Apart from Christ himself, our relationships are the most important thing we have in life. Even then, we need others in order to see Christ and be strengthened in Christ. Paul has been pointing the Thessalonians to Christ and his return, and he has reminded them of who God has made them to be. Now he begins to conclude his first letter to them with a series of short but impactful instructions on h...

Apart from Christ himself, our relationships are the most important thing we have in life. Even then, we need others in order to see Christ and be strengthened in Christ. Paul has been pointing the Thessalonians to Christ and his return, and he has reminded them of who God has made them to be. Now he begins to conclude his first letter to them with a series of short but impactful instructions on h...

One thing every one of us needs in this life is encouragement. But shallow, empty "attaboys" will not suffice! We need more substantial, lasting encouragement. As Paul writes to the Thessalonians, he encourages them with biblical truth, and calls them to encourage others with that same truth. What he says in chapter five of his first letter gives us real handles on how to encourage ourselves and o...

It's an unusual time we are living in right now, but we have a hope that is certain! And on this Easter Sunday, we celebrate and remember the precious promises we have in Christ because of His resurrection!

It's easy to get stuck on pause when we hit a season of affliction. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he acknowledged that their faith was at work and on display, but he didn't want them to stop there. He encouraged them, and us now, to continue on and to not waste the time or season they found themselves in.

The stories God gives us in Scripture provide us examples to help us grow in our faith. This week, as we look at Paul and how the Thessalonians responded to his ministry, we can learn some helpful lessons to help us live faithfully in these tumultuous days. In particular, it will help us build up some resistance and immunity against fear and uncertainty toward the future.

As Paul started out his letter to the Thessalonians, he was thankful for their testimony. In the midst of affliction, their faith, their love for God and others, and their hope in Jesus was evident to all. Could their testimony then be our testimony now, in this season of uncertainty and fear around the coronavirus pandemic?

Though he would rise to prominence as King of Israel, David came from humble beginnings. He was an unknown shepherd boy who was overlooked. But God saw something in him that no one else saw, because He sees things that no one else sees.

Our sexual lives are more than just thoughts in our mind or actions involving our bodies. Because everything in life is spiritual, sex is spiritual. Sex is an act of worship! And on a street level, day-to-day basis, the object of our worship shapes our sexual life. So what do we need to know, and what do we need to do, in order to avoid the brokenness and experience the goodness of sex as God inte...

Human sexuality is a glorious gift from God, but it often goes beyond the bounds of what God created it for. We are all affected by sexual sin, not just in our world, but often by our own sinful actions. But why do we do the things we do? This is an important question to consider if we are ever going to experience victory over sexual brokenness in our lives.

Sexuality is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. And yet, sex in our world today looks nothing like the way that God intended it to be. Based on the book Sex in a Broken World by Paul David Tripp, this sermon series will explore the underlying causes of sexual sin and point to the only place we can find help for sexual brokenness—the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.

If we are going to put the gospel first in our lives, we have to stop listening to ourselves and start talking to ourselves. In other words, we must preach the gospel to ourselves. One of the best ways to do this is by praying gospel prayers. This week we'll learn a four-part prayer that will help us orient our thinking and our lives around the Person & work of Jesus.

Everybody loves a good story. God himself is an author who invites us into the great story He is writing through the ages. To put first things first is to put the gospel story first.

Our tendency as Christians, and as humans beings in general, is to want a list of things to DO. But the gospel is primarily about what Christ has already DONE. This week we discover a tool called the Four Questions to help us keep the gospel first in our Bible reading and in our lives.

As a new year begins, it's natural to resolve to do better or be better in different areas. But putting first things first isn't necessarily about reaching goals; it's about reordering our lives to prioritize the most important things. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we, as the people of God, are called to put the Gospel above all else. In this series, we will seek to become gospel-formed peo...

Christmas is about God giving humanity the greatest gift ever: the Person of Jesus. But how is the coming of Jesus really a gift for us today?

Christmas is a big deal in our culture. But while most everyone knows that Jesus came, some don't realize (or forget) WHY He came. As we continue in John 1, we see four important truths about Jesus to help us truly celebrate the season.

In John 1, we are introduced to John, who served as a witness of the light. This week we heard from a living example of a modern-day witness, Dr. Hugo Gomez of Global CHE Network. Through his life's work, he is helping bring the light of the gospel to the villages of Guatemala.

The Christmas season is upon us! In order to grasp the depths of what Christmas is all about, we've got to know who the baby in the manger was, and why he came. In this series, we will look to the gospel of John, chapter 1, to answer those questions.

It's normal in our culture to have a degree of animosity between the generations. Take one look on social media and you'll quickly find evidence of it in all of the memes and banter littering our feeds. But the Church is meant to be different: a counter-culture. The next generation needs community -- the kind the Church is called to provide!

Everything in our culture targets the youth population. Entertainment, music, retail... you name it, they relentlessly go after the hearts and minds of the next generation. When Jesus walked the earth, He seemed to take an interest in the young as well. Why is the world so captivated by the younger generation, and what role does the Church play in all of this?

(Missing first few minutes of audio) How can we stay steady through all of life's ups and downs? In Revelation 4, we get a glimpse into the throne room of God. What we see there can help us keep our hearts intact through all the turmoil.

When we feel crushed in spirit, we use phrases to express our feeling of being "in a hole." The psalmists used similar language when they cried out to God "out of the depths." What can we learn from Psalm 130 to help us get free from the depths of our despair?

None of us escape life without suffering. But generally our expectation is that God should provide immediate deliverance. But what if there was something to be gained from suffering? What if there was purpose in the pain?

When our spirit is crushed, we can put our hope in God. But where do we find hope? Where do we run when we face disappointment? This week we look to Psalm 119 for the answer.