Thrive Harbor

Sandwiched between two chapters on spiritual gifts is Paul's famous teaching on love. A person may be gifted, talented, and charismatic. But if not done in love, everything we do is worthless. Love is the most important thing. This message was given by Drew Pappas, youth pastor at Waypoint Church .

The Holy Spirit loves to give gifts—so that we can bless others. But the Corinthians were using the gifts to bless themselves. So in 1 Corinthians 12 Paul instructs them about what spiritual gifts are, what they're for, and how they should operate in the body of Christ. This message was given by Tim Cedarland, Thrive director emeritus.

Where the Holy Spirit is, there is power—and that makes many people uncomfortable! What fears do you have about the Holy Spirit, and how can those fears be overcome so that we can experience more of the Spirit’s work in our lives? Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5; 4:20; and John 7:17.

The Holy Spirit is spoken of dozens of times in Scripture and is one of the three persons of the Trinity. Yet many Christians regard the Holy Spirit as mysterious, confusing, or irrelevant. Who, then, is the Holy Spirit and why is the Spirit so pivotal to being a Christian? Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 14:16-17; 16:5-15; Romans 8:16, 27; 12:1; 1 Corinthians...

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, his disciples watched him rebuke a barren fig tree. Why did Jesus curse the tree, and what might this incident have to teach us about our need for God? This message was given by Josh Nuckols, worship coordinator at our sister ministry, Thrive Kitsap . Scripture passages cited in this message include Mark 11:11-25; 12:1-12.

Most kingdoms advance through force. Jesus' kingdom advances through transformed hearts. In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains not only how hearts are transformed by why some hearts are transformed more than others. This message was given by Peter Churness, pastor of One Hope Church and one of Thrive's board members. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Ma...

Our culture is experiencing a mental health crisis. For Christians, the fact that Scripture teaches that human beings are soul, spirit, and body —whose delicate brain chemistry affects our life experience—should make the church a haven for real conversations about mental health. So how can the church do a better job of this? And what would it look like for the church to come alongside those who st...

At last we come to the end of the story, and it's a very good ending indeed. The final chapters of the Bible look forward to the day when God will dwell among us His people forever and ever. Sin and sorrow will be no more. And with ever-increasing awe and wonder, God's people will know infinite joy in the presence of Him who loved them with an everlasting love. This message was given by Bubba Jenn...

The Bible teaches that Jesus will return again in glory as king of heaven and earth. The question for Christians is: are we living in light of that return—and are we telling others about Christ while there's still opportunity? This message was given by Dustin Langley, pastor at Peninsula Life Church . Scripture passages cited in this message include Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7; Revelation 19:11-21; 20...

The golden age is ahead, not behind us: one day Jesus will return and set everything right. But in Matthew 24, Jesus foretells that before His return there will be a period of worldwide distress called "the tribulation." God will use this span of seven years to pave the way for Christ's return and to fulfill His promises to the Jewish people, who the Bible predicts will receive their Messiah at la...

Hope comes from what you believe about the future. And what lies ahead for Christians is: glory. God promises that one day His people will enjoy not just a gloriously renewed creation but a gloriously perfected relationship with Him—a relationship that takes us into the very heart of who God is. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 5:9; 8:17-25; John 1:1, 14, 17,...

Christ doesn't just save us from the penalty of our sin. He changes us so that we live transformed lives. That change happens not through behavior modification or naked moral effort. Instead, God's Spirit changes us from the inside-out, giving us a new nature with new desires. Scripture passages cited in this message include Galatians 2:11-3:6; John 20:17; Romans 6:3-5, 17; 1 John 1:8; 1 Timothy 1...

It's amazing enough that God forgives us. But the gospel is even more incredible than that. Through Jesus, God has adopted believers into His family. We can know God as Father, a relationship of utmost intimacy and steadfast security. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 8:12-17; Genesis 5:28-29; 17:5; 35:16-18; Luke 1:59-63; Matthew 3:17; Revelation 2:17; Zephan...

How does the story of the Bible change your life? In the New Testament letters, Paul gives us one answer to that question: God has shared with us His righteousness. Now instead of seeking our status or worth in what we achieve, the gospel frees us to rest in what Jesus achieved—and the result is life and peace.  Scripture passages cited in this message include Romans 1:23; 2:28-29; 3:21-26; a...

As soon as the first Christian communities formed, they were persecuted. But in one of the Bible’s most stunning surprises, one of the worst persecutors of the early Christians became one! The conversion of Saul, also called Paul, was a pivotal event in biblical history. Changed by an encounter with Jesus, Paul went on to plant churches throughout the Roman empire, write much of the New Testament,...

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, he promised that he would send his followers the Holy Spirit so that they could live, speak, and witness for him. In so doing, Jesus launched a movement of people (called the "church") who to this day have not stopped sharing the good news of Jesus around the world. This message was preached by Josh Nuckols, worship coordinator at our sister ministry, Thrive Kitsap...

After Jesus' death and burial, it looked as though God's story had come to a screeching halt. But three days later, Jesus rose—and it changed everything. Jesus' resurrection is an announcement that God wins, sin loses, and death doesn't have the last word. This message was preached by Jake Chambers, pastor of Wilderness Church .

The most shocking moment in Jesus' life was his death. Who would have thought that after thousands of years of anticipation, the long-awaited Messiah would come—only to die? Yet it was through the cross that Jesus fulfilled the Messiah's ultimate mission: to take our sin, die in our place, and reconcile us to God. This message was preached by Tim Cedarland, Thrive director emeritus.

As storm clouds of hostility begin to gather around Jesus, Jesus reacts to the rejection of His own people by speaking to them in parables. Through the parables, He discloses hitherto unrevealed truth about what God's Kingdom is like—especially during the age we're living in, while the world rejects God's King. Scripture passages cited in this message include Matthew 12:24; 13:1-52; Mark 4:11-12;...

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew reveals Jesus' authority through His teaching. Immediately after, he reveals Jesus' authority through His miracles. A glittering showcase of Jesus' power, mercy, and compassion, the miracles reveal that a Messiah who is more than just a man: Jesus is God in the flesh, sovereign over all creation. This message was given by Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap...

The Messiah is not just a rescuer but a king, one who claims ultimate authority. After Jesus begins His ministry, He asserts His Messianic authority in the most famous sermon of all time: the Sermon on the Mount. This crucial teaching of Jesus reveals that our need for God is far deeper than we could have imagined. But as we read the rest of the story, we discover in Jesus a savior who delights to...

The back side of a Persian rug is a tangled mess of knots and lumps. But flip it over and all the threads come together in a beautiful masterpiece. The Bible is the same way. Like a rug flipped over, the New Testament ties the earlier threads of the story together in and through Jesus. And one of the best examples is the very first page. Scripture passages cited in this message include Matthew 1:1...

The Old Testament anticipates the coming of the Messiah, a rescuer who will set everything right. But it ends on a cliffhanger—the Messiah hasn’t arrived yet! What we're left with instead is a kaleidoscope of clues for recognizing the Messiah when He arrives—when and where He’ll be born, what family He'll come from, the things He'll do and accomplish. But the most shocking clue of all is found in...

For seventy years Israel lived in exile in Babylon as punishment for their unfaithfulness to God. But after those years were over, God brought the Israelites back to the promised land, where under the leadership of prophets like Haggai and Zechariah, a revival took place. This message was given by Cedric van Duyn, pastor of Anthem Church .

Matthew Wick, Middle School Director at Peninsula Bible Fellowship , continues through the book of 1 Peter in this fourth of four talks at Thrive’s Fall Retreat.