Sundays at Cumberland

In a world characterized by instant access to information, rapidly shifting opportunities, and a hyper prioritization of personal preference, we generally find ourselves swirling in more options than we can possibly use. If the good Lord has gifted us with free will, then the world has countered it by trying to overwhelm us with “options.” Interestingly enough, this steady increase of knowledge ha...

You can’t be godly without God… You can’t be Christian without Christ… And you can’t be “holy” without the Holy Spirit… The biblical record affirms the history of our burdensome longing for spiritual fulfillment, and the New Covenant reveals that God chose to resolve this tension - once and for all - by satisfying us with Himself. It seems to be the obvious conclusion for a world, and a people, de...

Every member must become a missionary - in some capacity, for their specific context, and according to God’s unique purpose for them. This means that we must accept that the primary goal of our church is not Sunday attendance. Instead, we are to become a community of kingdom preparation - arming people with the gospel and commissioning them into the world to make a difference. The next season of C...

Back in January, we set our sights on pursuing Fruit Without Fail - because Jesus set the clear expectation that His followers would produce an abundance of fruit! So… how have you been growing? On the final Sunday of 2025, let’s take a collective self-assessment - a “Fruit Inspection,” if you will. We’ll discuss how distractions can take us off-course, and we’ll talk about the only real way to pr...

One of the things that makes Christmas Eve so special is that it celebrates the end… of A WAITING. We savor the fullness of that anticipation, remembering the night - some 2000 years ago - when the countdown finally came to an end. But here’s the question… When did the countdown begin?

Traditionally, Christmas is a time of gathering with loved ones, but if we follow the pattern in scripture, then our reach should extend beyond what’s familiar and comfortable. As we’ll see in Scripture, lowly shepherds receive the primary invitation to the celebration of the birth of King Jesus, and in doing so, reveal something miraculous about the opportunity of Christmas.

We all face moments of uncertainty. And that’s usually the place where our character gets tested most. We allow challenges to tempt us to abandon the credibility of our words. It may sound simple, but it actually raises the question of the most ordinary of miracles: Can you remain true to your word?

Everything God does is significant. Big, small, and everything in between - it all counts as the mighty work of His hands. But sometimes, we overlook the Lord’s work in light of our inflated expectations. We find ourselves consumed with waiting for God to do something big, all while He is actively working in smaller ways around us. Mary was challenged with this, in reconciling a long awaited desir...

We know that Jesus is the answer for both young and old, and His love extends to those who are facing the most impossible circumstances. Whether you're battling bullies at school, pressures at work, or maybe just discouragement in your own mind - the impact of such things can leave us feeling like we’ve lost control of our lives. Fortunately, the gospel reminds us of the most important thing: Even...

We all have a tendency to compare. We know we shouldn’t. But sometimes, we fall into the trap. We can’t help but measure God’s will in our lives against what we see as His will in the lives of others. In such cases, the criticisms that we have for each other begin to feed the doubts that we form about God. Remember, God’s call in our lives is unique. One Bible story in particular explores this pro...

Anyone can be used by God, because everyone can choose to believe. Scripture captures many examples of how the faith of one paves the way to good news for others. Whether it’s the courage of Abraham, or the loyal devotion of Ruth, we’re reminded of the only acceptable response whenever God calls... The righteous must choose to live by faith.

Scripture certainly affirms the Lord as a savior, but the narrative also reveals that He has chosen to use a variety of characters in His rescue plans. From Moses, to Esther, to perhaps, even you, the Lord continues to use the OVERLOOKED to accomplish the UNEXPECTED.

We certainly cannot do anything without the Lord. But, interestingly enough, He has chosen to do very little without us. His sovereign plan invites us to participate in His work, whether we feel qualified or not. Scripture is jam-packed with such testimony - stories of unlikely people who the Lord chose for extraordinary things. Peter and Paul represent 2 such stories, with competing personalities...

Emotions are like rocket fuel to our actions. If we fail to connect WHAT we do to HOW we feel, then we risk overlooking a key measure of our relational wellness. Whenever someone crosses the line to offend us, we’re left with a range of intense emotions from which to respond. Unfortunately, human emotions cannot be trusted to govern our lives, and following them can lead us into sinful compromise....

“Love your enemies.” Jesus introduced the most remarkable expectation with this simple, yet profound challenge. His command resets the relational standard for humanity. Far too often, our differences lead to division, and the current social climate seems intent on turning neighbors into enemies. More than ever, the words of Jesus offer a way forward - but how do we live out His expectation? How in...

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few...” Jesus described the landscape of gospel mission when He voiced this sobering reality. It’s a prophetic observation that invokes a challenge for all who have received the Good News: Join in the work of sharing it with others. It seems that God’s call is much more simple than we care to admit. Consequently, our response reflects something deeper...

Bring as much FAITH as you can, because we’ll need every ounce of it for the journey ahead!

ALL glory belongs to God. Yet we still resist giving credit where it’s due. We ascribe praise to so many different things, for so many different reasons. And whenever we’re not worshipping those idols, we’re busy stealing glory for ourselves... 😕 But the Lord has determined that He wants all that belongs to Him. His sovereign plan includes reclamation of all of His glory, and an ultimate demonstr...

God’s plan for renewal introduces a new standard for humanity — characterized by LOVE OVERFLOWING. It leads us beyond our own borders of comfort and convenience, and directly into the lives of others. Cumberland operationalizes this idea through our local missions efforts, where we commit to the work of bringing good news to our local community. Our desire is to seek the common good - across all r...

It might be time for a shift. There’s no denying that we’ve faced significant delays in completing our campus project. And honestly, there’s a list of reasons to explain why. But as the Lord continues to renew our hearts for gospel mission, we must come to grips with the real obstacle standing in the way -- our personal priorities. The book of Haggai recounts a relevant charge to God’s people who...

Today marks the launch of a multi-year journey toward where God is leading Cumberland. In this new season, we’ll give our full attention to the beautiful vision of new creation. In the final pages of scripture, John’s apocalyptic glimpse into the future reminds us that Christ is enthroned as Lord of all creation. It is this specific revelation that holds remarkable implications for our fallen worl...

In our society, the promise of security is enticing. The question of ‘who can deliver a brighter future?’ compels us to give our allegiance to whoever - or whatever - might seem capable. Power… Wealth… Influence… They become our standards of measurement. And those who have them claim to hold the keys to the future. Such is the allure of empire. And one way or another, we all get swept up in it. Bu...

Religion stands as our most desperate attempt to cleanse ourselves before God. As such, we generally measure each other by a mere surface-level standard of righteousness. Say the right things… Do the right things… Look the right way… Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for such shallow emphasis, and He calls us to a much deeper consideration. The way in which Jesus relates to us must determine how we rela...

The book of Jude addresses the church as she faces the challenges of her own successful growth. It turns out that more people bring more problems. 😬 This type of tension they faced — between growth and faithfulness — is actually NORMAL for the church. Therefore, we must adjust our understanding of gospel mission, and accept its tendency to be disruptive to the comfortability of a congregation.

The Church continues to wrestle with determining the most appropriate application of the gospel. We tend to enjoy its broad, accepting framework in light of OUR OWN faults; but then we offer a more restrictive version to others. It becomes a stumbling block for those seeking God, and it reveals the need for our own “open heart surgery.”