Digging In

Terry Evans shares a reflection from this week's reading and highlights a theme that stood out to him from the story of Moses and the Sermon on the Mount. This week has shown us that God has a way of using broken people to do big things.

Tyler Keele shares a reflection from this week's reading in Mark, and how Mark challenges us to continue the story. Mark wants his readers to face the reality of the empty tomb and to decide where we will go, what we will say and what we will do in response.

Luke Hochevar shares a reflection from this week's reading in Mark, and how Jesus' command to love has changed his life and the way that he views others. Luke shares why we should love those around us, even those who constantly seem to just make a mess of things.

Simon Guehring shares a reflection from this week's readings in Genesis, and what the story of Abraham and Isaac teaches us about God as our generous provider. Simon also shares how we often miss out on what God has in store for us because we fail to obey.

Brian Hommel kicks off the New Year with our first message from the 2021 Bible Reading Plan. Brian reflects on what we can learn about relationships from the story of Adam and Eve, and he calls us to fight for our relationship with Jesus in 2021.

Mickey Weston shares the Bible Reading Plan that we have put together for 2021. We would like to invite you to join us in reading through the Bible together and each week's teaching will come from what we are reading together.

Tony Graffanino continues our Advent series with a message on joy and how true joy is not based on our circumstances but rooted in the advent of the Messiah - God with us. Tony points out how our pursuit of happiness can actually rob us of our joy and challenges us to choose joy this Christmas.

Terry Evans continues our Advent series with a message on love and how a true love for God is demonstrated through total allegiance to God. Terry highlights Jesus' teaching that there is no greater commandment than the commandment to love and invites us to adopt a new practice this Christmas season.

Tyler Keele continues our Advent series with a message on living as people with true peace. Tyler highlights how true peace is not escapism or indifference and shares his own personal experience of Jesus granting him indescribable peace in the midst of a tragic storm.

Luke Hochevar leads off our Advent series with a message on living as people with an incredible hope. Luke highlights how our future hope ought to empower us to persevere whatever the present may throw at us.

Simon Guehring shares thoughts on how we might respond to his previous message on the kingdom response to what's going on in our world today. Simon highlights how we are called to do good and to live different.

Simon Guehring leads us to reflect on how Paul's letter to Titus speaks right into our political climate today and the way we are reacting to this global pandemic. Simon offers a unique perspective as he speaks into these issues from the eyes of a German follower of Jesus.

Brian Hommel shares thoughts on how we might respond to his previous message on representing Jesus in everything that we do. Brian unpacks why it is necessary that we teach others what we are learning in our journey with Jesus.

Brian Hommel leads us to reflect on Paul's instructions to Titus regarding our mission and purpose in life. The things that we say we believe should be validated by the way that we live our lives.

Mickey Weston shares thoughts on how we might respond to his previous message on the character traits of a leader described by Paul in his letter to Titus. Mickey shares a personal lesson that God has taught him on how to overcome holes in our character in order to become more like Jesus.

Mickey Weston leads us to reflect on the character of a leader described by the apostle Paul in his letter to Titus. These character qualities are not just intended for a select group of "super-Christians". These are things that should describe every Christian man as we grow in our journey with Jesus.

Tony Graffanino shares thoughts on how we might respond to his previous message from the opening greeting of Paul's letter to Titus.

Tony Graffanino leads us to reflect on the way that the apostle Paul saw himself. Do we see ourselves as a servant of Jesus who has been entrusted with a message and sent on a mission to deliver that message?

Jesus knew that he was about to be executed, that he had been secretly betrayed by one of his friends and that he is going to be vindicated by God, and yet he gets up from the table, takes his sweatshirt off, grabs a towel and a bucket of water and begins to do a slaves’ job of washing the disciples’ feet.

How many of us find ourselves sometimes seeking Jesus out for the wrong reasons? We hope a relationship with him or a prayer thrown his way might help us in our pursuit for security, success, health or prosperity. Jesus might say to us, “Don’t just seek me out for temporary provision or blessing; seek me out for the brand new life that I am able to give you.”

So is Jesus on the side of justice or compassion? The religious leaders want him to pick a side. We often want him to pick a side. In this story, Jesus is refusing to join in on the debate, but the religious leaders aren’t going to stop pushing him to choose.

The Almighty God of this world is probably the most misunderstood and misrepresented being in human history. Many people have many wrong ideas about who he is and what he is like. And like Moses and Philip, many people just want to see God so that they can truly know who he is and what that means for them.

How should followers of Jesus respond to the threat of a global pandemic, the increasing political division in this country, and the underlying issues of injustice, inequality and racial tension that are front-and-center in our society right now?

There is a trap that Jesus addresses, and all of us can fall into it. We get selective in the way that we obey what God has said in the Scriptures, and then we find subtle ways to twist the Scriptures to justify certain preferences and behaviors in our life.

Many of us, even those who read our Bibles and say our prayers, end up with misconceptions about who God is and what he is doing in the world. We are the sheep of his pasture and when one of us goes wandering off, he comes looking for us. Jesus said, “I have come to seek and to save the lost” because God does not give up on people as easily as we give up on people.