Thrive Harbor

From the seventh chapter of Daniel onward, we’re given a progressively zoomed-in view of the future—and in particular, an end-times ruler the Bible calls “the Antichrist.” Who is this figure, where is he spoken of in Scripture, what will he do, and how will he be defeated? As chapter seven speaks into these questions, it also points us to how the prophecies of Daniel point us to the hope of Jesus....

In Daniel 7, Daniel sees a vision of four world empires, represented as terrible beasts. But in Daniel 6, Daniel learns that God can deliver from beasts after spending the night in the lions’ den. How did Daniel survive the lions’ den, and what does his story have to teach us? This message was given by David Shohradov, a member of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this mes...

In Daniel's youth, Babylon was the world's greatest empire. Yet by the time he was an old man, the Babylonian empire had fallen. What caused such a mighty kingdom to crumble? One answer according to Daniel 5 is pride. Pride is one of the most insidious and sneakiest forms of sin, whose radical grip can only be cured by an equally radical cure. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in th...

4. The King’s Tale (Daniel 4) "Pride," writes pastor Tim Keller, "is the carbon monoxide of sin”—it's so subtle sometimes you don't notice it's killing you. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on the face of the earth, has a deeply humbling encounter with God. What leads Nebuchadnezzar to become proud? And how can God cure him—and us—of this deadly disease...

Like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are examples of resilient faith: when asked to bow down to a pagan idol, they refused on pain of death. Thousands of years later, we still live in a culture that asks followers of Jesus to honor beliefs and ideologies that are opposed to God. What does it look like to confidently, courteously resist the spirit of the age and remain faithful to Jesus? Th...

We live in a world that is deeply broken. But for followers of Jesus the future is full of hope, because one day God will set up a kingdom in which everything broken will be made whole. In chapter two of Daniel, God reveals key information about what that kingdom will be like, to be developed over the rest of the book. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Deuteronomy 28...

How can God's people thrive in a hostile culture? Instead of hiding from the world or blending with the world, the example of Daniel offers another way. Carried into exile in his youth, Daniel demonstrates what is required to cultivate a resilient faith that flourishes in the face of opposition. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Daniel 1; Leviticus 26:33; Genesis...

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that we are Christ's ambassadors. An ambassador represents someone in a foreign country. That means Christians have the incredible privilege of representing Christ to all the nations of the world. Sharing out of his long career blessing the nations for Christ, Jeff — (surname withheld for security reasons) unpacks what this calling to be Christ's ambassadors...

"What is God's plan for my life?" It may be the most common question young adults ask! But rarely do we step back and ask, "What is God's plan—in general?" God has a plan, and as we see throughout Scripture, it's a plan for all nations to see His glory. And the exciting part about that plan is: we're called to be a part of it! Scripture passages cited in this me...

1. An Unreached People Group Meets Jesus There are over 800 people groups in Papua New Guinea. One of them is the Kaje people, which until recently was an unreached people group with no known believers. But roughly a decade ago, Thrive alums Jon & Jen Myers sold their earthly possessions and moved to the jungles of Papua New Guinea to live among the Kaje people. By the grace of God they had th...

Because of who Jesus is, we don't need to get anxious about the future. Instead, God invites us to trust Him with the uncertain things in our lives. This message was given by Jake Chambers, pastor of Wilderness Church .

God loves to work through weakness, and that means no one is too far from His grace. This message was given by Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap .

The world, the flesh, and the devil seek to derail the Christian life. Jesus can overcome all three. This message was given by Tim Cedarland, Thrive's director emeritus.

Christian worship is rich tapestry of musical styles and traditions. But are there certain styles we should and shouldn't use? How do I worship if I don't like the music? And what should I do with my hands? These and other questions form the focus of this final talk on worship. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Job 38:7; Genesis 4:21; Revelation 5:9; 21:26; E...

If worship is delighting in God for who He is and what He's done for us, then who is God? What we believe about God makes or breaks how we worship. If God is fundamentally power, then worship will be doctrinaire and distant. If God is fundamentally mystery, worship will be ecstatic and emotion-driven. But according to the New Testament, the God of the Bible is love. Worship, therefore, is rela...

Christian statesman John Stott once said that he felt most alive "in public worship." What is worship, why do Christians do it, and how could it possibly make someone feel powerfully alive? According to Scripture, worship is the overflow of delight, and specifically delight in God. In worship, we tap into a fundamental tendency of the human heart to praise what we find beautiful, and sin...

Every Christian is living in a love story, of God pursuing us through our sin and rebellion to woo our hearts to Himself. But there’s one such love story that’s been canonized, and it’s the story of Israel. The story of the Jewish people is Scripture’s preeminent way to illustrate what God’s heart is really like. This message examines what Scripture says about the past, present, and future of the...

If you knew that you’d win a billion dollars tomorrow, it would change the way you live today. So how can Christians—who have the greatest hope for the future that there is—live lives shaped by the hope of Heaven? This final message offers seven truths that can anchor us daily as we pursue a heavenly perspective. This message was given by Peter Churness, pastor of One Hope Church in Gig Harbor, WA...

Jesus promised His followers a home, rewards, and a wedding in Heaven. This message looks at these three promises and unpacks how we ought to live if they’re really true. This message was given by Peter Churness, pastor of One Hope Church in Gig Harbor, WA. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include John 14:1-3; Matthew 5:11-12; 6:1-4; 10:42; 19:21, 27-29; 24:42; 25:5; Luke 1...

Many Christians fear Heaven will be boring and uninteresting. But the Bible's depiction of Heaven is anything but. Heaven is a place of ever-increasing glory, wonder, and delight as God's redeemed people enjoy His presence forever on a renewed physical earth. Focusing on what the Bible says about Heaven, this message unfolds seven truths about the future home awaiting the people of God. Th...

The theme of Thrive's 2023 Fall Retreat is the hope of Heaven. It would be impossible to overstate how breathtakingly wonderful Scripture's teaching about Heaven is. Far from our culture's picture of Heaven as a boring place of disembodied spirits, the Bible presents Heaven as a resurrected world in resurrected bodies with the resurrected Man, Jesus Christ, at the center of it all. Thi...

The last chapter of Galatians includes one of Paul's most famous exhortations: to keep on doing good and not give up. Wrapping up Thrive's series on Galatians, this message unpacks how Paul encourages believers to persevere in following Christ no matter the obstacles. This message was given by Drew Dawson, pastor of Resurrection Church in Gig Harbor, WA. We apologize that due to a technica...

There's an army of influencers out there, claiming to offer you the way to the good life. But for followers of Jesus, the good life means "keeping in step with the Spirit." The more we lay down our own agendas, paradoxically the more we're fulfilled as the Spirit transforms us into people of joy and love. This message was given by Rod Graciano, founder of Timothy Ministries . Scr...

9. Galatians 5:1-15 Young adulthood often revolves around the pursuit of freedom: freedom to travel, chase your dreams, and have great experiences. But Scripture defines freedom differently than our culture does. Biblically, freedom isn't the pursuit of fleeting pleasures; freedom is liberation from our sin and selfishness so that we can live a life of love. Or in the words of Jesus, "Eve...

Many young adults wrestle with shame. Even in a secular culture that has lost the concept of sin, we still feel guilty even if we're not sure why, often leading to anxiety and depression. According to Scripture, the reason for this is the condemnation of "the law," some set of standards that we know we don't measure up to. How can we be free from slavery to the law? Only through...