Harvester Christian Church

The common assumption is that God is unjustified when dealing with rebellion. However, during our times of wandering none of us are really as innocent as we would like to think and our sins are a bigger deal than we think. What do we do with this reality check? Check out this episode to find out how God shapes our hearts during sin. 

In life we may often feel like the whole weight of the world is on us and no matter what we do we can't seem to lift it. In this message we explore how to seek freedom from the things that hurt us and how to navigate through life while leaning on God during the season of wandering. 

Sometimes we tell ourselves that we are not enough so many times that we start believing the lies. In the message, we learn how to shut down the lies and conquer the period of wandering to experience the true taste of freedom. 

We want to continue moving forward, but when it gets hard, we remember the past and how the past was so sweet. It might feel more convenient to look back on the past, so much that we forget that goal of our future. In this message, we will be learning how to not drift into the past, when the journey gets hard.

We often mistake our faith Journey as a straight path, but in reality, it is filled with highs and lows. When we find ourselves in the wilderness it doesn't mean God has abandoned us but it means that we are about to experience God's presence in our life. In this message we are learning that we are not alone in the wandering and in fact, God is with us. 

Once we have started building a relationship with Christ we have a tendency to hyper involve ourselves in disciplines and forget to release them into the world. In this message, we explore how to unleash the hope of Jesus both in generosity and justice, but also how to live in the tensions that both of them bring.  

During this week's message, we are diving into how we can become like Jesus. How do we do that? By spending time with Him. We go deeper on ways we can spend time with Jesus communally and contemplatively and what it means to make room for Jesus in the center of it all. 

God's vision church didn't start with the church building, or even with Christian environments: it started with the world! In John 3:16 we learn that "For God so loved the WORLD...". Many times we view the world as broken, but they are lost and wounded. We do not have to fear the world but instead live in a place where we have compassion for the world. Remembering that while yes we need truth, we...

We have all heard the common phrase, "Family is everything" and unlike most things in life family is the one thing we don't get choose. However, in this message we are challenging this phrase and seeking wisdom on how can we honor God with our families.        

Life and Love on the vines not painless. The world hated Jesus, and we are promised that persecution will come to us as well. But we have a greater promise: a HELPER. This Helper will not remove us from the pain, but he will keep us strong, bearing witness to Jesus, bringing more glory to the father, and preserving our life on the vine. John 16:1 says, "I have said all these things (not to make li...

From John chapter 15 we see that if we are attached to the vine there are two joys that we will experience: the joy of being loved and the joy of loving one another. We will find that we are not just Jesus' servants. Rather, we are his friends, chosen by him and given a purpose.  This loving community is a group of people loved, chosen and purposed. And if I'm loved, they must be loved too.

Pain isn't always about punishment. Sometimes it is about God saying, "I see that you love me. But do you mind if I take care of this issue?" Pruning the things that don't look like Jesus, that don't glorify Him.  We are to remain on the vine, abide in Jesus. Life is not found by working hard to accomplish, it is found by connection to the Savior, not production in our own strength. 

Most people in our culture believe in a God. And they believe that he's nice like a grandfather who wants to give good gifts. But though he's nice, they don't really believe that he has any sway over improving the world. People believe God wants things to be better, but it's up to us to do it on our own because he's powerless and distant.  A look at the story of Job reveals God's true nature: powe...

A common cultural belief is God is a bad Dad. A look at Luke 15 shows us God as the greatest Dad there ever was.  

Many think that God looks like me, sounds like me, and thinks like me. And if you disagree with me, then you disagree with God. Instead of being formed into his image, we are forming God into our own.

We live in an "upgrade" culture and some think God could use an upgrade too. But we serve a God who does not change, and that is actually for our good!  

In the early church, everyone played a role in the mission of the church. It wasn't a place to attend, it was a community to attend to. When they saw a need, they met the need. This mission and it's fulfillment wasn't just the job of one spirit-filled person. It was the job of every spirit-filled person.  When the mission advances, participation grows, tension grows and ultimately through this, th...

The early church had grit. They were courageous, passionate and persevering even in the face of trial. In Acts 5:17-42, the world around the apostles was telling them to stop talking about Jesus, even in the face of prison and persecution. Yet, they refused to stop. They were determined to obey God and fulfill their calling, no matter what that meant for themselves.

In the early church there was an overwhelming culture of sacrifice. There was an assumption that the needy should be cared for, and it was our job to do so. It wasn't the role of politicians or city policies. And they believed that what the Church could do together was more powerful than any one individual, could do. Ananias and Sapphire are an example of loving self above loving God and loving th...

A modern day Christian might say that "Faith is personal". I read alone. Study alone. Pray alone. And now I can even attend church alone. In the book of Acts we see that the Church is deeply communal! While each person owned their faith, they owned it in community.  Like an old-time potluck, they brought their gifts and food to share with each other. The result was gladness, generosity, and growth...

Critical Race Theory & Intersectionality have been hot button topics in our culture today. But what do these things really mean & how do we engage in dialogue well with others? As we continue our discussion, Dr. Don Sanders joins us to talk about what it means to think critically as Christians as we embrace nuisance, humility and patience in these important conversations.  _______________ The Colo...

What is Juneteenth, why is it celebrated and how do we love each other as we honor differences in race?   Join Jeffrey Woodson ll and John Williams II as they discuss the Juneteenth holiday, what freedom means from the black Christian perspective and how to walk with Christ towards racial reconciliation.  _______________ The Color of Compromise – Jemar Tisby How to Fight Racism – Jemar Tisby  Read...

It is a common theme: We need help. Our world is hurting and needs help. And we often seek it through TED talks and self-help books.  When Peter preached his first sermon, he emphasized that Jesus came to do what we cannot accomplish on our own. No self-help can can replace Jesus' victory over sin. That's not just an Old Time Religion thing, that's a promise all generations to come!

In our hurry to be accepted by culture, have we lost the power of what is supposed to set us apart from the culture? The power of the church isn't in degrees or pastors or business strategies, it is in the Holy Spirit. If we're going to be a 21st century church that leads people to find and follow Jesus, we may need to bring back "That Old Time Religion," meaning that we look at the exciting growt...

Are we seeing the mission field right outside our front doors? A quick look at the story of the Good Samaritan and we realize following Jesus is crazy and countercultural. In order for us to love our city well and move past the divides, we must act.  In humility, we seek past our self interests to love the "they" in our lives.