Recreate Church

Fighting the Black Dog Today, Michael is talking about depression, the “Black Dog” as Winston Churchill coined it. The theme today can be summed up as, “Praise is a weapon against depression” and Michael will drill down on it herein. Not all depression is situational, though as we see in Psalms 102 we hear of ‘the day of his trouble”, a season of struggle, a deep disappointment, prolonged illness,...

Peace Today, Michael shares with us the story of Greg Boyle, a missionary whose experiences in Bolivia shaped his understanding of justice and peace. Upon his return, he found himself in East LA, a community scarred by violence.  Greg, who had officiated at the funerals of many young men, was approached by their mothers, seeking ways to bring peace. Greg prayed fervently to God for a way to help a...

Choosing Barabbas Today, Michael is talking about choices. Choices can fall into many categories: really important or seemingly trivial.  Every time we make a choice, it can impact our lives.  And choices shape character and destiny; one choice at a time. In today’s lesson, two men were sentenced to death, and someone got to choose between two men; one got to be freed and one executed.  A group of...

12 Denials of Christ We Never Saw Coming Today Michael is looking at one of the most famous denials in history.  Jesus was carried to face the Sanhedrin, with Caiaphas leading the charge of trying to find something they could use to put Jesus to death. The high priest asked if Jesus declared himself the Messiah?  To which Jesus answered, “I am.  And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right...

The Moonlight Kiss of Betrayal. Today Michael is still in Mark (we’re just about done!) and he is going to tell a story, like a story, not just reading.  True narrative format and it’s good! Jesus is talking with His disciples, letting them know, that all ‘will fall away’.  Meaning, when the going get’s tough, the disciples won’t be so tough! And this theme, with Jesus, His disciples and the messa...

Dinner with Jesus Today Michael is talking about the Last Supper.   Jewish holidays, during biblical times, were in the spring and close together, starting with Passover, going into the Feast of Unleavened Bread and then the Feast of Firstfruits.  So, this lesson is on the Passover meal and how Jesus asked His disciples to prepare the meal and trust in Him.  There are two key takeaways from this l...

Generation Shapers Today, as we celebrate Father’s Day, Pastor Michael is kicking off with a dose of “Dad Jokes.” He humorously insists that these jokes are the comfort food of humor, but whether you agree or not, they’re sure to bring a smile to your face!   Now, here are some Dad statistics that aren’t so funny:  25% of children grow up without a Dad. These 25% represent:  90% of homeless and ru...

Jesus Is Worthy Today, Pastor Michael is promulgating a story, seemingly unconnected in purpose and place, about parallels in why folks show up at places. Linking this to Jesus and His stories, the core idea here is “Jesus Is Worthy.” Timeline-wise, this is about 36 hours before Jesus’ crucifixion. The next night would be the Passover meal. Jesus is not in Jerusalem at this moment but in Bethany....

Trust the Timing to God. Today, Pastor Michael is starting us off right on eschatology, a big word that means the science of the last things. If only we had someone on our side who could help us understand time and the last times. This concludes Pastor Michael’s study on the end times.  We find Jesus telling a story about a fig tree. The signs Jesus talks about in this parable are during the Tribu...

Jesus is Peace Today, Pastor Michael is discussing how the world is always ‘on’ these days.  The world sells treatments, not cures.  It sells distractions, not peace.  Others gain power by keeping people anxious.  This generation and every generation needs to understand that Jesus is peace. Pastor Michael is in the book of Mark, which has Jesus warning others of false saviors.  In the last days, t...

Summer Today, Pastor Michael turns it over to Duncan Crook.  Duncan is starting the message with “Summer”.  Thanking God, rejoicing with Him, for the good times, in the summer of our lives.  Duncan starts on Psalm 139 and digs into it. Attributes outlined here in this Psalms are: God knows me intimately.  God knows what I think.  God knows where I go. God knows what I say. God knows what I need. T...

Moma Fixes the Mess. Today, Pastor Michael shares a powerful story from the Old Testament, a time of great turmoil. It’s the story of Moma Fixes the Mess, a testament to the profound wisdom of God and the importance of allowing Him to guide us in challenging times. In this story, the hero is a Moma, Deborah.  Sisera, the commander of King Jabin, is going around the nation doing bad things, and the...

Mother's Day, 2024 Our pastor, Michael Shockley, asked Diane Crook to give a special message this Mother's Day, from Proverbs 31. Enjoy!

Simple Faith for a Complex World. Today, Pastor Michael is drilling down on the complexities of modern life.  We like complexity until it becomes overwhelming, but it is a real part of modern day-to-day living.  God did not make a world that was overly complex.  He put people in a situation that was pretty idyllic and low-key.  But we, starting with Adam and Eve, pretty much messed that one up!  N...

Tribulation = Time to Trust. Today, Pastor Michael is talking about tribulation.  What is tribulation?  What is THE Tribulation? The dictionary defines tribulation as a state of great trouble or suffering. Health, loss, confusion, and generally rough times are also tribulations. So, what do we do when we go through a period of tribulation? Jesus spoke a message to a group of people about “THE” tri...

Don’t Be Afraid of Tomatoes! Today, Pastor Michael discusses the importance of not fearing as a believer. He draws a parallel from history, when people in the past, many centuries ago, were afraid of tomatoes because they were called ‘poison apples.’ They believed tomatoes were lethal, but in reality, the acid in tomatoes was reacting with lead from pewter plates used in those days. Just as a prep...

You Can’t Outgive God. Today, Pastor Michael is expanding upon where Jesus cleaned the temple out of all the folks doing business inside, instead of worshipping.  He runs them out and comes back on Tuesday and the religious leaders come out to meet Him, wanting to know what on earth He was doing back at the temple.  The next day, Wednesday, they try tripping Him up again.  So now, we’re at the poi...

Toxic Leadership. Today, Pastor Michael talks about something we universally seem to run into: Toxic Leadership.  Everyone seems to have a story or know someone affected by Toxic Leadership. But it hits closer to home than we think. The biggest group of people who should answer to their role in leadership are YOU and I. While we may not have the “title” of “Leader,” leadership is really and truly...

The Offense of the Cross. Today, Pastor Michael is talking about Easter, the biggest day in Christianity!  And bluegrass music in Peru, but that’s another story. The cross is a symbol found everywhere. The cross of Christ is everywhere but misunderstood, and Michael wants us to see it in a new way. A writer, the Apostle Paul, said the cross was offensive.  He was writing to a group near Galatia, a...

Refuge at The Lord’s Table. Today, Pastor Michael is talking about so many things: regrets, sins, finances (or lack of them!), relationships, and how the world can turn all of that into a rough place.  We need a refuge, a shelter from all of that.  We need a place to go when we are hurting, stressed and confused.  Is there a refuge like that? Yes, God has made that place and welcomes you into it. ...

The Chosen One. Today, Pastor Michael will tell us a story about a “Chosen One.” We seem to love stories about somebody special who shows up to save the day! The idea of the Chosen One has been around so long that it’s almost become a cliche, but there are historical roots.  God gave us paradise, and we messed it up by violating His one and only rule.  But God sent His Chosen One to fix what is br...

The REsource and THE Source. Today, Pastor Michael is kicking off on “Scarcity Mentality”, a mindset that forces one to focus on only the lack of resources.  The heart of the message is, “Use the resource, trust the source.”  The source, Jesus, will never run out! Jesus is on His last trip to Jerusalem, coming from Galilee, knowing He will be crucified, rise from the grave, and defeat death and th...

The Greatest Commandment Today, Pastor Michael is talking about why we obey God.  Why God sets boundaries and how sin destroys.  And why our core statement today is, “Love God, Love People”.  We’re in Jesus’ story in the last week of His life.  Plans are afoot to capture Him and kill Him.  He is less than 48 hours from being crucified.  A group of Pharisees had gotten together and were comparing n...

God’s Logic Today, Pastor Michael is turning the reigns over to the ever-popular Billy Huneycutt.  Billy starts off talking about worldly and appliance logic, rolling into religious logic.  The latter isn’t always right, so Billy is expounding upon “God’s Logic.” Billy will be using the Samaritan woman as an example in his story.  Also ever present are the Pharisees, who have gotten wind that Jesu...

Truth Demands Transformation. Today, Pastor Michael is covering the last of Jesus’ earthly ministry, engaged in a topic entitled “Truth Demands Transformation,” meaning if you are receiving the word of God and it doesn’t prompt you to become someone different, someone closer to God, you are missing a huge part of the banquet laid out before you. Here, the Sadducees were the rivals of the Pharisees...