The Ridge – Weekly Message

Do not be anxious. These words of Jesus seem impossible — seemingly unattainable. Especially in 21st century life. If we look closer at HIs words, though, we’ll see that He doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. Jesus tells us exactly how we can live lives with less worry and anxiety. Message by Will Herron     Scripture referenced: Matthew 6:24–34 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals ....

God's justice is not a characteristic we tend to spend a lot of time thinking about. It's likely we spend more time reflecting on His love, kindness, or His creative power. So, why is it so important for us to not lose sight of God as a God of justice? How can it change how we see our past, present and future? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore Go...

Malachi 3: The Israelites were experiencing a gap between what they expected from God and what they were experiencing through God. It’s pivotal that we know God — His nature, character and attributes, His love and kindness, His righteousness and His justice. It is important for us to know all of Him. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Malachi 2:17–3:5 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devoti...

As we continue in the book of Malachi, our focus turns to marriage and faithfulness to God. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore three "Cs" to a healthy marriage, and discuss why the Bible's teaching on marriage still holds true. Additional Resources: for more info on getting connected into a community group at The Ridge click here . Read the ...

Behind Malachi's words in verses 10–16, we see that God is all about covenant. We’ll take a closer look at the concept of covenant — what it is and what it means. Hint: It's not a contract. It's a partnership — a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sounds like God's design for marriage. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Mal...

Do you enjoy confrontation? If so, you are in the vast minority! Most people will do anything to steer clear of challenging conversations. So how do we go about preparing ourselves for confrontational dialogue? And how become more open to receiving critique from others?  John Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees and BTS host, Will Herron, as they discover how confrontation, though challenging, can end...

Some passages in the Bible that inspire. Some passages guide us. And some that we’d just rather avoid completely. Rather than just skipping over these verses, if we dig in, we can figure out what God means. And what this one is really about is confrontation. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Malachi 2:1–9 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Sign up...

This week we took a break from our series in Malachi and spent time in the book of Ruth. One of the primary questions the story provokes in us is this: How do we go about making wise decisions in our lives? And when we make poor choices, how can we use those failures as a means to grow rather than regress in our faith? Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Leadership and Ministry D...

The folks at The BibleProject describe the book of Ruth this way: a beautifully crafted look at how God’s purpose interplays with human decision. See how this worked in the lives of Elimelech and Naomi, their sons, as well as their daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. And learn, too, what this means for us and our lives today. Message by Julie Wiemann Scripture referenced: Ruth 1:1–19 Read the  Beyon...

As we continue in The Book of Malachi, we learn that the Israelites were giving God their leftover animals as sacrifices. While we're not in the business of offering up animal sacrifices today, we can still be guilty of giving God our second best. Are you giving God your leftovers?  Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss how we can...

The first few verses of Malachi 1 tells us this: God loves us. A few verses later, though the question is turned: Do we love God? If we read on, Malachi reveals that love isn’t just a word or a feeling. It’s something you can see. If you love somebody, it shows. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Malachi 1:6–14 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Si...

Within the first few words of the book of Malachi, God is reminding the Israelites of His love for them. God loves us in the same way yet sometimes it's easy to forget. Sometimes miss the various ways He expresses that love in our lives.   Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss ways in which we can remain aware of God's presenc...

Malachi 1 tells us this: God loves us. Loved, that’s where we begin with God. We’re told that. We’ve heard that. And we know it, yet it is such an easy thing to forget. So, how do we remind ourselves of something so important? How do we live in the light of God’s love?   Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Malachi 1:1–5 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each w...

If you've spent any amount of time in a church you've probably heard it said, "God loves you". For something so familiar to so many, it is puzzling as to why many still struggle to truly believe it. Why is this so? How can we truly know and experience God's love in our lives? Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Ministry and Leadership Director, Julie W...

Though there are innumerable things the Bible teaches us, we’ll narrow the focus to three things to remember as we walk with God in 2024.  Message by Will Herron Scripture referenced: Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Sign up  to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox. 

The Christmas star. Shepherds left their flocks and fields to find Jesus. The Magi went to look for him. But how did they know who Jesus was and where to find him? And how do we? Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 2, Matthew 2 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Sign up  to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox. 

It's not uncommon to see a manger scene this time of year. Whether it's a decorative set on a mantel or a Christmas card sent by a friend, we are used to seeing various depictions of the scene of Jesus' birth. But, if we are not careful, over familiarity can lead to our losing our sense of wonder and gratefulness over God's gift in Jesus. So how can we maintain a sense of awe and g...

The Nativity. It’s one of the most recognizable and most popular scenes of Christian art that recounts the birth of Jesus and His adoration. You know the elements: the baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, cattle, sheep, a donkey, and often wise men. But is this fully accurate? And how does knowing this story and our familiarity with it impact our lives today? Message by Doug...

The Christmas season can evoke a mixture of memories and emotions. For some, it truly is "the most wonderful time of the year" but for others, loss, loneliness and relational dysfunction are magnified amidst the festivities. Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how the message of Christmas can speak lasting hope into our li...

Christmas is full of beauty and grace. It brings peace and comfort, reassurance of God’s profound love for us. That’s the story we tell. And it’s true. But there’s something — someone — we often overlook. Herod. When he realized he had been tricked by the wise men who came seeking the newborn king, in fury, Herod killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under. That...

In our final episode in the Habbakuk series, we turn our attention to joy. In contrast to happiness, joy is not something dictated by circumstance but a permanent underlying presence in our life. But how and where can we find such joy? Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how Habbakuk found joy in the midst of serious challenge and hardshi...

Have you ever asked God for something or been in a situation you knew God had the capacity to do something, but He didn’t? That’s where Habakkuk is here in the last verses of chapter 3. So what does he do? What do we do in those situations? Hint: We find joy.  Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Habakkuk 3:12–19 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Si...

For many of us, forgetfulness is an unwelcome attribute we live with. Whether we are naturally prone to it or we just get distracted with the business of life, it's easy for us forget who God is and what He has done. So how can we become a people of remembrance rather than forgetfulness? And how does remembering help us navigate the difficult seasons in our lives? Join Will Herron, Director of...

Life was hard enough for Habakkuk, and then he got even more bad news. What do we do when life is like that? It’s so easy to get consumed by problems, responsibilities, pain, suffering. Challenges distract us and cause us to forget when what we should be doing is remembering. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Habakkuk 3:1–11 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional...

You don't have to look far in the Bible to see people worshipping idols. Whether it's statues of wood, figures carved into stone, or a golden calf, ancient people displayed a tendency to elevate such things to a god-like status. Not many people in our region are doing this today, so why is the topic of idols still relevant? What does idolatry look like in the modern day, and how do we go a...