Good behavior does not win God's affection. So, why should we "Do good?" When we look deeper, we begin to recognize that it's about genuine relationship, not just a sorecard of good deeds. That's good news for us! Tune in and find out why a relationship is better for all of us!

Why does Paul prize "peace" so highly? What can peace do for me? It turns out, the peace that Paul is talking about is literally out of this world and cannot be understood in human terms. It's not impossible to get, and it has ramifications for us as individuals, families, and societies. Tune in to learn how to attain a peace that transcends all un…

What keeps you motivated? We may try many things to stay motivated, but unless our motivation is internal, we'll struggle with anything long-term. Paul is a great example of the power of internal motivation. His motivation kept him going for Christ no matter the external circumstances. What can we learn from Paul to help us "Press On?"…

How Can I Live a Worthy Life? In the midst of uncertainy and prison, Paul sends a clear message: No matter what happens, we are to love a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. But what is a worthy life? And how do we live worthy of Jesus' good news?

Paul's letter to the Philippians expresses great confidence that they will be made complete, but not because of human effort. God, who began a good work in them, will bring it to completion. Because God is the One doing that work, we can be confident too, if we stick to the process and let God do His work in us. Tune in and learn how we can become …

Why is our world so divided? What can Christians do about that? If we trace the cause of the disunity to the roots, we see that a lack of moral clarity is a significant contributor to the problem. But knowing the cause is just the beginning; what can we do to help bring moral clarity in the Holy Spirit back into our world?…

Have you ever wondered why God doesn't give us more guidance so we know what to do? Why would God hold back? Or, perhaps the answer is that God does give guidance, but we have difficulty when it comes to listening. Come and unlock the secret to hearing from God in a way that helps us apply what we learn to our lives. Our lives will never be the sam…

Why should I be humble? We've never been more highly educated nor technologically saavy as human beings, so why should we listen to God? Looking at some lessons learned from Job, we begin to realize two important facts: God is God, and we are not. What does that mean for the way we live today? Listen in and see for yourself!…

Is everything truly meaningless? Only if you read parts of the Bible without the whole in mind. What does the wisdom of the Bible have to say about finding meaning and permanance? Listen in as we explore the ultimate finding in the book of Ecclesiastes!

The wisdom books of the Bible are filled with advice that can save us a lot of heartache in our modern life. These books are like having a wisened mentor that has been down many roads while learning many lessons. Come join us and let them pass on their lessons in your life!

Today, our Youth take over the morning with praise, worship, and preaching! As we honor our graduating Seniors, we're reminded by Sam Yelverton (graduating Senior) that in Christ we are all given roots and wings. The roots have been planted, now it's time for the wings to take flight. Hear Sam's testimony as he brings a special word of encouragemen…

Followers help followers. How are you helping a fellow follower? If we're going to succeed on this journey of discipleship, we're going to need a good wingman (or more). Why do we need wingmen, and how can we be a good one? James has some advice to not only survive, but thrive when things get crazy!

What will you do with failure? That could mean when you fail or when someone fails you. Because we're human, we're going to encounter failure. We can learn a lot about how to handle failure from Jesus' experience with the Disciples. One lesson Jesus teaches us: In Christ, failure is never final!

Does your inside match your outside? Jesus' most lively comments were always pointed at the Pharisees, largely because they looked good on the outside, but were full of greed and self-indulgence on the inside. How do we avoid this mistake and make our outside match our inside?

Do you believe this? This question comes directly from Jesus as he's preparing to raise Lazarus from the tomb. If we really believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, our lives should be different from the culture around us. So, how do we take that same resurrection power and live a life that's different?…

What King are you looking for? If you're looking for one that comes in a destroys all your problems, Jesus may not be for you. But if you're looking for one who comes to free us from the power of sin and conquer death, Jesus in your King! And if Jesus in your King, then God will be your God. The only remaining question is, will we be His people?…

The prophet Jeremiah tells of a new covenant that God will make with His people. In the new covenant, God will put His law in their minds and write it on their hearts. So, what is this new covenant, and how do we become part of it?

Today's scripture paints an interesing picture of hope, but the start is a little rough: we're dead and we can't fix it. Many of us experience the lingering symptoms of this death. We lack purpose or meaning, or we question what it's all about. So how do we find life again? Tune in and find not just life, but life abundant!…

Why is Jesus so upset over the moneychangers and merchants in the Temple? It really boils down to community; the ability of all people to commune with the Creator of the Universe. Jesus fought for community. Jesus died for community. The question is, will we live for community?

What is the cost of following Jesus? He asks a lot: to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross, and to follow where he leads. It definitely costs something to follow Jesus. But have you ever done a cost/benefit analysis on following Jesus? It turns out, it costs way more to NOT follow Jesus. Tune in and learn more with us!…

What does it cost God to make a covenant? We sometimes forget how faithful God is, or how unfaithful we can be. But we seldom think of the cost for God to uphold His end of the covenant. Understanding the cost can help us love Him even more.

"You reap what you sow." It's a principle that is universally recognized, but unilaterally ignored. In our society of quick fixes, we always think there's a shortcut to where we want to be: the pill that makes us lose weight, the pill that makes us feel/sleep better, the surgery that makes us look better. But none of this changes the universal prin…

Did you know that the most successful people have quit trying? It's not about trying to hard, or not trying hard enough; it's that trying is the problem! In trying, we give ourselves a minimal commitment. Real change occurs with real commitment. Come and see what that looks like in the spiritual sense!…

Habits, Change, good habits, bad habits, transformation, power, fruit, discipleship, godliness

How are big changes made? You might be surprised to learn that the biggest and most lasting changes start with the smallest of things. One small, holy habit is more likely to make a lasting change than a big 30 day challenge. Don't believe us? Tune in and find out the power of Holy Habits!

Who we think we are often determines what we do, and the enemy is a good liar determined to derail our God-given identities! Let's learn how to form a healthy identity that will keep us on track during life's challenges.

Ever felt stuck? You're in good company. Paul hits the nail on the head: why do I do what I don't want to do and not do what I should do? Why do willpower and behavior modification have limited success? Is there a better way to change? The Bible says there is a better way!

God tells his people to forget the former things and not dwell on the past. But is there a balance in looking back while planning ahead? What does it mean to forget the former things? And more importantly, how can we position ourselves to see what new things God is doing?

Jesus is the only one who lacks nothing but becomes nothing to to save those who have lost their way. What can we learn by watching the one who had everything become nothing, so that we who had nothing might become children of God? How might we live differently and invite others to do the same?

The Shepherds knew their place, and were probably as comfortable as Shepherds could be. However, their lives changed in a moment with news of great joy for all people. Had the angels picked the right people to announce this great news? Why does this matter to us today?

Mary's discomfort and confusion didn't get in her way of being the Lord's servant. Her answer to the angel, "May it be to me according to your word," set her course against incredible odds and risks (i.e., not comfortable), yet also paved the way for the salvation of the world through Jesus. God often asks us to do the uncomfortable to provide more…

Today we're covering the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were righteous in God's sight, but also childless. Where was their joy? Their joy would come much later than expected, but also much greater than expected. Sometimes joy comes in the most unexpected ways and in the most unexpected timeline.…

It's easy to take God's blessings and gifts for granted (i.e., display a lack of gratitude). When we are ungrateful or indifferent about what God has given us, we can become self-focused to the point where our gifts and opportunities actually become destructive to ourselves and others. Join us for a case study of misplaced devotion and avoid the pi…

Paul's life is one of constant gratitude, not because of his circumstances, but DESPITE his stressful circumstances. What's the secret of experiencing gratitude no matter what is happening around us? Come and learn some lessons from the life of Paul, backed by God AND science!

How does one get better at gratitude? Like most things, practice makes perfect! Today we talk about why gratitude matters and how to practice gratitiude any time, anywhere with a simple exercise to reinforce our development of Gratitude. Why? Because, believe it or not, it's hard to be anxious and grateful at the same time!…

Sometimes the best stories come from the worst times in our lives. Pastor Bill shares a turning point in his life that comes from his "worst day ever." But this is a message of hope, because this worst day literally changed everything... for the better. Tune in and hear how everything in our lives can be used to find THE way, the truth, and Life th…

Have you ever seen doors shut in and hopes dashed? Sometimes it can be a sign that there are other doors opening and plans that differ from our own. This is Pastor Alex's personal testimony of how God redirected his path in unexpected ways. And take some comfort in this: the best way to tell the greatest story is something we learned in Kindergarte…

People are moved by stories. People remember stories. Perhaps that's why the story of Jesus is so powerful and enduring. So how do we tell that Greatest Story in our lives? In this series, you'll get a chance to hear from all three of the Pastors on campus over the 3 week series. Not only will you hear their stories, but we'll hear how we can refle…

What should we do with all that we've been given? If we are truly stewards, we should build God's Kingdom with the gifts we've been given and not place our hope in temporary and fleeting wealth. Examples from history (Ezra 4-6 and Haggai 1) show what happens when we turn our attention inward and what it takes to turn our attention to building God's…

Is money really a spiritual thing? Jesus talked a lot about money, and it turns out the money can profoundly impact our spiritual well-being. It's not that money and wealth are bad things, but how we handle them has profound ramifications for our well-being. The key question for a Jesus follower is, "Do you have money, or does your money have you?"…

Being a Jesus follower means we have everything, but own nothing! If that's news to us, then here's a new way of thinking that will change our lives. If that's an excuse to not care for anything (since we don't own it), then here's a reminder that we are called to care for the King's Kingdom, and we are called to excellence in the process!…

This might be one of the hardest questions for Jesus followers to deal with: "Why ____?" You have probably filled in the blank: why suffering, why disease, why pain? How could a loving God allow these things? While there are no easy answers, there is one clear example: we'll take our cues from Jesus himself, and in the process, find a clear approac…

If we are people who have received unmerited favor (i.e., Grace), then why is it so hard to extend that grace to others? What motives create judgment and hypocrisy, and how do we learn to steer clear of them? If we are to be true Jesus followers, it's healthy to examine our motives and land in a place of grace, for ourselves and others!…

Sometimes (or all the time), people have doubts about the Christian faith. What's our response? Do we avoid their questions because we don't know how to respond? Do we keep our distance so we don't catch a case of doubt ourselves? The short answer is, Christianity doesn’t have anything to hide. We can go to the Bible, to the church, and to God with…

How do we feel about those who have left the faith? Do we leave room for their return, or do we hold on to some sense of superiority for remaining "faithful?" What's the right approach? We can take our cue from Jesus as he tells a story of reconciliation based on a redeeming love.

We've talked about what we do (mission), we've talked about why we do (Value), and we've talked about how to find the unique vision that God has for us (see the previous 3 sermons). What's left? HOW to do all these things. We'll look at WordServe's "How" as well as finding the proper source of motivation to keep our passion burning for sharing the …

Wouldn't it be nice to know what God's vision is for the future? What if there was a way to discern God's vision? What would it take for us to see... and act on that vision? Join us as we explore what God's vision might look like for us today!

Values are the core of what we believe. Values should be both said, and seen in the way we live. So, what are the values that Jesus follower should live? And how do we learn to live those values in a way that bring God glory and people closer to Christ?

What are supposed to be doing as Jesus followers? Jesus was pretty clear and commissioned us with this directive: "Go and make disciples..." Most everyone talks about this Great Commission, but how are we supposed to do it? Join in for some conversation starters and a new look at the one thing we should be knocking out of the park!…

Even when we feel like we're on a good growth trajectory, there are always powerful distractions that threaten to take us off course. How can we stay rooted so that we produce the fruit of the Spirit, and not the fruitlessness of this world?