The Harbor

When life is great, it's easy to praise God, but when life is hard, it can be easy to blame God. Is God who you turn to first in the good and the bad? In this message, "Courageous Trust", Community Care Pastor David Miller teaches us how to combat anxiety by waiting on the Lord, replacing intrusive worries and what-ifs with the Word of God and worship. Follow along with the Message...

Being a Christian means we have surrendered our lives to God. That means everything in our lives...everything, including our finances. Experiencing deep fulfillment includes a surrender of our finances to God. The Bible records many promises for those who are generous in giving to God. Watch or listen to this message, "Finding Fulfillment Financially", to learn how to surrender your fina...

Our world is "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" all the time. We are so worried about getting ahead or falling behind. But God does not want His children to be stressed. So how do we find more hours in the day? The solution to hurry is not more time, it is choosing to simplify and slow down. Watch or listen to this message, "How Hurry is Killing You" to find out how to set the pace of rest...

One of our core values at The Harbor is this: "Serving Matters - Followers of Jesus should serve in areas that use their God-given gifts to strengthen and build up the Church and others." In this special service, which we have dubbed "No Show Sunday," we used an unusual method to show those that regularly serve in our church how valuable their service is to everyone who attends...

As the season of Lent approaches, many often start wondering what they should give up or sacrifice for that forty days. But lent is not about what we give up; it's about that with which we fill the void. This is the point of fasting. In this message, Senior Pastor Jeff Maness teaches that sacrificing one thing without seeking something else will always leave you short in your spirit. Watch/li...

Baptism is more than a one-time event; it is an ongoing part of our faith journey. In this message Pastor Jeff Maness answers the questions, "What is baptism, why should I be baptized, and how is it a part of my journey?" Learn how baptism is not just a ceremony, but an integral part of our life of faith. Jeff's notes are here: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=HyGtQKM9a...

Only around 25% of the ocean floor has been mapped by high resolution technology, and only 5% of our ocean floors have been physically explored. That's pretty amazing when you realize that the oceans cover about 70% of our earth. We can see the oceans, but few have seen much more than the surface. Whether we realize it or not, our faith in Jesus is the same. We have so much that we’ve yet to...

Have ever wondered about church membership at The Harbor? Do you wonder what it is, why you should be a member, and what it requires of you? This is the message that will answer all of your questions. Periodically, The Harbor uses a Sunday morning message as a means by which existing Harbor Members can reconsider their commitment to membership at The Harbor, and nonmembers can learn about this com...

At the beginning of a new year, do you make resolutions? New Year's Resolutions are usually about taking control of areas like our eating habits, our time, our spending, our lives. But in this message entitled, "The Great Reset", Discipleship Pastor Ryan Akers says we need to give up control of three areas of our lives to really live the full and abundant life God has called His chi...

Join us for this special New Year's Devotional as Pastor Chris Taylor leads us in worship with a song of hope, and Senior Pastor Jeff Maness gives us his inspirational word for 2024. We hope you'll take some time to end 2023 in reflection, thanksgiving, and prayer for the New Year. _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe so you don't miss a...

What we expect and what we experience can sometimes be very different, even disappointing. Christmas is an excellent example of that. To fully experience what was given at Christmas, we have to fully understand what to expect from Christmas. In this message, entitled "Disappointment with Jesus", Senior Pastor Jeff Maness teaches what we should expect from the very first Christmas. Follow...

Hope is the fuel that keeps us going. Without hope, it is difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. Jesus brings us hope, and not just for the new day, but for all of eternity! Watch this message to find out why there is hope in the name of Jesus. Click here for Pastor Jeff's message notes. _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe so you don&apo...

Another of the Ugly Christmas Sweaters that seems to be amplified during the holidays is loneliness. Even with family and friends all around us, and sometimes especially with people all around us, we can feel lonely. In this message Pastor Jeff teaches us the truth about loneliness and how to combat it. Click here for Jeff's notes. Click here for Small Group Questions. _______________________...

Have you struggled with greed? Most have at one time or another. And it seems to run rampant at Christmas time. It fits into the season like an Ugly Christmas Sweater. If we are not intentional about overcoming greed, we’ll be in bondage to an overwhelming god, the god of "more", the god of discontent, the god of selfishness. In this message, entitled "Overcoming Greed", Senior...

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” —Matthew 5:10-11 This is not a blessing for which we often pray, but Jesus knew persecution would come to many who follow Him. Persecution is real, and it is happening today aroun...

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. —Matthew 5:9 This beatitude is not talking about those who live in a peaceful manner, but those who bring about real, lasting peace, those who work to bring people to Jesus so that they can live in peace with God. As Christians, we are called to bring peace to the world. Watch this message by Director of Worship Art...

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. —Matthew 5:8 Everyone wants to see God, and if you are in Christ, you will see Him in heaven. But those that are pure in heart will see God now, here on Earth. So how do I make my heart pure? The answer is: you can't. A pure heart is received from Jesus, not achieved for Jesus. It's not based on what you do. Our hearts are m...

Mercy is more than an attitude, it is an action toward others, fueled by love. Jesus taught us to love one another and to show mercy to others, just as the Father has shown mercy to us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7 NLT). There are over 2,000 passages in the Bible that say God wants us to take care...

We all have cravings from time to time, and we try to appease those cravings (within reason). But even following our most heartfelt longing doesn't really leave us feeling satisfied. It is only in seeking God's righteousness will that we can be filled and truly, deeply satisfied. In this message we talk about the fourth Beatitude: "God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice...

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. -- Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) Meekness is generally equated with weakness, but it means quite the opposite. Meekness is power under control. Being meek is not the same as being weak; it is demonstrating God’s power under control. At any time on the way to the cross, or even from the cross, Jesus could have used His power to call down legions of angel...

The second Beatitude in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is: "God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4 NLT) The Greek word for mourn here is Penthéō, and it means, "To grieve over a death; to grieve over a personal hope that dies. A manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid." Have you felt this way? Are you grievin...

Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to be blessed. Jesus presented some values that describe a life that is blessed. The problem is, these values are not of this world. They are upside down and backwards. In this series we’re going to walk through eight values Jesus taught called “The Beatitudes”. These eight values lay out the pathway for those who desire to live "ᗡƎSSƎ⅂ꓭ.” At the beg...

We generally like for people to know as little about us as possible. We are afraid to admit our doubts, our fears, our worries, and our sins. We are afraid to live naked. But that is the opposite of what God has for us. He wants us to live naked so we can experience His love and hope and peace. In Part 1 of the mini-series We're All in this Together, Pastor Ryan Akers taught that, "We we...

Have you ever wondered what the perfect church would look like? Acts 2:42-47 describes the Church (big C) as it was when it first started. "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer." Everyone lived in community, sharing everything they had, taking care of one another's need...

Sarah laughed at God when He said she was going to have a baby. Certainly she was too old! The Prodigal Son decided to go back to his father in the capacity of a slave. Certainly he had made too many mistakes and was too full of shame to be restored as a son! Zacchaeus was a notorious sinner who just wanted to get a peak at Jesus, but Jesus wanted to go to his house for dinner. Certainly Zacchaeus...