With so many conflicting opinions, values, and philosophies, sometimes it seems like we're in a war of acceptance versus agreement, truth versus grace, and love versus belief. But can anyone really win? Where is Jesus in it all? What does it mean to love beyond belief?
It's been said that one of the greatest gifts is to be seen. But we cannot give what we haven't yet received. So what would it mean to receive this gift from God? How do we respond to the God who sees?
We are called to love, but sometimes it's hard to simply love better. But what if loving others has as much to do with our eyes as our hearts? What if seeing better means loving better too?
We all dream of winning the lottery, hitting the jackpot, or striking it big. Just imagine; anything would be possible; the sky is the limit. But what's it look like to hit the spiritual jackpot? What would you be willing to lose if it meant the ultimate spiritual gain? What is the one thing worth everything we'll ever have?
We live in a world of "now". Instant messages, instant coffee, instant downloads, and instant gratification. But what about the adages such as "good things come to those who wait" or "Rome wasn't built in a day"? How do we reconcile the instant with the slow and steady in our spiritual life? What is our hope for the future of God's kingdom?
Life isn't easy and doesn't always go the way we want, or even the way God would want for that matter. Why is that? If God wants to bring goodness and love into the world, why is there so much pain, struggle, and tension? What do we do with the weeds in the garden of life?
There's something fascinating about a farmer's ability to cultivate a crop out of the dust of the earth. But it's not always as easy as it looks. The quality of the soil affects the health of the harvest; bad soil equals bad results. But with good soil, with a rich and fertile source, the abundance is exponential. So what does this mean for our lives and ultimately our hearts when it comes to cultivating our faith in Jesus?
Everyone likes a good story... Except when that story is hard to understand. Jesus liked to teach through stories, but sometimes the lesson just wasn't clear. So what do we do with the parables of Jesus? How can we discover the mysteries of the greatest story ever told? What if we could find a hidden treasure worth more than we'll ever know?
We're kicking off the fall with Vision Sunday. Join us as we rally around the vision and heartbeat of our church for the season ahead. We believe Jesus is calling us to expand our love for him and our love for others like never before! We invite you to take part and consider, "How big can your heart get?"
Most people understand the Bible to represent a religion: a series of beliefs to be adopted and behaviours to be employed. But could there be something more to this ancient book? Could there be a greater mystery still being revealed on its pages? What if we could look beyond the scriptures and read between the lines of our Bibles to see "the Word" for what it really is?
Sometimes we treat the Bible like a rulebook: a clear cut guide for what's right and wrong in every situation. But what happens when the rules don't seem to apply or even conflict? After all, when Jesus was asked to clarify the most important rule, his answer made the interpretation of the rest of the rules a little more complicated. So how can we learn to obey and discern, understanding the rules but also the rationale?
Life is so much easier when we have all the answers, and for the most part, we expect the Bible to provide the answers we're looking for. But it seems the answers in scripture aren't always as cut and dried as we'd like them to be. After all, countless people draw countless conclusions from this same book. So how do we wrestle with these tensions? What do we do when we have more questions than answers?
Many skeptics have pointed out the discrepancies in the historical accounts of the Bible, while advocates for faith have worked hard at creating synergy and accounting for historical flaws in order to maintain the Bible's credibility. So what do we do when the "facts" of the Bible seem more like "fiction"? Should we discredit the Bible altogether? Or is there another explanation?
There's a long history of the debate between faith and science, and many people feel that the two are incompatible. But if God is a God of truth, and if faith and science are both intended to point to truth, shouldn't there be a better way? How do the science and the stories of scripture make sense of our world today?
Bible scholars estimate there were about 40 authors throughout history who contributed to the 66 books that make up the Bible. But isn't the Bible "God's Word", the "Holy Bible", and the "Sacred Scripture"? How do we reconcile the "holy" and "human" aspects of the Bible? How to we begin to read the Bible for all it's worth?
It's often been said that blood is thicker than water, meaning that family always comes first. But could there be ties that bind us closer than our own flesh and blood? How did Jesus relate to his family? And what would he say about the kind of people who should have our loyalty and allegiance?
Have you ever witnessed a miracle? Do you ever wish you could hear the audible voice of God? The Bible says that Jesus walked on water, healed disabilities and diseases, and even raised the dead! But what if these miracles are nothing compared to what we're supposed to experience as Christ's followers? Maybe the problem is that we're looking for signs and wonders in all the wrong places.
We've all been there: before we even realize our lips are moving, something stupid, senseless, or hurtful is coming out of our mouths. Are we just careless and clumsy, suffering from a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease? Or do our words reveal more about who we are than we realize? If the eyes are the window to the soul, maybe our mouths are the window to something deeper. Perhaps our foot is not the only body part getting stuck in our mouths.
Few of us would claim to having kept the Ten Commandments perfectly, never mind the more than six hundred other rules found in the Bible. (Have you ever worn a cotton-polyester shirt or eaten shrimp?!) But is Jesus' highest priority that we be fanatical rule-keepers? Or is there more to the story? Could there even be rules that are meant to be broken?
When our relationships are struggling and life gets messy, it's amazing how easy our family feels like a foe. Suddenly we find ourselves turning against the ones we hold most dear. But is our spouse or are our kids, parents, or siblings really the enemy? Shouldn't we be on the same team? What does it look like to choose your battle and fight for the future of your family?
Four of the most dreaded words in the relationship vocabulary: "We need to talk." Most of us are terrified when it comes to conflict-oriented, tension-filled, crucial conversations. But what if our ability to communicate is the make or break ingredient to a thriving family? How can we get better at communicating with our kids, parents, spouse, or siblings, especially when the stakes are high? Let's face it, "we need to talk".
Our family relationships would be so much easier if our spouse, kids, parents, or siblings weren't so difficult, right? If only they were better listeners, more attentive to our needs, and trying to be more of who we want them to be, then everything would be smooth sailing, wouldn't it? But what if the problem is closer to home? What if it starts by looking in the mirror? What if the key to healthy families starts by putting others first? Maybe it's time to say, "it's not you, it's me".
The picture perfect family. We've all seen them. Pinned on Pinterest, posted on Facebook, and smiling at church on Sunday. Meanwhile, we can't understand why our kids, siblings, parents, or spouse can't get their act together and start being a little more perfect themselves. But does the "picture perfect" family really exist? Or behind the highlight reel status updates and the family photo shoots are we wrestling with conflict, baggage, and families that are struggling to survive let alone thriv...
Even when we're doing our best to live for God and follow him, it's easy to turn back to old habits - habits that bring hurt, pain, and destruction to our lives and relationships. So how do we leave these old ways behind? How do we experience the healing, freedom, and forgiveness that God wants to provide? What does it take to turn from our ways?
It's easy to feel like prayer doesn't matter or make much of a difference, especially when we think we can get by just fine on our own. But if God is really God, wouldn't we live and pray as though everything depends on him? Wouldn't we orient our hearts around an ongoing relationship with him? What does it look like to pray in an 'only God' kind of way? What does it mean to turn our lives to prayer?
It's easy to feel like prayer doesn't matter or make much of a difference, especially when we think we can get by just fine on our own. But if God is really God, wouldn't we live and pray as though everything depends on him? Wouldn't we orient our hearts around an ongoing relationship with him? What does it look like to pray in an 'only God' kind of way? What does it mean to turn our lives to prayer?
If God up and disappeared from your life, would anybody notice? Would you notice? Many of us say that we believe in God and want to relate to God, but do we live like he actually exists? Do we live like he is the most important thing in our lives? Do we live like we desperately need him, day-by-day, moment-by-moment? If not, why not? What's getting in the way? Where should we turn to experience God for who he really is?
It's cute, or downright impressive, when we see kids excel at things that are often reserved for adults. Whether sports, arts, or academics, it's inspiring to see kids give it their all. But we tend to have lower expectations on these achievements, cause after all, it's not the 'big leagues'. But what if the 'big leagues' of faith actually look a lot more like the 'little leagues' of life? What if little league faith is the most heavy weight faith of all?
We've all done it: criticized or questioned the actions of others from a comfortable seat on the sidelines. Whether a backseat driver, water-cooler politician, or armchair quarterback, sometimes we think it's easier to make the 'right call' when we're not actually in the game (just ask Pete Carroll). But what happens when we treat our faith this way? And what would it look like to get off the sideline and into the game?
Easter Sunday marks the highpoint in the story of God, the miraculous resurrection of Jesus. But it's not just a story of the past, it's a story for our present. So what does this mean for us? What about the things in our lives that have died? Maybe our aspirations, our relationships, our identity, or our self-worth? Can these be brought from death to life? What does resurrection mean for us?
