04.16.23 - Cages: Zoochosis

For all the talk in America about being the land of the free, many of us are not actually free at all. We are more like people who are caged animals. In this message, we will look at what it means to be trapped in a cage and identify some of the cages our culture puts us in. We will also look at the paths of freedom that the Apostle Paul points us to.

04.09.23 - Real Hope

As Easter approaches, it’s easy to hear any of the Jesus story and not believe it. After all, it sounds to us like a myth or a tall tale. There’s nothing new about that. Even the people on the scene when Jesus was crucified and resurrected had difficulty believing it. In this message, we will look at what it looks like to be conflicted and struggling with faith in the midst of doubts.

04.02.23 - Real Conflict

As Easter approaches, it’s easy to hear any of the Jesus story and not believe it. After all, it sounds to us like a myth or a tall tale. There’s nothing new about that. Even the people on the scene when Jesus was crucified and resurrected had difficulty believing it. In this message, we will look at what it looks like to be conflicted and struggling with faith in the midst of doubts.

03.36.23 - Legacy: The Opportunity

Most often, when people talk about legacy, they refer to money. We think of passing money on to our kids or donating money in our will to charity. But we can pass on so much more to the next generation. In this message, we will look at the apostle Paul’s instructions about how people in the church should leverage their resources for the sake of others. And we will see ways that all of us (whether or not we are parents) can make the most of the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith for those who come after us.

03.12.23 - Legacy: The Challenge

Being a parent is hard work; in some ways, it seems like it’s getting more complex every day. The internet and social media bring ideas into your home that most parents throughout history never had to think about. In this message, we will look at the challenges of raising kids in the faith and how the scriptures point us to even deeper realities we must deal with. We will also look at some strategies to handle these challenges.

02.19.23 - Gentleness Over Outrage

We sure love getting outraged at things in our culture, don't we? Whether it's political parties, school boards, public health policies, or some stunt that your sister tried to pull at thanksgiving this year: We all have things that trigger us and kick up the rage. But is there a better way? Jesus taught that there is a way to be gentle, even in the face of the things that prompt rage. In this message, we will look at how Jesus was gentle with a woman who had done a pretty bad thing. And we will learn some ways we can be more gentle in our daily lives.

02.12.23 - Faithfulness Over Forgetfulness

“We make our promises, and then our promises make us.” It almost seems like a lost art to stay faithful to our promises. But the truth is a steadfast, long-term commitment to things in life (marriage, exercise, spiritual growth) brings incredible results. In this message, we will look at why we become unfaithful and at a few time-tested disciplines that can help us grow in faithfulness.

01.29.23 - Patience Over Impatience

We want it all. And we want it now! And we live in a culture trying to give that to us. Microwaved food. 5G internet. Next-day delivery. Our culture trains us to expect everything to come to us quickly. But what if the best things in life are slow? What if it’s true that good things come to those who wait? In this message, we will look at the New Testament teaching on patience and how we can get more of it in our lives.

01.15.23 - Joy Over Comparison

What does it mean to have joy? And is that something we can lose? Is it possible for circumstances to rob us of joy? Is it an emotional state of being or something deeper? Also, what is the source of joy, and how do we get more joy? This Sunday, January 15th, we will continue our Vintage series, talking about joy as the fuel for the soul and how to be filled with more joy in our daily lives.

01.08.23 - Love Over Despair

Our culture is obsessed with the latest and greatest—the things that are new and hot. And yet, some of the best things in life are pretty old. We find this unexpected truth in music, fashion, architecture, and more. It’s also true about how we live. Those values by which we choose to live? We don’t need new ones. Instead, we need to recover some old ones because humanity hasn’t changed much in thousands of years. In this series, we will look at eight critical vintage character qualities that God wants to grow in our lives and examine how our digital age works against those qualities.

12.18.22 - All Is Bright

This is the season of lights: Tacky light tours, not-so-tacky lights, just tons of lighting everywhere. (All of which spreads the most Christmas cheer to Dominion power!) Part of the reason we use lights to celebrate the birth of Jesus is that Jesus claims to be the “light of the world,” and the gospel of John tells us that Jesus’s birth brings light and life to all men. In this message, we will consider what that means for us today and look to a future where all will truly be bright.