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Our tendency is to pick and choose which bible verses we want to obey, and in so doing we adopt our own guardrails for this are of our lives. Yet operating outside God’s guardrails always does damage to our relationships. Operating inside God’s guardrails is the path to safety and health!

“I’m not getting it” and by IT, we meant needs. As in, “I’m not getting my needs met!” Although many of us might feel this way, we learned to seek to meet needs before seeking to have needs met. Ask yourself questions like, “Have I truly listened to my spouse today?” Or, “How can I be a better friend to my spouse today?”

Religion says, Change and you can join us. Jesus says, Join us and you will change. There’s a huge difference. Jesus doesn’t expect you to be perfect. He just wants you to follow him. Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify you from following him. Being an unbeliever doesn’t disqualify you from following him. In fact, following almost always begins with a sinner and unbeliever taking one small step.

During his time on earth Jesus invited misbehavers and unbelievers to follow him. We are all invited to follow him. You are invited to follow him. But there’s something you need to know about following Jesus. It will cost you something eventually. It may cost you money, career advancement, or even relationships. That’s because Jesus offers us the choice of denying ourselves now or losing ourselves...

We don’t usually associate leadership with the church. Leadership is about what could and should be. We assume the church is about what has been. But Jesus was the greatest leader who ever lived. He modeled a unique approach to leadership that defies our expectations but changed the world. Jesus leveraged his authority for the benefit of those under his authority. Following Jesus means that, when...

Most of us don’t become Christians with the intent of following Jesus. We become Christians because we were told obedience pays spirituality will fill and disobedience doesn’t. We become Christians hoping that a hole in our souls. We become Christians hoping God will fix us or fix someone we know. Eventually, our agendas clash with Jesus’ and we have to decide whether we’ll abandon him or follow.

Everyone is invited to follow Jesus. Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify you. Being a doubter doesn’t disqualify you. The goal of following Jesus is a faith that overcomes fear of the future or our current circumstances. It’s a faith that gives us peace. But what do people who follow Jesus look like? What do they wear?

Jesus says to pray. Jesus says not to look over there. Jesus says to be nice. Jesus says to get up early and read your Bible. Lots of people think Christianity is all about doing what Jesus says. But what if doing what Jesus says isn’t what Jesus says to do at all? Regardless of what you believe. Regardless of how you behave. Jesus invites you to follow Him.

Tonight—on Christmas Eve—we’re finishing our series called Netflixmas talking about Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The story of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer was written in 1939 by Bob May, a writer for Montgomery Ward department stores. Montgomery Ward had bought and distributed coloring books every Christmas for children, and decided to write an original story. Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4...

In the movie Elf, Buddy is a 6 foot, 3 inch elf who lives up in the North Pole. All is good, until Buddy finally figures out what everyone else knows—he isn’t an elf, but he’s a human. So Buddy goes on a magical journey through New York City to find and meet his Dad. Today, we will learn that all of us have a Father who loves us just as we are. That you and I don’t have to search high and low to f...

In the movie, the Polar Express, a magical train takes several children to the North Pole to rebuild their faith in Santa. Faith in Santa and faith in God are a lot alike. They deteriorate for many of the same reasons. Through the themes of this movie and the story of John the Baptist, we will learn some key things about faith and doubt.

In the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, George Bailey has given up on his dreams. He’s just about ready to end it all until his guardian angel named Clarence the Angel shows up and tries to instill hope into George by showing him all the lives that he has touched along the way. Clarence shows George just how different the community would be if George had not been born. What if Jesus had never been bor...

In the movie Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold is determined to have a perfect Christmas. After faulty lights, neighbor conflicts, a house full of wacky relatives, he is on the verge of a break down. During the holiday season, it is easy for our family to drive us to the edge of a break down. We all have some Cousin Eddie’s in our family. Jesus had some knots/nuts on His family tree as well. Liar...

It’s one thing to battle the monster, but how do you defeat him? A lot of the battle goes on in your mind. And it goes on in your bank account. So is defeat possible? Yes, although the answer may surprise you and even discourage you before it liberates you.

So you’re battling entitlement in you, but you’re also trying to fight it in your kids. Nobody likes an entitled, ungrateful child. But practically, in a culture that has so much, how do you raise kids who are truly grateful? This week, we’ll uncover an important principle from scripture and practically apply it to raising kids today.

What do you value? And more importantly, why do you value it? Often, the belief that what you’re pursuing has greater value than what you have drives the sense of entitlement most of us feel. But what if the monster has caused you to overvalue what you’re chasing?

When is enough…enough? You take a little more each time, but you still don’t feel satisfied. Enough always seems to be changing, doesn’t it? Why is that? Maybe it’s because you’re friends with the monster. Understanding how the monster works is the first step toward containing it.

We have always heard, “Find out what you love and do that.” There’s one problem. Sometimes, you have to do the grunt work before you can actually start doing what you love. The Apostle Paul knew that. Though he wrote 2/3rd’s of the New Testament, he worked a manual labor job of sewing and making tents. Paul had to do the grunt work and do some things he didn’t love so he could do the glory work. T...

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” A question we used to hear all the time. A question that used to spur our dreams. But for many of us today, rather than causing us to dream, it magnifies the gap between where we thought we would be and where we are. So, what do we do? Should we stop dreaming? Should we settle? Or is there another approach? This week, we’ll look at a teaching of Jesus tha...

We will spend fifty to sixty percent of our lives at work, yet research tells us that over eighty percent of us are dissatisfied with our jobs. If we’re going to spend that much time at work, then we better learn to love it or we’re going to be miserable for half of our life. Today, Pastor Chris offers a perspective on work that could forever change your experience on the job.

For many people, the Bible sits on a shelf collecting dust in a lonely corner of their home library. Yet inside its pages, God speaks truths that not only inform our lives, but also transform our lives. So why not be pro-active and take some steps to RYB (Read Your Bible)? In doing so, you put yourself in a posture to listen. And who knows—more times than not, He may speak to you in a way that cha...

64% of U.S. adults own a smartphone, and 46% of smartphone owners say their smartphone is something “They couldn’t live without.” Why? Of course, texting and calling play a big part. But an even bigger part is taking pictures. Do you remember when cameras weren’t attached to our phones? They could zoom and flash and focus. Cameras were great. And remember photographs? They used to be physical thin...

We have all been to High School or college where teachers and professors have dismantled our faith and discounted the Bible. They were smarter than you. Had more degrees than you. So you just left God and the church. Now when someone brings up the Bible? Or says, “You should read it!” You just ignore what they say, because you remember some claims that a professor made years ago that you never inv...

oneChurch is a gathering of God’s family—we want everyone to have close, intimate relationships with people in our midst. Small groups allow us to do this by committing to create a predictable environment where 8-18 people gather weekly for a year to pursue authentic community and spiritual growth. In order to make the most of our year together, we have to agree to make the following a priority...

At the dinner table. During a church service. In the middle of a business meeting. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, we cannot ignore a text message. So you’ll discretely try to pull out your phone and read it. Why? Because they are personal. They are relevant. They convey immediate information. They are from someone you know. We receive text messages on a daily basis. But are...