Relationships are a wonderful thing. We find companionship, comfort, wisdom, strength, intimacy, and so much more with other people…until conflict happens, that is. But when others hurt or anger us, we sometimes feel excused from loving them if that means speaking the truth with gentle grace, which God has commanded us to do. So is it worth it to push through our fear, hurt, and anger to pursue reconciliation in our relationships? How does God want this process to look in our lives?
Aug 27, 2017•30 min
Despite the fact that most of us may not like change, and even resist it, there’s probably something in our lives we want to change. Change doesn’t come easily, and trying hard can only accomplish so much. If you really want to see changes in your life, you have to train for it and be challenged by the people closest to you. So what does spiritual training and challenging others in love really look like?
Aug 19, 2017•41 min
God is for us—not against us, and He wants us to be for each other, not tearing each other down. We all want this kind of encouraging environment, but it takes effort to create and sustain it. How should we be encouraging and building up the people around us as God intended?
Aug 12, 2017•34 min
God allows us to be His partners in helping people find life and freedom in Christ. He often does this through the Church, but churches are made up of imperfect people, and people tend to be both a church’s greatest asset and greatest liability. How do we build others up when we so often need to be built up ourselves?
Aug 06, 2017•38 min
God wired men and women completely different in some areas. He created men and women to process things very differently. Check out this week's message to learn how to understand the opposite sex better.
Jul 30, 2017•37 min
Author, speaker, and President/CEO of Franklin Entertainment DeVon Franklin shares his experiences as a Hollywood producer in, "The Hollywood Commandments: 10 Commandments for Life-Changing Success.
Jul 23, 2017•45 min
Just like a child knows the voice of his/her father, we were made to know God’s voice. Although God is faithful to speak, perhaps you find it difficult to pinpoint what God wants to share with you because you’re not sure what to listen for or because you’re not truly listening at all. How can we recognize God’s voice and respond to what He is whispering to us?
Jul 16, 2017•38 min
"If you woke up this morning and you're still breathing, your story's not over!" - Laurie Short.
Jul 09, 2017•37 min
We all face mountains in our lives—huge barriers that impede our freedom and joy and seem impossible to overcome. But what if there was hope? What if there was a promise that we could move those mountains and experience freedom like we never thought possible? What kind of faith does it take to see our mountains moved?
Jul 02, 2017•35 min
Although Star Wars is intended to look futuristic, each episode starts with, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,” letting us know that it takes place in the past. And for most of us, there’s an appeal there because we often glorify our past and get stuck there. But getting stuck in the past can be dangerous. How can we let go of our past and look to things more life-giving?
Jun 24, 2017•29 min
Executive Pastor Robb Overholt shares how being a father continues to teach him lessons about how our Heavenly Father show His love for us.
Jun 18, 2017•33 min
In His final days on earth, Jesus gave something called the Great Commission, a command for all Christ-followers to spread God’s teachings to all the people of the world. For many, this is a daunting expectation, but God’s Great Commission also comes with comfort, as He says he’ll be there for all who step out on faith and “go.” Will you trust God and go as He asks you?
Jun 11, 2017•42 min
God is not surprised when we sin, and there’s nothing we can do to hide our failures from Him. Thankfully, Jesus offers grace and mercy to those who put their trust in Him! But He also tells us to “go and sin no more.” Knowing that we all fall short and will continue to make mistakes, what do Jesus’ words really mean for us?
Jun 04, 2017•39 min
When Jesus plans to step into a person’s life to bring about radical healing and change, He often sends Christ-followers ahead to be a living picture of His love. If we can push aside our fears and excuses, we are able to be a part of God’s world-changing plans. Will you jump into the meaningful, radically impactful life He’s calling you to, or will you stay content in your spiritual easy chair?
May 28, 2017•33 min
When God calls us to follow Him, it’s not a call to comfort and convenience. God calls us to leave, to go, to follow Him often out of our comfort zone. As we walk by faith and follow His lead, life gets way more exciting than we could ever imagine. Do you view your life with God as an adventure?
May 21, 2017•35 min
Being a mom is one of the hardest and most important jobs there is. It can be rewarding, frustrating, humbling, and so much more. Mothering inevitably shapes identity, and moms shape our futures. Whether you are celebrating your mother, whether you’re a mom yourself, or whether you fill a mom role in the lives of those close to you, it’s important to acknowledge all God has given us through mothers and honor them for all they are. What does God tell us about identity in motherhood, and how can w...
May 14, 2017•35 min
We put our faith in people and things every day: the mechanic who fixed our car, the payroll clerk in our office, the labels on the food we eat. Do you consider faith in those things a blind leap in the dark, or are you confident there are good reasons to believe those things? What about faith in God and His promises? What does it look like to truly trust?
May 06, 2017•43 min
Throughout our lives, we are inundated with different perspectives concerning how the universe came to be, how long it’s been in existence, and how different people of different faiths and standpoints might view such matters. Many of us have been made to believe that the Bible and science contradict each other. But is that really true? Are faith and science incompatible, or do they fit together just as God intended?
Apr 30, 2017•45 min
One of the most difficult questions many of us confront in our faith journey is how a loving God could allow so much evil and suffering if He has the power to stop it. In the face of sickness, loss of a loved one, financial ruin, war, abuse, etc., we are left wondering what the purpose was, whether God cares, and how to find hope in the midst of pain. What truths might we learn about suffering when we ask God the tough questions?
Apr 23, 2017•40 min
While skeptics may often ask “why,” doubts and questions are not inherently bad—questioning can actually lead to a solid faith. In fact, the opposite of faith is not an unending list of questions, but rather a lack of trust in God. The followers of Jesus were full of doubts and questions that first Easter, yet they found reasons to believe. The truth has nothing to fear—so what are your questions?
Apr 16, 2017•39 min
Do you ever wonder what motivates us to do some of the things we do? Or what other people are thinking when they do the things they do? Seemingly inexplicable, we think and do things sometimes without even realizing why. For example, why do we isolate ourselves from others? For the Christ-follower, doing that seems antithetical to God's mandate to go and spread the Good News to everyone, yet we find ourselves doing it. Sometimes we form cliques because we want comfort, or we draw away from other...
Apr 09, 2017•46 min
Dying to self can be a difficult and daunting undertaking, but it’s what God calls us to do daily in order to experience true life and freedom. This even goes for our expectations of God. Many of us believe God is good, as long as He gives us the answers we think He should. But it’s important to remember that God, our creator, knows best, and just as Jesus had to die on the cross, an unexpected turn of events for those present during that time, we must die to self and kill false expectations of ...
Apr 09, 2017•32 min
There’s no denying the impact that social media has had on life in the 21st Century. Although there are certainly positive aspects of social media, our love for these platforms is a strong indication of the struggle most of us experience with people-pleasing. We care a lot about what other people think, but God tells us that people-pleasing is a distraction from a life that serves Him. Are you more concerned about pleasing God or pleasing people?
Apr 02, 2017•43 min
What really motivates you in life? What motivates your behavior? Is it money? Power? Perhaps accolades and approval from others? Many of us claim to have good intentions and motivations, but so did Judas, a disciple of Jesus chosen by the Messiah Himself to help in His ministry. Yet Judas was unwilling to admit that what he really worshiped was money, so his greed kept him from experiencing the joy and freedom the other disciples experienced. What might you be worshiping through your thoughts, p...
Mar 26, 2017•36 min
Have you ever wondered about the amazing effect of music? Music has the ability to move the human soul—to lift it somewhere beyond the present moment. Its transcendence is remarkable. But what does God say about music? What does the Creator of everything think about our musical creativity, and how does worship relate to all of this?
Mar 19, 2017•36 min
Did you ever consider that God, as our creator, created us to create? We all have creativity inside of us that can be used, even if we don’t always realize it. Perhaps the key to discovering our creativity will come through discovering our own story and learning how God can use that to impact culture and change our world. What were you created to create?
Mar 12, 2017•31 min
Jesus promised that if we obey His teachings we will experience life-giving freedom. The modern world also promises life and freedom, and yet so many people who chase after what the world promises are left empty and scarred. What does it look like to truly experience the life and freedom promised by Jesus? What part can we play in helping others experience the best Jesus has to offer?
Mar 05, 2017•44 min
In this tense political season, it’s easy for us to get caught up in the fervor by attacking or defending various candidates and their policies. Sometimes those attacks turn towards each other in an effort to prove our own point of view; however, Jesus calls us to a different way of responding — a love greater than politics. How can we rise above our differences to love where we live as Jesus demonstrated for us?
Feb 26, 2017•34 min
For what are you searching? Chances are that it’s something you believe will lead to the “good life” — one that is meaningful and fulfilling. However, even when we’re pursuing good things like healthy relationships and success at work, we still feel like something is lacking. Could what we’re missing be the abundant Life that God is offering us?
Feb 26, 2017•44 min
As we get older, many of us look at our goals that have gone unaccomplished and careers that might have gotten off track and wonder if we’ve truly lived a meaningful life. Should we measure success in terms of accomplishment or something else? These questions and regrets can rob us of joy. But in Philippians 3, Paul describes where real meaning comes from.
Feb 19, 2017•32 min
