Mill Creek Church

If we can plan for the transitional moments of life, it might seem easier to embrace. But often those transitions happen with no warning. Maybe we can still embrace those turning points. Pushing the pause button and trusting God in the change of direction can bring a reassurance of His goodness.

Life is full of turning points – moments that shape our journey. Some of these may come in the form of loss, a universal human experience that can be as transformative as it is challenging. While we may instinctively try to avoid or ignore these difficult times, they can become the very catalysts God uses to change us and deepen our faith.

Like joy, contentment can be experienced no matter the season or circumstance of our lives. However, it won't come naturally to us. It's a skill and a secret that must be discovered.

Living out defiant joy isn't always easy. It's messy, sometimes flawed, and often challenging. But imagine what our world could look like if the followers of Jesus embraced this way of living? This isn't about achieving perfection. It's about progress, about gradually aligning our lives with timeless truths that bring freedom and peace.

Most people have pursuits in life that they are deeply passionate about - hobbies, careers, education, relationships - the things that take up our time and money. But Paul challenges the Christian that real joy is found in a better pursuit, one that strains for more of Jesus. How passionate for more of him are we?

In Paul's letter, we see his loves and his affections. We see his deepest desires. We find what matters most to him. And his treasure is found in Christ. His heart is embedded in Christ, and so his joy is embedded in Christ as well. The question for me - where is my treasure?

Paul reminds the church that our role as believers is not to harshly judge the world or to retreat into our own Christian bubbles. Instead, we are called to live in unity, demonstrating God's love and pointing others to Jesus through our actions and words, to shine bright for Him.

In a world that often celebrates self-promotion and individual success, there's a countercultural path that leads to true fulfillment and joy. This path, exemplified by Jesus Christ, challenges us to rethink our priorities and embrace a lifestyle of humility and service.

Paul was not ruled by circumstances but by trust in the providence and faithfulness of God. This gave him peace, joy, and hope in all situations. He was focused on Jesus Christ—his redeemer and deliverer. As Christians, we must follow Paul’s lead, choosing to focus on and trust in God rather than our circumstances.

Christians are called to be people of hope and joy, who give hope to the hopeless and inspire joy in the hapless. We have been filled with life-giving Spirit so that we might live to “breathe life” into the dispirited! To live with joy might mean we are "defiant" of our current circumstances. Paul's letter of joy to a group of Jesus followers gives us a great model to follow.

We are not made to do life alone and yet, in some of life's biggest battles, when it gets hard with family, parenting and marriage, we tend to struggle solo. Let us not run from vulnerability but embrace the opportunity to be honest with God and seek out the ones he has given us to be in our corner.

There is an incredible foundation available for our families – the unshakeable, unbreakable love of God. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how difficult our circumstances become, no matter how broken the world around us might be, when we follow Jesus, nothing can separate us from God's love.

Even our favorite super-heroes have the capability of failure given the correct circumstances. Building a family of Godly values is not immune to failure either. Considering some of the possible paths to failure can reveal God's directions to a strong foundation.

We all have them and family can be some of the greatest sources of joy and disappointment. There is no such thing as a "perfect" family, so how do we set a direction for health and stability? Jesus shares what it looks like to build the right foundation for our families and marriages that can stand the storms of life.

The empty tomb is a tale of surprise, disbelief, and ultimately, hope. For those who are unsure, who have doubts or questions, take heart. You're in good company. The very first witnesses to the resurrection had to grow in their belief too. God invites us to look again, to consider the evidence, to ponder the impact of this story.

There is profound depth to God's love, as demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. That love extends to all of us, even when we feel unworthy or distant from Him. God's love is not based on our actions or feelings, but on His unchanging character and plan for redemption.

God isn't interested in us going through the religious motions or presentations. He's concerned with the condition of our hearts. It's not enough just to hear His Word; even a hard heart can do that. What matters is what we do with it. How are we living it out?

Have you ever wondered why people sometimes make choices that seem to go against their own best interests? Why do we, at times, long for situations that we know aren't good for us? This paradox is not new to human nature, history reminds us how a lack of understanding might cause us to repeat it.

Dealing with the consequences of a hard and calloused heart is seen vividly in the story of the Pharaoh in the account of Exodus. If we are defiant toward God, sometimes God will simply let us experience the natural consequences of such defiance. If we are wrestling and fighting with God, sometimes God will let us “win.”

Taking personal responsibility for our struggles is hard but shifting blame doesn't solve our problems or bring us closer to God. Instead, He calls us to honest self-reflection and repentance. This process, while sometimes difficult, opens the door to healing, restoration, and a deeper relationship with God.

For many, it feels good to have a clean house or car. Or after a long day of working outside, a clean shower. But what about our inner lives and relationships? Let's invite God to do a deep cleaning of our hearts. Let's allow Him to replace our hard, unresponsive hearts with hearts of flesh – warm, alive, and receptive to His love and will.

One of the great promises of our faith is the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. But how can I know the will of God? Is it saying the right words, like a magic formula or spell? Is it only reserved for the hyper-spiritual? How will I know what God wants me to do?

Jesus never condemned wealth. He didn't say that having possessions was wrong, nor did he claim that poverty was more spiritual or that wealth was a sign of God's favor. What Jesus emphasized, time and time again, was a profound truth: The story of life is not about how much we have. The story of life is how we use what we have.

We have a complicated relationship with money. For many, it's a topic that brings up deep-seated feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety – often stemming from our upbringing, cultural norms, or even religious teachings. But what if we could flip the script and develop a healthier perspective on our finances?

If our money could talk to us, what would it say? Maybe more amazing is the parallel between what our money might say and what Jesus DID say. Jesus viewed our wealth as a tool, a means not the end. If being a means to an end gives life meaning, to what ends do we want our lives to be a means?