Beach Church: Recent Episodes
Beach Church
Come meet Jesus and find the hope you've been looking for! Our Beach Church Podcast is designed to encourage and equip you in your relationship with Jesus. Check out one of our latest messages, and feel free to join us for worship. Jax Campus | Sundays 9am and 11amOnline Campus | Sundays 9am and 11am
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || As we walked through Acts 15:19-35 yesterday, Pastor Jerry reminded us of our highest priority as Christians - to reach those who do not know Jesus. We have a great opportunity to create safe spaces for people around us who have questions about faith. As we move through the routine of our daily lives, let's seek to make pointing people to Jesus a priority!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 15:19-35
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || As Pastor Jerry led us through Acts 15:1-18, we were reminded that the good news of the Christian faith is that we're saved by Jesus and nothing else! The early followers of Jesus came into a disagreement as they went back and forth over the need of circumcision for Gentile believers. The issues we may face today are different, but one thing is clear, our salvation comes from Jesus alone. As we move throughout this week, let's rely on Scripture as we make decisions and interact with others.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 15:1-18
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Through a fun story about her 6th grade basketball career, Rachel reminded us that it's time to get in the game when it comes to sharing the gospel. Done are the days where we sit on the sidelines of our faith! God has worked in miraculous ways in each of our lives. He's given us a story to tell - so tell it! As you move through your week, let's pray about sharing our story with those around us!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 14:24-28
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry introduces us to the idea of Kingdom resilience, the God-given ability to recover quickly from difficulties. Following God's path often involves struggle and rejection, but resilience is a crucial part of spiritual growth. We can do much more when we stick together in community and keep going when things get tough! As Pastor Jerry quoted the African proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!"
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 14:19-23
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor David focuses on Paul and Barnabas’ return to the synagogue, where the city’s enthusiastic reception of their message contrasts with the jealousy and opposition from some Jewish leaders. He challenges believers to rely on the Holy Spirit rather than human efforts, highlighting the need for Heavenly wisdom over earthly ambition. Pastor David encourages us to reflect on our faith and embrace the fruits of the Spirit — joy, peace, and kindness — as we surrender to God’s will and allow the Spirit to guide their lives.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 13:44-52
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry uses the story of the false prophet in Acts 13 to teach us about the tactics of the enemy. The enemy only comes to seek, kill, and destroy what God has made good. Being on team Jesus, we know that we win in the end. We'll spend eternity with God but this enemy can steal all the good that God intends for our lives/the lives of our loved ones on this side of eternity if we let him! To stand strong in our fight against the devil, we're called to spend time in the Word, stay connected in a faith community, and be alert.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 13:1-12
John 10:10
Ephesians 6:12-13
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Yesterday morning, we talked through some big questions that may surface when it comes to having faith in Jesus. Questions like:
- What is one proven way to become a better follower of Jesus?
- How much faith do you have to have for God to answer prayer?
- What is the purpose of your life as a follower of Jesus?
Pastor Jerry used the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison to help us unpack these questions. Through these Scriptures, we learn that faith, community, and pursuing God’s glory are vital in our walk with the Lord. Check out the message below if you missed it!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 12:12-17
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Emmanuel touches on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit as seen in the early church. He emphasizes the importance of identifying more with the kingdom of heaven, responding to adversity not with fear and division but with authority, courage, love, and sacrifice. We also learn more about the concept of "Shalom," a Hebrew term for wholeness and completion. Emmanuel calls Christians to embody this Shalom in their lives, promoting restoration and healing in the world, much like the early believers in Acts who responded to persecution with bold faith and generous support for others.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 11:19-30
John 14:27
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || We’re still sending Greetings From Acts this summer as Pastor Jerry continued to share the story of Cornelius and Peter yesterday! The unclean animals offered in Peter’s vision were a foretelling of the opportunity he would have to interact with the supposedly “unclean” Gentiles. However, in Christ, there was no more division, and the gospel finally began going into the “…ends of the earth” as Peter entered into the home of the Gentile centurion and preached to him. Race, political party, and gender are no longer grounds for division and tension among us. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to bring down our prejudices and walls as we chase Jesus together!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
@beachchurchjax
| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES |
Acts 10:9-48
Mark 7:18-19
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry led us through the story of Simon the Sorcerer, a man who accepted Jesus and almost immediately fell into mistakes. This message was an encouraging reminder that as believers, we are still works in progress who have to continually refocus our attention on Jesus. Pastor Jerry said it best, "Growing to become more like Jesus is not overnight but overtime." Let's keep that in mind as we allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us this week and beyond!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 8:9-25
Proverbs 22:3
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || What a morning! We had the opportunity to hear a powerful message from Kelly yesterday as she walked us through the lives of some amazing women. We laughed, we cried, and we honored those who came before us. It was a perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Judges 4:8-9
Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11, 36:11
Joshua 17:3
1 Chronicles 7:15
James 5:16
Ephesians 6:16-17
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || We had the privilege of hearing from Pastor Michael Young this week as he led us through Acts 6:8-7:60. These are the 3 key takeaways that we can learn from Stephen in this passage:
• The gospel, if we truly believe it, will cost us.
• When we follow Jesus, He is Lord over our lives and we are not.
• You can have all the information and still get it wrong.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 8:1-8
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || While walking us through Acts 6:1-7, Pastor Jerry reminds us that we cannot effectively share the gospel if we try to do it all alone. The truth is that God did not design the church to be run by superheroes! The power of God is released wherever someone is raised up to serve in Jesus’ name.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 6:1-7
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Yesterday morning, Pastor David continued our ACTS series by walking us through Acts 5:17-42. As we study the apostles and the boldness of their faith, we're reminded of the importance of prioritizing faith over worldly concerns. If our purpose comes from God and not from man, why are we concerned with what people think? The noise of the world is quick to drown out God's voice - what are we doing to hear Him?
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 5:17-42
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || This Sunday, Pastor Jerry walked us through the challenging passage about Ananias and Sapphira. As we read Acts 5:1-16, we focused on the significance of honesty and humility in the early Christian community. This is still relevant today as we struggle with the desire to project perfection in our messy lives . Pastor Jerry challenges us to live out an authentic faith through genuine confession, humility, and reliance on God's grace.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 5:1-16
He is Risen, Beach Church! What an exciting opportunity we have to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! This week, Pastor Jerry walked through the book of Acts, as the early church referred back to the whole basis of our faith. Jesus died for you and I, and then three days later, He rose again. This, “But God”, moment is the perfect reminder that even in the midst of our darkest circumstances, we serve a victorious and resurrected king!
As we prepare for Easter, Pastor Jerry took time yesterday to remind people of the harsh realities of the cross. However, even in the midst of deep pain, there was still hope! The criminal on the cross beside Him was invited into paradise with Him, proof that God sees us and responds to us in our desperation. Let’s reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice before we celebrate his resurrection.
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Rachel hits us with the tough question, "What do you need to give more of?" Acts 4:32-27 tells us that believers in the early church shared everything they had with those who had need. Rachel challenges us to not only be generous with our finances but also with our time, energy, and attention. Being part of a generous kingdom requires us to be generous people. God is calling each one of us to be more generous with something. Throughout your week, pray about what God may be asking you to give more of.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 4:32-37
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry challenges us to honor God by being bold in our prayers. Despite the threats that Peter and John were facing in Acts 4, they prayed not for safety but for boldness to continue sharing the Good News of Jesus. This message emphasizes the importance of bold, faith-filled prayers that align with God's will, recognizing that God honors such prayers and works through them to accomplish His purposes. What bold prayers can you pray this week?
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
@beachchurchjax
| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES |
Acts 4:23-31
The message yesterday from Pastor Emmanuel was both challenging and encouraging. Jesus IS worth sacrificing everything for. The apostles knew this truth when they were confronted with persecution in the early chapters of Acts. Hopefully, we can follow in their footsteps and continue to say, “He is worth it!”
February 25, 2024
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Yesterday, Pastor Jerry outlined the simple yet effective structure of the messages Peter, John, and the other apostles preached throughout the book of Acts. You killed Jesus, He rose again, we witnessed it. Repent and turn to God. The word “Repent” doesn’t have to be scary or menacing. Instead, it’s simply an invitation to change our direction and return to following Jesus.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 3:11-26
In the fifth week of our Acts series, Pastor Jerry preached a powerful message on BOLD faith. Just as the man outside the temple received healing when Peter and John acted boldly for Jesus, those around us will be blessed as we listen to the Holy Spirit!
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Emmanuel shares a powerful message on the importance of obedience. We live in a culture that's quick to push success and ambition rather than complete guidance by the Holy Spirit. While human efforts can lead to success, obedience to the Lord leads to purpose and fulfillment.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 2:1-41
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || In this message, we pick up in Acts 1:12-26. Pastor Jerry walks us through several important steps in discerning God's will over our lives. Even though it comes down to us to make the big decisions, Pastor Jerry helps teach us that our own reasoning should be the last step when it comes to discerning God's will.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES || Acts 1:12-26
January 14, 2024
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry walks us verse by verse through Acts 1:1-11. He emphasizes the importance of our relationship with God, and how God can do so much more with our lives surrendered to Him than we can do on our own.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Acts 1:1-11
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry casts vision on what 2024 might look like for Beach Church.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Mark 2:1-12
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || In this message , Pastor Jerry reminds us how God moves in the middle. No matter what your middle might look like- no matter how hopeless, no matter how challenging…. God is for you.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Romans 8:35-39
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || In this special Christmas Eve message, Pastor Jerry reminds us of the Good News that is Jesus Christ. The good news is that God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save it. This good news applies to ALL people. There are no "nobodies" in the eyes of God.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 2:1-14
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Emmanuel not only reminds us how important it is to spend time in God's presence, but gives us the opportunity to see what that looks like in practice. God's presence is available to anyone who looks for Him and recognizes Him! Even though we live in a world that doesn't invite God in, let's be the people who do!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Matthew 1:20-24
John 14:15-19
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || In this message, Rachel shares such a powerful message on how big God's sacrifice truly was and what exactly it means for us today. Even though holy means separate, God's holiness in the Christmas story doesn't bring distance, it brings nearness. God is not only close to us, but He wants a relationship with us.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
John 1:9-14
Philippians 2:6-7
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry shares such an encouraging message about how we can all help lead others to Jesus, regardless of whether we're pastors or not. We all have a story on how we came to place our trust in Christ, and that story has the power to change someone's life!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Romans 10:14
1 Peter 3:15
John 9:11-12
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || SERVE: that’s the heartbeat of our church, and an integral part of our updated evangelism strategy, B.L.E.S.S.! Yesterday, Pastor Emmanuel preached a challenging message that pointed us to consider serving those we seek to reach for Jesus. It’s not necessarily about joining a soup kitchen or serving somewhere once a month, it’s about being obedient to listen to the Holy Spirit as He leads us to consistently serve others. After all, serving is THE way to show an unbelieving world that Jesus cares about them!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Romans 8:19
James 2:14-17
John 14:11-12
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor David walks us through what it really looks like to connect with others over a meal. We have 21 opportunities to break bread with others in one single week. Think of someone you'd like to get to know better, or someone you haven't seen in a while, and make time grab a coffee/lunch with them this week!
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 19:1-10
Luke 5:31-32
2 Sam 9:9-10
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry continues our B.L.E.S.S. series with a tough message on the lost art of listening. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus asks 307 questions and only answers 3. He affirmed the dignity and worth of people by the way He listened. Listening is loving. This week, let's make a conscious effort to put our phones down and be present with those around us.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 18:35-43
Philippians 2:3
Proverbs 20:5, 18:3
James 1:19
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry launched our B.L.E.S.S. series with an amazing message. He emphasized the importance of our mission to reach others for Christ. We tend to underestimate the power of prayer when it comes to evangelism, but Pastor Jerry encourages us that it's exactly where we should start! Our prayer for this week is that the Holy Spirit will lead us beyond our comfort zones, empowering us to bless those around us in our day-to-day life.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Matthew 28:18-20
1 Timothy 2:4
Luke 5::15-16
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || This Sunday, Pastor Jerry closed out our Deeply Rooted Life series with a message on weakness and vulnerability. As we considered David's life, and how he was able be open about his shortcomings, we find an example of what it is like to lead from a place of humility.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
1 Chronicles 21:16-26
2 Corinthians 8:9
October 22, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || This Sunday, Pastor Jerry continued our Deeply Rooted Life series with a message on Grief and Loss. While this can be a heavy topic, we need to realize the importance in learning how to live through these seasons and allow ourselves to grieve. It is possible to trust God and still experience grief and loss. It's actually in those times that we learn about God's grace. If you or someone you know is experiencing a season of grief and cannot see God's hand at work, try to trust His heart.
GriefShare: https://todayatbeach.com/griefshare/
DivorceCare: https://todayatbeach.com/divorcecare/
Care/Prayer Requests: https://www.beachchurchjax.com/care
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Psalm 88:1-2, 6-18
Matthew 27:45
October 15, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Emmanuel and Kati Anne open up about how opening their hearts to Jesus has redefined their past trauma, and changed the trajectory of their future. They share a conversation about how we can break the power of our past and find freedom in Christ. The reality of encountering Jesus may not take away the hardships we face but it can change the way we experience them.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 4:18-19
Romans 8:14-17
October 8, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Rachel shares a powerful message about how love - not ministry activities - is the true mark of spiritual maturity. One of the greatest gifts we can give our world and God's Kingdom is to be a community of healthy adults who love well. Although love is difficult and requires sacrifice, it's one of the best ways we can reflect the heart of Jesus.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 10:25-37
October 1, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor David opens up to us about how hard it is to embrace God's gift of limits. We're currently living in a hustle culture, where it seems like you're constantly chasing after the next best thing, but God calls us to joyfully submit to limits that He has for our lives. The truth of it is, is that WE have limits, but our God does not.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
John 3:22-30
Luke 5:1-11
September 25, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Emmanuel shared the harsh truth that is following the Crucified Christ. It was an eye-opening message about how a life submitted to the Lord should not be filled with accomplishments and influence, but one of submission and obedience.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
2 Timothy 3:1-5
2 Timothy 3:10-15
Proverbs 16:32
September 17, 2023
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || Pastor Jerry shares a powerful message that reminds us to "Be Before Do". Our lives and our identities are not defined by works, possessions, or other people's opinions. They're defined by the love of our Father in Heaven. Instead of going through the motions this week, let us take the time to be with God, rather than just doing for Him.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
|| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ||
@beachchurchjax
|| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ||
Luke 3:21-22
Luke 5:15-16
Luke 4:4-12
|| ABOUT THIS MESSAGE || The Lord calls us to a different type of relationship with others, one that places their needs before ours, while the other person places our needs before theirs, this creates a beautifully reflective image of what our relationships looked like before sin entered the world and the power struggle begun. Pastor Emmanuel shares a powerful message on mutual submission in relationships.
|| ABOUT BEACH CHURCH || We exist to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is welcome to learn about a relationship with God, whether you're curious or confident in your faith.
|| GET CONNECTED || Here at Beach, we are most passionate about seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus! Head over to our website to get connected https://www.beachchurchjax.com/im-new
| FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
@beachchurchjax
| SCRIPTURE REFERENCES |
Genesis 2:18
Genesis 3:11-12
Psalm 33:20
Ephesians 5:15-21
John 15:12-16
Join us as we hear from some of our awesome moms here at Beach Church this Mother's Day! They share their struggles, lessons learned, and their triumphs as they've tried to raise their kids to follow Jesus. It's a panel full of wisdom and insight that you won't want to miss!
The final week of our AGÁPĒ: Serve Like Jesus series was a great reminder of the heart behind serving! Just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, a Christian that loves others and serves them will show Jesus' light in a tangible way. We've been learning all about "being", Beach Church. As we continue to do that, let's take a step into serving others in Jesus' name!
In Week 2 of our series, Let’s Go!, Pastor Emmanuel reminds us of the most important commandments. We’re to love God with all our hearts, and we’re to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. And one of the most loving things we can do for someone is to disciple them! This helps people to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus! We’re all multiplying ourselves in others, for better or for worse, so let’s be intentional as we pursue Jesus and show others around us what it means to be in relationship with him as well!
Beach Church exists to Reach, Raise Up, and Release followers of Jesus who change the world, and week one of our Let’s Go series is all about reaching! The heartbeat of our church is to bring Jesus to those who don’t yet know Him. After all, Jesus’ heart has always been for the lost, as the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 perfectly illustrates. While the Pharisees only saw Jesus eating with a “notorious sinner”, Jesus saw a man who was desperate for life change. And after this encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus' life was transformed!
As we begin with prayer, listen to others' stories, eat with them, serve them, and share our story with them; we create more opportunities for our neighbors, family members, and co-workers to encounter the life change that comes through Jesus!
In the final week of this finance series, we're left with the question, "What now? After I give and save, how do I honor God while living on the rest?" No matter what we do, we're called to live a life honoring God, including in our finances, including after we've managed our money well. You see, what we spend our money on is a testament to our relationship with God. None of what we have is ours any way, we're just given the responsibility to steward it well. How are you stewarding that which God has given you in your spending?
This week's message looked at some biblical truths regarding some key components of handling our finances. Our culture likes to spend quickly, save sometimes, and give on a whim from time to time. However, the Kingdom model of generosity is exactly the opposite. Our first inclination with our finances should be to give, then save, then spend/live on the rest. Through planning and prioritizing giving, we seek to understand the heart of a generous God who gave us everything!
So often, we believe that everything in our possession is ours and ours alone! This week, Pastor Jerry reminds us that we enter into this world with nothing, and that’s how we will leave it as well. God is truly the one who owns everything, and He allows us to steward things for a season. Let us focus on how we can use what He has given us, including our finances, for His glory!
This week marked the beginning of a brand new series called In God We Trust: Finding Financial Freedom. When it comes to walking in relationship with Jesus, we’re called to surrender the entirety of our lives to Him, including in our finances. This week’s message focused on the problem with Idolatry and placing other things in our lives, like money, as the main idol. Money in itself isn’t evil. God gives us money as a tool. But the love of money can become an idol and take us away from the intention God has for our lives. Through stories in both the New Testament and the Old Testament, we see what it means to trust God and be willing to sacrifice it all for His Kingdom.
For the final week of this series we explored the idea that you get what you deserve. So often we think of bad things happening to bad people and good things happening to good people. However, when we look at Scripture, we realize that we have a lot to be thankful for. Thank God we don't get what we deserve because the only thing we deserve is death. But through a relationship with Jesus, we're given life. All we have to do is turn toward Jesus and repent!
This week’s message explores the untruth that we won’t have bad days as followers of Christ. The harsh reality is that life doesn’t magically get easier when we begin to follow Jesus. In many cases, it’s the complete opposite. We begin to realize that following Jesus can be more difficult than following the ways of the world. The truth is that Jesus never said we wouldn’t have bad days. Instead, Jesus tells us that if we anchor our lives in him, the bad days won’t have us! How can we live a life pursuing Jesus, in the good days and the bad?
Throughout this series we’re looking at common misunderstandings of our faith. This week, we focused on how Jesus spoke about the idea of forgiveness. Is Jesus really ok with us not forgiving others? Ultimately, we look to Scripture for guidance and see that forgiveness is something that we do, not only for the other person but also for ourselves. Jesus never wanted us to live a life of bondage because of how others have treated us. Instead, he wants us to live a life of freedom, where we can offer forgiveness to those who’ve caused hurt and pain in our lives.
This week, we’re beginning a brand-new series called Things Jesus Never Said. The first statement we tackled was, "Do Whatever Makes You Happy." Whether it was the Greeks of Paul's day or the people we interact with daily, so many people have believed that substances, experiences, or people can bring them true happiness. However, as Christ followers, we know that some of the things that make us "happy" are not good for us in the long term. As followers of Jesus, we realize that happiness isn’t the goal. Instead, we should be pursuing those things which bring JOY through a relationship with Jesus.
This week, Pastor Jerry shared with us 4 observations from Philippians 3:12-21 for what it might mean to turn over a new leaf in our walk with God this year. The New year is an exciting opportunity to start our lives on a brand new page, and our God can do far more than we could ever hope or imagine. With humility, let’s pursue Jesus together and allow our future inheritance to impact how we live today!
Merry Christmas!
We often experience peace in this world, but that peace is momentary. The Christmas story, however, is about a lasting peace. In Luke's Gospel, we see the shepherds present at the birth of Christ. Although shepherds weren't allowed in the temple because they were ceremonially unclean and often thought of as thieves and liars, they're present in the Christmas story to show that the Good News of Jesus is for all people, not just a select few. A lack of peace can create a divide between us and our Creator, but we can't find our way back to God without God! Lasting peace doesn't come through perfect people or perfect circumstances. Lasting peace comes from the Prince of Peace.
As we come to the end of our Christmas series, Peace. We’re reminded of the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. As we see in Luke’s Gospel, Zechariah is a priest. He's familiar with God's ways and understands what it means to be in the presence of God. Yet, when an angel of the Lord appears to him in the temple, he doubts what the angel is saying—that his wife Elizabeth will have a child in her old age. As we can see in this story, chaos ensues when we don’t choose to trust God in obedience. Eventually, Zechariah trusts in God’s plan for his life, acts in obedience, and becomes the father of one of the greatest champions of Jesus, John the Baptist. We too can have peace in our lives if we act in obedience.
In this second message of our Peace series, we're continuing to discuss how to live a life in peace, especially during a month like this one! This week, we're following along with the story of Joseph. Joseph allowed love to triumph over fear in his interactions with his pregnant fiancé, Mary. His faith allowed him to be obedient in this difficult moment, following God without delay. We can follow Joseph's example and live a life of obedience this Christmas season, even when we don't have all the answers!
This week, we're starting a new series called "PEACE." In each message, we'll be talking about a different situation surrounding those involved with the birth of Christ, and how those people found peace in a variety of circumstances.
This week, Rachel shared about how to deal with curveballs in life. Life can throw curveballs at us at any time, and sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong. But that doesn't mean we have to give up! In this message, we'll talk about how to look to Christ-centered community and God when things get tough. And we'll talk about how to find peace in a curveball-filled life.
Throughout this series we’ve looked to Jesus as the ultimate hero, but he was also the ultimate hero maker. We’re followers of Christ because Jesus made hero makers of his disciples who made heroes who made heroes, etc. But when it comes to winning like a hero maker, many of us are running in the wrong direction. The world tells us that winning requires us to get ahead, to be first. In the Kingdom of God, however, winning like a hero maker requires us to put others first and be a servant to all.
This week's message continues our Hero Maker series by examining how to help others grow. In week 2, we learned how to practically help the people in our lives grow into heroes.
This week, we'll look at how Jesus spent intentional time with his disciples to help them become better leaders.
By living like hero makers, we inspire others to lead the life God has for them. Jesus modeled this for us in John 3, and showed us how to live like hero makers even when we don't feel capable.
In this first week of our Hero Maker series, we'll be learning how to think like a Hero Maker.
As disciples of Jesus, our job is to shepherd others and help them reach their potential. This week, we'll be looking to Matthew 28 to explore what it means to disciple others. This first week is essential if you want to be successful in discipleship!
During this final week of our 5 Pursuits series we’re highlighting the importance of generosity in our lives. Here at Beach Church, we seek to pursue a lifestyle of generosity as an expression of gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us. Like so many things in our faith, it’s about perspective. The more gratitude we have for the things and people in our lives, the more generous our hearts become. Let’s live a life that reflects the generous heart of God!
This week we talked about what it means to serve others as members of the kingdom of God. Here at Beach Church, we seek to pursue a lifestyle of serving as the most authentic expression of Jesus’ love to the world. Jesus came to the world to serve others and did so in a way that we could never repay. This lifestyle of serving doesn’t necessarily look all that different than our everyday lives. It can simply be us asking ourselves the following question, “How can I help?”
Here at Beach Church, we seek to pursue community through a circle of believers where we can grow stronger in our walk of faith. Being in relationship with others is vital to our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. As we get plugged into life groups and find community, we’re able to lean on people during times of stress and grow, not only in our relationship with Jesus together but also with each other. Sometimes in that community, we’ll be challenged, but that’s a good thing! After all, how will learn to love, serve, and support others, if we never allow others into our lives.
We’re committed to pursuing a relationship with Jesus both for ourselves and others. We have made the intentional “first step” choice to place our hope in Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives and are actively seeking to pursue relationships where we invite others to take their first step as well. As we begin our 5 Pursuits series, week 1 focuses on taking those first steps of faith. This week’s message came from Chapter 5 in John’s gospel where we see Jesus heal the man by the pool. Jesus then tells the man, “Get up!” This week’s message left us with two questions: Do you want to be well? And, do you want others to be well? If we do, we have to take those first steps and help others take those first steps as well.
In this final week of our Sowing & Reaping series, we looked back to previous weeks of the series and were reminded what it meant to clear the soil, sow the seed, and reap a harvest. As the Holy Spirit produces this harvest in our lives, however, we’re left with the reality that we have a real enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy these fruits in our lives. We can’t fight these spiritual battles on our own. We must rely on our relationship the Lord to get us through these trials and tribulations and never forget that it starts with sowing the Word of God into our hearts.
Now that we’ve prepped the soil for planting, it’s time for us to sow the Word of God into our lives. Through the daily reading of God’s Word and memorizing Scripture, we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us every day of our lives and produce those fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And while it’s not an overnight process, we can’t expect apples immediately after planting seeds, we sow the Word of God into our hearts for seasons to come. We may not think we get anything out of a particular day’s reading; however, sometime in the future, that passage of Scripture might be just what we need. So, get in the Bible today!
When we think about sowing into a relationship with God, there’s hard work to be done. We can’t plant the Word of God in soil that’s filled with roots of pain, sin, and death. We need soil free of all that for new seed to be planted and those new roots to take hold. We need the Holy Spirit to work in and through us as we prepare our souls for what’s sure to be a bountiful harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control for many years to come.
This week marked the beginning of a brand new series we’re calling Sowing and Reaping. This series is all about looking at the fruit of the Spirit that can be produced in our lives when we sow the Word of God into our hearts. The principle of this series comes from 2 Corinthians 9:6-13 where Paul is writing to the church in Corinth encouraging them to sow generously. We’ll see that throughout this series, this idea of sowing generously goes beyond the financial element that we often associate with this passage. Because as we sow generously in our relationship with God, a plentiful harvest of righteousness will be produced by the Holy Spirit, and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control will be produced in our lives.
This week’s Road Trip message took us to Chapter 5 in the book of Ephesians. Paul’s letter has a heavy focus on what it means to love people well. Paul encouraged the people in Ephesus to be children of the light, and he reminded them that they were once in the darkness that often surrounds them in the world. Paul’s letter also focuses on them having a sacrificial love in marriage and how spouses should be living a life submitted to one another, as each should be submitting to the Lord.
This week’s message focuses on Chapter 3 in the book of Ephesians, where Paul described God’s love as something that’s available for all, using himself as an example. Through Paul, we see an example of the transformational love of God. In verses 14-18, Paul prayed a prayer for the Ephesians that God would strengthen their power through the Spirit and that they would be rooted and established in love. As we engage with a world that is often contrary to God’s kingdom, let’s remind ourselves to seek power through the Holy Spirit and do everything we do in love.
Our Road Trip series has us getting on a new “highway” of sorts, as we leave the book of Daniel and begin the book of Ephesians this week. Ephesians served as a letter from Paul to the believers at Ephesus, a port city of major importance in the ancient world. Paul reminded those early believers that even though they had once walked in sexual immorality, occultism, and idolatry; they could now walk freely in their new identities in Christ. In the same way, our new identities in Jesus mean that we are adopted, forgiven, and chosen by God.
While the vast majority of discussion revolving around this infamous story of Daniel in the den of lions revolves around Daniel’s steadfast faith and God’s protective hand over his life, much can be learned about how we should live our lives in the workplace from Daniel. The majority of the story, in fact, doesn’t talk about lions at all, but Daniel’s service to the government as a faithful employee. Daniel lived a life beyond reproach, ever focused on his relationship with God. Although he was an exemplary employee in his earthly role, Daniel was irreplaceable in the Kingdom of God.
This week’s journey through the Scriptures takes us to the story in Daniel 4 where King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and then Daniel interpreted that dream. Although Nebuchadnezzar had done some amazing things during his time on earth, he mistakenly thought that he had accomplished all of those things on his own. He placed himself as the Most High and forgot that God is King. How often do we do that in our lives? We have to remind ourselves that we aren’t the King; Jesus is the King. There is a God in Heaven, and although we aren’t Him, we are called to be live a life like Him and in relationship with Him every day.
We’re so excited to begin this summer series where we’re diving into the Scriptures. This week’s message begins our journey through the Bible with the story of Daniel. When Daniel and his friends are exiled into King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, they are thrown into a new country with a new language with a new educational system and given new names. They also had to eat the food assigned to them from the king’s table. Daniel draws the line here because he had dietary laws that he viewed as a way to honor God. What does the book of Daniel have to do with us? The truth is we are in exile; we’re in a sea of culture. We live in a fallen world that doesn’t know the truth. But, if we were to follow the path of Daniel and his friends we would be challenged to determine our convictions, go forward with others, walk in humility, and remember where our hope lies.
How is the Bible foundational to our faith? This final installment of our Foundations series examines what we believe about the Bible and identifies a couple of the challenges we face when reading the Bible. The Holy Spirit empowered people to write God’s living Word so that we can communicate with God on a deeper level. However, that communication requires us to read the Bible, dig into God’s Word, and be obedient to what he’s telling us through these Holy Scriptures. When we apply what we learn from the Bible to our everyday lives, we’re able to experience the full impact of what God shows us through the text.
Many people think the Church is a building, organization, or system. The Church, however, is the people who gather in these places on a weekly basis. These followers of Jesus aren't called to just be the Church on a Sunday though. They're called to leave from these places and go into the world to tell others about Jesus. The Church is foundational because it's the movement responsible for spreading the Good News!
This week we wanted to take a moment to recognize the high school seniors in our church, that next generation of Jesus followers, who will be embarking on new, post-high school adventures. Beach Church exists to reach, raise up, and release followers of Jesus who change the world, and as this week’s message points out, it’s up to us, the Church to raise up that next generation so that we can release them into the world. We’re left with the reality that if the Church is going to survive, we must be investing in the next generation, so how we’re pouring into and raising up that next generation is an essential part of our own faith journey and the journeys of generations of Jesus followers to come.
The foundations of our faith begin with the relationships we have with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In week 1 we talked about God the Father being for us. In week 2, we talked about the Son of God redeeming us. This week’s message is about what it means to seek a relationship with the Holy Spirit. A foundational element to our faith is that we believe the Holy Spirit is in us. He is a guide, a comforter, and an advocate for us. As we grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit, the ways of the world will fall away and the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control will be produced. These fruits show the transformation in our lives so that people around us can see the redemptive work of Jesus and his love for us all.
This special standalone Mother’s Day message features Pastor Jerry and a panel of four incredible mothers from our Beach Church community. These ladies spent time talking through topics of what it means to raise children in a Christ-centered home. Derived from Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, the topics focused on things like making faith personal, widening the circle of Godly influence, and creating faith-focused rhythms in the lives of our children as we raise up the next generation of Jesus followers.
Who is Jesus? Many feel that he is a great teacher, or even a prophet, but struggle with the idea that he was God in human form. They struggle with the thought that for a brief moment Jesus was one of us and then rose from the grave to fulfill his mission here on earth. However, as CS Lewis points out, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” Followers of Jesus have to be ok with the idea that he was God in human form because Jesus himself said he was God in human form and led as if he were God in human form. Jesus truly was and is the Messiah.
As we embark on this new series, Foundations: What We Believe, we begin with a couple of paramount questions in what we believe in our faith: Who are we? And who is God? When we look to the Bible, we see that man and woman are made equal and in the image of God. We can also see our immense value to God. We also see God as a giving, gracious, and faithful father. While we may not experience this type of father here on earth, God shows us his character as a perfect Father, overflowing with love and forgiveness.
This Easter Sunday, we’re not only reminded of the resurrecting hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus, but we’re also reminded to not underestimate the disabling power of failure in our lives. When looking at Chapter 21 of John’s gospel, we see Peter return to his old life, even after the resurrection, because he felt inadequate and undeserving to carry on the gospel of Jesus. But just like when Jesus takes Peter to be one of his disciples, he returns and reminds Peter that his purpose on earth isn’t finished. God wants us to see that our life is not defined by our failures but instead anchored in the hope of a resurrected Christ!
Why do we as Jesus followers choose to make the place where Jesus suffered so greatly the sign of our faith? Although it may be difficult to think of the mocking, insults, and torture when it comes to Jesus’ last hours on earth, Jesus’ mission was fully realized on the cross that day. In this way, the cross is just the beginning. It shows us the ultimate example of what it means to lay down our life for others, to die to the self every day, and to begin each day anew, our focus solely on the creator. The cross is so much more than a torture device; it’s a conduit for what is to come—the resurrection.
As this series of what it means to share the Good News of Jesus with a sense of urgency comes to close, we’re reminded that a big part of our faith is actually telling people about Jesus. This message revisits the story in 2 Kings where the lepers stumble upon the enemy’s unoccupied camp and find food and things of monetary value when their people needed it desperately. Even these outcasts of society recognize the importance of not keeping all of the stuff to themselves. Jesus is much more precious than any of that, yet we sometimes keep him to ourselves, even when he makes our lives immensely better! This message is a great call to action for us to not let the Good News of Jesus dead-end with us but instead be a conduit for Jesus.
How much has Jesus done for you? Sometimes it can be intimidating to share the love of Jesus with others. It can be easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to be qualified to tell others about Jesus, but we don’t need a special degree or qualification to share Jesus with others. We just need to tell people what Jesus has done for us. Through these stories of life-changing moments, people can be encouraged in who Jesus is and find healing in their own lives. This week’s message looks at the story of the demon possessed man in Mark 5. After Jesus casts out the legion of demons, he sends the man to tell his own people what Jesus did for him. We’re called to do the same. We should simply share with others what Jesus has done for us, and we should seek a relationship with Jesus to find healing in our own lives.
Nothing creates a sense of urgency like when something of great value is lost. Jesus teaches three different parables in the book of Luke that revolve around this very idea, and these parables teach us that lost people are front and center on the heart of God. Jesus also shows us that we should be talking with the lost and having relationships with people who are looking for a Savior. Nothing in his teachings suggests that the lost is a statement on how good people are or their worth. The found have just realized their lostness and recognized the importance of seeking Jesus. Ultimately, found people should be passionate about finding people, not because the found aren’t important, but because God rejoices when the lost come home.
Have you ever noticed that when people find out they have a limited amount of time left on this earth, they seem to live life more urgently? They go and do all the things they planned on doing throughout their lives when they realize there’s not much time left. What would it look like for us to live a life of evangelism like this--like there’s not much time left, with a real sense of urgency, prioritizing telling people about Jesus over everything? Imagine the impact this could have on the world around us! Time is something that eventually runs out for all of us; it’s what we do with that time and how we foster that God-given gift that’s important.
God’s commands can feel like He’s trying to control us and restrict our freedom, but in reality it’s the exact opposite. God’s commands in the area of sex are meant to protect us, not control us, and with this protection we’re given incredible freedom. Yet, it’s human nature to lust and be tempted, so what do we do? The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians to flee from sexual immorality and move away from that proverbial edge that we find ourselves inching towards with regards to sexual immorality. As we do, we’ll be more in tune with God’s true intentions of sex and how it was designed to exist.
We often hear things like “follow your heart” when it comes to matters of sex. However, we see in Proverbs 3:5 that the Bible tells us to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” These words of wisdom apply to sex in that we can understand that the creator designed intimacy with us in mind, and when we follow our hearts, we’re following desires that can be rooted in culture, not in the Word of God. But, when we trust in the Lord’s plan for our lives, including in the area of sex, we can see the gift that has been given to us in its purest form, and not as a conduit of pain and hurt. Biologically and scientifically we see how sex is designed to be a permanent connection; this is God’s intent! So, are we willing to trust God’s design when it comes to sex or follow culture?
Much of how we view sex comes from culture, not the Bible. But since the beginning there has been an enemy, an intruder, trying to mislead humanity and make us question if the creator could be trusted. The world is not a playground though as this enemy would have us believe; it’s a spiritual battleground if we’re seeking out a life influenced by God. We see an example of Paul trying to show the people of Corinth there is a better way in following God than what culture has dictated. Paul understands that living a counter-cultural lifestyle in this place is going to be difficult. He recognizes that this could make us feel shame or regret. This isn’t a message about condemnation, for when God works in our lives, he never brings condemnation; that’s the enemy. God does bring conviction, though, so we can see his love for us.
The Church has traditionally taken two approaches when it comes to sex. It’s either approached the topic with deafening silence or a resounding “No! Don’t do it!” But, the biblical truth on the topic of sex is that God created sex. Not only did God create sex, but He called it good. So, what would it look like for us to take a different approach when it comes to sex? What if we were to look at it through the same lens as God? What if, we were to approach the topic of sex from a healthy, open, God-centered position, talking about sex as it was intended, as a good gift from God?
Through Paul, we see a man who went from being one of the most ruthless persecutors of Christians to one of the most important and impactful missionaries of the faith. But, what happened? Paul awakened to the power of God, and this awakening to God’s power changed Paul’s life forever. Once he realized the truth of who Jesus was, he was never the same. Paul described himself as a servant of Christ, a prisoner for Jesus, and chief of sinners. Paul humbled himself in light of who God was; he was a dangerous follower of Jesus because he knew the power of the one who embraced him. Paul knew that Christ was his anchor and hope, and he had no other choice than to point people to Jesus for the rest of his life.
It’s easy to awaken every morning to the problems of the world. Natural disasters, civil unrest, and wars across the world fill our news headlines, but so many of these things are outside our reach. What are the needs that are right in front of us, though? Where can we go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus? This idea of loving others is best exemplified in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Love God, and love your neighbor. These are the frameworks for the story. Our neighbors are those around us, and serving is at the heart of our faith because it’s the heart of God. We can awaken to the needs of others when we get close, empathize, and take actionto help those around us who are in need.
When we recognize the presence of God in our lives, we can be left with a couple questions. Big questions like, “What is this life all about?” or “What is my purpose?” We can latch onto a pursuit of family or career to find that purpose, but scripture tells us that our ultimate purpose is to glorify God. We can do this through singing and praying, sure, but God already knows who He is. So, how do we awaken to God’s purpose for our lives, glorifying Him? Lean into God, and do what you see Jesus do.
Have you ever gotten into your car and driven somewhere without remembering anything about the journey? This highway hypnosis is scary, but what’s even scarier is going through life without realizing God’s presence in our lives. How can we come to a place of awakening to the life-giving presence of God? What does it mean to wake up and see all that He has in store for us? Awakening begins when we stop long enough to pay attention to the activity of God around us and in us, but this awakening usually only happens on the other side of trusting God.
Life can be filled with turmoil and difficult situations, but in the middle of the storm, we can take comfort in knowing that the one who can calm it, Jesus, is right there with us. All we have to do is trust him and recognize that he has complete control.
God places us where we are in our lives to be a light for Jesus. As we enter 2022 expectant for what God’s going to do in our lives, we’re reminded of the story of Esther and how God placed her in a position of influence at the exact time where her people desperately needed an advocate. Once Mordecai brings this to her attention, she immediately calls for them to fast along with her in order to prepare her heart to be bold. This spiritual discipline of fasting helps us prepare ourselves for what God wants for us. We have to ask ourselves: Where has God placed us? What has God gifted us to do? How can we take a bold step out of our comfort zones that have kept us from God’s call on our lives?
Merry Christmas! Christmas is the time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Through the story of the angels coming to the shepherds, we see that everyone has access to the King of Kings.
Although Christmas can be a time to celebrate with family and friends, Christmas can also be a time that brings up pain. So, what do we do with that? Just because we’re followers of Jesus, we aren’t guaranteed a life free from pain. In fact, the Bible points to many examples of people, including Jesus, who dealt with extreme pain. What we are guaranteed is that we don’t have to face that pain alone. We can celebrate the fact that we worship a God who understands us in our pain, meets us there, and walks with us through it, no matter how long, difficult, or trying that journey may be.
Maybe we can picture God being with us during difficult times or certain seasons of the year like Christmas and Easter, but in reality God is with us all the time, including in our digital lives. Although we may feel as if having God with us limits our freedom, we’re actually freer when we walk with Him every day. So, as we engage digitally, we have the opportunity to walk in the way of love and redeem our time digitally by showing this aspect of Christ through kind, thoughtful, and encouraging words.
Whether you’re single and live with roommates or married with 5 kids, we all have families, and as we all know, there’s no such thing as a perfect one. In fact, there’s not even an example of a perfect family in the Bible, but we do have a perfect heavenly father. When we make Jesus our first love, it puts family in its proper place. When Jesus is first, we’re set free to embrace family for the gift that God intended it to be. Families aren’t meant to hold up the weight of the world, only our Creator can do that, but it requires us to put Him first. And in our church family, we can accept everyone with love and grace and teach the world what it truly means to be a family.
Marriage is important. It’s a relationship that God has given us because we weren’t meant to be alone. It’s also something we should approach with humbleness, reverence, and dedication, but love isn’t always easy. Sometimes, love requires lots of work. However, we should turn our hearts to God when finding ways to improve our marriage and relationships. Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” So, let us all have a spirit of humility, a heart of grace, and willingness to fight for our marriages in the name of Jesus.
Did you know we can worship God through our work? Sometimes we can just try to get through with work to get on with the rest of our lives. But, how different would our work be if we saw it as an opportunity to worship? Jesus often tells parables and stories focused on work to express the heart and character of God because work is important. God worked. He created. Jesus worked as a carpenter the majority of his life. We were created to work in partnership with God, and as we do whatever it is that we were called to do in this life, we have the choice to approach it, not like we’re working for our boss, but like we’re working for the LORD.
The MULTIPLY vision isn’t a task list. It’s a constant reminder that our focus has to be on God in order to make the vision come to fruition. Our 5 Pillars of the MULTIPLY Vision are: Disciples, Leaders, Systems, Churches, and New Ground. These pillars will hold up the MULTIPLY vision if we constantly structure and think about them through the lens of Jesus and intentional disciple making. Sometimes we might feel like turning around or going back to where we came from, but we have to remind ourselves of where we’re going and that “The land… is exceedingly good” (Numbers 14:7). The biggest element in fulfilling this vision, however, is trusting that it’s not our vision but God’s vision. He will deliver the multiplication.
Don’t let the good news of Jesus end with your life. Throughout this series, we’ve looked at what makes a disciple, but what does a disciple actually do? If we’re truly following Jesus, disciples go after the one. They pursue real, authentic relationships which bring about real life change and lead others to a relationship with Jesus. The beautiful thing is we don’t have to be spiritually mature to have that relationship; Jesus will meet us in our mess and come alongside us in our life’s journey. So, who’s your one?
MULTIPLY has nothing to do with the seating capacity of the church and everything to do with the sending capacity of the church. How we impact schools, businesses and other places dictates how well we’re discipling others. When Jesus equipped his disciples to send them out, he did so in three main ways: with a bias toward action; taking on big challenges with limited resources and an undeniable dependence upon God; and with grace and truth. So, what’s stopping us from being equipped and equipping others in those same ways?
Have you ever humored Jesus? When Jesus asks Simon to take him out in the water to speak to the crowd, he does so. When Jesus, a carpenter, tells him to drop their nets, Simon tells him they’ve been fishing all night and haven’t caught anything, but he will do it because Jesus says so. Their boats are then filled with fish because of Simon’s obedience. Have you had times in your life when you thought you knew better than God how to live your life? What would happened in those moments if we humored Him and let down our nets? When we do, we’ll see the Holy Spirit working in and through us, as will the people around us who we can reach through our stories.
Final words matter. In the Great Commission beginning in Matthew 28:16, we see Jesus giving his disciples some parting words to “go and make disciples in all nations.” We’re not called to be Christians who consume messages and feel good about ourselves on a Sunday morning. We’re called to be disciples who go out into the world acting as conduits of the gospel of Jesus, making new disciples wherever we go. Because the harsh reality is Christians won’t change the world; disciples will change the world.
“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” -Acts 1: 5-8. To live a life of purpose and love like Jesus loved, we need help. Jesus realized this and assured the disciples that when he left this earth another would come in his place. We often think of the Holy Spirit as comforter and guide, but it’s not often that we think about the power that comes from living a life in tune with the Holy Spirit. When we lean into this relationship, we can live bold lives reaching people for Jesus.
Sometimes we often use the words interchangeably, but the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit are two different things. When we look at the fruit of the Spirit, we see these produced in our lives when we begin following Jesus. But the gifts of the Holy Spirit are things given to us for a specific purpose to equip the church. In fact, the first gift of the Holy Spirit was the church - a place meant to bless the world. Specific gifts like wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, teaching, and encouragement are all things given to individuals by the Holy Spirit, but their impact was meant to be felt in and shared with the church in order to reach the world for Jesus.
One of the most beautiful things about our faith is how we live our lives in the presence of God. The disciples did it as they walked the earth with God in human form in the personhood of Jesus. They learned from him during his ministry and were shocked when he told them he was leaving them, but Jesus promised them another was coming in his place, the Comforter, Advocate, and Guide. As followers of Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit lives in us all day every day, and there is real, life-giving power in his presence.
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). What is the Spirit of God? We often neglect the Holy Spirit when thinking about the Trinity, but why? Because it’s hard to grasp? This message unpacks some of those difficult things surrounding the Holy Spirit and provides some insight into not only who the Holy Spirit is but also why it’s important that we recognize the power and comfort he can provide. The Holy Spirit is the God-breathed giver of life; he is a gift from God himself who has been there from the beginning and will be there throughout eternity. All we have to do is receive him.
How to Serve? When thinking about how we serve, we also need to consider why we serve. Serving isn’t something we need to fit into our schedule. Instead, serving others is part of our identity in Jesus. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we’ll also grow in our compassion for others and a selfless attitude with which we’ll approach life. Jesus’ life was all about reconciling others to himself, and as we make our lives all about Jesus, we’ll naturally reflect his heart for others through serving. Sometimes all it takes to bring about real life change in others is simply making ourselves available and having a heart of serving.
In this final message of “The Thriving Life” we looked at the story of Paul and Silas and their time in jail in Acts 16. While Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns, “there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.” Although the foundations of the prison were shaken, the foundations of their faith were not. They could’ve run away from the prison, but they didn’t out of love for their jailer and concern for his life. This exemplification of the fruits of the Spirit led the jailer and his family into relationship with Jesus. This story tells us that there will never seemingly be a perfect time to bear witness, but in reality, any time is the perfect time. This world is fragile, and this life is a mess, but we have the potential to lean into a relationship with God and let His light shine through us in the fruits of the Spirit.
It’s easy for those of us who are Jesus followers to say we’re placing our trust in Jesus and seeking to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to produce something beautiful, but Paul gives us a picture in Galatians 5 of what it looks like when we’re living closely in relationship with the Spirit. By taking a look at ourselves and where we might be struggling in areas of kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, we see a need to lean into relationship with our Father. For non-believers, the hope is that this series shows what it could look like to live life with God’s help and to realize that there’s more to life than just getting by, there’s a way to thrive.
How do we actually know that we’re yielded to the Holy Spirit? In Galatians 5, Paul gives us a progress report and a way that we can self-evaluate how closely we’re leaning into the Holy Spirit. This week, the focus was on love, joy, peace, and patience. Certain struggles we’re having in each of these areas could be a great indicator of how well we’re producing these Fruits of the Spirit. If there’s a deficiency, maybe we aren’t leaning into and trusting the Holy Spirit in these areas of our lives. However, this progress report isn’t a way to see where we’re messing up and try harder to achieve them. The action step has nothing to do with striving harder; instead, it’s a call for us to draw nearer to the Holy Spirit and allow that life change to come over our lives.
In order to learn what it means to live a thriving life, we need to not only look into what Jesus did but who Jesus was. Jesus himself said he is the true vine and his father, the vine dresser. But, what does the vine do? It gives us life. When we focus on the relationship with Jesus, not resources in our world, then the Fruits of the Spirit are produced in us and through us. How do we do this? A life that supernaturally expresses the heart of God comes from staying, not striving. We lean into the Word, we lean into prayer, and we lean into relationship with God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And, when we focus on the relationship, not the fruit, that’s when we’ll see it be produced in our lives.
“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him” -Psalm 34:8. As we begin this new series The Thriving Life, we’re pointed to the truth that living a thriving life doesn’t come from living life our own way but through surrendering our life to the Holy Spirit. Just like the roots of a tree search out life-giving water, we should seek that life source in the Holy Spirit. When we lean into the Holy Spirit, what He has, and what He does, we’re able to shift our mindset. Because a mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
In Luke 18, Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a widow and harsh judge. The widow is so persistent with the harsh judge, that he finally has a change of heart. This isn’t because he’s just or fair but because he’s tired of hearing from the widow. How does this parable give us any insight into living a life like Jesus? Jesus wants us to realize that if an unjust judge can be moved over time, then wouldn’t it be possible that a just God could be moved by how we pray to Him over and over again. God wants us to wear him out with our prayers, but just like the story of the centurion, these prayers have to come from a place of deep faith. Repeat is driven by faith, and we must be willing to have a shameless audacity and sheer persistence in our pursuit of reaching others for Jesus.
Never underestimate the power of the invitation. The more we invest in others, the easier it becomes to invite them into a relationship with Jesus, but we need to be patient. As we do the work of getting to know people and growing in our relationships with them, God will begin to open doors for us to walk through. One example of this is the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Although Phillip didn’t invest a large amount of time in the Ethiopian man, he did listen and help the man understand the scripture he was clinging to. The Holy Spirit prompted Phillip to stand next to the carriage, and Phillip walked through a door that God opened for him. Through this example, we’re able to see what it would look like to invest in and invite others into a relationship with Jesus.
Invest. Investment means intentionally entering into caring relationships with those around us who don’t know Jesus. Paul tells us that that doesn’t mean we have to adopt their way of life or lose our bearings of our faith. It also doesn’t mean to approach people from a self-righteous, judgmental standpoint, but instead from a position of humility, keeping in mind that just like the song “Amazing Grace” says, we too are wretches and no better than anyone. The only difference between a believer and a non-believer is that one category of people has a relationship with Jesus and the other doesn’t. Our responsibility as Jesus followers is to meet people where they are, just like Jesus did for us and love them. Because, ultimately, it’s not about anything we did; it’s about what God did for us.
Pray. It’s simple, but this sometimes underestimated spiritual discipline has powerful implications for not only our own lives but also the people around us. If you’re a Jesus follower, the truth is that someone prayed for you, whether you know it or not. As a Jesus follower, there are people in our lives that we should be praying for, not just those who are sick or down on their luck, but also those who would be transformed by a relationship with Jesus. This message focuses on several passages in the Bible where prayer made all the difference in someone’s life, from Paul praying for people to spread the gospel and grow in faith to Ananias who prayed for the veil, both literally and figuratively, lifted from his eyes when he was still persecuting Jesus followers. So, Who prayed for/is praying for you? Who are you praying for? What are you praying for?
How does your faith positively impact your relationships? The truth of the matter is that our relationship with Jesus should impact all aspects of our lives—not only those interactions in the church building on Sunday mornings but also every interaction in the places we go throughout the week. Our homes, our work, and our schools should all see the transformative love of Jesus through us. Jesus tells us to love one another as he first loved us, and although submission is a word that collides with our 21st century mindset, how incredible would our lives be if we were to adopt the motto of our resurrected King who once washed the feet of his followers. Life in the kingdom radically transforms all of our relationships.
Where’s your citizenship? Colossians 3 is a great litmus test for where you are in your relationship with Jesus. In this section of scripture, Paul and Timothy are encouraging the people of Colossae to relentlessly pursue a relationship with Jesus because when you do, you realize that your citizenship isn’t an earthly one but instead on of a heavenly nature. Your citizenship changes when you put to death the old self marked by worldly things like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry, and take on a kingdom nature, a new self, marked by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. A life marked by transformation is an ongoing process of surrender.
As followers of Jesus, we have to be aware of things that could potentially derail our faith. Paul reminds the people of Colossae to be wary of deceptive philosophies, human traditions, and spiritual forces that are of this world. This message unpacks some of those things and explores what it would look like for us to find our true identity in Christ and live a life with that anchor of hope. It points to the realization that following Jesus isn’t a religion but instead a relationship where real life change happens on the inside.
As we continue reading Paul’s letter to the people of Colossae, we’re left with the impression that following Jesus isn’t always a walk in the park. Words like “suffering” and “afflictions” permeate this section of scripture as Paul writes to these Jesus followers. But, the letter also contains phrases like “encouraged in heart” and “united in love” in order for us to mature in Christ. The journey with Christ isn’t something that’s going to always be easy, but it is something that’s going to be worth it. We just have to ask ourselves, “Are we willing to do whatever it takes to serve the king in reaching a broken world?”
Colossians 1: 1-23 This message begins our series on one of the Pauline Epistles, Colossians. In this letter, Paul and Timothy write the people of Colossae with encouraging prayers for them to hold fast to their faith. But, what does that mean for us? The tone of the letter not only serves as an example of how we’re to bring one another along in our faith, but also as an example of how we should feel encouraged in the gospel and hope we have through Jesus and his kingdom here on earth. The question then becomes, what’s keeping us from sharing this good news with others?
Money is something that is difficult to talk about in churches. But what do the Scriptures say about giving? We can’t have two masters. Money is meant to be a tool, not an obsession, and how we interact with money shows what we believe about the sovereignty of God.
When we think of life change, it’s tempting to want a quick solution, a quick fix. But, the truth is, true life change and transformation don’t happen overnight; it happens over time. When it comes to a transformation, God’s not interested in transforming our “spiritual lives,” but our entire lives. That transformation comes through a relationship with Jesus. And, as we grow closer to Jesus in our relationship and put our faith into action, God works on and transforms our hearts and our lives.
Jesus didn’t lose his life, he laid it down willingly. He sacrificed. This ultimate example perfectly paints a picture for us as to what it would mean for us to lose everything for the kingdom. While this seems extreme, our lives would be so much different, so much better, if we were to wake up every day reminding ourselves that it’s not about us, but instead it’s about God’s will for us. This small prayer of self-sacrifice would provide the much needed perspective shift that most of us really need. God was self-sacrificing to show us that greatness is found in a lifestyle of sacrificial love and serving others.
God cares about our sin. Not because He wants to infringe on free will or control all the things we do in our everyday lives. God cares about our sin because He knows that the deeper we dive into sin, the further we stray from a relationship with Him. This holy nature of God is something that Jesus followers should seek, not as a desire to be better than others but as a desire, a real longing to grow closer to our Heavenly Father.
We throw the word love around a lot, especially in the English language. We use it to describe how much we enjoyed a meal or a clothing item. We use it when talking about our friends or an experience. We all have different definitions of what it means to love something or someone, and often when we use love we’re focusing on us, on the self, on what I’m experiencing. When we talk about God’s love, however, that kind of love, that Agape kind of love, is completely self-sacrificing and unconditional. How different would our lives as Jesus followers be if we starting living a life of not only love, but Agape?
God’s generosity can be seen in every aspect of our lives, from awe-inspiring sunrises to incredible tasting food. God didn’t have to create a world where we’d experience all this beauty, but He did. Jesus calls us to be generous as well. Not so that we can get something in return or become richer but as an act of worshipping our God who was first so generous to us. And by being generous, we grow in our relationship with the creator in a way where our hearts are transformed.
Can we really trust God? When it seems like all hope is lost, we finally turn our hearts to God and ask for help. But what if we were to turn to God before things get dire? What if before we feel like there’s no other option, we turned our hearts to God and just trusted him with everything? With our finances, our addictions, our hardened hearts, and all the other things that we try to handle on our on every, single day? How drastically different would our lives be? Because in the end, our God isn’t a God who’s simply there to put out the fires. Our God is a God we can trust to stop many of them from starting and to be there with us when they happen anyway.
People often ask questions like, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” or start sentences with “If God is good, why does he allow pain and suffering?” What if we were to tell you that the problem with these questions isn’t the nature of God. The problem with these questions is that we’re asking them through the narrative of the world and not through the narrative of Jesus. We’re called to live a life like Jesus, and in this world, that also means we’ll face suffering, pain, and death, but we’re comforted knowing that whoever lives in love, lives in God.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Easter story, and it’s ok to have those questions. Even Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, had some doubts with the resurrection and wanted to see physical evidence. While we weren’t there and have to approach the issue of the resurrection with faith, our hope isn’t found in an empty tomb or missing body. Our hope is found in a Savior who conquered death and rose from the grave. Our hope is in Jesus. And through God’s grace, we can live with Him in eternity.
When we think about a king coming to power, we envision the death of the current ruler or an overthrowing of the current regime. But when it comes to Jesus, his rise to power was anything but an overthrowing. It was a surrender. And his kingdom, it’s one unlike any other. Sometimes all it takes to see things clearly is a simple shift in perspective.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed when trying to read the Bible? Maybe you don’t even know where to begin. As part of our special message series The Essentials, this week’s message “How to Read Your Bible” takes a look at why we read the Bible in the first place, the variances in different translations, and multiple ways we can read the Bible. But maybe most importantly, the message focuses on what happens when we approach the Bible with faith and realize the supernatural, powerful nature of God’s word.
Jesus ends “The Sermon on the Mount” with the analogy of a wise man building a house on a rock and a foolish man building his house on sand. When the rains came, the house on the rock stands strong because of its solid foundation, but when the streams rose and the winds blew near the house on the sand, “it fell with a great crash.” Pastor Jerry explains in this culminating message of our Masterclass series that Jesus is calling us to not only listen and be inspired by the words in this message, he’s also calling us to put them into practice and make them the foundation of our faith. Because when we do this, our faith will hold strong through the trials, tribulations, and storms of this life.
What’s the difference between judging others and holding each other accountable? The Bible tells us in Matthew 7, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Instead of pointing out the flaws in others, we should humbly realize our own. We shouldn’t seek to fix people but instead ask God to guide us in helping them with their struggles without forgetting we have our own.
What does it mean to not only believe in God but to also trust in Him? The Bible tells us in Matthew not to store up our treasure on earth but instead in Heaven because “where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” This week, Pastor Ryan emphasizes why and how we can trust God, even when the things of earth seem to be failing us.
Create a quality secret life with God, not to be praised by those around us in the short term, but to be rewarded by our Heavenly Father for all of eternity.
The revolutionary way of Jesus looks beyond rules and regulations, examining our sincerest motivations. Join Pastor Jerry Sweat as we continue to deep dive into Jesus' renown Sermon on the Mount, unpacking life-giving guidance, for even the toughest terrain of the heart.
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ masterclass; a deep dive into the heart and life of Jesus for the one who would dare to venture in his ways. Join in listening to Pastor Jerry as he walks us through one of Christ's most radical sermons and unpacks what these instructions mean for every aspect of our lives.
Have you ever wondered if your life has purpose? We are hardwired by God to make a difference in this world for His glory. In Week 4 of the Way Ahead Series, Pastor Jerry speaks powerfully into our unique purpose as believers that encourages and endures through all of life's circumstances.
Having the right directions can be the difference between getting to your destination smoothly or becoming hopelessly lost. Pastor Carey Sumner explores how the living, breathing, Word of God, is the best set of directions we could ask for. As we move into this new season, will we allow God's Word to guide us?
The Christian life is designed to be done in irreplaceable collaboration with other believers. As illustrated by the miraculous account of Saul and Ananias in the book of Acts, Pastor Jerry Sweat poses the critical question, "Who is helping you on your journey of faith?" and "How do we lean into truth this in our everyday lives?"
We believe the way ahead is not a direction, but a PERSON! In this message, we talk through this idea in light of the life of Paul. Be encouraged and check it out!
Fasting is the disruption of the normal and comfortable in my life so that I can hear from God. Fasting and prayer is not about getting what we want from God, but about being ready to receive what He has for us.
Have you ever considered the role that the Shepherds play in the birth of Jesus? In many ways, the Shepherds embody what takes place in each of us when we enter into the glorious activity of the Gospel. Pastor Carey draws from their experiences in the book of Matthew to discuss the incredible transformation that happens when we encounter the living power of Jesus.
How often does the fear of what other people think direct what you do? As with Joseph, a critical figure in the Christmas Story, many of the things that God calls you to will require disregarding the thoughts of others. Ryan Sweat leads the discussion from the book of Matthew, prompting us to confront if it is the thoughts of God or the thoughts of man we are allowing to lead our lives.
What kind of people does God choose to fulfill his mission? Are they the superstars or the underdogs? In the second week of the Christmas series, Pastor Jerry digs into the life of Mary the mother of Jesus, and encourages all of us who have ever felt, "I'm not enough!"
Fear can be a good thing when it alerts us to and protects us from danger. But what about fear that harms our relationships and produces anxiety about what may or may not happen?
As we begin our journey through the Christmas Series, we are greeted by the same proclamation from the Angels at the Birth of Jesus, "Fear Not!"
In the final week of the Flawed and Faithful series, Serve Pastor Michael Young brings it home discussing King David's offering to God at the threshing floor. Through these scriptures we are prompted to cast our eyes towards Jesus, the ultimate king, and dare to embrace the richness of relationship and sacrifice intermingled.
What if the legendary King David isn't the hero of his own story? What if David's flaws and failures actually point us to the real hero? Pastor Carey Sumner uses multiple segments of scripture to discuss sin, salvation, and our ultimate source of freedom.
The words of the Psalms of David cry out, "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?" Like David, we have all experienced grief or loss. From his life, we can get a picture of how to embrace God and our grief.
Have you ever found yourself saying, "I can't help it" about sins, temptations, or other struggles in your life? Ryan Sweat conquers this question with passages from Corinthians, lessons from the actions of King David, and shares wisdom on how to prevent disaster before it strikes.
As people of God, how do we interact with authority? Pastor Carey teaches lessons from the life of David about honoring and respecting those in authority, even when they do not deserve it.
A life of generosity comes from a heart of gratitude, not from having lots of resources. Pastor Jerry Sweat studies this characteristic of King David and teaches on how this applies to our lives.
At times, David trusted God with reckless abandon. At other times, he was just reckless. Check out how David was able to spare Saul's life in an incredible act of reckless abandonment to God's plan.
Are there times where you have been discouraged? How about discouraged AND alone? Pastor Carey draws lessons from the life of David, who often experienced both, about what it looks like to encourage and sustain our souls in the Lord.