Together #forSalem

We can only experience real peace in our lives if we have peace with the people around us. But is that even possible? It is when we experience the peace of God.

Some of our deepest fears come from the worry of losing the things we hold most dear. But Jesus offers us a way to experience the best of life without the fear that is usually lurking in the background.

Some of our deepest fears come from the worry of losing the things we hold most dear. But Jesus offers us a way to experience the best of life without the fear that is usually lurking in the background.

Jesus invites all of us to join a family based upon acceptance, inclusivity, and love… It's available to everyone right now.

What does God actually care about? How can we ever know for sure? When we find the answer we discover what life is truly about.

Many parts of the story of Jesus seem as impossible as stories of aliens and Bigfoot. For many people, however, the most impossible part to believe is that his story can make any difference in our story. But when we grasp the identity of Jesus the impossible becomes part of our story.

You want to help the world. You want to ease the pain and hurt around you. But is our good really making any difference? The Story of Jesus shows us how to go beyond good intentions and make a real difference in the world.

Jesus never told anyone to “become a Christian.” But he does invite everyone to follow him. What’s the difference and why does it even matter?

Most of us want to experience God in our lives. But when we start asking, “How?” we are usually only handed a set of beliefs, routines, and rules. There is a much better way to experience God and it’s something we can all discover each and every day.

Faith can mean many different things to different people. But what is it? What’s the point of it? And how can we experience a faith that makes a real difference in our lives?

We want to find fulfillment but don't know where to start or even what “fulfillment” actually looks like. When our deepest human needs are satisfied we discover what we’ve been looking for all along. We find it in the Story of Jesus.

Worry can be the most debilitating feeling in the world. To overcome it we need to get to the root of our worry and not just treat the symptoms. We discover how when we discover the Story of Jesus.

Most people want to experience and even know God. But too often God seems elusive, mystical, unattainable. But maybe we’re trying too hard. Maybe it’s so much better, more attainable, and more real than we ever thought.

Why did Jesus use parables? What do they even mean? In this short section of Jesus’ parables in Mark, Jesus is doing a little show and tell for his audience. He invites us into a new way of seeing and experiencing life in the Kingdom of God. This week (in the parable of the Sower) we’ll do some soil analysis and find that our “soil" determines our experience in the Kingdom of God.

The idea of an “unforgivable sin” has caused a lot of anxiety and worry for centuries. But what is it? And what does it have to do with the Story of Jesus?

We are products of our influences. We like what we like and think what we think mostly because someone told us it was the right thing to like and the right thing to think. The Story of Jesus gives us the ability to clearly and purposely reevaluate our life’s influences and rewrite our own stories.

God wants us to be religious, right? Wrong. The Story of Jesus isn’t about following a list of religious rules. The Story of Jesus is the story of true love and freedom.

We have things in our past that we’d rather forget. Some we can look back on and laugh about. Others bring such guilt and shame we wish we could forget and never think about it again. What do we do with that guilt? Is there a way to move past our past and into something better? There is. We find it in the Story of Jesus.

There are many parts of the Story of Jesus that are hard to believe (especially the weird stuff about healings and demons). But these stories prove something even harder to believe… No matter who we are or what we have done, Jesus sees us and loves us.

You have a story you were created to live. A story this world needs you to live. But so often we miss it b/c we either don't know what the story is really about, how to live it out, or don’t even know we have a story. But when we discover what the Story of Jesus is really about we discover what our own story is really about.

Sure, Jesus of Nazareth is the most well known figure in human history. And yeah he had some really good ideas, but the full story about healings, miracles, rising from the dead, and Jesus actually being God is pretty hard to believe. But for 2000 years, this story has transformed millions of individual lives and the entire world. Maybe there’s more to the story of Jesus than we first thought. Wha...

A new series: The Story of Jesus. [The Book of Mark] ...bring your bibles!

God isn’t distant, disinterested, or mad at you. He created you specifically on purpose. He loves you, likes you, and enjoys you! He invites all of us to experience a life more fulfilling and satisfying than we can imagine. We find this life by practicing the Art of Following Jesus.

God created us to enjoy life. Yet so many of us just seem stuck in boredom, routine, or worse. But there is a way to enjoy the life we’ve been given even when things are difficult or overwhelming. It’s discovered when we practice the Art of Following Jesus.

To make the world a better place. We need to eat and drink with more people… just like Jesus.