Generations Community Church

Weddings are typically a lot of fun, except when you get stuck at the pastor's table. Why is it that people assume pastors and "serious" followers of Jesus are NO FUN AT ALL? In some ways, it goes all the way back to Puritan New England, but it's a myth perpetuated today by well-intentioned believers. So why did Jesus go to so many weddings, dinners, banquets, celebrations, and parties? BECAUSE HE...

There's a tension between the right kind of flexibility and inflexibility. It's something parents (particularly of teenagers) live out daily. When should they HOLD FIRM to something and when should they BEND? And how do you know which is which? In the New Testament, we see the earliest Christians walk out this same kind of tension (between flexibility and inflexibility). Where and when do you hold...

There's a tension between the right kind of flexibility and inflexibility. It's something parents (particularly of teenagers) live out daily. When should they HOLD FIRM to something and when should they BEND? And how do you know which is which? In the New Testament, we see the earliest Christians walk out this same kind of tension (between flexibility and inflexibility). Where and when do you hold...

Jesus said, "Love your enemies." And some people think that means you shouldn't resist someone breaking into your home or an army invading your country. Still others believe it means you should be a doormat for everyone and everything. Don't resist. Just sit there and take it, they say. So what did Jesus really mean by insisting that we love our enemies? Is it possible to hold out for justice AND...

Jesus said, "Love your enemies." And some people think that means you shouldn't resist someone breaking into your home or an army invading your country. Still others believe it means you should be a doormat for everyone and everything. Don't resist. Just sit there and take it, they say. So what did Jesus really mean by insisting that we love our enemies? Is it possible to hold out for justice AND...

In the fall of 2018, God gave Generations a "place to call home." We had four months in our (new to us) facility before COVID hit. But what if we heard God RIGHT? What if this facility IS God's provision and a "place to call home?" What if, like the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, God is giving us and opportunity and a place...so that WE can be a blessing? In this message, Brian Hull, d...

In the fall of 2018, God gave Generations a "place to call home." We had four months in our (new to us) facility before COVID hit. But what if we heard God RIGHT? What if this facility IS God's provision and a "place to call home?" What if, like the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, God is giving us and opportunity and a place...so that WE can be a blessing? In this message, Brian Hull, d...

Most of us have gotten a Christmas gift (or job or boyfriend or girlfriend) that we THOUGHT would make us happy and satisfied...only to be disappointed. We have a habit of going to "empty wells" looking for water. In John's Gospel, Jesus is presented as a friend to sinners and as someone who CAN and DOES satisfy our deepest longings.

Most of us have gotten a Christmas gift (or job or boyfriend or girlfriend) that we THOUGHT would make us happy and satisfied...only to be disappointed. We have a habit of going to "empty wells" looking for water. In John's Gospel, Jesus is presented as a friend to sinners and as someone who CAN and DOES satisfy our deepest longings.

Jesus was more than just a relevant teacher. He had POWER to free people from demonic oppression, religious strongholds, stress and anxiety...and that SAME power is available to his followers TODAY.

Jesus was more than just a relevant teacher. He had POWER to free people from demonic oppression, religious strongholds, stress and anxiety...and that SAME power is available to his followers TODAY.

Researchers have determined that there is ONE difference between the happiest and unhappiest people. And that difference isn't money, social status, physical appearance, I.Q., or possessions. It's the presence of joy-producing, life-giving relationships. That's right...people! Flourishing isn't just about connecting to God (and being connected to God), it's about connecting to God's people. In thi...

Researchers have determined that there is ONE difference between the happiest and unhappiest people. And that difference isn't money, social status, physical appearance, I.Q., or possessions. It's the presence of joy-producing, life-giving relationships. That's right...people! Flourishing isn't just about connecting to God (and being connected to God), it's about connecting to God's people. In thi...

In the American church, we've pushed the idea of a quiet time - something a believer does in the morning (by themselves) when the read the Bible (by themselves), pray (by themselves), and perhaps even journal (by themselves). But this ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach to connecting to God doesn't work (for many) and doesn't accurately reflect the diversity of personalities and temperaments that God made....

In the American church, we've pushed the idea of a quiet time - something a believer does in the morning (by themselves) when the read the Bible (by themselves), pray (by themselves), and perhaps even journal (by themselves). But this ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach to connecting to God doesn't work (for many) and doesn't accurately reflect the diversity of personalities and temperaments that God made....

The last 18 months have been brutal. A pandemic. Lockdowns. Shutdowns. A hotly contested presidential election. People have lost their ever-loving minds, haven't they? There are times in our lives when we are living the best version of ourselves...the person we want to be...the person God meant us to be...and we're flourishing. And then there are times in our lives when we are living a broken and...

The last 18 months have been brutal. A pandemic. Lockdowns. Shutdowns. A hotly contested presidential election. People have lost their ever-loving minds, haven't they? There are times in our lives when we are living the best version of ourselves...the person we want to be...the person God meant us to be...and we're flourishing. And then there are times in our lives when we are living a broken and...

Living for God will require occasional acts of extravagant love and extravagant generosity - so much so that others in your life will question whether you're being taken advantage of, whether someone is playing you, whether you should be setting firmer boundaries. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the action of the widow and her "mite" in the Temple complex. Most pastors simply want to say,...

Living for God will require occasional acts of extravagant love and extravagant generosity - so much so that others in your life will question whether you're being taken advantage of, whether someone is playing you, whether you should be setting firmer boundaries. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the action of the widow and her "mite" in the Temple complex. Most pastors simply want to say,...

Generations has put a lot of effort into loving people and accepting people. And that's a good thing. It's exactly what Jesus did in his relationships - he frontloaded them with love and acceptance. But, like Peter, we're going to need to do MORE than just love people. We're going to have to use words and talk ABOUT Jesus to others.

Generations has put a lot of effort into loving people and accepting people. And that's a good thing. It's exactly what Jesus did in his relationships - he frontloaded them with love and acceptance. But, like Peter, we're going to need to do MORE than just love people. We're going to have to use words and talk ABOUT Jesus to others.

According to Anne Lamott, when Americans tend to pray, they tend to pray three things: (1) thank you, thank you, thank you, (2) help me, help me, help me, and (3) I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But what if there's more to prayer than that? And what if it actually matters WHO you're talking to? In this message, Pastor Max gives some practical advice on practicing praying to God.

According to Anne Lamott, when Americans tend to pray, they tend to pray three things: (1) thank you, thank you, thank you, (2) help me, help me, help me, and (3) I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But what if there's more to prayer than that? And what if it actually matters WHO you're talking to? In this message, Pastor Max gives some practical advice on practicing praying to God.

If you don't know what's IN The Bible, you're going to spend your entire life just guessing. And because you're an American, you'll be making up what you think Jesus is like. (And here's the thing: Americans almost always think Jesus is just like them. If they CARE about environment, Jesus would care about the environment. If they care about unborn babies, Jesus would care about unborn babies.) So...

If you don't know what's IN The Bible, you're going to spend your entire life just guessing. And because you're an American, you'll be making up what you think Jesus is like. (And here's the thing: Americans almost always think Jesus is just like them. If they CARE about environment, Jesus would care about the environment. If they care about unborn babies, Jesus would care about unborn babies.) So...