Rooted: Real People, Real Issues, Real Growth

Last week we delved into the propensity of our heart to make idols out of our desires, if we failed to guard it. We discussed filters or gates that affect what enters into our hearts and ultimately what comes out. As Proverbs 27:19 says as water reflects the face so the heart reflects the person. What’s in your heart is who you are—and make no mistake what’s in our heart will come out. Tonight, we...

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you felt that not having it affected your very relationship with God. What does it mean when our hearts desire something so strongly and yet God doesn’t seem moved to bring it to pass? We’ll talk about it tonight on Boundaries: Idols of the Heart.

As we continue tonight in the discussion of boundaries, we'll cover: How our relationship with God affects our obedience What the consequences of disobedience are Why testing is really a sign God loves us, and How to see victory regardless of the size of our battles  Whether it's a slingshot or a cattle prod (you'll get that later), grab it and let's go!

As we reach the mid-year mark, now is a great time to assess and evaluate our progress as it relates to the goals we set at the beginning of the year. I want to propose to you that if you are not seeing the results that you want, or you are seeing progress but not enjoying the process, that a tool you may be missing in your arsenal is boundary setting. Boundaries allow us to draw a line in the san...

As we close this Trauma series, we wrap it up with a discussion about Racial Trauma. What is it? Where did it come from? And what are we expected to do about it? We'll discuss terms like white privilege, equity vs. equality, and critical race theory. But remember, none of what we discuss can leave Christ out. What does He say about loving one another? What does being a believer have to do with rac...

I know! I know! This week was supposed to be about racial trauma. Don't worry, we're not going to forget. But the Lord impressed upon my heart to dig a little deeper with church trauma, specifically false teaching and the effects it has on unbelievers and believers alike. This is a tough one guys because it confronts not only those who are deliberately leading others astray, but our personal respo...

Churches are imperfect because they are made up of imperfect people. That’s fair. But we can’t dismiss that churches ought to be places where certain abuses do not and should not occur; and when those in positions of power deliberately use their positions to lure and abuse those who are seeking refuge in Christ—trauma results. Going further we also recognize that not all trauma is the result of ou...

Have we let culture completely destroy the purpose and beauty of romantic relationships? If you’ve spent any time on any social media platform you’ll find that men and women are more often pitted against one another than encouraged to love one another. From the late Kevin Samuels, to relationship advice that’s rooted in everything but the Word of God, we're constantly berated and inundated with a...

We always talk about how resilient children are. But should they have to be? Yes, we want them to bounce back from friendships ending, or a scratched knee, or the loss of a big game, but neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, rejection, abandonment? Those aren’t things we should expect a child to just bounce back from. And yet, many of us have convinced ourselves that we’ve done that very thing...

Trauma, one of the most overused words in the human language yet under addressed issues in the human experience. In this series we’re going to be discussing childhood, church, relational, and racial trauma. Yeah, it’s going to get deep. But this is the growth work that changes and transforms lives. What is trauma? How do we identify and address it? And where and in whom can we find our true healin...

Have you ever heard the phrase “snake in the grass”? It's often used to describe a treacherous or deceitful person. What makes a snake in the grass so dangerous is that its often hidden and seemingly harmless. That alone could preach a whole sermon. Many of us have been bitten by the betrayal of a loved one or a crippling disaster. And what made it so devastating? We never saw it coming. So what d...

Welcome to Part 2 of You So Crazy, our brief but thorough dive into the discussion of mental health and the stigma it carries in Christian culture.  Last week we discussed breaking down those initial barriers that make talking about mental health uncomfortable-we talked about being free to admit that everyone wants to be happy and with as little effort as possible, that it's not a sin to desi...

When I was a child I can remember sneaking and watching Martin Lawrence’s stand up comedy show You So Crazy! He is and has always been one of my favorite comediennes. Whether in his stand up or on his namesake television show, the phrase “You so Crazy” would normally follow some joke or funny act, and with a little slap on the shoulder, someone, usually a woman, would say…you so crazy. That’s wher...

Is it possible that the Christian church is lost? Have we become completely unaware—of our mission, our purpose, our impact? How can we be both fair and honest about the things the church is getting wrong without neglecting what it is getting right? And ultimately what lessons can you and I learn from this conversation and apply to our everyday lives to help us become self-aware? For where there i...

Tonight we begin a new series where we will be  talking about all the “taboo” topics that churches tend to skirt away from. While I certainly don’t propose that I’m an expert on all things controversial, I do expect that this series will ruffle a few feathers. In today’s episode: Slap! We’re going to talk about what is expected of a believer when they are offended by another? Does Christ have...

Have you ever found yourself returning to a habit, a mindset, a relationship, a place that no longer suited who you were or who you wanted to be, but drew you like a moth to a flame because it was familiar? Have you ever felt absolutely incapable of standing against a situation that sapped your strength and made you question your sanity? Have you ever been bound? If so, and you’re tired of giving...

Tonight's episode is going to be a little...different. That's right, we are having Storytime! Settle in while I share with you how a conversation with someone from my past that was supposed to lead to closure instead bust my prayer life wide open! If you've ever suffered from regret, or a case of the what ifs, whys or how comes, this episode is for you. Join me on tonight's episode: The Audacity t...

Introduction: Last week we literally dug into what it means to tear ourselves down. We discussed how we use comparison, pride, misconceptions about love and a lack of faith to beat ourselves up. As we confronted each of those issues, we left on a little bit of cliffhanger: now what? Once we realize that we've been my own worst enemy, how do we begin rebuilding? I can’t wait to get to that part. I’...

What do you do when you are your own worst enemy? When jealousy, pride, misconceptions about love, and a lack of faith lead you believe the worst about yourself—internalizing lies until the real enemy is your inner-me. Today we’re going to discuss what happens when we tear ourselves down and what is possible when we begin to rebuild. This is not the one to miss-Under Construction, lets go!

Now if you’ve ever spent a handful of Sundays in church or Bible study, you’ve probably heard some reference to giftedness—the idea that God has placed within each of us a special gift, talent, or ability that He designed us to use to serve others and to give him glory. Well, it’s not just an idea, the Bible confirms it. If you’ve never been "churched", then you’ve still heard of this concept, exc...

Last week we discussed the first two of five questions that we can use to vet our dates to determine if they are the right match for us. We can with (1) Do they share our values? and (2) Are they teachable? Today we are going to continue with three additional questions.  Hopefully you’ve had a chance to listen to our prior two episodes in this series and the bonus Valentine's Day Special: Role Pla...

I just couldn’t let today go by without hitting you with some new bonus material to our series Who Do You Love? Are You For Sure? In today’s episode we’re going to discuss gender roles and what it means to be submissive. It is wrong to be an independent woman? And what does that look like in light of today’s culture and relational expectations? At the very least, this, is a conversation starter. I...

If you’re like me and have always loved the idea of being in love, then you’re also probably a little disheartened with the current culture’s ideas regarding dating, commitment, relationships, and certainly marriage. What makes it so hard to commit? What are things that are going undiscussed and unaddressed? Why are relationships unraveling at the rate that they are? How do we know who we are comm...

If you grew up in church or were ever a part of a singles ministry, you’re probably thinking when it comes to relationships in the Christian context, that you've heard it all before. While I’m not going to gas you up like this is all revolutionary—I am confident that if you dig in and apply these principles, you will transform how you view, initiate, and engage in relationships, and that alone has...

What if I told you that its possible for us to THINK we know something to be true about God’s Word that isn’t…or at least not exactly. I want to propose to you that we may be misunderstanding what it means to be favored by God. And in this season, where we are passionately pursuing growth and making deliberate decisions that affect the course and direction of our lives, we cannot afford to get fav...