The Well Church of the Nazarene

Culturally, Christmas has come and gone, but for those who understand the history of the Church, Christmas is just beginning! The twelve days between Christmas Day and the Epiphany of the Magi (on January 6) are for us to revel in the wonder of the incarnation of Jesus--Emmanuel, God with us.

When we share the Messiah with others, there is power in that testimony because of the Christmas Story itself. WE are the reason for the season! The shephers recognized the angels had brought them good news of great joy: God is not dead, nor does He sleep.

When we consider Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus within the Christmas story, we know the least about Joseph--he only appears twice in the Bible and doesn't speak in either appearance. But Joseph was provided, by God, to shepherd and guide Jesus on His mission as Emmanuel--the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world. Jesus is God's gift to the world. Joseph was God's gift to Jesus. Both wer...

Through the story of Mary's visit from the angel, we learn key ingredients to finding everlasting peace in our lives.

There are lot of situations in our world that make us feel hopeless at times, which causes us, like Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25), to pour out our hearts over and over to God just looking for a little bit of hope. We also struggle to keep silent--we've got lots of words and lots of outlets through which to say them. In this day and age, it's almost an expectation! But... what if God is inviting us to be...

Thanksgiving isn't just a Thursday in November. It's an attitude. And at the heart of thanksgiving is God. Jesus... grace... JOY! As the Church, we are called to distribute what we have been given and what He has blessed and multiplied. There is enough for ALL to have their fill.

Praying with passion isn't about words, or years in church, or even theological understanding. It's praying for God's glory--seeking His face before His hand. All prayer leads us to God. Hallowed be His name!

Intercession is an essential testimony of a vibrant, united faith family. When we learn to pray specifically for others--to stand in the gap--we position ourselves to pray for the things important to us, our passions, and our own Spirit-sourced desires. Practicing intercession prepares us to recognize God's ordained intersections and to depend on His leading and the Holy Spirit's prompting.

The core of sin is birthed out of selfishness, but Jesus invites us to something better, something more--relationship with both God and others. We need only repent and respond! For when we seek redemption and acknowledge our separation from God, we gain intimacy, relationship, and closeness with Him. And the heart of the kingdom of God begins with forgiveness.

The progressive nature of prayer is important. Each part prepares and leads us into the next. First we must refocus on God, then realign our will to His, then release our needs... the order matters! And in those moments when we don't know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit steps in. When we lead with God, our needs and requests change.

We pray to be reminded of who He is, what He has promised, and of His faithfulness. Prayer gives attention to our covenant relationship with God, prioritizing our time and aligning our hearts with His, and our prayer life is a reflection of who we believe God to be.

We often approach prayer as words or thoughts we express TO God, or maybe ABOUT God. But if prayer is not a conversation WITH God, then we never really understand or experience all that God has for us. Especially when we presume that prayer begins when we speak first.

Reflecting on the message from a couple of children's movies regarding who we are and WHOSE we are.

The act of worship is a significant part of who we are as a church. We experience worship in community with others. We discover worship in our growing. We express worship through compassion and generosity. Worship is all over our values! And we worship best when we are poured out. It's what we strive toward--what we are compelled to DO in response to who God IS.

Jesus invites us out of whatever state of "emptiness" we find ourselves, and doesn't ask us to do anything He hasn't already done. Therefore, we find life in community, in growth, in compassion, and in generosity. We are FILLED UP to be POURED OUT.

It's easy to discuss generosity in terms of money, thinking of it as only what we "give." But while giving is an important expression of generosity, a much broader understanding of what it means to be generous involves sharing all that we are and all that we have. Discipleship requires us to be generous with our service, talents and gifts, resources, assets, and money... but also our with our stor...

Compassion captures the motivation and result of discipleship, and is an essential value for us as The Well Church of the Nazarene. But to say we care and not act is to not care at all. Caring is not just a feeling--there has to be a response. True compassion demands action... even when it interrupts our schedule, our plans. It's the fuel behind God-glorifying moments in our everyday lives, the li...

We are commissioned to be disciple-makers. Jesus intentionally multiplied Himself by loving, inspiring, teaching, and training His disciples to do what He did. We do the same by equipping and empowering one another to follow Jesus, allowing ourselves to be changed by Him, and by joining Him in what He is doing in the world. As disciples who make discples, we are intentionally multiplying. So... wh...

We want to cultivate a church others want to be a part of, not just go to. It's not our programs or personalities that matter, but rather what God is doing IN us, TO us, and THROUGH us. Our mission extends beyond ourselves, and because He first loved us, we are to love one another. Together, we are a faith family--adopted children of God. This is us... and you have a place here!

Recognizing where we've been as a church as we celebrate where God is taking us as we officially begin a new chapter as The Well Church of the Nazarene.

Dave & Cindee Johnson share a piece of their story with our congregation.

When we take the transformation that has happened within us and try to bring about the Kingdom of God in a way that Jesus describes throughout the Sermon on the Mount, we're bound to face persecution from those who think we're doing it wrong. But having encountered Christ, and experienced His righteousness and resulting transformation in our life, we are called to take that message into messy plac...

Mercy is making the choice to see those who have hurt us the way God sees them and not the way others, or man-made rights, or the law or even our own life experiences see them. When we submit to God the right or ability to control the situation as we see fit - and focus on controlling the things we can control (our actions, attitudes, and choices) - we are merciful. We are peacemakers.