Thrive Harbor

"Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother." Thus runs the famous line from "O Holy Night" sung by millions every Christmas. But what gives the gospel the power to put all people—slave and master, rich and poor, prince and pauper—on the same playing field? In this message Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor, opens up Paul's little letter to Philemon, showing ho...

Imagine growing up with Jesus as your older brother. That was the experience of Jude, Jesus' brother. In his short letter, Jude warns about the perils of cheap grace while also pointing believers back to the protecting, preserving love of God. This message was given by Greg Carlson, leader of 47 North , a military outreach.

The letters of 2 & 3 John are so short that we often pass them over. But they are gems. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, unpacks how these two "little letters" warn us of two interlocking dangers that can bring down a church: bad doctrine and bad character. Often we're on guard against one of these more than the other—but John says we'll get off t...

The good news is not just that God forgives us and transforms us. It's that God has given us himself. He has invited us into relationship, so that we might experience the infinite love of the Trinity. This message was given by Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 1:18; 13:1, 23; 14:4-21; 16:7; 17:20-26.

The Bible teaches that this world is not all there is. There is a spiritual realm populated by personal spiritual forces, both good and evil. But through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated the devil so that we can have victory over the forces of darkness. This message was given by Cedric van Duyn, pastor of Anthem Church .

Imagine if God forgave us but didn't transform us. Imagine if God canceled our past sins but left us trapped in our present sins. That wouldn't be good news! But the amazing truth of the gospel is that Jesus forgives us and transforms us. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor teaches on how Jesus makes us into a new person, giving us new power over sin. Scripture pas...

At the heart of the gospel is a God who loves and forgives His enemies—and that forgiveness is gigantic good news. It means Jesus has taken our sin and set us free from shame. This message was given by David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Luke 15:11-32 and 2 Samuel 9.

Before the gospel can be good news, we have to understand the bad news. And the bad news is that without Jesus, we are lost—in sin, in rebellion against God, and ultimately deserving of judgment and death. But because of God's love for us, instead of leaving us lost he came down and sought us. This message was given by Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church .

The gospel is the good news about what God has done to save us. But who is God and why do we need his salvation? The answer is found in the fact that God is holy. We can't live without him—but we also can't live with him, because sin and holiness don't mix. But because of Jesus, there's a solution. This message was given by Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor. Scripture pas...

The deepest need we have is to know and experience God's love for us. In this message, Justin Dill, leader of Transformation Missions , speaks on discovering God's amazing love.

Life is hard, and the world is chaotic. In the midst of tumult, we need a refuge—and according to Psalm 46, we have one in God. This message was given by Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap .

Thrivers summit questions on missions and evangelism to wrap up Thrive's 2026 missions series. Panelists were Hannah Churness, Isaac Ferraro, and Michael Bouterse. Our moderator was Conner Dill.

Why missions? Why serve God? All we might do for God ought to flow out of love for him, because of what he's done for us—this is the motive of missions! This message was given by RJ Prestwich of Cadence International .

The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of Jesus, especially the story of Joseph. In this final message of 2025, .Thrive Harbor director Michael Bouterse walks through the numerous ways Joseph's story points to Jesus in his first and second comings. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 5:14; Hebrews 3:2-6; and Acts 7:9-14.

Genesis ends with the death of Joseph. But Joseph believed that his story was just one part of a much bigger story, a story written by God. In this message, Drew Dawson, pastor of Resurrection Church in Gig Harbor, looks at how the end of Joseph's life points to God's larger story and how we can live our part in that story with faithfulness, zeal, and wisdom.

38. Jacob Finishes Strong (Genesis 46-48) Jacob's life takes up nearly half of Genesis, and in the final chapters of the Joseph story, we see Jacob finish strong. Despite his life of cunning and scheming, Jacob eventually develops a deep faith in God, leaving a multigenerational legacy. In this message, Michael Bouterse, the director of Thrive Harbor, unfolds what Jacob's story teaches us...

The story of Joseph reaches a climax in Genesis 44-45. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and his family is reconciled. But for that reconciliation to happen, Joseph had to be willing to forgive. In this message, Michael Bouterse, the director of Thrive Harbor, looks at what these chapters teach about forgiveness: what is it, how do we do it, and what do we need to do it. Scripture passages c...

Many Christians know Romans 8:28: "God works all things together for good for those who love him." But life is hard, and we doubt that promise. Joseph's brothers faced the same temptation when they experienced his harsh treatment of them. But through their story, we see how God's seeming harshness is actually His mercy; He does not seek to destroy us, but to save us. Scripture pa...

The climax of Joseph's story is his forgiveness of his brothers. Although they had brutally abused and betrayed him, Joseph is willing to reconcile. Why? How did Joseph possess the largeness of soul necessary to forgive and love his family? One answer is that God had to take Joseph on what might be called "the inward journey." He had to form his character through suffering to make hi...

Joseph's character formation was long and intense. Before God used him mightily, he made Joseph pass through trials and temptations—which are as instructive for us in our day as they were for him in his. This message was given by Joe Schneider, pastor emeritus of Peninsula Bible Fellowship and one of Thrive's board members.

Judah will come to play a critical part in the story of Joseph, and later the story of Jesus. But first he must pass through a tough series of circumstances—some of his own making—before God brings redemption to his story. In this message, Tim Stobbe, pastor of Waypoint North , unpacks what Genesis 38 teaches us through Judah's journey.

The story of Joseph is one of the most beautiful and redemptive stories in the Bible. But it begins with a terrible tragedy. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, looks at what Genesis 37 teaches about God's relationship to tragic events in our lives. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 12:3; 15:13-14; 37; 42:21-22; 2 Kgs 6; Psalm 10...

Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church , teaches on the challenge of being content in Christ, the sixth of six talks for Thrive's Fall Retreat. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 1 Timothy 6:2-21 and Jeremiah 2:12-13.

Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church , teaches on Christlike character as the goal of the disciple's life as the fifth of six talks for Thrive's Fall Retreat. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 1 Timothy 3-4.

Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church , teaches on having a posture of prayer as the fourth of six talks for Thrive's Fall Retreat. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 1 Timothy 1-2; Acts 1:13-14; 2:42; 6:4; 19:13-20; Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4; and Philippians 4:4-7.