.
05.21.23 - Anti-Hero: Don't Blame Me
Are you the hero or the villain in your own story? If we are honest, we are not always the hero. Sometimes we blow it. And when we do, we tend to hide. We hide from others. We hide from accountability. We hide from God. In this message, we will look at the heart of God, who seeks after us even when we try to run away from Him.
05.14.23 - Cages: The Right Cage
We all strive to break free from the cages that hold us back - either the ones put on us by family or friends, or the ones we impose on ourselves. But what if true freedom doesn’t come from being free from all constraints? Is there value in placing ourselves in a healthy kind of cage? In this message, we will look at a challenge from Jesus to stick with him and allow his constraints on our lives to help us flourish.
05.07.23 - Cages: Purpose
What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? Many people spend their lives seeking an answer to the deepest questions known to mankind, like this one. And what happens if you get the answer wrong? Fortunately for us, the Bible actually answers this question pretty clearly. Join us as we talk about why every day is sacred and full of purpose.
04.30.23 - Cages: Shame
One cage that many of us struggle to escape from is our own shame. We have negative thought patterns that relentlessly pull us down, and we don't know how to be set free. This Sunday, April 30, we will look at how shame can dictate our behavior, the reality of shame, and what the Bible says on how to deal with it.
04.23.23 - Cages: Identity
Many of us struggle to know who we are. We look to our parents, teachers, or friends to tell us - or try to look inside and “find ourselves.” God offers us a better way out of those identity cages. This Sunday, April 23, we will look at the letter of 1st Peter to find out who we truly are.
04.16.23 - Cages: Zoochosis
For all the talk in America about being the land of the free, many of us are not actually free at all. We are more like people who are caged animals. In this message, we will look at what it means to be trapped in a cage and identify some of the cages our culture puts us in. We will also look at the paths of freedom that the Apostle Paul points us to.
04.09.23 - Real Hope
As Easter approaches, it’s easy to hear any of the Jesus story and not believe it. After all, it sounds to us like a myth or a tall tale. There’s nothing new about that. Even the people on the scene when Jesus was crucified and resurrected had difficulty believing it. In this message, we will look at what it looks like to be conflicted and struggling with faith in the midst of doubts.
04.02.23 - Real Conflict
As Easter approaches, it’s easy to hear any of the Jesus story and not believe it. After all, it sounds to us like a myth or a tall tale. There’s nothing new about that. Even the people on the scene when Jesus was crucified and resurrected had difficulty believing it. In this message, we will look at what it looks like to be conflicted and struggling with faith in the midst of doubts.
03.36.23 - Legacy: The Opportunity
Most often, when people talk about legacy, they refer to money. We think of passing money on to our kids or donating money in our will to charity. But we can pass on so much more to the next generation. In this message, we will look at the apostle Paul’s instructions about how people in the church should leverage their resources for the sake of others. And we will see ways that all of us (whether or not we are parents) can make the most of the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith for those who come after us.
03.19.23 - Legacy: The Blueprint
Everything comes with a manual to show you how to operate it... except for children. And they are easily the most complicated thing you will ever deal with! How do we raise kids well? How do we teach them what they need to know? In this message, we will talk about that and look at some ancient wisdom about passing our faith to the next generation.
03.12.23 - Legacy: The Challenge
Being a parent is hard work; in some ways, it seems like it’s getting more complex every day. The internet and social media bring ideas into your home that most parents throughout history never had to think about. In this message, we will look at the challenges of raising kids in the faith and how the scriptures point us to even deeper realities we must deal with. We will also look at some strategies to handle these challenges.
03.05.23 - Legacy: The Call
What is the purpose of parenting? This is an important question because if we don’t know our ultimate goal as parents, we won’t know how to get there. In this series, we will look at the call from God to pass on our faith to the next generation, and we will look at how all of us (parents or not) can fulfill that calling.
02.26.23 - Self-Control Over Indulgence
Are we losing our sense of self-control? It sure seems like it. So much of our digital world is designed to suck you and take up all your attention. They call it the attention economy. In this message, we will look at some wise words from the apostle Paul about indulgence and self-control.
02.19.23 - Gentleness Over Outrage
We sure love getting outraged at things in our culture, don't we? Whether it's political parties, school boards, public health policies, or some stunt that your sister tried to pull at thanksgiving this year: We all have things that trigger us and kick up the rage. But is there a better way? Jesus taught that there is a way to be gentle, even in the face of the things that prompt rage. In this message, we will look at how Jesus was gentle with a woman who had done a pretty bad thing. And we will learn some ways we can be more gentle in our daily lives.
02.12.23 - Faithfulness Over Forgetfulness
“We make our promises, and then our promises make us.” It almost seems like a lost art to stay faithful to our promises. But the truth is a steadfast, long-term commitment to things in life (marriage, exercise, spiritual growth) brings incredible results. In this message, we will look at why we become unfaithful and at a few time-tested disciplines that can help us grow in faithfulness.
02.05.23 - Kindness Over Hostility
Is the internet making us ruder? It sure seems that way. There is a lot of hostility in our culture, especially online, and it’s too easy to get sucked into it. In this message, we will look at kindness and goodness and see how Jesus showed those to a woman in pain. And we will look at some ways we can also show kindness in a hostile world.
01.29.23 - Patience Over Impatience
We want it all. And we want it now! And we live in a culture trying to give that to us. Microwaved food. 5G internet. Next-day delivery. Our culture trains us to expect everything to come to us quickly. But what if the best things in life are slow? What if it’s true that good things come to those who wait? In this message, we will look at the New Testament teaching on patience and how we can get more of it in our lives.
01.22.23 - Peace Over Contempt
So much of our media culture exists to stoke our anger and contempt for others. Not because it is just evil but because outrage sells and media companies exist to make money. This message will look at the problem of contempt and how Jesus offers us something else: Peace. How do we get that peace he offers, and how do we keep it?
01.15.23 - Joy Over Comparison
What does it mean to have joy? And is that something we can lose? Is it possible for circumstances to rob us of joy? Is it an emotional state of being or something deeper? Also, what is the source of joy, and how do we get more joy? This Sunday, January 15th, we will continue our Vintage series, talking about joy as the fuel for the soul and how to be filled with more joy in our daily lives.