The Well Church of the Nazarene

A portion of Israel is in exile, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are faced with a challenge: bow to the image of the king or get thrown into a fiery furnace. They refuse, but are unharmed by the flames, and they're joined by one who looks like the Son of God. We learn two powerful things in this story: 1) Never worship powers other than God. Participate as God leads, but never bow down. And, 2...

This summer we've been tracking the Israelites in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and seeing how they've come to rely on God throughout this epic adventure. At this point in the story, David has killed a giant, been anointed by Samuel to be the next king, and has ended up in Saul's inner circle. But despite his innocence and a history of doing right, David lands on the opposite of S...

Dr. Nelson Perdue joins us for a special, one day revival service. 

Josh, Mara, and Paul chat about David & Goliath in this week's series discussion. 

We referenced the story of David and Goliath in our "Go" series, but here we're going to focus even more on the weapons we choose. David fought as he was gifted. God equips us as he needs us.   Imagine a cello playing picking up his instrument and trying to produce music by blowing on end end. Or a flutist, who bangs her instruments against the floor to create rhythm. Would a drum play pick up his...

Bryan's back with us this week, Paul's returned from vacation, and in this week's series discussion, Bryan, Paul, and Mara continue our ongoing conversation regarding God's epic story. This past Sunday (July 19), we talked about the anointing of David. This afternoon, we're digging deeper into the behind-the-scenes of Samuel's decision and how we can apply what we're learning from this story to ou...

God has rejected King Saul because of his disobedience, and Samuel is called to appoint the successor. God leads him to the sons of Jesse, of which He chooses the youngest. God saw something within David--his heart. In keeping with our musical analogy in this series, we're going to talk about another fundamental part of music--expression. Music is more than a science. It reaches into our emotions....

Josh, Mara, and guest Bryan Knurek dig deeper into Gideon's story featured in week six of our Epic series (July 12). When--if ever--is it okay to put God to the test? Or rather, how do we know the will of God? Most people don't get a physical sign when seeking God's will the way Gideon did, so, practically speaking, what are some ways God affirms His will in our lives? When we're discerning the wi...

During the time of Judges (between Joshua and King Saul), there was a familiar cycle: God blessed, the people rebelled, God sent oppression, the people cried out, God sent a deliver, God blessed. Gideon--another unlikely hero--was one of those deliverers. God called him to move--to do the impossible--and Gideon was willing to destroy the foreign idols even though he still had questions. Will YOU a...

This summer, we're tracking the Israelites from slavery to their time in the wilderness, then their journey into the Promised Land. In June, we talked about looking at things from God's perspective, and now we're taking things a step further and discussing how God calls us to action. Joshua was called to action in an unusual way, and we see this with the fall of Jericho. We might think our circums...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. This week's focus is on prayer. Prayer begins with the Spirit--it's not just a habit, or the repeating of words. It's not just a "sometimes" thing. It's a...

Israel arrives at the fortified city of Jericho to find the gates are shut tight, but God delivers the city through unusual means: seven days of marching around the city. God calls us to action. Oftentimes, it's not as we expect. We are called to forgive when it seems more natural to attack. We are called to give when we feel like holding back. We are called to rest when we feel the need to produc...

The Israelites finally enter into the Promised Land, not with Moses, but with Joshua--an unlikely hero in his own right. He's a freed slave who doesn't have the formal training of Moses, and yet he's the one who leads Israel home. Interestingly, the priests do not cross on dry ground, like in the crossing of the Red Sea. God requires they get their feet wet this time. Perhaps this is a requirement...

Pastors Paul, Mara, and Josh talk about what it means to be good followers and how that relates to finding our place in God's epic story. Being good followers requires good leadership, and good leaders need to be good followers. We all have a calling (and a responsibility) to lead others to Christ. How can we follow the example of the priests (leaders) who stood in the Jordan River as the people c...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. Today's focus is on the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), which is both an offensive and defensive tool we can use in our spiritual battles. Unfortuna...

Pastors David, Paul, and Mara discuss this week's passage, Joshua 2:1-15, where we learn Rahab's story, and the risks she was willing to make for a God she didn't know. Rahab became an unlikely hero in God's epic adventure. We are called to live epic lives. If we move with Him in trust and faith, adjusting our perspective and taking risks, we can experience all God has for us. But how do we do thi...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. Today's focus is on the Helmet of Salvation. The mind can play tricks on us, sometimes making us think or worry about things that aren't true. Salvation re...

Israel has wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and are once again being led into the Promised Land. And once again there are spies in the land, who find shelter in the home of Rahab, a prostitute. Rahab is an unlikely interloper in God's epic story, yet she finds a significant place in the story. She is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews, and is included in the genealogy of Jesus. We see t...

We're now two weeks into our Epic series, exploring the story of God interacting and moving amongst His people, and how His working in and through them was (and is) truly epic! What we're learning is that God is inviting us to be part of His adventure, His story...but playing our part requires having the right perspective. What does it mean to have the right perspective? Because, in the circumstan...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. Today's focus is on verse 16, where Paul urges the Church to take up the Shield of Faith. We are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and we all need to be...

God has Moses send out twelve spies to report on the Promised Land. Ten come back with negative reports, two spies--Joshua & Caleb--come back with positive reports. Each report was shaped by each spies' perspective. Israel decided not to take the land because of the negative reports, so God caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. There is grace even in this wandering, because God sta...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. Today's focus is on the Gospel of Peace. Jesus talks about the good news of God's kingdom, which does not come by force or through power, but through grace...

We long to be part of something grand--something epic. The Bible draws us into God's epic story of healing humankind, and the story of the Exodus--from slavery to the Promised Land--is one of those stories. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law, including detailed plans for a tabernacle. This tabernacle would represent the presence of God to the people of Israel. It gave them...

If you've not yet watched or listened to any of our series discussions, this is one you don't want to miss. Josh, Paul, and Mara recap our May series, Go, in which we've studied the Great Commission and how we're called to be the Church--a people pursuing the mission of God. How can we apply what we've learned this past month to what's happening in our world today? God has invited us to join Him i...

In this Bible Study series, we're taking an in-depth look at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and discussing the tools we can use to accomplish God's mission to invite, include, and train others while facing the battle within ourselves. Today's focus is on the Breastplate of Righteousness, which protects the most vulnerable parts of us by living right with God and toward others, and doing...