Capital Church Messages

As we see in the relationship of Paul and Barnabas in the book of Acts, the early church was often a recipe for conflict—just like the church of today. Especially over the past few years, many cultural and political issues threaten to divide our communities. And Christians, unfortunately, often join the fray. In modeling the life of Jesus and his early church, you can learn that conflict is health...

“You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” The intent with this phrase is to help us be content and to avoid comparison, but it may leave you with a scarcity mindset. The idea that you’ve been dealt what you have, and you should just suck it up. In the parable of the talents, Jesus offers us an alternative to a scarcity mindset. He offers an idea that might curb your fuss, and inspire you...

Has Jesus lived up to your expectations? Maybe you thought life would be different—you thought marriage would be easier; you thought you’d find more fulfillment in your career; you thought your family would react differently to your faith. If life isn’t living up to your expectations, be encouraged by 2 parables in Luke that teach us God’s work is sometimes slow and behind the scenes. If God’s pac...

Do you feel forgiven? No, feeling forgiven doesn’t necessarily make you forgiven; but it sure changes the way you respond to Jesus, and it changes the way you interact with others. God’s grace always finds us right where we are, not where we should be. When you live in that truth and truly feel forgiven, you’re prone to pray bigger prayers, you’re more gracious when you see the flaws of people aro...

In Luke 12, Jesus teaches his followers to be “dressed and ready”, fully prepared to carry his light into the dark world. The parable serves as an eternal reminder to be expectant of Jesus’ coming; but it also provides an immediate call for followers of Jesus to be on the lookout for what God is doing in their world and ready to respond. God doesn’t want us to miss out on the joyful, life-giving e...

Jesus’s teaching in the parable of the unforgiving servant calls us to a counter-cultural path that isn’t fair and isn’t easy. Choosing to forgive someone is probably one of the hardest things Jesus calls us to. It requires a deep and often painful dying to oneself. But this kind of yielding brings an incredible gift—a vulnerable encounter with the God of the universe that will forever change you....

You don’t have to look hard to see the brokenness of the world. Injustice, war, hunger, divorce, violence… these are but a few of many painful and heavy burdens. When you see the brokenness of the world, you might question the goodness of God. Jesus teaches a parable in Matthew about how we should respond when we notice evil around us. No matter the specifics of the situation, the story makes clea...

Does money tell you what to do? Does it dictate how you’re going to live your life? Do you put your confidence in it? Do you feel peace only if there’s enough cash in the bank or if your investments are doing well? Whether you have a little or a lot, money has a powerful ability to be an idol in our lives. Jesus teaches us to be on guard against all kinds of greed. If you really want to learn how...

The parables of Jesus are short stories that pack a punch. They’re intended to evoke an emotional reaction from the hearer and be a catalyst for true and lasting change. Find out what the parables of Jesus can teach you, and how they can transform everything about life, love, leadership, and everything in between on your journey of discipleship.

Two back-to-back parables in the Gospel of Luke show us that God doesn’t always do what we expect, but he does unpredictably more. God didn’t intend to overthrow the Romans, though that’s what was expected from their Messiah. God’s plan was bigger than conquering the evil of Rome. He came to conquer the evil in you and me. When God doesn’t do what we think he should do, it’s hard to believe it’s p...

We can learn just as many lessons about God when we consider the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Even as this son was doing all the “right” things when the other son strayed away, his priority wasn’t to be with the father. His priority was to give in order to get. Why we do what we do for Jesus is important to Jesus. If you serve him because you love him, every act of service sha...

Each and every one of us is a masterpiece of God—lovingly created in his image meant to do good works. At the same time, because of the sin of our fallen world, we’re all marred and broken in some way—for you, perhaps it’s an anger issue, or an eating issue, or a vanity issue; maybe it’s pride, or gossip, or bitterness. Whatever it is, it’s not irredeemable by God. God does some of his best work w...

The familiar parable of the prodigal son paints an image of a wayward individual, who’s taken love for granted and squandered his blessings. The parable can teach us a lot about ourselves, as we often relate to the son. But the parable probably teaches us more about God than it does about us—God longs so much for us to share life with him. Even if we choose to walk away from him, he’s always ready...

Many people, even people who aren’t followers of Jesus, know the basic plot points of the parable of the good Samaritan, and its application to live a life of compassion.  But Jesus’ parable asks more from us than most people think. Jesus’ command is clear—to love others! And love isn’t passive. To love is not simply to not hate, but to love is to serve, to give, and to forgive. So, how do you int...

Why does prayer sometimes seem so difficult? Why can’t you simply pray a prayer, and pow, get the answer you seek?  Without a definitive answer to prayers, you might conclude that God isn’t listening, God doesn’t care, or that prayer doesn’t work—and as a result, you might stop praying. But based on what’s revealed about God and about us in the parables of Jesus, your challenge is to pray big, bol...

In many biblical narratives, we read about being led through a desert. Sometimes a literal desert, but always a figurative desert—a place where you find yourself when life isn’t going the way you planned. A place you feel alone, tired, uncomfortable, or scared. A place where you don’t know if you can get yourself out, and a place that frankly feels like God has forgotten you. But the good news is,...

As we continue Elijah’s narrative in the Old Testament, we rediscover & revisit a solid truth about God and his character. God is on the move. And this truth is offered not just as a platitude or some cliché—God moves in crisis, he moves in chaos, he moves in the mundane of everyday life. Taking this one step further, God often moves through his people—you! When people look to your life, can they...

In the previous message, we left Elijah in the depth of despair, feeling disillusioned and dejected by God—quite possibly in a state of learned helplessness if we analyze the situation with a lens of modern psychology. Perhaps not unlike you today, Elijah is seeing his problems as personal, pervasive, and permanent. In these moments, God will not shame you for feeling these feelings or for your la...

At this point in Elijah’s story, we find him in some of the darkest depths of discouragement and depression. And it might not make sense, because he’s come off of one of the biggest and most dramatic wins in the bible. This part of Elijah’s narrative can provide insight into how you can respond when you’re also feeling the depths of despair. When life is too much, and circumstances seem too great...

You’re perhaps familiar with the story of God’s incredible miracle from 1 Kings 18, with Elijah calling fire from heaven, destroying the idol of Baal. In today’s message, we look at that story from the specific angle of considering God’s faithfulness. The dramatic story shows us that no matter how often we hedge our bets by trusting something other than God—be it money, success, sex, power, or fam...

The story of Obadiah (not even the prophet Obadiah, but the Obadiah in Elijah’s narrative) is easy to overlook. It’s tucked away in the shadows between two of the most epic stories in the bible. Yet, this seemingly insignificant story exemplifies an important principle about how God operates. He does big miraculous things through his people, often in unexpected ways. This story provides a clear ex...

In the next part of Elijah’s story, God leads Elijah out of the land of Israel and asks what seems impossible. Elijah may very well call into question the provision he’s previously experienced. Like Elijah, perhaps you’re in a position of doubt; or perhaps you’re experiencing fear, anxiety, and worry that keeps you up at night. In these most difficult moments is when it’s most important to lean in...

Elijah’s story illustrates God’s provision to his people, a truth that still applies today. But, God’s provision doesn’t always look like provision in the moment. Sometimes you might miss it if you’re not looking for it. Sometimes, as in Elijah’s case, God’s provision is just plain weird. God doesn’t always give you what you want; he doesn’t even always give you what you think you need. But whethe...

We’re called in the bible to work hard and work diligently, doing everything we do for the glory of the Lord. And it’s true—everyday tasks of our busy lives can be a beautiful expression of worship, and a way to serve the Kingdom of God. The working, the serving, the doing, and the going are good and Godly things; however, good can turn bad when it gets in the way of something better. If the good...

As followers of Christ, God chooses to display his character through us. As a disciple of Jesus, you are the proof through which God reveals himself. This can be a daunting challenge during seasons of unexpected suffering, when darkness in your life seems thick, or when your circumstances cause you to question whether you can fully trust Christ. In these times especially, lean on the encouragement...