Coming January 2025!

One of the best things about Advent is the tone. We don’t cruise into Christmas with triumph and a rah-rah certainty that all is well. We begin by waiting—tired waiting—a feeling we know all too well. Waiting for the test results. Waiting for the phone call. Waiting for your kid to come back or the job offer to come through. Waiting for your parents to get better or finally apologize. Waiting for the family you longed for or that financial relief you desperately need. Waiting for prayers to be answered or community to be found. We are very familiar with waiting. But what do we do while we wait? Advent reminds us that while we wait for a future we can only glimpse now, we don’t just sit on the sidelines and twiddle our thumbs. While we wait for Christ to come, we don’t just squint at the light that is far away. The invitation of Advent is not only to wait for Jesus but to also work with him to build his Kingdom on earth. This Advent, we will explore the work of waiting. Together we will discover how the hope, peace, joy, and love we are waiting for are already in our midst when we tell the truth, practice compassion, rejoice in restoration, and work for justice in the world.

It can be tempting to move through life on “auto-pilot.” Without even thinking, we default to making decisions based on convenience, expedience, and instant gratification. However, what if that isn’t resulting in the life we want? What if this way of living isn’t leading, but keeping us from a truly meaningful life? The reality taught in Scripture is that the easy path and the right path are not always the same path. Join us this fall as we reassess the hopes, dreams, and goals we’ve set for our lives. And more importantly, are we using the right paths to get there?

Let’s face it…sometimes the different areas of our life can be boring. Stagnancy and restlessness have a tendency to creep into our jobs, our relationships, even our faith life. However, boredom doesn’t have to mean that your joy is broken or lost forever. What if feeling discontent is actually a tool, a gift, a sign from God that something deeper, something better is waiting for you? What if there is still hope for that job or that relationship that used to bring you so much excitement and passion? This August, let’s revive the areas of our lives that have gone stale.

With every conflict, there are numerous possibilities. Possibilities to do harm. To sever a relationship. To create a rift you will never recover from. However, there is also a possibility for transformation. With some intentionality and divine guidance, there is a way to fight that is not only healthy, but faithful. The fact of the matter is conflict is pretty much unavoidable. So, how might God use the conflicts in our families, friendships, and workplace to change hearts and minds…especially our own. Join us as we search the scriptures looking for guidance, wisdom and tips for how to fight “good fights.”

Easter Season 2024, including Easter Sunday, Baptismal Sunday, and Youth Sunday.

We’ve all been there. You made a request of God only to have it go unanswered. Or perhaps it was answered in a way that you never anticipated. Expectations can be tricky. Especially when it comes to the miraculous, what kind of expectations can we have of God? What can we anticipate when we need God to intervene in our lives? In this series, we take a look at the miracles of scripture to better understand not only what happened back then, but what kind of help we can expect from God today.

Often when we talk about Advent, we notice how many surprising things happen during this season. The Messiah comes in a manner unlike what anyone expected. Yet, for all of the surprises of Advent, it’s also exactly what God said God would do. God promised that a Messiah would come, that reconciliation would be possible, that sin and death would not have the last word. As we wait for Christ to come again and set the world aright once and for all, we may be asking the same questions that the Israelites were asking before Jesus was born: can we really trust God’s word? Will God actually fulfill these promises? What are we supposed to do while we wait for them to be fulfilled? During Advent, we’ll explore the promises God already fulfilled during the first Christmas, and how those promises still apply to us today. We’ll focus on how we can trust God to fulfill the promise of hope, peace, joy, and love, even if things aren’t going the way we expected.

Let’s face it…some stories in the Old Testament can be hard to understand. Furthermore, they can be really hard to reconcile with the loving, merciful, compassionate God we find in Jesus. For some, the Old Testament is not just confusing, but an obstacle to Christian faith altogether. In this series, we explore the book of Leviticus – arguably one of the toughest books of the Bible. During which, we will ask questions like: is this what God is really like? Is there something we are not seeing? When we compare this God to that of the New Testament, was it God or our picture of God that changed after Jesus came? Join us to find out! 

Whether you like it or not, technology is here to stay. Furthermore, an increasing amount of our lives are happening online. Just like with anything new, this reality is having both a positive and a negative affect on our health, our happiness, even our faith. This month, we will return to the book of Proverbs to consult with the voice of Wisdom. We will listen for what wisdom has to tell us about how we can use technology in ways that benefit our lives, rather than harming our connection to others, to God, and to ourselves.

One could argue that one of the most influential forces on kids these days is none other than the magical world of Disney. Whether that is by way of movies, television or visits to their theme parks/cruises this summer, most of us either have or will be impacted by the magic of their creations. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, you’ll find that many of the things we love most about Disney are how their stories teach, inform, and shape our imagination of ourselves, the world…and at closer look…God. This summer, we will explore many of the themes found in Disney films to remind or even illuminate aspects of our faith. Let’s discover this whole new world together!

Prayer isn’t merely where we make requests of God. Prayer is where we make ourselves available to God. It is how we make ourselves available to God’s direction, transformation, and service to the world. This series is an honest admission that sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for. Maybe the reason why we struggle to pray is not because we are afraid there won’t be an answer, but what if there is?

A recent study found that over 52% of Americans live within suburban neighborhoods. Over half of our country has opted for a life of white picket fences, soccer practice, and golden retrievers. For good reason too! The suburbs possess numerous amenities that make life not only easier, but more enjoyable. However, just like any community on this side of heaven, there are things about the suburbs that are not only conducive, but obstructive to the Christian life. In 2023, we are going to explore this unique context we are inhabiting. Further, we hope to rediscover what it looks like to be a faithful disciple where we live, work, and play.

It can be all too easy to fall into patterns and habits in our daily lives, especially in the midst of all the chaos and violence that surrounds us in the world. This year has brought to all of us news of war, natural disasters, polarization, financial struggle, and uncertainty… and that doesn’t include all of our personal struggles and challenges. Our response can often be to shut down, or to return to old ways of thinking, acting, or living that keep us safe and protect our hearts. This is the old way, and the old way isn’t working any longer. But this season of Advent, the new year of the church calendar, invites us into new ways of being… Through the Incarnation, God is making a new way through this wilderness to a promised land that will be better than anything we could ask for or imagine.

What if there was a tool designed to help you measure spiritual growth? What if there were stages and level to spiritual progress? Actually, there is! For centuries, theologians have created their own ordo salutis (“order of salvation”) so as to help Christians know where they are in faith, what they need to do, and what is next in this pilgrimage toward the person Christ has called us to be! During this series, we will not only help you find this tool using ordofaith.com, but we will also explain each stage in detail so that you can better assess your own, personal spiritual development! 

Musicians are oftentimes some of the best truth-tellers. Songs have a way of capturing so much of the human experience. During this series, join us as we dig into a handful of different genres, while asking the question: what is God saying to us through these artists?