(June 25, 2023) “After God’s Own Heart: Godly Friendship”

from 1 Samuel 18:1-4

In his address to those gathered in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, Paul points to God’s testimony of David when God says, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…”

What a beautiful accusation to be leveraged against someone. Perhaps the only challenge for us is that if we know anything about David’s story then we know that there are things in his story, decisions he makes, sins he commits that don’t look much like someone after God’s own heart…so how can this be? 

As we journey through this summer series, we will see that these words can be said of David, not because he is PERFECT, but because he is PASSIONATE about the things God cares about. May we, as we find points of connection with David’s story and our own, be challenged in the things our heart chases after and consider how life might begin to look different when God is truly at the center of all we desire and pursue!

w/ Vern Collins

(June 11, 2023) “After God’s Own Heart: A Champion”

from 1 Samuel 17:38-50

In his address to those gathered in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, Paul points to God’s testimony of David when God says, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…”

What a beautiful accusation to be leveraged against someone. Perhaps the only challenge for us is that if we know anything about David’s story then we know that there are things in his story, decisions he makes, sins he commits that don’t look much like someone after God’s own heart…so how can this be? 

As we journey through this summer series, we will see that these words can be said of David, not because he is PERFECT, but because he is PASSIONATE about the things God cares about. May we, as we find points of connection with David’s story and our own, be challenged in the things our heart chases after and consider how life might begin to look different when God is truly at the center of all we desire and pursue!

w/ Vern Collins

(June 4, 2023) “After God’s Own Heart”

from 1 Samuel 16:1-13

In his address to those gathered in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, Paul points to God’s testimony of David when God says, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…”

What a beautiful accusation to be leveraged against someone. Perhaps the only challenge for us is that if we know anything about David’s story then we know that there are things in his story, decisions he makes, sins he commits that don’t look much like someone after God’s own heart…so how can this be?

As we journey through this summer series, we will see that these words can be said of David, not because he is PERFECT, but because he is PASSIONATE about the things God cares about. May we, as we find points of connection with David’s story and our own, be challenged in the things our heart chases after and consider how life might begin to look different when God is truly at the center of all we desire and pursue!

w/ Vern Collins

(May 28, 2023) “Pentecost and Beyond”

from Acts 2:1-21

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is one of the most powerful displays of the presence of God recorded for us in the New Testament. And yet, for many the work of the Holy Spirit remains a mystery. Is the Holy Spirit still present today? If so, what are the ways the Spirit of God is at work? Should one expect tongues of fire, the sound of wind, and the speaking in other languages?

Perhaps more difficult and dangerous than an overemphasis on the phenomena of the Spirit is to ignore the Holy Spirit altogether. There are key moments in Luke’s account of the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost that might just help us see the ways in which the Spirit is still at work and how critical that is for a life spent following Jesus.

w/ Vern Collins

(May 21, 2023-Combined Gathering-Confirmation) “Sharing Your Inheritance”

from Acts 9:26-31

While there are a number of places that we seek to root our hope in this life: people, policy, institutions, the pursuit of wealth…all of them will at some point come up short. In the Easter Season, we are reminded, however, that of the hope of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus that not only bears up under the weight of hope we place upon Him, but transforms our lives in the process. 

This hope is a gift…it is nothing we’ve earned…and not something we get to keep for ourselves. The question becomes, then…how are we stewarding the gift of hope we’ve been given…and what are those things that keep us both rooted in that hope, and propel us to share it with those we come in contact with every day? 

For these 5 weeks we will look at the first 9 chapters of Acts and consider the role that Prayer, our Presence, our Gifts, our Service, and our Witness within our own lives and through the life of the church might just be used to transform us and the world around us.

w/ Ed Glaize

(May 14, 2023) “Stewards of Hope: Service”

from Acts 6:1-7

While there are a number of places that we seek to root our hope in this life: people, policy, institutions, the pursuit of wealth…all of them will at some point come up short. In the Easter Season, we are reminded, however, that of the hope of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus that not only bears up under the weight of hope we place upon Him, but transforms our lives in the process. 

This hope is a gift…it is nothing we’ve earned…and not something we get to keep for ourselves. The question becomes, then…how are we stewarding the gift of hope we’ve been given…and what are those things that keep us both rooted in that hope, and propel us to share it with those we come in contact with every day? 

For these 5 weeks we will look at the first 9 chapters of Acts and consider the role that Prayer, our Presence, our Gifts, our Service, and our Witness within our own lives and through the life of the church might just be used to transform us and the world around us.

w/ Ben Fitzgerald

(May 7, 2023) “Stewards of Hope: Gifts”

from Acts 4:32-37

While there are a number of places that we seek to root our hope in this life: people, policy, institutions, the pursuit of wealth…all of them will at some point come up short. In the Easter Season, we are reminded, however, that of the hope of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus that not only bears up under the weight of hope we place upon Him, but transforms our lives in the process. 

This hope is a gift…it is nothing we’ve earned…and not something we get to keep for ourselves. The question becomes, then…how are we stewarding the gift of hope we’ve been given…and what are those things that keep us both rooted in that hope, and propel us to share it with those we come in contact with every day? 

For these 5 weeks we will look at the first 9 chapters of Acts and consider the role that Prayer, our Presence, our Gifts, our Service, and our Witness within our own lives and through the life of the church might just be used to transform us and the world around us.

w/ Vern Collins

(April 30, 2023) “Stewards of Hope: Presence”

from Acts 2:42-47

While there are a number of places that we seek to root our hope in this life: people, policy, institutions, the pursuit of wealth…all of them will at some point come up short. In the Easter Season, we are reminded, however, that of the hope of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus that not only bears up under the weight of hope we place upon Him, but transforms our lives in the process. 

This hope is a gift…it is nothing we’ve earned…and not something we get to keep for ourselves. The question becomes, then…how are we stewarding the gift of hope we’ve been given…and what are those things that keep us both rooted in that hope, and propel us to share it with those we come in contact with every day? 

For these 5 weeks we will look at the first 9 chapters of Acts and consider the role that Prayer, our Presence, our Gifts, our Service, and our Witness within our own lives and through the life of the church might just be used to transform us and the world around us.

w/ Vern Collins

(April 23, 2023) “Stewards of Hope: Prayer”

from Acts 1:14; 4:23-31

While there are a number of places that we seek to root our hope in this life: people, policy, institutions, the pursuit of wealth…all of them will at some point come up short. In the Easter Season, we are reminded, however, that of the hope of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus that not only bears up under the weight of hope we place upon Him, but transforms our lives in the process.

This hope is a gift…it is nothing we’ve earned…and not something we get to keep for ourselves. The question becomes, then…how are we stewarding the gift of hope we’ve been given…and what are those things that keep us both rooted in that hope, and propel us to share it with those we come in contact with every day?

For these 5 weeks we will look at the first 9 chapters of Acts and consider the role that Prayer, our Presence, our Gifts, our Service, and our Witness within our own lives and through the life of the church might just be used to transform us and the world around us.

w/ Vern Collins

(4.9.2023) EASTER-“A Costly Journey: Costs Us Our Hopelessness”

from Luke 24:13-35

On this Resurrection Day, we are invited to consider the reality that an empty tomb, a Savior Who meets us on the road of our questions, doubts, and fears, costs us the very hopelessness that would stop us in our tracks, faces downcast.

We are invited instead to root our hope, not in things of this world that can never truly bear up under the weight of expectation we place on them, rather to root our hope in Christ, the One Who has always been present, and Who stands in power over everything that would steal our hope and joy.

And then, we find that living in the Hope of Christ, we have one of the greatest gifts imaginable to share with the world around us…the promise that this is not all there is!

w/ Vern Collins

(April 2, 2023) “A Costly Journey: Costs Us Our Pride”

from Luke 18:9-14

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live. 

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Vern Collins

(March 26, 2023) “The Real Prodigal”

from Luke 15:11-32

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live. 

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Ed Glaize

(March 19, 2023) “A Costly Journey: Costs Us Our Greed”

from Luke 12:13-21

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live. 

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Vern Collins

(March 12, 2023) “A Costly Journey: Costs Us Our Busyness”

from Luke 10:38-42

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live. 

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Vern Collins

(March 5, 2023) “A Costly Journey: Costs Us Our Comfort”

from Luke 10:25-37

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live. 

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Vern Collins

(February 26, 2023) “A Costly Journey: The Cost of Discipleship”

from Luke 9:51, 57-62 and 14:25-33

The season of Lent is an invitation to examine one’s heart and consider the journey of Jesus’ own suffering that makes possible a life lived in the freedom of God’s grace and the wholeness in which we were created to live.

While the season of Lent is typically marked with “giving something up,” this season you are invited to consider that the journey toward, “life to the full,” that Jesus offers is more costly than simply giving up chocolate or coffee…perhaps it could mean a complete re-ordering of your priorities…and in costing you your busyness or your dignity or your treasure, what if in the process you find more than you ever dreamt possible?

w/ Vern Collins

(February 12, 2023) “Known: Ordering Our Hearts”

from Psalm 139:23-24

John Ortberg writes, “The human longings that are deep inside of us never go away. They exist across cultures; they exist throughout life. When people were first made, our deepest longing was to know and to be known. And after the Fall, when we all got weird, it’s still our deepest longing-but it’s now also our deepest fear.” In one of the most beautiful prayers captured in the Psalms, we find Ian invitation to awe and wonder, and invitation to humility, and most importantly an invitation into the freedom of knowing and being known by the God of Creation. 

w/ Vern Collins