Successful teams require good communication. Sometimes good communication comes in the form of making others aware of what is taking place around them. Talking things out is the best way to quell conflict or even prevent it altogether. As teammates we must have each others' backs. Good teammates have delicate conversations about unknown conflict. Good teammates are willing to have tough conversations they don't want to have. Good teammates have conversations on behalf of their teammates....
Jul 24, 2022•30 min
Good teamwork is facilitated by team members being self aware. What are your weaknesses and what are your strengths? Where can God and others fill in those gaps? God is calling us to move, regardless of our vulnerabilities that we think will hold us back. The start of good teamwork begins with the self-realization of weaknesses. A weakness only remains a weakness if we refuse to acknowledge its existence. Lack of confidence or ability is not an excuse for inaction when God is calling you to move...
Jul 17, 2022•26 min
Habakkuk’s final response to God was one of faith and recognition of sovereignty. We can ask God questions, but we must also be able to recognize him for who he is. The only way to ignore the power of God is to willfully claim ignorance. Just as God once worked on behalf of his people, he continues in power and might to work on behalf of his people. We can question. We can wonder why. We can desire and ask for change. But in the end, we can express faith in the face of fear....
Jul 11, 2022•33 min
Though God is going to use the Babylonians to bring the Israelites back to Him, he’s not letting the Babylonians off the hook. In our passage today, we learn about the sin they engaged in but also their destruction. Ultimately, God sees the Babylonians and the Israelites as similar people, when they should be different and separate. What does a Godly life look like? Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should. Godly people aren't intentionally intimidating. Godly people don't intentionall...
Jul 04, 2022•33 min
Patience is a virtue. Wanting what we want when we want it isn’t a new concept. Maybe it has gotten worse, in a culture that thrives on instant gratification, but all things will happen in due time. When God doesn’t seem to answer, the answer may just be to wait for his timing.
Jun 27, 2022•29 min
God’s response to Habakkuk’s complaint wasn’t exactly what he expected to hear. So, he comes back with a 2nd question - how could God let His chosen people, Israel, get wiped out? And why would he allow a wicked nation to exact punishment? Habakkuk exhibits both fear and faith at the same time in his 2nd complaint. We can ask God to act on our behalf, but we don't always get to choose how the action takes place. When the walls are closing in, are you faithful or fearful? We can not see the whole...
Jun 19, 2022•26 min
Continuing from last week’s passage, Habakkuk gets a response from God, though it may not have been the one he expected. The Lord shows Habakkuk the bigger picture that he is unable to see. But one thing is certain - God is not ignoring sim, but rather getting ready to punish it. Often, we can’t see what God is doing because we aren’t looking beyond our current circumstances to see what is actually taking place. Instead, we tend to become hyper focused on the trial. Which leads us down the path ...
Jun 12, 2022•35 min
In Habakkuk 1:1-4, Habakkuk’s world appears to be in shambles. Violence, injustice, wrongdoing, with no justice. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience - you cry out to God but there is no answer. It’s okay to question God (with the right attitude) when he seems to be silent. Genuine concern is different than reverent accusation.
Jun 05, 2022•29 min
God is the source of wisdom and knowledge; everything we know about this life just comes from him. Putting our ego where it belongs in relationship with God starts with accepting his wisdom and living according to it. Such a concession of course requires humility but, when we bow to his wisdom, we are granted the benefits afforded to those who pursue God. One way that we can accomplish overcoming our ego is by leaning on God for wisdom. Pursuing God with our ego admits that God's way is better t...
May 29, 2022•21 min
We are saved by God’s grace through faith but it is our works that show what God has done. Everything ultimately comes from God and we are really only giving him only that which he has given us. Pursuing God means doing good works and there are lots of ways to do that. We must make the most of our days on this earth and give of our time, talents and wealth in a way that pleases God. We are saved by faith, but our works testify to our faith. This follows Christ's example, and shows the world our ...
May 22, 2022•27 min
Prayer is the pursuit of Jesus' input and presence. You can’t have a personal relationship with someone you aren’t willing to communicate with. There are many reasons to pray and various ways to do it. But the most important thing is to do it - open that line of communication with your God and see how he responds. Why should we pray? It follows Christ's example. Forgiveness. For strength and perseverance. How should we Pray? With confidence. With purpose. When should we pray? Always....
May 15, 2022•27 min
How many days on this Earth do you have left? How many hours do you have in a day? Whatever the numbers are, they are finite and cannot be added to. Given the time that is available to us, what should we do with that time? Time is the only finite resource we have How do we prioritize our time? How does God’s work being eternal affect what we do? God is the only one who can take what we do and give it lasting purpose There is not a priority list of “how much time do we spend with God or doing Chr...
May 09, 2022•32 min
The Word has always existed since the beginning of time. Today, we have God’s word in the form of the Bible. All Scripture is God-breathed and has incredible purpose in all kinds of ways. It is an incredible weapon for the believer, able fend off the lies of the Deceiver. It also reveals truth, even the truth we are actively avoiding as we pursue Christ. If we want to pursue Christ, we must pursue the Word of God. If we want to know Christ, if we want to be like Christ, if we want answers, Scrip...
May 01, 2022•31 min
What does it look like to pursue Christ? Today, we see that getting your priorities in line, putting Jesus at the top of the list, is one of the major facets of it. God’s promise of healing and deliverance is yours if you chase him. Because all along, God has been chasing you - we just have to turn around and touch him. Pursuing Christ requires courage and conviction. Pursuing Christ means making Him your number one priority. The results of an earnest pursuit of Christ are guaranteed....
Apr 24, 2022•26 min
The Bible records in great detail the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ final hours, his crucifixion and his resurrection. Today’s message is the Gospel - the good news and the story of Jesus’ ultimate gift of salvation from death for us, paid for by his blood on the cross. But it didn’t stop with the cross - when he rose from the dead, he gave us the gift of life in the here and now. The cross paid our debts for wrongdoing, but his resurrection allows us to live and to thrive. Christ died for th...
Apr 17, 2022•35 min
The final chapter of 1 John says that if we love God, then we will keep his commands. We don’t do so to earn salvation, but rather to keep harmony with others and God. It’s not a burden to keep his commands - it’s our pleasure because of our love for him. But salvation comes be grace through faith - this is the basis for our victory. God's commands are centered around creating harmony between believers and himself. Following God's commands are sacrificial, but when you love someone, a sacrifice ...
Apr 10, 2022•27 min
You cannot fully understand what love is all about unless you know God. In fact, we only know what love can truly be because God has shown us. Everyone wants to be loved. God’s love lives in the heart of every follower of Christ. It is therefore our mission to love others and show them what God’s love looks like. Love is a product of the indwelling of the Spirit. One cannot know the fullness of God outside of the parameters of Love. Everything we innately want from love can be realized in Jesus....
Apr 03, 2022•29 min
Just because someone claims to speak on behalf of God, doesn’t mean that they are. We have to test what he or she is saying to see whether it is from God. How do we do that? Knowing the Word of God is a key part of the answer. We must ensure that before we commit something to our hearts that it is in line with God's truth. True confession is accompanied by fruit. For a person's spirit to be of God, their life must testify to the sincerity of their words. Christians who become familiar with the s...
Mar 27, 2022•31 min
The root of Cain’s sin was jealousy - he coveted what his brother had and killed him over it. We cannot play the comparison game - nothing good comes from that. The harshest critic of a believer is a fellow believer. We have to be better than that, to let forgiveness reign. Why? Because those who are outside the church will know what God’s love is like by looking at Christians’ love for each other. In our sin we cannot be jealous of others' righteousness. Being hated shouldn't surprise us. Being...
Mar 20, 2022•26 min
When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is essentially “reborn” - a new life has begun and the person has been created anew. This morning, we’re doing a “Christological test” - compare yourself to Christ to see where your relationship with him is at. Are you different than how you used to be? Do you recognize Christ in your life? Do others? When we find ourselves feeling guilty and wrestling over our sin, that is a sign that Christ is alive within us. Have you changed for the better? Have o...
Mar 14, 2022•27 min
Anything or anyone that opposes Jesus or his relationship with people is an antichrist. We live in the world but that doesn’t mean we have to love the world. We have to be careful to not let our desires and aspirations take the place of or get in the way of God. What’s done for Christ will last. Is that thing you spend your money, energy and time on actually important? Love for the world breeds corruption of the heart. It's not sinful to want, it’s not sinful to have, it’s not sinful to achieve,...
Feb 27, 2022•36 min
There is an old command in the Old Testament that is really the same as the new command: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Walking in the light means walking in love. But what is love? Jesus defined the greatest love as laying down one’s life for his friends. It is taking our love for God himself and applying it to the people God has placed around us. If we can do that, we live a blameless life and walk in the light.
Feb 20, 2022•28 min
Like it or not, we are all sinful beings. In fact, claiming that we are not essentially makes God a liar. But the good news is that there is forgiveness that comes with confession! Confessing our sins shows God that we know our wrongdoing is serious; not confessing reveals that we think we don’t need His forgiveness. We need to show “godly sorrow” - a grief that comes with knowing that we’ve hurt God’s heart, not a grief that reveals we’re sorry we messed up. If we truly want to lead others to c...
Feb 13, 2022•28 min
In 1 John, we learn that God is light. Throughout the Bible, goodness is seen as light and evil is seen as darkness. We cannot claim Jesus as Lord and live a life of fulfilled temptation. We are encouraged to walk in the light as he is in the light. It is the only way to have fellowship with Jesus, and in the end fellowship with one another. God is identical to light. Our natural state is darkness. Thinking that perfection is what God demands of you alone demeans the gift of Christ....
Feb 06, 2022•25 min
Finishing up our series in Haggai, we wrap up chapter 2 as God warns his people to think before they act and remember when things weren’t good between them and God. Remembering the history of your walk with God will help you make decisions that direct your path away from the fruitless and toward the overflowing life. When things don’t seem right between you and God, seek the presence of the Lord. - When things are good or when things are bad, it’s important that we use our memories to keep us wh...
Jan 30, 2022•27 min
In Haggai 2, some of the remnant of Israel remembered what the temple looked like before the exile and they were not pleased with how it looked during exile. But God had a different opinion - God told them that he was still with them. When things in our lives don’t seem as pleasing as the “good ol’ days”, we need to remember that God is still pleased with us and brings us peace. It's not the temple, but what's inside the temple that matters. We can't focus so much on material wealth that we miss...
Jan 23, 2022•24 min
In Haggai, God is calling his people to choose empowerment over entitlement. Entitlement is rooted in selfishness and given to people who haven’t earned it but empowerment is given to those who are faithful to God. We are being called to give up our comfort and step out in faith, get to work and receive an empowerment that can only come from God. Empowerment is given to us when obedience is given to him. When God calls, we must respect his word, and do the work. Sometimes obedience requires us t...
Jan 16, 2022•29 min
In our first week of “The Workers” series, we saw that God is unhappy with his people for building up their houses instead of the Temple. This week, we’re looking at the punishment God enacted on them, ruining their crops, livestock and more because they refused to put Him first. God reiterates what He is calling his people to and promises to strip away everything until there is only him if he has to. What has God called us to that we’re ignoring?
Jan 10, 2022•29 min
Every successful organization needs leaders in order for the group to move forward. In Haggai chapter 1, the leaders were not organizing the people to build the temple when it was time to do so. Paul explains some traits of a good leader and a people who is responsive to God. Will we continue to focus on ourselves and not make time for God or will we get our priorities straight? A Leader is anyone with the willingness to hold others accountable and inspire action when complacency is present. Lea...
Jan 03, 2022•24 min
It’s sometimes odd to think of it this way, but Jesus was born to die. That was his main purpose in coming from heaven to earth and, though he could have refused to go through with it, he went to the cross and paid the debt of all of our sins. On Christmas Eve, we’re remembering the true purpose of Jesus’ birth - that he would be a sacrifice for all. Christ came so that we might obtain life through him. That can only happen through his death. Christ was born to die. The world has seen no greater...
Dec 25, 2021•17 min
