Journey Church

Hectic. Frantic. Busy. Hurried. These are the words that have described our schedules. Then the pandemic hit, and many of us discovered the richness and peace of a slower pace. We can’t lose what we learned as life returns to “normal”. 

Stressful circumstances can teach us some valuable financial lessons. During this season, you’ve wished you had made some different choices with your money. Moving forward, you can do what you wish you’d done and be better for it next time. 

Worry is a clue to what we care about most. It reveals who we trust and what we value. Instead of coping with unhealthy emotions with unhealthy behaviors, we can learn to eliminate worry and live at peace.

What have you been doing that almost led to your undoing? We all want to make change in the middle of the pain, but it’s human nature to return to bad habits once the pain from the bad habits is gone. Instead, what if this time you could be better for it? 

When we realize the truth about who we are in Jesus, we begin to make a real impact on the people and world around us. The identity, value, and worth that Jesus gives us is the very foundation that gives us the power to love and serve everyone, even in the face of challenges, difficulty, and temptation. 

The public comments God the Father made at Jesus’ baptism sends a clear message to us about who we are and how much we are worth. Our core identity, the thing that informs our value and worth, is our connection to Jesus.

We would all agree that a person’s value and worth isn’t based on the kind of job they have, the prominence of their friends and family, their level of wealth, or how productive or efficient they are. When it comes to how we think about ourselves, we often judge our own value and worth by these very things. Jesus challenges us to consider that we could be losing ourselves.

Becoming a Christian is easy. It won't cost you anything. But Jesus never invited anyone to become a Christian. He invites us to follow, and following is what will make our communities better.

We all know we should forgive. In most cases, we want to forgive. But how? The secret to forgiveness isn’t determination. It’s not powering through. Instead, the secret is found in cooperation. 

Anyone ever told you just to forgive and get over something? It’s not that simple, is it? But do you know why you resist forgiveness? What if your struggle to forgive has more to do with fighting your duty than what’s been done to you?

Do you know anyone who’s easily offended? It doesn’t take much to upset people these days, but small offenses distract you from what matters most. How do you let it go and live for a bigger purpose?

All religions point to three things: you ought to…you didn’t…you’ll pay. Religion is all aboutfollowing the rules, but Jesus had something different in mind. He calls us to follow him not a list of rules. It’s as simple as paying attention and staying in step. 

If we don’t have to be controlled by sin and temptation, how do we live that out? Living as a slave to sin takes no effort on our part. But what does it look like to live without sin controlling our mouths, our eyes, our minds, our insecurities, our appetites?

We all want to do what's right all the time, but sometimes we end up doing what we don't want to do. It seems unavoidable. So what do you do when you just can't seem to do what you know you ought to do? A gentleman in the New Testament had this problem, but fortunately he also found the solution.

It's difficult to solve a problem when you don't understand what's wrong to begin with. Many of us have been trying to solve the problem of "us" for a long time. But what if the real problem is that you don't know what the problem is?

There is an assumption that good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to sinners. But clinging to that myth will cause your faith to eventually fall apart. Instead, we’re invited to cling to the paradox at the heart of Christianity. 

We’ve heard amazing stories of answered prayer, but our prayers aren’t always answered the way we want. What about the times when they seem to go unheard? What do we do when God says no? Does it take more faith to endure a no from God than to receive a yes?

Does God promise us good health? Fame and fortune? If faith is believing that God will do what he promised., then what has God really promised us? 

If things are going well with you and God, does that mean you have a lot of faith? If things are not going well, does that mean you don’t have enough faith? What if the object of our faith is much more important than the amount of faith we have?

What is faith? How does it work? If your prayers aren’t answered, is it because you didn’t have enough faith? Does your faith waver depending on your circumstances? Your faith is resting against something. What’s the foundation of yours?

Easter isn’t religious. It’s historical. How can anyone believe in Jesus’ resurrection? Glad you asked. A small group of first century women hold the answer for us all. 

Once upon a time, Jesus stood against the injustice of the Roman empire and the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He changed the course of human history. His early followers followed His path. Now we’re writing our story. What will people say about us? 

How do you not act in fear when there’s plenty to be afraid of? The early followers of Jesus modeled a faith characterized by fearlessness, humility, generosity, and love. Imagine how different our world would be if Christians today lived the same way. 

It's difficult to solve a problem when you don't understand what's wrong to begin with. Many of us have been trying to solve the problem of "us" for a long time. But what if the real problem is that you don't know what the problem is?

How can the person to whom a woman gave her deepest vow become the person she despises most? How can the beautiful woman a man couldn't stay away from become the person he can't stand to be around? You can’t fix the problem until you expose the root cause.