Videos Archive - Passion Community Church: Recent Episodes
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In January 2026, I cried every day for 21 days straight.
I didn’t expect to. I knew I was carrying a heaviness and grief, but I thought I had a handle on my emotions. 21 Days of Prayer gave me a space where I had to slow down long enough to face the reality of how sad I actually was. I would come into the church every morning and feel nothing out of the ordinary. I was able to play and sing with the band, and I enjoyed every devotional that was shared. But as soon as the countdown started, the tears would begin welling up.
Thankfully I found a consistent rhythm that made me feel more comfortable with not running and hiding when the tears started. I would go to the same spot in the room every day and kneel facedown on the floor until I was done crying it out. And every day, through the heaving sobs, I prayed for one thing: God, I need my husband.
My husband, Lee, and I got married in September 2024 after long-distance dating since 2019. And when I say long distance, I really mean long distance. We’re 3,662.09 miles apart. Lee is British, and we’re on the tail end of a very long and expensive immigration journey. Earlier this year, we were waiting to hear whether or not our initial spousal visa application had been approved – one that had been submitted more than a year earlier but that no one had even looked at yet.
Up until that point I had always told myself it wasn’t fair of me to get too torn up over missing him because we were the ones who chose to start a relationship that would require a unique journey toward marriage in the first place. But the distance was beginning to break me down.
As soon as 21 Days of Prayer ended, we got our answer: our application was approved, and it was time to move on to the next phase of the immigration journey. This phase was supposed to be much quicker – four to seven months before he would be able to move here. My husband and I could realistically be living together by June!
But June has come and gone, and we’re almost exactly where we were at the beginning of the year. The final four-to-seven-month countdown hasn’t even started yet, and it’s now July. The summer I thought I would finally get to have him here has turned into an extended season of grief.
January had prepared me well to cry out to God again, but now I was struggling with feeling guilty over the intensity of my emotions. I had been here before, and He answered me. We had advanced to the next phase. Why wasn’t that answer good enough for me? Why couldn’t I be content?
I felt blessed to have a husband in the first place. Some people are navigating a more permanent grief where they can’t look forward to a reunion. I felt blessed that we had been so supported during this challenging season of waiting. Some people have to do hard things all alone. And I felt blessed to have a tangible end to my difficult season on the horizon.
But God, I just need my husband. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.
That’s still where I am. I have no nice bow to put on this grief. I can’t remember the last time I made it through a day without crying.
But God has been present with me in my grief, just like He was in January. He didn’t get annoyed or tell me I just had to pull myself together. He didn’t remind me that He had answered my last prayer, so I should be grateful. He didn’t tell me I should just be patient and wait on His timing.
I just cry, and He comforts me.
One day soon, my husband will move here. Our long-distance relationship of seven years will no longer be long distance, and we’ll get to build a life together in the same country. But for right now, for this one last summer, all I have to do is trust that He’s close to me.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
The post When Summer Isn’t What You Expected appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Content Disclaimer: This post includes references to mental health issues, including suicidal ideation. Some details are intense and may be difficult for some readers. If you need immediate support, contact local emergency services or a trusted crisis resource in your area.
If you’ve been to PCC’s Aylett Campus at all in the last year, you’ve probably been greeted by Alex Hurley-Robins. Alex is currently serving as one of Aylett’s Small Groups Coordinators. It’s a role that she takes very seriously. She exudes such passion for helping people connect with each other as they seek to grow in their faith. I had the pleasure of hearing Alex’s story of how she ended up at PCC, how she came to be baptized, and how she found her people. It’s a story that will inspire you, excite you, and challenge you.
I began my time together with Alex by asking her the question, “Who is Alex Hurley-Robins?” She listed her familial roles as wife and mom but also her primary role as a child of God. Alex didn’t grow up going to church. Before her first visit to PCC, Alex was a single mom and an electrician. She thoroughly enjoyed her career but shared that it meant 70-hour work weeks and didn’t allow her to spend a lot of time with her family. While working as an electrician, she met Clifton Robins. Alex shared that Clifton put a lot of things in perspective for her and made her realize that she needed to reevaluate her life and spend more time with her son. Alex and Clifton are now married and between the two of them they have 5 children.
One day, Alex heard her youngest child talking to herself in her room. When Alex asked who she was talking to, her daughter said she was talking to Jesus. To this day, Alex has no idea where her daughter heard about Jesus. Alex shared, “At that time, I was like, she either needs to go see a therapist or we need to go to church. Church is cheaper!” Before this interaction with her daughter, Alex and Clifton had received information in the mail about Passion Community Church and they decided it was time to check things out.
Alex’s first Sunday morning at PCC Aylett included being moved to tears by the music she heard. She was confused by her response and was genuinely concerned she might cry every time if she continued to come to church. She shared, “I didn’t understand it. I just knew that I wanted to come back again and again because that was the most incredible feeling I had ever felt.” Alex and her family continued to attend PCC and on September 29, 2024, Alex made the decision to be baptized. “I decided to get baptized on the day of [the baptism service] because when we were singing the song ‘I Speak Jesus’ I got so overwhelmed and I had this feeling just go through me that I needed to get baptized today and that I needed to proclaim just how much Jesus was my Lord and Savior,” she remembers. My own memory of this is pretty clear and it was beautiful to see a friend of Alex’s immediately run home to get a change of clothes for Alex to wear because she “just knew it was what was supposed to happen” that day. Nothing was going to get in the way of what was going to be such an important day of Alex’s life.
Following her baptism, Alex, who has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, fell into a depression where she began to feel abandoned by God. “I was really close to ending my life. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I just was done,” she explained. In March 2025, the PCC Women’s Conference, FOR YOU, was approaching and Alex decided that attending wouldn’t be a good idea and feared that the size of the crowd at the conference may cause her to experience a panic attack. Out of the blue, a friend she’d made at church (Pennylee) texted Alex and asked her to come with her to FOR YOU. Pennylee, determined that Alex needed to be at the conference, informed her that she would pick her up and that she’d found a place for them to spend Friday night, in between days of the conference. Alex, despite her apprehension, went with Pennylee to Powhatan for the conference.
During the conference, information about Women’s Alliance was shared and conference attenders were invited to think about starting a tribe at their home campus. Alex immediately felt that Women’s Alliance was something that she wanted to not only participate in but help lead. Not long after that the Iridium Tribe was launched. This tribe of women is a group that meets weekly at the Aylett Campus and participates in a 30-minute outdoor rugged workout and then has a 30-minute devotion around a fire. Alex stays in touch throughout the week with the members of her group and also connects with leaders of other Women’s Alliance tribes, all while communicating with and equipping small group leaders at the Aylett Campus. Alex has been studying the Bible several times a day in an effort to really understand what she is sharing with her tribe and ultimately lead them as well as she can. However, Alex confirmed that she is always extended grace when she doesn’t have the answers and that she has been able to learn a lot from the people she leads.
I asked Alex what felt like the turning point for her and what made her eliminate her plan to end her life. Alex’s decision came down to the support that she felt from the people around her and knowing that she’d found a circle that would not judge her or let her struggle alone. This is a commitment straight from the creed that Women’s Alliance recites at each meeting:
I am a steadfast woman with an uncommon desire to succeed.
I will keep myself honest, spiritually aligned, and morally straight.
I will lead and be led, and in the absence of leadership
I will take charge and lead by example
I am not too proud to ask for help.
I belong to a tribe and do not struggle alone.
My past failures do not define me.
When the world knocks me down, I will get back up every time.
Faithfulness to family and devotion to God is my destiny.
I will be vulnerable and finish strong.
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“Building your relationship with God is throughout the week and you need your community in order to do that. [It’s] so crucial because God never meant for us to do life alone. I can say that having the community of women in Women’s Alliance has made my life easier and harder at the same time, but so worth it.”
The post From Darkness to Community appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Content Disclaimer: This post includes references to trauma and abuse (including sexual abuse and domestic violence), addiction and overdose, and incarceration. Some details are intense and may be difficult for some readers. If you need immediate support, contact local emergency services or a trusted crisis resource in your area.
I wasn’t seeking God when He found me.
I wasn’t praying when He spoke to me.
I wasn’t holy when He loved me.
I wasn’t steady when He stayed.
I was Gomer.
Restless.
Reaching.
Running toward anything that might quiet the ache.
Breaking my own heart in small, familiar ways.
Piecing myself away for the promise of a feeling that never lasted.
My existence was in ignorance of a Love already given.
A kind of love that never shies from my mess.
A love that never wavers, never wanes, never worries.
A love that pays full price for a heart that was never true.
This is not a story about my failures.
This is a story about His faithfulness.
About a God who came after me when I couldn’t find myself.
A God who whispered in the wilderness.
Who rebuilt what I had ruined.
Who renamed what shame had claimed.
This is the story of how God loved me back to life.
How He called me Beloved, before I ever knew how to belong.
The story of Hosea tells of a transformative, transcendent type of love – a love that chooses to stay, a love that knows no end. I first read this story sitting in a jail cell, feeling anything but loved. I had only ever viewed God through a lens of fear and shame – but in this Old Testament story, I came to find the God who had been coming after me, time and time again.
My life up to that point had been spent chasing things that could never love me back, drifting into places of promised escape that would never dull my pain. As I looked back, I began to see with clarity, to see the evidence of God moving in my life. I was overcome by the beauty of this perfect love – steady, patient, and pursuing me to the ends of the earth, knowing me better than I know myself.
This is the story of how God held my hand through the midst of my shadows and led me to trust Him.
I never planned to run away from God, but the foundation of my life was shaken before I ever saw it coming. I had a beautiful family – parents who loved each other very much and did everything they could to provide their children with the life they never had. But that’s the thing with good intentions – they mean well, but are blind to the thief in the night, the evil lying in wait. My stepgrandfather was just that – a prowling lion looking for someone to devour. He placed a twistedness in my innocent mind that changed how I viewed the world, how I perceived myself, how I understood sex, how I trusted family – he tainted everything. Secrets became a way of life for me – I learned that truth could expose the shame I felt, so I became a master of deception. Telling the truth felt like showing the trembling inside of me, inviting judgment, waiting for someone to see the wrongness I knew lived in me. So, I learned to keep everything locked inside because silence was safer – but silence breeds uncertainty. These early wounds taught me that I had to protect myself, find my own escape routes, and trust no one.
As I got older, those wounds remained a constant reminder of my worthlessness – a source of chronic pain that I couldn’t cope with. This led me to go in search of anything that could give me respite from the voice in my head. Pain had taught me that feeling nothing was easier than feeling everything. I didn’t realize it then, but shame was teaching me how to run. I grew up with a belief that something in me was already wrong, already stained – and that dread became my companion. Like Gomer, I slipped further away, thinking freedom was found in anything other than God.
As a kid, I had constant night terrors – waking up shaking, convinced Jesus had returned and I had been left behind. That fear followed me into adulthood like a shadow that never quite let go. I truly believed I had already been judged by God, sentenced before I even spoke a word. In my mind, I was irredeemable. I spent years living at the edges of myself, in the recesses where light couldn’t reach. I felt watched, examined, scrutinized – as if every thought was being tallied against me. I felt trapped inside the weight of His disappointment. The only relief I could imagine was escape – from myself, from my memories, from the God I thought was set to punish me. So I ran. I ran toward anything that could numb me, quiet me, erase me. Alcohol became my coping mechanism, my confidant. Oblivion became the only place that offered peace, and I chased it with purpose.
At twenty-six, I divorced my husband – a man as broken as I was, someone I never should have yoked my life to. We weren’t partners; we were just two drowning people clinging to each other. When it ended, I felt a strange kind of relief. Like maybe I had been given a new beginning. I felt lighter, even hopeful – as if God had quietly given me a second chance to start over. But almost as soon as that hope appeared, it felt like something sensed it – and moved in. A storm I didn’t see coming, a darkness I didn’t create this time, began to gather around me. And everything I thought I had escaped was just about to begin again in a new, deeper way.
After my divorce I found myself right back in a relationship, a relationship I had left behind in college. I had deluded myself into believing that God had sent him back to me as recompense for the disappointment my marriage had become. But looking back, I see now he slipped into my life like a serpent in the garden – whispering promises of peace, while carrying a venom that sought to destroy me. Just like any deceiver, he came as a savior – someone I learned to need, someone I grew to depend on – until one day you wake up and find yourself somewhere you never meant to be. By the time I understood what he truly was, I was already trapped, isolated, replaying every warning I had brushed aside. I’ll never forget the first night he hit me. We had been arguing in the car one evening, and when we pulled up to the house, he opened my door – not with chivalry, but with cruelty in his eyes. He jerked me from the seat by my hair, dragged me across the yard to the porch, and there, with one blow, shattered every illusion I had in one fell swoop. In that instant, I knew something had died. I told myself I should walk away, grieve this loss, and never look back. But stubbornness and pride are powerful chains. I convinced myself it was a moment of weakness, a mistake, something we could mend. And the next day, I surrendered what felt like only a small part of me when I chose to stay – when I excused what had no excuse. I didn’t realize that single compromise was the beginning of a descent far steeper than I could imagine, the first slip on what would become a very slippery slope – a freefall into a kind of hell I thought only existed in other people’s stories.
He carried hatred like a birthright, his violence methodical, deliberate in his determination to keep me trembling in fear. I lived in a constant state of dread, just waiting for each moment to erupt into a scene of brutality. I remember nights I was beaten until bones cracked, head split, blood soaked, body seizing – always ending with him staring down at me, eyes as black as the night. He’d fly into rages, everything becoming life or death – driven to the top of a mountain to watch him dig a grave for me or held by knife-point while he forced motor oil down my throat – always with threats of my murder, followed by his suicide. His evil perpetuated without end, until one day it did. He spent hours trying to break me, relentless in his attack – until my face was unrecognizable. Afterwards he fled, only to be arrested shortly after. I don’t know if I would have ever gotten out if it hadn’t ended that way. Terror had trained me to stay, obey, to believe that leaving meant certain death. I was so far from anyone who loved me, so stripped of identity and worth, that I believed he was the only person left who would claim me – even if claiming me meant destroying me.
During that time, my addiction tightened around me like a noose. I lived for the numbness, for the split seconds when reality flickered out. I had become a stranger to myself, floating through desolate rooms, abandoned houses, and filthy streets, surrounded by people who seemed just as hollow as I felt. One night, surrounded by strangers and chaos, I found a drug I didn’t recognize and without a moment’s pause I flooded my veins with death. Fentanyl. Like a flame, I was snuffed out – no struggle, no sound, no panic – just an absence of light. Then came tunnel vision, ringing in my ears, and questions I couldn’t answer – only to wake up and be told I had been left to die. I should have been terrified, but instead the edge of death felt familiar – almost like returning to a place I already knew. After you face death that closely, it stops being the thing you fear. It becomes a doorway, a way out. And so began my dance with death.
When I finally broke free from my abusive nightmare and stepped out on my own, I convinced myself I was free – but there is no freedom in futility. I was wayward – drifting like Gomer from place to place, searching for my food and drink, my wool and linen, desperate for anything that could quiet the roaring ache inside me. One after the other, I traded pieces of myself for men, drugs, and each depraved situation I allowed myself to be a part of. I was shameless in my pursuit of reprieve – a perpetually hopeless endeavor. I thought I was choosing freedom, but I was only feeding the hollow places, like a yawning black hole consuming everything and offering nothing in return.
I didn’t realize God had been hedging me in with thorns – guiding my aimless way, keeping certain paths blocked, certain doors sealed, certain plans ruined. Even in my excess – even when I dismissed His presence only to chase phantoms – He was faithful, already building the road that would bring me home. But I didn’t see any of that. All I saw was another booking photo and another cold cell.
After years of living like a ghost, I found myself in county again – not for the first time, but this time the revolving door stopped. I was forced to sit still, forced to sober up, forced to see myself clearly. It was an empty feeling: abandoned, hopeless, naked. I had always been able to see the light around me – the sun through barred windows, the humanity of the women next to me – but I could never see that same light within myself. I carried this dread that I was already condemned, that God had long ago charged, tried, and convicted me, and nothing in me was redeemable.
So I accepted my concrete surroundings, the brick walls, the metal bed. I told myself I would endure it and move on. But God was already moving, already whispering.
One day, women from a local church came to pray with anyone who wanted it. I had no interest in facing God. I was still choking on the shame of the overdose I had never emotionally survived. I was sitting in a cell, literally in the middle of getting a tattoo – a spider web on one side, with a brick wall sketched on the other to begin next. While the women prayed with people one by one through the main door, I passed on the offer every time.
Eventually I was persuaded to talk for just a moment, the last one left. So I walked up to the door, cracked barely enough to slip out my hand, and offered only my name. I only hoped they would finish quickly – I needed to get back to the tattoo I was hiding behind my back.
Then one of the women began to cry.
With her eyes closed, she said, “Megan… I see you trying to get through a brick wall… wait, no – through cobwebs…”
My heart stopped.
How could she possibly know what I was having tattooed on my arm at that exact moment?
She continued, voice trembling –
“I see you coming out of the dirt. God is unburying you. He wants me to tell you He is not finished with you yet.”
In that moment, something inside me cracked. I knew God was speaking about my overdose – about the night I should have died but didn’t. Everyone else had left me there. But not Him. He remained. He watched. He shielded. He saved me when I had been trying to disappear. He kindled in me a flame of hope.
From that day on, I devoured the Bible. I read with new eyes. I realized maybe God wasn’t this terrifying judge keeping a tally of my failures. I learned instead that God is love – and nothing bad can come from love. In that cell, in my wilderness, He was speaking tenderly to me just as Hosea 2:14 promised, calling me back softly, without punishment, without hidden motives, without manipulation. Just love. Unfailing, undeserved love.
I realized I wasn’t being punished. I was being redeemed.
I felt a light begin to flicker inside me – small at first, then steady. I did Bible studies with women in the pod every day. For months I poured over everything I could get my hands on. And that’s when I found Hosea. That story shattered me. I knew what betrayal felt like – that stabbing pain in the chest when the one you love leaves you for another. I knew it intimately. And suddenly, I saw that I had been doing that to God my whole life. Yet He never once left me. He did not grow cold, or distant, or indifferent. He pursued me.
He fenced me in, whispered to me, bought me back with nothing but His love. Hosea bought Gomer from the market when she had sold herself into slavery – and God did the same for me. Even after all my wandering, He chased me all the more.
I fell in love with that love. A love I couldn’t comprehend – one that didn’t withdraw when I failed, one that did not abandon me to my own destruction. I told anyone who would listen, because if they could see what I saw, they would be undone too.
I spent almost two years locked up. Those were the two years I first tasted God’s presence in a way that felt real, steady, and impossibly kind. I reconciled with my family. I believed I was truly made anew.
But freedom is complicated.
When I was released, reality returned harsher than before. I was a felon. I couldn’t even get hired at a grocery store. Every door that closed felt like confirmation that I didn’t belong anywhere. Hopelessness crept back in, and I didn’t know how God could possibly help me overcome the weight of my past.
So I drank. Slowly, then heavily. And three months later, the needle called me back – I returned to the syringe like it was breath. I told myself I could control it, hide it, handle it, but that was just the lie that whispers in the recesses of your mind. Addiction is a cave where the light grows dim slowly at first, then all at once. Before I knew it, I was back in abandoned houses, seedy motels, surrounded by people who had lost the fight long ago.
Whether I absorbed the darkness or the darkness absorbed me, I’ll never know.
But this time was different.
This time I felt the shame.
Because now I understood the love I was running from.
And knowing its depth made running feel devastating.
So I did what I had always done: I hid.
I fed the vein again and again.
I used so much that I could taste death.
I became so reckless that I refused to use alone. I would give resuscitation instructions before every use, because reviving me had become routine. I can’t count how many times I was brought back with Narcan.
And somewhere inside the haze, God began to press through again. Even in overdose, I could sense Him at the edges of my awareness. The first time I heard Him, I had gone under, and when I came back, the memory of Him lingered like a voice under water. Another time, after a near-fatal overdose, I found myself standing in a meadow drenched in sunlight. I couldn’t see Him, but I could hear Him. He told me I didn’t have many more chances after this. I felt the warmth of the sun on skin that shouldn’t have been alive.
Then, as if from above, I saw my own body in the bathroom, collapsed against the mirror, while this ‘other me’ went to sit in another room. When my boyfriend dragged me out, revived me, and shook me awake, asking me where I’d been, he assumed I was confused from the drugs. But I knew better. That was the closest I had ever come to crossing over – to what death really feels like. It should have scared me straight, but it didn’t. I just returned to the rhythm: cop, run out, get money, cop again, feed the vein, rinse, repeat.
There was no room for God in the chaos –
and yet, still He found a way in.
And for the next two years, I yo-yoed between death and survival, living a half-life that barely qualified as living at all. I was a woman scraping at the edges of existence, still running, still hiding, still terrified to face a Love that large – because sometimes hope hurts more than despair.
But even then – especially then – God watched, waited, whispered. He fenced me in with thorns. He kept the road narrow. He slowed the descent. He found me again and again in the ashes of my own ruin – not to scold, but to call me home.
Just like Hosea.
Always like Hosea.
I had gone out in search of my other lovers – drugs to bring relief, sex masked as love, and a void I could exist in without pain. These are lies that I chased with a stubbornness to be rivaled. I had felt alone my entire life – I could not fathom a love that would truly want me back after seeing what I had become.
I had been mistaken in thinking I had already hit my rock bottom, because there is always a new low, waiting to envelop the lost and lonely. As my life began to spiral in new waves of chaos, I hit a wall that stopped me dead in my tracks. An officer, a warrant, a cold metal door slamming shut in my face. I should have seen it coming but my nature of endless escape and avoidance didn’t allow me to see it. But there was no escaping this – a four year sentence. It took months for me to come to terms with my fate, my consequences, and even longer for me to really see it for what it was. A blessing. A chance to live. I talked with God every night as I lay in the dark, in the uncertainty of what was to come. I wasn’t always grateful, I wasn’t always feeling blessed, but I was there, calling out to the Love that had bought me back. I felt redeemed, like I was being saved once again from the mess I had made, but for once I didn’t carry feelings of shame and worthlessness. I spent those years accepting God’s love into my heart, a heart that he had spent a lifetime mending. I spent those years learning to trust Him and give Him power over my life – praying that His will be done where mine had fallen short time after time. In my moments of anxiety, grief, anger and confusion, I found in surrendering that to Him, a sense of unburdening, a sense of relief where I thought none could be found. He was unburying me – taking the weight of all my sadness, my trauma, my sin.
I was in a desert of my own making – a place made so desolate by self-destruction. And even to that hollow place, to the ends of the earth, He followed me. In the midst of so much loss, I felt comforted, I felt revived. He opened my eyes to all of the good there was still to be found around me; I found something to be grateful for everyday. I didn’t succumb to despair, but rather found opportunities that otherwise would have been hidden to me. I was accepted into a small class that would take a year to complete – to become a certified web developer. I enrolled in college to complete my Bachelor’s degree. I found a church that I could call home. Nothing in prison happens quickly, but I didn’t need that – I needed slow and steady. I was given precious time to understand, appreciate and develop knowledge, relationship and community – aspects of a life that had become so foreign to me. He led me to still waters so that I may be restored. I began to build a life that was rooted in meaning and purpose. I found that, despite all that I had done, I was worthy of a good life, a future that was waiting for me.
I was released one year ago, almost to the day, and I have not been in want of His light – it is all around me. I’m surrounded by family, family once lost to me, now reconciled. I have found in church another family, who took me in, no questions asked. I have just completed an internship and am on track to earn my degree in computer science this year. I have clarity of mind, this year marking my first year of sobriety since I was sixteen years old. I now possess a life full of love, something I never thought I could achieve, something I never thought I deserved. But, through His relentless pursuit, I have been blessed beyond measure.
I spent the whole of my life losing myself because I was too afraid to trust, to let dawn break on the perpetual night that had consumed me. Instead I blundered in the darkness as I unconsciously sought relief from His absence. Every attempt was made in vain, my own misguidance inevitably leaving me a mess. My future became nothing short of bleak, pierced with the possibility of unending sadness and disappointment. At the end of my proverbial rope and figurative rock bottom, I had only reflection as my solace – only then was I able to see His infallible plan in place.
In hindsight I can see how Love had interfered along the way, always there, waiting for me to come to my senses. And somehow, without fault or judgement, he never stopped pursuing me. He is my protector, my partner, my perfect sacrifice. How unfathomable it is to truly know that YHWH has so flawlessly laid before all of time our redemption. I can do nothing but remain in infinite awe of Him. It has been only with the help of this Power greater than myself that I have the wisdom and courage to maintain pursuit, because lest I forget, there is always a darker, more sinister force laying in wait to find me at my weakest. But, in His power and unceasing mercy I am made strong and immovable, if only I can trust in Him and allow Love to permeate me. I hope to grow into this ability to be loved – we were never meant to lose this innate pillar of our being. I have yet again come into grace, as we all have this unique opportunity to quest for Him again, finding over and over that from everlasting to everlasting is where we belong; where we can be made whole once more as He so promises. He never ceases to woo us in the quiet and unending deserts of our days without apprehension but an overpouring of His incomprehensible mercy. We must learn to stand in our light as He seeks to uncover it. We all have this light – it’s the piece of Him, His spirit – our soul – intricately and purposefully placed within us. But these unseen forces do nothing but wage endless battles, looking for any foothold in our folly. They fight to overcome the light – they hate it with their very existence and seek to snuff it out. But do not fear, their fervor is fruitless as this war has already been won. Despite all perpetuations by evil, Love has already won – His goodness prevails. We can take comfort in this as we place our faith in our completeness with Him, by Him, where Love has conquered all. For it is His promise, to be with us always, even to the very end of the age.
The post The Love that Bought Me appeared first on Passion Community Church.
A Conversation with Paul MyersThese days strong opinions seem to be everywhere. Knowing when to speak up, and how to do it well, can feel overwhelming. We asked Midlothian Campus’ Paul Myers some questions to learn more about what it looks like for him to stay grounded in his beliefs while still leading with patience, curiosity, and respect.
How did you learn to pick your battles?Paul doesn’t describe himself as naturally confrontational. In fact, it’s been the opposite for most of his life.
“I’ve always leaned toward avoiding conflict,” he said. “That’s not necessarily a strength, but it’s shaped how I show up with people.” Over time, that tendency gave him a reputation for being steady and thoughtful – someone who didn’t jump into arguments or react emotionally.
It wasn’t until college, while working through his Master of Social Work program, that Paul began to develop a more balanced approach. “I had to learn how to be assertive without being aggressive,” he explained.
As his leadership responsibilities grew, both in his work and in the church, Paul realized that avoiding hard conversations wasn’t sustainable. “When you ignore things, they don’t go away,” he said. “They usually come back later in ways that are harder to deal with.”
Today, Paul tries to hold that balance carefully. He doesn’t rush into conflict, but he also doesn’t pretend problems aren’t there. “I probably have a longer fuse than most,” he said. “That might come from how I was raised, or from watching conflict go badly for other people. Either way, it’s something I’m aware of and try to use wisely.”
How do you stay calm and curious when emotions run high?For Paul, one of the hardest places to do this is online.
“Social media is where I feel myself getting worked up the fastest,” he admitted. “Even though I try to limit how much I’m on it, it still gets to me sometimes.”
Over time, Paul has adopted a simple mindset that helps him step back. “Most of the time, people aren’t on social media to have thoughtful conversations,” he said. “They’re sharing strong opinions about things they already feel deeply about… and they’re not really looking to change their minds.”
Because of that, Paul rarely jumps into online debates, especially when he feels defensive. “Those conversations almost always go better in person,” he explained. “You can see someone’s face, hear their tone, and understand that disagreement doesn’t mean disrespect. Online, it’s way too easy to misunderstand each other.”
How do you tell the difference between convictions and preferences?Paul describes himself as someone who naturally wants to understand people. That empathy shapes how he thinks through big questions. But, it also means slowing down before drawing hard lines.
“When I’m trying to decide whether something really matters to me or is just a preference, I spend a lot of time thinking about it,” he said. That often includes reading, listening, and talking things through with people he trusts.
“My wife is usually the first person I talk to,” Paul shared. “I also have conversations with friends and leaders at church.” Recently, a casual car ride with pastors Elijah and Tanner turned into a meaningful discussion about how certain parts of the Bible can be understood. “Hearing different perspectives helped clarify my own.”
Paul is honest about the fact that feelings alone aren’t always reliable guides. “Just because something feels right doesn’t mean it is,” he said. “And sometimes we don’t feel drawn to things that are actually good for us.”
That’s why Paul believes perspective matters so much.
When it comes to interacting with others, Paul wants to stay open without losing clarity. “I don’t want to come across as closed off. There are things that really matter. Our faith, who Jesus is, what He’s done. On those things, I’m settled.”
At the same time, Paul recognizes that many areas of life allow room for different approaches. Parenting is one example. “I’ll always listen if someone has a different perspective,” he said. “But after a lot of thought and conversation, I usually know how I want to lead my family. Being open doesn’t mean being unsure.”
Staying grounded in a noisy worldFor Paul, standing firm isn’t about being loud or defensive. It’s about doing the internal work… thinking things through, listening well, and being honest about what really matters. That way, when conversations happen, they’re marked by calm, confidence, and care for others.
“You don’t have to have everything figured out right away,” Paul said. “But when something truly matters, it’s worth taking the time to stand on it – and to do that in a way that still leaves room for understanding.”
The post Standing Firm, Staying Kind appeared first on Passion Community Church.
The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. Do you feel that way, too?
Here we are again, welcoming a bright, shiny new year, full of opportunities and possibilities, adventures and experiences. And – let’s be real – mistakes and problems, frustrations and disappointments, too.
Isn’t that the way of life? The good mixed with the not-so-good. The high highs and the low lows so often intermingle in ways we wish they wouldn’t. But that’s life doing its thing, right? Rolling along as we hang on tight and try to occasionally enjoy the ride. Is that how this is supposed to work?
Actually…no. I don’t think it’s supposed to work like that at all.
While it’s true that we are not in control of quite a few things in life, it’s equally true that we actually don’t have to simply hang on for the ride, flying by the seat of our pants and just hoping for the best. We can learn to live with intention, looking at the situations and opportunities that crop up in our lives through the lens of our faith in a God who loves us and knows what it’s like to live this human experience.
That’s what I want – intention, joy and peace that passes understanding in all circumstances. But how?
While there are lots of ways to invite and cultivate a more peaceful, joy-filled existence, one of my favorites is choosing a word of the year.
This New Year tradition feels much more approachable to me than making resolutions. Although, come to think of it, are we still making resolutions in 2026? I know at some point we moved more in the direction of intentions, but maybe we’ve moved on to suggestions? Propositions? Invitations? I don’t know.
Perhaps our quickly diminishing attention spans (side-eye to the buzzing iPhone sitting beside me as I type) are to thank for these adjustments, but also, why do we feel the need to overhaul our lives every January? We don’t necessarily have to be new, although if you want to go that route, by all means, go for it. But sometimes we do need to refocus. Or (since I spend a lot of time with teenagers now) sometimes we need to “lock in”.
Choosing a word of the year is a way to do that without resolving to make a bunch of major changes that will probably end up not sticking anyway. Let me show you what I mean.
For my 2026 Word of the Year, I’ve chosen “Stretch.” And when I say that I chose it, what I really mean is that God chose it. I spent several weeks in prayer asking God to reveal to me what would be most useful, beautiful and helpful to me this year. I asked for a word that would help me continue growing into the person He created me to be. And, much to my dismay (ha!) God gave me the word stretch. It makes me very nervous to think about the ways this may play out in my life, but I’ve spent a lot of time with God over the years and found Him to be worthy of my trust. So stretch it is.
With my word in mind, now I can use it to inform my choices and decisions in 2026. So let’s say I make the decision to go to the gym more often. Just resolving (intending?) to go to the gym may work for a little while, getting me up and out the door early despite the dark, cold January mornings. But eventually I’m not going to want to go. Eventually I’m going to want to throw in the towel, wave the white flag, surrender to my nice warm bed or a cozy spot by the fire. But if I use my word to filter my experience and look at things through God’s perspective, things change.
I realize that going to the gym is stretching me in ways that might be uncomfortable at first, but will ultimately help me to be physically able to handle whatever God asks me to do. With that in mind, the cold dark mornings at the gym begin to feel like a jumping off point for my day – energizing and inspiring me to see what else I can accomplish.
Or what if I want to start a journaling practice. Just resolving to write each day may work for a little while, and I’ll feel inspired to set aside extra time to sit down with a notebook and pen. But eventually I’ll say, “I don’t have time”. Eventually I’ll say, “I’ll do it tomorrow”. And then one day will turn into two days will turn into a week will turn into months. But if I use my word to filter my experience and look at things through God’s perspective, things change.
I realize that writing is a practice that stretches me to expand and think and wonder and grow. Writing will help me learn to make mistakes, make changes, see another way through. Writing will offer me the opportunity to stretch and learn to communicate more effectively in my work, in my relationships, and in life in general. With that in mind, I’ll see this practice as a way to grow closer to God and watch what He’s doing in my life.
God can and will do great things in our lives this year. What will we do for Him? It’s not too late – ask God for a word that will help you stay focused on Him and what He wants you to do. Keeping that word in mind and using it to inspire us for the rest of 2026 will help us accomplish our goals and move forward in the direction God has for us.
The post New Year New Word appeared first on Passion Community Church.
There is no shortage of darkness in this world. Every day we are inundated with countless stories of devastation and violence that are happening worldwide. And yet it seems like we don’t appreciate the burden of that darkness until it makes an appearance in our own home.
Those who have walked through dark seasons know the anguish of trying to endure each day when you can’t see a way out of whatever circumstance is weighing you down. We grieve the loss of control we thought we had and then try to escape by numbing away the pain through various distractions and substances. And yet most people find that these temporary fixes only create more damage and never confront the darkness overtaking them.
My own experiences with grief and mental health struggles have taught me that the only thing that can provide a glimmer of hope and true relief from my pain is the loving presence of God. So when I found myself in the middle of another dark season at the beginning of 2025, I knew exactly where I needed to go to find the Light I was in such desperate need of.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
On January 1st, I committed to reading the entire Bible in a year. This would be a feat for me because my easily distracted mind tends to lose track of any daily Bible reading plan a few weeks in. But this new attempt wasn’t just so I could gain more Bible knowledge. It was my daily reminder of why I had a reason to hope even though the circumstances of my life told me otherwise.
There’s no way for me to list all the things I have learned over the past year but I will say that through the routine of reading His Word every day, I have been able to find the lamp I needed to keep moving forward. Opening my Bible became an invitation for Him to draw closer and redirect my attention from the darkness surrounding me so that I could focus my gaze on Him instead. And within the warmth of His Presence, I am able to remember that the pain of suffering is nothing when you know what it is to love and be loved by the Creator of the Universe.
For those in need of a light, I am recommending you try this one. It’s a torch that has been passed down through generations of people who have also had to find paths through the darkness. They realized this book contains the answers on how to handle the trials and tribulations that are guaranteed to happen in life. The reason the Bible has endured for this long is because it is the source of truth that never fades. And it provides the kind of transformation that can only happen when you choose to sit in His Presence and let Him speak.
Each chapter of the Bible I read invited God to tell me exactly who He is. And I have found that He is a God who sees every tear and knows more than anyone else the depths of our despair. It was out of His deep compassionate love for each of us that He created the Bible so we could know that we never have to walk through those dark seasons alone. He provided us with a lamp to lead us through the darkness but we are the ones who have to decide to strike the match by opening our Bibles. And after 365 days and 66 books later, I can promise you that it is worth the effort to know the Light that illuminates even the darkest situations.
The post Illuminated Path appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Whether we’re sitting at a stoplight, standing in line at the grocery store or hanging out at a child’s {insert endless list of possibilities here} activity, we all do our fair share of waiting on any given day. I, for one, have spent literal hours of my life waiting in school pick-up lines, at soccer fields, and in the back parking lot of the high school as the band finished up practice.
I’ll call this “easy waiting” and actually, most of the time, I really enjoy it. When I know I’ll be waiting at a practice, I always bring a book or plan to listen to a podcast or audiobook. When the weather is nice, I get out of the car and go for a long walk by myself or with a friend. Or, if I need to catch up on some things, I turn on my hotspot and get some work done.
This type of waiting often makes me feel gratitude – offering my thanks to God for healthy kids who love sports and music, for having time to be outside in the fresh air, for having some quiet time to myself or with a friend, for getting to do work that I love.
But there’s another type of waiting that’s much more difficult to endure. Waiting on a diagnosis. Waiting to find a job. Waiting to buy or sell a house. Waiting to find your future spouse. Waiting on a baby. Waiting for forgiveness. Waiting for healing.
This type of waiting – the agonizing, gut-wrenching, excruciating type of waiting – is when we go to God and start asking some questions:
“Why is this happening?”
“Why can’t I find my person?”
“What do I do now?”
“How long is this going to take?”
“Where are you, God?”
Sometimes those questions are answered quickly, and we can move on without worry or concern. But other times, we may end up waiting weeks, months, or even years for results and answers and resolutions. When the waiting goes on…and on and on… it can seem like God doesn’t hear us. Or that God has abandoned us.
I know what that feels like. Several years ago, I went through a very intense period of waiting where I felt like nothing would ever change and things would never get better. I felt like God would never answer my constant prayers for healing.
But, He did.
God saw me, He heard me, and He answered my prayers in ways I never would have expected…but it took a very long time.
Through those long years of waiting I learned some valuable lessons, and I’d like to offer a few of them to you with the hope that you may find them useful as well.
1. Learn to be quiet.
For years, I met with a Spiritual Director who guided me and encouraged me in so many ways, including learning to be quiet. At the beginning of each of our meetings, we would have a time of silence. It could be as short or as long as I wanted it to be, but we always started with quiet. Admittedly, it was pretty awkward at first, but over time, I started to look forward to it and incorporate it into my daily rhythms at home. I sat on my front porch and looked at the sky. I sat in the glow of the fireplace early in the morning. I got very intentional about my time. I took deep breaths. I set aside time to rest.
This process was life-giving and gave me the strength to keep waiting when I felt like everything was falling apart. I learned to be still in God’s presence and trust Him with my life. And as I learned to trust God, I also learned to trust myself. I heard God speak to me through the silence, reminding me of all the good that was still around me, despite the challenges I was facing.
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5-6)
2. Become an active participant.
When we wait on God, we don’t have to be idle. I realize that sounds like it’s in direct contrast to being quiet, but I assure you, these two things work hand in hand. Over the years, I spent a lot of time doing research, reading books, going to counseling, seeking out people who were dealing with the same issues, listening to podcasts, and joining support groups. I considered every angle, every viewpoint, every opinion, every new idea. I tried everything once…and then I tried it all again.
And since I had learned to be quiet, I was able to use that to listen for God in my searching. God spoke to me through the books and articles I read and the people I talked to. God showed me how to sift through things, clear out the clutter and the noise and find the path He had for me. And He can do that for you, too.
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Becoming an active participant in the waiting helped me to find and lean into the process of healing. God met me in my search and helped me stay faithful and disciplined.
3. Find the good.
Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, God is still good. The end of Psalm 130 that I referenced above says this: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.”
God loves us and He never leaves us alone. The evidence of His Presence in our lives is all around us, and I promise you will see it if you take the time to stop and look. Keeping a gratitude journal helped me keep track of all the things I was noticing and served as a constant reminder to say thank you to God, even on the most difficult days.
Paul offers us good advice when he says, “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
At some point in all of our lives, we are going to have to wait. Maybe for a week, maybe for a month, maybe for many years. Remember that we can trust God, knowing that He sees us, He loves us, and He is always working things together for our good. All in His good time.
The post Stillness, Seeking, and Seeing God appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Imagine you’re sitting in a job interview and the manager asks the dreaded question- “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Your typical response? Focus on your strengths and downplay the weaknesses. Somehow make your “weakness” sound like a strength, a benefit to the organization. Like- “my weakness is that I work too hard” or “I struggle to leave at the end of the work day because I’m so passionate about this job.” Or “I’m so good at my job it makes others feel inferior.” Okay, maybe not quite that far.
My response in these situations has been: “I tend to avoid conflict.”
Conflict. It makes most of us uncomfortable. Some of us say we hate it. Some of us claim to thrive in it. But regardless of how you feel about it, you will experience it. There is no getting around it. Even if you are like me and you hope to avoid any and all unnecessary conflict, you still have to be able to handle the unavoidable conflict well.
There are all kinds of things that we can have conflict about. Politics is a big one – it’s currently very prevalent, but there are others. Lifestyle preferences and choice of relationships are often topics of conflict too. Even music or Spotify playlist for a road trip is grounds for conflict. In my experience the more intimate a relationship the more challenging the conflict resolution.
I’m currently navigating through a season of conflict with two people who are very important to me, my parents. They disagree with a big decision that I’ve made and the lingering conflict has brought about some of the most uncomfortable conversations that I’ve ever had.
10 out of 10 would not recommend it.
I’m torn because I love these people and I want a healthy relationship with them but I’m still an adult with the ability to make my own decisions. Conflict makes me nervous – I can’t help but feel some uncertainty. Will they respect me even if we don’t agree? And what does our relationship look like moving forward?
Like I shared earlier – I’m conflict adverse, but over the years of trial and error I have learned a few things about how to deal with conflict in a healthy way. I can now recognize the signs my body is giving me when I start to get mad. My body gets warmer and thoughts become more rapid. I start to see every relationship and situation in a negative light even if they are predominately good. And then the worst part is the words that threaten to fly out of my mouth. I know now that when I’m at this point, it’s better for everybody if we don’t speak about the source of the conflict for at least a few minutes, even sometimes up to 24 hours. Conflict doesn’t always have to be dealt with right in the moment. Taking a beat is okay and sometimes even lends itself to a much better outcome.
Conflict literally makes me want to flee. There have been a few situations where I have actually run from the room, hung up the phone, drove away in my car, in the middle of a conversation. Running away from a conversation is different from saying “I need a minute.” It’s okay to set a boundary that you’re not ready to have that particular conversation, but that is different than abruptly leaving the room. I’ve learned there’s a polite way to compose yourself, acknowledge that this topic does need to be talked about, but that you need a moment to process, and you’ll circle back. It’s also true that sometimes when you have a desire to run it is still better to take a breath and push through. When I’m able to lean into the conversation – even if I’m a little uncomfortable – that can lead to a quicker resolution.
Another thing I’ve learned, that in particular applies to the disagreement with my parents, is that conflict doesn’t automatically mean that either person is wrong. There’s no moral failure or law breaking involved on either side of the decision. It’s more about how we treat each other in the midst of being on different sides than it is about changing their minds. It’s about treating the other person with respect and understanding even as you stand firm with a different decision.
Even Jesus had conflict with close relationships in his life. During the wedding at Cana right before Jesus performed His first miracle His mother wanted Him to fix the problem. She wanted Him to make more wine! And at first he said, “My hour has not yet come.” He was, essentially, disagreeing with her. Jesus also had conflict with the religious leaders many times, ultimately leading to His death on the cross. But the conflict that sticks out the most to me was with Judas, the disciple who betrayed Him.
Judas, one of Jesus’ most trusted friends, was paid thirty pieces of silver to betray Him. Thirty pieces of silver – that’s about $250 in today’s money. A couple hundred dollars to lead the church leaders to Jesus. When Judas showed up with a large crowd armed with swords and clubs to arrest his friend, do you know what Jesus said? “Do what you came for, friend.” Even in the midst of betrayal, Jesus called him friend. He chose to extend grace and love.
I don’t think there’s a better example out there of how to treat people in the midst of conflict. The next time you are at work wondering how to handle conflict, at home communicating with a family member you know will disagree, or on a road trip arguing over a Spotify playlist, take a breath – consider if the situation needs composed attention or space, and think about the example Jesus set.
The post When You’d Rather Run appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Have you ever wondered…
Where do I fit? How do I fit? Does it even matter?
Some days, I’ve even asked myself—Am I just a nobody living in a somebody world?
We all have a story.
But somewhere along the way, life has a way of stripping us—our identity, our joy, even our voice.
And in our fast-paced world, it’s easy to look at someone and think—How do they fit in my life? What benefit do they bring to me?We make quick judgments… and if they don’t meet our expectations… we move on.
But God doesn’t see people that way.
He looks at the heart.
He knows the story behind the person.
And He calls us to leave space—margin—for the Spirit of God to move.
I rarely share my testimony. Not because I’m ashamed of what God has done in my life—but because the tragedies I’ve walked through would bring shame to people I love.
Even my own children don’t fully know the depth of what God has delivered me from.
Recently, I was encouraged to attend the Global Leadership Summit 2025 at the Midlothian campus and it was like God pulled up a chair next to me and started speaking directly to my soul.
Each speaker echoed the same words:
Legacy. Planning. Endurance. Openness.
And I remembered dreams that had been written in my heart by Him.
God gently reminded me that events of my life are meant to glorify Him. (Psalm 139:16) That they are meant for such a time as this and it’s time to pass down strength, honesty, and hope to others (1 Corinthians 12:7)—to be a legacy (2 Timothy 2:2).
But it’s not just about telling my story.
It’s about creating space to listen to yours.
John Maxwell once said, “What we leave in people is never lost.”But I would add that “When a person is truly seen… they are never lost.” Hearing the stories of God’s people and the redemption gives purpose and builds relationships with strength.
That’s why hearing each other’s testimonies is so important.
Because every believer’s story is evidence of God’s goodness.
Now my story has led us to Powhatan, Virginia.
After 20 years of raising our kids in the city, my husband and I wanted a slower lane of this life with intention.
So during COVID, we moved several times and then we landed here.
We bought an old, rundown house with a little patch of land and we started a farm.
We came looking for rest but instead, we found solitude.
And in that solitude, I believe God is writing the next chapter.
These days, I’m always surprised when someone calls me by name because it means I’ve been seen.
And in a world of nobodies living in a somebody world that matters.
So if you’ve ever felt invisible, if you’ve ever wondered where you fit, let me tell you why you’re here:
Be salt. Be light. (Matthew 5:13-16)And never stop telling the story of what God has done.
The post A Nobody in a Somebody’s World appeared first on Passion Community Church.
“The wilderness isn’t the absence of God. It’s the amplification of His presence with you.” – Rev. Angie Frame
I’ve been sitting with this quote for a few weeks now, counting the ways in which God’s presence has been amplified for me these past few months.
On April 2nd, I entered my wilderness, giving birth to my son at 27 weeks—13 full weeks early. I was terrified. But from the very beginning, God’s presence was amplified.
When my water broke, chaos filled the room.
People rushed around my bedside, sticking me with needles, explaining what was happening as I frantically tried to update my husband, call my mother, and find a place for my sleeping three-year-old at 1 a.m.
And then suddenly, there was quiet.
I had one song on repeat in my mind that night:
Rain came, wind blew – my house was built on You.
I’m safe with You—I’m going to make it through.”
Those lines circled through my head as I was poked, prodded, and talked about.
Two nurses remained in the room. Between sobs and contractions, I asked if I could turn on music to help calm myself down. The nurses agreed, and as the first chords of Firm Foundation played softly, both gasped and exclaimed, “I LOVE this song!”
We sang quietly together—worshipping at a volume more restrained than I’m used to.
No one else entered the room while I poured out every fear I had, surrounded by two strangers who quite literally held mine and my son’s safety in their hands.
Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
God was in that room; I had a “peace that makes no sense” in that moment. In my wilderness, his presence was amplified.
In the 23 years I’ve attended Passion Community Church, I’ve developed a bit of a reputation as a “pinch hitter.”
Need an extra greeter? Call Samara.
KidMin team member sick? Call Samara.
It’s Saturday night and your worship team member just had a baby? Call Samara.
“Be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
That calling has always come naturally for me.
But receiving the hands and feet of Jesus?
Absolutely not.
When I was preparing a Facebook post to announce Milo’s arrival, I turned to my husband and said, “You know it’s about to be insane, so be ready.”
We were nowhere near ready.
Suddenly, our inboxes were overflowing with encouragement, prayers, and offers to help.
I was already overwhelmed—by trauma, exhaustion, and the uncomfortable weakness of admitting we needed help. But I knew we did.
While talking with my mother, a woman I consider incredibly wise, she said, “If one of your friends was going through this, what would you say and do?”
So, I allowed myself to be vulnerable.
Because it is a massive vulnerability to let others love on you.
But God—through His church and His people—showed up.
People whose faces I only knew in passing. Friends I had drifted from. And countless others who blessed my family with the three things I had said we would need: Food, gas, and time.
The meals were a blessing as we tried to maintain some sense of order and rhythm.
There were days when I told my husband, “I’m sorry, I just don’t have it in me today,” and suddenly my phone would buzz with an offer of food—or a DoorDash gift card.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” —Matthew 6:26–27
My daughter, caught in the chaos, was scooped up for adventures, showered with little trinkets, and even sent mail.
She was shown God’s love through others in ways I could never have orchestrated, and I pray that love stays with her forever.
She received the time and attention she deserved, while we—her parents—were given the gift of time as well. Time to grieve, to rest, to be with our son, and to be with each other.
Yes, God calls us to be the church. But He also calls us to receive the church. It is a humbling thing to let yourself be loved and cared for; I am grateful that during my time in the wilderness, his love and presence were amplified in unforgettable ways.
The post The Gift of Letting Others Love You appeared first on Passion Community Church.
A fresh emphasis on small groups is about to kick off here at Passion Community Church , and over the next few weeks we will be hearing first hand from a handful of folks about their first hand experience joining a small group. Tina Johnson from PCC’s Riverside Campus had this to share…
What was life or faith like before joining a small group?Life before joining a small group was comfortable, even predictable—family, work, dinner, errands, repeat. It was a steady rhythm, but also one that kept me in a very small, familiar circle. I’d see people who were part of a thriving group and quietly wonder, “Is that something I’d really want to be a part of?” My faith was consistent, but it felt more like a pattern than something that truly stretched or grew me. I learned to function well in a limited social world, and for a long time, I thought that was enough.
What were your expectations before joining the small group?I’ll be honest—I didn’t have very high expectations for a small group. In fact, I didn’t believe “the hype” at all. I know, I work on staff at a church, so you’d think I’d be the first to believe the life change they can bring… but I didn’t think I could have that in my own life too! I went in with zero expectations, fully prepared to just show up, check it off the list, and politely decide it wasn’t a good fit for me.
What first brought you to a small group?Honestly, I was just looking for something for my kids to do—and maybe, just maybe, I’d meet a few friends along the way. I knew there were people out there just like me, hoping for the same thing. So I figured, why not give it a try?
What surprised you the most about being a part of the small group?I think what surprised me most was realizing how many people were in the exact same season of life that I was. Even if I didn’t know them well, it didn’t seem to matter—we instantly had so much in common, and that made it easier to connect than I ever expected.
When did it start to feel real?Almost instantly, I realized how many moms just needed a space to unload and be real—it was kind of amazing. We had our kids with us, and if you know kids, you know they have a way of exposing your “real” whether you’re ready or not! It made pretending impossible, and honestly, that was the best part.
How has being a part of the small group impacted your faith journey?My faith journey has been impacted in such a huge—but really good—way! After starting the Riverside Moms Group and experiencing the realness, transparency, and genuine connections happening, I realized it was changing me and I wanted more. That led me to start seeking a group for my husband and I, and wouldn’t you know it—God showed up! A friend I met through the moms group came to me and said, “I want to start a parenting small group,” and I was like, YES, do it! That group has been a total game changer, and it made me realize just how much my relationship with God needed this.
How are they a part of your everyday life?We’ve truly become a family. So many of the moms from the moms group joined the parenting group, and now we talk almost every day. We celebrate milestones together, cook together, parent together, and even fall apart together—and it’s such a beautiful thing to witness. We hold each other accountable, we love each other’s families deeply, and through it all, we’re growing together.
What has grown, shifted, healed, or deepened?My spiritual life has grown by leaps and bounds, and my marriage has gotten stronger along the way. The fear of people not seeing the “best” version of me is gone, because I’ve learned that real is actually what people are craving. Through these two groups, I’ve discovered that authenticity is in high demand—and it’s freeing. My burdens don’t feel nearly as heavy anymore, because I know I have a group of people who will help me carry them.
What does community mean to you now after your experience in your small group?Community, to me now, means having people who truly see me and walk alongside me in every part of life. After my experience in these small groups, I’ve learned that community isn’t just about showing up—it’s about sharing real struggles, celebrating wins, and carrying each other’s burdens. It’s a safe place where I don’t have to pretend, where faith grows stronger together, and where life feels a little lighter because I’m not walking through it alone.
What would you say to someone who is unsure of joining a small group?If someone is unsure about joining a small group, I’d say—I get it, I was there too. It can feel intimidating, like one more thing to add to an already overwhelming calendar, and maybe even unnecessary at first. But you might be surprised by how much you actually need it. And if you join a group and it’s not a good fit, that’s okay! Try another, or even start your own. You never know who else is in the same season of life, just waiting for you to make a move. You don’t have to have it all together or know what to expect—just show up. The friendships, the support, and the way your faith can grow when you’re surrounded by people who are real and encouraging is absolutely worth it. You may go in unsure, but you’ll likely come out wondering why you didn’t join sooner.
The post When Faith Grows Together appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Yeremi Agosto serves faithfully as a musician and worship leader at the Powhatan Campus. He has recently taken a step further into ministry by interning at PCC. As part of his internship, Yeremi meets regularly with Pastor Beth Stoddard, who serves as a Spiritual Director. Her goal is to help those she meets with deepen their relationship with God and more clearly discern His invitation for their spiritual journey. In response to a recent meeting with Beth, Yeremi shared the following reflection:
For some time, I’ve struggled with the idea that God’s love was something I had to earn. I thought, “If I serve enough, pray enough, then maybe I’ll be loved by God.” But when I didn’t serve or didn’t pray enough, I felt distant, unworthy, worthless—like I let Him down. Even now, I sometimes wrestle with the thought that I’m not fully accepted. But I’m learning to return to the truth: I am loved by Him, and I am His child.
Pain has a way of shaking our confidence in God’s love. After experiencing deep grief and loss, I found it extremely difficult to accept that God loved me and was pleased with me. I knew it in my head, but I couldn’t feel it in my heart. It was like there was this huge gap between understanding God’s love and actually experiencing it.
When I wasn’t sure who I was—whether I even mattered to God, whether He saw me or cared—it was easy to feel invisible. I started thinking things like:
“I’m not good enough.”
“I always mess up.”
“No one needs me or cares about me.”
“I’m just worthless and alone.”
I couldn’t believe God had a special plan for me. Instead, I felt stuck—like I was completely unimportant. I started to see myself the wrong way, which led to some really hopeless feelings. I even wore emotional masks because I didn’t want anyone to see how unsure or “not enough” I really felt inside.
One question from my meeting with Beth really hit me:
“Where do you look for your sense of identity?”
If I’m honest, sometimes I reduce my identity to something I think others will approve of. The way I act, the way I speak—sometimes it’s all about gaining affirmation. When people affirmed me, I felt validated. But when they didn’t, I questioned my worth.
But I’m learning something crucial:
People’s opinions may describe me, but they do not define me.
Since I’ve started my internship, something small but powerful has been happening inside me. I’m starting to truly believe—not just in my mind, but deep in my heart—that I am loved by God. It’s slowly becoming the main truth I live by each day. I don’t have to prove anything to Him. I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to do anything at all to be acceptable to Him.
Jesus came to make this truth known:
You are already loved.
He didn’t come to burden us with more expectations—He came to lift them off.
He came to say:
“You don’t have to work for God’s love. You already have it.”“You exist because you are loved.”“You are a child of divine love.”
He came to show us that we are children of divine love, and He gave everything to make sure we would never forget it.
Now, I’m beginning to understand that each of us is part of God’s ongoing, beautiful work. He sees everything we go through and holds a unique, eternal purpose for each of our lives.
Another question Beth asked me was:
“Where do you tend to find your sense of identity?”
That’s a simple answer for me—I find my sense of identity in being a musician.
Not long after that meeting ended, it was time for our weekly rehearsal at the Powhatan Campus. I would have never guessed that God was about to use that space—and use me—to remind myself of something I had almost forgotten:
That before I even spoke a word, He was already singing over me.
That before I took my first breath, He had already breathed His life into me.
That when I was His foe, His love still fought for me.
That when I felt worthless, He paid it all for me.
He’s the One who lights up shadows, climbs mountains, kicks down walls, and breaks through every lie—just to reach me.
He’s the One who chases me down, fights until I’m found, and leaves the ninety-nine.
And even though I didn’t deserve it or earn it, He still gave Himself away for me.
Because of His overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love.
And how could I not thank God?
He picked me up.
Turned me around.
Set my feet on solid ground.
He’s the One whose name is above all names.
The only One worthy of His name.
Not just good, but an unstoppable God—who fought for me and chased me down with His overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love.
So why not speak His name over every fear?
Over every storm?
Wherever there’s darkness or feelings of worthlessness—I will speak Jesus.
So today, I Choose to believe in Him.
To believe that He has a plan for my life.
I Choose to believe that He will do anything just to reach me.
Because before He made me, He already knew me.
Before I was born, He had already chosen me for something special.
And He gave me a purpose in this life.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
—Jeremiah 1:5
The post Learning to Live Loved appeared first on Passion Community Church.
I have experienced God’s presence in the wilderness in two very different ways—both
profound and life-changing.
When we think of “wilderness,” our minds often turn to remote forests, mountain trails,
or pristine rivers—places untouched by civilization. My first true encounter with
wilderness, however, occurred in the vast openness of the ocean. After graduating from
college on a Navy ROTC scholarship, I was commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer. Over
the next ten years, I served on three different ships, circumnavigating the globe from
two directions and spending more than four years physically at sea.
The ocean’s wilderness, though different from the traditional wooded terrain, was
equally stark and isolating. It was there, in the middle of the sea, that I came to a deeper
understanding of God’s power, beauty, and—perhaps most importantly—His closeness.
I witnessed conditions ranging from serene, mirror-like waters to massive 60- to 70-foot
waves, with my ship rolling more than 50 degrees from side to side. I have seen an infinite canopy of stars stretch across a blackened sky in breathtaking clarity. These
moments revealed to me the magnitude and majesty of our Creator, and yet, within that
immensity, I felt known. I felt seen.
In those times, the words of Joshua 1:9 resonated deeply:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Whether it was the beauty of a sunrise, the terror of combat, or the rocking of a storm-
tossed ship, I always sensed that God was with me. Though I grew up in the
church and thought I understood faith, those years at sea shaped and strengthened my
belief like never before. That foundation has supported me ever since.
Years later, I walked through another kind of wilderness—an emotional and spiritual
one. What some might call a “midlife crisis,” I now see as a season of refinement. Due
to a combination of my own poor choices and circumstances beyond my control, I found
myself at a personal low point. Most of my relationships unraveled. My finances were in ruins. My professional life was deeply challenging. I was, in every sense,
starting over.
The emotional burden during those years was often unbearable. Yet, I never once
asked, “Why me?” I never doubted God’s presence. While my support system
vanished, God had not. I simply knew—deep within—that He was still with me.
And slowly, through prayer, patience, and grace, He began rebuilding my life. The
pieces He gave me were not the same as before — they were better. My relationships
are now more authentic and meaningful. My professional life is more fulfilling. My faith,
tested and proven in the wilderness, is now unshakable.
Please don’t mistake this for perfection—I remain a flawed and imperfect man. But I
know without a shadow of a doubt where my strength comes from. God is alive,
present, and sustaining me every moment of every day.
Just as I felt His presence in the middle of the ocean, I experienced His unwavering
nearness in the wilderness of loneliness and loss. Through His mercy, strength, and
constant call to draw nearer, I have come to understand more fully what it means to
trust Him completely.
And like that passage from Joshua reminded me long ago, I am not afraid—for the Lord
my God is with me, wherever I go.
The post Two Wildernesses: Encounters with God in the Unexpected appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Last October, I got to experience an answered prayer-
“God, please help me find a horse.”
I was specifically asking to find one of the wild horses currently roaming across the uninhabited island where my family had just been dropped off. We bought tickets to the “Shackleford Wild Horse and Shelling Safari,” which included a 20 minute ferry ride to Shackleford Banks on the Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina. The landscape of the undeveloped island is complete with hilly sand dunes, salt marshes, and thick forests that have been the home of the feral Banker ponies for over 400 years. When we bought our tickets, the safari guide explained that we could either go straight to the beaches to hunt seashells, or follow them for a tour across the island where they would hopefully find some horses for us to observe.
My family is filled with a bunch of hardcore shellers, so they had only one goal for this trip: to fill multiple tote bags with as many seashells as they could physically carry. I still have a ten pound bag of seashells from our last trip to the island, so I was more excited for a possible wild horse sighting. But since I wanted the group to stick together, I decided to follow after my family even though my gaze kept going to the hilly dunes where I just knew the horses were hiding.
When I was younger, my favorite thing was to go on adventures in the woods behind my house. In those early days of pretending, I was Sacagawea trying to survive the elements as I traversed over fallen trees and gathered up any forest treasures I discovered along the way. As I was making my way across the shores of the island, I started to feel that same tug to go explore. It had me climbing up and down the sand dunes, walking along the same narrow ridges the horses use with nothing but the sandals on my feet and an empty lemonade bucket I brought for shells.
After climbing up to the crest of a particularly high dune, I pulled out my phone to record a video for my friend to show her the view, and to also complain about the multiple prickly pear barbs I’d plucked from my feet. As I was dramatically saying, “That’s the price you pay for being an adventurer,” my eyes finally tracked some movement farther into the island. Just a few football fields away, a horse was meandering beneath the limbs of a sprawling live oak tree.
Needing a closer look, I scrambled up and down the sandy dunes between us as quickly as I could before the horse decided to move on elsewhere. I kept going until I was about 100 yards away. That was when I discovered two other horses nonchalantly grazing on the tall grass around them. Taking extra care not to disturb them, I quietly sat down and watched.
They were just having an afternoon snack – but I sat there with a huge smile on my face, completely captivated by seeing something so beautiful and wild up close. With the midday sun shining down, I welcomed the cooling relief of the gentle breeze flowing around us. The only sounds present were the distant crashing waves and some occasional chuffing from the horses. A sense of peace settled over me as my heart swelled with gratitude. God had led me to this place and allowed me to behold something even better than His beautiful Creation: His presence.
And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
To behold is to observe with intention. It’s an invitation to behold His beauty, not through passive observation but active engagement in the moment we’re sharing with Him. This can be through silence, prayer, singing, writing, drawing…however you are led to worship! As I sat watching the horses, all I could do was think about how God knew that I only wanted a glance at a horse and yet He had brought me even closer. He didn’t stop at proximity – getting to experience tracking the horses reminded me of the little girl that loved to explore her backyard. Seeing those horses that day is a memory that will remain a personal testament that I am seen, loved, and intimately known by the same God who created all of the beauty that surrounds me daily. And each of us are called to reciprocate that love by seeking Him out in the beautiful world around us.
Beholding God is a spiritual practice that doesn’t always come easy to us. Our lives go at breakneck speed with endless demands on our time and attention which makes stopping to spend intentional time with God seem like less of a priority. Throughout my life, I have seen how putting my need to control my schedule over my actual need to rest in God’s presence has led me to seasons of complete burnout and overwhelming anxiety. But when I take a moment to be still and behold, I get to experience a peace that could only come from Him. The practice of beholding reminds me that my life with all of its tasks, trials, and time commitments are not my reason for living. He is.
The act of deliberately keeping our attention on the glory of God transforms us, just like Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians. You can’t help but be changed when you’re in the presence of Jesus. My own transformation has been made of incremental changes, from one degree to another, but I have learned just how vitally important it is to seek Him out. Because in the act of taking my eyes off my own overwhelming circumstances and turning them to Him instead helps me to see how much bigger He is than all of it. It’s taught me to surrender my own anxious need for control and entrust everything I have to the One who created it all, even me.
If you’ve never beheld God, I pray that you allow yourself to try. It doesn’t have to be on a random island in North Carolina because He is present everywhere at all times but nature is always my favorite place to start. And I promise that if you take the time to seek Him out, He will meet you there.
The post Learning to Behold appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Where is God? Why can’t I sense His presence? He is the Almighty, the Most High, so why can’t I hear Him? Surely a powerful God would make His presence known.
Maybe He’s been trying to talk to me all along, but I haven’t put my phone down.
Maybe He’s been revealing Himself, but I’ve been too busy with work.
Maybe God has always been there, I just haven’t been focusing on Him the way I should.
The truth is, distraction is everywhere. I’m a husband, a father, a leader, just a few of the many roles I fill. Every minute of my day, something is fighting for my attention. So how in the world do I hear and feel God above the noise of daily life?
I go into the wild.
For me, “the wild” might be a distant, empty beach few would visit, or a quiet patch of woods, or mountain trail with no cell reception. I love the outdoors. I enjoy hiking, fishing, kayaking, camping, but there’s something more to it. It’s not just about recreation. It’s where I meet God.
Now, full disclaimer: I know I can find God anywhere. He is always present, always working for His good. But when I intentionally step away from the hustle and bustle, the grind and the noise, that’s when I feel closest to Him.
My home is exactly how I intended it to be. My office is how my employer intended it to be. My car? Just how the manufacturer designed it. But outside, in the wild, everything is as God intended it to be.
The trees, the animals, the insects, the rivers, the sky, the wind, the smells, the silence… His handiwork is all around me. It’s hard not to notice Him there. And every time I do, I find myself saying in awe, “Can you believe God made all this?”
Who would have thought up the endless variety of flowers, each with its own scent and color? Or all the different animals, each playing a vital role in their ecosystem? Or that a specific arrangement of cells becomes a living, breathing creature? No human could do that. It all points back to our Creator.
It’s not just easier to see God in nature, it’s easier to hear Him too. It’s peaceful. There’s nothing fighting for my attention. It’s just me and Him.
I love what the late Phil Robertson wrote in The Theft of America’s Soul:
“Alone in the woods, it’s possible to go a whole day without sinning, nutty as that may sound. Walking alone in the fields and praying, watching the game running up and down the pig trails, it’s unlikely you’ll use the Lord’s name in vain or worship some other god. In the woods there is no one to steal from, no women to lust after. There’s no one to lie to either, and you can’t murder someone who is not around. Sin management in isolation is easy, see.”
I’ve found that to be true. In the wilderness, God centers me. He grounds me. He helps me strip away the chaos and remember why I’m here. It’s where I realign my heart with His will.
God knows what I need, but it’s up to me to slow down, tune in, and follow the path He has set before me.
Now the question is:
Will you go “Into the Wild” to find God?
The post Hearing God in the Wild Places appeared first on Passion Community Church.
“I need to hear you. I need to feel you. I need to know you’re there. God I don’t feel you near!”
Things I hear myself say all too often. My name is Erin Bolton. You may know who I am, you may not. I can bet you have seen me at some point in time at any given PCC campus with a camera strung around my neck.
When I came to PCC I almost immediately knew I wanted to plug in. I didn’t know how or where I would fit in, but I was determined to find a place to belong. It didn’t take long to find out I could serve and use my gift of photography all at the same time.
I have been drawn to photography since I was little. I have an aunt that I think was born with a camera on her eye. While we, yes me too, may have teased her relentlessly I was always intrigued. Somewhere in my early 30s I was gifted with my first real camera. I didn’t know what I wanted to capture but I knew I had to try.
For me, it started as a hobby that grew to a business but always fueled by a passion. A passion to tell a story. I love trying to pull out the unseen. When I take photos they are almost always outside. I love the unpredictability, the constant change, the “something new” each time. I am drawn to Psalm 139:14, that talks about being fearfully and wonderfully made. While that may be talking about human creation, I like to think of it as ALL creation.
I am forever and always in awe of what God has created. A flower, a tree, a butterfly, a sunrise (or sunset), the family of deer that live in my yard. I see the love, the creativity, the joy, the generosity in His handiwork. I have been lovingly teased about my love of the sky and the way light plays.
I always have something with me, be it me my big camera or my cellphone, they are always ready. Just the other week my kids and I were leaving from serving at a Mega Camp and I was rambling about how beautiful the sky was. I made my daughter pull over so I could capture the moment. So I walked over, took a few pictures, and just quietly stood staring. Taking it in. The vibrant blues, reds, yellows, purples; it was a myriad of deep colors on display. I couldn’t help but stop and be present in that moment. As I walked away I realized not only had my kids walked up but we had drawn a small crowd who were all standing in awe.
I love to stop time in an image. A way to tell a story in the briefest amount of time. It’s the way I can show someone what God can do. I’ve caught myself walking through the woods, on the beach, at a baseball game, whispering to God, “I see what you’re doing, I see you showing off!” and giggling to myself. It’s a reminder to me to slow down, look around, and let it soak in.
I have struggled with self worth for most of my life. I try to measure up, I want to be as good as, as talented as the next person. For most of my life I didn’t feel like I did. I felt that start to shift a little over 10 years ago when I started actively naming myself a photographer. In that time I’ve been able to capture some moments that otherwise would have been lost. I’ve met so many people, I’ve made long lasting relationships, and I’ve been a part of events and organizations that, had I not stepped out in faith, I would have missed. Just like the intricacies in the crystals forming, we are not meant to be the same as anyone else. It’s not about comparisons, it’s about living into the calling that God has for us.
So circle back to that night after Mega Camp, I posted my picture of my sunset. Within minutes, comments came from all of the other perspectives of the very same sunset from others eyes. It made me smile because it reminded me that God showed me one thing, and in the exact same moment and place he showed someone else something completely different.
He is constantly reminding me that the eye he has given me is for me to use as a ministry to others. So you may see me taking pictures at your campus on a Sunday morning, or during an event; you may see me out somewhere, very possibly on the side of the road taking a picture. I’m trying to follow His voice, to use the gift He gave me to speak to people through art, without words.
The post I Hear Him in a Picture appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Moving to a new town alone can feel like stepping into the wilderness. You have to reorganize everything you own and move it to an unfamiliar place. Then comes the challenge of turning a pile of boxes into a home. Even the weather might be different—maybe there’s snow or soul-crushing humidity.
Then you have to figure out how to feed yourself. It starts with finding the grocery store, and once you’re there, navigating it—where are the pickles, anyway? And what about clothes? Where can you buy them? Do they even carry the brand of socks you like? If your car breaks down, where do you go that won’t rip you off? What happens if you get a toothache? Where’s the dentist?
Even the most basic daily tasks become complicated.
And then, there’s the big one: finding a way to make money.
A new job comes with its own host of challenges—learning the geography of the area, adjusting to the workplace culture, understanding the policies, and getting to know your new coworkers—strange new creatures in their own right.
But the hardest part of moving alone is right there in the word itself: alone. You don’t realize how much you need people until you don’t have people. Those first few months—or even the first year—can be tough. You’re starting every relationship from scratch.
It’s like waking up in the middle of the woods.
When I first moved to Farmville, I didn’t know a soul—except the campus pastor I’d spoken with on the phone a few times and the panel of PCC staff I had interviewed with. And really, how much did I know them? We had only spent a couple of hours together. In many ways, they were still strangers.
Upon arriving, I moved in with a young woman my age—we’ll call her Ruth. We had never met in person, just exchanged a couple of video messages through the video based messaging app Marco Polo. I was lonely and brokenhearted from my previous move, and she was bubbly, full of energy, with a packed social calendar and lots of friends. I was just trying to get through each day and was simply grateful for a safe, free place to stay.
But over the years, a friendship blossomed. Day by day, conversation by slightly-less-awkward conversation, we built something that I believe will last. From a late-night emergency room visit to a beach vacation gone hilariously wrong, to evenings with PCC students and many, many slices of pizza—a relationship formed. We even started a small group. Now we do life together.
Our group chat includes everything from babies being born and teenagers going to prom, to puppies being adopted. Even snow days and outfit ideas make the cut.
Relational wilderness is a real thing. And even if you’re kind and open and want friends, they don’t just show up at your door like the mailman. Making friends requires intentionality and hard work. It means scheduling time together, learning their personalities, noticing the subtle clues when something’s wrong. It even means figuring out who’s a good fit and who might not be.
I’m reminded of these verses:
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” — Ecclesiastes 4:12
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2
I’ve moved and started over alone a few times, and here are a few things I’ve learned:
1. Some friends are just for a season—and that’s okay.I haven’t kept up with every friend I’ve ever made, and not all of them are worth keeping up with. Some people have ulterior motives. Some friendships are harder to let go of than others, but we only have so much time and energy to invest.
2. Good friends only come from hard work and consistency.Even though moving in with Ruth kind of fell into my lap, we both worked to grow and maintain that friendship. It took time and repeated efforts—hanging out even when it was awkward, showing up even when we weren’t sure how things would go.
3. Building lasting friendships is worth the risk and investment.
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit.”
— Aristotle
Ruth became one of my best friends—my ride or die. We even became neighbors. Now, she’s in the process of moving away, and these past few weeks have been some of the hardest. Not the same kind of hard as being alone, but the ache of knowing life won’t be the same without her close by.
One of our last conversations, Ruth said, “I’m not too worried about seeing you moving forward because we’ve built a friendship that will last forever.”
We put in the hard work. And it was worth it.
The post Finding Friendship in the Wilderness appeared first on Passion Community Church.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.”
Isaiah 55.8-9, The Message
The most consistent spiritual practice in my life over the past decade has been finding God in the wild, natural world. More than any communal gathering, musical expression, or intellectual pursuit, I have had profound and powerful moments of illumination, revelation, consolation, and connection with the Divine when I intentionally move into His creation. Inspired by Ruth Haley Barton in Invitation to Solitude and Silence, I cling to three phrases scrawled on a scrap piece of paper many years ago:
God, I just want to be with you.
God, I need your guidance.
Lord, I want to feel your love.
And so, I walk. Into the woods, up a mountain, beside a river, down the coastline. Wherever there is a ‘wildness’ – that is where I go to meet with God.
This spiritual practice has been a comfort and a surety over these past few years. As I’ve navigated personal health challenges, I’ve gone to the woods. When I have agonized over terminal diagnoses and devastating illnesses wreaking havoc in loved ones’ lives, I’ve gone to the sea. Wrestling with changing circumstances and emergent callings, I’ve sought out rivers and waterfalls. Confounded by a changing cultural landscape and the decay of common decency in political leadership, I’ve climbed rocky slopes in search of understanding. It has all served me well, kept me focused, and given me balance.
But in all of life, there is constant evolution – including this practice. Whereas circumstances have always driven me to seek out the wilderness as a place of discovery and comfort, it now seems that a certain wilderness has come to me. This wilderness is vast, an inhospitable portal to the unknown; where there once were familiar landscapes and mile markers for an entire lifetime – a complete family history – now, there are weeds and vines choking once vibrant and healthy foliage, casting shadows and obscuring vision.
Its name is dementia.
In the tangled, twisted wilderness of this slow loss of cognition, dark tendrils have taken over the person of my mother; her memories and hobbies, her habits and preferences. Her very essence is being choked, robbed of oxygen and light, reducing her to a mere shell of the person I have known for the entirety of my life.
And I am forced to enter into this wilderness, compelled by the responsibility I have for her, the compunction to honor and care for her, a sense that my dad would want me to do this for her. I have to go, bereft of tools or experience to guide me.
Quite frankly, most of the time I don’t want to go. It is unknown, and terrifying, and heart-breaking. It’s seemingly impossible to set aside the fear of my own future, or that of my loved ones. My husband…my kids…will this be me in 20 years? Walking into the wonderful memory care facility where Mom now resides is never without a whole host of emotions and questions percolating beneath the surface of the smiles and congeniality that I offer this woman who holds my history, who held me, who helped nurture my kids, who offered safety and security for my entire life – who now introduces me to others as…her mother.
This is not the feel-good, I-just-had-a-meaningful-encounter-with-God-in-the-woods story of my spiritual journey. These wilderness moments are tinged with sadness and the faint odor of urine and unwashed hair, faraway gazes and occasional anger. They are prickly, and dark, and raw and untamed; when I walk in these spaces, there are few places that feel familiar, or safe, or offer direction. The dementia wilderness is one of loss, and lost-ness.
But I am learning – slowly, painfully, in an unpleasant process that sometimes feels like my skin is slowly being peeled back to reveal something new and necessary, raw and true. I am learning that the practice I began a decade ago will serve me well now, walking into the woods with intentionality and open hands. Those same phrases of expectation still apply, although they are now voiced with desperation:
God, I just want to be with you. Are you here, in this place? Are you with my mom?
God, I need your guidance. How do I do this? How do any of us do this?
Lord, I want to feel your love. Help me. Help her. Help them all.
And slowly, I’ve started to recognize profound and powerful moments of illumination, revelation, consolation, and connection with the Divine, in the wilderness of a memory care unit filled with 47 men and women who are all in the process of loss.
My friend Bitsy said, Stay as long as you can. If it’s only 15 minutes, that’s okay. Give yourself grace. It’s hard.
My brother said, Beth, God sees her, exactly as she is. He knows. We don’t. He does.
My friend Sherry texts to say, Just stopped by to see your mom. She’s sleeping hard. I love her. I love you.
The activities director, Cindy, sends pictures and says, Look at your precious mama. So sweet.
The last time I visited Mom, she bowed her head to my touch and said, Be careful. I love you.
Small moments of grace and revelation.
I walk in to visit Mom, and my heart is truly gladdened to see Patsy, and Karen, and Judy, and Linda; they smile and greet me with a childlike kindness. For each of these women, and most of the rest of this little community, there are photos on their doors of them “before.” Happy, smiling faces with family, engaged in hobbies and activities; thriving, active, engaged. Who they used to be. Whole. I enjoy seeing those pictures and having some context for the past, but I’ve come to realize that all that matters right now is – well, right now. I don’t know these people in any other context than the present, and so I can only greet them and engage with them as they are right now. It’s enough, to be kind, to offer time and a listening ear, to enter into whatever reality they offer.
This is, more fully than I have ever experienced, “practicing the presence of God;” there is nothing else in this untamed wildness.
A decade of walking in the woods has prepared me for this unknown; this lost, uncultivated landscape. I am reminded of Andrew Peterson, towards the end of his song The Silence of God, singing, We all get lost sometimes…
The lyric goes on:
When the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain but the breaking does not
I am learning to live with this reality – that a finite world and all its chaos, disease, disappointment will offer infinite ways of breaking. The wilderness contains exhilarating moments of discovery, and devastating reminders of death and loss; those moments will break me, over and over again. But the breaking is not always final; sometimes it is simply what is necessary in order to rebuild and restore. The abundant life that Jesus promises comes with full awareness and experience, when he said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33) The ache of hope and sorrow, of joy and despair; these all fuse together to offer what memory I can still carry – for my mom, for my family, for myself, and for all who wander this wilderness. The beautiful, broken representations of the image of God who are never completely alone. We can take heart.
God is with us.
He will guide us.
He loves us all.
And the places to which he leads us today, the things that he teaches us today, the invitations to deepen spiritual practices today – all these things will serve us well – in his time, in ways far beyond our understanding, when we need them the most. In whatever wilderness we find ourselves, and however lost we may be.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thorn bushes, but stately pines—monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.” Isaiah 55.8-12, The Message
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The topic or practice of fasting is not one that is frequently discussed. When, and if, the idea of fasting is brought up, it’s usually accompanied by a lot of very good questions: Who? What? When? How? Why? All of these are wrapped together and tethered from a biblical perspective. Then, at some point, the conversation often shifts to a personal question: “Do you fast, and what are the results?”
The following paragraphs are simply a reflection of my personal experiences and observations about fasting, not scholarly, comprehensive, or definitive.
For me, fasting as a spiritual discipline began not long after I became a follower of Jesus. Thankfully, I had a great mentor at the time. We talked about spiritual practices; he modeled them and walked with me on the journey. Being new to faith and spiritually immature, I started out by fasting for three days at a time, occasionally stretching to seven days. That was quite a challenge, but thanks to being reasonably healthy, it was doable.
As I looked further into Scripture, I discovered that the duration of fasting varied greatly—sometimes it was one day, sometimes seven, and everything in between. In some cases, people fasted until evening. And in the case of Jesus in the wilderness: forty days and forty nights. That, to me, seems like an example of His supernatural ability.
At this point in my life, I fast for one day each week. Of course, everyone should evaluate their own situation and decide whether going without food is wise. For some, fasting from certain foods might be a better choice. For example, I gave up desserts during Lent this year—another year, I gave up chips. (Those happen to be two of my favorite food groups.)
Is fasting only about not eating food—or certain foods? If you look strictly at the meaning of the word “fast,” then yes. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “fast” means “to abstain from food.” In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word means “to cover over the mouth.” So, the original intent clearly involved abstaining from food. In those cultures, nearly everything revolved around work and food—food and work. One existed to get the other. There was no vacation, no entertainment industry, no screen time. God commanded rest from work one day each week—Shabbat. Fasting, then, was abstaining from food. Both were acts of worship and obedience.
I was especially grateful for our church’s study and sermon series last year on Practicing the Way. In his book, John Mark Comer pointed out that fasting can also involve temporarily eliminating other parts of daily life that hold significance or priority. Examples might include screen time—whether all screen time or just certain aspects like social media, news, entertainment streaming, Googling, or scrolling the internet. You might also consider fasting from your favorite pastime or sport.
About two years ago, I decided to begin the new year with a month without cable news—something I used to consume excessively. After that month, we disconnected all cable pathways into our home. I don’t miss it. I don’t want it back.
Let’s be honest—none of this abstaining sounds fun or desirable. So why do it? What’s the benefit? Scripture offers several reasons for fasting:
- Confession and Repentance:A Time to acknowledge our sin and commit to change—to follow God more closely and consistently.
- Mourning: An expression of sorrow over loss—whether our own or the losses of others.
- Petitioning and Pleading: A time to seek God’s help, favor, protection, healing, restored relationships, and relief.
- Seeking Direction and Guidance: A time to discern God’s will and purpose as we make decisions about how to use our time, energy, and resources—decisions about jobs, serving, marriage, moving, and other significant changes.
- Calling and Commitment: A time to seek God’s blessing over people (including ourselves) who are responding to His call to ministry and leadership in the church.
All of these are about drawing closer to God and sensing His presence with us. As James 4:8 says,
“Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
The Bible has much to say about fasting. I believe the clearest instructions are given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). In Matthew 6:16–18, He tells us both how to fast—and how not to fast:
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
There’s a saying: “Begin with the end in mind.” As I begin a time of fasting, I try to remember this simple prayer from a man who lived hundreds of years ago:
“O that I may know You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly, day by day.”
Amen.
The post Reflections on Fasting appeared first on Passion Community Church.
“God, thank You for bringing me out here with You today. When I come with You, I know You will show me something spectacular!”
About ten years ago, I began praying this every morning before my hunts, and God has never failed to deliver. From breathtaking meteor showers before a majestic sunrise to unbelievable animal encounters, each outing has left me in awe of how beautiful, powerful, and at times, brutal nature can be. Even the small moments, like sunlight lighting up a spider’s intricate, dew-covered web, or a massive black bear scratching its back on a tree just yards away, have felt like divine gifts. He has always been faithful to show me something truly spectacular in nature.
Maybe that’s why it took me a decade to realize the flaw in my prayer.
That realization came last September, as I sat beneath a spruce tree, gazing out across a vast wilderness nine thousand feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains. There was no one else around for miles, just my hunting partner and me. The only sounds came from the mountains and their wild inhabitants. The only sign of civilization was the gear we carried on our backs.
Normally, this kind of setting would make me feel like an outsider, like I didn’t belong there. But this trip was different. We were there for two weeks, but it only took a few hours for me to encounter God in the most spectacular way.
Sitting beneath that tree, I began to pray my usual “hunting” prayer. But then I paused, I didn’t like what my heart was saying. I had always intended that prayer to be one of gratitude: grateful for the moment, the opportunity to be in nature, and the chance to spend time with the Creator of it all. In the past, I would pray and then try to focus on my relationship with God, to commune with Him. But that day, I realized I was doing so with the expectation that He would “show up and show off.” My prayer had become self-serving, like I was asking the Director for a sneak peek at a hit movie that hadn’t been released yet.
And to be fair, I know the unreleased movie is a hit, every prequel He’s shown me has been dynamite! But as great as those moments were, they didn’t compare to what unfolded before me that day. In that moment, I knew it was time to flip the script.
My prayer needed refining. It needed something that would draw me deeper into His presence. It needed to be not just grateful—but glorifyingly grateful, if that’s even a thing. So, with a heart humbled like creation before the Creator, I prayed:
“God, thank You for bringing me out here with You today. Thank You for including me in this scene. I know You have something incredible in store for me, but being in Your presence is enough. You are always enough.”
For me, it took being in a literal wilderness to finally realize that His presence truly is enough. I’m sure I’ve thought that before, and maybe even felt it at times during my spiritual journey. But to be completely detached from civilization, surrounded only by what He created, it hit me differently.
From that moment on, I no longer felt like an outsider. I had moved from the audience to the stage. On that mountain, I was no longer a spectator, I was part of the show. My heart danced with the trees in the fresh, piney breeze and shuddered with the thunder and cold rain. My soul lit up as lightning raced across the sky like the flash of a million cameras. The dance was perfectly choreographed with all creation. It felt… natural, like I was home.
The Director’s masterpiece was unfolding scene by scene, not just before me, but with me. My heart nearly exploded as I stood in a moment with nothing except His presence, in a place with nothing but what He had put there. He had included me and that was enough.
Since then, I’ve been striving to approach life with that understanding: God is enough. And I am grateful that He still includes me in His story. It’s not always easy. We can sometimes control the scenes we’re in, but other times we’re cast into roles we’d rather avoid. Some scenes are joyful, some are tragic. But no matter what, I know the Director is working on a masterpiece, and I am forever grateful to be included.
When I find myself in a difficult scene, I close my eyes and return to that mountain. I smell the piney breeze. I feel the thunder rumble in my chest and the cold rain on my shoulders. I see all of creation dancing in harmony around me. Because in His presence, there is harmony.
The wilderness is a sacred place for me. It was there I encountered God unlike ever before. To commune with Almighty God, surrounded by nothing but His presence and the beauty of His creation, maybe that’s what Heaven is like.
He included me.
And that is enough.
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As a kid, I would go fishing with my dad almost every weekend. Sometimes, we’d all go together as a family, but often it was just the two of us. I spent far more time in nature back then than I do now, and those fishing trips are some of my fondest memories of both my childhood and my dad.
We’d stop on our way out to pick up some Glazier hotdogs (a childhood staple) and a couple of sodas. Then we’d spend the day trudging through the woods to our “secret” fishing hole that no one (everyone) knew about! Honestly, those were the best days of my childhood.
I wish I had continued fishing with my dad as I got older. He often mentioned wanting to throw a line out again. But I was too busy. I had a family, responsibilities, and a never-ending to-do list. We all have regrets, and some are harder to carry than others.
My dad passed away on Father’s Day, 2022. He had been sick for a while, and we knew the inevitable was coming. I had to be strong for my kids and my brother. My brother lives in New York, where we grew up, so he hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Dad as he would’ve liked. He was carrying his own regrets, and I wanted to make sure he knew just how much Dad loved him and how proud he was of the man he’d become. I didn’t take time to grieve for myself.
When the grief finally hit, it was like a Mack truck. I wanted my dad back so badly. I just wanted to go fishing with him one more time. I wanted to hear him talk about the birds in his backyard and the garden he was excited to plant. I realized then how many of my happiest memories with my dad were rooted in nature.
One day, I found myself sitting on my back deck, struggling through another grief-stricken afternoon, begging God to give me my dad back. I cried harder that day than I ever had. I mentally flipped through memories of him and landed on one: the two of us sitting on the deck, watching birds flit around the feeders, squirrels performing circus-worthy acrobatics in the trees, and the butterflies—oh, the butterflies! We had never seen butterflies as beautiful as the ones in Virginia.
God brought that memory to mind. I smiled through the tears and thanked Him for it. That had been one of my dad’s good days. He had even driven himself to our house, something he hadn’t been doing much by then. We were surprised and grateful to see him. As we sat together on the deck, quietly enjoying the peacefulness, a blue butterfly landed on the railing. We both loved the color blue, and we just sat there, silently admiring it.
The memory was so vivid I could almost hear his voice. Whether we were fishing or simply watching the wildlife, my favorite times with my dad were always outside, enjoying God’s artwork.
Through tears, I thanked God again, took a deep breath, and opened my eyes.
And there it was… a blue butterfly on the railing, wings gently waving, watching me.
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This summer our church will be journeying Into the Wild. Our summer series is focused on unpacking just a few of the stories from the Bible that happen in the wilderness – and for the length of the series, we will be sharing first hand stories of experiencing God in the wilderness. Our first author is Lillian Golden. Passion Community Church is her home church, but she is currently living in Massachusetts while attending Gordon College. Gordon is one of only 12 colleges in the U.S. with a required outdoor education component – and one of just four that integrates faith into that experience.
When Lillian was a first-year student, she chose to fulfill this requirement through La Vida, a program that offers an 8-week class in the first semester of college, or a 12–day backpacking expedition in the Adirondacks the summer before freshman year. Though hesitant at first, she chose to complete the 12-day backpacking expedition, and the trip proved transformative. She walked away from the experience with a confidence in herself and her leadership that she had never experienced, a view of a whole other side of God that she had never seen, and an excitement for the start of college that she never imagined. Since then, she has remained deeply involved in La Vida, working with the program throughout her college years.
When asked how spending time in the wilderness impacted her relationship with God, this is what she had to share:
Having Eyes to See His GloryLast summer, during my first summer working in the Adirondacks with our backpacking program for incoming freshmen, I served as base camp staff. My official title was trip food manager – I was responsible for organizing, shopping for, and packing all the food that trips would take. But being base camp staff means more than just the role in your contract – it also means being a mechanic, janitor, chef, landscaper, belayer, and more. In short, you have to be ready for anything!
One group in particular faced an especially challenging trip. At one point, they became lost and made the call to leave their heavy packs behind, choosing safety over gear. Thankfully, the entire group made it back unharmed. But those packs? They never made it out of the woods.
Yes, the group’s safety was the most important thing – but those packs, and all the gear inside them, weren’t cheap. Once the group was safe and recovering well, six of us from base camp headed out to try and find the gear, guided only by a vague description of where it might be.
We spent nearly 10 hours that day bushpushing off-trail through the woods in the Adirondacks. We were essentially looking for a needle in a haystack. Around midday, we stopped for lunch. Sitting in silence, tired and discouraged, we questioned whether the search was worth it. Then my friend Evey broke the silence: “Isn’t it crazy that we’re seeing trees and flowers and rocks that no one else may ever see?” We all paused. She was right. We had been so focused on recovering the packs that we’d overlooked the beauty surrounding us – God’s glory in the hidden corners of the woods.
That moment stuck with me. We often become so fixated on what we think we need that we forget what God has already given us. Our eyes are drawn to worldly things, and we must train them instead to see God’s glory – even in places we might not expect.
Psalm 104:24–25 says:
“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small.”
God creates with intention, even things few will ever see. His works are intricate, limitless, and full of purpose – far beyond our understanding. When we open our eyes to the small and the unseen, we gain a deeper glimpse of His glory.
Connecting with God on a Personal LevelOne of the things I love most about La Vida is the inclusion of a solo experience. Whether students choose the 12-day backpacking trip or the 8-week class, you’ll end up spending time in the woods alone. For those on the backpacking trip, solo comes at the end as a time of reflection on the trip. From early Wednesday morning to Friday morning, each participant is placed at a small solo site away from the main camp with their tarp, sleeping bag, pad, water bottles, journal, and Bible. Many choose to fast during this time, shifting their focus from physical needs to spiritual reflection.
At first, the idea of solo terrified me. I had just begun to love the rhythm of life on the trail, carrying what I needed on my back, surrounded by a group of people I’d grown to love. The thought of stepping away from that and being completely alone was not something I wanted to do. But by the end of the trip, many participants, including myself, found ourselves ready for the stillness and space that solo offered.
Surprisingly, those two days became a time when I learned to talk to God as though He were sitting beside me—a friend and a Father. I stopped worrying about the “right” way to pray and simply asked for peace, which He gave. I realized prayer is deeply personal, and God listens no matter how we speak. I read nearly all of the book of Psalms, seeing how David expressed a wide range of emotions—joy, sorrow, frustration, gratitude. This comforted me, recognizing that we are allowed to experience different emotions because we are human, something I have always had a hard time recognizing.
Sitting under my tarp surrounded by mosquitoes and anthills, I realized how rare this kind of experience would be in life—no distractions, no technology, just time to be with God in His creation.
When Friday morning came, I was relieved to rejoin my group, but I still reflect on how transformative that solitude was. Two days felt long—but Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, not only fasting and praying but also being tempted.
Matthew 4:1–11 gives us a glimpse:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry…
Though Jesus was fully God, He also experienced very human challenges like temptation, hunger, and loneliness. His dependence on God and trust in His Word are reminders that in our own wildernesses we’re also able to rely on God’s strength, not the world’s comforts.
This doesn’t mean we must give everything up to prove our faith. It does, however, show that the world’s distractions are many, and God is our lasting refuge. He is eternal, even as everything else fades.
- Being in God’s Creation with God’s Greatest Creation: Us
If I’ve learned anything through participating in and working for La Vida, it’s this: community is essential to a strong relationship with God. While personal time with Him is vital, He created us to be relational. God gave us other people so that we can share the joy of knowing Him, praise Him among His people, and celebrate the fact that we get to spend eternity together. What better way to praise Him than in His creation of nature with His greatest and most beautiful creation: His people.
I love the seven people I got to spend my 12-day trip with two summers ago, but it has been just as big of a joy and blessing for me to work last summer and this summer getting to see countless other groups experience that same life-changing joy and community with each other, finding it in an unexpected, random group of people after 12 days of trials and laughs. Some groups come back more bonded than others, but almost every participant leaves, changed and with a different view of community than they came in with.
One group from this past May stands out. It was made up of students who had just completed their freshman year and opted for the backpacking trip rather than the 8-week class. Despite Gordon being a small school, most didn’t know each other.
This spring was especially cold and rainy in the Adirondacks; highs often only reached 45°F! But when the group arrived at base camp in a downpour, they were full of joy and gratitude, excited for what was ahead. Within hours, I knew they were one of the most joyful groups I’d seen.
They were thankful for everything—from the basic meals I had packed for them to us belaying them on the ropes course. As they left for their eight-day canoeing trip in the rain, we prayed for warmth, glimpses of sun, and a lasting spirit of joy.
When they returned—wet, bug-bitten, and tired—their smiles hadn’t faded. Their bond had deepened so much they didn’t want to be apart for solo. The stories they shared were full of laughter, even the hard parts. They had discovered that community and trust in God are powerful defenses against life’s trials.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 reminds us:
“Two are better than one… If either of them falls, one can help the other up… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
That verse is a sweet reminder that though we will face trials in this world, whether those are in the woods, our homes, our families, or elsewhere – if we have a community based on our faith in our God, we will be able to overcome our trials because we will not be alone. Pain doesn’t disappear when we come together, but it can lessen when we surround ourselves with the right people and a focus on our God.
The outdoors means something different for everyone – for some, it’s a walk down the sidewalk, for others, it means hiking mountains. But regardless of how we experience the outdoors, God is present in all settings. He wants us to open our eyes to see Him in ways we often miss, to hear Him in the quiet stillness of the birds and the wind in the trees, and to lean on one another in times of trial, whether the trial looks like two straight weeks of rain, an illness, or challenging relationships. The wilderness looks different for everyone, but the way we choose to face the challenges it brings can draw us closer to God in ways we might never expect.
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Serving with my family at PCC is an experience I never expected to have, much less
enjoy. A little background: I come from a church background, but not necessarily a
happy one. Church as a kid always felt more like an obligation than something I wanted
to do. When I met my husband, he was also involved in a church but had a much better
experience than I did.
We weren’t expecting much when we began attending PCC almost two years ago.
Though my husband had a better experience in the church than I did, he also had some
church hurt that pushed us both away from feeling accepted. It wasn’t long before we
felt a pull to do more within the church. We volunteered at many events, such as Easter,
At the Movies, Trunk-or-Treat, Christmas, and more.
We were building relationships within the church that became very important to us. Still,
the relationship that flourished and became stronger was our relationship with each
other. Our conversations became more Jesus-centered and service-centered. At first,
we didn’t notice it. We have always felt communication is crucial in a relationship, so
while we were always talking, we didn’t see a change in our topic of conversation. To us,
we were just having conversations. That is, until people around us started commenting on
how much we talk about church and how much we are involved in the church!
Serving together at church has changed us in ways we never expected. Many would
look at our relationship as recently as just a couple of years ago and think we were an
“old, boring married couple.” We got up in the morning, got our kids off to school, went to work, came home and had dinner, did a couple of chores, enjoyed hobbies that
included playing video games or reading, went to bed, and started the whole process
again the next day. Weekends were only different because we didn’t work and our kids
didn’t attend school.
Now, our days, evenings, and weekends are completely unrecognizable comparably.
Each day of the week has something on the calendar to indicate whether we are
participating in a church event, meeting, or small group activity or preparing our family
for a church event, meeting, or small group activity! Also, having to keep track of
anything on a calendar for our family is a huge change! I’m now attending Bluefield
University through PCC to get my degree in Christian Leadership with the hopes of
becoming a Pastor. My husband is one of the tech coordinators at the Aylett campus,
and I’m the growth track coordinator at the Aylett campus. We are also excited to go on our
first mission trip this summer with our kids and the other students!
The truth is, we don’t feel obligated to serve. Maybe in the beginning, we volunteered
and later thought to ourselves, “Why did we sign up?”; but now we don’t even question whether we will sign up to volunteer. It’s a given for us. The level of love we feel for our
community and our compassion towards those in need or even to help and pray with
someone is unbelievable. We have never felt this level of belonging anywhere else
we’ve been. PCC is home. PCC is family. And serving others is an honor and privilege
for us.
Anyone who may be considering serving with their family or even on their own, I
encourage you to do it. Even when that day comes that you signed up to serve, the
bottle of nerves kicks in, and you wonder why you did this; I promise you there will be
someone there who will see you serving and feel encouraged. You will have an
impact on someone. Maybe you won’t be aware of it, but God puts us exactly where we
are needed and where we need to be.
So, if you’re on the fence, go for it.
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Our Small Group started doing an Easter Sunrise Service about 17 years ago and have continued the tradition every year since. We began at the home of Steve and Peggy Bickford. They had a beautiful pergola overlooking the pond that the sun came up behind every day. It was a lovely spot and we were anxious to have our first service. Steve even constructed a cross that we could stand and view during our service, to make it feel more real. We watched the sun rise in the east, over the dam and behind the pond, while we all stood huddled together to keep warm.
This was an amazing experience… but the most impactful moment was when Steve told us that while he was building this cross for our service – using heavy duty, long nails – he cried at every pound of the nail into the wood, as he felt himself in the shoes of those who nailed Jesus up on that cross. He said it was almost unbearable to finish. He did, and it was beautiful, and he draped it with cloth every single year to add to our experience. We always led with a short service, fitting for that morning, sang a few songs, prayed… talked about how we felt. The first year, we ate different foods during the service, from the time and region of Jesus. While we were eating it was explained to us what the food was and what it meant symbolically. It was indeed quite moving.
We had many different leaders and some really wonderful teachings. We always finished each service with a great breakfast where each of us provided something to nourish our bodies as our souls had just been.
Steve’s wife, Peggy was always such an integral part of all of the planning and cooking, but we lost her in April of 2020 after her battle with cancer. It was hard in the years to follow, to go on with her tradition without her, but I swear I feel her every time we gather. She would not like it one bit if we didn’t go on, and I’m glad we have. Our group has changed somewhat over the years, but we remain strong in the belief that we are “Stronger Together, Never Alone”.
We worship a God who is loving, kind and good… and our small group knows that he has our sweet Peggy by his side directing from her seat beside him from Heaven, and it is good!
See, just before she passed, Peggy told Steve, “My work here is done, but there’s much more work to do, and y’all need to do it!” I often try to do something myself that will enrich someone’s life, if not my life, even if it’s just a conversation or helping someone in the grocery store who can’t reach a can on a shelf. I think all of us that knew and loved her try to mirror exactly what Peggy did, and who she was. Our small group is a family who sticks by each other, hurts when one of us hurts, laughs together. I know that every one of us are stronger today because of this group, our love for one another, and our walk in faith.
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I have a recurring insecurity that will just NOT go away. I imagine I’m not the only one… My greatest, peskiest insecurity is that I am a wallflower. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a wallflower is “a shy person, … who is frightened to involve herself in social activities and does not attract much interest or attention”. The fear that I am socially insignificant has an exhausting, nagging presence in the back of my mind. I constantly have to shush it into submission.
We’ll come back to that fear in a moment – thankfully there is more to me than my complex insecurities! I’m passionate about Jesus; I’m passionate about expressing myself creatively through my personal style; and I’m passionate about music. And yes, I love worship music – but I’m talking passion for specifically the world of alternative music here – genres born out of movements that pushed back on society’s status quo… creatives that cared more about making authentic art than profitable art… subcultures that bring community to people who don’t see themselves represented in the mainstream.
I’m also passionate about my career in ministry – I’m on staff here at PCC – and the role that I typically fill in the Big Room on Sunday mornings is in the back, in the dark. I’m the Powhatan Campus Tech Coordinator – which just means I’m in charge of the team that runs all of our technical equipment. Thankfully my job is more about caring for and equipping the team, because I’m really not passionate about the equipment itself! But people experiencing Jesus during a service in the building… or while watching online…or in our prison campuses? That gets me excited. Our mission on the tech team is to “create a distraction free environment” so that people can more easily connect with God and experience His presence. That’s a really – really nice way to say that our “win” on a Sunday morning is to be completely unnoticed during the service. Now – what a FANTASTIC goal for a tech team at a church! However, it is not a fantastic reality to live as an individual.
No one likes to feel unnoticed – but attention isn’t just something we passively receive – It’s something we should be embracing, something we should be pursuing. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Oh man… wait a second… that fear, that voice in my head, is getting REALLY loud now. I’m supposed to be noticed so I can glorify God? But my fear is telling me I’m not interesting – that I don’t attract attention at all. It’s telling me I’ve spent my entire life awkwardly bumbling through interactions with other people – feeling like I’m on the outside looking in. I feel like I’m different, and that makes me question if I even have a light that shines at all.
Now, I know that I was created uniquely by God – that he loves me exactly the way I am – but knowing that doesn’t make me any less awkward, and it certainly doesn’t make my diagnoses go away.
About six years ago I started talking to my doctor about my mental health. My journey while in counseling had surfaced some traits that pointed towards some possible neurodivergency. Not long after I began voicing what I was experiencing, I left a three hour long neurological evaluation with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The paperwork I received from that doctor actually said… “due to the stated diagnoses we wish the patient the best of luck”. I’m sure the doctor didn’t mean for that statement to take the wind out of my already “underfunctioning” sails, but it did.
Remember my deepest insecurity?… that I am a wallflower? Once I was diagnosed that insecurity shifted from an anxious thought I occasionally experienced to what I thought was a medically confirmed reality. I lost the hope that I could bring anything to the table when it came to one of my biggest passions – pointing others to Jesus. Why would anyone come to me for advice if I couldn’t speak clearly or make them feel comfortable? Or even just make eye contact? Why would anyone inch closer to believing and hoping in Jesus because of my testimony? I struggled to believe that God could use me just the way I am. I was constantly comparing myself to others, and it had me devaluing the unique role I was supposed to be embracing. I desperately wanted to be the kind of leader that pulled people in with my charisma – but I wasn’t considering if God created me differently than other outgoing, dynamic, charismatic leaders for a reason. Maybe my light does shine – maybe it just shines in a unique way.
When Jesus tells us to let our light shine there isn’t an asterisk there with specific qualifiers of what a good light looks like. We’re not told the light needs to cast a specific color, or be the brightest and biggest. He isn’t saying we need to have a certain personality type to glorify him publicly. And it’s not just about personality! Our past mistakes don’t disqualify us, our financial status doesn’t disqualify us, our level of education doesn’t disqualify us, and our diagnoses don’t disqualify us.
It’s true that some people are naturally able to shine their light with a seemingly “larger” impact due to the personality they’ve been gifted with and the skills they’ve honed. But if I spend all of my time comparing myself to them I will miss out on the people who are uniquely attracted to my light. What about the people who get to see a glimmer of God’s goodness in my life when I’m able to connect with them over a mutual love for hardcore music? What about the folks who also like to dress a little weird? Maybe the darkness in their life could be lit up by me confidently expressing the creativity God has given me? What about the other neurodivergent people who are more likely to talk about what is heavy on their heart because they feel seen – they feel safer around someone who truly gets it? If I assume I have nothing to bring to the table – If I assume I am unqualified because my light looks different than other peoples light – I turn myself into the very thing I am afraid of being, a wallflower.
Now, there was a significant journey for me to go from confusion and comparison to being willing to put that negative voice in its place. I wrestled with God – I was honest with Him about what I didn’t like about myself, and I asked Him to help me see myself the way He sees me. I spend a significant amount of mental energy talking myself through the truth – my light IS noticeably unique, and that is for a reason. If I’m being honest – I still have rough days! It is still really easy for me to look around and see someone’s light and question if I’m bright enough in comparison. But again – Jesus didn’t give us qualifiers for what our light should look like – and he didn’t say that our light will be seen – or should be seen – by the same number of people. He just tells me to let my light shine – that instruction is an invitation to me to be a part of his life changing work.
That’s not just an invitation to me, the invitation is for you too. Do you question whether or not there’s room for you in leadership? Maybe you’re facing diagnoses similar to mine or you’re wrestling with feeling unnoticeable or unremarkable like me. Whoever you are – remember there are no asterisks or qualifiers listed after Jesus tells us to let our light shine. And yes, there are people who WILL be changed by seeing you be authentically you while you walk out your journey of faith – and even if it is just one person, they need you.
The best part is, we don’t have to navigate that journey on our own. Jesus will continue to comfort us and guide us as we go. We don’t just shine because he told us to – He is the source of our light – He is the only reason why there is anything in us that seeks to glorify Him in the first place. Knowing Him is a prize. He will not leave us or abandon us – He is always faithful. He is always present – when we feel seen by others, and when we don’t. When we feel like we matter, and when we don’t. Whenever I feel like my light isn’t enough, He is there. He is always there.
The post I Thought My Diagnoses Disqualified Me appeared first on Passion Community Church.
A Reflection on 21 Days of PrayerIn theory, twenty-one days of prayer sounds like a wonderful idea. I mean I love to pray and have been doing it for years. My day begins with a comfy chair by the fire, a cup of coffee, my Bible and Jesus. It is truly my favorite part of the day. So, going to church every morning to pray can’t be too difficult, can it? They even provide the coffee. But I have to confess, getting out of the house when it’s raining or 10 degrees outside, was not easy. I had to battle in my mind, trying to tell myself why it’s okay to just stay home and pray. It’s the same prayers and the same God, right?
But there is something special about making a commitment to gather with other believers in prayer for twenty-one days. It is like we are all in agreement with one another’s prayers, lifting our voices in one accord. That’s powerful! Of course, I always pray for my own family, but grabbing a handful of other people’s requests reminds me, it’s not all about me. Every one of us has troubles that only God can help us with.
Praying for others reminds me how blessed I am. Putting a pin in the map, reminds me that not everyone in the world has a comfy chair by the fire. Some are praying on a dirt floor at best. Taking a minute or two to take communion and thank God for my salvation through Jesus reminds me that without Him, I have nothing. I am completely dependent on Jesus. Seeing others on their knees in prayer, even bringing all their children, and seeing even teenagers and old people all casting their cares upon the One who hears and answers reminds me I am not in this alone. We are the Church. We are the Body of Christ and we are in this together holding each other up. He sees us and hears every prayer.
In 2024 my husband and I prayed for a specific need and a year later, we have seen God doing great things and bringing about change. Prayer changes things, but mostly prayer changes me.
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Spotify PlaylistWe do not have follow up videos for the ‘At the Movies’ series, but see below for the Practicing the Way video and companion guide.
Session Eight – Life TogetherPracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post The Path to Real Life appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWe do not have follow up videos for the ‘At the Movies’ series, but see below for the Practicing the Way video and companion guide.
Session Seven – Crafting a Rule of LifePracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post The Value of Every Person appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWe do not have follow up videos for the ‘At the Movies’ series, but see below for the Practicing the Way video and companion guide.
Session Six – Healing From SinPracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post Loving the Way Jesus Does appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWe do not have follow up videos for the ‘At the Movies’ series, but see below for the Practicing the Way video and companion guide.
Session Five – Meeting God in Pain & SufferingPracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post What Is Life Worth? appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistSession Four – The PracticesPracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post Do What Jesus Did appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistSession Three – Formation Part 2Practicing the Way Companion GuideThe post Be With Jesus appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistSession Two – Formation Part 1Practicing the Way Companion GuideThe post Be With Jesus appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistSession One – Following JesusPracticing the Way Companion GuideThe post Following Jesus appeared first on Passion Community Church.
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Spotify PlaylistStudy GuideWe live in a broken world that won’t be set completely right on this side of heaven…
…our job is to remain faithful no matter what.In this week’s “That’s So Metal” message, Senior Pastor Brian Hughes discusses the story of Judas, his betrayal of Jesus, and the unmet expectations he had.
Pastor Brian shows us how we can also put expectations on God that lead to disillusionment and deconstruction.
This powerful message will help you build a relationship relying on God for what God promised and nothing that He didn’t.
The post A Faith That Lasts appeared first on Passion Community Church.
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Spotify PlaylistStudy GuideYou need the Bible AND prayer AND an evaluation of your circumstances AND the affirmation of the church to hear God’s voice.
Most people try to find God’s voice in ONE thing, but God will line these tools up and almost always speak to us through at least 2 or 3 of these with a consistent message.
In this final message of the “Under the Influence” series, Senior Pastor Brian Hughes discusses 4 ways that you can hear from God.
You CAN hear God, You CAN know what he’s saying, you CAN follow the influence of His voice to a better place – the best place – for your life.
The post The Voice of God appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistStudy GuideDo the voices influencing and shaping you add value or breed dissent?
Do they point you towards a life that honors God or in some other worldy direction?
This week, Pastor Bryan Pope discusses the seemingly endless list of voices that are seeking to speak to us to shape us in our present day lives, and the questions we should be asking to vet these influences.
Learn more in this powerful teaching from the “Under the Influence” series.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWe’re finishing the All In series with the most important commitment.
This is the one that ultimately determines the success of all the rest. Because the one who invented marriage and gave it to us, created kids and entrusted them to us, made the clock and allocated the time to us and put resources in our lives to utilize for a greater purpose – the one who did all of that requires your commitment too.
In this week’s message Pastor Brian Hughes discusses several actions you can take that will help you live out your commitment.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideSo much of our lives are tied up in managing finances, and like every other area of commitment in our life, living a financially healthy life requires a plan and the practical tools to accomplish our goal.
In this week’s message Pastor Bryan Pope shows us how working towards healthy finances will be filled with challenge and triumph, but with God you can live in the contentment of his direction and support.
Pastor Bryan discusses different steps you can take to managing your finances well, and finding contentment through it all.
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide What is love? Love is a broad word in our culture and we use it in a lighthearted way. In this week’s message, Pastor Brian Hughes shows us what love is and how it does not exist apart from Truth. To exist side by side and to do […]
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideMost of us spend a lot of our time driving or riding in the car.
It’s part of our daily routine, but what if we could make the most of that time instead of just counting it as wasted?
In this week’s message, Pastor Angie Frame shows us how we can build habits around discussing faith with those around us. We can have faith conversations in every part of our life; when we’re at home, when we’re on the road, when we get up, and when we go to bed.
Pastor Angie discusses the importance of discussing our faith with our kids and how we can make those conversations something the entire family looks forward to.
The post Everyday Road Trips appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Do you look for the ways God is moving in your life, celebrating His presence in the good times and clinging to Him in the bad? In this week’s message, Pastor Tanner Iglio shows us how we don’t have to be a bystander in what God is doing. […]
The post The Desert Road appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Can we embody Jesus’ selfless service? Yes, and we should. By serving others as he did, we can transform the world. In this week’s message, Pastor Bryan Pope shows us how no matter the issue, emulating Jesus can bring change. Pastor Bryan discusses how we possess the power […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Transformation, whether it begins with a single, powerful moment or not, is something that each one of us can seek after. In this week’s message, Pastor Ellis Hopson shows us how even after we experience transformation through God, we still need an advocate to remind us of what […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide It’s never too late to find our way back to Jesus. You can return and strongly urge Him to stay with you again, or perhaps for the first time. In this week’s message, Pastor Angie Frame shows us how through this reconnection, you’ll see who He truly is. […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Caring transcends mere words; it demands action. As followers of Jesus, we must heed this calling: to embody the spirit of the good Samaritan. In this week’s message, Pastor Brian Hughes shows us how just like the good Samaritan, our faith is defined by our willingness to take […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide The narrow road is often misunderstood due to the negative connotations ascribed by our culture. However, it is not narrow because there isn’t room for us; rather, it is challenging to walk and requires prioritizing what’s important and sacrificing what’s not. In this week’s message, Pastor Ellis Hopson […]
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Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide In a world fighting for our attention, it’s easy to get distracted. But the things that distract us don’t get the final say on where our devotion lies. We get to choose. We have the power to choose what we become devoted to. In this week’s message, Pastor Elijah Schiarelli […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Why do bad things happen, and why is life so hard? These are questions we all ask. Why doesn’t God stop it? If He doesn’t, can He still be good? In this week’s message, Pastor Brian Hughes tackles these difficult and good questions that many of us find […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide What happens when we die? It’s a question that many of us have for ourselves, and our loved ones. Jesus promises that whoever hears his word and believes in God has eternal life and will not be judged, but will cross from death to life. In this week’s […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Who is God? A question as old as time deserves all the time in the world. God wants us to know Him. He wants us to learn more about His character, His desires, and His heart. He bends over backwards to reveal Himself to us in all sorts […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Every time you get in a car and you click the seatbelt, you’re doing something that acknowledges danger, and mitigates it. When you put your young child on a boat, you make them wear a life jacket. The youngest and most vulnerable among us sit in a specially […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide How do we get wisdom? Does it come from reading those tiny strips of paper in fortune cookies? Of course most agree that is not it. Wisdom is a gift God wants for you, but you have to pursue it. In this week’s message Pastor Brian Hughes invites […]
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideYou don’t have to be a religious person to see that humanity was designed to work together.
Finding anything that has had a lasting impact on the world that didn’t ultimately involve multiple people would be near impossible.
The idea may start in one place, but the team makes the idea better. In this week’s message from our “SWAG” series Pastor Brian Hughes explains that unity is how the church changes the world.
Unity found completely and totally in our collective, unashamed belief that Jesus Christ is the One True God.
The post Unity is the Key appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideThe same power that creates and gives life, the power that has saved, and can save us still, the power that moves mountains and makes the impossible possible, that same power is available to us.
When we grow in God, his power grows in us. In this week’s message from our “SWAG” series Pastor Bryan Pope shows us how God changes us from the inside out with that power, and how we can start to use it to change the world around us.
The post You Have Power appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideThere is more to life than the way we often live it.
In fact, God wants to give us real life.
Full life. Life that few find but one that we all could, if we were willing to receive the gift and really lean into it.
In this week’s message from our “SWAG” series Pastor Brian Hughes explains how God wants to give us something that we often overlook from the center of our frantic days.
The post Let’s Come Alive appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWe all search for belonging.
And no matter who has discarded you in your past, Jesus chose you and took you in.
Even before he made the world, God loved you and chose you. In this week’s message from our “SWAG” series, Pastor Brian Hughes talks about what it means to be adopted by God and how that can change our perspective.
You belong. You are never alone.Because of God’s infinite love for you, he chose you, adopted you, and through Jesus you belong to Him.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideMany of us have an internal, negative reaction to the word “discipline.”
It sounds like punishment and may trigger unpleasant memories from your childhood or faith background.
That’s how living out the Christian life has often been portrayed–as a punishing lifestyle.
In this week’s message from our “Now What?” series, Pastor Angie Frame explains how a disciplined life of faith can actually be one of freedom and abundance.
After you have met Jesus it is important to put spiritual practices in place. The disciplines themselves might not change your life, but the Jesus you get to know will absolutely change your life in ways that you cannot even imagine.
The post How to Know God appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWe will never genuinely know what something is like until we experience it for ourselves.
This is particularly true when it comes to our faith.
Today, Jesus is inviting all of us to play an active role in the work He’s doing in our church, communities, nation, and around the world.
In this week’s message of our “Now What?” series Pastor Elijah Schiarelli explains that if we want to truly experience the fullest life possible through Jesus Christ, then we can’t just take his word for it.
Come and see, turn your curiosity into all-in belief – stand up, get involved, and watch as Jesus changes everything.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideThe resurrection of Jesus brings us face-to-face with something that can change our lives more than anything else.
More than getting married, a new job, or grandkids or any other big life change.
Are we at least equally excited about the resurrection of Jesus as these things? Is there a way to talk about your faith in a way that is exciting without running people off?
In our series ‘Now What’ Pastor Brian Hughes talks about the hard evidence that an encounter with Jesus provides.
You have a story – a testimony – and the world will be better when we all learn to tell it.The post Tell Your Story appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideNow what? Jesus came to earth.
He taught and healed, suffered and died, and came back to life.
Jesus defeated death. In the battle of good versus evil, good won.
Love won. Life won. So, is that it? Is the story over?
In our new series “Now What,” Pastor Angie Frame talks about our opportunity to choose to follow Jesus or not.
Jesus came to earth to give us lives that are full, abundant and eternal, but at the end of the day, it is your decision to make.
What will you decide?The post It’s Time to Decide appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideNames matter.
Your name is tied to your identity.
There is one name that is above every name.
One name that might be shared by some, but whose most famous identity is set apart from all humanity and, ultimately, above us all.
The name of Jesus. He willingly stepped away from heaven’s Glory in order to come to us.
To be with us.
To be one of us.
In the final message of our “Plot Twist” series Pastor Brian Hughes discusses the name of Jesus and how He submitted himself to death so that you could have life.
He rose from the grave.The post Easter 23 appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideHave you ever done something that altered what others considered sacred?
Jesus made a ruthless revision to a sacred symbol that changed everything, through a sacrifice that we could never make ourselves.
In our series “Plot Twist,” Pastor Brian Hughes talks about a not-so-subtle revision to a sacred symbol of faith, where the old covenant had required a sacrifice FROM YOU, the new covenant is a sacrifice FOR YOU.
The post Radical Revision appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideYou have an identity – whether you know it or not.
And you don’t determine it and people around you don’t determine it.
God does. In our new series, “Plot Twist,” Senior Pastor Brian Hughes discusses a lesser known, but critically important moment in Jesus’ story: Temptation.
Jesus’ temptation hit the core of his identity, and his victory over temptation can be the roadmap for ours.
In this week of our “Plot Twist” series, Pastor Brian Hughes shows us that if you ground yourself on who you are in Jesus, then you too, like Jesus, can overcome every temptation that comes your way.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideMental health struggles have always been part of the human experience, but we’ve not always–not often–done a good job talking about them or understanding them.
To live as followers of Jesus in a world where everything’s NOT fine, we need to enter the darkness, and be a light.
In this week of our “Everything’s Fine” series, Pastor Angie Frame shows us how we can be a light for those who are struggling.
Getting to reflect the light of the world to people at their most broken and fragile–that’s a sacred gift.
And Jesus offers it to us.The post Light in the Darkness appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideEveryone experiences anxiety from time to time…
…but that doesn’t mean we’re without hope. When it comes to anxiety – whether it’s a chronic issue or an occasional thing, we can find comfort and solutions through the spiritual practices and teachings of some of the giants of our faith.
In this week of our “Everything’s Fine” series, Pastor Brian Hughes shows us how we can tame our anxiety.
In knowing that God really does care, we can give Him our anxiety.
God will never let us down, even if life doesn’t turn out the way we want.The post Put Anxiety in Time-Out appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideRegardless of how much or little we actually have, we all say things like, “I need” and “I have to have,” and “I can’t live without.”
They can be small or big things.
What if we could find peace and contentment, but not from “things.” In our new series, “Everything’s Fine,” Pastor Brian Hughes shows us how contentment isn’t found out there, it’s in God.
And when you discover that, you’re released from the tyranny of things you cannot control and placed into the thing God wanted to give you all along – something better than the thing you were chasing anyway – Contentment.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideGod has a grander vision for your life. If you’re interested in God doing something world changing and life altering, praying prayers like, “Break My Heart,” “Speak To Me,” and “Expand my Influence” are the prayers you need.
“Expand my Influence” is a prayer that God is guaranteed to answer. Because we’re now not looking for an enlarged territory for the sake of our personal empire, but for the cause of the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Brian Hughes shows us how “Expand my Influence” is a prayer of action, so that we actually make the world a better place.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWe all want guidance and direction on the BIG things in life. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could hear from God clearly when we had those important decisions to make?
Should we take that job? Marry that person? Buy that house?
But it’s hard to hear from God when we are speaking.Prayer is a conversation between us and God and God’s voice is the most important voice in this conversation, not ours.
Pastor Bryan Pope shows us that no matter where you are, it always comes back to asking God to speak into your life.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWhat if instead of asking God just to comfort us, we also asked him to break us? Brokenness isn’t the typical prayer, but sometimes, it’s the needed one.
Having a broken heart is terrible. We spend a lot of time trying NOT to have our hearts broken. It’s not something that we invite just anyone to do.
Praying a prayer like, “God, break my heart,” is dangerous, because it just might change our lives.
This week Pastor Angie Frame shows us that sometimes, we actually need God to let us feel pain, because that pain can compel us to MOVE.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideTruth be told, money is the elephant in the room. It’s the thing that few discuss but everyone thinks about.
It’s not in the conversation, but it’s on our minds.
Either we don’t have enough of it now or we’re afraid we’re going to run out of it in the future.
It’s one of those things that you just can’t really live without.
But when it’s your focus, you really aren’t living. In this message from “A Better Way’, Pastor Brian Hughes shows us that there is a better way to handle money, and you can get there too by being faithful to the method.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideDespite how mechanically easy it is to connect with other people via social media, texts, phone calls, etc., most people feel more disconnected than ever.
Loneliness is a BIG deal. And studies show that an alarming number of us struggle with it regularly.
But the good news is this: WE KNOW HOW TO FIX IT.
The solution is no secret—it’s just that too few of us participate in it.
The answer is FRIENDSHIP. In this message from “A Better Way”, Pastor Elijah Schiarelli shows us how to create and contribute to real, authentic friendships.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideThere’s got to be a better way than finishing our days and weeks wondering where all the time went and lamenting that there just wasn’t enough time.
And it doesn’t have to be like that.
There is a better way-A way to be ready–not to hide in a game but to thrive in life.
Ready to enjoy the gift of time God has given us, and to actually see it as a gift to be relished not a burden to be endured.
Ready to utilize time in a way that honors God and who He has created us to be.
Find out how in this week’s message from the “A Better Way” series.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideIn the journey to know God, many people start with church, begin to grow, get excited, come week after week, and then, over time, find that their journey plateaus and begins to feel…less exciting.
That’s because church is only one way to feel God’s presence. To fully live into a relationship with God and feed your soul with His presence there are additional practices to adopt.
Find out what those are in this message from “A Better Way.”The post To Feed Your Soul appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideDid you know that church is not a man-made invention?
There are many worthy causes and change agents that help people. But the church?
The church is in a category all of its own, established by Jesus himself, and charged to one end: TO GO.
Jesus says to his followers, “…go and make more followers”.
This charge, activated through the church, involves more than just attending service on Sunday. It’s a movement.
Discover a different way to relate to God—a different way to do church—in this kickoff to our New Year series.
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Spotify PlaylistAs parents, we often feel like we fight WITH our kids.
Maybe a lot.
But in this special New Year’s Day message, we want to have a conversation about fighting FOR them, and the worthwhile struggle to parent to the best of our ability.
Enjoy this three-part conversation on the phases of parenting as you launch into a fresh year with your kids!
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What does the Christmas story actually mean to you? For many of us, it’s nothing more than a tradition. But Jesus didn’t come to give us a season or tradition.
He came to give us life. The decorations, the music, and the pageantry will all go away; but the truth of what Christmas day means never goes away. In this special Christmas Eve service and message, experience that truth like never before as it changes the way you experience Christmas this year—and every year.
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Happy Birthday. That’s a phrase that every single one of us has heard, said, and sang. And the birthday we celebrate on Christmas Day is one of a kind.
But Jesus’ birth—while a celebration for us—was a sacrifice for Him. The first of many he would make.
Which leads us to the question: If he had all the trappings of heaven, why would he want all this? Find out in this special Christmas Day message.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideHome. It’s a unique concept. It’s more than where you lay your head at night.
Home is where your heart is. The story that Pastor Brian unpacks in this week’s message from the “HOME” series is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible.
And to grasp it is to grasp Jesus, himself.
The first part is a story that involves all of us.
The latter, though, is only ours if we choose it.The post Leaving Home appeared first on Passion Community Church.
Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideEvery one of us has a deep longing for a place to call home.
It is wired within us and it goes beyond just “coming home for Christmas.”
Until that desire is filled, there will always be a part of us that feels discontent and uneasy.
Would it surprise you to know that God Himself felt this way about His home?
In this week’s message, Pastor Elijah Schiarelli demonstrates that God did what any one of us would do when we feel like we’ve lost our home—He left.
Find out why He left, and how that matters for your life, right now, in this kickoff message to PCC’s 2022 Christmas series.
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Honor your loss. Embrace His hope.This special worship service is a unique time to acknowledge the grief and loss that so many of us have experienced this year. As we move into a season marked by celebration and family gatherings, we will hold space for those who struggle and mourn. Through words, music, and art, we will offer comfort, hope, and healing. Please share with those you know who are hurting this year.
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Spotify PlaylistWeekend Follow-Up VideoStudy GuideWe all come from some kind of family. And it’s not just a social construct or a result of instinctual biology. Instead, these intimate relationships have their origin in God, himself. Why does that matter to you and me? Because God knows something about family…
He invented it. When we live our best lives within our families, we are not displaying sociological evolutionary forces—we are highlighting a timeless, God-designed spiritual truth around family. Find out what that is through this creative, movie-interpretation, demonstrating this truth and its application for your life.
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Do you prefer things that are shaky or steady? Most of us would say steady. From our Christmas trees to a ladder we climb on, shaky is definitely NOT the preferred option. The same goes for marriages. We’re all impacted by marriage—our parents’ marriage—or lack thereof. Our own […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Who, these days, is not affected in some way by divorce? Who doesn’t have divorced parents or divorced friends or divorced kids? The truth is, in spite of the way we might like it to be, people are more likely to be affected by divorce than influenced by […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Commitment is a major spiritual theme, seen throughout the pages of the Bible. Paul, the Apostle, was committed to the cause of Jesus, even at a tremendous cost. Those who started this earliest movement of the church were extremely committed, selling their own possessions to help those in […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide God’s desire is that his work will forcefully advance, and he’s invited us to be part of it over the next two years by going Beyond Our Limits, Beyond Sunday, and Beyond Ourselves. Going Beyond Ourselves—taking the focus off of “me” and serving “beyond”—is what this week’s teaching […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have a story. With all its twists and turns, somehow you had an encounter with Jesus Christ that changed your life. For those that aren’t followers, many know there is something to the claim that God can be experienced in a […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide With this message, we kick off a new series—one that will shape our church, but will also have direct, personal application to your life, too. We’re also going to talk about how your life intersects or should intersect with the church. And it’s important – REALLY important. So […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide It’s PCC’s 20th birthday…or anniversary? Actually, both! It’s an anniversary because it marks the day we came together; but it’s also a birthday because 20 years ago, PCC was born. In this message, we do what we all do at an anniversary or birthday party: celebrate the past […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide In this wrap-up from the Give and Take series, Pastor Elijah Schiarelli looks at one more thing that God wants to give us. It’s appropriately the last thing that God wants to give us; because in order to hand over our wants, desires, and control of our lives […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide We like to be the masters of our own destinies. Our western, American ethic of independence, titled into our founding documents, champions the notion that you and I are in control—and should be in control—of our own lives. But God wants control of your life, and giving Him […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide The first two weeks of the Give and Take series looked at two things that God wants for us. But a relationship with God isn’t just about what we get; and we find the fullest life possible when we let go and give to God absolute dedication. While […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide Somewhere deep inside of every person is this question: What happens when we die? Even devout atheists will sometimes tip their hats to the possibility…maybe this life isn’t ALL that there is. The possibility of heaven can only come after the certainty of death. Even John Lennon, who […]
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Spotify Playlist Weekend Follow-Up Video Study Guide The most important relationships in our lives are symbiotic. Each party depends on the other. You bring something of value, you get something of value. From marriages and employment, to even parenting over the arc of a child’s life — you give something and you get something. It’s give […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide After the past couple of years, many of us are exhausted. We’ve lost loved ones, lost important relationships as we’ve struggled to find unity, witnessed national tragedies, and survived an international pandemic. As we’ve progressed through this “On the Water” series, the thought of water cleansing, sustaining, and refreshing us may […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide The Israelites’ water is bitter. The truth is that they are bitter, too. And it’s no wonder. After all they’ve been through, bitterness is an understandable response. The Bible shows us that bitterness is a natural result of suffering loss and trauma. Many of us have suffered losses and circumstances that […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide Psalm 23. One could easily make the case that these 6 verses in the Bible make up the most impactful, enduring piece of literature of all time. We really can’t talk about all of Psalm 23 because… …we just don’t have the time. Which, ironically enough, is what Pastor Elijah Schiarelli […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide A well. It’s safe to say that most of us don’t have to head out to a well to get the water we need. We can grab a glass of water from the kitchen sink, jump in the shower before work or school, even water our grass with the hose. But […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide Following Jesus leads to a life filled with the adventure of miracle… …but it requires courage. You can’t live the best, most fulfilling, most rewarding, most accomplished version of your life without courage. But courage is more than an attitude—it is always an action. Courage does not reside in the refuge […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide Water isn’t always benign and benevolent. Sometimes it’s the very opposite. Water can be as dramatic and dangerous as it can be refreshing and relaxing. God works through water in all of those ways. In this message from Teaching Pastor, Angie Frame, we look at one of the most dramatic stories […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide Jonah and the whale. It’s a nice tale that makes us feel good when we read it this way, even if the bit about the fish doesn’t seem to make much sense. Jonah overcomes his fear, preaches God’s word, and people are saved as a result. BUT… When you read the […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide Throughout the Free Me series, we have explored the freedoms that God offers us —from forgiveness and our choice to believe (or not), to the freedom to live the fullest life possible. Maybe you have decided to embrace a life of freedom; maybe you are considering what a life of freedom […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide When we think of our freedoms, we tend to forget about the inherent one of living. We’re free to live another day; that’s a gift from God. He wants us to use this gift to live freely. And yet, we allow ourselves to be owned and trapped by all sorts of […]
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Spotify Playlist Study Guide We make tens of thousands of choices every day. Freedom goes hand-in-hand with choice. Because in order to choose one thing, you’re NOT choosing something else. This is where our faith comes into the conversation. Because out of all the choices a person can make, whether big or small, there is […]
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