The Well Church of the Nazarene

James reminds us that we are the hands and feet of Jesus, branches that bear fruit, saved for Christ. Actions that others can see, can witness. This compliments Paul’s teaching that we are saved by grace through the blood of Jesus. He is the root, and we are saved in Christ. Root, branches, fruit--grace producing living proof for others to follow.

The good news leaves no room for favoritism, because every person bears God's image. Living proof faith believes there are no lost causes and every believer reflects the heart of Jesus by showing mercy, honoring the overlooked, and making room at the table for everyone.

God's Word was never intended to stop at our ears; it was meant to take root in our hearts. A life that bears fruit moves beyond listening to Jesus and lives like Jesus through obedience, compassion, and purity, leaving behind living proof of a life transformed by grace and truth. 

Life has no shortage of trials and struggles. We are often under pressure as we navigate the unexpected and the heavy moments of life. James reminds us that faith is our response to God’s greatest opportunities, revealing who we truly trust. God uses every challenge as an opportunity to mature our faith and make us living proof of His transforming grace.

Jesus promised power through the Holy Spirit to help us become witnesses--stewards of His story of grace. The Holy Spirit gives us power to live a shared life, taking our personal faith public!

Holiness is not self-produced behavorial perfection—it is the transforming work of God’s grace through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity reveals three expressions of grace that call, redeem, and empower believers to live intentionally, purposefully, and on mission!

Celebrating those beginning new chapters as well as the call we all have to live a spirit-empowered life. Featured Music:  "Deliberate Thought" Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Purpose is not something we create for ourselves—it's something we discover as we respond to God’s calling and live as sent people. God has uniquely gifted and positioned each of us to serve, showing the world the love and mission of Christ through our everyday lives.

Stewardship is not about ownership but trusting in covenant. A generous life gives evidence to a heart that is devoted to God. God provides not just for consumption, but for participation in His mission

Devoted believers share truth, life, and disciplines centered on Christ. As we move from simply attending to truly belonging to a covenant community, God shapes us together into a people who reflect His love and mission.

As prayer is our response to a covenantal relationship with God, Scripture is God’s voice that forms His people through teaching, correction, and training. As we consistently engage and respond to His Word, we become rooted, transformed to live out His covenant purposes as disciples of Jesus.  

Jesus teaches his disciples that prayer is not a vending machine or a checklist of requests, but rather a response to our covenantal relationship with God, rooted in identity, trust, and alignment with His will. The Lord’s Prayer is an invitation to live as God’s people, shaped by our dependence on his leading, provision, and grace. 

Guest speaker, Dr. David Mabry from Encompass Ministries, explores the biblical framework for building healthy, Christ-centered relationships by focusing on the New Testament's "one another" commands. By breaking down our relational calling into five actionable steps, we can move beyond simply existing near people and into intentional engagement, bringing Jesus' heart into our daily interactions.

On the first Easter morning in Luke 24, the women arrive at the tomb expecting death--but in the Upside Down Kingdom, graves give birth to life! The stone is rolled away, He is not there, and the greatest flip in history is revealed--Jesus is ALIVE! What looked like the end was actually just the beginning, and God is still turning our stories right-side up today.

In this message, we look at Jesus' "cleansing" of the temple through a different lens. Rather than just an act of anger, we see Jesus clearing out the "business as usual" to make room for those on the margins. We often think the way of Christ is "upside down," but when we see that life comes through death--just like pruning a tree for new growth--we realize it's actually the only way to live right...

In the Upside Down Kingdom of Jesus, humility and confidence find common ground in the light of God’s mercy. Luke 18:9-14 will help us check our posture, revealing whether we are performing for OR relating to God. 

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. But the stories are less about lost things and more about the heart of God who searches for those who are far from Him. The Upside Down Kingdom reminds us that while people may focus on the what or who went wrong, heaven celebrates those who are found.

In Luke 10:25–37, Jesus never calls the Samaritan “good,” yet his compassion crosses cultural and religious boundaries and reveals what true goodness looks like in the Upside Down Kingdom. In a story filled with questions, we are left with one that matters most to Jesus; “Will I become a neighbor who shows mercy?”

In Luke 8, a storm reveals the disciples’ fear, but it also shows the power of Jesus’ presence. In the Upside Down Kingdom, faith is not the absence of fear—it is learning to trust the One who is in the boat with us.

In the upside-down Jesus notices and restores people the world overlooks—a sick servant, a grieving widow. He crosses boundaries of power, purity, and social status to show us that in God’s kingdom no one is invisible, and faith is revealed in our response to the unnamed. 

Jesus confronts an upside-down view of Sabbath by showing that God’s rest is meant to restore life, not restrict it. True Sabbath invites us to trust God enough to stop and be made whole, creating space for God to work IN and THROUGH us. 

In our culture today, we often see those who resist God’s voice find security in their circumstances, while those who follow do so out of humility, obedience, and trust. In Luke 4 and 5, Jesus reveals that being called is not about being ready or feeling qualified, but about responding to His mission--even when it challenges our comfort and expectations. This is the upside-down kingdom of Jesus. 

Jesus reveals an upside-down kingdom by seeking out Zacchaeus, a man written off by society, and offering grace before demanding change. Luke 19:10 captures the heart of Jesus’ mission—to seek and to save the lost, even when it creates tension with our religious expectations and what cultural considers normal.

From three, wise, gift-bearing kings to a power-mongering king, to a tiny baby born a King, the final days of the Christmas season may seem filled with drama. But, is it really a tale of We Three Kings? Is it a clash of two kings? Or will it be a promise fulfilled by the King of Kings?