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Pastor JJ discusses how community builds a believer, and how believers build their community.

In our constantly consuming world, we fill ourselves with food, entertainment, and distractions, leaving no room for God to move in our lives. Fasting is the intentional practice of emptying something out to make more space for God. Throughout Scripture, from Moses to Jesus to the early church, fasting was an expected spiritual discipline that builds dependence on God and releases spiritual power....

ngStudents sermon from Feb 25, 2026

Maintaining spiritual fire requires active stewardship, not passive waiting. While God ignites the flame in our hearts, we are responsible for tending it through consistent devotion, practical obedience, and godly community. The enemy targets new believers because fresh fire is easier to extinguish, but spiritual fire grows stronger through disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and surrounding our...

Every believer is engaged in spiritual warfare, whether they realize it or not. This battle isn't against people or circumstances, but against spiritual forces targeting your mind, identity, and obedience to God. The enemy operates subtly, planting lies and doubts that feel logical rather than theological. Victory comes through daily preparation: putting on the armor of God, fighting lies with Scr...

Many believers experience spiritual distance without realizing how it happened. Like drifting on an inner tube at the beach, we slowly float away from God through small choices and distractions rather than intentional rebellion. Technology, busyness, and life's demands gradually replace our time with God. The beautiful truth is that God doesn't ghost us back - He waits with open arms. James 4:8 pr...

Life often throws us into overwhelming situations that feel like everything is burning down. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reveals a powerful truth: fire doesn't destroy what God designed, it simply reveals it. These three young men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue, choosing to stand for their faith even when facing a blazing furnace. When thrown into the f...

God doesn't wait for your birthday to use you for His purposes. First Timothy 4:12 challenges young believers to set an example right now in five key areas: speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Throughout Scripture, God used teenagers like Jeremiah, Daniel, David, Esther, and Mary to accomplish extraordinary things. Your age doesn't disqualify you from God's work, but it also doesn't excuse y...

Pastor Derek addresses marriages that are troubled by constant conflict.

Pastor Derek talks about how a family should function after marriage when they interact with extended family.

Do you and your spouse view money differently? Get back on the same page and see it the way God sees it.

Pastor Derek addresses the how to start bringing parenting styles closer together to be the united front a marriage needs to parent children.

Do you and your spouse struggle with communication? Have your long talks into the night turned into checklists to accomplish tasks? Pastor Derek addresses how to get your communication back onto the same page.

Do you feel distant from your spouse? Do you feel like you've drifted away from one another? Listen to learn the signs of this struggle and how to fix it.

How do you return to intimacy in a marriage that has lost it? Pastor Derek addresses ways to rebuild that intimacy in your marriage.

Pastor Derek talks about what our marriage is supposed to look like.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Still in Chapter 1.

We dig into the next section of James 1.

Thomas and Jessica start the studying a book of the Bible. Join them in this first episode as they discuss the context and history of the book of James.

Fear is essentially submitting to something and giving it authority over your life. The Bible distinguishes between two types of fear: respectful submission to God's authority (positive) and terror or dread (negative). Our tendency toward fear began in Eden when Adam and Eve gained knowledge they weren't prepared to handle. Romans 8:15 reveals that fear is a form of slavery, but through ad...

Fear first entered the world after Adam and Eve's disobedience, stemming from separation from God and knowledge they weren't prepared to handle. Throughout Scripture, fear often drives poor decision-making, blame-shifting, and self-preservation at all costs. The Bible presents a fundamental choice between fearing people, which traps us, or trusting God, which brings security. God doesn't condemn u...

Fear is a complex emotion that can be both protective and harmful. While healthy fear keeps us safe, chronic anxiety plagues our modern world due to constant pressures and negative media. The Bible distinguishes between reverent fear of God, which leads to wisdom, and terrorizing fear, which we're told to avoid. Like sheep with a shepherd, we find peace by staying close to God, who doesn't always...

This wraps up our series on the Armor of God.

Part 5 of 6 of the Armor of God