Thrive Harbor

What really satisfies? In his encounter with a Samaritan woman, Jesus gives us something that can quench the longing of our souls and move us to awestruck worship. This message was given by Stan Mansfield, president of Shepherds Bible College in Bremerton, WA.

John the Baptist had once been "a big deal." Crowds had flocked to him. But now Jesus' ministry is growing, and John's ministry is starting to decline. How will John react? In John 3:22-36, we see that his response is joy! John is overjoyed to see Jesus' influence overshadow his, because his joy is found in seeing Jesus made great. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director...

What is salvation? In John 3, Jesus responds to the questions of a Jewish teacher named Nicodemus about how and why we can be saved: not on the basis of how good, smart, or capable we are but by looking to Jesus. This message was given by Jeremy DeSpain, pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Port Orchard, WA.

Who is Jesus? In John 2, John records when Jesus saved a wedding from disaster by turning water into wine. In this message, David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor, unpacks the significance of this famous moment, showing Jesus to be the one who removes shame and brings joy.

What would it be like to meet God? In John 1, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael all find out. In this message, Kurt Mach, pastor of Peninsula Christian Fellowship , unfolds the story of how these four disciples of Jesus first met the man they came to love, serve, and even die for, and what it was about Him that made Him so irresistible. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message i...

John's Gospel is unique. Using signs, "I am" statements, and lots of rich symbols, John seeks to answer the most fundamental question a human being can ask: "Who is Jesus?" One answer to that question is that Jesus is the light. In this message on John 1:1-18, Michael Bouterse, the director of Thrive Harbor, opens Thrive's series on the Gospel of John by examining what...

To wrap up Thrive’s series on relationships, we asked three couples to tell us their dating stories and to share their wisdom on dating with us. Our panelists were Brenden & Rachael Lowery, Chris & Abby Basile, and Michael & Claire Bouterse.

Many people desire to be married. But what is a healthy marriage? What is the Bible's blueprint for this most intimate of all human relationships? In this message, David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor, speaks on marriage out of Ephesians 5.

Thrive is joined by two married couples, who share their stories, insights, and wisdom on what a healthy, Christ-centered marriage looks like. A special thanks to our panelists: Kurt & Revell Mach and Tim & Sarah Gauthier.

It's hard to talk about singleness well in Christian circles. How can the church elevate singleness the way the Bible does, without idolizing singleness the way our culture does? In this talk, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, looks to Jesus and Paul—both of whom were single—to explore what it looks like for a Christian to live fully devoted to God as a single person. Scripture pass...

"Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother." Thus runs the famous line from "O Holy Night" sung by millions every Christmas. But what gives the gospel the power to put all people—slave and master, rich and poor, prince and pauper—on the same playing field? In this message Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor, opens up Paul's little letter to Philemon, showing ho...

Imagine growing up with Jesus as your older brother. That was the experience of Jude, Jesus' brother. In his short letter, Jude warns about the perils of cheap grace while also pointing believers back to the protecting, preserving love of God. This message was given by Greg Carlson, leader of 47 North , a military outreach.

The letters of 2 & 3 John are so short that we often pass them over. But they are gems. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, unpacks how these two "little letters" warn us of two interlocking dangers that can bring down a church: bad doctrine and bad character. Often we're on guard against one of these more than the other—but John says we'll get off t...

The good news is not just that God forgives us and transforms us. It's that God has given us himself. He has invited us into relationship, so that we might experience the infinite love of the Trinity. This message was given by Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 1:18; 13:1, 23; 14:4-21; 16:7; 17:20-26.

The Bible teaches that this world is not all there is. There is a spiritual realm populated by personal spiritual forces, both good and evil. But through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated the devil so that we can have victory over the forces of darkness. This message was given by Cedric van Duyn, pastor of Anthem Church .

Imagine if God forgave us but didn't transform us. Imagine if God canceled our past sins but left us trapped in our present sins. That wouldn't be good news! But the amazing truth of the gospel is that Jesus forgives us and transforms us. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor teaches on how Jesus makes us into a new person, giving us new power over sin. Scripture pas...

At the heart of the gospel is a God who loves and forgives His enemies—and that forgiveness is gigantic good news. It means Jesus has taken our sin and set us free from shame. This message was given by David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Luke 15:11-32 and 2 Samuel 9.

Before the gospel can be good news, we have to understand the bad news. And the bad news is that without Jesus, we are lost—in sin, in rebellion against God, and ultimately deserving of judgment and death. But because of God's love for us, instead of leaving us lost he came down and sought us. This message was given by Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church .

The gospel is the good news about what God has done to save us. But who is God and why do we need his salvation? The answer is found in the fact that God is holy. We can't live without him—but we also can't live with him, because sin and holiness don't mix. But because of Jesus, there's a solution. This message was given by Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor. Scripture pas...

The deepest need we have is to know and experience God's love for us. In this message, Justin Dill, leader of Transformation Missions , speaks on discovering God's amazing love.

Life is hard, and the world is chaotic. In the midst of tumult, we need a refuge—and according to Psalm 46, we have one in God. This message was given by Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap .

Thrivers summit questions on missions and evangelism to wrap up Thrive's 2026 missions series. Panelists were Hannah Churness, Isaac Ferraro, and Michael Bouterse. Our moderator was Conner Dill.

Why missions? Why serve God? All we might do for God ought to flow out of love for him, because of what he's done for us—this is the motive of missions! This message was given by RJ Prestwich of Cadence International .

The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of Jesus, especially the story of Joseph. In this final message of 2025, .Thrive Harbor director Michael Bouterse walks through the numerous ways Joseph's story points to Jesus in his first and second comings. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 5:14; Hebrews 3:2-6; and Acts 7:9-14.

Genesis ends with the death of Joseph. But Joseph believed that his story was just one part of a much bigger story, a story written by God. In this message, Drew Dawson, pastor of Resurrection Church in Gig Harbor, looks at how the end of Joseph's life points to God's larger story and how we can live our part in that story with faithfulness, zeal, and wisdom.