Peace Students: Recent Episodes
Mike Aldridge
What is the book of Philemon all about? Why does it matter? What should we do about it? Join us as Ben shares his heart and what God has taught him!
When everything seems to be going wrong, that's where God shines the brightest. Join us as we close out our series on Esther!
Every good hero story has a villain and Esther is no different. Haman hates Mordecai and his line of people and will stop at nothing to wipe them out. But what if God has allowed Esther to be in the seat of queen for such a time as this? Join us as we dive in a little more to this story!
Instead of living in a post truth world, what if we took on the commission of what God put us on this earth to do to heart? What if we put on the lense of living an abundant life instead of just focusing on the temporary?
Esther faced a lot of hardships and suffering during her young life. But God used her story to do some great things. In week one of this 3 part series we learn what good can come from suffering and how God can use it.
What does it look to make our faith personal and not private? What if we took the great commission seriously?
When Nehemiah struggled and didn't know what to do he turned to God and prayed. In this week's message we learned 3 things we can do when we are struggling.
What would it look like to stop focusing on ourselves and look to really connect with others?
We are all chasing something, we get to choose if we want to stay on the treadmill to happiness or if we want to chase after eternal Joy!
Join us as we look at the life of Nehemiah and how he look to God first in everything through prayer.
When is being good enough, enough to get us into heaven? What does it really take to be good with God? Find out as we dig into the I am a good person lense!
We are continuing to looking at the book of Ezra and Nehemiah to see what we can learn from the people of Israel on how to fully commit our lives to following Jesus. Does your daily life look like Jesus lives inside of you? Can others tell you follow Christ. Listen to learn 3 ways to commit to following Jesus.
Have you ever found yourself wonder why you view the world they way you do? Wonder if it's how God thinks you should view the world? Join us as we look into what God has to say about how we should approach our temporary home!
God is leading the Israelites back to rebuilding the temple and returning to the promised land. God has a promised land for us and a purpose for us too! But we must remove the idols from our life and be all in with your faith.
What do we do when we find ourselves struggling with our mental health? Does God care about it? Is it okay to see a counselor? Join us as we welcome Anchor Family Therapy to talk about why your mental health matters!
Why do we over complicate things in life? What if God wants us to just keep it simple? Join us as we discuss prayer and how simple it really should be!
How do we choose to continue to follow God when we have mess up and why God never gives up on us.
In 2 Chronicles 7, Solomon dedicated the temple. God challenged the people (and students) to humble themselves, pray, worship God, and turn to God's ways.
How do we as Christians handle the problem of Evil and suffering? Join us as Aaron shows us the origin of evil and what our response should be!
Looking at 1 Chronicles 17 and David's desire to build a temple, students are challenged with a call to action, to recognize Jesus as their King, and to choose their next step.
How can we trust the Scriptures? Join us as Tony helps us understand why you can have faith that they are 100% true!
How can we know God exists? Join us as we talk through some of lifes hardest questions.
King Ahaziah didn't trust God. Instead he turned to Beelzebub
(Satan) when he needed help. So, God sent Elijah a message to tell the King he would die. The King did not like this a set out to have Elijah arrested. But God protected Elijah. Listen to find out how God continued to protect Elijah and to see how it turn out for King Ahaziah when he didn't turn to God in his time of need.
What does it look like to love like Jesus practically? Join us as we discover what the real treasure of life is!
One of the biggest idols in our lives are our phones. We are on them all the time. It's so hard to ignore the constant notifications. But, they always leave us empty and wanting more, just like all other idols do. Today we learned about Elijah King Ahab in 1 Kings 16-19. We must be careful to not love ourselves or things of this world more than we do God. What are you asking to make you happy?
What if we stopped trying to find the right person and we decided to be the right person instead? It all starts with our relationship with Christ. You can never be right if you don't learn to lean into your relationship with Him!
King Asa started out really well but, he didn't finish out so good. So, how are you going to finish your life. It's not about how you start. It's out about how you finish!
What if we decided that we wanted to have healthy dating relationships and not just go with our feelings? We would have way less regrets for sure! Join us as we explore how God calls us to be selfless and not selfish in dating!
Solomon was the wisest guy to ever live. But when you don't use that wisdom, you turn into a fool. But not all is lost...
What if our true telos was simply to share? Maybe our purpose isn't as complicated as we think it is...
Israel's kings tell us quite a story of what the people of God thought, join us as we are introduced to what this Book is all about!
David was known as a man after God's own heart but man did he mess up. Join us as we discuss one of the biggest mistakes the king ever did!
Why do we waste our lives trying to fit something in a God sized hole with man made things? What if we realized the purpose of living is Just Jesus? Would it change the way we live? Certainly...
Okay, we all go to the bathroom but we would prefer no one know about it. We would also prefer our enemy not be there with his sword drawn. But what happens when what we've wanted is right in front of us, do we take it or do we listen to what the Spirit of God tells us? Join us as we look at one of the more weird stories of Samuel!
Join us as Pastor Bryan Hughes helps us understand one of the main reasons we were created!
The people of Israel wanted what everyone else had, they thought life would be so much better with a king. They ignored the fact that God was supposed to be their KING but they persisted. So, God told Samuel to give them what they wanted. And he failed immediately...
Do you ever feel like you were created for more? You have a purpose but you need help finding it? Join us as we discover what our Telos really is!
After the book of Judges ends Israel find themselves at a place of uncertainty, what's next? How do they get out of the dark hole they've dug themselves into? Enter the Judge/Prophet/ Priest Samuel...
When the storms of life come, how do we stay grateful? Join us as Brad shares his story and what God has taught him!
Whats better than an Hallmark Love Story? Not much other than the book of Ruth! Lets see how God is at work in this story of Redemption!
What if the plan requires boldness? Oftentimes, we must do something, listen to what Ruth was told do!
In a passage that might be hard for some to pull a living application, Matthew looks at Ruth and says her reputation goes before her and asks us what are we known for? We are all known for something, what is it?
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that tells you not to? Join us as we see taking a stand for Jesus is worth it no matter what the risk!
- Week 1, Tragedy (Ruth 1)
Is it possible to have hope even when everything you hold dear is lost?
What does it look like to trust God with your entire identity? Students often are told what they are by peers, adults and social media. But what are they being told what is true?
Join us as Jordan shares about how God has shown him anxiety and depression are real but they don't have to define you.
What if the sin that holds us captive really didn't have too? Join us as we look to Romans to understand there is freedom from our sin through Jesus!
Join us as we catch up on Ben's life and hear what God has laid on his heart about living in mindset of being in God's Kingdom.
The sin cycle is once again repeated and this time God calls the most unlikely judge, Gideon. He's afraid, the weakest of the weak and not a leader until God shows him what he can be through Him.
I believe in The Holy Spirit! But what does He do? Find out as Aaron helps us understand His role in our lives!
Join us as we discover how the Israelites are stuck in the cycle of sin but God still shows how much He loves them!
In this series, we are going to deconstruct the bad ideas that people have picked up when it comes to faith, following Jesus, and eternity. The Gospel has always been good news, but sadly, we can cut and paste it to the point that we end up with a faith that’s flimsy. To rediscover the foundation of our faith, we are going to look at the Apostles’ Creed—a statement of belief put together by some of the earliest followers of Jesus before the Bible was fully assembled. In the process, we will find the materials to construct a faith that lasts.
Jesus gave his followers the greatest mission of all, to go and share with all the nations the Good News! It should be the greatest thing we do!
Jesus didn't shy away from confronting the religious leaders of his time, instead he said listen to what they say but don't do what they do. He then told his followers that to be great they must be willing to serve!
Join us as we talk about what it looks like to make a difference in the world around with you by just opening your eyes!
Jesus is the greatest person to ever walk this earth and He gave us the outline of how we can live great lives also, by Loving God and Loving others!
God doesn't stop loving you just because you messed up, Jonah had to relearn this and so do we!
What do we do when we think it's over and the storm is just too much? Join us as Ben helps us understand God has a fish for you!
Jonah was faced with a decision, turn back to God and go to the people he hated or just quit. He chose the impossible, death. We may think it sounds silly to choose our wants and desires over living out what God wants, but it's a decision we have to make each day!
Why does sharing the gospel have to be so hard? What if we're actually making it harder than it should be? What if we don't do it because we're scared of what others will think or do? Check out this weeks message to learn how to share the GOSPEL and what God asked Jonah to do about it!
Sometimes we think because no one sees our sins that we got away with them, we couldn't be more wrong. Join us as we discover what Achan did and how it cost the Israelites their lives and the Promised Land.
Everyone is looking for LOVE but Jesus actually says that people will know them for their love. What if Christians took this seriously? What if we chose to be real in love?
Moses overlooks the promised land and God appoints Joshua to be the Israelites new leader. He sends spies over into the land and they find help from an unlikely hero.
We all desire to be known. God has wired us for intimacy in relationships with Himself and with others. This week we discuss how God truly knows us more than we know ourselves and we don't have to hide who we are from Him, He wants us to be real with Him!
Have you ever been so close to something you wanted so bad just to completely miss it? That's exactly what happened to the Israelites the first time they came to the edge of the promised land.
What does it look like to be in the presence of God? What about when we fail, does He leave us? Join us as Grayson Wise shows us how to live in God's presence daily!
How is a family supposed to protect their kids in this ever changing culture of technology? Join us as we talk about what it looks like to raise disciples in a tech world!
Have you ever messed up so big that you knew you couldn't go back to how things were? That's exactly what Peter thought, but Jesus had other plans. Join us as we discuss how when we mess up, Jesus gives us another chance.
The church is the community of redeemed image-bearers who are united by the Holy Spirit and modeled after the life of Christ. When Jesus saves us, he saves us into this community where we learn together how to live in and reflect the light of God into the world.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who comes to live in believers. The Spirit guides, empowers, and transforms us as we live out our salvation by following Jesus.
Whether it’s your favorite movie, book, or reality show, you know there's nothing like a good plot twist! Those storytelling surprises can keep us entertained, but they can do a lot more than that too. A good plot twist can make us rethink everything we thought we knew, see things in a brand new light, and get excited about what might happen next. That’s never more true than in the most surprising and significant plot twist in history — Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this series, we’ll look at surprising stories from Jesus’ death, resurrection, and last days on earth. These stories will show us that, when life takes unexpected turns, God gives us help.And even when we’ve messed up or are ready to give up,Jesus never turns away from us,but gives us life, gives us hope, is with us, andgives us another chance.
Being reunited with God in the resurrection life is the end result of our salvation, but salvation is so much more than a future destination. It’s an ongoing process of transformation that we get to experience daily as we follow Jesus.
Humanity turned away from our Creator and got lost in the darkness of sin, so God came to us. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Through his death and resurrection, he broke the chains of sin and shone the light of God into the world. He calls us to join him by living in the light of God’s kingdom on earth.
The Israelites are now in the wildernesses and at war for the first time. What do you do when you're at war? You lean into God!
“Sin” is the language the Christian faith gives us to make sense of the brokenness and evil we find in the world and in ourselves. Sin blinds us to the truth about God and ourselves and keeps us from living up to the fullness of who God made us to be.
Week 2: Made for More (Why did God create humans?)
The Christian faith offers us an identity that is received as a gift from God, not achieved by our efforts. We don’t have to chase after meaning or compare ourselves to others because we know God created each of us in his image, uniquely and for a purpose.
Series Overview-
This series covers the foundations of the Christian faith. Christianity is more than just another spiritual option. It uniquely tells us the truth about God, the world, and ourselves. Sin has tricked and trapped us in a dark, life-constricting parody of reality apart from our Creator. Jesus came to free us from sin, so we could learn to live in the life-affirming light of the real world with God. In the next 8 weeks, you will invite your students to leave behind shadowy lies and half-truths, so they can begin to make sense of themselves and the world around them through the lens of the Christian faith.
Week 1: God of the Real World (Who is God?)
Christianity is more than just another spiritual option. It uniquely tells us the truth about God, the world, and ourselves. Satan uses our sin to trick and trap us in a dark, life constricting parody of reality apart from our Creator. But God calls every person to turn away from their sin and find life and truth with him.
We finally arrive to the Exodus! Why is it important? Why did God allow it to go down the way he did?
Ever think you have this love thing down? When you know what real love is, then you will know how to love!
Moses has grown up and gets his assignment from God. But then he is supposed to announce 10 plagues? What were they & what purpose did they serve? Join us as we learn all about the first 9 plagues and what God was up to!
What if while we are becoming who we are supposed to be we choose to truly get closer to God? What if we looked to what He wants of our life instead of what we want?
Struggling with thinking about the future? What if your plans don't line up with God's? Join us this week to see how God's plans for us are good!
Have you been struggling with what your purpose is in life? Join us this week as Pastor Brad shows us the Prophet Isaiah found his purpose through an amazing encounter with God!
The Book of Exodus. So many classic Bible stories come from this book but what if it's more than just stories? What if this was the beginning to something so much more for how God would shape this world? Join us as we explore the key themes of this book!
Part 1 recording was started a little late, but you will still get most of the story here. Be aware, the gap from Genesis to the beginning of this book is around 400 years but the Israelites find themselves right we left them, in Egypt.
Do you ever feel like you wish you could just fast forward to the next big thing? Join us as we discover that God uses the in betweens to really grow and shape us into who we are supposed to be!
What if this year we decided to ask the question, is this the wise thing to do before we made any decisions? Join us as we look to Proverbs and discover what wisdom this year requires of us!
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary to travel so far only to have no room to stay? Join us this week as we look at the Christmas story through the lens of Matthew to ask another important question about Jesus in our lives.
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary to travel so far only to have no room to stay? Join us this week as we look at the Christmas story through the lease of Luke and ask a very important question about our own lives.
Join us as we continue our journey through Scripture and learn how we can find Jesus in it all! This week we look at the story of Joesph and see that even in our hardship, God hasn't abandoned us.
Have you ever found yourself needing forgiveness for something you did or that was done to you? Join us this week as we look at Peter's question to Jesus on how many times he should forgive someone who hurts him.
Have you ever found yourself needing forgiveness for something you did or that was done to you? Join us this week as we look at the story of Job. A man who lost everything but was able to forgive because he changed his perspective.
Have you ever found yourself needing forgiveness for something you did? Join us this week as we look at how Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus made him realize an important part of forgiveness.
Join us as we continue our journey through Scripture and learn how we can find Jesus in it all! This week we look at a man who sacrificed everything he knew in order to be faithful to God and what He had in store for him.
Have you ever read the Bible, closed it and wondered what did I just read? This week we look at a man, a vision, and... dry bones coming back to life again?
Join us as we continue our journey through Scripture and learn how we can find Jesus in it all! This week we look at a man who chose to stand out among people and be obedient to God even when it didn't make sense.
Have you ever wondered how you can truly live your life in a way that matters? Join us this week as we welcome American Ninja Warrior's Daniel Gil as he shares his story and shows us how you can live your life with a Kingdom mindset!
Join us as we continue our journey through Scripture and learn how we can find Jesus in it all! This week we look at two brothers, Cain and Abel, and how jealousy and anger can lead us to do things we never imagined possible.
Have you ever read the Bible, closed it and wondered what did I just read? This week we look at a bald man, some children, and... two hungry bears?
Join us as we continue our journey through Scripture and learn how we can find Jesus in it all! This week the Fall and how sin entered the world.
Have you ever read the Bible, closed it and wondered what did I just read? This week we look at a man, and angel, and a... talking donkey?
Join us as we start our journey through scripture of finding Jesus in it all! This week is about creation and seeing how Jesus was a major contributor to it and how we can know it for sure!
Have you ever had a friend who was going through something and needed your help? Join us this week as we close out our REAL series looking at John 11 and learn how REAL friends comfort each other.
Have you ever found yourself needing to show grace to a friend who hurt you? Join us this week as we look at Acts 9 to see how REAL friends show grace to each other.
Have you ever wondered how your friendships can have an impact on the life you live? Join us this week as we look at Psalm 1 to see how real friends choose each other wisely.
Have you ever wondered how you can be certain that there is a creator to the world we live in? Join us this week as we can look at how everything that was created with a purpose must have a creator behind it.
Join us as we dive into the last part of Matthew 25 where Jesus calls his followers to be compassionate towards all people!
Have you ever been asked, "Why do you believe the Bible is true"? Or maybe you have even wondered that yourself. Join us this week for a look at how we can know for certain that the Bible we have is trustworthy and real.
Join us as we continue studying what Jesus meant in Matthew 25 when He told us to live differently!
You might say that you know God or that you believe He exists. But do you know how to defend your belief in Him to someone who doesn't? Join us this week as we look at science and history to help us begin to understand how to answer the question, "Is God real?"
What gets you out of bed every morning? What gives you purpose in your life? Join us as we kick off our new series looking at how Jesus gives us a purpose in this life and is the reason to get up after our alarm goes off every morning.
Have you ever found yourself struggling to get away and stay focused on Jesus because of how busy you are? Join us this week as we look to Scripture to see how important it is to find time to get away from the busyness of life and spend time with God.
Do you find it hard to stay focused on Jesus when hardship comes? Join us this week as we take a look at the disciple Peter and see how we can have hope through hardship when we stay focused on Jesus.
Have you ever found it hard to stay focused on Jesus? Join us this week as we look at things that can cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus and how we can learn to focus on Him more.
Didn't get the chance to join us for summer camp this year? Don't worry, we got you! Join us this Sunday as we walk through each day's sessions and share how the Lord moved this past week at TRO '22!
Have you ever been concerned that you might not get into heaven? That Jesus will tell you, "Depart from me, I never knew you"? Join us this week as we look at those words of Jesus and see how you can know for certain that you will be in Heaven when the time comes.
Do you find it hard to share the gospel with people you know? Join us this week as we close out our Pass It On series where we show you one of the best and easiest ways to share the gospel with someone.
Have you ever found yourself in a moment where things didn't go as you planned? Join us this week as we look at how Paul and Silas had a plan to share the gospel to the city of Philippi, but it didn't quite go the way they thought. Despite this, God still had a plan.
Do you struggle sharing the good news of Jesus with your family? Join us this week as we continue our series on evangelism looking again at the book of Acts to see how we can share Jesus to our family through our actions and our words.
Have you ever forgotten to give a message to someone you were expected to give? Join us this week as we look again in the book of Acts to see how God let His message of Hope be revealed to the Gentiles.
Have you ever had some really exciting news that you couldn't wait to tell someone about? This week we look at the story of Tabitha in the book of Acts to see that we should be so excited about what Jesus has done in our life that we can't help but go and tell others about Him!
Have you ever found yourself struggling with anxious thoughts? Join us as we look at Jesus' teaching on anxiety so we can know how it affects our lives and how to fight against it.
Have you ever tried to hear the voice of God but struggle to know if it is really His? In this episode we look at Scripture to find 6 ways to know if the voice you are hearing is God's or someone else's.
Have you ever asked the question, "What does God want me to do with my life?" Have you ever struggled to hear God's voice in your decisions? In this episode we look at four ways that we can hear the voice of God and know His will for our lives.
Have you ever found it challenging to take a stand against the culture around you? In this episode we show how because of what Jesus did, we have a hope to rebel against peer pressure to look like the world.
Have you ever felt like you failed God? Like He could never love you because of what you did? In this episode we jump into our final week of our Break Trail series and answer the question, "What does God think of me when I'm at my absolute worst?" Join us as we look at the life of Peter after he denied Jesus and see how God handles our shortcomings.
We might have hope because Jesus is alive, but what does that mean for us when we still struggle with hardship in our life? In this episode we discuss the idea of how to find hope when we are struggling. The answer? tune in to find out!
It is Easter at Peace Church! In this episode we take a look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and how that impacts us today. Are you in need of hope today? Our Student Pastor, Mike, shares that we can have hope in this world because Jesus is alive!
It can be easy to find ourselves hooked on something when we desire it. How do we learn to honor God in our lives and break free from the temptation we face everyday? In this episode we will show you two ways that temptation can creep its way into our lives and then give you two ways you can break free from it.
It turns out that the Bible doesn't really have much to say on the topic of dating. In this episode we tackle the topic of how to date well. We will look at three principles that Scripture covers so that we can know how to honor God in our dating life!
God: Guys +Girls- A 4-WEEK SERIES ON RELATIONSHIPS AND DATING
WEEK TOPIC: SEX
SERIES OVERVIEW:
There are several key topics we need to walk through with students on a regular basis. One such topic is challenging students to navigate relationships and sexuality in a way that honors God. The reality is that the world around us is presenting (and even promoting) a message that you are defined by your relational and sexual pursuits. It’s something we HAVE TO be talking about at home and in the church. God, Guys & Girls is a four-week series that does just that.
Week 1: Relationships
God created us with a need for relationship. Relationships get messy when they push us away from God or when they become God.
Week 2: Love vs. Lust
God is the source of true love, and his greatest display of love was selfless sacrifice. Lust is a distortion of love. There is an elephant in the room called “pornography,” and we need to talk about it.
Week 3: Sex
God created sex. He gave great purposes for sex. He gave clear parameters for sex.
Week 4: Dating (Guy/Girl Thing for MS)
The Bible does not have a lot to directly say about dating. The Bible does speak to some key principles to live by in dating.
God: Guys +Girls- A 4-WEEK SERIES ON RELATIONSHIPS AND DATING
WEEK TOPIC: Love vs Lust
SERIES OVERVIEW:
There are several key topics we need to walk through with students on a regular basis. One such topic is challenging students to navigate relationships and sexuality in a way that honors God. The reality is that the world around us is presenting (and even promoting) a message that you are defined by your relational and sexual pursuits. It’s something we HAVE TO be talking about at home and in the church. God, Guys & Girls is a four-week series that does just that.
Week 1: Relationships
God created us with a need for relationship. Relationships get messy when they push us away from God or when they become God.
**Week 2: Love vs. Lust
God is the source of true love, and his greatest display of love was selfless sacrifice. Lust is a distortion of love. There is an elephant in the room called “pornography,” and we need to talk about it.**
Week 3: Sex
God created sex. He gave great purposes for sex. He gave clear parameters for sex.
Week 4: Dating (Guy/Girl Thing for MS)
The Bible does not have a lot to directly say about dating. The Bible does speak to some key principles to live by in dating.
Join us for our second Amp'd service as we introduce our theme of relationships for the month!
RAD:A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE BOOK OF JAMES ON LOVING OTHERS
WEEK 5 BIG IDEA: Radical people go all in
SERIES OVERVIEW:
When Jesus was on earth, he had a lot to say about love, but not everyone loved him. Instead, Jesus’ opponents hated him, attacked him, and saw him as extreme — dangerous — revolutionary — a radical. And they had a point! The things Jesus taught about loving God and loving others challenged the status quo and changed the world forever. That’s pretty radical. In this 4-week series from the book of James, we’ll look at four ways Jesus invites us to love according to his revolutionary example. These ideas might seem simple, but when we choose tolisten more than we speak, refuse to play favorites, watch our words, andfight for peace, we’ll see just how radical Jesus’ teachings really are.
RAD: A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE BOOK OF JAMES ON LOVING OTHERS
WEEK 4 BIG IDEA: Radical people fight for peace. SERIES OVERVIEW:When Jesus was on earth, he had a lot to say about love, but not everyone loved him. Instead, Jesus’ opponents hated him, attacked him, and saw him as extreme — dangerous — revolutionary — a radical. And they had a point! The things Jesus taught about loving God and loving others challenged the status quo and changed the world forever. That’s pretty radical. In this 4-week series from the book of James, we’ll look at four ways Jesus invites us to love according to his revolutionary example. These ideas might seem simple, but when we choose to listen more than we speak, refuse to play favorites, watch our words, and fight for peace, we’ll see just how radical Jesus’ teachings really are.
RAD:A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE BOOK OF JAMES ON LOVING OTHERS
WEEK 2 BIG IDEA:Radical people don’t play favorites.SERIES OVERVIEW:When Jesus was on earth, he had a lot to say about love, but not everyone loved him. Instead, Jesus’ opponents hated him, attacked him, and saw him as extreme — dangerous — revolutionary — a radical. And they had a point! The things Jesus taught about loving God and loving others challenged the status quo and changed the world forever. That’s pretty radical. In this 4-week series from the book of James, we’ll look at four ways Jesus invites us to love according to his revolutionary example. These ideas might seem simple, but when we choose tolisten more than we speak, refuse to play favorites, watch our words, andfight for peace, we’ll see just how radical Jesus’ teachings really are.
A 5-WEEK SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF DANIEL
SERIES OVERVIEW:What does it look like to be faithful when you around people who don't look, think, or act like God calls you to be? The Old Testament book of Daniel offers a surprising and relevant answer. This incredible work of apocalyptic literature offers a glimpse of God’s plan to restore his people and remain faithful to them no matter their circumstances. Throughout Daniel's story (and those of his three friends), you will find relevant and applicable lessons that you can take with you as you seek to live out God's calling for your life when Cultures Collide!
In order for us to truly reach our potential in student ministry we have to Lead Small! Our life groups are truly the dna of what we want to be, therefore the leaders are the key component!
A 5-WEEK SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF DANIEL
SERIES OVERVIEW:What does it look like to be faithful when you around people who don't look, think, or act like God calls you to be? The Old Testament book of Daniel offers a surprising and relevant answer. This incredible work of apocalyptic literature offers a glimpse of God’s plan to restore his people and remain faithful to them no matter their circumstances. Throughout Daniel's story (and those of his three friends), you will find relevant and applicable lessons that you can take with you as you seek to live out God's calling for your life when Cultures Collide!
A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT & GOSPELS ON CHRISTMAS
SERIES OVERVIEW:
Christmas is almost here! Which means there’s a lot for us to look forward to — sometimes impatiently. But you know the saying, “good things come to those who wait”? It’s true for Christmases now, but it was true on the very first Christmas as well. You see, the day Jesus came to earth wasn’t a sudden surprise. It was the first step in a long-awaited plan. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear the Christmas story from the perspective of the prophets in the Old Testament, who foretold and then waited for the good things God had in store. Christmas is a reminder of what the prophets proclaimed: that God has always had a plan, that Jesus completes God’s plan, that God’s plans bring joy, and that God’s plans require sacrifice.
A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT & GOSPELS ON CHRISTMAS
SERIES OVERVIEW:
Christmas is almost here! Which means there’s a lot for us to look forward to — sometimes impatiently. But you know the saying, “good things come to those who wait”? It’s true for Christmases now, but it was true on the very first Christmas as well. You see, the day Jesus came to earth wasn’t a sudden surprise. It was the first step in a long-awaited plan. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear the Christmas story from the perspective of the prophets in the Old Testament, who foretold and then waited for the good things God had in store. Christmas is a reminder of what the prophets proclaimed: that God has always had a plan, that Jesus completes God’s plan, that God’s plans bring joy, and that God’s plans require sacrifice.
A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT & GOSPELS ON CHRISTMAS
SERIES OVERVIEW:
Christmas is almost here! Which means there’s a lot for us to look forward to — sometimes impatiently. But you know the saying, “good things come to those who wait”? It’s true for Christmases now, but it was true on the very first Christmas as well. You see, the day Jesus came to earth wasn’t a sudden surprise. It was the first step in a long-awaited plan. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear the Christmas story from the perspective of the prophets in the Old Testament, who foretold and then waited for the good things God had in store. Christmas is a reminder of what the prophets proclaimed: that God has always had a plan, that Jesus completes God’s plan, that God’s plans bring joy, and that God’s plans require sacrifice.
FAMILIA:A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE EPISTLES ON FAMILY
WEEK 4 BIG IDEA:In God's family we LOVE each other.
SERIES OVERVIEW:“Family” is a concept understood all over the world, in every country, culture, and language, but no two families are the same. We all have our unique family structures, quirks, traditions, values, problems, and dysfunctions. It's not always easy to love our families (or even like them sometimes), but the Bible is full of guidance on how to love each other well — we just have to be willing to apply that at home. In this 4-week series, we’ll take a look at some of the lessons learned by Jesus-followers in the early days of the church, because learning how to be part of God’s family might help us learn how to be part of our own families. In God’s family, we support each other, pray for each other, reconcile with each other, andlove each other.
FAMILIA: A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE EPISTLES ON FAMILY
WEEK 2 BIG IDEA: In God's family we pray for each other.
SERIES OVERVIEW:
“Family” is a concept understood all over the world, in every country, culture, and language, but no two families are the same. We all have our unique family structures, quirks, traditions, values, problems, and dysfunctions. It's not always easy to love our families (or even like them sometimes), but the Bible is full of guidance on how to love each other well — we just have to be willing to apply that at home. In this 4-week series, we’ll take a look at some of the lessons learned by Jesus-followers in the early days of the church, because learning how to be part of God’s family might help us learn how to be part of our own families. In God’s family, we support each other, pray for each other, reconcile with each other, and love each other.
FAMILIA: A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM THE EPISTLES ON FAMILY
WEEK 1 BIG IDEA: In God’s family we support each other.
SERIES OVERVIEW:
“Family” is a concept understood all over the world, in every country, culture, and language, but no two families are the same. We all have our unique family structures, quirks, traditions, values, problems, and dysfunctions. It’s not always easy to love our families (or even like them sometimes), but the Bible is full of guidance on how to love each other well — we just have to be willing to apply that at home. In this 4-week series, we’ll take a look at some of the lessons learned by Jesus-followers in the early days of the church, because learning how to be part of God’s family might help us learn how to be part of our own families. In God’s family, we support each other, pray for each other, reconcile with each other, and love each other.
What are you afraid of? If you're anything like me, I was terrified of the dark as a kid. As I've gotten older I understand now that it's okay to have fears, but God is bigger than all of them and what I truly need to be afraid of is not making my life count!
Join us as we start to answer some of the students top questions about God, life and more!
I HAVE QUESTIONS: A 4-WEEK SERIES ON DOUBT & QUESTIONS
WEEK 3 BIG IDEA: When life hurts, is God listening?
SERIES OVERVIEW:
Let’s face it, life isn’t easy. In times of loss, grief, pain, or doubt, it’s normal to have questions — and it’s okay to ask them. If you’ve ever tried to make sense of your circumstances, or wished life didn’t have to hurt so much, or wondered why God won’t fix what you’re going through, you’re not alone. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear about a few people from Scripture who know exactly what it’s like. With Esther, David, Peter, Amos, and John, we’ll explore hard questions you thought you weren’t allowed to ask, like “When people are hurting, where is God? When I’m hurting, does God leave me? If God is good, why do bad things happen? And when life hurts, is God listening?“
I HAVE QUESTIONS: A 4-WEEK SERIES ON DOUBT & QUESTIONS
WEEK 2 BIG IDEA: If God is good, why do bad things happen?
SERIES OVERVIEW:
Let’s face it, life isn’t easy. In times of loss, grief, pain, or doubt, it’s normal to have questions — and it’s okay to ask them. If you’ve ever tried to make sense of your circumstances, or wished life didn’t have to hurt so much, or wondered why God won’t fix what you’re going through, you’re not alone. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear about a few people from Scripture who know exactly what it’s like. With Esther, David, Peter, Amos, and John, we’ll explore hard questions you thought you weren’t allowed to ask, like “When people are hurting, where is God? When I’m hurting, does God leave me? If God is good, why do bad things happen? And when life hurts, is God listening?“
I HAVE QUESTIONS:A 4-WEEK SERIES ON DOUBT & QUESTIONS
WEEK 1 BIG IDEA:When people are hurting, where is God?SERIES OVERVIEW:Let’s face it, life isn’t easy. In times of loss, grief, pain, or doubt, it’s normal to have questions — and it’s okay to ask them. If you’ve ever tried to make sense of your circumstances, or wished life didn’t have to hurt so much, or wondered why God won’t fix what you’re going through, you’re not alone. In this 4-week series, we’ll hear about a few people from Scripture who know exactly what it’s like. With Esther, David, Peter, Amos, and John, we’ll explore hard questions you thought you weren’t allowed to ask, like “When people are hurting, where is God? When I’m hurting, does God leave me? If God is good, why do bad things happen? And when life hurts,is God listening?“
In this episode we finish off our series through the book of Micah. In chapter 6, verses 1-8, God is holding the Israelites accountable to what they have done. They attempt to plea with God and offer things they can do to get back in right standing with Him. But what we see in Micah 6:8, it's not about what we can do to be in right standing with God, it's about who we are.
In order to truly live out our faith we have to seize the opportunities that God has given us in our everyday life!
What would it look like for us to follow God even when everyone else is going the opposite way? Join us in this study of Micah to find out!
What would it look like for us to realize that no matter how far we wonder, Jesus always welcomes us back? Join us today as we discover this truth from the Prodigal Son's story in Luke 15.
On this Promotion Sunday, Pastor Mike asks the question what would it look like if we went and lived out our faith as a new creation this year in school.
Dr. Steve Vandegriff from Liberty University challenges us on how we can help our students who are hurting.
People get lost for all sorts of reasons but sometimes we get lost because of decisions we make or because of decisions that people make around us. Teenagers need spaces and people who will help them find their way back when they find out that they are lost and welcome them home when they make mistakes. Jesus wanted everyone to know that these environments exist, especially with Him. With Jesus, lost things get taken care of and found things get celebrated. Join Josh this weeks as helps us understand that God values you enough to search you out when you feel lost!
There are times in life that we go through completely blind to everything that is happening around us and we're completely okay with it? But have we started be distracted from everything God is trying to tell us also? Join us as Pastor Mike shares what Jesus says to his disciples about being distracted.
People get lost for all sorts of reasons but sometimes we get lost because of decisions we make or because of decisions that people make around us. Teenagers need spaces and people who will help them find their way back when they find out that they are lost and welcome them home when they make mistakes. Jesus wanted everyone to know that these environments exist, especially with Him. With Jesus, lost things get taken care of and found things get celebrated. It’s important to know when you feel lost, Jesus notices you. Join Peace Students as Pastor Mike breaks this down through scripture!
Join us as Tony wraps up our series on what it truly looks like to worship God as a community!
Nick shares with us how we can worship God by remembering all the things he has done in our lives!
What if we took the great commandment seriously? We might just to make decisions that benefit others than just ourselves!
What's it like to love people so much that you make decisions that benefit them and not just yourself?
How far is too far? Where is the line? How can I be wise but still have fun in life? Join us this week as we discover why free people don't dance with danger!
Have you ever had to follow a rule that made absolutely no sense to you? Maybe it was a rule about what you could or couldn’t wear, where you could or couldn’t go, or who you could or couldn’t spend time with. When some people think about God, that is what they think about — a list of rules miles long that don’t seem important or relevant to their lives. But said there are only two rules that matter most: love God and love others as you love yourself. In this 4-week series in the book of James, we'll discover that the right rules can set you free — and that free people don't dance with danger, make decisions that benefit others, andgive up their freedoms for others.
You know that feeling you get when someone makes you a big promise? You probably feel excited, but you might feel a little skeptical too — especially when that promise gets delayed . . . and delayed again . . . and again. If you have to wait long enough for something you were promised, you might start to wonder when you’ve waited long enough. Eventually, you might even give up hope. In this 4-week series, we’ll meet a handful of people from Scripture who each spent a long time waiting on God. From the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Paul and Silas, King David, and Joseph, we’ll discover that God has a plan, but we might have to wait for it, and we’ll be reminded that, while we’re waiting, God is faithful, God is listening, and we should never give up, because God’s not giving up on us.
You know that feeling you get when someone makes you a big promise? You probably feel excited, but you might feel a little skeptical too — especially when that promise gets delayed . . . and delayed again . . . and again. If you have to wait long enough for something you were promised, you might start to wonder when you’ve waited long enough. Eventually, you might even give up hope. In this 4-week series, we’ll meet a handful of people from Scripture who each spent a long time waiting on God. From the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Paul and Silas, King David, and Joseph, we’ll discover that God has a plan, but we might have to wait for it, and we’ll be reminded that, while we’re waiting, God is faithful, God is listening, and we should never give up, because God’s not giving up on us.
Paul's story shows us that even when things don't go how we want them too, God can still use it for his glory.
You know that feeling you get when someone makes you a big promise? You probably feel excited, but you might feel a little skeptical too — especially when that promise gets delayed . . . and delayed again . . . and again. If you have to wait long enough for something you were promised, you might start to wonder when you’ve waited long enough. Eventually, you might even give up hope. In this 4-week series, we’ll meet a handful of people from Scripture who each spent a long time waiting on God. From the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Paul and Silas, King David, and Joseph, we’ll discover that God has a plan, but we might have to wait for it, and we’ll be reminded that, while we’re waiting, God is faithful, God is listening, and we should never give up, because God’s not giving up on us.
Waiting is inevitable. It could mean that the stadium is at capacity, there aren’t enough tables at your favorite restaurant on your birthday, the pair of shoes you really wanted is out of stock. Or, it could be more serious things like waiting for test results or waiting on help while making a big decision. Abraham and Sarah. Paul and Silas. Saul and David. David and Goliath. Their stories all have something to teach students about what is happening during the season of being “waitlisted”. God has a plan, but we might have to wait for it. And, while we’re waiting, God is faithful, listening, and hopes you don’t give up— because God doesn’t give up on you.
Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, but let's be honest — that's not always easy to believe. How does someone just stop being dead? Are we sure it happened? What if it didn’t? And if it did, so what? What does it have to do with our lives today? Well, it turns out we're not the only ones who've asked questions like this. When Jesus died, even His closest friends and followers had questions, fears, and doubts. In this 2-week series, we'll see how Jesus shared the good news with His friends that He really was alive, and that nothing (not even death) could separate them from God’s love — not ever. The same is true for us today and forever. Because the love of Jesus is bigger than our doubts and gives us hope.
Pastor Mike kicks off our two week series on easter called "Forever". Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, but let's be honest — that's not always easy to believe. How does someone just stop being dead? Are we sure it happened? What if it didn’t? And if it did, so what? What does it have to do with our lives today? Well, it turns out we're not the only ones who've asked questions like this. When Jesus died, even His closest friends and followers had questions, fears, and doubts. In this 2-week series, we'll see how Jesus shared the good news with His friends that He really was alive, and that nothing (not even death) could separate them from God’s love — not ever. The same is true for us today and forever. Because the love of Jesus is bigger than our doubts and gives us hope.
This week pastor Mike brings an awesome message about salvation and baptism! It is important for us to think through these ideas so that we can encourage our students to clearly define their relationship with God and obey his command to be baptized!
Our culture tells us to cancel the people who are easy to hate. Jesus has a different view on how we should treat the people who are not so easy to love. Join us this week as we wrap up our series "Canceled" and talk about how to love the people we want to hate.
What would it look like if we chose to build the people up we envy instead of tearing them down? Join us as we discover what it looks like to love those whom we envy!
You hear a lot about “cancel culture” these days. It's what happens when swarms of people on the internet band together to call out, shame, or even "cancel" someone. And while there are definitely times when people or systems need to be called out and held accountable, we can all be a little too quick to be cruel to each other — online and offline too. In this 4-week series, we'll get introduced to a few people from Scripture whose stories show us that humans have always struggled to choose love instead of hate. This problem isn't a new one, but through the stories of Jesus, a few outcasts, a king, and a shepherd, we'll see that God is challenging us to love people who aren't like us, love people who are in need, love the people we envy, and love the people we want to hate.
You hear a lot about “cancel culture” these days. It's what happens when swarms of people on the internet band together to call out, shame, or even "cancel" someone. And while there are definitely times when people or systems need to be called out and held accountable, we can all be a little too quick to be cruel to each other — online and offline too. In this 4-week series, we'll get introduced to a few people from Scripture whose stories show us that humans have always struggled to choose love instead of hate. This problem isn't a new one, but through the stories of Jesus, a few outcasts, a king, and a shepherd, we'll see that God is challenging us to love people who aren't like us, love people who are in need, love the people we envy, and love the people we want to hate.
What does it look like to have hope when it seems as if all is falling apart around you? Join us as we dig in to Habakkuk 3 to find out more!
What do you do when you believe God is still big enough to do what you're asking but he hasn't answered yet? Join us as we dive in to Habakkuk chapter 2!
What does it look like to have genuine questions about hard things but believe in God too? Join us in Habakkuk 1 as we begin our study of seeing what does hope look like in the dark!
Nehemiah completes the wall and they turn to celebrate. How do they celebrate? By worshipping! Remember, when we celebrate, we celebrate for God's kingdom.
What do we do when we run into opposition/ haters of our God sized goals? Join us in Nehemiah 3-6 as we discover what it looks like to find God's strength to complete our goals!
What if I told you that you were created for God sized goals, would that change the way you set goals? Join us in Nehemiah as we discover more about what God sized goals look like!
Check out our leader training as we discuss what it looks like to intentionally create community in our life groups and to be present in our students lives!
We all have goals! Whether your goal is to raise your grades, learn a new skill, get Tik Tok famous, change the world, or all of the above, there are things you want to do, accomplish, and become. But let's be honest—it's not always easy to achieve our goals. Sometimes it difficult to even know which goals to set in the first place! That's why, in this 4-week series, we'll explore the story of a guy with aseemingly impossible goal and the steps he took to make his goal a reality. His name is Nehemiah, and because of his example we can learn a lot about goal-setting, decision-making, leadership, and trustingGod. Through Nehemiah's story, we'll see that big difficulties can inspire God-sized goals, you are designed for God-sized goals,God gives us strength to pursue God-sized goals, and God-sized goals require God-sized gratitude
Have you ever stopped and thought about what a blessing Jesus birth really was? Join us as we journey back to the Old Testament and see Abraham's blessing fulfilled by the birth of the Savior!
You know that scene inToy Story, where Woody has an identity crisis because Buzz Lightyear arrives on the scene and steals the title of "Andy's favorite toy"? I feel for Woody! I mean, it wasn't very cool of him to plot Buzz's death of course, but it's hard when you feel insecure, jealous, or afraid that you don't matter. In the Bible, I'm reminded of Cain, who jealously killed his brother Abel, or Joseph's brothers, who sold him into slavery because he was their father's favorite kid, or some of the early Jesus-followers, who were jealous of each other's talents and gifts. But here's what Scripture tells us is true: we don't need to be jealous of each other, because we were all carefully and intentionally designed by a good Creator who designed each of us on purpose. So if you've ever felt jealous, insecure, or unimportant, remember this: because of who God is, we can trust how God has made us.
Mike raps up our series stretch teaching about how even when fail we can stretch our faith!
Jordan Skinner helps us understand that sometimes if we want to stretch our faith we may have to let something go!
Drew teaches us on what our faith would like if we choose to stretch it by starting something new!
Stop what you're doing right now and stretch. Seriously, do it! Stretch! It feels pretty good, right? That's because stretching your body helps your muscles stay healthy, flexible, and able to grow. Your faith is kind of like that too. In Scripture, we can learn how to stretch and grow our own faith from the stories and words of the Jesus-followers who've gone before us. There's Peter and Andrew, who dropped everything to follow Jesus; or Mary Magdelene, who followed Jesus even when things got really difficult; or Paul, whose entire life changed the instant he chose to follow Jesus. These people have pretty extraordinary stories of faith, but they all started in the exact same way: they simply made a commitment. So if you want to stretch your faith, what's a new commitment you could make? To follow Jesus for the first time? To love God more? To love others more?You can stretch your faith with a commitment.So let's stretch!
Drew teaches in Ephesians 6, Paul tells us how to prepare for danger and difficulty. First, he says, "put on the armor of God." We need God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Spirit to stand strong. Second, pray for each other, because when we're under attack, we can stand strong together
Have you ever been on a team? Maybe a football or basketball team? A band? A dance or comedy group?A planning team? No matter what kind of team you were on, I'm guessing this was true: if you did well, it's because your team members learned to work together well. The key to winning is to learn to work with team members whose strengths are different from your own. In Ephesians chapter 4, the author Paul tells us that the same thing is true about the Church. We all have unique strengths and roles to play in God's family, just like any winning team. But what does "winning" mean in the context of following Jesus? It means growth!Maturity! You and I can't grow closer to God, or grow more like Jesus, all alone. But we can grow together. Getting along won't always be easy, but it's how we'll grow — together
Pastor Mike teaches on how we can make peace with others because of what Jesus did on the cross for us! Ephesians 2
Everyone wants a squad, right? A group we can belong to? Of course we do! That's how God designed us— and God designed the Church to help meet that need. When some people hear the word "church," they might think of a building, preacher, or event, but it's so much more than that. The Church is supposed to be a community. A family. When the Church first began 2,000 years ago, the earliest Jesus-followers needed help figuring out how to act like God's family, so a guy named Paul wrote a letter that we now call the book of Ephesians. In the first chapter, Paul tells us this: the Church is God's family, but it's not exclusive.We can all be part of God’s family.Everyone is invited to join, and that's good news! So if you don't belong to God's family yet, you're invited! And if you do, are you helping others know they belong too?