Real Life Arizona

Advent is a season of rejoicing. Rejoicing in a God who keeps His promises. Rejoicing in God's presence with us. And rejoicing in His unfolding plan of redemption in this world. Join us this week as Brian Bell walks us through reflections on Mary's song of rejoicing in the Gospel of Luke.

Have you ever read the story of Gabriel's announcement to Mary and wondered, "What was it about Mary? How did she come to be called 'O favored one'?" It's a great question for anyone who wants to be assured that "the Lord is with you." This week we zero in on the answer from the Gospel of Luke.

In our smallness, we struggle to orchestrate the days and years of our lives. Too many variables beyond our control. Too shortsighted in our vision to predict what will happen just days from now. But God in His greatness, brings to pass the promises He has made across hundreds and thousands of years. Across generations of His people. Bringing them to fruition in Jesus, who was truly God with us.

We didn't want to end our Abide series without providing pathways for abiding to move from the theoretical to the practical. To that end, we put together a panel of friends and neighbors to share what God has been teaching them about abiding and some practices they use to maintain a consistent, life-giving connection to Jesus, the True Vine.

The call is to abide. The question is, "How? How do I abide? And how do I abide in Jesus in the way that He intends." This is what we will discover this week as we discover the keys to abiding in Christ.

Jesus' use of vine and vineyard imagery would have struck a familiar chord with the disciples. And that chord would have reverberated into a clear understanding of what Jesus meant when he appealed to them to, "Abide in me." Join us today as we listen in with the disciples and learn to heed the call of Jesus to abide.

Jesus often used metaphors and parables to help us connect spiritual truths in ways that would impact our every day lives. The images of Jesus as the True Vine and the Father as the Vinedresser are foundational truths for a living faith that goes far below the surface and into the deep places of our lives. Join us this week for some thoughts and reflections on these words and a time of guided pray...

In order for Jesus' mission of making disciples to be successful, the methods He used would have to be reproducible. They would have to be something every disciple could understand and do in their own lives. This is where the Reproducible Process of a Disciple Making Culture comes into play. We must lead others and raise up others in a way that is clear enough for others to follow. And simple enou...

Jesus created a culture that was ripe for disciple making. How can we follow His lead and create the types of environments that lead to personal growth and the multiplication of disciples? That's what we'll discover in this week's message!

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always creating culture. By what we do. And how we do it. If we want to make disciples the way Jesus did, we must understand the specific things Jesus did to establish a culture of disciple making.

We are always creating culture - either intentionally or unintentionally. In this message, we examine the powerful influence of culture in shaping both individuals and communities and explore a principle that Jesus knew well - that the culture you create determines the disciples you make.

We have been looking at the story of the Exodus and the process that God uses to form and shape us into His people. This week we discover the third and final piece of that process: Celebration.

The call to "follow me" is a call to dedicate oneself to the purposes. of God. Without the element of dedication, we cannot go with God and we cannot become the people of God He calls us to become.

The Old Testament plays a key role in understanding the unfolding story and mystery of God. In this series, we take a look at the Exodus and Passover to discover principles and practices to deepen our walk with the Lord and enable us to play a part in the story He is writing. In this message, we discover that we are Set Apart to Play a Part. Old Testament stories offer unique perspective on God's...

Have you ever wondered why love is elevated so highly in the Scriptures? In this the final message in our series, we take a look at this crown of Christian virtues. What is the nature of this love? And why is it such a necessary element of our faith and walk with God? Join us as we discover the answer to these questions and much, much more.

As we approach the end of the series, it becomes clear that the remaining virtues are indispensable in our pursuit of a faith that is genuine and that will stand up in times of trial. This week we look at a virtue that characterizes everything Jesus envisions for His Church. Join us as we examine the virtue of brotherly affection and how it plays out in a life -- and in Christ's Church.

We don't spend a lot of time talking about godliness in church these days. Is it because the word is out of style? Or because we've lost sight of its importance? Either way, the virtue of godliness is something Scripture calls all of us to. What is it exactly? And how can we grow in it? That's what we'll discover in this week's message.

In his final letter to the church, Peter exhorts believers to build upon the foundation of their faith with a number of essential virtues. This week we take a look at a pair of these virtues and what they contribute to a Faith that is Fall Proof.

In his final letter to the church, Peter exhorts believers to build onto the foundation of their faith with a number of Christian virtues. This week we take a look at the importance of the first of these virtues and what it contributes to a Fall Proof Faith.

This message kicks off a new sermon series in the book of Second Peter. Looking back on his life, Peter writes to the church to encourage them to add certain virtues to their faith. If they do so, Peter says, they will never fall. Over the next several weeks we'll take a deep dive into these virtues and see how they culminate in a life characterized by love.

What is success? What does a life well-lived look like? At the end of the day, what really matters? These are questions we answer as we look at Paul's concluding prayer for the church. This is the final message in our series in First Thessalonians. [1Thess 5:11-24]

In Christ, we have hope beyond this life. Hope beyond this world and its struggles. What is that hope and how can we live accordingly? That is what this message from John and Kathy Cocca will help us discover.

There is a way of life that leads to life. That leads to fullness of life. In our passage this week, Paul points us to that way of life and the basis for finding it.

What does winning look like when it comes to the church and church culture? Join us as we answer that question in week 3 of our series This is the Time!