Together #forSalem

Johnny Cash reads chapter 7 of Matthew (Sermon on the Mount).

We are experts at finding ways to judge each other. And we get caught in an endless cycle of anger, passive aggressive avoidance, and even outright hostility. Jesus offers a better way. A way to avoid all of this pointless anger and judgment.

We all feel like we need to prove we are worth knowing and loving. But what if there’s nothing to prove? There’s a better way, where we can accept that we are accepted and simply enjoy being who we were made to be. It’s the way that produces a life that actually works.

Johnny Cash reads chapter 6 of Matthew (Sermon on the Mount).

We all feel like we need to prove we are worth knowing and loving. But what if there’s nothing to prove? There’s a better way, where we can accept that we are accepted and simply enjoy being who we were made to be. It’s the way that produces a life that actually works.

Just about everyone thinks they are a good person. But simply being good enough doesn’t seem to be enough to have a life that actually works. Maybe the life we are made for isn’t just about being a good person. There’s something better and something more we can be.

Johnny Cash reads chapter 5 of Matthew (Sermon on the Mount).

God created us with an innate desire and an incredible capacity to be happy. And so we try to fulfill that desire in hundreds of ways only to come away unsatisfied. True happiness seems so fleeting and constantly fading. But Jesus offers a better way. A way to have a truly happy life that actually works.

According to Jesus and the biblical writers, some people are children of God and some are not. And those that are, are asked to obey. That sounds horribly exclusive AND like a drag... but is it? And what difference does it really make if someone is a child of God or not?

The idea that God is our “Father” can bring a huge mix of emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Often, trying to understand our relationship with God can be overwhelmingly complex. But Jesus came to redefine our view of God. He showed a better and simpler way to experience who God is.

We spend so much time and energy deciding who is “in” and who is “out.” And remarkably, our group always seems to be the group that is “in.” But Jesus brought something better… something more… something that outshines every distinction we use to divide ourselves… he brought a better way to be human.

Does a relationship with Jesus change and grow as we do the same? How does our faith mature and transform as we ask more questions and explore? We thought Monica and Aaron Fiedler would be some really good people to talk to about this whole idea, for two reasons. First, real stories might help those of you exploring what following Jesus might mean for you. Secondly, we hope to encourage those of y...

Does a relationship with Jesus change and grow as we do the same? How does our faith mature and transform as we ask more questions and explore? We thought Monica and Aaron Fiedler would be some really good people to talk to about this whole idea, for two reasons. First, real stories might help those of you exploring what following Jesus might mean for you. Secondly, we hope to encourage those of y...

Though every Christian shares the same core belief that God became human, brought his kingdom to earth now through his life, death, and resurrection… how God interacts, guides, transforms, and lives with each believer is as unique as each individual. But what is that really like? Why do people still believe in this God 2000 years after these events supposedly happened?

In this series, we want to give those of you exploring Christianity some personal examples of what it is like to follow Jesus… your chance to safely explore and listen with an open mind. And to give those who are Jesus Followers encouragement in hearing what Jesus has done in real people’s lives.

Many passages in the biblical writings have been reduced to a set of pithy inspirational quotes. When this happens we set ourselves up for discontentment and a situational faith that can’t stand up to real life. When we use the right tools, however, we can discover the truth these passages are actually conveying and we can discover the life Jesus truly offers.

Should Christians obey the government? Taken on their own, some biblical passages say “yes” while others imply “no”… but do these passages actually contradict each other? Often, when it seems like we have a contradiction in the biblical writings a little study can reveal something even better than what we think either passage is saying.

Reading, understanding, and trying to make sense of the Bible can be pretty overwhelming. Especially when it comes to passages about horrific violence committed in the name of a supposedly loving God. But with the right tools and some study we can start to make sense of some of the most misunderstood and misused passages in the Bible… and it might even change how we see God and our neighbors.

How can we know, and even be confident, that when we read the biblical writings we’re actually understanding them and “getting it right?” The solution isn’t to give up or just settle for someone else telling us what they think they mean… but to begin using some basic guidelines and tools to interpret the biblical writings for ourselves.

Honestly, it seems that doing “what the Bible says” can mean just about whatever anyone wants it to mean. So what do we do? How do we read, understand, and even use the Bible properly and not just use it to justify whatever we want?

The Bible is the most read, impactful, misunderstood, and misused set of writings in history. But for almost 2000 years reading and teaching what is in this collection of writings has been at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. So what’s the deal? Do they even apply to us now thousands of years after they were first written and if so, how can we make any sense of them?

Everyone wants to know they are accepted for who they really are. But so often, we are told to conform, clean up, and change if we want to be accepted. Is God the same way? Or is his acceptance something completely different… something completely better?

We all have questions and doubts about God. Unfortunately organized religion isn’t always accepting of skeptics and freethinkers. But what if God is big enough to handle our questions and doubts. What if he isn’t bothered or annoyed by our questions but actually invites them. What if it’s in our questions that we discover what God actually thinks about us?

If there is a God, what does he think about you? Our typical answer is: he’s mad. It seems like everyone is mad about something, so God definitely is too. And, probably mad about something we’ve done too, right? But, what if we’re wrong about how God sees us? What if he’s different? What if he's better? What if he’s actually not mad at you at all?

The question we all ask in some way is… If there is a God what does he think and feel about me? The answer we find has the ability to shape not only our view of God, but how we see others, ourselves, and our place in the world.