Faith Lift

Have you ever felt like Paul in Romans 7 — knowing what you should do, wanting to do what's right, and still finding yourself doing the very thing you hate? You're not alone. Not even close. In this episode of Faith Lift, we open Romans 7:15–25a and sit honestly with one of the most vulnerable confessions in all of Scripture — the apostle Paul admitting that he cannot fix himself. And here...

The Sacred Ordinary, Week 6: Everyday Saints What does it mean to be a saint? Not a stained-glass figure from centuries ago — but an ordinary person, in an ordinary life, who keeps showing up in love. In the finale of The Sacred Ordinary, we close six weeks of finding God in everyday life by turning to community — and to two unlikely saints whose stories could not be more different. Brother Lawren...

In a culture that measures your worth by your productivity, rest is a radical act. In this week's message from The Sacred Ordinary, Pastor Craig explores what it looks like to receive rest as a gift rather than earn it as a reward — and why Jesus himself told his exhausted disciples to come away and stop. Drawing from Mark 6, the wisdom of Brother Lawrence, and the poetry of Sor Juana Inés de...

The Beatles had it right — can't buy me love. But what about everything else we keep trying to purchase? Security. Control. Peace of mind. Week 4 of The Sacred Ordinary asks what happens when we stop gripping so tightly and start living with open hands. Featuring Brother Lawrence — a man who owned virtually nothing and lacked nothing — and the most liberating thing 2 Corinthians 9 has to say about...

The Sacred Ordinary | Week 3: Showing Up What is the most powerful thing you can do for someone you love? Show up. On this Trinity Sunday, we discover that showing up is not just a human kindness — it is written into the very nature of God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: a God who has never once failed to be present. Week 3 of The Sacred Ordinary explores what faithful, costly, showing-up love look...

Your kitchen. Your living room. The familiar chair by the window. Could these ordinary spaces be holy ground? On this Pentecost Sunday, we discover that the Spirit of God has never required impressive architecture. From the upper room in Jerusalem to a monastery kitchen in 17th-century France to a convent cell in Mexico City, God keeps showing up in ordinary spaces and making them sacred. Week 2 o...

What if your most ordinary moment today is also your most holy? In this opening episode of The Sacred Ordinary we begin a six week journey into the places where faith actually lives — not in the cathedral but in the kitchen, the garden, the waiting room, and the quiet Tuesday morning. Drawing from the life and writings of Brother Lawrence — a 17th century monk who discovered God in forty years of...

According to Gallup, only 21% of workers worldwide are fully engaged — meaning 8 in 10 people are either going through the motions or completely checked out. Quiet quitting isn't just a workplace trend. It's a way of life for a lot of us. And if we're honest, it can creep into our faith too. In this episode of Faith Lift, we explore John 14:15-21 and the remarkable promise Jesus makes...

We all want a guarantee. Before we buy, before we commit, before we trust — we want to know it's worth it. Montgomery Ward figured that out in 1872. Mick Jagger figured it out too, even if he couldn't find what he was looking for. In John 14:1–7, Thomas wants directions and Philip wants proof. Jesus gives them something neither expected — not a map, not a sign, not a thirty-day return poli...

Have you ever walked away from something — not toward anything in particular, just away? That's exactly where we find two of Jesus' followers on the afternoon of the first Easter. Hopes crushed. Dreams shattered. Heading home on a seven-mile road called Emmaus. And then a stranger falls into step beside them. In this episode we walk the Emmaus Road with Cleopas and his companion, discoveri...

What do you do when the evidence isn't enough? Thomas had ten friends telling him the same story — and he still couldn't bring himself to believe. Was he wrong? Or was he just being honest? In this episode, we take an honest look at doubt, belief, and what it really means to have faith in a world that runs on proof. Through the story of Thomas and the risen Christ, we discover that Jesus d...

What if Easter isn’t just something to believe… but a movement to step into? In this Easter message based on  Matthew 28:1–10 , we explore the resurrection through a series of vivid images—two women at the tomb, a high-voltage angel, an empty grave, and witnesses running with fear and great joy. At the center of it all is a simple invitation: “Come and see… then go and tell.” The risen Christ is n...

On Palm Sunday, the crowds welcomed Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna!”—celebrating a king they thought they understood. But what if they didn’t? In this final message of our series on the Lord’s Prayer, we explore the closing words: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory…” What do these words really mean—and what kind of King are we praying to? As we enter Holy Week, we’re invited to mov...

Temptation is something we all face—but what if it’s less about individual moments and more about the direction of our lives? In Week 5 of our series on the Lord’s Prayer, we explore the petition:  “And lead us, not into temptation…”  Through the lens of James 1:13–15, we are reminded that God does not lead us into temptation, but instead invites us to follow a different path—one shaped by grace,...

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful—and most difficult—parts of the Lord’s Prayer. In this message, we explore what Jesus meant when he taught us to pray,  “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  What does it mean to be forgiven by God? And what does it look like to extend that same grace to others? Through the imagery of burdens we carry and the powerful exa...

Week 3 of our Lord’s Prayer series In this message, Pastor Craig explores the deeper meaning of “daily bread,” the reality of hunger in our world, and the deeper hunger that lives within every human heart. Drawing from John 6, where Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life,” we discover that Christ meets both our physical and spiritual needs. But the prayer doesn’t stop with us. When we are fed by...

Whose Will Be Done? Mine or Thine? Control comes naturally. Surrender does not. In Pastor Craig's message for Week 2 in Lent and the second of our Lord’s Prayer series, he explores what it really means to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” From humanity’s resistance in Genesis to Jesus’ surrender in Gethsemane, we discover that the Kingdom breaks in when we release our grip on the thr...

We begin our Lenten journey with the prayer Jesus taught us. In this first message of the series on the Lord’s Prayer, we explore the opening words: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” These familiar phrases are more than tradition — they are an invitation. An invitation to remember we are not alone. An invitation to trust that God is near and beyond. An invitation to live in a...

What if the mountain you’ve lived beside your whole life is the one God is inviting you to climb? In Pastor Craig's Transfiguration Sunday message, he explores Jesus’ mountaintop moment with Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1–9) alongside a poem by Robert Frost that names a familiar spiritual temptation: knowing about the mountain without ever making the climb. As we stand on the threshold o...

n  Called to Shine , we hear Jesus’ declaration: “You are the light of the world.” This message explores what it means to live out our faith visibly and faithfully in everyday life. Using the imagery of the Olympic flame and the powerful moment when Muhammad Ali lit the torch, we reflect on perseverance, purpose, and staying connected to God as the source of our light. Whether you feel strong or w...

What does faith ask of us when the world feels heavy and complicated? In his message Pastor Craig reflects on  1 Corinthians 1:18–31  and the wisdom of the cross — a wisdom that does not look away from suffering, but draws near to it. In a time when pain is often debated, explained, or ignored, the cross invites us to stay close instead of turning away. This message does not offer easy answers or...

What does Jesus really mean when he says,  “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people” ? Pastor Craig explores how fishing is less about results and more about formation. Drawing from Matthew 4:12–23 and Isaiah 9:1–4, we discover that following Jesus shapes us with patience, wisdom, endurance, faith, and the courage to let go of control. Like fishermen learning the waters, the church is cal...

When Jesus was asked a simple question —  “Where are you staying?”  — his response changed everything:  “Come and see.” Through Pastor Craig's message, we imagine Jesus not only as teacher and Savior, but as host. Drawing from Psalm 40 and John 1, we explore three moments in the Gospels when Jesus sets the table: at the beginning of his ministry, before his death, and after the resurrection. “...

Baptism is more than a moment. It is a calling. Pastor Craig explore's the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and what it reveals about our own identity and mission. Drawing on biblical imagery, modern scenes from the Jordan, and the realities of our world today, we discover that baptism is both a gift of grace and a dangerous commitment. Jesus does not come out of the water and head for com...

On Epiphany Sunday, we hear the familiar story of the magi—and the often-overlooked shadow of Herod. Christ is born, yet the world still feels unchanged. Fear still looms. Violence still threatens hope. And yet, the magi refuse to let fear stop them. They follow the light, honor Christ, and return home by another way. As this series comes to a close and a new year begins, we proclaim that our jour...