Flagstone Church of Christ

Disconnection and distance can take place in any relationship, including my relationship with God. I can start out feeling close to Him, consistently feeling His presence around me, and then at some point I realize I've slowly faded away from that connection. How does that happen? What causes me to drift away from God, when I used to feel so close? And how do I reverse my slow fade away from H...

Anger is a natural way for us to react when we feel we've been wronged in some way or something hurtful has happened to someone we care about. If we deal with that anger in a healthy way, it ceases to be a problem for us. But if we hold onto that bitterness and allow that frustration to continue to grow and fester inside of us, we find ourselves slowly fading into feelings of resentment. Why i...

While there are some temptations we face in life that we see immediately and deal with quickly, there are other common struggles that often creep into our lives slowly. They don't seem very strong or dangerous, and we begin to allow these things to slowly take over our hearts and dictate our actions. We might even justify our choices or try to convince ourselves "it's not a big deal.&...

We're finishing our "Known" Series with a call to action. In light of the fact that you are fully known and fully loved by God, can benefit by trying to understand yourself better to understand others better, and see how important it is to be known by a church family, what does it mean to allow OTHERS to see and know Christ by our love? Does the world see Christ in you through your s...

We all have an innate need to feel known, to feel seen, to feel understood. And one of the places we should be able to find that kind of connection is in the church. And yet, for many the church is a place of disconnection, a place where we feel like completely unknown, maybe even invisible. How can a church family get better at seeing those in need of connection? And if I'm feeling disconnect...

We all have an innate need to be seen and to be known. For many of us the struggle to feel truly known by others is compounded by the fact that we don't really know ourselves. We struggle to understand our own true identity, and so we find ourselves trying to fit into other people's expectations or allowing ourselves to wear the labels other people put on us. How do I begin to truly unders...

One of the greatest needs that each human being has is the need to feel seen, to feel appreciated, to feel known. Feeling “unknown” and “unseen” can cause significant consequences to our emotional and physical health, as well as our spiritual health and our faith. Many of us struggle with just moving through our daily routine and wondering if anyone really knows us or notices we’re even there. We’...

We are constantly surrounded by all kinds of light - lights in our homes and workplaces, streetlights, stadium lights, even lights on our phones. And yet with all these sources of light many people still find themselves fumbling in the dark - not a physical darkness, but emotional and spiritual darkness. Jesus came to be a light to our dark world, but He also challenged His followers to be a sourc...

Sheep are not always viewed as the most intelligent animals. They're also skittish and somewhat helpless. And yet multiple times in His word God describes His people, especially His church, as sheep. At first glance, it doesn't seem like a very positive thing that God views us as helpless, defenseless animals with questionable intelligence. Is that really what God sees when He looks at us?...

There are a variety of buildings we encounter on a regular basis - houses, factories, warehouses, shopping malls, hospitals, and restaurants. Buildings come in different shapes and sizes and are used for different functions. But buildings are also inanimate and stationary. Some are cold and unattractive, and some sit empty and seem to serve no purpose at all. So why does God choose to view His chu...

Wedding ceremonies can be magical and beautiful, but they can also be stress-filled and chaotic. Husbands and wives can seem perfectly matched, and yet most marriages have some amount of mistakes and at least a few problems. In spite of its imperfections and flaws, Jesus chooses to view His church as His bride. But what does that mean? How is the church like a bride? And how does our role as a &qu...

Our bodies are made up of a lot of parts, and each one of those parts has a specific function. When my body and all of its parts function the way they're supposed to, I am usually more active and healthy and productive. Several times in scripture God uses "the body" to give us a snapshot of how the church can be active and healthy and productive in this world. So what is my particula...

"Forgive and forget" - it's a phrase many of us have heard, maybe a lot of us have tried to implement in our lives. We believe that God forgives and forgets our sins and that He expects us to do the same for others. But what if it's hard for me to "forget"? Does it mean that I'm sinning if I can't simply put out of my mind the hurt someone else has caused me? Wh...

We all want to feel accepted - it's part of our human nature. One of the things that should cause people to want to connect with God is the fact that He loves all of us and accepts all of us. But if I believe that God accepts me no matter what, does that mean that I don't have to change anything about myself? Does that mean He approves of everything I do too? Does God really love me just t...

God is good and wants to provide good things for His children. Any good dad ultimately just wants his kids to be happy right? But does God really just want me to be happy no matter what? What if there's something other than happiness God wants for me - something deeper, something more impactful?

BLURB - There are many words of wisdom and positive insights that people often share with each other about God and how He works in our lives. But what if some of the “truths” we’ve come to believe about God are actually myths? For example, does God really promise that He'll never give me more than I can handle? If that's not completely true, then what is the truth about big challenges in m...

He is one of the greatest heroes in the Bible and one of the greatest examples of quality leadership combined with devotion to God. But Moses also had several flaws - he made excuses, he sometimes had a short fuse, he doubted...a lot! Even before he became the leader of Israel, Moses struggled with his own sense of self-worth. What can his flaws teach me about my value and how I view myself? And h...

Revelation is a book in the Bible that most Christians are intimidated by and often try to avoid. It is full of bizarre imagery and confusing passages. But even if we don't fully understand all the things John describes, there is one key message throughout this book of unique visions - those of us who stay true to God and keep our faith in Him are blessed. Join us as we begin this journey thro...

There are several “father figures” described throughout scripture. Some of those dads accomplished amazing feats. Others shared words of timeless wisdom. One thing that almost all of them had in common? They had flaws. There is one dad that the Bible shows was successful in several different aspects of his life…except fatherhood. What can we learn from this dad about the character traits families...

Over the last few months as we've walked through the book of Galatians together, we've been reminded of some important truths, and some of us have discovered new ones. Let's spend this class time today reminding ourselves of what we've learned on this journey together.

Sometimes we make some kind of blunder, but no one else sees it or notices it. Other times we mess up, and it feels like everyone sees it. When that happens, I'm not only left with the obligation of dealing with my mistake, but I also have to deal with the embarrassment of my flaws being on display for others to see. What I may not realize is that there is an opportunity in that imperfection -...

We're at the end of our journey through the book of Galatians. As Paul wraps up his letter, he still has some strong words for those he disagrees with about circumcision, but he also has some challenging words for all of us who are followers of Jesus.

Many of us to feel guilty or feel like there's some flaw in our faith when we are reluctant to do something that we sense God is putting on our hearts to do. Is it wrong for me to feel cautious about following God's plan for my life? How do I overcome my apprehension when I feel like God is calling me to do something I'm not really excited about doing?

We've discovered what freedom in Christ looks like, and we've been challenged to use that freedom to walk in step with Spirit and not satisfy our own cravings. As Paul nears the end of his letter in Galatians 6, he challenges his readers to not only recognize the needs of others but to actually move to action and help those in need.

We often look at characters in the Bible, especially the ones we label “Bible heroes,” as almost perfect people. We assume they all had unshakeable faith and very few if any character flaws. The reality is that many of the people we read about in scripture were far from perfect. They made mistakes. They doubted. They got things wrong. And yet, despite their flaws God used them to do incredible thi...