This Is WholeLife

It’s VBS week at FHC, and this year’s theme is “Maker Fun Factory.” Our children are learning that they were created by God for a purpose. However, this message isn’t just for kids… it’s for all of us. Humanity is God’s plan, and regardless of who we are or where we’ve been, God has a great purpose for each one of us. Join Randy and Megan Couser for a review and some new information on KidsCo! Thi...

God doesn’t ask us to have “ministry jobs” but a “ministry mindset.” We can do ministry without a building and without a pulpit. However, the one thing we can’t do without is the Holy Spirit. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit that causes us to see opportunities in our workplace to be Jesus to others and to live our life of faith wherever we go and with whomever we encounter. This week one of our #f...

Why would a follower of Jesus avoid sharing the meal he established? Is there some worry about eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine unworthily, so skipping the meal altogether feels the safer path? What does it mean to come to the Lord’s table? Who is welcomed? What does it mean to share in communion? This weeks integration with our Facebook Live broadcast pushed the usual #fhcTAKEA...

Descriptive or prescriptive? Many have chosen to look at the behaviors of the early church as causal to the growth of the church. This thinking has also extended to conclude that, if we want God’s church to grow today, we need to do what the early church did. Certainly, there are some principles behind the practices that may lead to a healthier church community, but this week’s text reveals the so...

Jesus had said to wait. His instructions were to not head off and try to do the work of the Body of Christ until the Father sent what he promised. So they waited—and on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on the church and enabled the followers of Jesus to witness and proclaim the Good News. What is the connection between contextualization of the Good News and the coming of the Spirit then and now? On...

Why are you here on this earth? What is your purpose? Answering these questions and others like them can bring clarity to life. Understanding God’s purpose for you and how you are part of a larger picture can reduce stress, speed up decision making, and create a better sense of satisfaction. There is some clear shared truth that will enable us to live life with purpose and intention. One of our #f...

Sin’s modus operandi is to isolate, separate, and spiral down into oblivion. We often think of Christian fellowship as the fellowship of the pious—brothers and sisters in Christ—when it is really the people who confess their sinfulness. Christians conquer loneliness by confessing that we are all sinners. One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the question: * How does it feel to belong to a churc...

Being in the middle of a crowd, surrounded by needy children, or in the midst of co-workers or fellow students can be a very lonely place. How can it be that, even on days when there’s almost no time alone, one can feel lonely? What relief is there for that type of loneliness? One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the question: * Research tells us that one in five people will experience deep fe...

God’s plan for the lonely doesn’t always work out. Scripture says that “God places the lonely in families,” but what if that becomes your place of deepest loneliness? How do we cope? When we are not only lonely but fearful for our mental, physical, or spiritual health, what can we do? How can we become the “family” where God can safely place the lonely, from a foster child to a university student...

We don’t believe in a hierarchy of leaders who are the only ones who can grasp great spiritual truth, individuals necessary as an intermediary between general humanity and God. However, sometimes in our practice, we may fall back to reliance upon clergy for understanding Scripture and/or serving the body and the greater world. Is this God’s plan? One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the questi...

There are many times in our lives when we are part of something much larger than ourselves – something that we will not see to the end, and something that may not bear our names. However, we have the privilege, as we step into these narratives for even a short period of time, to throw ourselves into God’s bigger purpose and His broader plan for His people, His places, and His glory. Our final #fhc...

The real story was too good to be true, but when the truth of reality lodged in those first disciples, it changed everything. It sparked a movement, a following: this thing we call church. The enemy was defeated, and glory began to appear on the horizon like the first rays of the coming sunrise. One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the question: What is your strategy to cope with living betwee...

Jesus makes a spectacle. Something is up. He comes like a king riding into Jerusalem. But then, at maybe the height of the festivities surrounding this ride, he stops. In this moment of reflection, a tear doesn’t just trickle from his eye; he nearly falls off his ride as he sways in agony with a heartfelt cry. There is contrast because he cares, and he is sad for those who won’t allow him to be th...

Little things make a difference. In fact, so much of our life is made up of a compilation of small things that tip the balance of our lives one way or the other. How can we be observant and diligent regarding the small things while not becoming obsessed with them? How do we keep a “big picture” perspective while tending to small things? What little things deserve our attention to be the best follo...

God is incredibly flexible with us, and we should be with one another – working with each other even when we are not at our best. If we are willing to give the same grace that has been gifted us to anyone and everyone, no matter what they've done, or what they're doing, or what they'll do tomorrow, it will change everything about us. No #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week but: If you’ve been on the losing end...

The desire for being known is something that lives in each of us for better or worse. The who and what we will be known for is up to us. Or is it? As Christians, if we truly desire to be known as followers of Christ, then there is no room for our desires. There is only room for Jesus. Our final #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the question: What will it take for you to live assured Jesus is all you n...

We fear darkness early in our lives before we fully understand why. We fear it for the rest of our lives when we do. But the darkness in the corners of our hearts and souls regularly go unchecked, disguised as good things, worthy of our attention. Recognizing and removing that darkness requires the light that only Jesus can provide. Our final #fhcTAKEAWAYS this week asked the question: How do you...

Have you ever sat in a room full of strangers that you knew like they were your very own family? It is a phenomenon that isn't new or rare but one that continues to plague our ability to grow together relationally and spiritually. This week we unplugged from the technology matrix in an attempt to reconnect and plant the seeds of engaged communication. Our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this past week consisted of...

The meat of the matter may be too obvious, cliched even. But as we discovered last week, knowing and doing are usually strange bedfellows. We can possess all knowledge and understanding in the world about the milk but without the meat we are hopeless. One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this past week asked the question: It seems that overtime we take a step closer to grace we either turn back to the old law...

Milk and Meat. Works and Faith. The Law and Grace. Questions and insecurities will always surround this subject in the Christian walk, it’s a human inevitability. The answers are simple when we remove the man-made complexities that have plagued the good news of grace from the beginning. One of our #fhcTAKEAWAYS this past week asked the question: How have you gotten stuck in the rules and laws part...

in·clu·sion [inˈklo͞oZHən] noun 1. the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. We all want to be included. Acceptance, safety, friendship, and even love are among the desirable feelings we have when we obtain the inclusion into that which we find desirable. Of course for all those who enjoy inclusion, an equal and likely greater number suffer the loneliness a...

Heaven is mentioned in the Bible nearly 600 times, depending on the translation you read, and yet our understanding is quite likely limited at best. As we wrap up our final installment of The Generous Life we see a glimpse of Heaven and of God’s Kingdom that is ours to experience in our daily lives. It is equal parts beautiful and contagious and for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. To...

Can a simple act of service change our lives completely and for the better? What if we embraced this basic principle and within that change were able to see in ourselves a new person that lived a more fulfilling and rewarding life? Join Randy and special guest Greg Creek as we look closer at the underrated life of service. To watch the message that coincides with this episode go to our web site: h...

Generosity is contagious when we engage in the “no pressure” versus the “transactional" variety of being generous. Getting started can be the most difficult aspect of becoming a giver and allowing our philanthropy goals to remain unattained is more often than not a close second. Being consistent and cheerful in the process refocuses us from the perceived negatives to a balanced and benevolent supp...

What if generosity was simple? What if it was less painful? Would it change your perceptions and perhaps cause you to consider becoming more generous? This week we bring some balance and clarity to a subject that usually causes us to be a little uneasy. Join us for a fresh look at generosity and the new perspective may just have you smiling as you give. Tune in each week on Wednesday as we take a...