The Harbor

The teaching of Jesus on marriage in Matthew 19 was so clear, so controversial, and so countercultural—His standard for marriage was so high—that even His own disciples, upon hearing Jesus’ teaching and expectations on marriage responded, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!” (Matthew 19:10)  In this message, we address one of the most sensitive subjects in the Church—marriage, divorce...

The primary purpose of marriage—according to God through the Apostle Paul—is not to solve our loneliness. It’s not to fulfill some romantic need or desire. It’s not to complete me, and it's not to “find the one". None of those things are bad. Marriage can provide companionship. There is and can definitely be romance and sexual fulfillment. But while those things might be by-products of a...

Singleness is not a season to endure. It’s not something to simply wait out until something better comes along. Singleness can actually be that “something better.” It’s a status to celebrate. What is there to celebrate about singleness? Watch/listen to this message by Senior Pastor Jeff Maness to find out. Blog Post: https://www.theharbor.life/blog/2025/01/19/celebrating-singleness Message Notes:...

Most of us grew up being taught that somewhere out there in the world is one person—we actually call them “the one”—just waiting for me to find them, to “be mine,” love me, kiss me, and be my soul mate. Until I do—until I find “the one”—I will be incomplete. Unfulfilled. I won’t be whole. But have we been focusing on the wrong thing? Watch/listen to the first message of the series, Exposed: Reveal...

Trust. It’s such a simple word yet carries profound weight. Who do you trust completely? Maybe you struggle to answer that question, especially if life has taught you that trust can be broken by those closest to you—friends, family, colleagues, or even yourself. But what about God? If He asked, “Do you trust me?” how would you respond? The truth is, trust in God can feel challenging, even for thos...

What will define you in the coming year? As we wrap up 2024 and look forward to 2025, Pastor Jeff Maness challenges us, individually and as a church, to intentionally make a part of our new year and really, a part of our lives forever, three take-aways from Psalm 29. Watch/listen to this short devotional to see what these three things are and how they can impact your life and relationship with God...

In this Christmas Eve message, Pastor Jeff Maness walks us through the Christmas story from an angle you may have never seen before. This is the story of a covenant God made with Abraham about 2,000 years before the arrival of Jesus—and it is connected to our Christmas story still today. Watch/listen to this final Message From the Manger to get a fresh perspective on Christmas! Click here for Past...

The message of Good News the angels brought the shepherds was that a new King had arrived—and who had He arrived for? Luke 2:10 says it is for ALL people! It’s a message, screaming from the manger, that Christ came into the world not to be served, but to serve others—all others. This message of Good News had no limits. It was a message of service to everyone. Christ came to serve you and to serve...

At Christmas we celebrate that our omnipresent God entered into space and time as a baby. The Creator – who spoke the world into existence with the breath of His mouth – becomes part of His own creation. The all-powerful, sovereign, and in-control God becomes a helpless child with no control or ability at all, completely dependent on beings He created. Talk about submission! The message of the man...

This Message From The Manger is a message of sovereignty. Sovereignty means supreme power or authority. In theological terms, it refers to God’s absolute authority and control over all creation. God is never out of control, lacking control, or needing to take control. At all times – and through all things – God has ultimate power and authority over everything that happens. God is in control! Watch...

In the series Reframing Rest, we’ve learned that the Sabbath is a rhythm, rooted in creation. A reminder of how God rescued us from our slavery to sin, and a gift that God gives us every single week to enjoy for our good. We learned that we stop on the Sabbath to reveal our trust in God, refuel us for the work of God, and refocus us on what we have in God. That He is enough, and I don't have...

Throughout this series, we've talked about the benefits and difficulties of observing a weekly Sabbath. We've talked about things we should do on that day and things we should stop for that day. And we've gone over what Scripture has to say about it. This fourth message is a two-part panel discussion with people in different stages of life taking questions from the audience on how t...

Throughout this series, we've talked about the benefits and difficulties of observing a weekly Sabbath. We've talked about things we should do on that day and things we should stop for that day. And we've gone over what Scripture has to say about it. This fourth message is a two-part panel discussion with people in different stages of life taking questions from the audience on how t...

Sabbath is not an obligation—it is an invitation. An opportunity to receive a gift from God every single week. Yes, it is in the law of God as the fourth of the Ten Commandments, but Sabbath is not just law—it is life. It is a blessing, not a burden.  So how do we do this Sabbath practice? There is no formula to make the Sabbath work for you, but there is a framework that leads to success. Watch t...

While there is an abundance of historical, psychological, physical, and even scientific and medical evidence of the benefits of taking one day off each week to completely rest, the vast majority of people—especially in our modern Western world—fight against this rhythm that God rooted into creation. We're like three-year-olds fighting a nap—knowing we're exhausted but refusing to accept...

60% of U.S. adults say they feel more tired now than they’ve ever been. --- OnePoll Research Firm 58% of people said that feeling tired keeps them from enjoying life, and 33% of people "always" or "often" still feel tired even after a good night's sleep. --- Talker Research Firm Why is this happening? Why do we wear busyness as a badge of honor - yet constantly talk about...

Love First - Followers of Jesus should be characterized by genuine love and deep commitment to one another and our neighbor, which flows from our whole love of God. Jesus led the way in showing us how to live with love first. We love because He loved us first, and our love for others flows from God's love for us. What does that actually look like? Watch this very special message as Pastor Jef...

We are Managers, Not Owners - Followers of Jesus should be effective and efficient managers of all God gives them, understanding that He owns it all. Jesus used money to help convey spiritual principles many times, allowing us to learn financial lessons while also learning deeper spiritual truths. In this message, guest speaker author, speaker, and founder of I Was Broke, Now I'm Not, Joe San...

Health Requires Hard Work - Followers of Jesus must work hard to carefully nurture their own spiritual, emotional, relational, physical, and financial health as we continually grow in likeness to Christ. Good works in every area of life are part of God’s plan for our lives to become more like Jesus, not so we can earn our salvation but as a result of our salvation. Watch this message, "Health...

Uncompromising Relevance - To honor God and inspire people, the Church should pursue excellence and be culturally relevant while remaining biblically faithful and doctrinally pure. In order to connect with people and share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ, we must meet them right where they are with uncompromising relevance and excellence. Watch/listen to this message by Senior Pastor Jeff...

Serving Matters - Followers of Jesus should serve in areas that use their God-given gifts to strengthen and build up the Church and others. To follow Christ is to live a life of serving, because serving matters. Serving is not something you sign up to do once in a while; it's a lifestyle. How do I live a serving matters life? I must be willing to pour, be waiting for provision, and be watchin...

Bold Faith - Healthy followers of Jesus boldly live out their faith with passion and conviction, marked by grace and truth. We have read stories in the Bible about the early Christians living out their faith in Christ, even when they were threatened with death if they didn't stop talking about Jesus. We've seen video about modern day Christians in other areas of the world who are beaten...

Core Value #2 - Come As You Are: God wants every person to come as they are to Him and His Church, where they can find forgiveness, eternal life, and life to the full through Jesus. God wants us to come as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. Just because God receives us as we are does not mean there isn’t a standard that He calls us to live out. "Come As You Are" is no...

Core Value #1 - Prayer is Our Priority: The work of the Church is first and foremost prayer, by which all other work is led, empowered, and supported. There is no such thing as a healthy, thriving, Christ following, God honoring church, if that church is not focused on and driven by prayer. This is why prayer is our first Core Value at The Harbor. Why is prayer so important? To see, watch/listen t...

People may not say it to us, but they are evaluating whether our faith is genuine by watching how we live our lives. The only way they can truly tell if our faith is real is not by our words, because words can be empty, but by our actions. If we truly believe that what we say we believe is really real, then our lives will reflect it. So the question is, are we living a life that is worthy of the G...