Pathfinder Church Messages

Pathfinder Church | September 15, 2024 | AJ Mastic What does it truly mean to connect with another person? Can it happen on a FaceTime screen or by following each other’s newsfeeds? Is a 90 day snapchat streak a surefire sign of a real connection? In a world where people are considered “friends” because we click a button and we “do church” online, how do we know if technology is serving our relati...

Pathfinder Church | September 8, 2024 | Dion Garrett The natural world used to give us cues of when it was time to work or rest, sow or reap, sleep or wake, wear shorts or sweaters the rhythms of creation demanded and almost guaranteed that there would be no overindulgence in anything and we would find abundance in all the rich states of our existence. With advancements in technology, however, we’...

Pathfinder Church | August 25, 2024 | Doug Mauss We’ve been long promised that technology will make our lives easier, reduce the number of hours we work, remove unpleasant labor from the equation, and deliver us into lives of greater leisure. Despite those promises, for the last 70 years, life has moved in the other direction. But now, with new advances in robotics and AI, it finally seems that th...

Pathfinder Church | August 18, 2024 | AJ Mastic Over time, people have defined what it means to be human in different ways (rationality, creativity, ethics and morals). For Christians, we have looked to the Book of Genesis to understand the place of honor we’re given in and over creation. But in a world where artificial intelligence is quickly encroaching on territory that once only belonged to us...

Pathfinder Church | August 11, 2024 | Dion Garrett Why doesn’t God take us to heaven right away? What’s the point of our sojourn on earth?  On the journey we discover more about God’s grace and power, his transformative hand through all the things that feel challenging, tragic, and pointless. It’s about what God does in the journey, not the destination… and setbacks become the means by which we gr...

Pathfinder Church | August 4, 2024 | Doug Mauss Most stories are about a protagonist overcoming obstacles due to his own strength, perseverance, and wisdom. But the Christian story relies on God’s supernatural wisdom and guidance, not our own. And we all have access to a divine power, the Holy Spirit in us. Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts...

Pathfinder Church | July 28, 2024 | Dion Garrett There’s one final step to living with a deep sense of gratitude that too few of us experience: paying forward our blessings to others. How can giving to others enrich us, when the math says it will only deplete us?  Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podcasts Facebo...

Pathfinder Church | July 21, 2024 | AJ Mastic When you experience something really good, it’s natural to want to talk about it. Except sometimes, whether because of modesty or self-protection, we do the opposite. In life, we’re encouraged to keep life’s good things to ourselves; after all, no one likes a braggart. But what do we miss out on when we fail to tell others about the good things in our...

Pathfinder Church | July 14, 2924 | Doug Mauss While we may say “thank you” to the person at the counter who serves us, things like thank you notes are a challenge. When seen through the lens of etiquette, formal “thank yous” seem burdensome, antiquated, and pointless, and perhaps they are? But what do we miss when we fail to take time to express our thanks, intentionally and specifically? (Notes...

Pathfinder Church | July, 7, 2024 | AJ Mastic When someone pays you a compliment, what do you do? Do you quickly brush it off or do you take it in and savor it? What about when someone does something generous for you in a time of need? Why is it so difficult to enjoy the lemonade of life, even when we can clearly see the full glass before us?  Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | ht...

Pathfinder Church | June 39, 2024 | Dion Garrett We notice lots of things in our daily lives, but usually we’re quicker to notice life’s lemons—life’s sour moments. Then, once we start seeing lemons, that’s all we can see! Just look at how quickly this can happen for entire nations! How do we cultivate a grateful mindset when life throws so many frustrations, slights, and disappointments at us?  W...

Pathfinder Church | June 23, 2024 | Doug Mauss Our world can be a really ugly and difficult place. The Gospel gives us hope of a better life, where God prospers us, like He did with many in the Bible – but that leaves us confused when life gets hard. Shouldn’t faith shield us from the pain and suffering of the world? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/giv...

Pathfinder Church | June 16, 2024 | Dion Garrett Some leaders bridge the gap between church and state; pastors that preach politics, and politicians that make faith their platform. Their uncommon approach may win our attendance or vote, but should we entrust one voice with so much authority? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathf...

Pathfinder Church | June 9, 2024 | Doug Mauss The Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, contains hundreds of laws; shalls and shall nots. Are they just a part of history, or should we still be trying to keep them? What function do they serve today? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podcasts Facebook | https:/...

Pathfinder Church | June 2, 2024 | AJ Mastic For ages, Christians have gotten the impression that our faith is about believing we’ll get to go to heaven someday. But, how could that have produced the global Christian movement that we have today, or established high-impact faith-based institutions like Hospitals, orphanages, and schools? Is there something we’re missing? Website | https://pathfinde...

Pathfinder Church | May 26, 2024 | Doug Mauss Christians know that we will have to answer to God for our deeds, so we hold ourselves and others to the standards laid out in the Bible. But it seems like the bar is impossibly high. Do you ever wonder where you stand with God? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podca...

Pathfinder Church | May 19, 2024 | Dion Garrett People read the Bible in all sorts of different ways, so how are we supposed to make sense of it? We do our best to let it guide the lives that we construct, but what if we’re emphasizing the wrong things? Is there a way to know we’re reading scripture the right way? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give P...

Pathfinder Church | May 12, 2024 | Doug Mauss Our earliest complaint as children, and our enduring value as adults, is that life should be fair. Everyone should get what they deserve. But is perfect fairness the highest good, is there something even better—something we all wish we had instead? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pat...

Pathfinder Church | May 5, 2024 | AJ Mastic It’s really nice to have comfortable things! A nice house, a quality car, constant access to the internet and our phones. The messaging of our culture says that comfort should be our ultimate goal—but is there something even better? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/pod...

Pathfinder Church | April 28, 2024 | Doug Mauss “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Our culture honors a good work ethic. It’s right to be diligent and work hard at what we do. And yet, this busy-ness becomes a taskmaster, demanding that we keep up the pace, in order to earn the good things in life. Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://path...

Pathfinder Church | April 21, 2024 | Dion Garrett There are certain assets in life that obviously help smooth out our paths: money, power, resources, and talent. These are the powerful levers that help us feel secure in life. But the quest for security comes with costs, both for ourself and others. What is the better dream God would have us rely on? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Givin...

Pathfinder Church | April 14, 2024 | AJ Mastic It’s so good to be free. To be in control of your own life. To not have to do what anyone else tells you to do. And we often try to build a life that only depends on our own ability to be successful. But at what point does the “self-made” man need a little help? When does individualism begin to limit us? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Givi...

Pathfinder Church | April 7, 2024 | Doug Mauss Being “unique” is a tricky dance. On the one hand, many of us would love to have extraordinary lives. On the other hand, very few of us want to be considered weird. How do we find a balance between making our mark and sticking out from the crowd, but also fitting in with the people you care about? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | ht...

Pathfinder Church | March 31, 2024 | Dion Garrett What’s Better than Getting our Dreams? All of us have dreams for our lives, whether they be big or small. But dreams are tricky things. On the one hand, missing out on the life we’ve always wanted can lead to despair. On the other hand, as championship athletes can attest, succeeding at our dreams doesn’t necessarily bring life fulfillment, either....

Pathfinder Church | March 24, 2024 | AJ Mastic When someone is suffering, it feels right to try to join them in their suffering, to somehow stand with them.  But lately the offering of “thoughts and prayers” to someone in a hardship has come to be seen as an empty and patronizing sentiment. But should those two things be linked, “thoughts and prayers?” What might prayer be able to accomplish for s...