Mill Creek Church

Before Jesus spoke some very purposeful and focused final words, he did something amazing for his disciples. In a moment when the King had the power to do anything he chose, he took on the role of lowliest of servants to serve the ones he loved. In this action, he shares an example of what love might require of us.

If we knew our final moments, our choice of words and who we would speak them to would be very important to us. We would choose those words carefully and speak with focus and purpose. When Jesus took his final moments to speak into the lives of the disciples, he spoke words of great significance. Jesus makes a bold statement and we must listen, we cannot just ignore the claim he makes about himsel...

The areas of life we’ve unpacked in this series—wealth, comfort, power—all stem from one theme: control. We struggle to give up control and often are willing to trade Jesus for it. Even though we try, we cannot control everything. These past few years have taught us some hard lessons but peace in our lives comes in embracing God’s ultimate control of our individual lives as we honor him through ob...

Jesus made some incredible claims of himself, for the Jewish and Roman officials, arguably none bigger than the claim he was King. But his kingdom is not one of public or political power but of sacrifice. Believers are called to elevate the powerless, not hoard power for themselves or their comfort.

Following Jesus will be uncomfortable at times. What else should we expect as those focused on the kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of man? We can live with the tension of the uncomfortable growth as disciples and the wholehearted goodness of living in God’s love.

We’d all like to think we’re nothing like Judas the betrayer, who traded Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. An honest look at our hearts reveals, however, that we all have things we trade for Christ every day. Reflecting on this truth can help us deepen our understanding of our Judas tendencies and rejoice in the overwhelming gift of God’s redemptive grace in our lives.

Jesus cuts through a great deal of religious confusion and complexity to focus our lives on two all-encompassing truths that are meant to work together: love God and love others. The greatest commandment means that the believer’s love of God ought to overflow to loving others in a genuine way. Good theology leads to loving action, and loving action is rooted in good theology.

Because of what Christ has done, believers walk faithfully in their calling to live in obedience and pursue unity with other people. By making an effort for unity and living with a spirit of humility, we can unleash the indispensable power of the local church to grow and change us into more Christlike people through godly community.

When you ask someone what they think about the church, be prepared for any response. What they say may inspire feelings of anger, sadness, joy, or hope, depending on what they have experienced in their dealings with believers. We discover God has some key values that should define our relationships with those inside and outside the church. One is a compassionate love for others that calls us to sh...

The gospel shows us that God’s plan for us has always been reconciliation. When we accept the gospel as truth, we can be freed to begin healing the hurts, mistakes, and regrets of our past. The message of Jesus renews and refreshes us through God’s healing touch. His compassion for broken people is like nothing this world has ever seen.

Humanity was built for love. We long for it. We spend lifetimes seeking it. Unfortunately, for as much as we obsess over love, we don’t always have the clearest picture of what it is or looks like. In the gospel, we see that love—true love—transforms. It brings hope, it frees prisoners, and it restores weary souls.

The desire for peace is something God has planted within all of our hearts, but there is much more to peace than an absence of conflict. Through the message of Jesus we learn about God’s heart for peace in his creation. God’s peace is about the complete restoration of our souls rather than the removal of all obstacles; he calls us to partner with him in it.

When we look at New Year's, we often see it as a fresh start, a time to begin anew. As the weeks wear on, however, it’s not uncommon to go from determined to deflated. We rush headlong into a challenge that we haven’t properly prepared or equipped ourselves for mentally or physically and we quickly burn out. This applies to our spiritual life as well as our physical life. The gospel shows us that...

God has given his people the joyful task of actively remembering what he has done for and through us—a chance to celebrate, give thanks, and teach our children. Many of us, in very difficult times, have been changed by God’s grace, in both challenging and joyful ways; remembering these things will empower us to move into the future.

With a new year comes anxieties and excitement but let's reinforce a central truth: while our world constantly changes, its creator does not. James’s word about God’s unchanging nature not only reassures us of our firm foundation in God but also gives us an exhilarating exhortation to share God’s goodness from that firm foundation.

The Christmas story is simple, familiar and beautiful but one part can be a little disturbing. No matter how hard he tried, Herod could not halt the plans of God. Despite the difficult circumstances that come your way, know that nothing can separate you from God’s love, forgiveness, and redemption. He is “God with us.”

At Christmas, we find a contrast of those who traveled a great distance to seek out Jesus and those who were right there who ignored and missed this great moment. Just like the wise men, the presence of Christ should compel us to offer our lives as gifts to God. Jesus came to serve; will we serve too? Will we share the message of hope through our opportunities to serve?

Jesus wasn’t born into a wealthy family with powerful connections; the situation was awkward at best. His earthly parents were a teenage girl and her middle- to lower-class fiancé. In the midst of the mess, there was still a willingness to hold onto hope that God's word would never fail. Even if we don't know, with God, there is still hope and nothing is impossible!

Sometimes, it’s difficult to enjoy Christmas when we’re too busy to stop and savor the holiday. Over the next weeks, we go back to the foundation of this well-known story, revealing the joy and celebration it brings to all those who place their faith in Christ. Christmas reveals we have a God who dares to come near to us in our brokenness and suffering.

In a world full of messaging about all the things it is against, can the church bring a fresh perspective of being for people? Jesus was FOR people but being FOR people comes from changed priorities. There will have to be a reorientation of our perspective and attitude. When it comes to how you spend your day, time and resources, what are you placing first: God’s kingdom or something else?

The subject of wealth can be tricky and very personal. How we define wealth is often a moving target and it's not a characterization that most of us would claim for ourselves. However, compared to the rest of the world, most of us are doing well. The danger is the more we accumulate, the easier it is to migrate hope from God to stuff. What if instead of trusting in riches, we trusted in the One wh...

We spend so much of our time chasing after careers, people, or possessions that never satisfy us in the end. When is enough, enough? We don’t have to continually seek after the latest, greatest thing; instead, we should seek Christ, and he will satisfy our desires. And in that pursuit, we find we can truly be FOR people.

Being a generous person is one of those "easier said than done" type of habits. We can say the right words but do our actions demonstrate true generosity? In a culture where it is clear all the types of people - lifestyles - political opinions - we are against, can the attitude shift to be FOR people? How do we change this mindset? It all stems from the amazing story of God’s generosity to us seen...

Being with someone in their final moments can be powerful. Sharing our final thoughts and final words can be a precious memory. At the end of his life, one of Jesus' closest friends denied knowing him. The feelings of shame and regret were probably very real but Peter was eventually restored after his failure. It's in his story we discover that we never too far from God.

A normal reaction when life gets hard is trying to pray. But what if we grew in the habit before the trouble? Through the story of Daniel, we discover that we can face any trial when we live in gratitude toward God. May we consider ways in which our prayer life can focus on thankfulness even in the midst of turmoil.