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Jesus was known for his compassion - November 21, 2021

How do we find God in a culture of spiritual famine? - November 21, 2021

How do we find God in a culture of spiritual famine? - November 21, 2021 Amos speaks of a time of spiritual famine. A time where people are not turning to God. During this time, people will wander and search without finding God. There are many similarities between the people Amos was preaching to and our current culture. So how do we learn from what Amos teaches?

Worship God's Presence - November 14, 2021

Does what I do during the week matter to God? - November 14, 2021

November 14, 2021 - Does what I do during the week matter to God? Often we find ourselves attending church, feeling rejuvenated, and then begin our week as if only Sunday matters. We become submarine Christinas only surfacing once a week on Sunday morning only sink below again as we go through our week. Is this okay? What does the Bible say about being a Sunday Christian?

What is the Day of The Lord? - November 7, 2021

What is the Day of The Lord? - November 7, 2021 In the Old Testament, Joel foretells swarms of locus and catastrophic disasters followed by the restoration of God's people. But when will this happen? Has it already happened? And who are God's people?

Will the Gospel change me? - October 31, 2021

October 31, 2021 - Will the Gospel change me? Joel 1:2-4 Often we fall into a cycle of sin, and we can become weighed down by this when we forget to turn to God. In the Bible, we see the prophet Joel urging us to repentance and pleading with us to let God change us with His Gospel. God desires to see us repent from our sin and turn to him.

Build Disciple Making Friendships - October 31, 2021

Build Disciple Making Friendships - October 31, 2021

An Unfamiliar Place - October 24, 2021

An Unfamiliar Place - October 24, 2021 As we walk in the direction that Jesus has called us, we begin to form an idea of how our destination might be. But what do we do when our destination looks different than what we expected? As we move forward the result may not be as we expect, but we can stand firm that Jesus is still with us. We continue to take courage in the truth that Jesus is in control.

What is God's wrath? - October 18, 2021

October 18, 2021 - What is God's wrath? We have a clear view of God's wrath in Hosea, defined as a lion or a leopard lurking along the way. So what are we to do? We are to run to God and into his forgiveness and love. With a repentant heart, we are ransomed back to God in his love and set on the patch to flourish.

How do we create change in a lost world? - October 10, 2021

October 10, 2021 - How do we create change in a lost world? It is easy to live every day going through the motions and reassure yourself that everything is fine while deep down knowing something is not working. We don't see a change in our lives, we still don't know our neighbors, and we hide our faith at work. So what do we do? God says to bring all of our failures to Him and begin again.

Are names in the Bible important? - October 3, 2021

October 3, 2021 - Are names in the Bible important? Have you ever heard a name and thought, "oh, I like that name." Many names used in the Bible have profound meetings, and often they are used as representations of events around them. Let's take a look at how names are used in the book of Hosea.

What does God say about Gender Identity? - September 26, 2021

What does God say about Gender Identity? - September 26, 2021 The topic of gender identity has many misconceptions believed by both society and the Church. God has called us to enter into these strenuous areas of life even if we do not have all the answers. We can show love, we can listen, and we can be present.

What does God say about LGBTQ+? - September 19, 2021

What does God say about LGBTQ+? - September 19, 2021 The topic of sexual sin is surrounded by misconceptions and conversations lacking in God's grace. Often we see our LGBTQ+ neighbors seeking answers, and as Christians, we don't know how to respond. But God has called us to enter into these strenuous areas of life and show His love and His grace as we welcome in everyone He calls.

What does God say about family? - September 12, 2021

What does God say about family? -September 12, 2021 We typically define family as husband, wife, and children. The nuclear family. But what if you are single? What if your family is no longer here? Does that mean you are alone? Scripture shows us that the family of Christ is called to care for, be in community with, serve, and love those who follow him. We are a family. Brought together through the His love for us and reflected in our love for others. Matthew 4:1-11 Luke 8:19-21 Romans 8:14-16 1...

What does God say about racism? - August 29, 2021

What does God say about racism? - August 29, 2021 Colossians 3:10-11 We are called to engage in culture, and discussing complex topics such as racism can be unnerving. Questions come to mind, such as "What should I say?" "Who might I upset?" In these times, we need to remember that God's truth is all that matters. We are all made in the image of God. He sees the beautiful diversity of His creation, and through Him, we are ALL united as equal.

How do you address conflict? - August 22, 2021

How do you address conflict? - August 22, 2021 Life is full of violence. It can be found in outbursts while driving in traffic to the complicated emotions of domestic violence, so how should we address violence? Scripture not only gives us our answer but also gives us hope. Jesus tells us to return aggression with gentleness and violence with love. Let's take a look at Matthew 26 as Jesus is confronted with violence at the end of his ministry.

What does a transformed life look like? - August 15, 2021

What does a transformed life look like? - August 15, 2021 God wants to bring a transformation to our lives by restoring his image in us, but what does it mean to live a transformed life? God shows us in his scripture that being transformed is a journey to becoming more like Him and less like the world around us. On this journey, our lives begin to move to the things of God as we discover our daily need to be closer to Him. We begin to live, love, and go like Jesus.

What does it mean to be in God's image? - August 8, 2021

August 8, 2021 - What does it mean to be in God's image? We live in a hyper-individualistic world full of things created for us to shape an image our ourselves. It can be challenging to step back and remember who God says we are. We must recognize that we are created in the image of God, and we need to let God restore His image in us.

How to live out my calling? - August 1, 2021

August 1, 2021 - How to live out my calling? Matthew 5:13-16 It can be challenging balancing your family and work schedule, and most of the time, there are not enough hours in the day to do everything on the list. The thought of adding our calling from God to this busy life can be overwhelming. What if these things were not separate? What if we are called to live out our calling in all areas of our everyday life?

How do we use our gifts to serve the church community? - July 25, 2020

How do we use our gifts to serve the church community? - July 25, 2020 Romans 12:3-8 God has created each one of us with unique gifts to use in service to each other. But how do we do this? In Romans, we get a look at how we are to serve each other with the gifts God has given us and what it means to serve the church with these gifts.

What does it mean to serve your community? - July 18, 2021

July 18, 2021 - What does it mean to serve your community? Isaia 64:8 John 1:1-3 Genesis 1:29 God created the heavens and the earth in perfect communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then we were created in that image. We desire community; it is in our DNA to love, serve and be with other people. When we look at what the bible says about serving this community, we see Jesus laying down his life for those around him fully invested.

Does God want you to flourish? - July 11, 2021

July 11, 2021 - Does God want you to flourish? Psalm 92:12-14, we read references to palm trees and strong cedar trees, but what does this have to do with God's will for us to flourish? Like these trees roots, we are to grow our faith deeper and withstand the impact of our broken and fallen world. This week we dig deeper into how being planted in God's house allows us to flourish in times of adversity and joy.

What is a consumer, Christian? - June 27, 2021

What is a consumer, Christian? Jumping from church to church and looking for the next thing to make you feel fulfilled may seem like the answer at first, but over time we start to realize that something is still missing. Christians are called to be more than consumers, who view the church as a place to receive what they desire. In scripture, we see a deeper relationship between the body of christ called discipleship. John, among others, provides examples of what discipleship looks like; and how ...

What did Jesus say about showing generosity? - June 20, 2021

June 20, 2021 - What did Jesus say about showing generosity? Luke 12:22-34 Do you have a mindset of abundance or a mindset of scarcity? Our faith in God's provision should encourage us to give generously before storing away what He has given. It can be difficult to give generously to others when our focus is on the limitations before us, but when we have faith in God's provisions it frees us to give in abundance. When we look at the Bible Jesus shows us how we can live a life of abundance with a...

Who deserves your hospitality? - June 13, 2021

Who deserves your hospitality? - June 13, 2021 Jesus calls us to show hospitality not just to our friends and family, but to everyone especially those who are struggling and in need. In Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus explains that when you are showing hospitality to those around you you are showing it to Him as well. How do you show hospitality to those around you?

Does the Bible address division in the Church? - June 6, 2021

Does the Bible address division in the Church? - June 6, 2021 We live in a divided world and a divided country. We all too often do not share the same viewpoints or the same lived experiences, and this can make it difficult to see God's plan for the church. Paul helps us see this vision of unity in 1 Corinthians 12:14-16 as he teaches us how the body of Christ has many functions that unify and grow His Chruch. How has God made you, and how can you serve in a way that unifies the church?...

What kinds of things you ask God for? - May 23, 2021

May 23, 2021 - What kinds of things you ask God for? Mark 10:46-52 We ask for the strangest things. Mark focuses on what was actually happening when people come to ask things from Jesus. We hear as Mark tells us the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus the blind man, and how Jesus calls him to be healed by asking "What do you want me to do for you?" By faith in Jesus, he is healed. We read many stories of Jesus healing in the Bible, and how Jesus reacts to the people's request of healing. These peo...

How do we get to know the REAL Jesus? - May 18, 2021

How do we get to know the REAL Jesus? - May 16, 2021 Mark 10:35-45 We all struggle with our misconceptions of Jesus, and often we make conclusions about who Jesus is before we get to know what the Bible says about Him. Just like James and John, we struggle with the limits we place on Jesus, and we quickly place Him in our neat box. How do we correct this and get to know the REAL Jesus?

Can the rich get to heaven? - May 9, 2021

Can the rich get to heaven? - May 9, 2021 In Mark 10:17​-28, we see Jesus address a young man asking how to ensure his spot in eternity (heaven). Jesus responds in a way that causes this young man to hurry away sorrowful for he realizes that he loves his riches more than God (Jesus). Jesus calls us to love Him more than we love ourselves and to follow Him wholeheartedly. Are you trading the treasures of God for a few shiny pennies?

What did Jesus say about divorce? - May 2, 2021

What did Jesus say about divorce? - May 2, 2021 Mark 10:1-9 Mark 10 tells us how we should approach divorce in a broken and fallen world. With staggering high rates of divorce in the United States, we are left to wonder what God says on the topic. Jesus responds to the Pharisees question of divorce by commanding us to love, respect, obey and lead the family. As a family we must respect each other and live together in loving obedience to Christ.