It can be easy to see someone else self-destruct and think to ourselves, I would never do that. But truth be told, we’re all capable of ending up where we don’t want to be. One of the best things we can do to prevent this from happening is develop the habit of listening to the voices of wisdom around us
We all have the potential to be our own worst enemy. We do things that undermine our own well-being, success, and happiness. It often begins when we ignore the tug of our consciences and sell ourselves on a bad idea. In the Old Testament, we read an account of David finding himself in such a position, and his example can help us navigate our own dilemmas.
There are over 2.3 billion Christians today, that's roughly one-third of the world's population. One-third of the people on the planet believe in and worship a Galilean day laborer who lived 2000 yrs ago. How? Why? Because of what happened. He rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus changed everything.
God loves you. It's a simple yet powerful idea. It's an idea that has the potential to change everything about your life. God's love is not based on a feeling or wishful thinking. It's anchored to an event in history, Jesus death on the cross.
"Born again" is a popular phrase in Christianity, but what does it mean? And, why do so many people who claim to be "born again Christians" not look any different than the rest of the world? To be "born again" is to be born of the Spirit. And, if we have been, there should be evidence in our lives.
Often times we have a picture of Jesus in our minds that is safe and comfortable. Jesus is anything but those things. He rocks the boat. He challenges the status quo. He confronts things in us and in the world that need to be confronted.
Jesus' miracles were more than just cool things he did. They were signs pointing to who he was and what he was doing. His turning water into wine announced that he was doing something new in the world. Religion was giving way to relationship.
What is a Christian? Did you know the earliest believers didn't use that term for themselves? They thought of themselves as disciples. So what is a disciple? Let's find out.
What's wrong with the world? What's wrong with me? What can be done about it? John proclaims that Jesus is the one who comes to solve the most core problem of humanity. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
How do we live a life of significance? A life that really matters? John the Baptist provides a great example of a life well lived.
God became human and dwelt among us. It's an idea that rocked the first century world and rocks ours today. It changes everything.
John opens his gospel with a prologue. In it he introduces us to some key ideas that will appear throughout his gospel. In the first few verses we discover that what has happened in Jesus is new creation and that a light is shining in the darkness.
Vision is a preferred future. Its a picture of what could and should be. The right kind of vision will propel our life and faith forward. For Jesus followers that vision is found at the intersection of our lives and God's Kingdom
The people we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on our life and faith. In fact God uses people, maybe more than anything else, to grow us. So, who are we doing life with? Who do we need to surround ourselves with?
A focus on turning to God in prayer can change everything in our lives. What exactly is the purpose of prayer? Not what we often think.
If we want to change the way we live, we must change the way we think. If we want to change the way we think we need to change our inputs. Meditate on scripture.
The New Year provides an opportunity for a new beginning, a fresh start, a chance to hit the reset button on our life or areas in our life that aren’t going the way we want. More than making some external changes we need some internal changes. That starts with a new heart.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These seem like some strange gifts to bring a baby. Why these gifts? What do they mean? Let's talk about Gold and Jesus the King.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These seem like some strange gifts to bring a baby. Why these gifts? What do they mean? Let's talk about Myrrh and Jesus the Suffering Servant.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These seem like some strange gifts to bring a baby. Why these gifts? What do they mean? Let's talk about Frankincense and Jesus as our high priest..
Our culture has a story it tells about where we find our identities. Some parts of that story can be helpful, others not so much. Identity found in Christ is the only identity that is received not achieved.
People need Jesus more than ever. God wants to use our church to unleash the hope of Jesus on our community. We want to see Hope Unhindered for Minerva and beyond. Are you in?
The victory over sin, evil and death has been won by Jesus. There are, however, still battles to be fought and we have a part to play.
The world is broken because of human sin and spiritual powers of darkness. Jesus is the solution to both.
What's wrong with the world? Why is there evil and destruction? Is it because people are sinful and broken? Or is it evil outside of ourselves, you know "the devil made me do it" kind of thing? Or maybe its both.
Human beings are fascinated with the supernatural. There is something in us that knows there is more to this world than what meets the eye. But what is it? How does the supernatural world intersect with Christian faith? What kind of world does the bible depict?
Sometimes the best things in life don't happen fast, they take time. But in our society obsessed with speed, we usually reject anything that takes time. But what if slowing down was how we learned to walk in the way of Jesus? A way that leads to love, peace, and joy? This week we are exploring the idea of slowing.
God designed rest to be part of the natural rhythm of creation. In fact, he "blessed it and made it holy." That is, it was supposed to be different from all other days of creation. Our life consists of rhythms, just as the year is made up of different seasons that govern how we spend our time. Our lives as followers of Jesus should also reflect the rhythms of our Creator.
We are surrounded by distractions, by noise. These things work to keep us from being present with ourselves and with God. So what can we learn from the life of Jesus to break through the noise and reconnect with God and ourselves?
Life is busy. Ask anyone how they are doing and they usually respond, 'Good, but busy.' But what if we were meant for more than a busy life? Jesus invites those who apprentice under him to take up his easy yoke. But what does that look like?
