Messiah St. Charles Weekly Messages

Matthew's Gospel account of Jesus's life and mission begins with a genealogy list of the generations that preceded the Messiah. Pastor Jim teaches on how this list of names sheds light on God's relationship with His creation — and what it means that sinners like us are so well represented in Jesus's family lineage.

Our series wraps up with a teaching from Pastor Jim on what it means to be a Jesus follower and not a rule follower, and why we must be givers and not takers. Imagine the impact we'd have if we truly lived FOR our community!

In the Great Commission, Jesus tells His disciples to "...go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:16a). Pastor Chuck Schlie will examine this one particular word ("go!") that Jesus uses when He calls us to action. Get challenged, inspired, and fired up as we continue learning how to become the church that God is calling us to be in our community.

What do you picture when you think of "church"? Is it a dynamic group of people who are living and loving as Jesus did — through service to others and radical self-sacrifice? Or do you see a building full of nice people content to worship God on Sunday mornings and end the weekly commitment to Jesus there? Both versions are accurate, but only one is truly biblical. Messiah is being called to becom...

For too long, the church has been known for what it's against. We want to be known for what we are for. On this Vision Sunday, Pastor Jim answers an important question: What kind of church is God calling Messiah to become?

When anxious thoughts enter our minds, it's hard to quiet them. Hard, but not impossible. Pastor Chuck Schlie wraps up our Burned Out series with a message on how to C.A.L.M. yourself with the help of scripture. Come learn the words behind the acronym on Sunday and leave armed with a new tool in the fight against anxiety.

Messiah's Community Groups provide a place where we can know and be known by others. In addressing burnout and the anxiety that accompanies it oftentimes, it's important for Christians not to isolate. God made us for community!

Pastor Chuck reveals in his message that weekly worship is his number one burnout buster. Hear why soul rest is so important to beating burnout. Learn from an unhurried Jesus why "work from rest" beats "rest from work" as the better strategy to experience the deep serenity your soul craves.

Does this sound familiar — you're exhausted from the busyness that is your life, but you can't quite figure out what you accomplished today? There's just so much going on. You're on the verge of burnout (or you're already there...) Something has to change, but what? In week two of this series, learn how to resist the busy label and create the kind of balance in life that God wants for you.

Studies show that symptoms of burnout are at alarmingly high levels for both adults and children. This crisis is taking a toll on the emotional, physical, and spiritual health of individuals, couples, and families. God created us to flourish in this life! If we don't develop intentional habits to combat burnout, we continue to drift further into its pit.

Over and over, John addresses us as "children." In his message, Pastor Jim will help you further understand how you and everyone you encounter are loved children of God. This has implications for how you experience your faith. This final study session explores issues of victory in Christ as we learn once more from the apostle who was an eyewitness to the ministry of our one true source of hope—Jes...

Love God and love others. It's a simple formula, right? This shouldn't be hard, but life is messy. Something as basic as love can get complicated when our busy lives collide with God's commands. In this message, Pastor Chuck Schlie will get into chapter 4 of 1 John and break down what scripture says about giving and receiving love.

Have you given much thought to where your confidence and joy come from? If you're like a lot of people, it likely comes from your accomplishments. The goals you've met and the money you make matter to the world. But what if there's a better way to measure your self-worth? On Sunday, Pastor Chuck will use the third chapter of 1 John to help you see yourself as God sees you. Find out His view of you...

As an eyewitness of Jesus's ministry, John has a message for believers. He wrote instructions down in a letter to the church—the Bible book of 1 John. What he had to say to us is as significant now as it was 2000 years ago. Pastor Jim goes into the second chapter of John's letter to us "dear children." Confronting sin, darkness, and antichrists, John shows us how we ought to respond.

As the last of the disciples, John wrote 1 John to remind Christians how to live, how to love, and how to be the Body of Christ in the world. His letter is a chance for us to learn from the last eyewitness of the teachings, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus. Pastor Chuck Schlie introduces us to this series and this letter to the Church in this first message.

We all have a tendency to ask ourselves the question, Am I enough? We wonder if our accomplishments, gifts, and work mean anything. It's an unfortunate fact that we measure our worth according to the world's measuring stick and not God's. In this message, guest pastor Maxx Fisher asks us to consider our unique talents and abilities in light of the role God wants us to play in advancing the gospel....

Like an athlete, Christians too need training. Living out your faith is not a spectator sport! It requires focus, discipline, and—sometimes—endurance. If you want to grow your relationship with Jesus and win others to the faith, Pastor Jim will give you some great advice from an unlikely source—Chris Pratt's speech from the MTV Generation Awards.

Let's be honest—we all like to win. Sometimes the urge is so strong that we end up doing things we shouldn't to secure a victory. When it comes to spreading the gospel and winning souls for Jesus, how far is too far? Pastor Chuck addresses this question tomorrow in worship.

Pastor Jim is diving (you're liking all these sports analogies, right?) into the Ten Commandments. Too often they get misinterpreted as a list of rules to win God's favor, but that's not their purpose at all! God wants you to flourish in the life He has given you, and these Commandments help you do just that!

If you've ever wondered when you will reach "peak" faith in Jesus, the answer is—never! The faith journey of a Jesus-follower is one of consistent, focused efforts. An athlete doesn't win the gold medal without training, and you can't effectively grow your relationship with God if you're sitting on the sidelines. Get in the game!

How can we honor the history of our nation without overlooking the faults of its ancestors? For all its greatness, America certainly has had its share of problematic policies and leaders. Sin affects everyone, even our heroes. Romans 3:23 notes, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But that doesn't mean we are beyond redemption! In a provocative and timely message for the July 4t...

Mother Teresa is world-renowned for her charity work. Her intense dedication to the poor and marginalized was a result of her deep faith. From her example, we can find ways that faith and real life intersect for the benefit of others. Come and learn from this inspiring woman how you too can greatly impact the world with simple acts of love.

What does love require of me when I face injustice in the world? How did Jesus defeat evil? Through the example of Jackie Robinson, Pastor Jim will teach on how a Jesus follower will want to respond to issues of racial divides and inequity in our society.

Perhaps one of the most moving stories we'll look at in the Biography series is that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a real-life superhero who tried to take down Hitler and lost his life as a result. But there is inspiration to be found in his story, and Pastor Chuck will explain why Bonhoeffer is to be celebrated for his faith — not pitied for his death.

Meet Susanna Wesley, the would-be "19 Kids and Counting" star of the early 18th century (if reality t.v. was a thing back then). This mom had (you guessed it) 19 kids. As was the case back then, many of them died in infancy. Her life was not an easy one, but her faith was constant and her influence on the faith of her children was particularly profound and still reverberates today.