New Story Church

Resting should be the easiest thing in the world, but it's not. In this sermon excerpt, we look at five major reasons why it's so hard to rest so that we can recognize these barriers in our own lives.

Jesus invites us to rest. It sounds like the easiest thing in the world... until you actually try to do it. In this message, we explore the possibility that the chronic busyness that passes for normal in our world might be a symptom of a much deeper sickness, a form of spiritual slavery.

We all experience the groanings of this world. We all long for something more in the midst of our struggles. Could it be that our groanings actually point us to the truth of God's glory?

Sometimes the most important truths in life can't be perceived by the five senses. Moses knew this when he stared out at an impassable Red Sea, with the lives of 500,000 of God's chosen people on the line. His faith helped him see what wasn't there: a way out. Where do you need this type of faith in the unseen? Exodus 14.

A beautiful scene emerges in the midst of chaos and loss as one man has a disruptive encounter with Jesus. Scripture text: Mark 5:1-20

Jesus doesn’t want to give us more to do or make our lives harder. He is inviting us to lay our burdens down, to experience freedom, and to step into a new (& better) way of life.

Jesus promises give us a "new heart." He does not just want to fix us up on the outside. He wants to write a message in our hearts, changing us from the inside out. But, in Jeremiah 17, we learn that before He can write His message, He has to address the messages that are already on our hearts.

Becoming a follower of Jesus doesn't just change how you think. It changes who you are. According to the Apostle Paul, the old you, the one that ran from God & lived for yourself, is dead. The things that used to control you, they no longer lay claim to you. You are a new person with a new life.

The earliest followers of Jesus describe baptism as a proof that God loves them, a motivation to radically change their lives, and a source of hope in the face of suffering. How does symbolically submerging someone under water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do that?

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week.

We live in a world that is increasingly fragile. How do we become the kind of people who are resilient, the kind of people who do not collapse under pressure?

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week.

What does it mean to confess our sins and to forgive the sins of others? How are they tied together? We explore the answers to these questions as we examine Jesus's words in Matthew 6:12.

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week.

We pray "Thy will be done." And then we proceed to tell God everything we want Him to do. If God is going to do what He wants, why should we tell Him what we want? In this message, we'll explore the age old question: Why pray? Do our prayers really make any difference?

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week. 

In this message, we explore one of the great paradoxes from Jesus's teaching: If you seek limitless freedom, you will become enslaved to your own choices. But, if you seek God's will over your own, you will find true freedom.

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week.

“Your kingdom come.” It’s only three words. Simple. Deceivingly simple. But do you know what you are praying for when you pray these words?

 For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week.

When we pray, Jesus teaches us to pray that God would align our lives with Him. Prayer itself becomes an opportunity to make course corrections in the way we are thinking, feeling, and living. This week, we'll explore how "hallowing God's name" can change the whole course of your life.

For those in search of a bit of help, here's a short guided prayer exercise to practice this week. 

The starting point of prayer is not confession or worship or requests or theological understanding. The starting point is relationship. In this message, we explore what it looks for us to come to God as "Our Father."

In the first century, everyone prayed. Being religious was good for business and good for your social standing, so one might be tempted to pray to impress or get ahead in life. In our day, things are different. Our great temptation is not to pray for the wrong reasons. Our great temptation is to not pray.