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We all drift. We begin with great intentions, determined to stay the course, but along the way we find ourselves falling back into the places and behaviors we intended to avoid. Somehow our commitments and convictions just aren’t able to help us on their own. There’s a missing ingredient that is necessary if we’re going to accomplish more in this life. BIG IDEA: Having convictions and commitments...

So many people are frustrated with the lack of progress they make in life. It’s especially confusing since so many of us feel like we’re so busy. How can you have that much activity and yet have so little productivity? We’ll look at some practical, biblical strategies for getting more accomplished. THE BIG IDEA: Never confuse activity with productivity.

It’s the New Year. You’ve got goals. Resolutions. Some will be easy. But there are probably one or two issues that seem too big for you to tackle. What do you do with those? We’ll ask a question that can lead you to an answer that just might change everything for you. THE BIG IDEA: What would the future you tell you to do?

God’s answer for the world’s problems has never been material things. God did not give us more stuff – such as work, food, or health. He gave us himself—the most priceless and personal gift of all. When we give relationally during the Advent season, this is what we remember: it’s an opportunity to worship as we remind each other of the gift given for our sake. THE BIG IDEA: We give our lives to Je...

According to modest estimates, there are about 100 billion observable stars. Each of them is powerful and potentially life-giving in its own right. And yet, for all of their power, might, heat, and light, the only thing comparable to a star's power is its converse...darkness. Darkness is cold and uninviting. Darkness can be dangerous. It is the absence of light. Can you imagine a powerful darkness...

Jesus Christ. Most people today think that Christ is his last name, but it wasn’t. Christ was His title, His rank—He is King. And because He is King, He has authority over our lives, so He calls the shots. Following Jesus means we should be like Jesus. We sound like Him, react like Him, and love like He did. The church does not need any more Jesus admirers. The church needs followers of Jesus. BIG...

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. THE BIG IDEA: You will always want more until you decide to give more.

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. THE BIG IDEA: Kids who feel entitled to everything will be grat...

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? THE BIG IDEA: Overvaluing the wrong things will cause you to overlook the best things.

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. THE BIG IDEA: Feeding an appetite fuels it. Denying an appetite curbs it.

For far too long, Christians have used their power to make a point and used their dollars to demand their way, and because of this, we have lost influence in our communities. Jesus never used his power that way. Instead, he showed us a better way to live. He had all the power and every legitimate reason to demand His way, but this is not the example He set. Instead, He leveraged His power to love...

The word revival has a lot of definitions. It can mean “an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again,” like a TV show revival. It can also mean “a reawakening of religious fervor.” At oneChurch.tv , we like the medical definition: restoring bodily or mental vigor, life, or consciousness. Revive = To re-awaken. To resurrect. Think about your life right now. Is there anythin...

In his now classic book, author Ryan Halliday shares a story about an ancient King. According to legend, the king's people had grown soft and entitled. He decided to teach them a lesson because he’d grown tired of their apathy, laziness, and poor attitudes. His simple plan involved placing a large boulder in the middle of the main road, which would completely block entry into the city. The king wo...

Have you ever had a problem that was just so big—so daunting—that you just didn’t know where to begin? There is just so much to do. You’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start tackling an unsurmountable problem. The problem is just a tangled ball of mess, and it won’t be solved by panicking or doing what you’ve always done. You have to do something different if you want different results. BIG...

Jesus wants to free us from being pinned down by shame. When healthy conviction comes, we can either cover up or come clean. Covering up leads to unhealthy shame, but Jesus went to the cross to destroy our shame. When we come clean, sin no longer defines us. THE BIG IDEA: Guilt is feeling bad about what you’ve done. Shame is feeling bad about who you are.

All of us have the capacity to get angry. The bible doesn’t prohibit anger—it’s a very real emotion! But we have to learn to express anger in a healthy way, or it will lead to bitterness. And there’s no healthy expression for bitterness. It’s just toxic. THE BIG IDEA: Bitterness is the result of unresolved, unforgiven anger and resentment built up over time.

As followers of Jesus, we are under no obligation to get caught in the webs that bring spiritual and emotional death. Instead, we can kill what is killing us through the power of the Spirit. This week, Carlo talked about the web of worry. If worry is the web, the thing that spins that web most often is fear. The Big Idea: Freedom from fear comes from faith in the Father.

Like spider webs, we often don’t see life’s biggest problems coming until we’re tangled up in them. We want to avoid the webs, but what we really need is to kill the spider—or get to the roots and true causes of our issues. Envy is a feeling of discontent or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck. Our sinful nature urges us to compare ourselves to others, takin...

The wisest man who ever lived encourages us to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. Wise advice. But what does that look like practically? THE BIG IDEA: Trusting God with your leftovers rarely grows your faith.

There is an often-ignored principle that determines the quality and direction of our lives. While we are quick to recognize the importance of this principle in our children’s lives, as adults, we feel like we can disregard it. However, the truth is that we are just as impacted by the power of this principle now, as we were when we were younger. Today, we will discuss how we can become intentional...

A life hack is a new way of doing something that has a better result than your previous way of doing it. Doesn’t a better result sound inviting? What if there was a life hack that would move you from disgrace and to honor? Being honored at work or home sounds great, right? King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, had something to say about how to pursue a life of honor. THE BIG IDEA: Be humble...

We live in a world that loves a shortcut. We look for the easy way all of the time. If we can get something faster, cheaper, and with as little stress as possible, we’ll go all in! However, God made us for something more. God created us and called us to do something important: work. THE BIG IDEA: Hard work, works.

No one is going to argue against integrity. We all want leaders with integrity. We all want to marry people with integrity. And we all want to be people of integrity. The problem is when it comes to defining integrity. What is it? And what does it take to have it? It may not be what you think. THE BIG IDEA: Integrity is doing what you ought to do even if it costs you.

What is the meaning of life? That question has sent people looking and searching for “purpose” through fame, power, money, sex, and substances. Think about your life. What is the MAIN thing? What is the most important thing? What are you pursuing and why? What is your priority? THE BIG IDEA: Life becomes pointless when you remove God from your priorities.