The Ridge – Weekly Message

The cultural view of a successful career is to climb the ladder—to move on up the org chart. The Bible, though, offers a revolutionary understanding of the purpose of work: It isn’t a way to prosper and promote ourselves. Work is a way for us to serve, bless, help, and advance others—to go beyond our own self-interests to add value to the lives of others. When the purpose of our work connects with...

Though only 23 verses, Genesis chapter 39 proves to be a source of wisdom on resisting temptation, God's presence and providence, and the hope of change in difficult seasons. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss these areas and more on this week's BTS Podcast. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox.

The Bible isn’t about what a lot of people think it’s about. It’s not about a problem-free life where there are no issues and everybody lives happily ever after. It’s a whole lot more relevant than that. In Genesis chapter 39, God is speaking. What He is telling us: He is with us just as much when life is hard as He is when life is good. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional...

As we continue looking at the life of Joseph, we are taking some time to hone in on the family line that preceded him. As with many parts of the Old Testament, it is filled with stories of relational dysfunction and people following their own way apart from God. So what can we learn from these stories about how God has called us to live? And how does this all relate to challenges we have in our ow...

Earlier in Genesis we see the family line that preceded Joseph. Starting with Abram and Sarai, Joseph’s family history is filled with dysfunction and with people choosing to follow their own way apart from God. Despite, what we ultimately see is that God knows. He cares. And He uses it all — even the most broken people and situations and circumstances — for good. Message by Doug Applegate Scriptur...

One of the most wonderful aspects of the gospel is the news that we can experience change in our lives. We can know freedom from internal struggles, and transformation into the likeness of Jesus. But how does this actually happen? And what's so wrong with just pursuing your desires anyway? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss the path to personal change and the life God created us to live. Re...

Facing any temptation today? Here is what you need to know: Seemingly small decisions impact our lives significantly. Often, it’s not just one failed dramatic moment that causes our world to fall apart. It doesn’t happen at all once. Rather, it happens one decision at a time. And this: God knows. He cares. And He has a way out. Take Joseph’s lead. Resist, turn, flee and run away. Message by Mike V...

Guilt is a weight that can, if we let it, drive us away from God and others. But is there a way that our past actions can be redeemed for good? And is freedom from the bonds of guilt truly possible? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore what the Bible teaches about God's power to take our greatest failures and use them for ultimate good. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotio...

Ever felt like you’re not good enough? Not worthy enough? Judah certainly wasn’t. Just look at Genesis 38. Judah had spiritual deficiencies, moral failures, fears, insecurities, inadequacies. He messed up. He sinned. Time and time again. But God didn’t discard or discount Judah. God didn't give up on him. And He doesn't give up on us. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Genesis 38 Read...

Passing the baton isn't something that just happens; it requires our intentional participation. But what does it look like practically to raise up younger generations? And what happens when we drop the baton ourselves? How can we get back in the race? Join Joey and Will as they discuss these questions and more on this week's BTS Podcast. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional...

There is a handoff going on — a passing of the baton — from one generation to the next. We are called to train the younger generation in wisdom and to share our walk with Jesus. Now is the time. To whom are you going to pass the baton? How do you plan to do it? Message by Joey Weber Scripture referenced: 2 Timothy 1:5, 2:1–2 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Si...

Parenting is one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges. God has entrusted our children to us to show them who He is and help guide them toward a life that He desires for them. If you don't have children of your own, the principle still applies — we can all have a positive influence on younger generations. So what does this look like practically? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss...

Parenting is hard. Just being an adult is hard. All of it comes with overwhelming responsibility. And sometimes we mess up. Like Jacob. To put it kindly, his parenting was lacking. The coat of many colors shows us that Jacob played favorites. Joseph’s bragging about dreams shows us that Jacob was passive in letting the sibling enmity grow. How are these parenting fails relevant to us today? It’s t...

The literal, physical resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. In the words of the Apostle Paul, if the resurrection didn't happen, "we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Cor 15:19). Join Pastor Mike and Will Herron as they discuss evidence for the resurrection as well as some helpful practical steps beyond Easter. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional eac...

If you haven’t accepted the claims of Easter, why not? Do you believe them to be true? If you want to determine if Christianity is true or false, don’t look at Christians who have hurt you, things that disappoint you, or questions that baffle you. Look at Jesus. The reason people in the first century decided to follow Jesus wasn’t based on faith, it was based on evidence. It wasn’t an empty tomb t...

A donkey, palm branches, and a rapturous crowd. There is a lot going on in our passage this week. Yet it was all building up to the moment where Jesus would lay down His life for the sake of the world. Join Pastor Mike and Will Herron as they explore the miraculous, prepare for Easter weekend, and discuss why this rapturous crowd turned hostile in a matter of days. Click here to access the discuss...

What is God’s greatest miracle — the greatest of all time? Our answer may rest in the heart of the Easter season. Greater than speaking a world into existence, greater than holding the sun still in the sky, and greater than bringing the dead back to life, is the miracle of the cross. Jesus had the ability to stop His suffering. He had the power and the authority, but He did not use it. He stayed....

To both Jesus and the surrounding Jews, this Roman centurion had something different about him. His faith, humility, and genuine care stood out in the crowd. Yet he was still a leading member of the Roman army involved in the occupation of the Jews at that time. Join Julie Wiemann and Will Herron as they explore what it means to show God's mercy to others, even in the face of stark difference or p...

The Roman centurion. What can we learn from him? To look at the centurion, you would think he wouldn’t have any need for any sort of encounter with Jesus. But he did. In fact, he set aside economic and racial barriers to seek Jesus in his time of need. His story is where following Jesus moves from head to heart. Message by Julie Weimann Scripture referenced: Luke 7:1–10 Read the Beyond the Sermon...

While the title of Jesus's parable may be "The Prodigal Son," we can learn much from each of the three characters in this famous story. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore what Jesus teaches us about God, us, and what it looks like for us to to follow God out of love rather than duty. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Ser...

What if God’s goal for us isn’t for us to just believe in Him, obey Him, or even respect Him? What if His goal — the desire of His heart is simply to love Him? What would it take for you to love Him back? A miracle? The promise of a life without challenges or difficulties? Or witnessing His glory? All these things would help you believe in Him, sure, but would you love Him? Message by Mike Van Ree...

One only has to look at many of the major religions of the world to see that we as humans carry a sense of needing to earn our way to God/a higher power. Christianity, however, stands unique in teaching of our need of a remedy not from within but from without. Yet how do we avoid falling into the pitfall of relying on our own goodness to attain or sustain our relationship with God? Join Pastor Mik...

Luke 18 is an evangelistic encounter with Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t model an altar call or pray the sinner’s prayer. Rather, through this encounter, He tells us that no matter how good we think we are or how much we obey, give, or minister, the kingdom of heaven cannot be bought or earned. There’s just one thing we need, one thing that money and deeds often leave us lacking. Surrender. Choosing Him...

We live in a culture that thrives on purchasing and acquiring things. The explosion of online shopping in the last 15 years or so has only reinforced this trend. So how do we follow Jesus's direction to be "rich toward God" yet still live in a balanced way regarding our purchases and finances? This is just one of the questions Doug and Will explore in this week's discussion. Read the Beyond the Se...

We’re living in a world and in a culture that thrives on more. It’s counter to what Jesus tells and teaches us. He instructs us to beware of greed. He even warns us to guard ourselves against it. So, how do we do that? Maybe the better question to ask is: What are you putting your trust in? Message by Doug Applegate Scripture referenced: Luke 12:15–21 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get t...