Giving in is one thing. But give in enough, and eventually you might decide that you no longer believe what you used to believe about a subject. So instead of giving in, you give up. Been there? Are God’s standards just too harsh? Too demanding? But people who have given up eventually must face one thing: the God they gave up on hasn’t given up on them.
Sometimes it can feel impossible to stay true to your convictions. So you give in. Just once. Which often becomes twice, or three times. Often people give in because it seems like there’s no other way out. And if there is a God why does he allow you to be tempted? Is it even possible to stay true to your convictions?
So...is morality relative ? Ask most people, and they’ll tell you it is: what’s true for me isn’t automatically true for you. But at the heart of moral relativity is an interesting assumption—that moral compromise compromises no one. What if there is a cost to moral relativity? A cost that you’re paying?
So if you’ve identified your excuses and negative thinking and taken every thought captive, what do you do next? You replace the negative with something far better. And far bigger. The Apostle Paul shows you exactly what to do to change your future.
If you really audit your thoughts, you’ll realize that you probably make a lot of excuses as to why you can’t be healthier, more positive, more faithful, more hopeful, more kind, more determined, more effective...more whatever . This week, we’ll look at why it’s time to stop making excuses, and how to do it.
Ever wonder where your thoughts come from? Sure, some spring from your childhood or past experiences. But could there be a supernatural force behind your destructive thinking? Jesus called Satan a liar, and today we’ll expose the lies that get planted in our heads.
Ask any professional athlete. The biggest battle is never on the field, the fairway, the diamond or rink: it’s in your mind. In part one of this series, we’ll look at what you think, and why what you think matters more than you think. Changing your mind can change your life.
When we pray, we mostly want God to change our circumstances: change this, change that, change them, change me. But real prayer will help you discover that God is not only bigger than your circumstances, he’s better than your circumstances.
When Christians pray, they pray to a personal God through a personal Saviour. Sometimes when you pray, you think you’re looking for answers. In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus shows us that what we’re really looking for is not an answer, but something very different.
Often when we go to God in prayer, we show up with a list of all the things we’d like God to do. Not only does Jesus show us how to handle that list, he shows us another couple of other lists we often neglect.
Prayer is often a battle between two kingdoms—yours and God’s. And let’s be honest, it’s hard to focus on God’s Kingdom when your life is filled with problems. Jesus shows us a practical way to put God’s kingdom ahead of ours every time we pray.
So what’s the purpose of prayer? Is it to get God to do what we want him to do? Or is it something else? Many people see prayer as a button to be pushed...but what if it’s so much more than that?
Eventually, life gets to most of us. The optimism of your childhood gives way to the realism of your twenties, which too often gives way to a growing cynicism. How do you restart? How do you believe again, hope again, trust again? This is the kind of thing God specializes in.
Every once in a while, the community sees God’s faithfulness in a visible way. When God led the Israelites across the Jordan River, they set up 12 stones as a memorial marker so they could one day tell their children about God’s faithfulness. At Connexus, we’ve also seen God’s faithfulness, and tonight, we mark it together. Marking it helps us remember it.
What makes a hero? Better yet...what would make you a hero? We look at what makes a person heroic, and why so many people think about it but so few do it.
Sometimes what seems like the end is actually the beginning. The first Easter found the disciples of Jesus discouraged, defeated and convinced it was over. If you’ve ever found yourself in that place, you need the message of Easter. When it feels like things are over—even dead—they might be just beginning. That’s the power of resurrection.
No one saw Jesus’ crucifixion coming. In a world filled with sadness, terror and heartbreak, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that God is losing. But at the very moment in which it looked like God had finally lost, God was actually securing his finest victory.
A hero’s life is always dramatic. Truthfully, most of us have a love hate relationship with drama. We are attracted to drama in other people’s lives, but we resist it in our own. Could it be possible that when we resist drama, we resist God?
If everyone’s included, then everyone’s also invited. Our church is specifically designed to include people who don’t feel welcome and you play a pivotal role in that. In this message, Carey will explain why many people are afraid to invite their friends to church and how to overcome those fears.
So is attending church the goal? Surprisingly, attending church was a completely foreign concept to the early church. You don’t attend church, you are the church. As we move into a whole new season as Connexus church, we’ll share why it’s mission critical that everybody’s involved in our critical mission—even you.
So is Christianity for everybody? What if you weren’t born Christian, or were born into another culture or faith, or have done things that you think disqualify you? Unlike most religions, the offer behind Christianity extends to everybody , regardless of who they are, where they were born, or what they’ve done. Everybody’s included...including you.
So you’re constantly on social media and enjoy binge watching your favourite series. But is all this connectedness good for you? Can anyone really have 1000 friends? Is shooting for 10,000 followers or thousands of likes even healthy? This week, we’ll explore technology’s impact family life, your life and your soul.
Money is one of the greatest stressors in life, whether you have money or whether you don’t. Financial stress is something people talk about all the time (even fight over), yet rarely talk to God about, other than to complain. Why is that? We’ll look at how inviting God into your finances can deepen your trust and finally give you the peace you’ve been lacking.
Relationships are supposed be life giving. So why are so many people frustrated and worried about their marriages, kids, friendships and relationships? Maybe you’re worried and angry because you’re expecting something of the people around you that they can’t possibly provide.
Why does the pace of life always seem to be getting...faster? How do you find the time to slow down in a world that never stops? Pace is one of the keys to winning the war against worry. We’ll look at one of the best ways to reduce stress from an ancient tradition God established thousands of years ago.
Sometimes the struggle goes well beyond worry. Many people—even Christians—end up anxious, depressed, even suicidal. What does God have to say about depression and suicide? We’ll look at one biblical figure who wanted to take his own life as we discuss a terribly difficult subject.
Do you know anyone who isn’t stressed these days or worried about something or someone? Sometimes life can be overwhelming. And the question is, where is God in the middle of it when everything looks like it’s too much? We’ll look at where to start when you feel...overwhelmed.
Jesus paints a picture of the life he would love every follower to have: a heart that’s like good soil, where God’s work grows and takes root. Will you ever get there? And if you do, what will your life look like? You might be surprised by the answers. It’s more than possible.
Consider yourself a worrier? Know someone who is? What if worry stunts your spiritual growth? Jesus said that worry, anxiety and life can choke out whatever spiritual progress you make. We’ll look at why that is and how to overcome it this weekend.
Know anyone who’s hard hearted? Given how hard life can be, most of us struggle with keeping your heart open at some point. Believe it or not, that’s a spiritual issue. We’ll look at what causes a hard heart and how to recover from it. An open heart changes all of your relationships, especially your relationship with God.
