Living without purpose is not really living at all. When you find new life in Christ, you can then find a new purpose—an investment of your life that makes sense and brings glory to God. If someone asked, “What is your purpose in life?” how would you respond? Those of...
New Creation
It’s easy for us to become consumed with what happens to us and around us. We spend so much time and energy on managing our circumstances that we begin to think those circumstances define us. After thinking this way for a while, we eventually believe that those old...
New Command
Whenever we head into a new normal, there is usually an old normal we have to contend with first. We transition into a new normal when an old normal no longer works or the new normal is significantly better. This week, we'll discuss a new command Jesus gives his...
A New Mind
There is a powerful connection between how we think and how we live. We’re not always aware of those connections, but what we think about and how we think about it directs our actions and responses. The Bible draws a direct connection between spiritual transformation...
A New Beginning
We all had a beginning. You entered the world in a moment of time. And just like a physical birth, so too, you need a spiritual birth. You may be a child who is only a few years old or an adult well into your later years. But you need to experience new life through a...
Our Finest Hour
It’s possible to experience “our finest hour” in the most challenging of situations. That’s true, in part, because God uses hardships and difficulties to reveal what’s inside of us. Then, we can change and become better with His help. It’s ambitious to envision our...
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Think deeply about why you’re alive and you’ll eventually conclude that you want to make a difference—a contribution through the one life you have. That longing is called legacy. It’s the desire to influence others now so that your influence lives beyond you. What if...
Adoption
Adoption brings up mixed emotions. The term “adopted” can be used to show affection or insult. Our understanding of adoption comes from our picture of family. Many times we have a picture of family that limits our understanding of the truth of adoption. In this...
A Good Old Age
Family involves many times and seasons of life. Our roles within our family change, but each role and each season is part of God's plan for family. If we're fortunate, one day we'll find ourselves in the last season - Old Age. While this is a season some of us would...
Parenting
We’ve all had parents. They’re responsible for at least some part of shaping how we got to where we are today. And our different kinds of experiences with parents have affected our thoughts on parenting. But what if we could broaden our idea of what it means to be a...
In Sickness and in Health
It’s rare to find a really great marriage. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t take long for marriage to be put to the test by the harsh realities of life. In marriage, we’re together in sickness and in health. God designed marriage as a gift. And it’s easy to lose sight...
Nothing Like Family
As the family goes, so goes the culture. The idea of family is deeply rooted in our lives. We were born for family; it’s in our blood. And the idea of family is rooted in the heart of God. It’s more than an illustration. Family is a reality for anyone related to God....
A Healthy Body
We are the Church. The Church is the Body Christ. When this Body is healthy, God uses us to change history. That happens with the Body is mobilized by love. The world sees the hope they are searching for when we reach out to them in love. However, if we give in to...
Enough – Easter 2020
The last week of Jesus’ life began with a parade of celebration and hope. He would be dead by the end of that week. What happened? Even in darkness, God is at work; it just doesn’t feel like it sometimes. And even though there is no darkness in God, He’s never opposed...
Finding God in the Darkness
ASL Interpretation - Message OnlyThe last week of Jesus’ life began with a parade of celebration and hope. He would be dead by the end of that week. What happened? Even in darkness, God is at work; it just doesn’t feel like it sometimes. And even though there is no...
Family Life Weekend
ASL InterpretationHow do we build for the future when the future seems so uncertain? This week, we'll turn to Acts 2 to see how the early church began as a model for how we can continue to build the future of the Church together. As we follow their lead, we not only...
Finishing Well
How would you end your last words to someone? As Paul ends his second letter to Timothy, he works through a list that feels out of place at first. Honestly, it’s part of the letter that we tend to skip when we read it. But what if God has something significant to...
One Last Thing
Last words are important words. Books have been written and lists compiled about the last things that famous and influential people have said. This week in our study of 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul will write his last and most important words to Timothy, his protégé....
Training for Life
The moment we believe in Jesus for the salvation of our sins, we are ushered into eternal life. Through no effort of our own, Jesus gives us new life we receive by faith. This life has the opportunity for growth and development. So how do we develop this new life...
Life in Perilous Times
When Paul writes to Timothy, he describes the last days as perilous times. They are days filled with evil and evil doers. The last days began when Jesus left the earth. And until Christ returns, we are to live godly lives and become agents of change. At the same time,...
Live as One Approved by God
Approval is something we all long for, especially from the people who matter most to us. There is something deep inside of us that craves knowing that others are pleased with what we do and who we are. Approval gives us a sense of meaning and significance in the...