Grace At Home Podcast: Recent Episodes
Matt Media
Here to help you, your friends, and your neighbors know and follow Jesus and to meet their needs!
We believe that it doesn't matter how long it's been since you've gone to church, what you wear, or who you vote for. At Grace Church we are passionate about helping you, your friends, and your neighbors find and follow Jesus and to make a lasting difference in our surrounding communities.
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In a world that often encourages us to chase our dreams and ambitions at any cost, it's easy to get swept up in the pursuit of our own desires. After all, isn't following our passions a good thing? In this video, we explore a story from the Bible of a man whose unchecked ambition and pride led to devastating consequences. Through his cautionary example, we'll discover how society's messages about success and achievement can sometimes blind us to the true state of our hearts. We'll learn valuable lessons about examining our own desires and ambitions, and how to align them with God's will. But here's the good news: despite our failures and shortcomings, God can still use our missteps to teach us important lessons and guide us back to His path.
Struggling with doubts and fears can make us believe that we are an unlikely candidate for God to use. It's hard to imagine God working through us when we're struggling to trust Him, let alone dealing with our own fears and inadequacies. But what if we’re wrong? In this video, we dive into the Bible to examine the story of a man who struggled with doubt and fear in the face of overwhelming odds. Through his journey, we discover that the difference maker in our lives isn't our own strength or faith, but the presence of God with us. We see how God patiently works with us through our questions and insecurities, and how each step of obedience, no matter how small, can lead us to a deeper trust in Him.
What if God chose you to do something extraordinary? Most of us would feel very unqualified or unprepared. It's easy to doubt ourselves because of our past, present struggles, or feelings of inadequacy. But what if God wasn't looking for the most skilled, perfect, or confident person? What if He just needed someone willing to trust Him? In this video, we explore the story of Deborah, and see unlikely heroes from the Bible who faced overwhelming odds. Through their journey, we'll discover that God delights in using ordinary people to accomplish His purposes and gain some powerful lessons that can move our faith into action.
It would be great if we could be confident in every decision we make. Unfortunately, the reality is that we all struggle with the fear of making the wrong choice and failing and so often, we are just frozen by indecision which can lead us to a life of regret and missing the life God has planned for us. So how can we navigate these times of uncertainty and indecision in a way that pleases God and minimizes regrets? In this video, we’ll see from the Bible how we can lean on God’s guidance and wisdom in these times and how we can develop the courage to move forward even when the path ahead seems unclear.
When we come face to face with the storms of life —challenges, difficulties, and uncertainties can leave us feeling overwhelmed and shake our faith. So how can we still cling to God’s peace and strength even if everything around us is telling us to freak out? In this video, we’ll see that even God’s own people were not immune from doubts and fear, but from these stories we can draw powerful lessons that can help us hold onto hope even when the path ahead seems bleak and uncertain. Whether you're currently facing a storm or seeking to strengthen your faith for future challenges, this message will provide the encouragement and guidance you need to navigate life's ups and downs better.
Life can often feel overwhelming with the number of decisions and choices we have to make. Choices that will inevitably lead us somewhere, but not always in the direction that God would have us go. But with so many opportunities and paths to take, it can be a struggle to know which is the right one. In this video, we continue our series Roadmap where we are exploring a powerful story from the book of Exodus that reveals how God's love and faithfulness can guide us through life's most difficult moments. As we see the Israelites' struggle between trusting God or their own reason, we'll uncover valuable insights that can help us trust God more deeply and choose the right paths in our own lives which can bring us closer to His perfect plan and purpose for us.
Have you ever faced a situation where you knew what God wanted you to do, but fear held you back? Maybe you're struggling to let go of something that's hindering your spiritual growth, or you're afraid of the risks that come with obedience. In this video, we'll see a fresh perspective on the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to uncover powerful insights that can help you get unstuck. We'll explore what it means to trust God fully and surrender every area of our lives to Him, even when it feels scary or uncertain. Whether you're facing a difficult decision, dealing with overwhelming challenges, or simply seeking to deepen your faith, we’ll discover the unexpected blessings that await when we courageously obey God and let go of anything that holds us back.
Since the very beginning of time, God has been writing a story of rescue and redemption through history. But in a world that often feels chaotic, uncertain, and overwhelming, it's easy to wonder if God is still at work. In this week’s video, we'll dive into the life of Joseph and explore how God uses even the most painful and unjust circumstances for good in the story He is writing and we’ll find wisdom for today in dealing with forgiveness, faith, and the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when life feels like it's falling apart.
When life feels uncertain and we're faced with difficult choices, it's natural to hold onto what's familiar and comfortable. But what happens when God asks us to place ourselves in a vulnerable spot and trust Him completely? In this video, we dive into the stories of three men in the Bible who were called to make extraordinary sacrifices. Through their stories, we’ll see that true fulfillment and purpose aren't found in clinging to what we know, but in surrendering to God's plan and stepping into the unknown. Together we’ll gain practical tools for navigating adversity, deepening your relationship with God, and aligning your life with the greater story He is writing in our world.
Sometimes, the challenges of life and the brokenness around us leave us craving a fresh start—to leave the past behind and embrace renewed hope and purpose. The Bible reveals that God once faced a similar situation with the world. Confronted with pervasive evil and suffering, He chose to hit the reset button through a catastrophic flood. The story of Noah and the Flood is more than a tale for children; it's a narrative of divine resets and second chances—a story where God offers a fresh start amidst despair, no matter how badly we've messed up. From this ancient account, we will gain insights into how, even when things seem at their worst, God has a plan for new beginnings that can transform our lives forever.
Why do we so often feel like we are chasing after something more? Like no matter what we achieve or acquire, there's this lingering sense of dissatisfaction or emptiness? The truth is, we all live in a broken world, and the weight of our own brokenness causes us to combat the feelings of guilt, shame, and disconnection and seek for something to bring wholeness and purpose. But what if most often we’re just looking in the wrong places? In this video, we are headed back to the beginning of recorded history to see what the ancient stories of the Bible reveal about our struggles and how we find answers to our lingering questions and gain greater understanding of our purpose and responsibility in this world that God created.
Have you ever wished for a fresh start, a chance to leave your past behind and embrace a new beginning? The message of Easter, is the hope that promises just that - and so much more. Understanding not only the history but the significance of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, points to a love that knows no bounds, and a grace that extends to all, no matter your past failures or present hardships. So if you’re carrying a heavy burden, searching for meaning, or simply longing for a deeper sense of worth and purpose, this video will bring the clarity you need. Discover how this Easter could be your first step towards a fresh start and an invitation to something greater.
There are few feelings worse than realizing that we’ve blown it. Whether it's a major betrayal or a minor misstep, our instinct is to often hide in shame. But when we feel like we’ve blown it with God, we can be tempted to think there’s no coming back. But in this video, we’ll see how our response to our failure can make all the difference. We'll explore the difference between shame-filled isolation and repentance that leads to restoration. If you've ever felt like you've let God down, this is something you don’t want to miss.
Every day we are faced with things that can distract us from what matters most. We chase after things looking for happiness and fulfillment, but what can often happen is that the pursuit of these things can cause us to drift away from our faith, something that has eternal consequences. In this week’s video, we'll explore what Jesus taught about living a focused, meaningful life and his warnings on the dangers of wasted time, discontentment, and self-centered living. Together, we’ll discover ways to keep our faith at the center of our lives so that we can live a life focused on the things that matter most.
In our curated digital world, it's tempting to unfollow anything that challenges our comfort or image. But what happens when following Jesus leads us to hard truths? In this video, we'll explore how Jesus' teachings often pushed the levels of comfort of many of his followers, causing many to question and even abandon him in the final week of his life. We'll see how we can learn to embrace these testing moments of following Jesus in a culture that avoids sacrifice and we'll find that the temporary discomfort we experience leads to a more fulfilling faith than we could ever imagine.
Our culture tells us to pursue instant gratification and ensures us that we deserve all the things we want. As a result, it can be easy to be drawn to faith primarily for how it can quickly meet our needs and wants, but when that doesn’t happen many of us find our faith being put on the back burner or abandoned altogether. And it’s not just us. Even in the Bible, we see crowds of people celebrating Jesus as the one to immediately fix their oppression, yet quickly turning on Him when they realized he wouldn’t cater to their political hopes. In this week’s video, we take an honest look at why we follow God—is it to get what we want or because we trust Jesus to transform us into the people we were meant to be?
When life feels smooth and God seems close, it’s wonderful. Yet we often hit times when our faith seems to lack connection, leaving us frustrated and craving blessings without requiring change. But true encounters with God are not something to be controlled or manipulated for our gain. When we clearly see and understand Jesus’ glory and power, it can't be molded comfortably. In this video, we’ll see how some of Jesus’ closest friends reacted when Jesus fully revealed Himself to them and how this experience led them to the same question we are faced with - what place will He hold in our life?
Was Jesus just a good teacher? A revolutionary rabbi who liked to stir the pot? Or is He a nicety we rarely think about beyond the holidays? We often try to fit Jesus into a mold of our own making. However, in doing so, we risk missing His true identity. In this video, Jesus confronts His followers with a soul-searching question: "Who do you actually believe I am?" Rather than indulging inaccurate assumptions, He dispels those misguided notions. Jesus reveals He was sent for a far greater purpose - not just to teach platitudes but to radically transform lives through profound truth and grace.
Do you ever feel like you don't measure up spiritually no matter how hard you try? It can be exhausting trying to do good all the time and obey the religious rules. We’re tempted to feel discouraged, less than, or even to treat others differently based on how we all obey the rules. But is following Jesus just about keeping the rules? What if religious scorecards completely miss what God actually cares about? In this week’s video, we see Jesus revealing that God isn't foremost concerned with strict rule-keeping. Through a surprising encounter with religious leaders, we'll discover the one thing God truly prioritizes over anything else.
If we’re honest, we often prefer to envision Jesus as all-loving and endlessly patient - it's just more comforting. While we do see Him portray these characteristics in the Bible, we also see Him be raw and honest about other aspects of His identity. It’s often easier for us to minimize Jesus confronting sin and requiring self-reflection and repentance and focus on the more gentle aspects. But without grasping His justice and grace, we cling to partial truths. In this video, we start a journey to discover who Jesus really is - not just the gentle caricature we create to suit our preferences.
Many feel drawn to God yet hesitate when faith costs comfort or disrupts plans. It’s tempting to disengage when spiritual roads diverge from what we envisioned. But Jesus surprised disciples by challenging assumptions on following Him. No sugarcoating. Complete surrender - of security, reputation, resources - would amplify meaning. Centuries later, we still wrestle with trusting God’s wisdom over self-protecting logic. But what if yielding control unlocks courage and purpose despite uncertainty? In this video, see how Jesus calls ordinary people to walk away from their fears and insecurities to pursue something greater. Discover how relinquishing control unlocks courage and unconventional purpose despite uncertainty.
Escaping the messiness of life is not something any of us are exempt from. Whether it’s past mistakes and regrets or present failures and insecurities, we can often feel disqualified from God’s care and affection. But what if you’re wrong? What if the God that we often give up on has never given up on you? In this video, we see outrageous stories of Jesus that prove that nothing is too broken for Him to heal and that His relentless love and compassion can not only transform your life, but can offer you a newfound hope and unexpected purpose for your life.
“Love your neighbor." "Turn the other cheek". Jesus' statements sound ideal but living them out is tough. Rather than rally political revolt like many of his day had hoped, Jesus focused on inner change instead. His piercing principles targeted the very areas we still today drift from God — money, enemies, judgment, hypocrisy. Beyond nice words, He exposes and transforms hearts, however unexpectedly. The question is — will we trust His wisdom to shape our lives for His greater purpose? In this teaching, we explore the gap between admiring Jesus and following Him when spiritual rubber meets life's road.
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Do you ever feel like your life is too messy or you are too unqualified to be used by God? It’s easy to assume God favors those who are more put together, more educated, or with more skills. But in this video, we see that Jesus does the exact opposite of what we’d expect. Instead of finding the best of the best, he picks a group of regular people to launch a world changing mission. From this story we will see that while we believe we need influence, status, or better behavior to be used or noticed by God, God is looking for people just like you to do some pretty incredible things.
When life throws curveballs, our ideas and expectations often get busted. In those moments, it’s easy to feel let down and question why God is letting this happen. But what if the unexpected revealed more purpose than we realize? In this message, we explore how to stand sturdy when uncertainty strikes and discover joy hidden in paths we didn't pick. When we do, we can grow in trusting God’s ways rather than imposing our own assumptions onto God's plans.
At Christmas, we often want to experience the feelings of merry and bright, the calm of silent nights, and the glimmer of anticipation for what’s to come. But when our reality includes grief, loneliness or disappointment instead, we wonder where’s the hope in that? It can feel like you got short-changed. What if the first Christmas was as confusing and unpredictable as this year feels for you? This Christmas Eve, see how Jesus freely chose an unideal birth to bring surprising hope to your imperfect holidays and uncertain plans. Discover how joy and purpose can emerge from the messiness we want to edit out of the story.
Out of the three gifts the wise men brought in the Christmas story, gold seems to make the most sense. No new family would turn down gold, especially a family that just had a baby in a barn! But what we might not understand about this gift is that it wasn’t an appropriate gift for just anyone. It was a gift for royalty. In this video, we dive deeper into the meaning of this gift to understand the Magi’s motivations in giving this gift and we’ll discover that this communicates that we all have a choice to make on who Jesus will be in our lives.
Gold, frankincense and myrrh - we know the three gifts in the Christmas story. Gold sounds like a decent gift for any new family to receive, but myrrh? Its main use was for embalming dead bodies! Why would the Magi give funeral oil to a newborn baby!? In this second week of our Christmas series, we discover more about what this strange gift, why the Magi may have thought it was appropriate, and why its symbolic significance matters for us today.
We all know about the three gifts from the wise men - gold, frankincense and myrrh. But have you ever wondered why they brought such odd things as gifts? Why did they choose to bring these things for a toddler? In this first video of our Christmas series, we dig into the surprising significance of that fragrant gift - frankincense. We learn more about what it is, why it was given, and why its symbolic significance matters for us in this Christmas season today.
What’s the difference between feeling grateful and truly expressing gratitude? It’s good to verbally express thanks but too often, our sense of gratitude fades away with the words we say. If we want to live lives defined by gratitude, we need to move beyond just words. But what does that look like? In this video, we discover three principles that help guide us on a path of gratitude and sets us free from worry and fear associated with money. These principles not only remind us of all we have to be grateful for, but overflow into blessing those around us.
In our hustle-bustle world of instant everything, gratitude and thankfulness often get squeezed out. You’d think with all we have we’d be more grateful! Instead, we find it so easy to take for granted our many blessings and comforts. In this message, we find practical ways from the Bible to cultivate sincere, consistent thankfulness in our lives and learn how to move past discontentment and entitlement and let your needs and blessings prompt you to draw closer to God.
We take so much for granted - our lives, loved ones, talents we have. But have you ever stopped to seriously ponder where all the good in your life actually originates? Most often we assume it's from our own efforts and take full credit for it, but what if our thinking was totally backwards? In this video, we see what the Bible says about the true source of every blessing we receive. See the life changing difference between believing we're entitled to the good we have versus understanding it all as an undeserved gift from God.
Grace Church turns 18 years old! It's crazy to look back on how we started out with just 35 people crammed in a hotel conference room and to see where God has brought us. In this video, our Lead Pastor Sean Sears shares some awesome stories and history of where we have been as a church but also reminds us that we've only just begun to tap into all that God dreams for us. Hear how we can be a church God continues to bless and how you can be a part of helping these dreams become a reality!
Everywhere we turn, it seems we find conflict. Not only on the news but in our homes, workplaces, and communities. We long for peace in our world, in our lives, and in our hearts, but it seems there is always something ready to rob us of it. In this video, we explore the upside-down path of peacemaking Jesus lays out. While we’re distracted by achieving our definition of peace, Jesus calls us to engage through conflict to do the hard work of true peacemaking. Learn how to trust God through the struggle and become conduits of peace in a hostile world.
Having a pure heart often feels impossible with all the temptations and brokenness around us. This struggle can cause us to feel discouraged and unworthy or tempt us to throw in the towel and allow our hearts to become calloused and dirty. So how can we actually experience purity of heart like Jesus teaches? In this video, we see that purity of heart does not equal perfection, but rather can be obtained through practical habits to guard your heart, change your focus, obey God's voice within you. When we live this way, we can experience the blessing and peace God intends for us.
Injustice seems rampant today. We hunger for wrongs to be righted, yet showing mercy appears weak and lets the offender off the hook. So how do we reconcile Jesus’ teaching for us to want justice, but also freely give mercy? In this video, we see how Jesus flips the script by redefining our understanding of justice and mercy, what it would look like for us to live as people of justice and mercy, and how living out Jesus' radical, countercultural teachings leads us towards lives of peace, contentment, and purpose that we’ve been craving.
Do you ever feel like life is leaving you empty and unfulfilled? You try to check all the boxes for success - nice job, possessions, relationships - but something's still missing. What if God knows something about finding a blessed and fulfilling life that we’re missing? What can be challenging is sometimes Jesus’ instructions can feel backwards to us. Jesus said the poor, grieving, and humble are blessed, but living that way doesn’t sound like it leads to a better place. So what is Jesus talking about? In this video, we’ll be unpacking these counter cultural values that are supposed to lead to blessing and favor and see how Jesus intended them to bring us a life of meaning and purpose.
Living out your faith nowadays can feel like you’re on stormy waters. With Christian values diminishing in our culture, many people of faith are left feeling overwhelmed, angry, or tempted to leave their faith behind. So in these divided times, how should Christians respond to the culture around them? In this video, we answer this question by giving a Biblically-grounded perspective on what it looks like to stand firm in your faith and also live as a person of compassion and love towards those who do not share your beliefs.
Most of us grew up being taught evolution, but what if there’s actual empirical evidence that points toward purposeful design? We’re putting the Bible to the test to see if believing in Creation requires you to check your brain at the door, or if you can believe the Genesis account and still be rational and intelligent. In this video, we'll see respected scientists who believe the data fits better with Genesis than natural selection, and we'll discover how the world around us defies random chance, revealing fingerprints of an intelligent Creator behind it all.
Relationships today are complicated. Our world is constantly communicating to us how to navigate things like sex, dating, and marriage, but is this really working out well for us? Many of us still struggle reconciling our faith with our current desires and our past failures. In this video, we’ll have an open, judgment-free conversation on what the Bible says about navigating tough topics like healthy boundaries for sex, dating in a modern world, divorce, and re-marriage. Discover how to reconcile faith with your desires, build intimate relationships that honor God, and find hope and healing from heartache.
Navigating the topic of gender identity today is tough. Transgender. Gender dysphoria. Non-binary. What does it all mean? We want to care for people's innermost feelings and desires but is fully exploring and expressing all feelings and desires leading us towards wholeness? The complexities surrounding these issues leave many longing for clarity. In this video, we'll see what answers and wisdom the Bible gives around this topic to help us navigate these delicate and important issues.
Do you ever worry you'll look back with regret on how you spent your time and energy? It’s hard enough just getting through the day to day, let alone making sure your decisions are leading to a life of fulfillment and purpose. That’s where having strong values can help! In this video, we talk about 4 values designed to help you build a life of purpose and meaning. Find out why being biblically centered, outwardly focused, radically generous, and personally involved matters and also practical ways for you to start incorporating these values into your life this week.
When it comes to our emotions, there are clearly some that we’d like to experience more than others. But truthfully, life can get heavy sometimes. When sadness shows up, it can often function as a warning light illuminating things that need to be addressed in our hearts. In this video, we'll explore God's purpose for sadness, how we can learn from it, and how to process sadness in a healthy way.
Between pandemics, politics, and social media outrage, it's no wonder so many of us struggle with fear and anxiety. The constant state of feeling triggered can really take its toll on our mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and while we try to hide, ignore, or self medicate these feelings, they never really seem to go away. But here's the truth: you were created to live in peace, not in panic, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never wrestle with these feelings. In this video, we'll unpack practical techniques to manage fear and anxiety and give you Biblical wisdom for processing these emotions.
Love is a super confusing emotion. We say we "love" a lot of things when we really mean we like, we desire, we enjoy, we crave. And sometimes when we say “love” we really mean "lust". We live in a world that glorifies fantasy love while real relationships struggle and more often than not our disordered desires lead to pain and brokenness. No wonder we have so many questions about love! In this video, we take a look at what the Bible says about this messy thing we call love to find clarity and understanding so we can manage this emotion in a better way.
Is being happy all it takes for a fulfilling life? As a culture, we do so much, buy so much, and try so much to experience this blissful emotion and then we wake up and do it all over again. Most of the daily choices and decisions we make revolve around what will make us happy. After all, God wants us to be happy right? The problem with this emotion is when we start to believe feeling happiness can accomplish something it was never designed to do. In this video, we talk about how the obsession to be happy can lead us astray, how God desires more than for us to just be happy, and where lasting joy and happiness can be found.
Anger and rage seem to be all too common in our world today. Everyone seems to have a short fuse! We see it online, through the media, on our commutes, and in our relationships. It’s the default emotion when things don’t go right, and this intense emotion can be very destructive when handled in unhealthy ways. In this video, we’ll be learning from the Bible how we can navigate the complexities of anger, how to avoid its destructive tendencies, and how to manage this emotion in a God-honoring way.
Nobody wants to feel guilty or ashamed. We try to make excuses or shift blame so that we can avoid these feelings. But the reality is dealing with feelings of guilt and shame are a part of being human! In this video, we work to understand why God allows us to feel these difficult emotions and see how the Bible says we can go about dealing with these feelings in a more healthy way.
Let's be real, our emotions can be super complex and downright frustrating at times. Sadness, anger, fear, and love: if we’re honest, it’s a lot easier to numb or dismiss these emotions than deal with them! We often separate them from our spirituality, thinking they are two separate things, but what if God sees your emotions differently and deeply cares how you feel? In this video, we will see that God designed you to have “all the feels”, and by understanding and embracing God’s design for our emotions can lead to a deeper understanding of God and allow us to grow in our faith.
We all work really hard to make our lives easy and comfortable. But when it comes to loving our neighbor, Jesus says it’s more than being friendly and polite. In fact, he says truly loving our neighbor will often cost us something and push us beyond our comfort zones. In this video, we explore why we are so uncomfortable with this idea and also why making such a countercultural decision to love others is worth it.
For most of us hospitality is reserved for friends and family around birthday parties, BBQs, and holidays. Our busy, fast-paced lives and our reliance on technology can often distract us from spending time with those around us. But here's the thing: hospitality is more than just being polite. It's about loving your neighbor, just like Jesus taught us. In this video, we talk about how hospitality is more than just being a good neighbor, and we’ll give you some simple, practical ideas for inviting others into your space without it being awkward.
Jesus’ command to love your neighbor seems like an easy enough thing to do with some time and intentionality. But what if you don’t like your neighbor? What about the people who try to make life more difficult for us? Do we still need to love them and if so…how!? In this video, we talk about the barriers to loving difficult people and give 4 practical ways to love people who are not easy to love.
When we hear the phrase "love your neighbor," we often think of treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect. To be a good human is to “love your neighbor”. But what if that’s not what Jesus meant? What if it’s not a metaphor, but a command to love your actual neighbor? In this video, we see from the Bible what it means to love your neighbor, who your neighbor actually is, and what steps you can take to start doing so.
When we hear the phrase "love your neighbor," we often think of treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect. To be a good human is to “love your neighbor”. But what if that’s not what Jesus meant? What if it’s not a metaphor, but a command to love your actual neighbor? In this video, we see from the Bible what it means to love your neighbor, who your neighbor actually is, and what steps you can take to start doing so.
When facing adversity, tough circumstances, and difficult people, we tend to react…well poorly. After all, we were wronged! It wasn’t our fault! We deserve better! But our reactions act like a mirror that reflects what’s in our hearts, and exposes our hidden thoughts and character. And at times, when what’s in our hearts comes out through our words and actions, it can even surprise us! So what do we do about it? In this video, we discover that we have a choice in how we respond in these situations and learn from the Bible how to allow God to grow and transform us into the people He wants us to be through these times.
We've all experienced those moments when it feels like everything in our lives is falling apart. We long for comfort, security, and immediate solutions. We want God to fix our problems and make everything better. And when it doesn't happen, doubts and questions start to surface. But these are the moments where our faith is tested. In this video, we will see that God is not distant in hard times and that when we trust God in the midst of hardship, something incredible happens. God uses those hard times to shape us, to grow us, and to strengthen our faith.
Many people are initially drawn to faith with the expectation that following Jesus will lead to an easier and more carefree life. But is that really true? Does being a Christian increase your chances for more blessings and prosperity? If so, you might be asking “why are there still so many struggles in my life?” In this video, we talk about the realities of living with faith, and highlight how God sees hardships and struggles differently than we do.
Ever wondered what it would be like to let God take the wheel and write more of your life's story? If we’re honest, many of us feel more comfortable being the authors of our own lives and it can be daunting to feel like we are giving up control of our own lives. But what if you knew for a fact that God had something better planned? Something you’d miss if you never took the risk? In this video, we are talking about what a life written by God can look like, why the risk is worth it, and how you can make your first move to hand the pen over to God.
Would you describe your faith as courageous or hesitant? We often compare our faith to the heroes of the Bible and the courage and confidence they had versus the fear, doubt, and insecurity that many of us experience. So what’s the difference? How can we grow courage and confidence in our faith and experience God in our lives? In this video, you’ll find where a courageous faith comes from and also discover insights to help you build a more confident, courageous faith that can transform your life and deepen your relationship with God.
Many people have questions about the Holy Spirit: Who or what is it? How does it relate to God and Jesus? What role does it play in our lives? How do I know if the Holy Spirit is working in my life? How can I discern the voice of the Holy Spirit? In this video, we'll explore the Holy Spirit from a Biblical perspective and clarify common misunderstandings. By the end of this video, you'll have a better understanding of who the Holy Spirit is and how you can experience His power and presence in your life.
Are you struggling to share your faith with others? Do you feel unsure of how to start a conversation about Jesus? Maybe you feel that your faith is still too small to talk with anyone else about it. You're not alone! But the good news is that God can give us the confidence to share our faith. In this video, we'll explore how our confidence in God equips us to live like Jesus and tell others about him. Ultimately, we'll see that sharing our faith is not about having all the answers, but about trusting in God's power and love enough to obey and allow Him to transform hearts and lives.
Do you find yourself wondering or concerned whether you have enough faith? When doubts arise and our faith feels diminished, it’s easy to feel inadequate or even guilty. Maybe you even question whether you are worthy of God’s love and acceptance because your faith seems so small. So exactly how much faith is enough? In this video, we talk about how faith and doubts can coexist together. By the end of this video, you'll have a better understanding of what it means to have faith, and some practical tools to help you strengthen your own.
What are you supposed to do when you have doubts about faith? Are you supposed to talk openly about them or hide them? Some of us have experienced our doubts being shut down when we tried to share them, or were given an answer that only led to more questions. In this video, we talk about why seasons of doubt are not something to be discouraged by and give 3 practical things you can do as you process through your doubts and questions.
What are you supposed to do when you have doubts about faith? Are you supposed to talk openly about them or hide them? Some of us have experienced our doubts being shut down when we tried to share them, or were given an answer that only led to more questions. In this video, we talk about why seasons of doubt are not something to be discouraged by and give 3 practical things you can do as you process through your doubts and questions.
Have you ever questioned your faith or felt unsure about what you believe in? Have you ever wondered if your doubts mean you don't have enough faith? You're not alone. Doubt can be scary and confusing, but it doesn’t mean you’re losing your faith or a bad Christian. In this video, we see what the Bible says about doubting faith, what to do when we doubt, and how our doubts can actually help us grow closer to God.
We all long for life to be good. To have days where everything goes right, we feel refreshed and filled, and are able to put aside the troubles and brokenness of our world. We can all agree that our world is broken but it’s harder for us to admit that we contribute towards that broken world too. But what hope do we have that things will get better in our world? What about in our own lives? In this video, we see the answers the Bible gives for why we’re all broken, how that affects our spiritual lives, and how Easter shows us that God has a plan to fix our broken world and how He can restore your world as well.
How far is too far? We see that question being played out everywhere in our world and often it can feel like a fine line between “right” and “wrong”. But if it’s not technically wrong and nobody got hurt does that mean it’s right? The problem is that while it's easy to justify our actions as "technically not wrong" this mindset can lead us down a dangerous path. In this video, we see from the Bible how these seemingly harmless actions can steer us away from God’s plan for our lives, and how we can learn to make choices that help keep our lives on track.
Have you ever experienced the pain of broken trust in your relationships? Betrayal, disappointment, and hurt can leave us feeling lost and alone, wondering how we can ever trust again. But the truth is that we all have experienced broken trust and we have been the one to break trust with others! In this video, we will explore what the Bible has to say about when trust is broken, how we can find hope and healing in our relationship with God and others, and how we can apply these timeless principles to our lives today.
Have you ever stopped and said, what is going on with our world? You don't have to look very far before you find brokenness, injustice, and evil around us. So how did we get here? Why are people so hateful, selfish, and corrupt? In this video, we see how the Bible says our world got so messed up, how that affects our personal lives, and how change needs to begin within us.
The Bible is the best selling book of all time and most Americans have at least one in their homes, but just because we open it and read it doesn’t mean that it’s easy to understand or apply to our lives. Even harder is making this a regular discipline in our lives. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears gives you some tools to help you not only read your Bible more often, but also help you hear from God while you read and study the Bible for yourself.
Is the Bible fact or fiction? If we believe it is true, how can we be sure that it’s reliable and accurate? Can we trust the writers were telling the truth? Is it just a book with some good stories or did the accounts that we read about really happen? In this video, Pastor Sean puts the Bible to the test to see if we can know if the Bible is true, accurate, and something worth rearranging our lives around.
What happens when you thought you broke a cycle, but it seems to keep creeping back into your life? Does that mean you’re a failure? Is your cycle just impossible to break? When this happens, our default reaction is to hide it and to pretend like it never happened. But what if the thing you're most afraid of is the key to breaking your cycle for good? In this video, Sean Sears shares what the Bible says is the key ingredient to breaking a cycle and how just because you might have messed up, doesn’t mean God is done writing your story.
Many of us are exhausted, feeling trapped in the same destructive cycles we’ve always struggled with. The problem isn’t that these cycles of dysfunction can’t be broken, but that we are unsure of how to stop these bad habits. If we want to take a stand against these patterns of behavior and beliefs that no longer serve us, we need to start making different decisions. In this video, Pastor Sean shares a biblical perspective on what courageous choices we need to make to pull ourselves away from these destructive cycles and become the person God created you to be.
Some of the cycles we are stuck in seem so complex that it’s hard to know where to start. Trying to start new habits is hard enough let alone breaking dysfunctional cycles that have always seemed to be a part of us. So what’s the first step? Where do we start if we want to be the one to break the dysfunctional cycles in our lives? In this video, Pastor Sean shares how to start from scratch, leave behind the past, and embrace a new identity.
Have you ever noticed you do things like your Mom or Dad? Or maybe you have Grandpa’s sense of humor or Grandma’s wit? In every family, patterns are passed down, some are good….some are not so good. But when these negative patterns wreak havoc on our lives, we are left to wonder, “Am I doomed to repeat them?” In this video, Sean Sears talks about why we struggle with these negative cycles, how we can choose to be the one to stop them, how God can begin a process of healing in our lives, and how we can find the strength to begin writing a new story with our lives.
If you knew you could pray prayers that would cause you to see God more active in your life, would you do it? What if praying these prayers gave God the room in your life to steer your life in a different direction? Would you still do it or would these prayers be too dangerous for you to pray? In this video, Pastor Sean shares 3 prayers that we don’t pray but why we should!
How do we pray? Is there a right or a wrong way to pray? Are there special words or certain places where I should pray? In this video, Brandon Bonville gives insight from the Bible for how we should and shouldn’t pray and tips for how you can change your prayer life this week.
Does prayer really make a difference? Because we’ve prayed for things before and it felt like nothing was happening. Does that mean God didn’t hear you or that He doesn’t care? And if you don’t see anything happening when you pray, what’s the point? Maybe you’ve started to even doubt that God hears you or cares about you. In this video Pastor Sean gives three reasons to keep praying, even if we don’t see the results we want.
Research shows that over half of us say we pray daily, but there’s also a lot of uncertainty and unanswered questions around prayer. Is prayer talking in my head or out loud? Is it the same as positive vibes and well wishes? Or is it just something religious people do to make themselves feel better about life. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears talks about how we often view prayer, what the point of prayer is, and gives you some simple ways to start praying more.
There’s so much to love at Christmas time! The food, the gifts, and the time with family and friends. But the love that we celebrate at Christmas goes way deeper than the love for these things! In this video, Pastor Sean Sears shares how God’s love for you is evident in the Christmas story and how this love is available to you, even if you've done nothing to earn it.
Happy, content, merry, and joyful! These are the kinds of feelings that we’re supposed to experience around the Holidays. And while there are many things around this time of year that bring us joy, for many of us, we still find joy to be elusive. In this video, Lead Pastor Sean Sears shares what the Bible says about having joy and how even in the most difficult times, you can live a life full of joy.
Who doesn’t want to have more peace? But no matter what we try, isn’t there always something happening in our worlds that seems to rob us of that peace? What we really need is a peace that stays with us even when things in our lives seem to be breaking apart. So how do you find THAT kind of peace? In this video, Pastor Sean talks about where this kind of peace comes from and how you can experience more of it in your life.
At a time when hope is supposed to be abundant, many are left with feelings of hopelessness during the Christmas season. While hope is something that every one of us need, it can often be hard to find. So how can you find hope when nothing in your life seems to be changing or getting better? In this video, Pastor Sean shares what the Bible says about finding hope and how you can anchor yourself to hope this Christmas.
How do you become a more generous person? We all want to think of ourselves as being generous people, but sometimes we feel like we don’t have the money or the time to be really generous. But it doesn’t take a lot of money or time to be generous. Maybe what we really face is that we’re just distracted. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears talks about the secret ingredient to generosity and gives 4 simple ways you can work to become a more generous person to those around you.
Do you own your money or does your money own you? Isn’t that such a question to answer because we know we need money for things like food, clothes, education, but also much of how we view success, our self worth , and where we find our security is wrapped up in our money too! And sometimes our pursuit for more causes us to make unhealthy choices and distracts us from living the life God intended. This week, Lead Pastor Sean Sears shares how you can identify if you have an unhealthy view of money and what steps you can take to own your money before it owns you.
What’s your measure of success? When it comes to leaving a legacy, people have all different ideas of what a successful life looks like. Maybe it’s leaving financial margin for our children, a building named after us, or raising a family to carry on our last name. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears shares what the Bible has to say about leaving a meaningful legacy.
Every one of us gets the opportunity to build a legacy with our life, but not every legacy will be remembered as good or for making a positive difference. If we want to leave a legacy that outlives us, we must be intentional about it. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears shares how you have the ability to leave a legacy that impacts eternity and how creating that legacy begins with the decisions you make today.
There’s definitely times where we all feel low, where sadness is normal, but for many people that feeling has become the norm. Maybe you’ve tried different things to get out of this season, but you’re still struggling, wondering where God is, and why you are going through this. In this video, we talk about how the Bible can give you some encouragement in your depression, why praying more or having more faith is not an instant fix, and what things you can tangibly do to help as you work through this season.
Worry and anxiety haunts so many of us. It can make us live in a constant state of fear, make us feel like we’re only a shell of a person, and have a big impact on our physical and spiritual health as well. In this video, Lead Pastor Sean Sears talks about how you can break out of this cycle of worry and anxiety and how you can find more peace and calm in your life.
Do you ever feel like your life is so busy that you can barely keep up? Or you have a constant feeling of needing to hurry even though you’re not late for anything. You, like many others, may be living at an unhealthy and unsustainable pace! When we live this way, our anxiety and stress increase, and our joy decreases. In this video, Sean Sears talks about how hurry impacts us and how slowing down can not only improve your mental and emotional health, but also your spiritual health.
I can’t measure up! Have I done enough to prove it my worth? People can’t see that I don’t have it all together! These are some of the lies and negative thoughts that haunt our minds on a daily basis. But no matter how much you try to have it all together, pursuing control and perfection leaves you feeling exhausted, depleted, and like God couldn’t love you. In this video, Steven Lucas shares from the Bible how you can get a handle on these negative thoughts, stop the feelings of guilt and disappointment, and find rest knowing you don’t have to be perfect.
Anger can be a healthy warning light in our lives, but it can also become our unhealthy default. And when it does it wreaks havoc on our lives, our health, and our relationships. We hate that we get this way and we say to ourselves, why am I so mad!? Get a hold of yourself! Do I have an anger problem? But our best attempts to mask the issue do nothing to help the issue. In this video, Sean Sears talks about how spirituality can help us put our anger in check and how the Bible says we can find freedom from feeling so mad all the time.
When we are going through hard times in life, we just want to get out as quickly as possible. These wilderness times feel frustrating, draining, and uncomfortable. But even in these stressful seasons, we can still find value and purpose for our lives. This week, Pastor Sean Sears will be sharing how you can find that value and what God might be wanting to do in your life.
There are times in life where following God's plan doesn’t feel like we’re going in the right direction. In fact, instead of getting closer to the destination, it feels like God’s leading us out further into a wilderness. In this video, Sean Sears talks about why God might be leading you away from the easy path and what He’s looking for you to get from it.
Sometimes we face hard times because of bad choices we’ve made and sometimes it’s because of bad choices others have made. And other times, we have no idea why we’re here! But often in hard times, God doesn’t feel close anymore. It feels like He’s left us alone. We want to believe and trust God, but sometimes it’s easier to believe He just doesn’t care. In this video, Sean Sears shares hope that no matter what caused you to be in this season, God is still there, He sees you, and He won’t leave you alone.
There are seasons of life where it feels like we are in a wilderness. We feel empty, dry, and a little like we’re wandering through life. It's not fun! Nobody likes the wilderness! It’s difficult, it’s frustrating, and often we’re left asking God, where are you, and why are you letting this happen right now? In this video, Pastor Sean Sears talks about what to do when you find yourself in this place, and what God might want to do in this season even though you are wanting to get out of it.
There are plenty of things to fight about. If you can’t think of one, just scroll your social media feed for a few minutes. There are fights over relationships, politics, social issues, money, ethics, and even which way the toilet paper should be put on (the correct way is over by the way). There is a time and a place to fight, but so many of us are battling over the wrong things and as a result, we’re left with little strength and energy to fight for the things that matter the most. This week, Pastor Steven Lucas talks about what battles are worth fighting and which ones are not, and how making the wrong choice can move you from being the hero of the story to becoming the Villain.
How do you know if your heart is really in the right place? It’s easy to align our actions to meet others' expectations or portray a certain motive. But is that really what’s going on deep down? If we’re honest, there’s probably more impure thoughts and motives than we’d like to admit to ourselves let alone let anyone else see. But just because we’re good at hiding doesn’t mean that stuff can’t hurt us. This week, Pastor Taylor Knopp gives a few signs you can use to check your heart to see if it’s in the right place, and what you can do get rid of the junk that might be lingering deep down.
Most people don’t want to end up being the bad guy in the story. Most of us would rather be remembered as the hero, not the one who chose the wrong path, made the wrong choice, and ruined everything. We see this happen in movies, but you have probably seen this play out in real life too. So how do ordinary people become the bad guy or bad girl of their story? How does one end up the villain in their marriage, in their school, or workplace? This week Pastor Ken Knott talks about how good people end up bad, and what you can do to avoid making these same mistakes.
Bitterness takes hold in our lives in a number of ways. It can start from feeling jealous, hurt, angry, or even fearful. And while we often believe bitterness punishes someone or something else, the only thing that is truly punished is us. Bitterness is a poor substitute for justice. In this video, Pastor Brandon Bonville shares a story from the Bible that can help you understand the root of your bitterness, and how you can take steps to overcome it.
When life gets difficult and our circumstances are not at all what we want, it’s easy for us to not only be discontent, but for our faith to grow weary. We ask where is God? We begin to doubt if He is good and if God cares at all. We wonder whether faith is worth it. But what if you were able to face these times without being shaken? Without losing hope and without turning to whatever gives you comfort in the moment. In this talk, Pastor Steven Lucas talks about how you can not just survive, but thrive in the valleys of life and have a faith that endures.
It can be incredibly difficult to be a Christian when it seems like nobody shares your faith. When most everyone around you seems to discredit your beliefs and make different choices. It can easily cause us to make compromises or feel like we need to defend ourselves. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears shares from the Bible how you can live in a way that attracts people to you, even if they don’t agree with what you believe.
Do our everyday choices even matter? The things we do, say, or prioritize can feel like they don’t have a purpose in the bigger picture. But they do. They matter to God, and they have the ability to make a lasting impact on everyone around us. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears shares how each of us are made for a specific purpose, and how we can change the look of a neighborhood, a business, a basketball team, or a family when we focus on God’s purpose for our lives.
What happens when your faith starts costing you more than you want? Naturally, you start to question whether it’s worth staying committed. After all, it seems everyone around you gets to make the choices that bring instant gratification, while much faith requires you to play the long game. In this video, Pastor Sean Sears is talking about how you can resist the temptation to compromise in your faith and give you the encouragement to stay committed and energized in your journey of faith.
Guilt and shame are heavy. It’s carrying around the weight of both what we did (or what happened to us), and the weight of making sure nobody else ever finds out. We can try to change our behavior, find our worth in other things, and do good to hopefully make up for it, but at the end of the day many of us still struggle to believe that God could love and forgive us. In this video, we’ll see from the Bible that not only does God still have love and forgiveness to offer us, but that He can allow us to drop the burden we carry and find true freedom and healing.
We want to have peace in our lives, at our jobs, in our homes, and in our relationships or marriages, but more often we find ourselves experiencing fear, worry, and stress. So what can we do to experience God’s peace? In this video, Sean Sears shares two keys from the Bible on how to move past your fear and worry so that you can rest and enjoy peace from God.
There is a difference between knowing about someone and really knowing someone. A lot of people might know about Jesus, but how do you really get to know him? Can you know him personally? Do you have to be a religious person? Does your past impact your ability to know Jesus? In this video, Church Plant resident J. Cross talks about how your list of accomplishments, your past, and your religious achievements doesn’t make you right with God and how you can move to really knowing Jesus.
Contentment can be so hard to find at different times in our life, and even when we do have it, it never seems to last very long. In this video, we’re discovering what brings contentment that lasts and what changes need to be made to get it.
Everyday we are surrounded by voices trying to speak into our lives as to what should define us. But not all of our identities are created equal. In order for you to have healthy relationships and be healthy mentally, emotionally, and spiritually yourself they can’t all be equal! So which identity is most important? In this video, we’re talking about how you can begin to navigate the confusion and ultimately discover who you really are and how you can find true freedom, peace, and comfort in your life.
God has so much more for you than to digest religious content. God says, I have a job for you. One that I have uniquely designed you to do. We might be looking to God and faith to bring value or comfort to our lives, but what we often miss is that God has a purpose for you to carry out! A purpose that He has designed specifically for you! One that brings joy, motivation, and the opportunity for you to make a difference in the world. So what is this purpose and how can you find it?
What if the assumptions you have about church right now are completely untrue. What if they are actually what’s keeping you from what God has always wanted for your life. What if church was never about a building or a service but God has a much bigger purpose not only for his church but for you? We’re getting the bottom of these questions in this video!
Generosity is a good thing! It not only makes us feel good but studies say it even has health benefits. But why is it so hard for us to constantly think and live this way? And why is it so important to God that we are defined by generosity? We’re answering these questions and more in this teaching!
Where can we find truth? Who determines it? Is truth able to be understood at all? Can my truth be different from yours? Where does God fit into all of this? If He really wanted to make my life better, why does it seem like the Bible has so many rules? This week we’re talking about why God gave us the Bible to live by and how it can impact your life.
Why do churches have the option to become a member? Is it like a AAA or Costco membership? Is there a cost to it and what are the benefits? This week, we’re unpacking why the Bible says church membership is important for Christians.
Most people have times in their faith when it just feels like they’re stuck. The growth and excitement that was once fueled their faith feels missing and it can be confusing to understand why. So how can you get past this place and start getting traction in your faith again? Let’s talk about it.
Easter is supposed to be about hope and celebration, but what if you’re unsure what you actually believe anymore. You see the world around you and the circumstances you face and wonder, where is God in this? Maybe you really want to believe in something, but are stuck on how to actually move forward in finding faith. This Easter, we’re talking about how you can get unstuck and find faith again.
There are people who have wronged us and those we care about. They’ve done things we feel they should NEVER be forgiven for. But we’re not without guilt either. We violate our own conscience and hurt others all the time! So how does God decide who gets forgiveness and who gets punished?
What is required to be a follower of Jesus? Do you just need to have certain beliefs? Be baptized? Confirmed? Does your good need to outweigh the bad? If you’re in good standing with God, what should that relationship look like? In this video, we’re diving into the story of Judas (you know, the betrayer) to see how the faith of someone who followed Jesus so closely, went so off track.
Are you tired of trying to do what’s right only to find yourself making the same mistakes? It’s almost like there is something working against you! What if there actually IS!? In this teaching, we’re talking about why resisting temptation is so hard and how you can gain the upper hand!
We all experience times when life just isn’t what we want and our circumstances cause us to doubt God’s goodness and at times, maybe even His existence. Does that make us a bad Christian? What do we do when we struggle with doubt about our faith?
There might not have been anyone else who knew Jesus better than his own Mom. You probably know some about the virgin Mary, but what did she know and experience from her own interactions with Jesus? This week we’re looking at the invitation Mary was given to be a part of the story and how God offers you the same opportunity.
Is the way we approach sexuality really working? If we’re honest, culturally, we’re all over the place. And while this is a tough topic to discuss, God knows that sex complicated things. WE know it complicates things. So this week, we’re looking to the Bible for answers to the difficult questions about sexuality and getting to the root of why God would care about something so personal and intimate to us.
We used to see marriage as the pinnacle of romantic relationships. It was the goal to live happily ever after. But today, fewer couples are getting married than ever before. And of those who do, the stats show most couples don’t make it “until death do we part”. So what is it that makes marriage so tough and is it really even worth it anymore? Or are we just missing something?
Why does finding love seem to be so difficult? Even the apps and advice from our friends don’t seem to make it any easier! For most of us, dating and drama seem to be two sides of the same coin, but does it have to be that way? What can we do to make our dating relationships and overall better experience?
Are you still looking for Mr / Mrs Right? Maybe you thought you found them, but after some time it doesn’t feel that way anymore. Despite what our culture says, finding love isn’t as easy as swiping right. So what are we supposed to do while we wait to find that right person? How can we make this less complicated?
There are things Jesus said that we like. But there are also things He said that we don’t like. What happens when the things we want and the choices we make are at odds with what the Bible says? Well, we’re left with a choice. Often a difficult choice. But the choices we make all come down to one simple thing and that’s what we’re talking about this week!
Disappointment. Hurt. Pain. Discouragement. No matter how hard we try to avoid them, we ALL face hard seasons in our lives. And these difficult times can derail our good intentions and discourage us in our faith? So how do we navigate these times well? Do we wait until our circumstances get better or does God have something in these seasons that can help us grow?
What’s the difference between fasting for your health and fasting as a spiritual discipline? Because just like any diet or fast, after a while, it can feel like something you HAVE to do and not something you WANT to do. What are the benefits and mindset of spiritual fasting that can help you keep this a regular habit?
Working to build a relationship with someone takes time and effort and our relationship with God is no different. We want God to be a part of our lives, but doesn’t it seem like we have enough time! There’s always something to distract us. So how do we go about more creating space for God in our lives?
You might have heard about the physical benefits of fasting from your fitness trainer, a friend, or maybe even your doctor. But did you know that fasting can have spiritual benefits as well? In fact, fasting is probably the MOST OVERLOOKED spiritual practice in the lives of Christians, and we are missing out on some major benefits because of it! So what exactly does spiritual fasting look like and what are these benefits?
What if this year, your main goal wasn’t about dropping weight, getting in shape, saving more money, or eating better. What if this year, you decided not to settle for just knowing about God, but the year you decided to discover the kind of peaceful, hope-filled, and abundant life that He had planned for you? But where would you even start?
We know the Christmas story. We hear it every year. We know all the characters and the setting. It’s a great story, but what does this mean for us living over 2000 years after this first Christmas? Because while Christmas is supposed to be full of hope and peace, our world doesn’t feel anything like that, and neither do our own lives! What if the Christmas story wasn’t just a story to tell, but an opportunity for us to claim hope, joy, and peace for our own lives.
We know the Christmas story. We know the nativity scene. It’s a beautiful story to tell, but it can also seem so far from our reality. Often, our lives feel anything but full of hope, joy, and peace. Why is that? Maybe we’re relying on the wrong things? Maybe it’s not about how religious we are, but about grasping something else.
Do you ever have times where you don’t feel like you matter all that much? Like you’re not that valuable. Of course you do! We all do. You see we all go around looking for things that prove we matter. And we spend much of our lives not only trying to prove our stats to others, but to ourselves, and to God! But what if stats don’t matter to God? What if the way He sees our value is nothing compared to how we see it? We’re talking about that this week at Grace Church!
There was a moment in time when a line separated everything before it, from everything that came after it. With one baby’s birth our historical timeline changed from B.C to A.D, but so did so much more. The Bible tells us that even today, there is a line that exists that causes us to feel like we’re distant from God. Like He’s on one side and we’re on the other. So if we have the desire to get right with God, how is that line erased?
It’s easier for us to be grateful around this time of year, when everyone is focused on it. Nobody wants to be that ungrateful person at the Thanksgiving get together. Nobody wants to be the Scrooge at Christmas time. But isn’t it crazy how fast we shift when things don’t go our way or people don’t treat us the way we think they should? What does it take to be a person filled with gratitude all the time?
We know it feels good to be thankful and grateful, but wouldn’t it be a lot easier if life just went how we wanted? When life gets hard and disappointments crowd in, fighting to stay grateful doesn’t really seem worth it. Actually, it’s easier and more natural to stay upset, frustrated, or disappointed. So why fight to be grateful? This week, Pastor Sean gives 3 benefits to staying grateful.
Most of us would say we want to be more grateful, but why is it so difficult? Maybe we could be more grateful if we had more or if the situations in our lives got a little easier. But what if one simple mindset shift could change how you view what you have and what you don’t and allow you to be more grateful all year long regardless of what you're facing.
As we look back over the last 16 years and celebrate all that God has done in and through our church, we have got to think, what’s coming next!? What if God has so much more planned for us? What if we’re just getting started? Find out where our church is headed in this next season as we celebrate 16 years of helping you, your friends, and neighbors know and follow Jesus.
What happens when doing the right thing, doesn’t feel like it was the right thing? What if it costs us MORE to do what’s right than to do what everyone else does? Would you still pick the right thing? What if it meant you not only didn’t benefit, but doing the right thing meant you were gonna lose something? Why should you still do the right thing?
None of us want to look insecure. We want to show a version of ourselves that is put together and in control. One that hides our past failures and only shows the best of us. But we know who we are. We know where we’ve messed up, and the fear of ever being in that place again often keeps us from really living. Maybe your past failures have even kept you at arm’s length from God? How do we break out of the mediocre and have the confidence to pursue who God made us to be? Let’s talk about that!
What if they don’t like me? What if they think less of me? What if I get laughed at? What if they’re really not cool with me? The second guessing, the worry, the doubt. Fearing what others think can not only make it hard to live authentically, but also to do the things God wants you to do and be the person He made you to be. So how do we get past this?
None of us want our kids to grow up to be selfish or inconsiderate people, but when it comes to the discussion on discipline, we all bring baggage to the conversation. So what does healthy discipline look like? And how can we do it in a way that not only addresses bad behavior, but teaches our kids to make the right decisions?
We know that connecting with our kids is important, but with life being so busy and schedules being so demanding, it’s hard to have meaningful connections with our kids everyday. Today, we’re talking about 3 simple tools you can use to connect more!
There's a lot that parents need to think about while raising kids. How are they in school? Are they developing well socially? Are you succeeding in raising them to be a decent person? It can be overwhelming! But what should be the top priority of a parent? What things are more important for you to focus on than all the rest?
We’re pretty selfish people. Even when we do good, our motivation is often how good we will look or what we might get in return. And even when we do try to help with good intentions, we can still get burned. So do we look out for ourselves or risk being the sucker who helped? Jesus had a better way to look at it.
What if you’ve been missing something when it comes to church? What if you’ve been looking at church as a service and as a result, it just doesn’t seem all that important. But what if God created the church to be so much more. Something so vital to your life that you can’t live without. And what if all that’s missing is this one key piece?
Last week we learned we are all created to be in community. God gave us the Church not just as a place to go, but a family to belong to. But how are we supposed to live in that family? Join us this weekend as we look at what the Bible says the Church should be known for!
Our schedules are too busy. We're trying to raise a family. Other people have hurt me. Life is safer alone. These are some of the things we might tell ourselves that keep us away from investing time in building community around us. But regardless of your personality, God wired YOU for community. And there is something incredible that happens in community that you just can't get anywhere else. Let's talk about what that is!
Have you ever known what God wanted you to do, but instead decided to do something else? Like you knew it was wrong, but did it anyway. Or maybe you just thought your way was better. How do moments like this affect how God feels about you? Most of us would think He would be angry and that we need to do some good to get back on good terms. But is that it? What does the Bible say we should do in moments like this? Let’s dive in together.
You believe in God. You pray and sometimes go to church, and you try to be a good person. You're all set. Right? I mean you're busy enough as is, how much time and effort do you really need to put into your faith? And what's the harm of just dipping your toe in religion? Let's talk about it!
Are you in need of rest? Not just a break, but like real, deep soul rest? Is life going 100mph and you feel like you’re doing everything you can just to hang on? Not only can this type of pace in life be harmful to our physical health, but it’s also harmful to our spiritual health. Learn how you can find the rest that you not only crave, but your soul needs!
Have you ever felt like you're trying to hang onto your faith for dear life? Maybe storm after storm keeps coming and it seems like there will be no relief. Or you're waiting to know what's your next move but it feels like God is silent. How can you keep your faith alive when it feels like everything is against you?
What does it take to live humbly? Why does God want us to live this way anyways? If you are trying too hard to be humble, then are you really humble? This weekend, we're exposing three lies that many of us believe that prevent us from being the people God intends us to be.
Ever felt frustrated that you weren't where you wanted to be in life or didn't have what you wanted? Maybe you feel like you're doing everything right and you still don't feel content. Where is God when this happens? We'll find out this weekend as we continue our series in the book of James.
We’ve all met people who say they are christians, but they look nothing like Jesus. Maybe they go to church, but aren't growing from what they learn in God’s word. They are wearing the uniform, but they’re not in the game. James gives a warning about living that way, and tells us the keys to making sure we have authentic faith.
Nobody wants to go through difficult seasons in life. We work hard to make life comfortable and when things do get rough, we get angry with God and wonder if He even cares what’s happening to us. But what if the difficult times in life were less about what’s happening TO us and more about what God wants to do IN us? How does God want us to look at the hard seasons of life?
If we are in a spiritual battle, do we have to deal with the attacks from the Enemy or is there a part for us to play in this battle? And if so, what is our role and tools are at our disposal to fight?
There is a battle being fought over your heart every day. A spiritual battle between God and the life He wants for you and the enemy who wants to destroy that life. If we are going to win, we need to know the tactics the enemy uses to fight against us and to keep us from the life God intended for us.
What if there was a whole side of reality that we often completely miss? A spiritual reality consisting of both darkness and light waring against each other and in a very real way, effecting our spiritual side. Starting this weekend, we are diving into what the Bible has to say about the spiritual forces around us and what that means in our day to day lives!
What happens when we turn to God in our trouble but things still don’t get better? Does God actually hear us or is He ignoring us? Why does doing the right thing not always mean we’ll get what we want?
So maybe you’ve blown it in the past. And maybe you believe God will give you another chance even if you don’t deserve it. But sometimes getting back on track with what God doesn’t mean that our circumstances will all clear up at once. Is facing the music really worth it?
There are times where we end up in bad places because of the choices that we’ve made, but what do we need to do to turn things around and get back on track? And what if you don’t deserve another chance? Can you still get right with God?
What happens when I know the right thing to do and choose not to? Is it possible for me to be so far from God that there's no coming back? And when my life feels like a sinking ship, what should be my next move?
What does it take to become “great” in God’s eyes? You might think it’s knowing a lot of religious information or doing a lot more good than wrong. But the answer that Jesus gave on how to become great just might surprise you.
We all want to be generous people, but what does it really mean to be generous? Generosity isn’t simply doing what we should expect any decent human being to do. It’s doing MORE than what’s expected of any decent human being. But can you still be generous even if you don’t have a lot of money to give away? And what would it cost us to be more generous in our lives?
Who would you think Jesus liked to spend time with? It might not be who you’d expect. Jesus often hung out with those that everyone else overlooked or ignored. If you’re feeling disconnected from God and feel like you’d be the last person He would spend time with, this message will show you from the Bible that it’s not true.
The Bible says that God has created us all with a purpose in mind and has a preferred life for us to live. But how do we know what that life is? How do we know if we are making the right decisions or if we are living out our purpose?
Jesus rides into town on Palm Sunday with HUGE crowds adoring him but by Friday those same people are shouting “Crucify Him!” Why? What did they want from Jesus and why did their hearts change towards Him so fast? And what if we are no different? Find out this Easter what things God is most concerned about in your life, and how you can find hope from Easter.
Some say that faith is the thing that keeps them grounded in life and others might say it’s a crutch people use. But what is the real purpose of my faith? What purpose does God have for my faith and is it to only benefit me or might God just be up to something much greater?
Jesus said loving your neighbor is the second greatest commandment, but practically how do you love your neighbor? Nobody wants to be that weird neighbor so what does loving your neighbor look like? We’re talking about that and giving you 5 ways you can begin to love your neighbor.
Have you ever known someone who is a very religious person, but not a very nice person? Or Christians who are supposed to stand for love, grace, and forgiveness, and are hypocritical, loveless, and bitter? Just because you KNOW the right things doesn’t mean you DO the right things. This week, we’re looking at three truth to help you keep your heart in the right place.
How do we be kind to people we don’t really like and how can we help show others their self worth if we are not really sure of ours? We’re discovering three truths from the Bible that will help you see your own worth and the worth of those around you.
Some of your most meaningful relationships will be the ones where you will experience the most hurt. But that doesn’t have to mean the relationship is over. If we want to live with Godly, healthy relationships whether romantic or not, there are three things that need to be present to stay committed through the tough times.
What if God’s plan for your relationship wasn’t the easiest or the most convenient? Would you still follow it? Everyday we make choices on what’s most convenient for us but that doesn’t always mean what’s convenient is best. Anything that is best takes work and effort and our relationships are no exception. This week, we see what the Bible has to say about the work that needs to be done to gain the healthy relationships God wants for us.
Love is the most powerful emotion that we all experience, but it is also the most complicated. Who we love and who loves us is tightly woven into what we believe about ourselves, our identity, and our worth. And if we’re honest, our experiences with love and our expressions of it probably pale in comparison to the hopes we have for it. This week, we see what God say about love, who we are attracted to, and how we pursue intimacy with them and see how the Bible addresses 3 of the most common myths about love that we believe.