Generations Community Church: Recent Episodes
Max Vanderpool
Generations is all about helping individuals and families become followers of Jesus Christ. We want to see people live the way Jesus lived, love the way Jesus loved and leave behind what Jesus left behind. We're located in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and w
Jesus said that, in this world you would have trouble. And he didn't lie. All of us experience trials and hardships and difficulties and loss and sorrows and disappointments. But what's really strange is that, while God doesn't CAUSE those things, God works in us THROUGH those things - because God wants to do something IN us during trials. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the first big idea in the letter of James (found near the end of the New Testament).
The earliest Christians believed that ordinary people could make a difference. But it's hard to believe that if you are hearing things like: you are not enough, you need to try harder, or you are alone. But here's the thing: God creates WORLDS out of words - and so does every human being made in God's image. The words we use to talk about the world around us actually builds the worlds we inhabit. In this message, Brian Hull asks two IMPORTANT questions everyone should ask themselves - to determine the kinds of worlds you're creating.
You only live once. That's what they tell us. And no generation has embraced this "live today" advice more than Gen-Z - who value experiences and meaningful connections with friends and family OVER acquiring stuff. But what if you struggle with a medical condition that leaves you partly or mostly disabled? What if you can't afford (or even charge) those incredible experiences and events? And what if your relationships are marked by conflict and selfishness? What then? In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines WHY the resurrection life ("the life to come") is critically important - and why the earliest Christians were told to encourage each other with the HOPE of Jesus's return.
We live in a world of chaos and scarcity, which can naturally spark fear. In response, we often scramble to control our circumstances. But control is just an illusion. No amount of planning or manipulation can guarantee our safety or secure our future. That is exactly why the Bible repeatedly calls us to have faith. From the journeys of Abraham and Moses to the Psalms of David and the radical example of Jesus, Scripture implores us to place our trust in God's provision rather than relying on our own fragile grip on control
For over a century, this mindset has defined the movement by its programs and busyness. But the earliest disciples were marked as different - simply because they had been WITH Jesus.
When faith is watered down to a checklist of ministries or evangelistic goals, we start believing our worth comes from our output. But our value isn't tied to our performance. God treasures friendship with you far more than He needs your accomplishments
We humans are natural storytellers. And one of the big reasons we tell stories is to make sense of life, make sense of reality, and make sense of God. Stories allow us to describe "what is." This month's virtue - is TRUTH - and truth is what is (but truth is also a person).
s waiting to zap us. The truth is, God cannot be manipulated, and His blessings can't be bought with our good behavior."
they are not foolproof. In his message, Max Vanderpool argues that true faith cannot be reduced to a rigid set of principles, because it is ultimately rooted in a wildly unpredictable relationship with God.
a habit validated by overflowing storage units and thrift stores. However, this consumer mindset often bleeds into our spiritual lives, acting as a barrier to a truly satisfying relationship with God and fueling misery during difficult times. In this message, Max Vanderpool explores this issue through the lens of the Prodigal Son and offers a path toward a better way.
The Sabbath has a life-giving ability to PROCREATE. That's because the Sabbath fills your world with life - with energy, creativity, vision, strength, optimism, clarity - and even hope. You're MORE productive (not LESS) when you rest - regularly. You're MORE creative (not LESS) when you rest - regularly. That's why we receive the Sabbath as a gift - because it gives LIFE - and helps us to be HUMAN.
Pharaoh (from the Old Testament) is both a person and a typology. And the system of pharaoh has been the DOMINANT economic system for most societies and nations since humans started farming. It's a system of more, more, and more - built off the backs of those who labor to the benefit of those who own or rule. And it's the same system - whether it's capitalism, socialism, or communism. But there IS someone who challenges the system of pharaoh - whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the ways you and I can resist pharaoh at work.
What do you do when you're being asked to do something at work that you believe is wrong? Do you stay? Do you go? Do you remain silent? Do you speak out? Most Americans, when work becomes difficult or toxic, immediately look for the exit door. But what if God has something in you staying? How do you know? In this message, Max Vanderpool highlights how four different men handled difficult leaders and difficult circumstances. Some stayed. Some left. But all of them were faithful.
We're not smarter than people who lived 2,000 years ago. They KNEW that some things cannot be undone - which is why Jesus is so FASCINATING - because he does things that seem downright impossible. April's virtue focus is JOY: choosing to celebrate what God is doing.
How's your spiritual life these days? We can actually ask that question, and church-going Americans will have a sense of what we're talking about. That's because we tend to think about life in two categories: SPIRITUAL and SECULAR. Spiritual things have to do with God - you know, stuff like going to church, reading your Bible, praying, and going on mission trips. Secular things are everything else: work, shopping, walking the dog, sex, eating, and 95% of living life. Does this mean that spirituality really only has to do with 5% of our lives or LESS? NO! That's because Jesus saw no such distinction (between spiritual and secular). In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks what it means to say everything is spiritual - and what that MIGHT mean for those of us who work.
Graduation speeches are full of platitudes and cliches: Follow your passion. If you can dream it, you can do it. Be true to yourself. And - the future belongs to you! But these platitudes are not helpful - nor do the represent the kind of life that MOST AMERICANS experience (over 150 million of them) as they work - week in and week out. So if graduation speeches aren't the best place to turn for job or career advice, where should you look? In this message, Max Vanderpool articulates how God calls and gifts EVERYONE - and how you can unearth your calling, even if it isn't something you're paid to do.
What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Is it a giant stadium where thousands and thousands of people wearing white robes are singing their hearts out to Jesus (sitting on a golden throne in the middle of it all)? If that's you, you're not alone. But THAT picture of heaven isn't exactly the whole story about what heaven is like. In fact, much of how we talk about heaven isn't really biblical at all. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why a "ticket to heaven" is actually round trip - and why WORK is something we can expect in the "life to come."
Work can be incredibly frustrating! That's because you can work hard and set something up that's INCREDIBLE that the "next guy" tears down. And you can work hard and produce something truly GOOD and yet not succeed with it - because it doesn't capture the market. And you can work hard and experience something unexpected (like a tornado) that blows everything away in the wind. So WHY is work so hard? And what can we do to "buttress" the frustrating parts of work? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for WHY work is broken and how you can I can navigate some of the frustrating parts of that brokenness.
There are two extreme perspectives about work in America today: (1) work hard and hustle and show up early and razzle and dazzle so that you can climb the ladder and reap the rewards - and retire like a king or queen, and (2) work ONLY as much as you have to and only do what is minimally required and take every sick day and personal day and vacation day you have coming to you - because life is short and you've go to live NOW and not later. Each perspective insists that they've got it figured out - a way to "win" at life. But both extreme views miss something important about work. Even if you HATE your current job with every fiber of your being, your experience does not mean that work, itself, is a bad thing. In fact, the Bible says otherwise. And so do the millions and millions of people who've done something, taken a step back, and been satisfied by it. In this message, Max Vanderpool begins to develop a theology of work - by looking at how the opening pages of the Bible talk about it.
If you do or say something stupid - something that YOU post online or something captured on someone else's phone and posted online, YOU are in serious PERIL. That's because nothing you do or say will cause the people of the internet to forgive you. They will DEMAND that you demonstrate the appropriate sorrow and humility - and that you are held accountable for what you said or did. But no amount of contrition will EVER be enough. In our world of vindictiveness - the call to forgive and to be reconciled is worth heeding. If anything, ALL of our relationships need more forgiveness and reconciliation - not less.
Love: choosing to treat others the way Jesus treats us! This February, our kids will be exploring what (real) love looks like - it looks like Jesus. Jesus shows us what love is, what love does, and how love treats others.
where all the power and influence and resources are. vThe problem is that when we play this comparison game it robs us of our hope and our true identity. It actually keeps us from being ourselves and from seeing others. And, while this comparison game (for most of us) STARTS in middle school, it carries on into our adult lives. Jesus, however, shows and models and invites us to a different way, a way of hope - a way that keeps us in the margins. Do we REALLY have to play the comparison game?
What do you do when all hope is dashed? If you're religious, you've probably assumed that, if you do your part, God will do His part. And so you try harder and harder to get God's attention and get into His good graces - so that the WORST won't (or doesn't) happen. But that's not how things work - and that's not the kind of God that God is. In this message, Brian Hull draws the parallels between those moments in our lives when we lose hope and what God's people experienced in the (Old Testament book of) Ezekiel. As it turns out, you cannot EARN God's love or favor - and that's a very good thing.
Commitment: Making a plan to be like Jesus and putting it into practice. And one of the BIG WAYS we do that is by TALKING about God - at church, at home, and with our friends and family.
Teens and young people are fun to watch. They have their WHOLE lives in front of them. And they are determined - that they will always or they will never or they will not be like their parents or they WILL be like their parents. Should we warn them? Should we tell them? Do they need to know that they are going to fail sometimes? That they are going to let people down sometimes? That the FUTURE version of them is going to need a lot of grace, mercy, and forgiveness? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks what it means to forgive yourself (and receive forgiveness) - because, in life, you're going to need it.
When someone has hurt you, betrayed you, or taken something from you - it's hard to see anything in them but a villain - a bad guy - a jerk - an adulterer - a deadbeat dad - a demanding boss - a Harry Black. But people are complicated - even the people who do terrible things. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks an often-forgotten aspect of forgiveness - re-humanizing the person who hurt us (even IF we decide to release the relationship).
Do you know anyone who's telling a grievance story? Chances are, you do. And the story they tell has a clear victim (that's THEM) and a one-dimensional villain - someone who hurt them, ignored them, passed them over, mistreated them, betrayed them, or took something from them they could NEVER give back. And this grievance story is told OVER and OVER again - to anyone who will listen. And you know something? They're RIGHT. They WERE hurt. What was done to them WAS wrong - but telling that story over and over again isn't helping them. Why? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks an important part of the process of forgiveness - learning to tell a BETTER story.
If you lend your car out to someone and they TOTAL it, but they have no insurance and no way to financially reimburse you the cost, what does it mean to forgive them? Is there a magic "car fairy" that shows up and provides you with the money to make up for what they did to you? Who (ultimately) bears the brunt of it? And what does forgiveness really mean? Does it mean you don't feel hurt? Does it mean you have to forget what they did? Does it mean you have to "kiss and make up" (and restore the relationship)? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the brain and heart aspects of forgiveness and why it's both a decision and a process.
In life, those closest to you have the capacity to hurt you the most. Your family. Your partner. Your "best friend." But we don't all respond to hurt the same way. Some of us verbalize it and tell everyone who will listen how we've been wronged - how we've been hurt. Others of us, however, bury it deep inside and pretend to be "okay," dismissing how we were mistreated with excuses. Both get it wrong. You cannot excuse the inexcusable, and you cannot forgive what is unnamed. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines the FIRST STEP any of us should take when we've been hurt or wronged in life. It may not be easy - but, in the long run, it's worth it - because it's a step that leads to freedom.
Tucked away in the book of 1 Kings is the encounter between Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al. And in that contest, we are reminded of something very important: God can do the impossible.
We're living at a time of tremendous INSTABILITY and UNCERTAINTY. And, when facing the unknown, we tend to respond with fear and with faith. Fear says that we're not sure of the outcome, but we have a feeling it's going to be bad. Faith says that we're not sure of the outcome, but that we know God is with us and for us and will take care of us. So we (simply) take another step. Another breath. In this message, Max Vanderpool spells out why God's people have ALWAYS had a hard time trusting God - and why, despite how we might feel internally - God CAN be trusted.
Elon Musk is arguably the world's richest man, and he has given away roughly $7 BILLION. He's given MORE money away than railroad tycoon Andrew Carnegie who, adjusted for inflation to today's dollars, managed to amass a fortune of only $6.9 BILLION. But there's a HUGE difference in the percentage of each man's overall wealth that they have given away. Elon Musk has given away 1.4% - but Andrew Carnegie gave away more than 90%. WHO was more generous? And why is it that we tend to judge generosity in porportion to what someone has? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why it NEVER really matters the amount of money you give away - whether it's $5 or $5 MILLION. Because, as Jesus tells it, money and hearts are linked.
Think about your digital life for a moment. What do you actually OWN anymore? Microsoft Office? Music? Movies? Your social media accounts? WRONG! In all of those spaces (and more), you're just a digital sharecropper. Americans have become more like the coal miners and sharecroppers we read about it history - not really owning much of anything and trapped in cycles of debt. God never wanted His people to be trapped in cycles of debt - and God has a lot to say about it. In this message, Max Vanderpool offers practical advice for handling debt.
s field trip." and (2) "Wait. When did we subscribe to Hulu? Did you know anything about this?" Jesus commends someone in the New Testament - for having a PLAN. And it's the SAME reason Joseph is promoted to vice-pharaoh in the Old Testament. As it turns out, having a PLAN is one way we mimick our Heavenly Father.
gentlemen, what we have here is an AFFORDABILITY CRISIS! Ironically, God has a LOT to say about money and finances - and God is bothered when the rich and powerful play by a different set of rules or when they systematically oppress the poor, so that they can become richer and more powerful. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains that the rich rule over the poor - it's true - but that doesn't mean God's happy about it.
America has an affordability crisis...in housing, with healthcare, with college tuition, and with child-care. It's just not possible for many families to have the SAME purchasing power as families did a generation ago. And yet, there IS one category that's become more affordable. And that's all the cheap stuff from China. It's filling our dressers, clogging our closets, and filling our cabinets and garages. So what's a person to do? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the boats from China - and how you can I can become more free.
Can you learn to love Christians who are NOT like you? That's the questin put to Ananias when God told him to go lay hands on Paul of Tarsus, so that Paul could regain his sight. That's the question put to Peter when he had that vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals. Will you enter the home of Cornelius (a Gentile AND the captain of the Italian reigment), break bread with him, and BAPTIZE him when you see that he is filled with the Holy Spirit? The call to the American church today is, in part, a call to love each other in such a way that the rest of the country asks, "How in the world can these people love each other like that?"
Smartphones. It seems like they're always in our hands - and always making it hard to be fully present with our friends and family. And maybe that's why prayer is hard for us. How do you spend time with an invisible being that you can't see with your eyes? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why there is another kind of prayer - one where you aren't talking and God's not talking - and that's okay.
In life, you either have authority or you don't. And if you need to tell people that you're in charge, you probably don't have the authority you think you do. And no matter how old you get, you NEVER outgrow authority or authority structures. (The IRS can make you pay taxes, and the Kentucky State Police can make you stay under the speed limit - or, watch out!) In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why ALL authority is God's authority - and that, because God speaks through the Bible, we should listen (and obey).
(certainly in ways WE think of the term)? What then? What if walking in the way of Jesus means standing up and speaking out? After all, nice guys aren't crucified.
The Choluteca Bridge stands as a testament to how things can change. Originally built in 1935 and completely rebuilt in 1996 - the Choluteca Bridge no longer spans the Choluteca River. Why is that? Because in 1998, Hurricane Mitch dumped 75 INCHES of rain - and all that water CHANGED the course of the river. The American church faces a similar situation. All our programming and efforts from the 1950s to the 1990s was designed for a river that has MOVED (and that river is American culture). The good news? Jesus is already at work. In fact, he never stopped working in the lives of Americans to redeem and restore humanity - one human being at a time. Are you ready to join Jesus on his mission?
the hardship, adversity, difficulty, loss, tragedy, and suffering that life sometimes throws AT us. And here's the thing: winning and achievement do not teach you what kind of human being you should be. Being the most beautiful girl in town or being the boy who can throw a ball the farthest do not teach you what kind of human being you should be. But hardship can. And God often uses the "school of hard knocks" to help transform us into the kind of human being that we see in Jesus. It's the second mark of a disciple - following Jesus means we are being CHANGED by Jesus.
One of the more fascinating things about God - the transdimensional being who made all of created reality, like our entire universe - is that he doesn't force a relationship with the people he made in his image. God doesn't MAKE anyone "walk in the way of Jesus." Instead, God invites. And our response to that invitation is the first mark of a disciple - someone who is (actively) following Jesus. Disiples follow. Jesus leads. But it's not a "one-and-done" thing - it's really a string of decisions woven throughout your entire life - decisions about what to leave behind and what to pick up.
If you live with other people, there's always ONE job no one wants to do. Maybe it's cleaning the bathrooms or folding laundry or picking up dog poop. But there's always SOMETHING everyone avoids. Not so with Jesus. There was a job to do - and he did it. In fact, he didn't even blink an eye. It didn't faze him one bit. One of the more profound ways we can live like Jesus is by NOTICING the needs around us. It will require a little humility and service - but it's one big way we LIVE LIKE JESUS.
We have different "windows" of our life. There's the window that we see and know - and that others see and know. We post about it on social media. It's "us" (our love for Star Wars, etc.). And then there's the window that only our spouse or children see - but no one else does. To others, it's hidden (or secret). There's also a window of our lives that others see with clarity - but we don't recognize. Our husband or wife, our parents, our closest friends or co-workers KNOW this about us - but we're oblivious. These things are our blind-spots - and God puts people into our lives to speak to us about our blind-spots.
God parted the Red Sea. Jesus fed the 5,000. Big stuff. Big miracles. Clear and unmistakable. But even though God can and does do "big stuff" from time to time, he actually PREFERS to come to us in disguise - in a way we don't immediately recognize. You could almost say that there is something delightfully playful about God and the way he speaks to us. It's wry. It's coy. And it means we need to be patient with ourselves (and our ability to hear and discern his voice). In this message, Max Vanderpool returns to Luke 24 with an admonition on how we can better position ourselves to recognize the God who often comes to us "disguised as our life."
Pharisees. Got to love 'em, right? They were absolutely CONVINCED that they had God all figured out. They just knew exactly what God loved and what God hated, what God would (or wouldn't) do in a particular set of circumstances, and what everyone else should and shouldn't do. But when God in the flesh (Jesus) shows up on the scene - the Pharisees aren't congratulated. They're challenged. How could they get so many important things wrong? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks how to hear God's voice - where it's the clearest - and why Americans are the new Pharisees (regardless of whether or not they're religious).
God is a God who initaties. He makes the first move. He takes the first step. And that's really, really good news, considering the mess we've made of relationships and the world He made. May's virtue focus at Generations is INITIATIVE: seeing what needs to be done and doing it. And when we take initiative, we're reflecting God's nature and character to the world around us.
When we Americans hear the word PROPHET, we tend to think of a fortune teller or someone who can predict the future. But predicting the future is only a SMALL part of what prophecy is in both the Old and New Testaments. Much of what prophets did, particularly in the Old Testament, is speak on God's behalf to remind God's people of the covenant (and the promises) they made with God. Some people want to believe that prophecy died out in the first century of the church. Since we have the Bible, they say, we have all we need. But is that what Scripture says? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why Biblical prophecy is alive and well today (in 2025) and ways you can discern a word given to you or for you.
Have you ever felt like God was speaking to you? Saying something? Prompting you to do or NOT do something? How did you KNOW it was God?All of us are born with a natural capacity to hear God's voice - but learning to distinguish God's voice from our own - or from other voices in our head is also a SKILL we learn to develop over time. Why? Because learning to hear God's voice is the most important thing you'll ever learn to do. Period. Full stop.
You fall in love. You're captivated. You date, court, propose, and marry. You're IN love. Everything is passionate and real and authentic and natural. But over time, things change. Life happens. And some married people find that their love hasn't been sustained, hasn't deepened. Instead of being in love with their spouse, they're indifference - or worse, find that they've grown to resent or hate them. What's TRUE of married couples is TRUE of all of us when it comes to our relationship with God. Over time, we can become INDIFFERENT, bored, fatigued, and distracted. That's not only a problem, but it's a sin. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines the greatest threat to the American church and to the average American's "walk" with Jesus. And it isn't lust, greed, or pride. It's ACEDIA.
We Americans think that (the sin of) gluttony is simply eating too much. And we think the results of that speak for themselves in larger bodies and higher fat indexes. But we're missing a LOT of what gluttony is (really all) about. In fact, gluttony can have to do with food rules (those foods are bad and these foods are good), picky eating, and so much more. So if gluttony isn't simply eating too much food, what is it? And why do so many of us turn to food for comfort and help when we're experiencing big (or difficult) emotions?
There's always some politician or someone at the office who is simply lusting after power. And then there's that moment when someone blurts out: “I’m lusting after some dark chocolate right now.” Lust. Lusting. We use that phrase to describe wanting something. So is lust just a longing or hankering for something? And why would THAT be a sin? And if sex is something good and a gift from God - how is LUST different from good sex (the kind experienced in a loving marriage between a husband and a wife)? In this message, Max Vanderpool wades into sex (the act and activity) and examines why Jesus made the claim that someone can actually commit "sexual sin" in their heart - without ever doing the deed.
Did you grow up with at least one brother or sister? Can you recall a time when you got so angry with them that you could SPIT FIRE? Of course, you can! There's nothing like an annoying little brother or sister or stuck-up older brother or sister to bring out the fire in you! Unfortunately for us Americans, we are living in a "wrathogenic environment," one in which our social media algorithms are designed to feed us content that makes us MAD and ANGRY and fuming at someone or something. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the deadly sin of "wrath" (the bad form of anger) and how we can become less angry people.
Cooperation is working together to do more than you can do alone. And God LOVES to put people together who are very DIFFERENT from each other to accomplish His purposes.
Know someone who makes more money than you do? Go to school with someone who’s smarter? More attractive? Better at sports? If you’re single, do you know anyone with a husband or wife totally "in love?" If you feel stuck in a marriage, do you know anyone who’s single and care-free? Have you struggled with infertility and know someone who’s having kids, one after another? Do you have kids, but know someone who has passive, compliant ones? Know anyone who has more square footage than you? Maybe even a garage – that they don’t even use for cars?Of course you DO! And knowing and seeing them spurs feelings of ENVY inside of you.In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks how ENVY is the sin no one enjoys - and how deflate ENVY's power can get deflated in our hearts and minds.
When a pastor is wearing a $2,000 sweater or a $4,000 pair of shoes in an Instagram post, there's a problem. Most folks would say that pastor is crossing a line. But what's true of pastors is true of everyone else. There's a line between a need and a want. There's a line between what's reasonable and what's excessive or extravagant. And that line is virtually impossible for us to see when it comes to our lives and our decisions. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the sin of greed and why we don't like greedy people.
We do NOT like arrogant or conceited people. People who think they're smarter than us, faster than us, better than us. In fact, deep inside of us is a cheer section that gets activated when arrogant people FAIL or fall on their face. Pride is like that. It just "smells bad" and never looks good on you. But what if it's possible that WE have a little more pride going on (under the hood) than we realize? And what if it's the case that pride is EASY to see in others but nearly impossible to detect in the mirror? And more importantly, how we can we keep the kind of "smelly arrogance" at bay?
The way we talk about sin today is not helpful. A calorie-packed dessert is something truly sinful. But the way we USED to talk about sin (back in the 1970s and 1980s) isn't particularly helpful, either. Lots of people who needed Jesus steered clear of church, because they felt condemned enough already. So how do we talk about sin in way that makes sense to us (as Americans living in the 21st century) but that also reflects the reality of sin we read about in Scripture? In this message, Max Vanderpool introduces our winter teaching series on the 7 Deadly Sins and our (collective) failure to be truly human.
Two men would be called the same thing: "King of the Jews." One man was given the title by the Roman Senate for his ruthless and victorious military campaigns. The other man was given the title as he was crucified by Roman authorities. By bringing Herod & Jesus together at the SAME time in history, God shows (once again) that He uses people who appear to be weak to triumph over those who appear to be strong. Herod the Great seemed unstoppable, but as it turns out, he was no match for (even baby) Jesus.
The typical teenager has a room full of stuff. And that room is a METAPHOR for life. What will they keep? What will they toss? What will they make space for? The Barbie collection they started at age six? The Nintendo games they no longer play? And what's true of bedrooms and garages is also true of calendars and relationships. Every yes is (also) a no - because you do not have unlimited time or unlimited space (for everyone and everything).
We live with a lot of fear. And we're afraid - to do things we know we are called to do or created to do - so we shrink back. We defer. We wait. But what would it look like if we KNEW we were loved - if we were NOT afraid? In this message, Brian Hull revisits the encounter Mary had with an angel - and how it put her on a path to trust and risk and NOT be afraid.
You cannot simultaneous be grateful AND anxious. You cannot simultaneously be grateful AND resentful. Our brains simply cannot experience BOTH gratitude AND either of those other emotions. So maybe there's something to the fact that PRACTICED gratitude invites joy into our lives. Maybe there's a reason we're called to be a grateful people. Maybe, just maybe, the holiest people you know are also the most GRATEFUL people you know. It's more than just a coicidence. It's the way God made things.
High school graduation. College. Military service. Career launch. Marriage. Children. Empty Nest. Retirement. Divorce. Health issues. Our lives are FILLED with BIG transitions. Some of them are planned and anticipated, and some of them are a surprise - because we never saw it coming. And when we find ourselves in those moments, we become incredibly reflective - looking back at what's happened in our life - and looking forward and wondering what's GOING to happen. Those transitions - those seasons - are fertile ground for us to STOP and recall what God has done for us. Because doing so helps us believe for today.
In the Bible, you encounter stories about Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, David, Esther, Mary, Peter, John the Baptist, Paul, Cornelius. These people certainly had faith - a LOT of it. And, when you're reading or hearing these stories, you might be tempted to think: “I’m not like that. I could never have that kind of faith.” Maybe so. Maybe you're NO Moses or NO Esther. But did these people really accomplish anything because they had lots of faith? Is that how faith works? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the issue of faith and the fact that God will fight for us, no matter how much OR how little faith we have.
Hidden sin rarely stays hidden. Many, many famous American pastors have discovered this truth in all its complexities and sorrow. Hidden sin rarely stays hidden. And that's precisly what a man named Achan learned in the Book of Joshua (found in the Old Testament). Achan secretly took some silver and gold left on a battlefield after the battle was over. No one saw him do it. And, for a while, it seemed as though Achan would get to keep what he took without consequence. But Achan learned that hidden sin rarely stays hidden. And hidden sin nearly ALWAYS brings about personal and corporate defeat.
Your biggest enemy is never who you think it is. It's nearly NEVER your ex-husband, ex-wife, mother-in-law, mom or dad, other kid in band, or the girl whose Instagram account gets so much more traction than yours. Nope. It almost NEVER is. Your biggest enemy is nearly always in your head (thinking) or in your heart (feelings) - and may, in fact, be the devil, himself. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the fall of Jericho (when the walls came tumbling down) and what we can learn about God, about ourselves, and about our true enemies.
Our lives are filled with symbols...from the unassuming golden arches of McDonalds to the family Christmas tree that's put up each year. Symbols are used and matter, because of their potential to evoke powerful memories and emotions. Take, for example, the first time the family Christmas tree is put up - after "mom" or "dad" or a child has died. All of a sudden, this simple object of Christmas becomes an avenue for renewed grief and grieving. It's no longer just a family tree - but a reminder of what has been lost. What many American Protestant don't realize is that God loves to use symbols to trigger our emotions and our memory.
There are a lot of choices that we need to make in life. Some of those choices can help us grow and shape us positively. Others can pull us in different directions, leaving us struggling to figure out which choice is best. What do we do when we’re confronted with all of these choices? Do we rush ahead? Or do we pause and let God lead us toward the best way to act? Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It's also like a "muscle" that we need to exercise. Listen in to our teaching time from October 2024's Intergen worship.
What do you do where there is a great barrier between you and where you think you are going? Because you're going to face them. And sometimes you'll break through the barrier. And sometimes you won't. So what do you do? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from Joshua 3 and how Jesus is a better Joshua - and how God can and will help us safely across. At the end of the day, it's not WHAT God says that's the issue. It's that we're not sure we can TRUST Him. Of course, it's not like anyone else who's life is recorded in the pages of the Bible hasn't struggled with the SAME thing!
All of us know someone we might consider to be "beyond God's reach." It's the family member who obstinately REFUSES to have anything to do with "organized religion" and who claims to be more "enlightened" than the rest of the family. It's the co-worker who grew up in church but is the first one to name the hypocrisy and politicization of church as a reason to "stay clear." Is it possible to be too far gone for God's compassion and mercy? Can any of us get to a point where it's no longer possible to hear God's voice? In this message, Max Vanderpool walks us through Joshua 2 - and the story of Rahab and how faith and fear are common reactions to when God is at work.
How do you handle it when you're about to DO something you've NEVER done before? Is there a part of you that's anxious or afraid or uncertain? And how do you handle it when you're about to GO somewhere you've never been before? What questions run through YOUR mind? Will I succeed? Or will I fail? Will things work out? Or will I get crushed? Will these people like me? Will I fit it? Can I figure things out? It's a LOT to shoulder. But here's the thing about God and faith. If you follow God for any length of time, God will take you places you've never been before. Count on it. Expect it. (Perhaps even dread it a little.) In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from Joshua 1 - and what's it like to find yourself in a place you've never been before.
Think back to a time when someone made time for you. Maybe that looked like caring for you when you were sick, or teaching you how to tie your shoe, making food for you, or teaching you how to read or learn a new skill. No matter what it is, when people make time for us, it can bring us joy. It’s like a light shining on a dark day. Caring for one another isn’t always the easy thing to do, but it certainly is what Jesus asks of us. When Jesus gave the command in Matthew 5 to let our light shine, it wasn’t just to bring joy into each other’s lives, but also to bring glory to God. We are reflections of Who God is, and as we “Live Bright” this month, we’ll discover exactly how we can shine God’s light.
Jesus assumed that his followers would pray and fast. But Jesus doesn't want them to fast like "the hypocrites" do. So what it that? What makes a person a hypocrite when they are fasting? And what are the reasons (or benefits) to fast? Is it to control our appetite? Is it to hear ourselves and the voice of God more clearly? In this message, Matthew Maresco draws out the "Daniel Fast" and what Jesus was concerned about when he warned against "fasting like the hypocrites."
On any given Sunday, you bring your body to worship - but your attention could be elsewhere. And this is what gets God's shorts in a bunch in the Old Testament - God's people were OBEYING him (coming to worship, etc.), but their attention - their hearts - were elsewhere. In this message, Matthew Maresco and Dawn Tippey unpack what lies at the heart of worship and why we use music.
YOUR spiritual life (and yes, even your prayer life) isn't just about YOU - it affects the people around you and the church family to which you belong. That's just another reason WHY prayer is important. As Dr. Paul Tippey walks us through The Lord's Prayer, we see that prayer is getting intimate with God through reverence and worship, seeking His agenda, His will, His provision, His protection - anything beyond that isn't (really) necessary. Unfortunately, people have COMPLICATED prayer.
Brian Hull walks us through Luke 2:41-52 as we explore the virtue of wisdom (finding out what you should do and doing it).
William Tyndale was on to something when he translated the Bible into English, so that ordinary people could hear it, read it, and understand it in their native language. The Bible is meant to be heard, read, and understood. And yet, familiarity can breed contempt - or, at the very least, indifference. In this message, Max Vanderpool looks at a moment when God's people were MOVED by hearing God's Word and asks, "Do we really want God to speak?"
Your life is important. And the great stuff of life lies right in front of you - today - if you can see it and recognize it. And, while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was important to Nehemiah - because it would mean people were safe at night and because it would mean business could happen during the day and because the city could finally flourish again - it's also a METAPHOR. Your life, like Nehemiah's city walls, is important - so important that you should not "come down" from the great work in front of you.
When you're tired and worn-out, you can get easily discouraged. And those are the times and moments in your life when you will be MOST tempted to quit or walk away from someone or something. New parents with a six-month-old who won't sleep through the night are ready to return that child to the hospital for a REFUND! The graduate student who is half-way through their program working a full-time job "on the side" thinks they will NEVER finish. Tired, worn-out people get easily discouraged. And discouraged people tend to make BAD DECISIONS. So what do you do? How can you stave off making bad decisions when you're discouraged?
There's a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is typically a (more) fleeting emotion, one tied to a particular set of circumstances. We get an ice cream cone we wanted. We're happy. We get married like we wanted. We're happy. You get the idea. But JOY - joy is a more long-lasting state of being, characterized by contentment and satisfaction with life overall. And one thing to remember in trying to cultivate joy is this: joy is MARRIED to gratitude. It's not that joy makes us grateful - it's that gratitude makes us joyful.
“Ugh. This would be so much easier (or better) if I did it myself.” Have you ever muttered those words? Have you ever had those thoughts? Accepting help (from others) can be incredibly difficult. Face it, those class projects in school sure didn't help. Unfortunately, that thinking isn't healthy and isn't biblical. That's because ONE is too small a number to accomplish anything of significance. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles our inclination to do things alone - and to resist offers of help from other people. He should know. He spend the first half of pastoral ministry doing that very thing.
This sermon is not an admonishment to “be like Nehemiah.” However, LIKE Nehemiah, when you name what is broken and insist on changing it – you’re going to face PUSHBACK. Count on it. Expect it. It’s going to happen. But know that God deals with the truth (way things ARE) – and it’s much easier to fix or address anything in the light. In this message, Max Vanderpool continues our summer series on the Book of Nehemiah - and the idea that you can never go home again.
Often, you find yourself in circumstances you did NOT choose. And, for Americans (who LOVE choice and freedom), this is tough. Because there is so much to your life you do NOT get to choose. Nehemiah faced that. But what if you find yourself in circumstances you didn't choose and that don't feel like they are taking you anywhere? What then? What do you do when it feels like nothing is happening? You wait. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about the waiting we ALL experience in life - and what to expect from God when you're waiting.
At some point in our adult lives, we develop a strong desire, a longing, to "go home again." It's a desire for safety and comfort, a desire to know and be known, a desire to things to be right and as they should be. Unfortunately, none of us can EVER go home again. So what's a person to do? What do you do with the gap between the way things are and the way things should be? Max Vanderpools starts off this study of Nehemiah and the desire we all develop (over our lives) to return home.
Historian Noah Harari says that "nations are built on stories." As Americans, we know this to be true. Think of George Washington and the cherry tree or Paul Revere and his ride through towns shouting, "The British are coming." And just as nations are built on stories, so are God's people (Israel and now the Church) and so are we as individuals. So what is the dominant story of YOUR life? What story do you live under? And what kinds of emotions does this story tend to evoke out of you? In this message, Max Vanderpool traces the ways in which Jesus reframes the story his disciples were telling in the wake of Jesus's death - from Luke 24 - and we have a better (and TRUE) story to tell.
You are going to have MOMENTS and SEASONS of your life when you are on the Road to Emmaus, when you don’t SEE Jesus on the road you're traveling. And you're going to be tempted to say that faith no longer works or that God isn't who you thought (loving, involved, etc.). So what do you? What do you do when you can’t see (or recognize) Jesus on the road? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares his journey of early 2024 - and what NOT to do when you can't see Jesus.
There are often small ways in which we physically reflect one or both of our parents. Hair color. Freckles. The way we smile (or laugh at a joke). Mannerisms, too, can put us in territory where someone will say to us, "Boy, do you remind me of your father." Part of what it means to be human is to reflect - or image - our Creator. But, as Scripture and experience teach us, we often choose to reflect other things - and those things and those reflections often bring about ruin and death. In this message, Josh Lanier unpacks why confession matters - and how honesty with one another can help us relect our Heavenly Father to each other and the world around us.
You actually give up a LOT to participate in a "stuck-ness" community (or tribe). You don't get to simply show up when you want, you don't get to define (necessarily) what's important. But you also GAIN so much more. Americans, however, are rugged individualists who make their own decisions and decide (for themselves) what's best for them. Which is why it's difficult for Americans to get what the Bible means when the Bible talks about or describes community. In this message, Amanda Duke unpacks the kind of "good stuck" you want to have in life and how that "stuck-ness" gets maintained.
Both the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) have released studies showing that LONELINESS is the single, biggest predictor of premature death...of all causes. Americans are lonely, isolated, and spending lots of time online - but they generally report feeling depressed, anxious, and disconnected. What gives? In this message, Ryan Hicks makes the case for why we are made for community - and practical steps we can take to "be together."
It can be difficult to find patience while you’re waiting for something important—or even something that’s not important. At its core, patience is about trust: trusting people to follow through . . . trusting that a process will run smoothly . . . and most of all, trusting that God has our best in mind and that God’s timing is better than our own. Thankfully, as we follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit is helping us grow and transform to become more like Jesus. This transformation includes growing in our ability to trust that God will be with us while we wait. As we follow Jesus and trust God, we will grow in patience.
Easters come and Easters go - but what difference does Easter really make? In this message, Brian Hull unpacks the potent symbolism and foreshadowing woven into Jesus's final week in Jerusalem - the week that culminated with his death and resurrection. So what does a sandal, a lamb, a goat, a kernel of wheat, and fruit have to do with Jesus? What do they have to do with us? Is it possible to go to church your entire life and never really "hear the music?"
We've all had something so amazing we wanted to share it with people who matter to us. Maybe it's how to digitally clip coupons at Kroger - or how to take a selfie by just holding up your hands with five fingers - but we know what it's like to have or know something so worthwhile we simply can't keep it to ourselves. One of the more amazing stories from Mark's Gospel is Jesus's encounter with the man possessed by a legion of demons - and what happened to that man as a result. In this message, Brian Hull unpacks what it means to share Jesus - because we've encountered him and his goodness in our life - all because we care about other people.
For the longest time, the American church has believed it needed to have the answers and give people "the answers." But what if it doesn't HAVE to be that way? What if church (and "church people") can help others talk about what matters. In this message, Brian Hull outlines some ways we can engage others on the things that matter most. The good news? In doing so, we will be just like Jesus.
We define peace as "proving you care more about each other than winning an argument." And, believe it or not, even people IN churches need to develop this virtue. Today, Josh Lanier shares a real world example of making peace involving a Methodist church and skateboarders.
Have you ever had a friend or family member you disagreed with in a significant way? What was that like? Did one of you have to win in order for the relationship to work? In this message, Brian Hull unpacks the story of the Good Samaritan and how we see a third way in which we can be a good neighbor to others and welcome others, even when we may not always see eye to eye. Are we willing to see people for who God's created them to be? Doing so unlocks the good stuff - the real JOY of God's Kingdom.
If you've been part of Generations Community Church for ANY length of time, you've heard Max Vanderpool (our pastor) preach and teach on LOVE. So what does it REALLY mean to love someone? Today's message features several sections (cut here for brevity) where the congregation was invited to think about and discuss the following questions: (1) What does it mean to really love someone? (2) How can you tell when people are truly loving? (3) What are the traits of churches and families that are built on God's love? (4) When was the last time you were amazed by someone's love for you? Why did it stand out?
Asking the right questions opens doors with people. And being genuinely curious about someone opens the door to a meaningful conversation. We know this about ourselves, and yet, we are often hesitant to ask questions. Why? What hinders us from being curious about others?
There's a subtle difference between being nice and being kind. Being nice usually involves things like speaking softly, pleasing others, minding your manners, smiling all the time (even when you don't feel like it), and going along with what people want. Kindness reflects God's character and sometimes is risky and downright dangerous. Jesus shows us what kindndess looks like - and reveals God's heart toward people.
Much of what takes place in our society is “Here’s why WE are right and YOU are wrong.” People don't need that. People don't need advice. People don't want to be told what they "need to do." People need to be HEARD. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why listening matters. It matters - because often there’s a question behind the question, the issue behind the issue. And what most people need in not an expert but as friend with open ears.
Many of us can think of someone in our neighborhood, work, school, family, or friend circles who is lost. Someone who really needs to see Jesus for who Jesus really is. But we often jump in and attempt to get them to the finish line (or a point of decision) before we prayerfully assess what's going on. The TRUTH of the matter is God is already at work. As Rick Richardson says, "Before we talk to people about God, we need to talk to God about people."
Every single one of us wants to be noticed, wants to be seen. It's why babies become distressed when a mother's gaze is turned away toward a smartphone or something else. And, despite all the growth that happens in us (from toddlerhood to adulthood), we still want to be noticed and seen. Here's the good news: Jesusa notices people. Jesus sees them. And Jesus wants to use us so that others can feel "seen" by their Heavenly Father.
Responsibility - showing you can be trusted with what is expected of you. And the greatest reponsbility we have is the LOVE God and LOVE others.
Generations' first-ever "radio players" put on a Christmas skit that entails going to Grandma's house.
At Christmas, we retell the story. Caesar & Herod, Zechariah & Elizabeth, Mary & Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the innkeeper, and the wise men. And in these narratives about the birth of Jesus, the Gospel writers are wanting us to know that Jesus is a king. All the kings in the Old Testament point to Jesus.And sometimes, it's okay to admit that you don't know what to do. It's okay to say to God, "I don’t know how you’re going to fix this, solve this, deliver us, provide for us. I just don’t know. But I’m going to pause (right now) and focus on Jesus – I’m going to look to you. YOU alone are my deliverer. YOU alone are my savior." This Christmas, look to Jesus.
Jesus is a prophet, someone who speaks for God. But Jesus is more than just a prophet. He is God. So when Jesus speaks, God is speaking. And all throughout his public ministry, Jesus shows us God’s heart, one that hurts and is MOVED by those who are oppressed, used, taken advantage of, and who have no one to help them. Chances are, you have a lot of voices in your life these days. Jesus is the voice we must listen to. When Jesus speaks, God is speaking to us. Will we hear it?
We have this tendency, precisely because we’re Americans, to cast ourselves in the role of the hero. When we read the story of David and Goliath, we naturally insert ourselves in David's place. WE face a lot of giants, and with God's help, WE can slay them, just like David did. Only that's a lot of pressure. Not to mention the fact that, when it comes to THE story (history), we're NOT the hero. God is. What if David actually points to Jesus? What if Jesus is a better David? A better king? A better shepherd? A better deliverer? What if that's truly good news?
In the Bible, we encounter God's prophets - people who told the truth and who spoke for God by warning and accusing and by testifying to God's goodness. Two different prophets, Isaiah and Micah, spend their ministries warning God's people that destruction is coming (because God's people were rebellious, idolatrous, and acting injustly). But they also spoke of a coming king - one who would bring justice and peace to the nations. And that king is Jesus!
We often forget that Jesus was born in a particular time and place. That's why Luke reminds us of some of those particulars. Things like Caesar Augustus. Rome had a particular way of bringing "peace" to the ancient world - through power and control. Interestingly so some 2,000 years later, many of us try to experience peace using the tools of Rome - power and control. But real peace won't come that way. In this message, Brian Hull unpacks the cultural context of Luke 2 and why the peace that Jesus offers is so radically different - and better.
Most American Christians don’t appreciate how big, how important, how all-encompassing Jesus is through Scripture. They camp out in the "red letters" and some of Paul's letters, but ignore everything else. It ALL points to Jesus. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes a case for why Jesus is the true and better human. The only way to recover your full humanity is through Jesus. You won’t get there through self-help. You won’t get there by trying harder. You won’t get there by trying to obey all the stuff in the Bible. Jesus is the true and better human.
All of us, because we are SO human, tend to return where we are wanted and welcome and invited. You could almost say we’re “acceptance magnets.” God knows this about us – which is why Jesus was constantly inviting people IN. Today’s big idea is simple: As followers of Jesus, we build relationships that are strong enough to invite others in.
At the end of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul reminds the Thessalonican church that God knows the end of the story, and no matter what they were facing, God would give them strength to keep going. At the end of the letter, Paul says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." You and I don't know how our stories will end, but we do know how THE story ends (Jesus returns, Jesus makes things right, Jesus sorts people, Jesus gives us resurrection bodies that don't get sick or wear out). We have good reason, even when the chips are down, to be grateful.
Unlike Job's friends, Jesus knows how to be a good friend for those experiencing pain & suffering, for those enduring loss, for the woman caught in adultery, and for the thief on the cross. Jesus is a better friend. In this recording, Amanda Duke shares the Biblical pattern of lament, Max Vanderpool shares how to be a good friend to someone who is going through and tough time, and Danita LaSage and Dawn Tippey share their experience of loss - and where they found Jesus.
"Who are your people?" For the longest time, you LIVED in the same place where you were born. You were rooted and connected to a household. “Who are your people” was the most common question asked (even in America). All that changed after WW2. Now the first question typically asked of an adult is, “What do you do?”But despite all the mobility we Americans have enjoyed over the past century, and despite ALL the ways we can now remain connected to people “back home” through social media, you cannot separate geography and friendship.Geography matters (when it comes to friendship).
True friends are not blind. They see us as we really are. They know our strengths, truth, and beauty – and they know our weaknesses, warts, and issues. Friends know the truth about us. The art of friendship requires both ENCOURAGEMENT and REBUKE. True friends help us see the truth – the good, the bad, and the ugly – because the truth will set us free.
Friendship requires that we make and keep promises, even though we will break them and need forgiveness. That's because true friends, good friends, are peole who have committed to stand by you and with you - people who will not run away, bail or dump you simply because they get mad or hurt or offended. We all need these kinds of friends. So what does it take to get there? In this message, Max Vanderpool explains the power of refrigerator rights.
Our virtue emphasis for October is INTEGRITY - choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.
What do you do when a friend hurts you? When a friend is selfish? When a friend doesn’t care for you the way you’d hoped? When a friend lets you down? Do you confront them? And, if they don’t seem to apologize right or show the right amount of empathy, do you forgive them anyway? Or – do you walk away? Ghost them? Write them off?Many friendships in America today last until the first conflict. And that’s a shame – because we LEARN forgiveness by practicing it. And we learn it in the context of FRIENDSHIP. Without forgiveness, there is no friendship
We’re impressed with people who've succeeded in life, but we CONNECT with people who share their struggles and failures. This is why vulnerability is so important - it's a doorway to true friendship, and it's a doorway to new life. Learning to be appropriately vulnerable unlocks friendship and the potential for healing and transformation. So what is it and how is it different from just sharing or being authentic?
When you were born, you couldn’t walk or talk. You couldn’t read or write. You couldn’t even control your own bowel movements.You LEARNED all those things from another human being. You were made for people. And here in America, we're now five years into a downward trend in life-expectancy that's being fueled by "deaths of despair" (suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism). Why? Because Americans are LONELY. As it turns out, YOU WERE MADE FOR PEOPLE.
Corrie ten Boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. If the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy. Huh? How is that again? That's because both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case why you should eliminate hurry from your life.
In 2023, far too many of us are choosing streaming over people. We go home, and we're tired. We've been with people all day at school or work, and those people have been extremely "people-ly," and so we stream something. But here's the thing about streaming or gaming: It will not energize you, it will not calm your mind or allow you to hear your heart or God's voice. We need each other, and we need to be together. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case why you should choose people over streaming more often than not.
We BECOME what or who we reflect. We BECOME what we pay attention to, and far too many of us are paying way too much attention to our phones – which means we are not hearing God’s voice: “You are my beloved child – and you are becoming like me!” In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why putting Scripture before phone will better position you to hear God's voice and experience the Fruit of the Spirit in your life.
Be a child of God as your identity. Fight the good fight from a place of victory. And abide in His presence as your inheritance and peace.
Truth brings about freedom and security. And one of the biggest truths of the Gospel is that we are (now) God's children. And the truth and love of God is revealed to those who are His children.
If someone we KNOW & TRUST gives us a testimonial, we generally accept it, whether that's for an InstaPot, a lawn service, or a church. But if a stranger gives us a testimonial, we hold it as suspect, dubious. So why do we trust all these strangers on Amazon & Google? We ASSUME that because there are SO MANY of them, the truth must be in there. And we also ASSUME that every single review is legitimate (and written by an actual person). We assume a lot, don’t we?
In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case that people talk MOST about what they love most. And real testimonies from real people have the power to MOVE us in a different direction.
You are going to encounter people who CLAIM to be on Team Jesus, but who are selfish, mean, and hateful. In fact, the more you get the know them, the less gracious, kind, loving, or forgiving they are. Instead, they are angry, spiteful, and hateful. Despite their claims of religiosity, despite their insistence that they follow Jesus, they are lying to you and to themselves. The Apostle John will have NONE of this. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the most important characteristic of someone who is walking in the way of Jesus.
Americans, like everyone else, RESIST change. And more than one church has uttered the phrase...that's the way we've ALWAYS done it. But what could happen if we allowed God to change us - to work inside of us and through us? Does it really take an evangelist to reach others?
On the one hand, God's got the whole world in his hands. On the other hand, Jesus said that the world hated him - and would hate his followers, too. So what gives? Why are we told in 1 John to NOT love the world?
Strangely enough, there IS an expectation from people that Christians should be DIFFERENT. They should have integrity. They should be honest. They should work hard. They should be loving people. And strangely enough, God seems to think the same thing. In the Bible, this expectation that God's people will be DIFFERENT is called holiness, and in 1 John, we get a picture of what that should look like...because God is light and HIs people should live in the light.
Have you ever noticed that you NEVER see a Mormon missionary come to your front door ALONE? They’ve always got a partner. They’re always “on mission” with someone else or with a team. That's not by accident. Isolated and alone, we tend to be overly critical (of ourselves and others), overly discouraged (by the results of our efforts) and overly prone to giving up or walking away. Jesus KNOWS we have this tendency (when we are alone) to be overly critical, overly discouraged, and overly prone to giving up. That’s why he sent his disciples out in pairs.
In 2009, Tim Keller told his congregation in New York City, “We want to feel beautiful. We want to feel loved. We want to feel significant. And that’s why we’re working so hard.” And those people “had lived their whole lives with parents, music teachers, coaches, professors, and bosses telling them to do better, be better, try harder.” In America (like ancient Rome), we applaud and celebrate the achievers, the rich, and the beautiful. Is it any wonder so many people labor to obtain:•Enough success•Enough popularity•Enough stuffTo convince themselves and everyone else that THEY ARE SOMEBODY. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on identity and how to get free from the American ideals of success, popularity, and wealth.
On any given day, we can feel happy, sad, angry, betrayed, frustrated, delighted, excited, scared, or bored. More often than not, these feelings are not simply random occurrences. They are frequently connected to our thoughts, to what we are thinking on a regular basis. A Jesus-based, Jesus-infused identity will require us to CONFESS (thoughts/beliefs which are untrue) and BELIEVE (that Jesus is enough).
We've all known people like Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent who have been marked with a curse or marked with a blessing. And in our community, their stories have been shared in two places: (1) In our county jail – one STORY after ANOTHER - of men addicted to drugs, because they are trying to mask the pain of their upbringing and lack, and (2) At Asbury’s outpouring – one STORY after ANOTHER – of men and women who, often in spite of or instead of – are now redeemed, forgiven, beloved, treasured, and set apart for God’s work. In this message, Max Vanderpool maps out five (5) key elements of a Biblical blessing.
A part of our identity is forged in our childhood - from what we receive (or don't receive) from our parents. But it shouldn't surprise us when we receive a curse from our parents. Why? Humanity's first parents, Adam and Eve, decided that they couldn’t trust God, they had to figure things out for themselves, they had to determine what’s right and wrong, and they wanted to be in charge – so they took matters into their own hands. And they spent the rest of their lives laboring under a curse.And so do we. The good news is that God can take a curse and turn it into a blessing. And it all starts with a decision.
Unlike traditional cultures, we tell people in America to find certain dreams, feelings, or intuitions they have (on the inside) and assert them, express them, follow them, and MAKE them HAPPEN! Don’t let anyone (else) tell you what to do (or how to live your life)! Especially your parents. But this way of identity formation nearly always leads to comparison, anxiety, and condemnation. In this message, Max Vanderpool identifies the PRIMARY way we go about identity formation in American and why it (simply) doesn't work.
Adults and students alike are plagued with social media feeds of everyone else's best moments and highlights, perfectly cut and curtailed to LOOK amazing. As you scroll through, you wonder why YOU have to struggle so much when it seems like everyone else is flying. But this way of living is fragile and exhausting...and it's NOT the Gospel way. In this message, Max Vanderpool, explores what it means to be BORN AGAIN and how it's more than just going to heaven when you die.
For the past several decades, pastors, church leaders, and Christian conferences have told folks to get up early in the morning. Read your Bible (alone). Pray (alone). Journal and reflect on your life, your life issues, and where God might be at work in your life and the world around you (alone). So when Americans READ or HEAR Ephesians 6 and the Apostle Paul's admonition to put on the armor of God, they think, "Oh, yeah, I should do that. I should have done that this morning...when I was alone." But is that what Paul meant? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks some of the larger issues
American Protestants divide over all kinds of issues: what type of music to use, what type of programming to employ, whether women can be pastors, and whether speaking in tongues is a thing or a thing that's over. The trouble is we value being right MORE than we value being together. And if Jesus and the Apostle Paul are to be believed, God cares more about unity than about being right.
On the one hand, the Church (with a capital "C") has sinned and erred and hurt and (at many different times) born a bad witness for Jesus. On the OTHER hand, how it is even possible to talk about experiencing God's LOVE apart from His Body? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why the most profound experiences of God's love are found in relationship and communion with other believers who are often very different from you.
We introduced the virtue of FORGIVENESS (which we define as "deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn't have to pay"), and we looked at an encounter with Jesus, a Pharisee named Simon, and a woman who had done many things requiring forgiveness. But she wasn't the ONLY person in the room who needed to be forgiven.
Marwan Bishara, writing for Al-Jazeera in 2002, explained that it's obvious why Palestinians HATE Israelis. But he couldn't understand why Israelis hated Palestinians so much. As it turns out, one ethnic group HATING another is normal. It's THE normative experience for human history. Which is why Paul's statement in Ephesians 2 is so striking. The Apostle Paul claims that Jesus KILLED ethnic hostility on the cross for those who are IN Christ Jesus. In other words, instead of hating each other - those who are in Christ Jesus do the opposite - they LOVE deeply, and they manifest the presence of God in their midst. It's as radical TODAY as it was in the first-century.
Are demons real? Are angels? Chances are, your religious background (or lack thereof) has affected HOW you answer those questions. And are demons and angels like what we see on television or in movies? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the Apostle Paul's use of powers and authorities and what Paul meant by them. Their influence can be seen, not just in individuals, but also in societal, political, cultural, and religious systems.
Americans believe that the PERFECT gift is both spontaneous AND something given with no strings attached (and no obligation of reciprocity). And so when we read that salvation is God's GIFT to us, that's HOW we tend to see it. But throughout the ancient world (the Hebrew world, the Persian world, the Babylonian world, the Roman world, the Jewish world), gifts were nearly always given with the expectation of reciprocity...because a gift was often given to initiate a relationship. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from Ephesians 2:8-9 and explains what's behind Paul's understanding of this gift of God.
Because Jesus is God - when Jesus says something, God is saying something. When Jesus does something, God is doing something. And when Jesus feels something, we're given a picture into how God feels about something. And DESPITE being God, Jesus spent a ridiculous amount of time around ORDINARY people - people who weren't necessarily the brightest, most beautiful, or most powerful. And we see something VERY IMPORTANT in the call Jesus issues to Peter, James, John, and Matthew.
How you think about the future matters, because how you think about the future affects the decisions that you make (today) and the feelings and attitudes you have. Among theologians, this is called ESCHATOLOGY. But make no mistake, the way in which the American church has tended to see the future (the world's going to burn, etc.) has affected how American Christians live out their faith. But what if the way we've tended to think about it or see it is NOT how the Bible presents it? What if the Apostle Paul, Jesus, and God's people of the Old Testament saw it a different way? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks some of the future-talk from Ephesians 1 and why it matters today.
Blessing. Predestined. Forgiveness. Blameless. Grace. God's Will. Adopted. Redemption. Glory. Believe. These are all words the Apostle Paul uses right out of the gate in his letter to the Ephesians. But as AMERICANS, we have a tendency to read a few things INTO these words - particularly words like predestined - and chosen. But what if we allowed Paul to define those words? And what exactly is Paul getting at in the first (lengthy) sentence in Ephesians?
Paul's letter to the Ephesians hits on many BIG themes like salvation, the nature of family, belonging, reconciliation, identity, powers, and holiness. And at the heart of this letter is Paul's insistence that, when what's been hidden gets revealed, it can change EVERYTHING. In this first message on Ephesians, Max Vanderpool attempts to allow Paul to speak to us today - and will be making a case that Paul simply taught Jesus 101 - putting into letter form the bigger things that Jesus taught and lived.
In this final act in the Book of Esther, we see see the effects of a great reversal. Mordecai (the Jew) is vindicated. Queen Esther is vindicated. The Jews still living throughout the Persian Empire are vindicated. And, at the end of it all, God (Himself) is vindicated...because God always keeps His promises. At the end of everything, God will be vindicated, and those who put their trust in Him will also be vindicated.
Life is full of reversals. There's the seemingly perfect marriage that plods along for 25 years only to be ripped apart by an affair and divorce. There's the uber-successful brother-in-law who purchases a vacation home and get promoted every year - only to suffer bankruptcy and the loss of everything. And then there are the other kind of reversals - the quiet friend at school who wasn't involved in ANY extra-curricular activities who, later in life, writes a NYT best-selling book. With these dramatic reversals in life, no one sees it coming. And that's the kind of reversal we see in the account of Esther - who foreshadows another grand reversal.
In the Middle East today, when a car accident happens (the fender-bender kind), everyone stops. Everyone gets out of their car. Because they might KNOW one of the people involved, and they might ALSO know someone at the police department (or hospital, or justice center). And they have an OBLIGATION to be a "friend" to their acquaintance involved in the wreck. We really don't have a word in English to adequately translate what a "mediator" is or does. Pity, because it's at the heart of how God uses Esther to rescue His people - and it's at the heart of what Jesus Christ has done for all who are saved.
In 1998, things hit the fan for then-president Bill Clinton. His two-year affair with 24-year-old Monica Lewinsky was made public. Setting aside the politics of it, most of us, had we been Monica's parents, would have felt that the president abused his power and mistreated our daughter. And so it is with presidents, kings, comedians, CEO's, pastors, and other people in positions of power and authority. And it's not unlike the Persian world of roughly 479 B.C. It's a culture where those in power ABUSE power and EXPLOIT others...so much so it makes you wonder if God is even paying attention. And yet, the account of Esther (and the book named after her in the Bible) tells us a LOT about how God works - and points to something (and someone) much, much better.
In our November InterGen, Pastor Max retells the account of Joshua, Caleb and the twelve spies. Twelve spies were sent into the (promised) land to scout it out, map it, and report back what they had seen. Ten spies were afraid. Two spies were not. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to do what you should do (even when you're afraid).
All of us at one point or another are afraid. And sometimes, those fears are warranted. And sometimes, they aren't. But in those moments of fear, we are presented with a choice: Can we live in faith when we are afraid? In this message, Brian Hull connects the call of Moses with the Apostle Paul's command to offer ourselves to God. The good news? God knows us, and God is with us.
Americans walk away from freedom click by click, decision by decision, decade by decade, so much so that by the time they’re 40-45 years old, they’re stuck in a job they hate (but can’t leave), because they’re making payments: house, student loans, cars, credit cards. And coincidentally, our smartphones and smartwatches and smart-devices are accelerating these steps away from freedom through the use of "one-click." In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles how to handle debt and why it might be wise to turn off those "one-click" settings.
Why is it that some people are extraordinarily generous while others are exceedingly stingy? Why does the world have the likes of a Ronald Read and Sylvia Bloom and (also) the likes of a Montgomery Burns and Mr. Krabs? What does it mean to actually TRUST God with everything? And why is it that LOVE always involves a form of risk? In this message, Max Vanderpool, revisits the larger ideas of scarcity and abundance as they connect to trusting God.
If you've ever worked on a thousand-piece puzzle, you know that the lid (or the picture) is critically important. Without it, you have little chance of successfully putting the puzzle together. And yet, many people are trying to do just that when it comes to faith and life. In this message, Brian Hull comes to the "faith" part of our series Fear and Faith in Uncertain Times. And he wonders if maybe God is bigger than we have typically seen or felt or known or have experienced.
We might not always understand why we face seasons when we need grit. But we can trust that God is with us and will give us what we need to keep going.
Social media has become social comparison, and we do it ALL the time. You take a family vacation to see family. Your Instagram friend takes a Disney cruise and goes snorkeling. They win. You lose. THEIR life is better. You break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend, because it isn't healthy. Your Instagram friend gets engaged and announces a destination wedding. They win. You lose. THEIR life is better. You move into an apartment/house and think, "this could work." Your Instagram friend does a major home renovation. They win. You lose. THEIR life is better. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the comparison game we play and what it means to be "valued" and "valuable."
85% of Americans own and use a smartphone, and the "smart" part of smartphone means that it's really a hand-held computer that can also make phone calls. And we use these smartphones. A LOT. While driving, while using the bathroom, and before going to bed (and some of us sleep with our phones). But what if these devices are actually ramping UP our fears? In this message, Max Vanderpool walks through two passages from Matthew and why faith and fear tend to move in opposite directions. WARNING: Listening to this message may cause you to change the settings on your smartphone.
There's a LOT going on in Genesis 18 when Abraham and Sarah are told that God will FINALLY deliver on what he promised - and that Sarah will deliver a baby some time the following year.
Often, in the face of loss and change, people want to go back. They want to go back to the way things were when mom and dad were together, when things were simpler, before the internet, when things seemed safe. But the problem is NONE of us can (really) go back. Because those worlds (and sets of circumstances) no longer exist. We can only go FORWARD.
We often think of peace as simply the absence of conflict, so that when Jesus tells us he gives us peace, we tend to think of a conflict-free life or conflict-free set of relationships. But the word Jesus (actually) used meant (and means) something different, something MORE. In this message, Charlotte Lacy, unpacks what SHALOM means and why what Jesus offers is better.
The earth takes roughly 24 hours to rotate on its axis. And the earth takes roughly 365 days to circle the sun. These facts are constant and unchanging (as it is with time). You cannot store up time for later. And when you kill time, it doesn't come back from the dead. In Psalm 90, we have a Psalm of lament - from of all people - Moses, "the" man of God. So what can Moses tell us about how to live life well? And what does Moses know about God and how God works - in our lives - that is reason to hope?
In the famous Disney film "Frozen," Ella gives voice to a song that, at its core, is a song of lament. It's why Disney wouldn't allow Elsa to be the villain in the film. How could the character that sings that song BE the villain? Interestingly so, Americans (and the American church) don't know HOW to lament. Our spirituality is filled with victory chants, songs of praise, and hopes for deliverance. But isn't the journey to hope one that starts off by lament - by recognizing what is? In this message, Amanda Duke makes a case for why we should learn to lament.
Singing is amazing if you think about it. Somehow, we humans are able to push air up our throats over some sort of flexible fleshy membranes that vibrate a different speeds, changing the pitch of the sound we're producing (which we intuitively know how to do) all the while shaping our tongues, lips, and mouths to form words while making this happen. And the songs we sing over and over again (somehow) get lodged in our brains, hearts, and consciousness for the long haul. Maybe it's why parents, teachers, and religious leaders use MUSIC and SONGS to educate children. And maybe it's one reason God asks us to SING.
Celtic Christians had a word to describe places where the boundary between heaven and earth had been collapsed. They called it "a thin place." Thin places are those places and spaces where it's EASIER to encounter God, EASIER to hear His voice, EASIER to sense the leading of God's Spirit. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the broader meaning behind the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) and why it matters that we regularly visit thin places.
People under the age of 18 are the most vulnerable, the most teachable, and have the potential to live the longest among any other age demographic. What we do (or don’t do) with and for people under the age of 18 impacts our future…impacts everything. In today's message, Pastor Max reminds us that we must pass the history and reality of our faith into the next generation. You might call it our next generation obligation.
Here's the teaching time from our July (2022) InterGen worship that continues our 2022 summer focus in our children's area on the Fruit of the Spirit.
When we talk about a grandmother's love, we're talking about a particular kind of love...one that's over-the-top, a bit spoiling, and tremendously accepting and encouraging. When we say that no one loves you like grandma does, we're saying something about the QUALITY of that love. The Bible, and The Psalms in particular, are FULL of metaphors (like a grandmother's love). And Psalm 23 is the most famous of them all: God's care for us is LIKE that of a shepherd to his sheep.
I'll be happy when...
I'll be happy when I'm finally finished with school. I'll be happy when we have a bigger apartment/house. I'll be happy when the kids are older and not so much work. And the list goes ON. Americans spend incredible amounts of time and energy trying to get happy or make themselves happy. And it often ends in disaster. Why? Because pursuing happiness NEVER results in being happy. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why the Psalmist exclaims "Happy is the man who..."
When we were kids, we handed out 18, 25, 30 or more Valentine's Day cards. A holiday built around the idea of love, and we give away cards like candy. When it comes this particular fruit of the Spirit (love), God wants us to be generous. God wants us to know that He loves us completely, He isn't going anywhere and won't abandon us, that we can love others, because He will constantly resupply us on the inside.
When you're free to live your true self, your relationships have a better shot at being at their best. But FEW Americans know how to do this well. We see it all the time on Instagram...we post things that will get affirmed and liked, but we hide (the things that are TRUE about us) for fear we will get judged or condemned. Jesus shows us a better way. Jesus lived a life FREE from the control of the approval or disapproval of others.
Christians often confuse peace-MAKING with peace-KEEPING. Jesus was a peace-MAKER. That means that he didn't ignore tensions or differences. In fact, Jesus wasn't afraid to disagree with people. Peace-KEEPERS, on the other hand, tend to appease, avoid, and defer to others when tensions arise. True peace will NEVER come by pretending what is wrong is right. In this message (taken from Peter & Geri Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Relationships), Max Vanderpool will spell out what it does and does not mean to fight cleanly.
When was the last time you were with a family member, friend, or co-worker and felt like they weren't listening to you? What were the clues? How did you KNOW they just weren't getting you or getting it? Listening is linked to CARING, which is why it's critical for Christians (followers of Jesus) to learn the art of incarnational listening. Jesus was a good listener, and the world would see his followers (Christians) VERY DIFFERENTLY if they were known for being good listeners. Imagine someone saying, "I know they claim Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, which is just nuts, but man when I'm with Christians I feel seen and I feel heard." In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the skill of learning to listen incarnationally.
In life, there is a continuum of emotionally compromised people. Some lean toward OVER-regulating their emotions, pushing negative feelings deep down into their heart and soul, hoping that those highly charged and highly negative emotions will simply disappear or fade away over time. Others lean toward UNDER-regulating their emotions, expressing EVERY passing feeling they have with robust intensity. BOTH ends of the continuum are unhealthy. BOTH ends of the continuum will hamstring your relationships. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why becoming more like Jesus means becoming more emotionally self-aware.
Imagine a husband who calls every day from work. One day, however, he doesn't call. The husband and wife had had an argument the night before, the but the wife thought it had been resolved. Now, in the wake of no phone call, she begins to wonder if she was mistaken. Perhaps her husband IS still angry. Perhaps he's pulling some kind of passive-aggressive tactic (the kind HIS father used). Later that night when both the husband and wife are home, the wife says nothing (all the while stewing inside about her inconsiderate husband). She goes to bed early angry and alone. The next morning, the husband is behaving as though NOTHING had happened, and right before leaving for work he tells her, "I'm so sorry I didn't call you yesterday. We had an emergency at work, and I was stuck in a team meeting without my phone for over four hours. I want you to know I missed you, and I love you." In THAT moment, the wife realizes that what she had ASSUMED about her husband was NOT the case. In this message, Pastor Max articulates a relationship skill NEEDED for cultivating HEALTHY relationships...in your family, with friends and church family, and with co-workers.
Everybody's got an angle, or so it would seem. Friends, family members, and co-workers sometimes disappoint us, because it becomes apparent (over time) that their interest in us in ONLY because of what we will do for them. It's a take-give relationship (they take, we give). Unfortunately, too many of us take that disappointment and place it at God's feet, assuming that God will be just like these friends, family members, or acquaintances. But He is not. Jesus truly is the good shepherd, and because Jesus doesn't seek to get anything OUT of the sheep he leads, he's WORTH following.
We define hope as believing that something GOOD can come out of something BAD. And, given the past couple of years, it is necessary to HOPE, good to HOPE, and right to HOPE.
We live in a world marked by chaos, ugliness, and scarcity - and that makes us afraid, so we try to mitigate our fears by exerting control. But NO amount of control will ensure our safety or guarantee that we have what we need. Which is why, time and time again in the Bible, we're implored to have faith, to put our trust in God and NOT in ourselves or in what we can control. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks Jesus's statement, "I am the door" and what it means to trust God for protection and provision.
There's often a disconnect between the person that gets projected out into social media (and in conversations) and the real person on the inside. Which is why we're sometimes blind-sided by a friend's failing marriage (they seemed so happy together) or a bankruptcy (they just took a vacation to Disney World) or an arrest (I had no idea he was an alcoholic). The Bible speaks to this reality - this disconnect - and Jesus offers a way out - a way forward. Make no mistake. God IS light, but people are trapped in darkness.
It's difficult to deal with a family member, close co-worker, or friend who's making BAD decisions. Why? Because it eats you up on the inside! And it eats you up on the inside, because (more often than not) YOU don't say anything to that friend...for fear you ruin the friendship or because it's really none of your business. It's absolutely CRAZY that we would tell the WORLD about a potentially stupid decision or pattern but NEVER tell the person it will negatively impact. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaching on what it really means to speak the truth in love.
You're going to have people in your life (from time to time) who expect YOU to fix THEIR problems...their money problems, their relationship problems, or their emotional problems. And if you're not careful, you'll walk right into this trap of trying to fix (or rescue) people. Whether you consider them "extra grace required" people or emotional vampires, one's things certain: there's GOT to be a better way. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaching on how to love people without rescuing them (from Paul's admonitions to the Christians living in Galatia).
You're going to encounter difficult people. People who push your buttons. People who interrupt. People who never shut up. People who violate your personal space. People who do not seem to possess the ability to see ANYTHING past the end of their nose. So what do you do? What do you do with the non-listener? The one-upper? The gossip-er? The curmudgeon? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the "wisdom from above" when it comes to dealing with inconsiderate people.
Many of us have encountered a sudden reversal of fortune in life...a deadline that got moved or a tax refund that increased when the paperwork was finished. At the heart of the Gospel is a similar sudden reversal of fortune for humanity. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains the heart of the Gospel - from Romans 3 - that has a perfect illustration from Polish history.
Any time a pastor, rabbi, priest, or religious leader calls out a "sin," a lot of Americans just roll their eyes (in disgust) and dismiss those statements as illegitimate. After all, the religious leader saying them is a hypocrite and they just think they're "better than everyone else." This makes it terribly difficult to talk about sin - particular the personal sins of you and me. And if we can't talk about sin, how can we talk about the good news?
Our church family has endured some loss (of late). Lost groups & gatherings (due to Covid). Lost people. Lost marriages. And lost pregnancies. But Americans (for better or worse) aren't very good at supporting people through loss. We tend to say the darndest things. If you've ever struggled with what to say to a friend who's grieving or how to support a friend who's experienced loss, you're not alone. It isn't easy or intuitive to know what to say or what to do. In this message, Max Vanderpool, maps out some practical ways you can support a friend or family member through loss (and disappointment).
Mike Rowe, longtime host of the TV series Dirty Jobs, learned FAR more than he anticipated doing that series. In TED talks and subsequent interviews, it turns out FAR MORE is going on behind doing a dirty job. Maybe that's why Jesus appeared in a manger or why Jesus claimed that the Son of Man came (not to be served but) to serve. In this message, Amanda Duke explains why getting your hands dirty is the very definition of Christianity and what that might look like where you live.
When we launched Generations in 2004, we were the ONLY church in the USA with that name. Today, there are over 30 versions of Generations Community Church throughout the United States. Perhaps God IS doing something we might not easily recognize. Our very name comes from one of our church's values - a belief that we should ALL take our faith home with us. Faith isn't just something that happens at church for 60 minutes on a Sunday morning. Faith is an every day thing - a family thing - a school thing - a work thing - a life thing. And it's supposed to be that way.
The church is full of hypocrites. It's true. But it isn't just the church. LIFE is full of hypocrites...people who pretend to be "righteous" or a certain way when they are really struggling or not that way at all. If you watch the Netflix series, "The Crown," you see it in the marriage of Charles and Diana. But here's the thing: You do NOT have to have it together to come here, belong here, or be loved here at Generations Community Church. So please, don't fake it...not for our sakes...and certainly not because you HAVE to do so to be accepted.
The earliest Christians in Ephesus struggled with feeling like they were not enough, feeling like they didn't matter, and feeling like they didn't belong. It's because their culture told people you only matter IF you are smart (or intelligent), IF you are beautiful, IF you possess athletic prowess, or IF you can entertain. So the Apostle Paul reassured them...of God's love...of their identity...of their new FAMILY. It's the very kind of reassurance that we Americans need today.
Weddings are typically a lot of fun, except when you get stuck at the pastor's table. Why is it that people assume pastors and "serious" followers of Jesus are NO FUN AT ALL? In some ways, it goes all the way back to Puritan New England, but it's a myth perpetuated today by well-intentioned believers. So why did Jesus go to so many weddings, dinners, banquets, celebrations, and parties? BECAUSE HE WAS INVITED! In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks our value "have fun" and why it's so desperately needed today.
There's a tension between the right kind of flexibility and inflexibility. It's something parents (particularly of teenagers) live out daily. When should they HOLD FIRM to something and when should they BEND? And how do you know which is which? In the New Testament, we see the earliest Christians walk out this same kind of tension (between flexibility and inflexibility). Where and when do you hold firm? And when and were do you flex? Because, after all, Jesus WAS flexible...except when he wasn't.
Jesus said, "Love your enemies." And some people think that means you shouldn't resist someone breaking into your home or an army invading your country. Still others believe it means you should be a doormat for everyone and everything. Don't resist. Just sit there and take it, they say. So what did Jesus really mean by insisting that we love our enemies? Is it possible to hold out for justice AND mercy?
In the fall of 2018, God gave Generations a "place to call home." We had four months in our (new to us) facility before COVID hit. But what if we heard God RIGHT? What if this facility IS God's provision and a "place to call home?" What if, like the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, God is giving us and opportunity and a place...so that WE can be a blessing? In this message, Brian Hull, draws connections between Joshua 1 and where we are (today) as a church family.
Most of us have gotten a Christmas gift (or job or boyfriend or girlfriend) that we THOUGHT would make us happy and satisfied...only to be disappointed. We have a habit of going to "empty wells" looking for water. In John's Gospel, Jesus is presented as a friend to sinners and as someone who CAN and DOES satisfy our deepest longings.
Jesus was more than just a relevant teacher. He had POWER to free people from demonic oppression, religious strongholds, stress and anxiety...and that SAME power is available to his followers TODAY.
Researchers have determined that there is ONE difference between the happiest and unhappiest people. And that difference isn't money, social status, physical appearance, I.Q., or possessions. It's the presence of joy-producing, life-giving relationships. That's right...people! Flourishing isn't just about connecting to God (and being connected to God), it's about connecting to God's people. In this message, Max Vanderpool offers some practical steps to activate your tribe.
In the American church, we've pushed the idea of a quiet time - something a believer does in the morning (by themselves) when the read the Bible (by themselves), pray (by themselves), and perhaps even journal (by themselves). But this ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach to connecting to God doesn't work (for many) and doesn't accurately reflect the diversity of personalities and temperaments that God made. In this message, Max Vanderpool cautions us not to wear someone else's armor.
The last 18 months have been brutal. A pandemic. Lockdowns. Shutdowns. A hotly contested presidential election. People have lost their ever-loving minds, haven't they? There are times in our lives when we are living the best version of ourselves...the person we want to be...the person God meant us to be...and we're flourishing. And then there are times in our lives when we are living a broken and corrupted version of ourselves...and we're languishing. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks shepherd, sheep, and sheep-pens in order to map out a way to flourish.
Living for God will require occasional acts of extravagant love and extravagant generosity - so much so that others in your life will question whether you're being taken advantage of, whether someone is playing you, whether you should be setting firmer boundaries. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the action of the widow and her "mite" in the Temple complex. Most pastors simply want to say, "Be like HER. She gave everything." But so much MORE is going on in this passage - giving us a glimpse into the heart of God and how extravagant love and generosity is measured by Him.
Generations has put a lot of effort into loving people and accepting people. And that's a good thing. It's exactly what Jesus did in his relationships - he frontloaded them with love and acceptance. But, like Peter, we're going to need to do MORE than just love people. We're going to have to use words and talk ABOUT Jesus to others.
According to Anne Lamott, when Americans tend to pray, they tend to pray three things: (1) thank you, thank you, thank you, (2) help me, help me, help me, and (3) I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But what if there's more to prayer than that? And what if it actually matters WHO you're talking to? In this message, Pastor Max gives some practical advice on practicing praying to God.
If you don't know what's IN The Bible, you're going to spend your entire life just guessing. And because you're an American, you'll be making up what you think Jesus is like. (And here's the thing: Americans almost always think Jesus is just like them. If they CARE about environment, Jesus would care about the environment. If they care about unborn babies, Jesus would care about unborn babies.) Sometimes, you'll guess right, but often you'll guess WRONG. Why guess? Read or listen to The Bible. Regularly. And read or listen to the Gospels and Acts, because knowing is better than guessing.
Any time there are two or more people, there is going to be CONFLICT. And unresolved conflict takes up room inside your body through high blood pressure, stress, eating problems, stomach issues, weight gain, weight loss, and a HOST of other ailments. Why live that way?
There are certain ingredients that will NEVER make a cake or a dessert. Cabbage, beets, slimy spinach, and pickled pigs feet are examples of foods that CAN be eaten but never enjoyed as a dessert.
PEACE works in a similar way. There are ingredients necessary for peace to take hold in your life. Fortunately, the Apostle Paul spells out what these ingredients are.
Today is Easter Sunday. And Easter comes to people who are shaken, afraid, and have had their expectations turned upside down. Why? Because there is no place you can go that Jesus can't.
Shakespeare once wrote that expectation is the root of all heartache. As it turns out, Bill wasn't wrong. What if expectations get in the way of our relationship with God? What if we expect Jesus to be and do things that Jesus won't be or won't do? What then? Palm Sunday is the day Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem as its king, and it's a day laden with expectations.
What do you do when you think or know that God has told you something, but nothing happens? Do you wonder if you heard God wrong? Do you get worried that God got busy or distracted? Or are you tempted to take matters into your own hands?
Because of the pandemic and the lockdowns and restrictions, a LOT of us have been waiting for things to get back to normal, things to reopen, the vaccine, and the END of the pandemic. But we Americans aren't really good at waiting. But what if God is actually DOING something while we wait? What if we can trust that God IS at work?
We're always dividing people into two groups. And, when it comes to kindness, we often feel like there are people who deserve kindness and people who don't. But Jesus doesn't see things that way. In this message, Max Vanderpool wraps up our February emphasis on the virtue of kindness.
Expectations can get you into trouble in life, particularly family expectations. But what if GOD actually has expectations of us? What then?
Chances are, you have a tendency to work hard or you have a tendency to do just enough to get by. And you know a ton of people in both categories. The Wisdom literature, in the Bible, has something to say about work, and hard work in particular. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why Solomon appeals to ants - and what they can show us about work and preparing for a rainy day.
It is a mistake to believe that the best way to live life is to do so independently. It is a mistake to NEVER ask for help, never accept help, never rely upon people - because you believe they won't do it right or because you believe they'll let you down. There's a reason Jesus said that you have to BECOME like a (little) child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And it's probably NOT for the reason you think.
These days, we have an army of psychologists and therapists reminding people to self-advocate, to not allow themselves to become doormats (or become co-dependent), to stand up for themselves. And while there's truth to all of it, something profoundly POWERFUL happens when you stand up for someone else. In the midst of the pandemic and lockdowns, many pastors and churches are generating noise about THEIR rights to gather and worship. But what if they're missing it? What if they're missing an opportunity to BE the church?
The Christmas story is saturated with risk and faith. We see it play out, over and over again, with Zechariah & Elizabeth, Mary & Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and even Herod. Why does God (seem) to ask people to trust Him to do the impossible? And how is it that people, like Mary, can simply let it unfold?
The world's kings and queens and presidents KNOW how to make an arrival, which makes the arrival of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (on Christmas Day, so to speak) quite odd and quite extraordinary. To mark the first Sunday of Advent, Pastor Max takes a loot at the genealogy of Matthew 1 and what Matthew is saying about Jesus.
There is one sure test of whether or not God is ruling someone's life. And some people pass the test with flying colors, while others simply don't. What is this test? It's a test Jesus, Himself, put forth as the ultimate sign of God's Kingdom.
Why is it that two people can be in the same room but see what happened differently? And why is it that, at so many church events, God seems to "move" some people but not others? Jesus's signature teaching, in all likelihood, was the Parable of the Soils. And Jesus makes a BOLD CLAIM. Some people will recognize the movement of God and others won't.
In the 1970s, Americans were fascinated with the APOCALYPSE (and some still are, today). For many Americans, they assume God is going to destroy the world with fire and Christians will be evacuated right before that goes down. But what does Jesus say about all this? And what does the end of the world have to do with the Kingdom of God?
All the kingdoms of the world use power the same way. They use POWER OVER others. They leverage it, exert it, use and abuse it. And they attempt to control others (or coerce them) through the power of the sword. But not God. And certainly not God's Kingdom. In this message, Max Vanderpool, emphasizes what it looks like when God uses power.
What do you think of when you hear the word kingdom? Do you think of a PLACE like the magic kingdom? Do you think of a PEOPLE like the British people? We tend to think of kingdoms in terms of place and people, but is THAT what John the Baptist (and Jesus) preached was near?
This is the most important election in our lifetime, they say. If our candidate doesn't get elected (or re-elected), it could mean the end of our way of life...FOREVER. Face it, people talk about elections these days like people USED to talk about the apocalypse. But should we PANIC? Who exactly are we trusting in all this frenzy?
How did YOU learn to pray as a kid? Who taught you how to pray? Who gave you the words and language you use to pray? In this message, Pastor Max Vanderpool unpacks why the disciples asked Jesus to teach them HOW to pray and ponders what we're really asking when we pray that God's kingdom will COME.
In the midst of the pandemic, many folks are seeing a lot more porn than they used to see. And they're lingering, because they're stressed out. But a little porn is NOT okay. It comes with a steep price, which is why the warning of Jesus is prescient today.
Right now, in the midst of a pandemic, you may need to PROVE that you actually love some people: your wife, husband, kids, parents, close friends, church family. And if you're not careful, when this pandemic is over, those people (who matter MOST) may not feel or believe you really love them. It's the test no one wants to have to take - and no one can afford to fail.
A lot of people think that being happy or experiencing a lot of joy in your life is what makes people grateful. It make sense happy people are grateful, sad/angry people are hateful. But research shows what the BIble has long taught: it's actually the OTHER way around. Practiced gratitude actually opens up the channel for joy in your life. In this message, Max Vanderpool, wraps up our teaching series on joy from the book of Philippians.
Unforgiveness is a JOY-killer. Anger & resentment are JOY-killers. Bitterness is a JOY-killer. The brutal truth about JOY is that JOY won't share a ride with unforgiveness.
On any given day, you feel all kinds of things: happy, sad, betrayed, frustrated, delighted, excited, scared, bored, etc. But those feelings are NOT simply random occurrences. They are connected to your thoughts, to what you are THINKING. In this messages, Pastor Max spells out how you can gain greater control over your emotions and emotional life and how that impacts your ability to experience joy.
Many of us FOCUS on the wrong things: our to-do list, what we didn't get done, what went wrong, etc. The Apostle Paul brilliantly outlines how a SHIFT in our focus is KEY to experiencing JOY.
Don't you know people who are simply out to USE others? Of course, you do. Our schools, friend circles, places of work, clubs and organizations are filled with people who are there because of how it will benefit THEM or how others will help THEM. But to be truly spiritual, truly mature, you've got to LOVE others well - and that means loving them for who they are and NOT what they can do for YOU.
Parker Palmer, in his book A Hidden Wholeness, writes about farmers in the Midwest (think Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakota's) who would tie a ROPE from their house to the barn. Why? Because if they didn't hold on to the rope, they would get LOST in a blizzard. Which is why there are stories of men freezing to death just a few feet from their home (because they let go of the rope). God has given us some ROPE to hold on to (that will lead us back to Him) amidst the crazy, busy, insane way we live life today. Holding on to the rope is a way to stay human, a way to keep your emotional and spiritual health.
Many people, especially those of us with FAITH, tend to minimize loss and disappointments in life. It's no big deal. I'll be okay. God's got something better for me. - We tell ourselves these things, but we feel devastated on the inside, wondering whether God is (ultimately) good and wondering whether we can really trust Him. That's just ONE REASON the Book of Job is in the Bible. In this message, Max Vanderpool implores all of us to truly embrace the loss and disappointments of life - only then can we be truly human. Only then can we be truly FREE.
You will encounter a wall several times over your life. A wall where you get stuck in your faith, where your faith doesn't seem to work any more. These walls are (actually) opportunities for you to let go of power and control and to actually TRUST God. We Americans have a hard time with this - because we think things ought to be easier than they are and because we are terrible at waiting.
Chances are, you have some FAMILY stuff going on in your family. Stuff you take with you to college. Stuff you bring with you into your marriage. Stuff that lingers into your adulthood. That's because what happens in ONE generation often repeats itself in the next. BUT. But God wants to do something in your life that not only changes you (for the better) but changes your family tree. Our family of origin influences who we are today, which is why it's important to GO BACK in order to GO FORWARD.
Far too many people DIE without knowing who they really ARE. They live out someone else's life or the live out someone else's expectations of whom they should be. As Meister Eckhart warned his students...no one can know God who does not first know himself.
Your life is like an iceberg. There's the 10% on top that everyone can easily see and that you can easily project to others. But there's 90% below the surface - your childhood, things that happened to you, the way you see yourself and the world around you. And that 90%, if NOT dealt with, can ROB you of a rich and satisfying life. Fortunately for us, being emotionally unhealthy is NOT a new problem. One character after another (from the pages of the Bible) struggled with it - and God wants to change it (change US, from the INSIDE OUT).
What's suppose to happen in a family is that a child is LOVED unconditionally by his/her parents that that child becomes an adult, who when they hear about a God who loves them unconditionally, immediately understands the concept and is able to trust God no matter what. RARE is the home where THAT kind of love is demonstrated. So these kids become adults who labor under a burden of becoming successful enough, having enough people like them or owning enough to believe they are SOMEBODY. Jesus didn't need any of that - because Jesus KNEW he was LOVED. In this message, Max Vanderpool, unpacks part of Jesus's identity - available to EVERY believer today.
We often like to think that Jesus was able to do the amazing things that were part of his public ministry, because he was (and is) God. Jesus could heal people, because Jesus is God. Jesus could forgive his enemies on the cross, because Jesus is God. And we all know that we are NOT God...we're ONLY HUMAN. And so we write off all the things that were part of his life recorded in the Gospels as impossible. But what if (the Apostle Paul) is actually right? What if Jesus intentionally set aside all his omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience to become fully human. What if Jesus did all those things in the Gospels, not BECAUSE he is God, but because he was wide open to God's Spirit?
Christmas is, if anything, an IRONIC season. At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God became human, that God embraced the limitations that come with being finite - with being limited - by throwing limits to the wind. At Christmas, we go, go, go, and do, do, do, and buy, buy, buy. And when Christmas is over, we're exhausted, fat, and broke. But Jesus shows us a better way - to be fully HUMAN - and it has to do with our limitations.
It's an ENTIRELY different world (today) than it was in 1975. Back then, church-goers could expect church to be a little like Hogwarts - a magical place that instilled a vibrant faith into their kids, a place where their kids learned the major themes (and characters) of the Bible, and a place where their kids could learn to engage life from a Christian worldview. Such a place, if it ever existed, is gone. And this new facility - as cool as it is - isn't Hogwarts, either.
There are Type A people and Type B people. There are planners and free spirits. And yet, despite the differences in personality, it simply ISN'T okay to be inflexible...about everything. In this message, Max Vanderpool piggy backs off of the Apostle Paul in teaching on what flexibility looks like in a church...especially one with a new building.
The relationship you were counting on has gone kaput. Your bank account is overdrawn...again. The car needs a new transmission. And your doctor wants to talk to you about those test results. Circumstances can often grab hold of us in such a way that they become ALL we see. Which is why God will sometimes ask us what we're doing here. In this message, James Ballard, unpacks the interplay between Elijah, Elisha and the times when we can't see or hear God (even though God is right next to us).
The average American man owns 12 pairs of shoes. The average American woman owns 27 pairs of shoes. The average person living in many countries on the continent of Africa or in certain provinces of India or China owns ONE pair of shoes. How many shoes are enough? And is the stuff you own making your life EASIER or HARDER to manage? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches an important life truth that Jesus articulated in Luke 12. It's one of the best ways to have FINANCIAL SMARTS.
The rich and powerful play by a different set of rules. It doesn't matter if your name is Hunter Biden or Chelsea Clinton or Jenna Bush Hager - opportunities open up for YOU that don't open for other people. So the rich make the rules - and the rules benefit the rich. BUT God is bothered when the rich and powerful play by a different set of rules. God is bothered when the rich and powerful systematically OPPRESS the poor, so that the rich become richer and even more powerful. In this message, Max Vanderpool attempts to unpack economic justice from the prophet Amos.
Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are the wealthiest and second wealthiest individuals in the WORLD. And yet, the two couldn't be more different in their approach to generosity. Gates is famous for giving away BILLIONS of dollars, while Bezos is famous for cutting benefits for his employees to increase the company's bottom line. You may not command BILLIONS of dollars, but like Bezos and Gates, you'll be subject to the same way generosity works (or doesn't work) for them - by how much it is in proportion to what you HAVE.
In America, we LOVE freedom. We've named 15 towns from Maine to California FREEDOM, and we like to think that FREEDOM is what we (actually) export to the rest of the world. So why is it that SO MANY Americans aren't free, when it comes to their finances. Why do so many of us slave away in jobs we can't stand, because we have house payments, car payments, student loan payments, and credit card payments. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches why DEBT and FREEDOM move in opposite directions, and what you can do to be FREE.
In America, if you make $6,700, you'll spend $6,700. If you make $34,000, you'll spend $34,000. And if you make $275,000, you'll spend $275,000. That's because, in America, lifestyle CHASES income. But when you live that way, you have NO MARGIN. No ability to pay for a broken water heater or (auto) water pump. No ability to be generous when you encounter a need. You DON'T HAVE to live that way! You can HAVE financial margin!
When it comes to finances, most Americans just wing it. They play it by ear. They guesstimate. But is that really way to get where you want to go? Without a plan, everything you've gained through sacrifice and hard-work could be lost. Because those who fail to plan plan to FAIL. Here's the thing: God doesn't want you to FAIL with money, because if you fail with money, it can affect so many other areas of your life. In fact, making a plan for how you SPEND money could be one of the most spiritual things you do this year.
ANYONE who attempts to trust God or follow Jesus is going to face times when they question whether that trust is well-founded. What do you do when things DON'T work out the way you think (or hope) they should? Do you walk away? Give up? Tune out for a season? Tucked away in Genesis is the account of a man who shows us that God CAN be trusted to do (exactly) what He's promised: and that man's name is Joseph.
For the past several decades, churches (in America) have operated like a business. They've promoted people into leadership who can get things done, make stuff happen, and get results. They've measured success in terms of butts in seats, size of facilities, and scope of programming. But have we made a mistake in doing so? And what have we LOST in running things that way? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the BIGGEST METAPHOR for the church found in the New Testament: a FAMILY - and what that means for Generations in the years ahead.
Can you imagine living in a country where parents routinely dumped off children with learning disabilities or special needs or physical limitations? That's part of the larger culture of Kenya, because flawed children are seen as cursed. James, Rach'el, and Josh Ballard share what it's like when CHRISTIANS welcome and love the kids few people want to welcome and love.
Take the CHALLENGE! Start writing down three things you're thankful for EACH DAY and see what happens (six months later)...
Three-year-olds and eighty-three-year-olds have one thing in common: if they think it, they say it, and if they feel it, they express it. Which is why it's incredibly important to develop some self-control when it comes to what you say to others and what you say to yourself. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about practical ways to bring about life in your speech.
Following Jesus is a transformative way of life: the old becomes new. In this message, James Ballard, looks at how followers of Jesus can live a transformed, fruit-filled life every single day.
Everybody needs someone who will support you, come through for you and defend you...someone who is loyal, trustworthy, constant, and reliable. And you know what? Somebody ELSE needs that from you! Because faithfulness matters.
Random acts of kindness are still in vogue today, but is there something more to it? Is it still kindness if you have all the feels on the inside, but don't actually get around to doing anything about it? And do we have to be kind to everyone? Aren't some folks undeserving of kindness? Do they, in the sense, have it coming? Fortunately, Jesus answers these questions in a parable recorded in Luke's Gospel.
Unlike joy, which is complex and can accommodate other emotions and feeling, peace won't share space with worry, fear and anxiety. In fact, worry, fear and anxiety will exert enough pressure that peace is pushed out entirely. And yet, Jesus promised that we would HAVE (experience) peace. Max Vanderpool unpacks Matthew 6 to help paint a picture of what this fruit of the Spirit might look like in your life.
We know. You've got the joy, joy, joy, down in your heart. WHERE? Down in your heart. Unless you don't, and then you feel a little guilty that, maybe, you're just not living the Christian life the way you're supposed to. But what if joy isn't just a feeling? What if you can experience joy AND pain at the same time? In this message, Max Vanderpool, tackles the second fruit of the Spirit - JOY - and offers practical advice for cultivating MORE of it in your life.
Addiction always starts with something that feels good, whether it's drugs, alcohol, sex/porn, social media, sugar, or gambling. That's because our brain releases dopamine - the chemical that makes us feel good and that tells us to do that again. That's why it is SO HARD to break an addiction. The other reason it's hard to break an addiction is because of the SHAME we feel. In this message, Max Vanderpool highlights the EVIL ALEXA we all have lurking inside of us - and how that factors in to addiction.
What would you have to do in order to have to APOLOGIZE to every single person you encountered at a public event, like a wedding? Can you imagine doing something SO BAD that it racked up millions of views and thousands of people were calling you the most despicable things? We have a problem in America, because we have become unforgiving. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes a case for why forgiving others and forgiving yourself is a way to TAME shame.
The One Hundred Acre Wood has some characters: Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, Tigger, Owl, and Eeyore. And most of us can relate to ONE of these characters. But what do you do if you can related to Eeyore? What do you do if you struggle with depression? Can you be a Christian and actually be clinically depressed? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from John 15 about joy, happiness, sadness, and yes, even depression.
In 2019 America, everybody checks their brain at the door...and they tend to make their way through life following their heart (as best they can) and how they FEEL in any given day and in any given set of circumstances. But what IF you could enlist the help of your BRAIN to help you see yourself the way God sees you? What if your BRAIN could help you feel LESS shamed and MORE free?
There are certain words we don't say in polite company (vagina, masturbation), and there is an entire concept we don't talk about (ever) in America and the West: SHAME. Shame is one of the most powerful emotions we experience, because it is connected so strongly with our sense of WHO we are. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for whey Jesus came to do MORE than just pay the penalty for our sin - he came to take our SHAME.
Most churches believe they are friendly, welcoming and inviting. But new folks can always give you the accurate picture of the degree to which those statements are true. God wants us to be a welcoming church - and inviting church - to such a degree that it's almost scandalous.
Idols. We TEND to think of stone or golden monkeys (or some sort of other fake deity) placed in a temple and worshipped by people wearing grass skirts (like on Gilligan's Island). But what if idols are MORE than just stone monkeys? What if they are ANYTHING we value more than we value God? Is it possible idols (in our homes, in our hearts, in our churches and in our nation) are what's ROBBING the Church of power today? In this message, Max Vanderpool attempts to explain the power of Acts 19.
What if God really is at work (already), everywhere? And what if every culture has something that points them to the truth? Would it make evangelism a little easier? Perhaps a little more authentic? In this message, Brian Hull unpacks (the Apostle) Paul's speech in Athens and how it provides us with some clues to make connections in our own culture today.
Charlotte Lacy share a report from the 2018 Alaska DTS (with Youth With a Mission) and gives and update to Generations.
It's really, really difficult to (correctly) guess who's going to sign on to Team Jesus and who, ultimately, is going to reject Jesus. Face it, just like Pastor Max, YOU are a bad guesser. And that's good news, because it's SCANDALOUS who receives grace and becomes a new person (sometimes). In this message, Max Vanderpool tries to set the stage for how unexpected and wondrous Acts 9 really is.
Why? Why do we have such a need to impress others? And we do we LIE in order to look better than we really are? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the ultimate you can't fool God stories in the Bible - and why pretending to be something on the OUTSIDE that you aren't on the INSIDE is a really, really bad idea.
Do I have to do this alone?
Can we do this together?
Enter the Christian F-word: fellowship. Christians love to throw that word around (and even name parts of their buildings after it), but what does it really mean? Is it just hanging out or is there more to it than that? In this message, Brian Hull unpacks a critical trait of the church - a trait that created awe and wonder.
We often think of faith like a fuel tank. If your tank is FULL, you're going to GO places. If your tank is empty, you're probably not going to go anywhere, if at all. But what if that notion of faith is WRONG? What if even FUMES are enough - for the impossible? In this message, Max Vanderpool gives a state of the church and teaches from Mark 9.
Sheldon (from The Big Bang Theory) has a theory about gift-giving: it creates an OBLIGATION - now you have to reciprocate in an amount and type of gift that best fits or describes the relationship. But is that what giving is all about? What about the BEST GIFTS you have ever received? Were they awesome because they cost a LOT of money? In this message, Pastor Max unpacks John 1 - and what it really means for you and me.
What if the WAY we celebrate Christmas actually advances ANOTHER empire? What if the demands it places on us (go, go, go, buy, buy, buy, stress, stress, stress) don't have anything to do with Jesus and end up become just another set of heavy burdens? What if there is a BETTER WAY? In this message, Brian Hull contrasts the yoke of Jesus to the yoke of the Roman Empire...and what it means for Americans living in 2018.
Ever been to the mall at Christmas and find yourself wondering why you are there? If it's worth all the hassle, no parking spaces, crowds and frenzy? What about all the list-making? Did you get EACH of your sister's kids a gift? Is everything ready? WHY IS IT that Christmas feels so rushed, so frenzied, so NOT peaceful? In this message, Brian Hull unpacks the FIRST step anyone must take in order to begin experiencing PEACE at Christmas (or any other time of the year).
When we hanker after stuff that isn't ours, it often leads to breaking the other 9 Commandments. It's what opens the door for a husband to cheat on his wife or for another man to embezzle from his employer. And it's the thing that plays out in church nurseries throughout America when one child is playing with a toy - and another child sees it. Thou shalt not covet...explains the other 9 Commandments in retrospect.
Young children and old people have something in common: they have no filter. If they think it or feel it, they say it. And they will say something TRUE, even if it hurts someone else's feelings. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the 9th Commandment: you must not bear false witness against your neighbor (or as we learned it: thou shalt not lie).
One of the first things you learn as a kid is possessive pronouns: mine, his, hers, ours, theirs. And you also learn pretty quick that your siblings, if you had any, are THIEVES. We all know that we're not supposed to steal (or take) what isn't ours. But is the 8th Commandment JUST about stealing? Or is there something MORE going on with what God desires?
If you've ever had to work on a GROUP PROJECT with your classmates, you may have decided you were better off doing it by yourself. But that kind of thinking won't help you accomplish ANYTHING of significance. In this teaching time from November 4th, Max Vanderpool explains why the Bible advocates for cooperation: God wants us to work together.
Adultery. We tend to think of it as that thing that happens when a husband or wife CHEAT (sexually) on their spouse. We tend to think of it as PRIVATE MATTER. And our thinking couldn't be farther from the truth (or the reality of it). In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the 7th Commandment (you must not commit adultery) and why the Bible has so much to say about it when it comes to OUR RELATIONSHIP with GOD!
Thou shalt not kill. We hear this commandment, and like the one forbidden us to make graven images, think to ourselves how great it is that we've kept it. WE haven't murdered any one, let alone have made an idol. Woo, hoot! That's 2 out of 10...just for showing up. But there's MORE to this commandment than meets the eye - and it has something very POWERFUL to say to us for where we are in America these days. Because murder is never about the act - but what preceded it.
Honor your father and mother. It's a pretty straight forward command. And yet, we typically make a couple of assumptions when hearing it: (1) that it's for kids (no, it's for adults) and (2) that it's for our parents' benefit (no, it's for our future). In this message, Max Vanderpool tries to blow away the fog that surrounds the 5th Commandment and why it's really NOT about your parents but about YOUR future.
Nobody is born with a gene that makes them content...that causes them to think they have the most awesome car (job, house, friends) EVER! Tucked away in one of Paul's letters in the New Testament is some good news for us Americans - contentment can be LEARNED.
YouTube celebrity and guru Amy Porterfield lived a Groundhog Day life - one in which she had to produce a video EVERY SINGLE DAY. But then a friend introduced her to mega-batching and now she makes all the videos she needs in ONE WEEK and takes 5 weeks OFF in between mega-batches. What if you could be MORE PRODUCTIVE by actually doing LESS? The BIble shows us a better way to live - one in which we can be truly human and truly living life...to the full.
Even though it's 2018, there are certain words, that if you say them, Tweet them, or post them on Facebook can cause you to lose your job and possibly end some of your friendships. Ironically, what was considered blasphemous 50 years is acceptable today and what was considered acceptable 50 years ago is blasphemous today. Most folks think the 3rd Commandment is just about speech (be careful what you say) - but it's so much more than just bleeping words.
When we read the 2nd Commandment (make no graven images), we think: NOT ME. That's one commandment I haven't broken - I don't even have a chisel or a lathe - couldn't make one if I tried. That's because, when it comes to idols and idolatry, we tend to think of statues, temples and people in grass skirts on a National Geographic special. But idolatry has to do with your HEART. In this message, Max Vanderpool exposes 4 common idols of contemporary American life - and what to do about it.
We often forget that, when it comes to initiative, there are two kinds of people: (1) those who see what needs to be done right away and (2) those who tend to miss what needs to be done. Neither type is necessarily better than the other - but understanding your default setting can help you become a person who is BETTER at taking initiative.
One of the BIGGEST things we despise in other people is the sense they think (or believe it to be the case) that they are somehow better than us. Here's the GOOD NEWS: God feels the same way (read James 4:6). In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about the things God brings in our lives to cultivate humility.
Why is it that some people are honest and other people aren't? Is it the case that some people are just good people and others are bad people? Or is it (more) the case that some people are simply in the habit of being honest, of telling the truth? In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why the Apostle Paul (and so many others from ancient times) talked about vices and virtues - because habits are really, really important.
There are a LOT of different ways Baptism is practiced in America: you can be sprinkled as an infant, you can get dunked as a kid, teen or adult, you can don a white robe in a traditional setting, and you can get a cool t-shirt in a party-like contemporary one. Face it. Because there are so many different ways Christians baptize, there's confusion. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why baptism is still important and what it is, at a core level.
Is being SMART the same thing as being WISE? Some people think so, but the Bible makes a case for why wisdom is, in fact, different and why it's worth pursuing. In this message, Max Vanderpool, teaches on the ONLY passage in the Bible to describe Jesus's childhood.
What do you do when you get bad news? When it's something you cannot do anything about? Something like cancer? In this message, James Ballard shares that, when Jesus is with you, you can face ANYTHING.
We all know what it is to be afraid, to be fearful. It's that feeling when we're on the side of a mountain and unsure of our climbing abilities (or the ropes that hold us). It's that feeling when a relationship has exploded and we know we can't forgive them or that it will never be the same. In this message, Brian Hull places our fears in relationship to Jesus - and Jesus, apparently, has a perspective that can help us through it.
We all obsess a little about our friends. Do we have enough? Are the ones we have good friends? Some of us will even go so far as to measure our value as a person by the friends we have. In this message, Max Vanderpool, lays down ONE THING every follower of Jesus should do with intentionality when it comes to friendships.
When you face something that's wrong, something that's unjust, something that's evil - you have to remember that not everyone (else) responds to it the SAME way you do. God has given people different temperaments, different personalities and different callings. In this message, Max Vanderpool draws out the differences between Elijah the prophet and Obadiah the palace administrator - each of whom faced Dr. Evil.
Potential alone will not guarantee future success. How else do you explain all those people in high school voted most likely to succeed? How many of THEM live up to that label? Samson, the ancient Superman, had as much potential as anyone listed in the Old Testament. His birth was announced by the Angel of the LORD, he was given supernatural strength, and God's Spirit was upon him. And YET, Samson never really lived up to it. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for human potential - what it can and cannot do as we continue our series focused on living like you believe what God says is true.
God has consistently used other people to help YOU - to bless you, encourage you, help you, teach you, walk alongside you, correct you and so much more. And yet NOT ONE of those people completely had their act together. It's a theme we see over and over and over again in the Bible: God can use you, no matter what.
God has consistently used other people to help YOU - to bless you, encourage you, help you, teach you, walk alongside you, correct you and so much more. And yet NOT ONE of those people completely had their act together. It's a theme we see over and over and over again in the Bible: God can use you, no matter what.
It's EASY to forget what our grandparents' generation sacrificed or endured. It's easy to forget how long they waited to see change (the right kind of change) happen. That's why we build memorials and put up historical markers. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains the reason for memorials in Old Testament and why we shouldn't forget what God has done...because God's NOT DONE YET!
For hundreds of years, Christians were called to prayer by tower bells. DONG. DONG. DONG. DONG. DONG. It's time to stop and pray. For better or worse, we don't have anything like that here in America. In this message, Max Vanderpool offers some suggestions on how to leverage prayer three times a day.
He will say no. They're busy. I don't want to bother them. Face it: some of us have a problem ASKING others for things. And to make matters worse, we ask ONCE and, if the answer is no, we walk away and give up. But that's the WRONG approach to take with prayer. Prayer requires a stick-to-it-ness and a resolve to keep praying. It requires the P-word.
Mike LaSage reports back on his recent missions trip to Mexico. The LaSage family served there over 20 years ago as missionaries. This time, Mike got to see answered prayer and how God always does more IN and TO us than He does through us.
Tucked away in the Old Testament is the story of a man who wanted to be healed - and would reward handsomely to be whole again. It's also the story of someone who lied - and the consequences of being dishonest. Here's the teaching time from our May 2018 InterGen Worship centered around the virtue of honesty.
Prayer is communication. We talk to God; He listens. God talks to us; we listen. In this brief teaching time, Max Vanderpool describes a couple of tools that could help you better recognize the voice of God in your life: Praying in Color (a creative exercise where you draw or doodle as you pray) and The Examen (a set of questions that helps you get in touch with where you are emotionally and where you are with God). This message PRECEDED an interactive worship experience at Generations on April 29, 2018.
The NATURE of the relationship determines HOW you talk to somebody. If they're a friend you can trust, the conversation comes easy. If they're a jerk you CANNOT trust, the conversation is strained, at best. But what's true of human relationships is ALSO true of our relationship with God. Which is why, of all God's attributes, there's ONE quality, ONE character trait, ONE aspect that matters MOST when it comes to prayer.
Anyone 40 years of age (or older) understands there's a difference between what you hope and plan (to happen) and what actually comes to pass. And there's a LOT of waiting. Waiting to finish. Waiting to graduate. Waiting for that relationship. Waiting. In this message, Paul Huber, shares a bit of his life's twists and turns and how the story of Hannah is a story we can ALL relate to.
Was it Jesus's preaching that turned the world upside down? Was it the miracles? No. Jesus submitted to death on a cross, and he died. Jesus, the corpse, could do NOTHING - but God raised him from the dead. If you want to see God's power in your life, it just won't come from your strengths, your talents, and your connections. God's power is most displayed when we can't, won't, and don't want to.
Do you ever wake up and think: Man, I want to be powerless today? Have you ever asked God to render you incapable? Is one of your goals for 2018 to become completely dependent upon others? OF COURSE NOT! We try to deny our weakness, refute our weakness, defend our weakness, excuse our weakness and HIDE our weakness. But God says to us: I want to use them. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares one of the secrets to living to the Christian life.
In America, we're enamored with the kind of leadership that's visionary, compelling, capable, and is able to muster results. But there's a difference between true leadership and false leadership. Ask anyone who's served under or worked for a talented individual...only to watch that person use them as a stepping stone to some bigger and better. In this message, Pastor Max begins to unpack strength through weakness.
Most of us, when we look at what others have or at what others are doing get a pang of jealousy. We sulk. We complain. We're envious. And we often get mad at God - why does He seem to love them MORE than He seems to love us? In this message, Max Vanderpool, gets to the heart of the issue and how to STOP playing the comparison game.
God is constantly doing the unexpected. When God's Son began His public ministry, they weren't expecting Him to go to the cross. Two thousand years later, it's the same way with God - He's always doing things you DON'T expect. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why rationality isn't enough...no one can think their way to God. It takes the Spirit.
Holy. It's a four-letter-word in America right now. And that's due, in part, to many years of hypocrisy (folks who SHOULD have been holy and weren't) and many years of holier-than-thou (folks who, because they do certain things and avoid other things, they're somehow better than everyone else). Holiness is also out of style right now, because Americans value authenticity and brokenness MORE. So what's a church to do? Especially when God wants His people to be...holy.
Face it: America is full of inconsiderate jerks! They're everywhere - and they have a tendency, when thinking about Jesus, to think primarily or exclusively about what Jesus does for them. We Americans LIKE a Jesus who heals, who provides and who wins. But that Jesus doesn't capture the full picture of him we get in the Gospels. Jesus was going somewhere - and he calls us to join him.
Apparently, a while back we all stopped RSVP'ing to weddings...or birthday parties...or graduations...or anything, really. And even Facebook has developed a tool to help us keep our options open when it comes to events. Face it: we Americans have commitment issues. Which is interesting when it comes to church, because according to the Bible...marriage is way to talk about church and its relationship with Jesus. Talk about awkward!
Most Americans are looking for a place of worship where they feel comfortable: comfortable with the liturgy (or lack thereof), comfortable with the music, comfortable with the types of people there, comfortable with the preaching. But most of our (actual) experience IN church is awkward and UNcomfortable. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes the case for why we should expect and embrace the awkward IN church.
Pastors get asked all the time to pray for people. And when we do, we are passionate, hopeful and believing that God is at work. Sometimes, the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God! And sometimes the results of all that praying causes us to think WOW, God...REALLY?!? In John's Gospel is an important encounter with two sisters and a brother who's died - and what to do when God doesn't do what you ask for or expect.
Incarnation: it's a word we use at Christmas time, but do we really KNOW what it means? Incarnation means God shares our human frame, participates in our human limitations and enters INTO our world. In short, God moved into the neighborhood. Do you know that God is WITH you? Really know it...in a way that you believe it?
The people of Jesus's day were waiting for a Savior...one who would break the chains of Roman rule. Jesus (the baby, meek and mild) is NOT what they expected. Life is like that. And many of disappointments are tied to expectations which were unfulfilled. Tucked away in Luke's Gospel is the story of Simeon - who was open to the leading of the Holy Spirit - and open to the unexpected ways that God fulfills His promises.
Most of us don't mind getting a gift that has been re-gifted as long as it's new, in the original packaging and has never been used. But when someone tries to give us a broken, damaged, used or clearly worn item, watch out! We consider them a cheapskate. The good news is that our feelings about re-gifting allows us to understand something very important about God...something that affected the Israelites way back and that affects us Americans today.
How much is enough? $25,000/year? $75,000/year? What if you made $5.7 MILLION/year? Would THAT be enough? Because we live in America, we tend to focus on people higher up the economic food chain...people who have MORE than what we do. And that makes life hard for us. There's a better way. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out ONE THING you can do, over the course of your life, that give you margin and can help you be rich toward God (and it doesn't have to do with giving!).
We're just like the Greco-Romans of the first century in two ways: (1) we are obsessed with the perfect form of the human body, (2) we think we can do whatever we want...because it's our body. Sadly, such thinking leads to misery (both in terms of self-esteem and in terms of general health and well-being). God CARES about our BODIES. And how we take care of them matters.
In America, we cheat. We cheat in school. We cheat in sports. And we cheat in relationships. ONE of the ways we cheat people around us is by putting work or hobbies consistently ABOVE our relationship with them. Doing so over the long haul creates problems. Not just for them, but for everyone. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines how you need to cheat WELL and cheat WISELY so that the people and things that matter the most are the things you cheat the least.
The language we use to describe time is woefully imprecise. Soon. Just now. One of these days. Before long. Any time now. Many of us have hopes and dreams that we plan to get to SOME DAY. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains what the Psalmist meant when he asked God to help him to number his days. Much of it has to do with moving SOME DAY to an actual day.
Would it surprise you to learn that empathy is on the DECLINE in the United States? People have less patience to wait until someone else is done speaking to talk. People are often surprised that a friend has been hurt by their words or actions (or inactions). So what can we do? How can we turn the tide? In this message, Max Vanderpool argues why empaths are wanted and NEEDED...everywhere.
Conflict is everywhere. With your roommate. With your friends and family. With your co-workers. With your boss. With your spouse. And SOME of the ways we're fighting with each other in the digital age are actually making things WORSE. In this message, Max Vanderpool offers practical advice for handling conflict in your life, so that you can live to fight another day.
Smartphones. They are ubiquitous. And there is little doubt they have CHANGED us. Changed how we relate to one another and communicate with one another. Some of those changes have been good, while others seem to be making us less human. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the ONE THING you can do to dial up the people in your life who matter.
Where do babies come from? That's a question parents of preschoolers get asked when they are expecting another child. And there are MANY different ways to answer that question. Where did we come from? That's another question that many adults ask, at some point in their life. How did life on Earth get here? How do we know? Where did we come from? The ANSWER to question matters now more than ever...perhaps more so that in the past 500 years. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on Genesis 1 and the story of creation.
Our community is filled with people who have given up on God and/or given up on church. And you don't have to look hard to find them. Just live somewhere. Go to school somewhere. Work somewhere. In this message, Max Vanderpool articulates the third mark of a disciple...someone who's on mission with Jesus and who cares about the people Jesus cared about.
Is it reasonable to expect a Christian to be perfect, to love perfectly, all the time and in all circumstances? Probably not. The church if filled with imperfect people following Jesus imperfectly. So is it reasonable to expect Christians to grow & change (for the better) over time? ABSOLUTELY! In this message, Max Vanderpool articulates the second "mark" of a disciple.
Getting saved. Asking Jesus into your heart. Accepting Jesus. These are all phrases we use to describe a life of faith. But are these phrases HELPFUL? Do they get at the core of what it means to be a disciple? In this message, Max Vanderpool articulates the first "mark" of a disciple.
Teaching time from our July 2nd InterGen on uniqueness. Pastor Max shares the story of David & Goliath and teaches about cubits and knowing yourself.
We live in a world marked by chaos, ugliness and scarcity - and that makes us afraid. So we try to mitigate our fears by exerting control. But faith moves in the opposite direction. Faith is what God rewards. Faith is how we come to see God, life and the world around us. So what does that look like? What is a life WITH faith?
Go back 100 years, and you'll discover a rush of activity and activism regarding the faith by Evangelical Christians. We're busy, busy, busy doing things FOR God, and often the language we use to describe our personal relationship with God is language of doing. So what exactly did Jesus make possible if it wasn't a rich and satisfying life WITH God?
If you attended a Christian college, you may have picked up a God-filter that told you what you DO for God is the most important thing about you. It doesn't help that our culture reinforced the idea that your worth, your value as a person is tied to what you accomplish. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the story of the Prodigal Son (and the lessons we can learn from the older brother).
It's no secret that America is a nation of consumers. We consume; that's what we do. We maximize EVERYTHING for our benefit. And, for better or worse, we take that same approach to our faith. We approach God for what God can do FOR us, what God can GIVE us. And when we do that, we miss out on something very, very special.
Believe it or not, SOME Christians and church-going Americans are (practically speaking) no different than atheists, secular humanists or deists. And rather than blame them, it's probably a better idea to figure out why it's so easy and tempting to trust in techniques and principles rather than trusting in God, Himself. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks another God-filter that can cause you to miss out on some powerful things.
Just like some people have a political filter, it's possible to have a God filter - a way for seeing God that flavors everything you say and do. Unfortunately, not all God filters are accurate. Not all God filters help you see God for who He is and how the world really works. The first God filter in our series (Life Under God) claims that if you live according to God's rules, God will bless you and answer your prayers. But is that REALLY how life works?
If you grew up in church, there's a good chance you prayed for God's Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. There's also a good chance you thought that had to do with something down the road, in heaven or after you die. Charlotte Lacy shares how her understanding of God's Kingdom has changed and how you and I can partner with God's Spirit in advancing His Kingdom right here and right now.
When it comes to school, not everything is equally important. When it comes to successful surgeries, not everything is equally important. When it comes to whitewater rafting, not everything is equally important. Why is it that we can accept this truth in so many areas of our life, and yet forget it when it comes to the list of things we need to do? In this message, Max Vanderpool poses a question to help you focus on what matters most.
It's quite a common experience. You hit 30 or 35 years of age and think to yourself: How did I end up HERE? Why am I working at THIS job? Living in THIS town? That's NOT what I had hoped/planned/dreamed when I was younger. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why some people end up places they didn't intend - because that's where the river took them.
Ever been on the receiving end of condemnation or of someone who thinks they are better than you? We all have - and it feels terrible. You'd think that, because of all that negative experience, we would turn around and be humble and esteem others. Yeah, not so much. As it turns out, it's all too easy to condemn other people - because it helps you feel better about yourself. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the second most quoted verse in the Bible.
Sometimes, you're mad and you're not sure why. Sometimes, you're mad, and you're taking it out on ALL the WRONG people. Anger is an interesting thing. It's trying to tell us something - and we have to be WISE about what we do with the anger we feel. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about what to do with anger, so that YOU and the people around you are better off.
In 1989, Jim Henson (the creator of the Muppets) mapped out a deal with the Walt Disney Company. Unfortunately, before the deal could be inked, Henson developed pneumonia and died at the age of 53. His son, Brian, was left holding the bag - because Disney backed out of the deal and now the voice of Kermit the Frog was dead. What do you do when you're mad at someone? And better yet - what do you do when someone has demonstrated they shouldn't be trusted? In this message, Max Vanderpool highlights the difference between forgtiveness and trust.
From an early age, we're trained that when we hurt somebody, we owe them something. Our parents make us apologize...and sometimes make us provide restitution (money taken out of our allowance to pay for the broken window). But what do you do when someone hurts you and they don't apologize? When they're not sorry? Or worse, when they keep hurting you over and over again? The Bible has a LOT to say about forgiveness - but there's also a LOT of misconceptions about what forgiveness is and is not. Knowing the difference can set you free.
There are people in life who require extra grace in dealing with them. There are people in life who, because they are emotional vampires, will suck the life right out of you. There are people in life who will do everything they can to try to control you, to get you to do exactly what they want you to do. So what do you do? How do you respond? In this message, Max Vanderpool gets very specific about how to say no and establish healthy boundaries in your life with problem people.
What do you do when someone you care about is making a bad decision? If you're like most Americans, you AVOID talking to them (about it), but you tell anybody and everybody else who will listen that they're about to walk off of a cliff. Fortunately, there's a BETTER way, and it's spelled out for us in the Bible. Max Vanderpool shares how you can be lovely truthiness for your friends and people you care about - who are making bad decisions.
A LOT of the relational turmoil we experience is due to ego. And because we have ego, too, we have a remarkable capacity for actually making things WORSE. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares six (6) things wise people NEVER do in relationships.
Ever been to Hobby Lobby? Did you notice just how much God stuff you can purchase there? What IS it about American Christianity that causes us to put God stuff on our bodies and in our homes and in our cars? Would it surprise you to know we get it honestly? In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on one of the most important passages in Scripture and what it will take to pass on faith to the next Generation.
In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus spent nearly three TIMES as much time teaching about the Kingdom of God as he did about salvation & eternal life. Why? Why would Jesus spend so much time announcing the arrival of the Kingdom of God and teaching about its nature? It's because Jesus is a KING. In this message, Max Vanderpool, shares the Biblical & cultural underpinnings to Jesus arrival as king.
Jesus knows what it is to be human. To face risk and uncertainty. Jesus knows what it is to suffer loss and betrayal. He knows what it is to grieve. Jesus saw God's miraculous power and provision, and he also witnessed people who weren't healed. Jesus knows what it is to want an outcome free from pain and suffering...and yet have to face it anyway. And Jesus has something important to say about fears, worries and our Father.
Caring too much about what other people think will STRESS you out. Ask any teenager fretting over a bad haircut or a pimple or worrying that they're too ordinary or too different. Ask any adult contemplating plastic surgery, fretting over their looks or their status in life. Why are we so afraid of what other people think? Why is it so hard to let others down? To fail? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the fear of what other people think and offers a better way to navigate through life.
The kitchen or office has to be kept a certain way. They ALWAYS have to drive. When someone suggests a new idea or a change to what's planned, they become anxious. They have issues with control. You might even say they're control freaks. Chances are you ARE one or LIVE with one. But does the attempt to control situations and relationships actually work? Does it give the control freak what they're looking for? In this message, Max Vanderpool walks through one of the biggest events in Biblical history, and yes, it's all about control.
Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve weren't afraid. They weren't afraid of predators or disease. They weren't afraid of displeasing God or letting each other down. Of course, things didn't stay that way. In this message, Max Vanderpool shines a light on fear's silent partner. Knowing this will allow you to know the truth...and the truth will set you free.
You don't have to train children to be afraid. You don't have to tell them scary stories or expose them to ghosts and goblins on Halloween. Kids will inevitably come to believe that something is hiding in their closet or lurking under the bed. And you know what? They're right. There's GOOD reason to be afraid. You could get sick. Something could happen. There could be an accident or a fire. They could walk away. In this message, Max Vanderpool identifies the FIRST STEP you should take to begin to have any kind of freedom from fears, phobias and anxiety.
What if every congressman, every senator, every bureaucrat and every president made financial decisions with the firm belief that the money they are spending BELONGS to the American people? What if they believed they were just managing our money? It would be a game-changer! In the message, Max Vanderpool lays out a case that what's true of Uncle Sam is also true of you. The money and stuff you have isn't really yours, anyway. And that's good news.
In 2016, 8 out of 10 Americans wanted the American government to STOP all foreign aid. Regardless of your politics on the issue, people from poor, developing nations often expect richer nations to help out. We do the same thing. If you're in-laws are loaded and pulling in $350,000/month - you expect them to pick up the tab for dinner. Rich people should be generous. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares two principles that every American should know.
One of the jobs Uncle Sam has had for the past 50+ years is the building and maintaining of roads & bridges. Unfortunately, there are indications that Uncle Sam isn't doing so well in that job. Too bad, because the engineers who built those things in the 1950s & 1960s WARNED Uncle Sam they would have to be replaced. Like Uncle Sam, too many of US haven't adequately prepared for bridges and hurricanes in our lives. It doesn't have to be that way. We CAN be ready...and much, much less stressed.
Most folks are a bit cynical about the government. They're not sure Uncle Sam can get his act together. Part of that is due to the fact that Uncle Sam has a hard time managing his finances. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case that what's true for Uncle Sam is ALSO true for you and me. Debt limits freedom.
Did you know that what makes YOU feel the most loved is not necessarily the same thing that makes your mom, dad, spouse, brother or sister or friend feel the most loved? It's not enough to just love someone - you've gotta love them in ways they understand and get. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the case for why love is only love when it's expressed in relationship - and how the doctrine of the Trinity can help us love better.
Why is it so hard to find relationships that are truly reciprocal? Why are so many relationships lopsided...where one person does all or most of the giving and the other person does all or most of the taking? In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about an important concept that's needed in EVERY healthy relationship, one that's rooted in the doctrine of the Trinity.
You didn't learn to walk by yourself. Someone taught you. You didn't learn to talk by yourself. You learned from others. YOU are social being, and you get it honestly, because you are made in the image of God. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why the doctrine of the Trinity matters where you and I live.
Often, we're not aware of unhealthy patterns, habits or issues until someone points them out to us. Typically, when we are first confronted with it - we forcefully deny it. But is that wise? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares why owning your stuff opens the channels of God's grace and makes change possible.
One of the ironies of the day is that, despite a wealth of modern translations and audio versions available, the Bible remains a book mostly UN-read by Americans. Why is it so hard to read the Bible? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what happened in Jerusalem after the walls were rebuilt - and regular Bible intake positions you to better hear God's voice.
Distracted. If there was a word that described most of the people you bump into these days, it's distracted. But when you are distracted, you can miss the great (work) that's right in front of you. In this message, Max Vanderpool reminds all of us that we are doing a great work, and we cannot come down.
Generations now has missionaries on the field in two places. What's it like to be a missionary? What makes a missionary feel supported and encouraged? In this message, Dean Davis, veteran missionary (to Ecuador) lays out a strategy for encouraging missionaries, based upon 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.
Have you ever worked with a Debbie Downer? You know, the person who shoots down every single creative idea...and who tells you, in detail, why it won't work? If haven't yet, you will. Debbie Downers are everywhere. How do you handle negative people? And more importantly, how do you handle discouragement? In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out some important steps in DEFEATING discouragement, peering into the life of Nehemiah.
By your mid-twenties, you've had your share of tasks and jobs that were disgusting. That you didn't want to do. That you hoped SOMEONE ELSE would tackle. Avoiding the unpleasant and difficult isn't new. And it's a problem Nehemiah encountered 2,500 years ago.
Anything significant you attempt in this life will include problems. Buying your first home (or car). Getting married. Having kids. Moving. Starting a new career. No matter what you endeavor to start, you can take it to the bank there will be bumps, criticism and even out-right opposition. The good news is that this is nothing new. And we can learn some things from how Nehemiah handled his problems rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
What do you do after God reveals His plan for you? If you're like anyone in the Bible, you wait. And while we have a tendency to believe that waiting is simply wasted time, there's more going on than meets the eye - and there are definitely things you can do to actively wait, so that when God is ready, you're ready, too.
Many people over the age of 70 have figured out that chasing after happiness doesn't work. Taking a particular job, marrying a particular person, living in a particular town is NOT going to make you happy. Instead of asking what will make you happy, you are probably better off figuring out what problem you could help solve. In this message geared toward graduates, Max Vanderpool teaches on Nehemiah 1 and the power of a burden for something broken.
They just need to. It's a phrase we deploy about all kinds of problems. Race problems. Family problems. Political problems. Education problems. They just need to. But that phrase often misses what God's up to, what God wants to do. In this message, Max Vanderpool walks through the calling of Moses in hopes that you will abandon they just need to and look to God and what He wants to do.
Face it. We tend to put a lot of stock in who we are based upon what we do, what others say about us and what we have. But is that really wise? Is helpful? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for what rooting your identity in God looks like.
God's gift of salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven. It's restoring what was broken in the fall...you identity. It means that you no longer have to look for what you do, how you perform, what others think of you or how you feel to TELL you who you are or what you're worth. In this message, Max Vanderpool share TWO ways to pass along a blessing to others that cements their true identity.
From our April InterGen on Perseverance, Max Vanderpool shares why we can hang tough and how we can help others do the same.
The biggest imprint on our lives is what we did or did not receive from our parents. Every one of us looks to our parents, whether we want to recognize it or not, for a blessing...a mix of unconditional love and acceptance. Unfortunately, this is a broken world with broken people...and broken parents produce broken children. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines what can happen - and what God can do.
Every culture has a way of identity formation. Every culture has a way of helping individuals determine who they are and how to express it and live it out. Ours is no different. In this very important message, Max Vanderpool outlines how our culture shapes identity and why, more often than not, it doesn't work.
Jesus didn't save us to find safety and refuge inside a church building. He saved us so that we could be the church, so that we could be his family, so that we could be his hands and his feet here on earth in establishing his kingdom...here on earth. You and I have a crucial role to play in God's Big Story...and deep down, we know it.
In the Gospels, we see Jesus consistently reversing what should be absolutely irreversible. He heals lepers. He restores sight to the blind. He commands a dead guy to come out of a tomb...and the guy obeys him! Jesus even restore the cut-off ear of the servant of the high priest on the night he was arrested. Despite all of that, his followers struggled with doubt and skepticism that he had actually risen from the dead. But once they were convinced...once they saw him with their own eyes (and ate with him); they became evangelists and together, with the Holy Spirit, turned the world upside down. The resurrection is that important.
Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus: his teaching, his life, his ministry. He was the fulfillment of God's promise. And his death on the cross cemented, once and for all, that currying favor in God's sight has absolutely NOTHING to do with our performance. In a word, grace.
We all have peaks and valleys in our lives. Sometimes, things go well. Sometimes, they don't. What if it's in the valleys that God most clearly demonstrates His commitment to us? What if you're never so far off script that God can't bring you back? 1,700 years of history in roughly 7 minutes - which points to how amazing God really is.
God made a promise to his people that he would always love them - and he kept it. Listen as Max discusses God's promise.
Sin made everything broken, but God didn't leave! Listen as Max talks about sins relation to "The Big Story" and God's plan.
Sometimes we fail to see the bigger story of the bible. What if we read the Bible as a story in which God is the main character? Listen as Rev. Dr. Brian Hull discusses the "bigger story" of the Bible and how it connects with our relationship to God.
It's time to CHANGE some of the ways we, in the church, respond to LGBT issues - and more importantly, LGBT people. In this message, Max Vanderpool issues a pastoral call to tweak our methodology while maintaining our Biblical integrity.
There's a lot of advice out there about dating, relationships and romance. Some of it's good, and some of it's absolutely stupid. So how can you tell the difference? And what about finding your soulmate, the one God has for you? In this message, Max Vanderpool chases after imaginary animals and talks about one myth that's worth getting rid of.
There are voices all throughout our lives. These voices sometimes tell us things about ourselves, sometimes good, sometimes bad. In this message, James Ballard speaks on the voices in our lives and which we should listen to.
It's on billboards and magazines, it's in our phones and on our screens, it's talked about, hyped and celebrated. Sex is everywhere, and we're told MANY things about sex. So how do we make sense of what we're being told? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the phrase, it's just sex.
God made a statement about who would receive the good news first. It wasn't the famous, the well-connected or the elite. It was shepherds, blue-collar workers of the first century. In this teaching time from our December 2015 InterGen, Max has Generations reconstruct the Luke 2 account.
Most Americans, and even American church-goers, believe in God, believe that Jesus is God and believe in an afterlife. But when you ask them how that works and how you can know, with any certainty, one's standing with God, they start using words and phrases like, I hope or I've tried to live a good life. The Gospel, the one, true Gospel flies in the face of that. And we see it clearly in the life of Mary as she is told that God is going to give her a son.
All of us know what it's like to live under the rule (or thumb) somebody. And when that somebody is RUTHLESS or a jerk, life is simply miserable. Believe it or not, a big part of what the Gospel is all about is the arrival of God's RULE. In this message, Max Vanderpool ties one of the biggest themes of the Bible together with the Christmas narrative - and why it's worth it to worship and follow.
The earliest Christians used a word to describe the core of their message: Gospel (or, literally translated, good news). These Christians wanted YOU to know that something BIG had happened...something that changes everything. So why is it that, in many churches, the Gospel is reduced to a set of truths or an experience? When did it stop being news? In this message, Max Vanderpool ties together one of the larger themes of the Bible and why Christmas is so important.
It really IS possible to avoid stupid - especially when it comes to debt. That's because debt and freedom tend to move in opposite directions. The more debt you have, the less free you become. In this very practical message, we talk bout college debt, credit cards, car loans, pay day loans and how to walk with wisdom in terms of debt. Parents: you may want to fast forward to the last 10 minutes for some great advice for your kids.
A lot of us believe we will be generous financially when our student loans are gone, when the house is finished, when the kids are grown or when we've finally snagged a real job. In short, we bank on the potential for tomorrow's generosity. But is that a wise decision? And what do we lose, if anything at all, by waiting? In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about the connection between today and tomorrow.
Wait a minute? That's MY money! How often have you felt like your money wasn't going far enough, doing enough or reproducing enough? What if there was a subtle mindset shift that could be a game-changer in your finances? There IS. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on one of the most misunderstood aspects of money from the BIble.
It turns out Murphy was right. If it CAN go wrong, it WILL go wrong. Because of that, you need to be prepared for the UNEXPECTED...because unexpected stuff will happen to you that costs money. In this message, Max Vanderpool, draws out the very first thing you must do to go ANYWHERE financially.
Words matter, and the words spoken to us and the words we speak to ourselves BUILD the worlds we live in. In this powerful message, Brian Hull, charts a path toward building a world of love we can live in and invite others into.
Why is prayer SO HARD for Americans when things are going well, when the bills are paid and when relationship are good? And why is prayer SO EASY when life is falling apart, when the doctor says cancer, when there isn't enough money for bills or when a key relationship has crumbled? And why is it so easy, then, to pray continually throughout the day without even thinking about it? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares why it's important to know WHO you're talking to in prayer and how that could revolutionize your prayer life.
Christmas Day. That's the ONE day you can count on when Americans won't expect you to work or answer the phone or place an order. One day out of the ENTIRE YEAR. It didn't used to be this way. It used to better. People actually stopped what they were doing once a week to simply BE and NOT do. Recovering the Sabbath is, perhaps, one of the more important issues Christians could tackle in the coming year - and it would be a welcomed gift to many, many Americans.
Screens are everywhere. On our phones, in our bedrooms, in restaurants and even on gas pumps. And we have become addicted to them. In a very real sense, screens are strangling our souls. In this (brief) message, Max Vanderpool lays out some decisions every person living today should make, so that they are better positioned to hear God's voice.
Why is it that other people's deadlines, other people's wants and needs tend to dictate the flow of our week? And why do we spend so much time sorting through stuff? In this message, Max Vanderpool highlights the three unspoken priorities that tend to drive life in America: (1) taking care of the house, (2) meeting the next deadline and (3) keeping people in our life relatively happy. Unfortunately, living that way is NO WAY TO LIVE. It's time to truly prioritize.
Parenting is harder than it used to be. Many things have come together to make this so - but most parents will agree that parenting today is filled with worry, hassle and a dose of guilt. That's because culture and the experts have all conspired to produce a list of dos and don'ts when it comes to raising your kids. Get a few things WRONG, we're told, and your kids are as good as gone. Do it RIGHT, we're told, and they'll be happy and successful. In short, we are being ruled by a tyrannical Kindergarchy. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. In this message, chock full of practical advice, Max Vanderpool puts forth a clear summary of EVERYTHING the Bible has to say about parenting. Hint: you'll be surprised.
Because the Bible has a lot to say in it, it's easy for pastors and teachers to tell listeners that they should do more. Pray more. Read their Bible more. Give more. Serve more. Share their faith more. You get the idea. For SOME of us, those should crack down on our hearts and heads like a ton of bricks. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this message, Max Vanderpool admonishes you that you should quit freaking out because you're not Jesus. Really.
Most of us are busy. And we don't need to be reminded that we are. Jobs, church, friends, family, the house, chores, laundry, bills and our kids' practices, games and performances make life crazy busy. Ironically, there are things on the INSIDE of us causing us to commit to so much. In this message, Max Vanderpool shines a spotlight on some of the heart and soul issues that drive us crazy busy. Because in order to change, you've got to know where you are TODAY.
Most Americans plop down in their bed at the end of the day with a sigh Their homes aren't clean. Their to-do list isn't done. Things aren't working out at school...at work...at home the way they would like. They are, in a word, discouraged. But what if there was a simple practice, rooted in Scripture, that could help combat that mindset? A practice that could actually leaving you feel encouraged, energized and feeling like God is with you and for you? There is. And in this message, Max Vanderpool encourages you to celebrate the win.
Over the past several hundred years, the church has developed two categories of people: essential players and non-essential players. But that's not how the church got started. What if it's the case that God wants to use YOU to change the world around you? You probably have objections. We all do. But in this message, Max Vanderpool explains that's how God has rolled for a very, very long time.
When we look at statistics and stories, it easy to become discouraged about the state of young people and faith. But what if there was something we could DO to stem the tide? To cement faith for a young person? In this message, Brian Hull outlines practical (and simple) things ANYONE can do to make a difference.
What does it look like to take the leap and believe what God believes about you? Is it possible that God wants to do INCREDIBLE things in this world ONLY through you? Yeah, yeah, we know. You find that hard to believe. But what if it's true? Are you ready?
I can't. That's impossible. That will never happen. These are the things we tell ourselves, and these are the things we believe about ourselves. But that's NOT what God sees, and it's not what God believes. Tucked away in the pages of the Bible is the call of Jesus on Peter (and the other disciples), Come...follow me. Woven into that statement is a belief that these individuals HAVE what it takes to become like Jesus and DO what Jesus did.
For anyone who follows Jesus, there is a tension between the ways things ARE and the way things are SUPPOSED to be. There is a tension between the faith and deeds lived out and the faith and deeds desired. While that tension is normal, the greater the tension, the more people have a hard time accepting your faith. In this message, Max Vanderpool wraps up our series on eschatology by unpacking Paul's concept of this age and the age to come - and what YOU can do to lower the tension in your life and spheres of influence.
One of the more peculiar claims of Christianity is that everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ will, one day, receive a new body just like the one Jesus sported immediately following his resurrection. But if you talk to most Americans about the afterlife, you'll hear them talk about an ethereal heaven up in the clouds. So what's going on? Do we get new bodies? Where will we live? And what does the Bible hint about it?
Judgment. Interesting word, isn't it? It's interesting because we, as Americans, don't care to be judged. Judged on our appearance, judged for our choices, judged on anything. And so we've come to see this word as really meaning mostly one thing: condemnation. But when the Bible uses the word judgment, it isn't referring to something mean-spirited, unfair or tyrannical. It's time to see judgment for what it is - and know it's something we've (really) been wanting all along.
Simply Google pictures of Jesus and you'll find a host of photos that depict a guy who embodies meek and mild. It's understandable, because when Jesus first came, he arrived as a (cute, little) baby born in a manger outside of Bethlehem. But are the pictures of Jesus entirely accurate? Do they represent the man who will return at the end of the age to wrap up human history? In this message, Max Vanderpool walks you through four (4) key passages that describe Jesus' return. And it's probably NOT what you would expect.
Americans have been fascinated with the end of the world for a very long time. We love to talk about the apocalypse, Armaggedon and the anti-Christ. What you may not realize is that the view shaping books like The Late Great Planet Earth or Left Behind is only ONE of FOUR major ways of looking at the end of all things. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out the major view of eschatology among Christians and what Jesus, himself, had to say about his return.
God is not just in a church building on a Sunday morning. Or on the pages of open Bible. God isn't just around when we feel like He is. God is actually everywhere...all the time...working His will into the universe. What difference would it make if you actually believed God as with you and for you...everywhere?
If this life is all there is, that's not good enough. It's not good enough to compensate for the unfairness or brutality of life for some. And it's not good enough in the face of something deep within us that screams we were meant for something MORE. In this message, Max Vanderpool teachings on the parousia (the second coming of Jesus Christ) that promises a bodily resurrection for ALL.
How do you help a friend who's going through a difficult time? What do you say? How do act? What's even normal? Most people aren't sure how to be a good friend to someone who's experiencing real pain & suffering. But clearly, there are better ways than others. In this message, Max Vanderpool and Charlotte Lacy lay out simple things ANYONE can do to support someone who's experienced a loss or tragedy.
In the wake of pain and suffering, tragedy and loss - why do some people flourish and others flounder? Why do some people become incredible human beings while others simply become bitter? In this message, Max Vanderpool walks through the life of Joseph and how leaning into God rather than walking away can make all the difference. Because God often cares MORE about who you become than what you have or accomplish.
Ever had a season in your life where you were searching? Wondering? Ever feel like an outsider? Of course you have! Everyone has. The beautiful thing about the Gospel and the Church is that BOTH are supposed to be INCLUSIVE, where people of faith make room in their lives for people who are searching and wondering. We see no better example of this than in Acts 11.
If you don't know the special words, special handshake, what to wear or how things are done - if you're an outsider, it can feel really uncomfortable. Jessamine County is FULL of religious outsiders: people who are convinced that church goers judge them and who think they are better than them. That's just how it works with outsiders. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how the first-century church overcame the insider/outsider divide and how that can make a difference here and now.
Categorizing people into "us" and "them" is easy and convenient. You don't have to think. You don't have to wonder. It's us and them. But what if categorizing people that way, especially people advancing God's Kingdom, is harmful? What if it violates the way Jesus rolled? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the case for why other churches are NOT our competition and why we should look at other believers from other Christian traditions as allies...and as "one of us."
American culture is full of myths and legends that are perpetuated by people who don't actually believe them. Case in point: the man in the red suit. It's no wonder that a LOT of people WONDER about the stories of Jesus' birth. Wise men following a star, a virgin birth, angels in the heavens. How do you make sense of it? Did it actually happen? In this message, Max Vanderpool reminds you it's okay to wonder, but that, at the end of the day, there's good reason to have confidence in God and confidence in the accounts of Jesus' birth.
Here's the truth about sex: your pastor doesn't want to preach about it as much as you don't want to hear about it. That's because American attitudes and practices, when it comes to sex, are so different than they were a generation ago. Interestingly, tucked away in the book of Proverbs, are two metaphors for sex: (1) water and (2) fire. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks those metaphors.
Twitter. Isn't it amazing how, in just 140 characters or less, someone can literally ruin their career, reputation or even land in jail? You would THINK people would think before they Tweet...but you would be wrong. It happens all the time. Smart people think before the speak, because they know the right words at the right time can move mountains.
Teen drivers often don't realize that speed is NOT their friend. That's because a wrong move, an oncoming car, a distraction in the cabin can all cause the driver to over-correct. And when speed is involved, over-correcting can lead to disaster. Choices work the same way. Certain choices take you certain places...every single time. Smart people know that decisions/choices are conduits. There's a conduit between what you decide today and where you end up tomorrow.
How is it that college-educated, smart people end up hoodwinked, divorced, bankrupt or worse? Why didn't they see it coming? In this message, Max Vanderpool lays down the framework for making decisions based upon wisdom...not head smarts. That's because smart people end up in stupid places not because they lack knowledge, but because they lack wisdom.
We've all had a friend whose parents were big on Jesus (church attendance, faith, etc.) but small on living like it. Maybe they were mean or just hypocritical. But our friend struggled because of it. And we've all known of a church that ran off the pastor or is famous for its politics and backstabbing. And, once again, people struggled with faith because of it. Maybe, just maybe, faith isn't supposed to just be a Sunday thing. Maybe faith is supposed to be an every day thing. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how faith in Jesus changes EVERY relationship we have...for the better.
What does it mean to be a disciple? Is it a kind of super-Christian, like a missionary or pastor? What does it look like exactly? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why discipleship is both relational and a process.
This is business. It's nothing personal. That's what a lot of people are told as they're let go, downsized or disappointed in the workforce. And for the past 20 years (or longer) pastors and church leaders have clamored after running church as a business. Looking back, we should ask if that was such a good idea after all. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out WHY the primary metaphor for church should be that of a family and not a business.
Life is too hard and has too many difficulties to be serious all the time. In this message, Max Vanderpool, makes the case why it's better to have fun while serving God.
Obedience. It's something we expect from members of the military, kids and dogs. But the funny thing is kids don't always do what they're told (and that goes for dogs, too). Face it, obedience is NOT something we celebrate in America these days. Which is why it's hard for us to understand what it means for God to be King. Jesus, himself, claimed to be a king - and in this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks what that king expects from his subjects...or as he calls them, his disciples.
We do it for the sake of appearances, to impress others, to be accepted or liked and, sometimes, just to fit it. Yeah, all of us have faked it at one time or another. But does faking it have any place in the church? How can you be real without letting everyone know all the nitty-gritty details of your life? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how to practice authenticity and why Jesus and the early church wanted it.
Ever refused to do something you thought was disgusting? We ALL have. But can we acknowledge that we have a problem in America...thinking of some jobs and tasks as somehow beneath us? In this message, Max Vanderpool explains that, in Jesus' Kingdom, the way UP is DOWN and the way to become great and lead is to make yourself insignificant and serve.
I'm the ONLY one of my friends who has a dumb phone. Everyone I know is ALREADY MARRIED, and I'm still single. How did THEY afford to go to Europe when I can't even afford to put gas in the van? We make comparisons, like these, all the time. But instead of making us happier - these comparisons tend to cause us to sulk and blame God for loving OTHER people more than God loves us. In this message, Max Vanderpool applies a lesson from summer swimming - one that the Apostle Peter learned the hard way.
It's almost a rite of passage for anyone growing up in America to visit our nation's capital, Washington DC. While there, you visit the capitol building, the White House, the Smithsonian and a HOST of memorials. Funny how the seat of government is full of memorials. Not unlike any town square in America. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines the greatest threat to faith (forgetfulness) and what you can do about it.
Some of us are go-getters: people who make this happen and who don't wait around for an opportunity. Others of us are wallflowers, hoping to asked to dance but not willing to take the risk and see if someone's interested. BOTH personality types have to exercise faith - for God to do the IMPOSSIBLE. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains where Christians got the phrase "step of faith" and what it means to take that step when God speaks.
Most of us find a little comfort in the fact that we haven't done as many stupid things as folks like Justin Bieber have. And yet, there are things in our past we're not proud of, things we'd rather not revisit. That's why Joshua 2 (among MANY other chapters) is IN the Bible. The fact is, your past does NOT define you. Your faith does.
What do you do when you want something really bad, but aren't sure you're going to get it - or that things may not play out the way you hope? How can you be courageous in the face of an uphill battle where you're having to fight for every step of the way? In this message, Max Vanderpool, outlines why you can count on God...even when things appear uncertain...and why strength and courage alone are simply not enough.
We're told that successful people in life and healthy, wealthy and famous. But we should question what we're told. Success isn't what it's sold to be. And real success, the kind of enduring success rooted in a life hidden away with God, is not something our world will quickly recognize. In this message, Max Vanderpool attempts to provide a Biblical definition of success for individuals, marriages, parents and even local churches.
The words that are said TO us and ABOUT us shape how we see the world, how we see ourselves and how we think about God. Words matter. And the words spoken to key people over time matter. Maybe that's why the Bible has so much to say about the power of words. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how to win at relationships...by weighing what you say.
You figure since you love them and tell them that you love them that should be enough. Only it isn't. Your kids, your wife or husband, your friends will, at a subconscious level, think PROVE IT. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares three things you can do in the relationships that matter most...so that they KNOW you mean it when you tell them you love them.
Time is actually MORE valuable than money. That's because time is non-renewable. You can't store it up for use later, and you can't slow it down. If anything, time seems to SPEED UP as you get older.
Maybe that's why Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
One of the best things you could do for yourself and for the relationships that matter most is to visualize time. Why? Because when you can "see" how time is passing, it focuses you, brings out passion in your and gives you energy to SPEND that time wisely.
There's excitement when what you've been hoping for starts to happen. It doesn't matter if it's a winning season in sports, the birth of your first child, graduating or the like. You can't help but get excited. In this message, Max Vanderpool draws out the circumstances of Palm Sunday and how you can be BOLD, just like Jesus' disciples were as Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Have younger siblings growing up? Do you look back and wonder why they had it so easy and why the rules for you were so hard? You're not alone. Rules change - but at the end of the day, everybody breaks the rules. In this message, Max Vanderpool, explains why broken rules and broken promises lead to broken people.
Who is Jesus? Ask that question today and you'll get as many different answers as you ask people. To further complicate matters, very religious people will give all the right theological and doctrinal answers (words) to that question. But what does it all mean? In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines what it means to point people to Jesus and acknowledge who he is with others. And it's that kind of faith that will allow Jesus to build his church.
It's easy to condemn people you don't know, and it's very easy to condemn entire GROUPS of people you don't know personally (politicians, teachers, etc.). Perhaps you've been on the receiving end of deserved or undeserving judgment. Perhaps you've doled it out. In this message, Max Vanderpool addresses the stones we hurl toward one another and the invitation Jesus makes to lay down our stones and walk away.
Virtually every magazine, TV host and celebrity psychologist is urging you to achieve balance in your life...balance among work, family, spirituality, relationships, etc. The problem is that, unless you're really, really wealthy (and able to employ a couple of nannies and a personal chef), it's impossible to achieve. Balance is a myth - IMbalance is reality. In this message, Max Vanderpool, argues for the kind of IMbalance you want to have.
Perhaps you've been told that it just fell through the cracks. Or that they're sorry as they forgot. Or that they simply didn't have time. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why it's critical to be faithful in small things (at work, at home and in life). And as an added bonus, you get to hear the story of the man who invented Thousand Island salad dressing!
If Jesus is your King, you're not free to walk off with office supplies or put in a half day's work for a full day's pay. For the Christian, there is no such thing as good enough for government work. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what God wants from employees AND from bosses. The good news is that hard work almost always rewards itself.
Why is it that you've LOVED some of the jobs you've had while you've HATED others? In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines the three necessary ingredients for job satisfaction. Missing any one of them and, chances are, you hate your job or are looking for another job. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way!
One of the biggest questions that gets asked about the Bible has to do with the interplay between science and the Bible. Namely, doesn't science disprove the Bible, or at the very least, the creation story? In this message, Max Vanderpool, lays out what Genesis 1 asserts and doesn't assert about creation. More importantly, he puts to rest the idea that science and the Bible are somehow in conflict with each other.
We're told to buck authority. To question authority. And so we do. As Americans, we want to live our lives the way we want, how we want, with whomever we want...without outside interference. We LOVE freedom. But our gut reaction to authority may actually lead us to the very places we most want to avoid. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about the doctrine of biblical authority and why it pays to make God your boss of everything.
We live in a culture that wants to affirm all religions are basically the same and that everybody's basically good (once you get to know them). All that good will and hand-holding, however, is thrown out the window when you bring up the Bible. That's because a LOT of people want to dismiss the Bible from the conversation. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the issue of the credibility of the Bible (especially when it concerns history).
There are two words that everyone has rattle in their head at some point or another: I can't. Those two words can take you to some very dark places, but those two words aren't the whole picture. There's MORE. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the I Can't Monster and why you can trust God to do more than you thought possible.
Why talk about dads and the fatherhood of God at Christmas? Because (1) you're already thinking about it. Face it, there's nothing like the holidays in America to shine a bright spotlight on your family life, the good and the bad and (2) that baby born in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago wasn't just any baby. That baby was God's SON. In this message, Max Vanderpool introduces our Advent series for 2013 and why it's important to let God show you what kind of Dad He really is.
Life is full what the insurance industry calls unplanned events. And these unplanned events often carry a price tag. In this message, Max Vanderpool summarizes what the Bible teaches about saving (money). It can reduced to four words.
Fear and faith are like twins who were separated at birth. Both (fear and faith) have to do with the future. And both have to do with uncertainty. But fear has the potential to rob you of opportunities for God to do amazing things. In this message, Max Vanderpool (along with help from Mike LaSage, Sarah Crum & Bill Brown) share why you can count on God...when it counts.
Ebeneezer Scrooge. Warren Buffet. Jesus. They all had something in common. They all figured out something about money that, all too often, many people don't. In this message, Max Vanderpool dares you to do a simple math equation and ask one question.
There's something Warren Buffet and Sam Walton had in common. In fact, it's something many millionaires and extraordinarily wealthy Americans do on a regular basis. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares a Biblical principle about money that can help you have extra, that can give you margin and that can help you become financially secure down the road.
Remember opening your first paycheck? Federal taxes, state taxes, Social Security, Medicare and MORE was taken out. If you've ever struggled financially or opened a bill and groaned, this series is for YOU. In this message, Max Vanderpool introduces the first Biblical principle of By-Passing the New Normal and the first practical step toward financial security.
You have a friend who has remarried and just had a baby. But they're wigging out over all of it - and convinced that they are going to fail again. And all that fear is being moderated with alcohol...so much so that they are missing work because they're too drunk to come in. In a moment of honest they ask you if you believe they are messing up their life? What do you say to them? In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines how to practice gentle honesty...by poking the bear but NOT running away.
This message is primarily for insiders, people who are born again and follow Jesus Christ. In it, Max Vanderpool encourages us to step back from (evangelistic) methods that are contrived and artificial and (instead) embrace methods that are authentic and relational. There's no better way to do that than to ask (lots of) questions.
For those of us who grew up in the church (and are over the age of 35), we associate evangelism and sharing our faith with things like tracts, the Four Spiritual Laws and crusades. But what if sharing your faith is more about making a real friend than making sure they understand all the rights things? What if building trust is what leads them to want to trust Jesus? In this message, Brian Hull shows how the early Christians built relationships in order to lead people to Jesus.
What do you do when you want something really bad? When an opportunity presents itself? What if, from your perspective, you need to fudge, tweak or disregard God's laws and God's ways to win? In this message, Max Vanderpool highlights the one thing you DON'T want to do in that situation.
A lot of people are paralyzed by fear. Fear of heights. Fear of being alone. Fear of failure. Fear of growing old. Fear of losing their health or someone that matters to them. It's as though fear has a corner on the market. But fear doesn't have to have the final word. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what can happen when you trust God (even though you're afraid)...and how God can use YOU to kill a giant.
The next time you face a lion, bear or giant, your looks and appearance won't matter. Neither will your talents or strengths. Nor will any of the things we tend to rely upon. Killing a giant (and living to tell about it) starts inside, long before you ever see it coming. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what it is and how to position yourself to win over the next big thing in life.
You ask a friend how church was on Sunday and they tell you that worship was off the hook. And then they proceed to talk about the amazing new bass player and how they were just really into it on Sunday and how you missed a great worship set. We tend to talk about worship in terms of the musical portion of a worship service. But is that what worship is all about? In this message, Max Vanderpool peels away some of the layers of worship at Generations.
In your family, when important things don't get done, it creates a problem and people get upset. When the trash or dishes pile up. When the bills are left unpaid. When someone is left standing at the soccer field waiting to be picked up (for over 2 hours). It's the SAME way in your church family, which is why EVERYONE is important and EVERYONE is needed.
Angel Kochera shares about her missions trip to Lithuania and how God can use bad things for good.
In this Q&A testimony time, Nate Davis shares about his trip to Columbia and how God can use literacy to impact people.
Chances are you know someone who has been hurt by the church. Or the University of Kentucky. Or the West Jessamine Band program. Or (you get the idea). In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines what goes wrong when we blame a faceless organization for hurts and offenses and what to do about it.
There's a simple emotional formula when it comes to criticism: 1 insult + 1,000 compliments = 1 insult. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out a strategy for how to deflect criticism and see yourself the way God sees you.
Everyone has an inner voice in their head and heart...a voice that is talking to them ABOUT themselves. But most, if not all people struggle with the negative things their inner voice says. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out a strategy to reset your inner voice.
You have a vision. God made a promise. You have a dream. But once you take the first step, things almost NEVER play out the way you picture it in your head. Ask any married couple or any 40-something about their career. In this message, Max Vanderpool share the power of a P-Word that can make all the difference, even when things don't seem to be going the way you think they should.
Bible reading and prayer isn't really about Bible reading and prayer. It's about putting yourself in a place that, when God asks you to do something really crazy, you just do it. In this interview with Daniel Pike, Pastor Isaiah & the Generations family are reminded what God does when we walk in obedience - it's never what we expect; it's better.
Christopher Cool speaks on the importance of having a biblical perspective in life.
We apologize, but due to technical malfunction around the 1:00 mark you will notice that we had to cut out around 10 seconds of the message. Thank you for your understanding.
Throughout life, when presented with 2-3 options, ALL of us choose the option we believe will make us the most HAPPY. And so we choose Susan over Christy, History over Pre-Med, and we're convinced owning a house will be better than renting. So given all the effort we put into making ourselves happy, you would think we would be the happiest people around. And you'd be dead wrong. That's because there IS a secret to happiness, and it's not intuitive.
Everybody says that prayer is just talking with God. But what if prayer is more than that? What if prayer is a way of approaching God? And what if there really is a right way and a wrong way to approach him?
Wadding up his prepared sermon, Max Vanderpool tells the Generations family that he simply wants to share what's on his mind and heart - as it relates to our marching orders from Jesus, himself.
Thin. Beautiful. Smart. Multi-tasker. Nurturing. Thrifty. And the list could go on. In fact, it often does. Women simply CANNOT meet the current set of expectations placed upon them. So what's a gal to do? In this message, Max Vanderpool talks TO women ABOUT women...granted, all from a man's perspective.
When we let our hearts lead, we turn into awful used car salesmen - and lie to ourselves about where we are and what we're really doing. But everywhere, we're encouraged to follow our heart. So which is it? Should we follow our heart or not? And if so, how can we fool-proof our decisions?
We all inherit baggage from our parents and unintentionally pass on to our children. We will look at the baggage we hand off to friends, family, and everyone around us.
In this sermon we will look at the many different ways we accumulate baggage in our lives and how they trip us up in life.
You promise yourself you're going to read the Bible ALL the way through in 2012...and you don't. Or worse, you promise someone else they can count on you no matter what...and then don't exactly live up to the pledge. Peter was a man who knew the raw emotions of letting someone else down...someone who really mattered to him. In this message, Brian Hull offers all of us the encouragement that comes by simply following Jesus.
Everyone on the planet is on a freedom quest. Men. Women. Boys. Girls. Doesn't matter how old or how young. People want FREEDOM. But what IS real freedom? Is it the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want? Or is it something better? In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the claim that Jesus still has the power to set people free. So what are you waiting for?
A friend who lies about you. A business partner who hangs you out to dry (because their name isn't the one on the contract). A spouse who falls in love with someone else. Betrayal. It's almost like the air we breathe. It's everywhere. In this message, Max Vanderpool shows us that grace is available in the midst of betrayal and that, even though it's hard to accept, it's the only way to really live through it.
Life's not fair, and God's not fair. And that's good news. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares why none of us really wants God to be fair (and give us what we deserve). Nope. Grace is so much better and is exactly what we need most.
The list. Everyone seems to have a list of things to be or do to be acceptable. A banker? Wear a suit and tie. A Christian? Go to church and be nice? A Mom? Stay thin, put on make-up and keep an immaculate house. No matter where you go, everyone seems to insist upon a list. Most folks believe God rolls the same way. In this message, Max Vanderpool examines a list of names at the beginning of Matthew's Gospel that blows the list out of the water. Who is there and how they lived will shock you. In a word, grace.
Grace. We name our churches and daughters after this doctrine. And we think we understand it. But grace is far more disturbing and surprising than we often want it to be. And that's a good thing. In this message, Max Vanderpool challenges us to be surprised by grace.
You and I are judged. All the time. Too fat. Can't sing. Stuck in a relationship. Labeled. Sized up. Sometimes fairly, sometimes not. The man who originally said Don't Judge promised to come back - and judge. So what's judgment all about? And what do you need to know about judgment in the afterlife?
Harps, wings, robes and clouds. That's what most people think of when they think of heaven. The problem is none of that is what the Bible says heaven is like. In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles some common myths about heaven and why it's better than you think.
So what about hell? Is it real? What does the Bible really say? And more importantly, does Jesus believe in hell? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles a little-taught and much-misunderstood doctrine of the Christian faith: the eternal fate of unbelievers.
6,305 people on Earth die every hour. Funny, isn't it? We rarely think about death. And yet it's the ONE THING we all have in common with each other. Rich or poor, black or white, Republican or Democrat, Christian or Muslim, we're ALL going to die. So what exactly happens at death? And how do you know? In this message, Max Vanderpool pushes away the Zombies for a closer look at our first step: death, itself.
The Pecking Order. It's everywhere you turn. Shown in dismissive comments about where you went to school or where you work. It seems we're no better than chickens. But 2,000 years ago, something DRAMATIC happened. Something that fundamentally changed and challenged the Pecking Order. In this message, Max Vanderpool argues that Jesus changed the world by making humility something people valued and aspired to.
It's the friend the who lost 70 pounds only now she can't stop talking about all those fat people and how they're going to have a heart attack or get diabetes. It's the coworker who got out of debt and is now socking away 15% of his income toward retirement - and who is constantly bring up those stupid people who are charging their way through life. Pharisees. They're everywhere, and they were around BEFORE Jesus and are stalking the earth today. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how RADICAL Jesus was toward the religious order and toward a way of comparing yourself to others, based on what you do and don't.
Jesus was a celebrity. No, he was a rock star. Everyone wanted to see him, hear him and catch him in action. Jesus found it almost impossible to find time alone. Which is why it's striking WHO he made time for. People on the outs with God and organized religion. People who were searching for something. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what it means to share Jesus's attitude that there's room.
In the wake of the Friday's elementary school shooting, many are asking why and where's God. But the rest of the world simply nods, because they experience the full, unmitigated pain and brokenness of life virtually every day. In this message in a series about living a satisfied life, Max Vanderpool challenges us not to worry about trying to fix everything, but to get off our butts and actually do something.
Most of us have a picture in mind when it comes to the holidays. And that peaceful, love-filled, full-of-acceptance and happiness picture doesn't always (if ever) correspond to reality. In this message, Isaiah Surbrook lays out how, as teen or adult "kid" you can improve the relational climate with your parents. It may not be Norman Rockwell, but it WILL be an improvement!
At Christmas, you encounter a ton of difficult people. The clerk at the big box retailer who missed their calling. The people in line at the retailer: you know, the ones with the attitude. Aren't there people who need to be knocked down a few notches at Christmas? People whose attitudes or behaviors warrant a kick in the pants? In this message, Max Vanderpool, explains it's always easier to receive grace than to extend grace. But it's in extending grace that people are apt to change.
Young singles often think that marriage solves everything...at least sexually. And while it's true married people have sex more regularly than unmarried people, there's much more here than meets the eye. A frank talk about sex and marriage.
America LOVES labels. Homosexual. Heterosexual. Gay. Straight. Lesbian. Queer. Evangelical. Atheist. Democrat. Republican.
So what does God see and how does God judge when it comes to the label factory?
If you're a woman in America, the deck is stacked against you. Men objectify you. Culture expects you to look more beautiful (and thinner) than humanly possible. What's a woman to do? Better yet, what's a man to do about it? A LOT. In this message, Max Vanderpool talks directly to men about how to treat ANY woman.
It’s easy in church to feel like a second-class Christian, because you’re single. It’s also easy to conclude that all that stuff about sex being something just for marriage as either impractical or outdated. The sexual marketplace in America is tough. So what’s a single (never married, divorced, etc.) to do?
Hooking up (casual sex for sex's sake) gets a lot of press but fails to reach beyond 5% of American experience. That doesn't surprise us at all, because sex is more than just an activity: it's a mingling of bodies and souls.
In so many churches across America, sex is the one word you'll never hear. But step outside, and sometimes it's all you'll hear. God created sex, and the church should most definitely talk about it.
When you're a kid, there's something magical about the first time you have your own money. You don't have to ask your parents to get something for you - you can get it yourself. Having your own money ROCKS. So how does God factor into that? Into your money? And is there something profoundly spiritual about what you do with that money? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how to unleash a powerful motor for your financial boat - a motor that will take you places you could never go on your own.
For the past two decades or more, American life has been predicated on borrowing. Going to college? Borrow. Need a car? Borrow. Need new clothes for your job? Charge it. Of course, we all know that borrowing too much for too long can get you into trouble. The good news is that there IS a better way. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains the lighter the load, the greater the buoyancy - and why that can make all the difference.
Let's face it, the world's financial and governmental institutions are taking on a LOT of WATER. Some claim it's only a matter of time before we see Greece go under. Others claim America will be close behind. So what do you do? How do you stay afloat FINANCIALLY in a world that's got some basic buoyancy problems? In this message, Max Vanderpool shares TWO THINGS you can do to prevent a capsizing from becoming a tragedy. So grab that life jacket and have that lifeboat READY!
What do you do when you believe God is asking you to do something? If you're like Moses, you have a million reasons why God should pick someone else. After all, you haven't been faithful, you really don't read your Bible like you should - and hey, isn't God aware of all those thing you did back then? But what if all those reasons we come up with are really a smoke screen, so that we can hide behind our fears? And what if those fears and reasons are the VERY THING keeping us from experiencing God's best? In this devotional message, James Ballard shares what it's like to root in your identity in God and trust who He is rather than what you've done.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares two things you can do to bring about a revolution of blessing around you and because of you. It's time to get into that phone booth and don the cape - the world needs you!
The biggest imprint in our lives comes from what we receive and don't receive from our parents. It was true for Bruce Wayne, and it's true for all of us. Most people, however, receive a curse in their childhood. But what if God can take that curse and turn it into a blessing? What if YOU could walk life as a blessed man or woman of God?
None of us really accepts that we are ordinary. We want to be so much more than that, and for good reason. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes a case for why Superman is better than Batman - and why rooting your identity in God is the only way to be free.
If you've ever been waiting for God to move in your life or do something (miraculous), it can seem like God's timing is always late. Always. But should you conclude that God doesn't care or isn't involved? Or, even more to the point, how do you measure God's love and concern for you? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the raising of Lazarus and what that means for us today.
Emotions and feelings are POWERFUL, and trying to control them is like trying to control the waves at the beach. It's impossible. So what do you do when your feelings don't line up with reality or with what you know about God? In this message, Max Vanderpool, reminds us that, when in doubt, go with what God says (instead of what you feel).
It's funny how some people we know think that having a baby or buying their dream house or graduating is somehow going to make them happy. Funny, that is, until we realize we've been looking for people and things to make us happy. In this message, Max Vanderpool probes our common quest for happiness and where to find it (hint: not where we've been looking).
It's common today to hear people talk about God as their friend and Jesus as their homeboy. And while true, in one sense, perhaps God has become too familiar to us. And too small. In this message, Max Vanderpool challenges us to see God for who He is (without humanity).
Panelists Joanna Cumbie, Christina Dillon, Micah Huber and Paul Huber share about the youth missions trip in June (2012) to Steubenville, Ohio. Matt Dillon frames the trip within what God is doing when we are fully present.
When it comes to conflict, two types of people tend to emerge: the mercy people who apologize and will do anything to make a relationship right and the knife or gun people who will show mercy by using only one bullet. And there's a whole lot in between. No wonder we all tend to avoid direct conflict. In this message, Isaiah Surbrook shares how to deal with conflict that increases the chance of a good resolution.
When it comes to your life, do you really just want to have a nice time? No adventure, no risks, no rescues, nothing to write home about? And what about you personally or your children? Do you really want them to be nice all the time? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the myth of Christian niceness and offers a compelling alternative - Jesus, who clearly was NOT a nice guy.
What do you do when the person you've been praying for (who desperately needs God) walks away from church and/or their family? What do you do when a relationship you're in turns sour and, to your surprise, you're served divorce papers? What do you do when you interview for a job, get told it's in the bag only to find out a week later it was given to someone else? Do you conclude that God messed up or that He's not involved? In this message, Max Vanderpool helps us peer into the life of Daniel to discover that, despite what we feel and despite our circumstances, God IS at work!
Because baptism has been so widely practiced in the United States, it has created a TON of confusion. Some people think you have to be baptized to get to heaven. Others think you don't need to be baptized at all. And forget about all the various forms it takes. In this message, Max Vanderpool tries to blow away the fog surrounding baptism and to make a case as to why individuals who have made a faith commitment to Jesus Christ should be baptized.
Don't just warm the pews your whole life, or you may not like where you end up. Commit!
Taking orders and doing what someone ELSE wants is hard, even if that person is your boss, advisor or parent. We Americans are SO independent, wanting to do things our own way without anyone telling us what to do. In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why that approach doesn't work with God and why being filled with His Spirit always means accepting Him as Master.
Chances are, you may know a young man who never showers or who refuses to launder his clothes until those items have been worn several times...really well. Never showering or rarely laundering for a young man can serve as a natural woman repellent. Obvious, you say. And you would be right. But few people realize that there are also things any of us can do that serve as a natural spirit repellent. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on what attracts and what repels God's Holy Spirit.
Jesus told his friends and disciples that he wouldn't be able to stick around with them, and that they would be better off because of it. It almost sounds crazy, because most American Christians believe they would be more faithful and devoted to God if they simply had some one-on-one time with Jesus. But Jesus believed that being filled with the Spirit was BETTER than having him next to you. In this message, Max Vanderpool begins a teaching series on the Holy Spirit.
Chances are, your wife or husband or kids or boss don't like to admit they're wrong, especially if the offense is a particularly onerous one. There IS something, however, you can do in your relationships that will create a context in which they are more likely to admit it when they're wrong. The key is that they have to feel safe enough to be vulnerable.
What does God want me to do with my life? What job does He want me to take? Where does He want me to live? We generally ask these questions, because we believe God's will for our lives is quite specific and very detailed. But what if it isn't? What is God would be perfectly content for us to live in Nicholasville or even Cleveland? In this message, Max Vanderpool challenges believers to let go of specifics and commit to the life-long habit of making good decisions.
You have a major decision to make by Friday, and you don't want to blow it. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares the one strategy in decision-making that can greatly reduce the risk of disaster and greatly increase the chance of success. Sadly, it's the one thing a man from annuals of 1 Kings violated...costing that man his kingdom.
THE primary metaphor Scripture uses for God's guidance is that of Shepherd and sheep. Here's the good news: sheep can ALWAYS discern the voice of the shepherd from other voices.
What should I do this summer? What should my major be? Should I go to college? Should I get married? Whom should I marry? Should we have kids? Should I stay at my current job? Should we stay or move? Is now the time to buy a house?
In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out a starting point for determining God's will for your life...in a place many people ignore (but a place God deeply cares about).
We could wear Christian T-shirts with pithy sayings; we could purchase billboards touting the coolness of our worship services; we could even pay secret shoppers to come and worship at our church and tell us how we need to improve our guest experience. In short, we could market. But Max Vanderpool doesn't think Jesus needs any marketing help. In fact, he feels that if we would just start bearing witness to who God is and what God has done, the Holy Spirit would take care of the rest.
In America, you and I are confronted with what we don't have every day. It pulls up in our neighbor's driveway, it comes out of our co-worker's laptop bag, and it's always bigger and better.
So what do you do? How do you cultivate a spirit of contentment in a culture that is incredibly discontent.
The Apostle Paul shows us how - and the good news is that ANYONE can learn to be content.
Perfectionist? Live with one? Then you know what it's like to attempt to live up to unattainable standards.
The problem is many people take that expectation and place it on God...believing that God is mad at them or displeased with them because they're not perfect.
Ironically, that's the exact environment into which John the Baptist was born. Into a time and place where most people were convinced God had written them off.
In this message, Max Vanderpool returns to the topic of worry and give seven practical habits that can help you worry less and trust God more.
Parenting brings with it a truck-load of fear. Will I fail my child? Will I mess them up? Will I have enough money? Will I give them a good enough education? Will they turn out okay.
In this message, Max Vanderpool addresses the more basic fears parents have over their children and what to do about it.
We climb and claw our way on top (and over others) to be noticed. It shows in the clothes we buy and the careers we build and the Facebook posts we make (in which we drop the name of Somebody Important to show the world that we're important, too).
All because we're afraid that we don't (matter) and that no one has noticed (at all).
And yet, God notices. In this message, Max Vanderpool addresses the fear of insignificance and why Jesus takes our fears (including this one) seriously.
Everyone worries. And most people (even non-Christians) will tell you that worry isn't helpful and you shouldn't do it.
In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the connection between worry and fear and how faith can help you win over worry.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares a simple tool that can help you identify the MOST IMPORTANT thing for you and/or your family...and some practical steps to do it.
To obtain a copy of the Family Scoreboard from today's message, contact us and we'll send you one.
You have a project looming at work, your spouse is working late three nights this week. Your son's team made the finals, meaning another Saturday on the bleachers. And let's not forget the ballet recital this Friday night.
You're busy, and tired, and wondering how you ended up where you are.
And you're not alone.
In this message, Max Vanderpool poses a question that could help you begin to create the kind of life (and family life) you really want...by understanding who God made you to be.
We all know we should be saving money, and we all think we get to it somewhere down the road.
But financial hits can come out of nowhere.
In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on the spiritual principle behind saving money and why Grandma was right: It's gonna rain.
The number one myth about money is that to have more, you need to hold on to what you have as tightly as you can.
It's a MYTH, because while many people believe it to be true, it really isn't.
In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines a proven way to make sure the flow of money and stuff into your hands FLOWS rather than STOPS.
A tax refund, and a hefty one.
Chances are, if you knew you were receiving one, you'd have developed a list of things that money was going to do.
What if you took that kind of planning and applied to your finances on a regular basis? What if your money actually went where you directed it?
In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles a common myth about money and challenges everyone to become a traffic cop for the money that flows in and out of their hands.
As Dave Ramsey points out, normal in America is broke. Normal in America is being in debt up to your eyeballs.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how to release your inner gazelle and get free from financial debt.
How did we get HERE? How did the richest nation in the world become the largest debtor nation in the world?
And how did Americans, known for generations for their frugality and thrift become such driven consumers?
It's easy to throw stones. It's harder to look in the mirror and realize we ALL struggle...when it comes to money and contentment.
In this message, Max Vanderpool launches our financial series called Cover Your Assets.
Somewhere along the way, you may have prayed and believed and hoped - only to experience no miracle, no perceptible move of God.
What do you do with those moments? Chuck faith into the trash can?
In this message to wrap up our series on faith, Max Vanderpool argues for why it's worth it to keep your faith (confident action) in God.
In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the case for why faith isn't something (completely) passive. Faith is confident ACTION in response to what God has promised or done or made known.
In a very real sense, faith is putting your money where your mouth is.
If you read the Bible, you read about men and women who experienced God doing BIG things to save them, provide for them, heal them and so much more.
Yet, for many of us, that kind of faith seems utterly foreign. At best, we hope that God simply gives us a good day.
But what if God is still able and willing to do BIG things? How would you know? And would you have the faith to count on God to do what He has promised?
In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about bold faith - the kind that is confident God can do the impossible.
We are brought up to see life as conditional. We're told that love is a two-way street. And we're shown that people should, in many ways have their act together, before we accept them or love them.
Not so with God. In fact, you could argue it's the other way around. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on what saving faith is and why it offends our modern and post-modern sensibilities.
Pulled. In a million different directions by work, studies, kids, finances, and life. Some of us will surf the internet to try to escape all the things going on.
The temptation, when push comes to shove, is to cut our personal time with God.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares the strength and wisdom of remaining in Christ.
Technological advances over the past several decades have been life-changing: microwave ovens, cordless phones, cell phones, smart phones, the Web, Facebook.
In the face of these changes, we've all assumed that it's the technology that's been changing, all the while we've remained the same.
But what if our assumption is wrong? What if our technology is actually changing us and how we interact with fellow human beings?
In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines some ways in which technology can actually hinder our need to know and be known.
More practical advice from Pastor Isaiah Surbrook on how to make and sustain friendships.
In this message, Isaiah Surbrook explores common barriers to friendship, what the Bible has to say about friendship and some very practical advice on how to make friends.
When you think of prayer, what comes to mind?
Probably an image of someone with their head bowed and eyes closed.
But what if prayer is more than that? What if prayer is more personal and natural?
In this message, Brian Hull gets to the heart of what prayer really is.
We often think of prayer as something we do.
But what if the heart of prayer is really an attitude? An outlook on life? A posture?
In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches on what prayer is...and how Samson shows us what prayer isn't.
What do you do when someone you care about is making a bad decision?
Do you tell them your concerns about the job offer they're considering? Do you explain why the person they feel so in love with is a potential train wreck?
Or do you simply voice a prayer request for them the next time you're in church?
In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out the Biblical principle of warning others and how to do it in a loving and caring way.
It's confrontation 101...and it's a necessary part of life, if you truly care about others.
We've all been wronged over and over. But what do you do when somebody hurts you, cheats you, takes something from you?
Are you like the bumper sticker? I DON'T GET MAD...I GET EVEN.
In this message, Max Vanderpool returns to the May 1st passage from Kidstuf to make a case why forgiving someone is the best option...and why you're better off doing so.
These remarks, given on the heels of Ryan Paige's ordination, are based on the Scriptural habit of serving your way into someone's heart.
As Christians, we open relational doors with people by serving them...and expecting nothing in return. Because that's how Jesus did it with us.
Want to open someone's heart to you? Look for ways to serve them.
Central Kentucky is filled with people who have decided to give up on God and/or the local church.
You know some of them.
They live next door to you. They work with you. Their kids play on your kids' soccer team.
And they're skeptical of Christians...like you.
The good news is that there ARE things you can do that will disarm their skepticism.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares the kind of church and the kind of Christians God wants us to be, because God cares deeply about these people.
Can't wait to call your mom on Mother's Day? Or do you dread it?
It kind of depends upon the relationship you have with her, doesn't it?
In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about the one mistake that parents often make (which drives their kids away). He also shares some of the ways we want to impact families in 2011 at Generations.
What if there were actually no non-critical roles in the church? What would that mean? What would be at stake?
In this message, Max Vanderpool explains the concept behind our annual Strategic Service Awards banquet and why what happens on Sunday mornings at Generations (and what happens in Jesus' name outside of Generations) is ESSENTIAL.
Embrace the Gospel.
You will never outgrow your need for the Gospel. Ever.
Because the Gospel is the good news of what God has accomplished through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Gospel calls us to renounce any and all of our efforts to work things out with God, and instead rely on Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone...and nothing else.
Embrace the Gospel, because Jesus Christ is enough. Period.
These brief remarks from Max Vanderpool followed the April 17th showing of the award-winning film, Most (named after the Czech word for bridge).
The film attempts to visually paint a picture of the substitutionary atonement.
And in order to understand The Gospel, you must understand that Jesus Christ bore the punishment for our sin...instead of bearing that punishment.
Over the years, I have noticed that when it comes to my sin, I tend to think of it as no big deal. I tell myself that God knows I try and surely He understands all those things from childhood I am still working out, and for crying out loud, I am not perfect.
God knows I am not perfect. Even my wife knows that.
But what if my tendency to brush off sin as no big deal is a flaw, one that could lead me to make faulty assumptions about my relationship with God and my future? What if sin (and by that, I mean my sin or your sin) is a much bigger deal than we tend to think it is?
What then?
Sometimes, things don't work out the way we want them to or the way we hope. Sometimes, the illness is terminal, your spouse walks out AND doesn't come back, or the bank forecloses.
How do you handle the times when things don't go right or well?
In this message, Max Vanderpool pulls out one of his nerd talents to argue that God really is the best option out there...especially when things don't go your way.
What do you do when you believe God is asking you to do something?
If you're like Moses, you have a million reasons why God should pick someone else. After all, you haven't been faithful, you really don't read your Bible like you should - and hey, isn't God aware of all those thing you did back then?
But what if all those reasons we come up with are really a smoke screen, so that we can hide behind our fears. So that God will leave us alone?
And what if those fears and reasons are the VERY THING keeping us from experiencing God's best?
Tucked away in the book of Joshua is the account of how Caleb, at age 84, asks God "for a mountain." The Israelites have entered Canaan (for the second time), and "faithful old" Caleb asks for hill country occupied by giants. Talk about gutsy!
But what if Caleb shows us a way to really live life - by embracing challenges? And what if challenges are precisely the thing God uses to help us become the people He wants us to be?
When it come to money, we often tell ourselves that we'll have more of it later...when we're making more, when the kids are out of the house, when we've paid off those student loans. We assume they'll be more money down the road.
And when it comes to relationships, we often do the same thing...assuming we'll have time for good friendships later. But life often throws us a curve ball, and it's in those moments we need strong relationships the most.
On any given day and in any given moment, your feelings could be anywhere. With the right circumstances, you could be happy or elated. Or with a different set of circumstances, you could be frustrated or angry. Feelings just tend to happen.
Or do they? What if many of your feelings are actually tied to thoughts and patterns of thinking that lurk just beneath the surface? And what if you could do something that would reduce and eliminate the feelings that "pull you down?"
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how to renew your mind - which, in turn, can dramatically change how you feel about yourself and the world around you.
In Christian circles, there is a belief that "having a devotional" will bring you closer to God and make your life more satisfying. Read your Bible, pray and journal, they say, and you'll FLOURISH.
But many people who WANT to get closer to God have tried that "format," only to become frustrated and give up (feeling guilty that they no longer have a "devotional life").
In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why "one size fits all" doesn't work and how you can discover your sacred pathways to experience God richly in your everyday life.
There's something my wife can say that ALWAYS grabs my attention: "I miss that Max." When she says it, it's an indicator that I've just been laughing, relaxed and not too serious. I'm the man she met and fell in love with. I'm being the best version of me.
Every one of us has a best version of ourselves...it's the person God had in mind when he made us. And being that person while remaining connected to Him is what helps us FLOURISH.
In this message, Max Vanderpool lays the groundwork for the Me 2.0 series and how God wants each and every one of us to have a "rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10).
In a nutshell, this message summarizes the vision of Generations Community Church by way of the greatest commandment and Moses's final speech. (Hint: you can bet we talk about lost people and families.)
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares the one thing that keeps him up at night, the one issue he fears the most when it comes to the vitality of the church in America.
Too many times in life we do the bare minimum. Yet, with God, He is always doing more than we can imagine. As we continue in our New Year's resolutions, we need to ask ourselves: What if God wants us to go big rather than go home?
Max Vanderpool walks the Generations family through Ephesians 2:1-10 to see (1) what the passage says and (2) what the passage means.
In this Q & A Forum on Bible reading, Debbie Cumbie, Isaiah Surbrook, Max Vanderpool, Mike Vanderpool and Stephen Harrod discuss reading the Bible for the first time, what's worked (and hasn't worked for each of them) and how they've heard God speaking to them through His Word.
None of us likes being told what to do. But what if you're better off living (submitted) under God's authority and under what the Bible teaches?
In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines what Biblical Authority is and is not...and why it's worth embracing.
God has placed something inside every human being that craves the "everlasting." It's why some people give large sums of money to colleges and hospitals and why others engage in dangerous pastimes. In this message, Max Vanderpool fleshes out several ineffective ways meant to "satisfy" that craving.
Could you use a little energy this Christmas? There's a simple, spiritual practice that could energize your days...and your relationships.
Could you use a little peace? Again, this one, simple practice can unlock the feeling of freedom (and get rid of the weight you may be shouldering).
In this message, Max Vanderpool talks about what it's like to "drive with Jesus."
There's one thing you can do that says, "I love you, God" and it has nothing to do with what you believe, whether or not you know all the right answers and how much (or how little) you attend church.
Even though God has a right to expect that you'll obey Him and do what He asks, God never forces you to comply. In fact, despite His omnipotence (all-powerfulness), God will never make you obey Him, love Him back or do what He says.
That's entirely up to you. Of course, should you chose to let God in on your life, you'll need to make room for Him to operate.
What do you do when you need God to come through for you, but He doesn't? How do you know God still cares?
In this message, Clair Budd walks us through the story of Mary, Martha & Lazarus and how Jesus chose NOT to answer their requests for help...when they requested it.
In America, we are constantly made aware of what we don't have. It's on the television, it's in stores, it's in our neighbor's driveway or our friend's hand (as they show us the latest iPhone). Face it, it's hard to stay content in a culture obsessed with the latest and greatest.
But even though it's hard, it's not impossible. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares three practical habits that can help you stay content...regardless of what you have or don't have.
Debt and freedom move in opposite directions.
If you have a lot of debt, you have little or no freedom. But if you have little or no debt, you experience tremendous amounts of freedom.
God wants us to get rid of debt, so that we can be free to do whatever He wants us to do.
Each and every day, you'll face an element of fear. Some of these fears are warranted (what if you lose your job or get sick or get a divorce?). Some of these fears are benign. But fear can drive you to keep God out of your financial picture...which is, perhaps, the least "safe" place to be.
In this message, Max Vanderpool share how, when you're faithful, you can count on God to meet your needs...each and every day.
A friend loans you their car for a week (and pays for the gas). Your parents give you a five-figure gift to help you purchase your first home.
When you're on the receiving end of generosity (like that), you're thinking, "Wow, they're amazing...everyone should be like that." In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles a habit that can help you become the person you really want to be.
Unless your last name is Smuckers, Gates or Buffet, you'll have to work to bring in enough money to live. And sometimes, you'll need two...or even three jobs to pay the bills or eliminate debt.
In this message, Max Vanderpool draws out the connection between work and money and shares a Biblical principle about work that may surprise you...but will certainly reward you!
Most of us, when we were kids, couldn't wait to have our own job and life, so that we could spend our money however we wanted (with no parent telling us what to do!). Ironically, grown-up life hasn't lived up to the gleaming images of freedom we imagined in our childhoods.
There is a better way.
In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the case why all the money and stuff we have actually comes from God...with an expectation (from God) that we will use it for His purposes and our future.
Chances are, you've encountered or known someone who claimed to be a Christian and "flunked the test." Maybe it was a co-worker who lied to customers or who threw you "under the bus" with your boss. Maybe it was a church member who led the charge to get a pastor fired or who refused to let you use a classroom. Maybe you grew up with someone who "flunked the test."
What's the test? It's the love test; it's an expectation that Christians should be primarily characterized by love. Is it legitimate? And if so, why?
When it comes to (other) people's shortcomings, faults and irritations, we want them to change. But when it comes to our shortcomings, we want others to "give us a break" (and they would, if they just understood our day/life/upbringing, etc.).
But what it the health and maturity of our relationships with other people (and our ability to "put up" with them) was actually a measuring stick for the health and maturity of our relationship with God? What would that mean?
Language changes over time, and the words one generation employs, the next generations discards. But there's one word used today that wasn't used the same way 30 or 50 years ago.
In this message, Max Vanderpool shares why church is not a place, experience or event; rather, church is an extended family.
Most parents know that inconsistency is generally a bad idea when it comes to your kids. But when you're tired, and most parents these days are very tired, you can sometimes make bad parenting decisions. In this message, Max Vanderpool offers a tool that can help you discipline the way you want...with a lot less stress and drama.
If you're a parent, life can sometimes be a blur of academics, athletics, social activities and a few things for faith and character development. Believe or not, your kids learn what's (really) important through the family schedule. In this message, Max Vanderpool makes the case why weaving faith into your everyday life is what will produce an everyday faith in your kids' lives.
If you're a driven person, you probably have a list of things you want to accomplish (become a principal by age 30, make a six-figure income after 10 years, get elected, etc.). And if you're not a driven person, you're reminded all the time why you should be.
But what if success isn't about what you accumulate or accomplish? What if it has to do with who you become?
In this message, Max Vanderpool maps out the Biblical perspective on success and how it can empower members of your family to become the people God wants them to be.
God wants you to be a spiritual hero. And if you're a parent, God wants you to be a spiritual hero to your kids. Unfortunately, you probably don't feel like one...because you think that you have to be the right kind of Christian or the right kind of parent for God to use you that way.
In this message, Max Vanderpool explains why it's not about perfection but about being in tune with what God wants to do today. You CAN be that hero!
There is a "relationship secret" that few individuals and families seem to grasp, but one which is probably the single most important factor in developing healthy and rewarding relationships. Here's a sneak peak: "Within the context of your family, your goal is to make it a place where everybody feels safe to come out."
It really doesn't matter whether you sing to hymns or a worship band with a drum kit, worship is more than just your musical preference. It's about a lifestyle, because God wants your heart.
There's a saying, "you only get out of something what you put into it." It's an expression meant to convey the reality of sowing and reaping (you reap what you sow). The problem is there are a lot of things in life that take a very long time to produce a "harvest." And that's why it's so tempting, at times to quit and throw in the towel. The Apostle Paul felt the same way...
All of us struggle with comparing ourselves to others. There's the woman at work who just dropped 30 pounds. Or the neighbor who drove up in a brand new Acura. Or the brother or sister who can run faster and get all A's.
The Bible (and even Jesus, Himself) has some good news about the lives and fortunes of other people and the way in which we tend to compare ourselves to them.
Why is it that when we have a "slip of the tongue," we're actually telling the truth? And why is it that we tend to say the most amazing things when we're really tired and our guard it down? It's because the tongue is connected to something else...something far more important.
Weighing in at a little over 2 ounces, the human tongue has the power to shape relationships, self-worth, job performance and even your connection with God. In this message, Max Vanderpool lays out some practical advice for saying what you really want to say (and keeping from saying what you don't).
Families and churches are in trouble in the United States.
And each is trying to "better itself" alone. But what if families and churches were meant to work together? What would come as a result of it?
Something we call "orange glow."
We all live on the same planet. It's a world of things and values. And the Bible has a lot to say about it...some of which may surprise you.
What if the "world" isn't a neutral thing? What if it isn't benign? In this message, Max Vanderpool tackles the "value setting" of our culture.
Direction, not intention, determines destination. And attention affects direction.
Why is it that some things "grab" our attention while other things don't? And why is it that the things that should capture our focus and attention often suffer from a lack of it? In this final message of "Highways," Max Vanderpool makes a recommendation about what it means to "pay attention."
Most of us, at one time or another, have ignored good advice...from doctors, coaches, preachers, counselors, friends...and maybe even our mother-in-law. Most of the time, too, we've paid for it.
Ignoring what God has to say can be equally disastrous. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how one dirty little word can make all the difference in terms of choosing the right roads in life.
Wouldn't life be so much easier if we simply had a web-based application like Mapquest for sorting through life's issues and decisions?
Starting Direction: single with several bad habits. Ending Direction: happily married.
While there isn't a Mapquest for life, there are people who know how to get there. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares how you can tap into their wisdom to get where you want to be.
If you could go back and visit the you of seventeen years old, what would you tell you?
Unlike Marty McFly, however, none of us has ever had that opportunity.
But what if there was something you could do to ensure that you're traveling down the right road? And what if all it cost you was a little embarrassment? Would it be worth it?
There's a good chance that you STILL buy new clothes, even though you have may a closet full of clothes you never wear. Why is that?
Maybe you've even dropped a phone in the toilet just to get an upgrade (before your contract expired). What's that all about?
Happiness. We're all on a quest for things and people and experiences that will make us happy. And, for better or worse, we tend to lean on our heart and emotions to help us make those decisions. But is that such a good idea?
Kids and young people don't always see the consequences of their actions or decisions. That's normal.
You would think that, as we get older, we would naturally get better at connecting the dots...but you would be wrong. We do get better seeing it in the lives of our family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. But we often fail to see the same thing playing out on the inside. What is this disconnect? And how can it lead us down the wrong road?
Roads and highways lead where they lead. Nothing new there.
But what if that's also true in other areas of your life? What if certain roads in life always end in a predictable place? And what if you are where you are precisely because of the road you have chosen?
In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines a principle from geography that applies to every area of your life. When properly understood and respected, this principle can help you get where you want to be.
You and I live in a very small part of a very big galaxy. And when you take the time to consider just how big the universe is, by comparison, it's a little overwhelming.
What if the universe is a cosmic billboard to remind us that God is very, very big and we're very, very small? And does it affect how we understand the Biblical idea that "God loves us?"
In this message, Max Vanderpool attempts to frame an appropriate response to God's (size and) love.
Strange as it may seem, there are people in your life looking to you for a blessing. They could be your spouse, your kids, your parents or even your friends. And they are hoping you will offer them unconditional love and acceptance in such a way that it screams, "You're valuable."
So what do you do? How do you communicate something so important? In Part 2 of "Warm Hearts," Max Vanderpool shares two ways to show that kind of love; two ways that enable you to pass on a relational blessing to another person.
The family is a place of the heart, and God intends for families to show the world what it's like to receive unconditional love...so that people can relate to their Heavenly Father who loves them unconditionally.
For many of us, however, the unconditional love we should have received at home was given with strings attached or not at all. In this message, Max Vanderpool shares what to do when you didn't receive a "blessing" from your parents and how God can turn it into something good.
Over the years, we've had a tendency (as the church) to focus our energy and effort on issues that, in hindsight, weren't all that important. We get riled by books (like Harry Potter) or politicians (like Al Gore) or even haircuts (boys…keep it short). But every time we become obsessed with issues like these, we end up creating an image problem for the church.
Today's message is all about the role of the church…and keeping the “main thing” the main thing. It's not enough to simply “be” the church…it's important that we're illuminating what God wants us to. So what's the one word that could sum up the role of the church? A walk through Exodus and Revelation gives us that word.
We're at a critical crossroads and a defining moment in American history. We've reached a point when the church is losing its influence and the home is losing its heart.
The question we face in 2010 is this: How do we pass on a vibrant faith to the next generation? Fortunately, this question isn't new, and despite current trends, there is reason to hope.
What do you do when things don't turn out the way you had hoped? What do you do when you realize your daughter is going to choose a different path for her life, one that will never involve that wedding with your family and friends gathered around you? What do you do when you realize that knee injury is not only going to keep you from the team, but it's going to ruin your scholarship chances for college? What do you do when the doctor tells you that you simply can't have children? What do you do?
The risk in dealing with broken dreams is that you become angry...angry at God and angry at others. But David (from the Bible) shows us another way. While fleeing his capital city from an approaching army, David realizes that nothing of what he had hoped in life is going to work out. His life is literally in pieces. And he does something that opens a door into his heart and that shows us a way to deal with broken dreams.
1Brian Hull offers his thoughts on the biblical applications towards brokenness in the world.
Church attendance in America is actually declining, and the possibility of America becoming more like Europe (in terms of church attendance, at least) seems more like now than ever. In this message, Max Vanderpool looks at some of the current demographic trends and what we can do about it to make church a vibrant force (once again) more culturally relevant.