The Grove Church / Dallas, Texas: Recent Episodes
The Grove Church
The Grove Church is a neighborhood church located in Dallas, TX. We love the imagery of coming together as a community and being the group of 'fruit-bearing trees' that Jeremiah writes about in the Old Testament (see Jeremiah 17:7-8). Our vision for The Grove is to become a church that lives out its faith in tangible ways, intentionally creating environments that gather people together, grow them closer to God, and give back to our neighbors. This podcast is our audio versions of live sermons preached every Sunday online and in-person.
Sometimes, life gives us way more questions than answers. And yet, it seems like we are left to figure it out alone! This can lead to lots of searching and inadequate or incomplete answers. Whether you are raising kids asking their own questions or still wrestling to find answers of your own, it doesn't have to be so stressful. In this sermon, Pastor Stephen shares how we can find better answers to life's most important questions.
Picture this: a child on a playground, bravely reciting, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." We've all chanted it, clung to it, hoping to shield our hearts. Yet, with time, we've all learned that words can hurt - a lot.
But what if we could change the narrative? What if our words could heal the wounds they often cause? Pastor Stephen invites us to discover the transformative power of our speech and challenges us to do more than avoid the harmful words that hurt but actively heal, uplift, and bless.
We speak, on average, 10,000 words a day. How many of our words are careless - spoken quickly or with little thought, unconcerned with their target or impact? We may not think this means much, but our words have much more to say. In this sermon, Pastor Stephen shares a teaching from Jesus that reveals a profound significance to our words. It's more than the question, "What did you say?" It's about, "What do the words you say... say about you?"
In the 1739, John Wesley penned an open letter to his Methodist societies that proposed three rules that all society members should live by. Now famously called The General Rules, these three rules have become part of Methodist life and practice for the last 200 years. Rev. Allie Shulman explains how "the rules" might be more than a disciplinary tool and may include an invitation to something more.
United Methodists have been officially ordaining women since 1956, but Wesley's followers have long had a tradition of allowing women to preach and serve as leaders in their church communities. When majority of the Christian world does not allow female pastors, why do we? In this sermon, Rev. Allie Shulman explores the reasons Methodists empower and ordain women to take on leadership in the church.
This week, we transition in our Roots sermon series to talk about how Methodist beliefs impact Methodist practices. What makes Methodists unique in the wide world of Christianity? First up, we talk about Wesley's concept of "the means of grace." Means of grace are reliable means through which we experience God. The Lord's Supper is a primary means of grace, both for Wesley and for us modern-day Methodists. We believe something happens at the Communion table-- something important. Rev. Allie Shulman explains what this means for our practice together.
In our contemporary world, navigating truth and moral guidance can seem like a complicated labyrinth. Can I define my own truth? Can my truth differ from yours? And how can Christians find clear direction in a world increasingly marked by relativism and pluralism?
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares a framework that might act as a compass to navigate this labyrinth of uncertainty and help us discover God's truth in our life.
Our beliefs about God carry significant weight in our lives. Is God a stern judge waiting for us to mess up? Or perhaps a distant figure wanting only our happiness? These views can lead to confusion about how to live and connect with God. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer invites us to a deeper understanding of a more relatable and inspiring image of God and unpacks what this means for our daily lives.
From an outsider's perspective, the sins, moral failures, and wrongdoings of Christians are disturbing and revoltingly hypocritical. Does this mean we should give up on Christianity completely? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer challenges this perspective. He unveils the true, irresistible nature of the Christian life - the promise of genuine holiness, a life journey that goes beyond our human flaws and mistakes.
"Having the form of religion without the power" comes from John Wesley, who warned of what would happen to the Methodist movement if it failed to hold fast to three core commitments. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares these three essentials that can bring God's Spirit, power, and vitality back into the church and our lives.
Often, our strongest, most intense reactions in the present come from our memories and the emotions connected to them. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer unpacks how we can renew our minds and transform our lives.
We are giving away our most precious resource for free and to as many as ask for it. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer introduces the concept of continuous partial attention and how we can get back what we need most.
In a world and culture that prioritizes what we know and being right, the importance of being known is long forgotten. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares about the practice of silence, stillness, and solitude and its ability to change how we are known by God and others.
Miracles are signs, and when we explore the signs, they lead us to discover the presence of God all around us. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at the story of the angels and shepherds and talks about how the message of God's presence we experience at Christmas is worth sharing with others.
The virgin birth is the most doubted detail of the Christmas story - you only need a short lesson in anatomy to understand why. But in this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares how Mary moves from doubt to trust and how we can do the same in the midst of the invitations to experience the miraculous all around us.
As used in scripture, a miracle is "a work of God that points to the presence of God." Nowhere is this more evident than the star leading the wise men to Bethlehem and baby Jesus. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares how we can identify the miracles in our life and accept the invitation to experience God's presence.
Since the 1500s, our worldview about miracles has shifted drastically. We used to live in what Charles Taylor calls an enchanted world. Believing in such a world made it easy to see miracles all around us. But now, things have changed. We are less prone to see the miracles all around us. Rev. Allie Shulman walks us through the first miracle of the Advent season to show us how we can believe in miracles once again.
Does life seem stagnant, constricted, or lacking in vibrancy? Growth is the ultimate expression of a flourishing life. And as we see with trees - greater growth requires deeper roots. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer lays out how we can develop deeper roots and experience a flourishing life full of growth.
In a forest, the largest trees are also the most generous - encoded into their biology is an understanding that a flourishing life is a generous life and so they share their resources freely. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares guidance for how to live a generous life whether you have a little or a lot.
Gardening requires constant vigilance. The gardener must actively tend her treasured plant for it to reach its potential. This fact in nature can sometimes escape us when it comes to our own spiritual growth.
Rev. Allie Shulman continues in The Wisdom of Trees series by discussing how a flourishing life nurtures proper (and pruned) growth.
Over the last 50 years, there has been an erosion of social connection in families, communities, and churches that has left us isolated and depressed, yet convinced that this is normal and everything is fine.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer uses the example of Pando, a one-tree forest consisting of 47,000 members of the same massive aspen root system in Central Utah, to challenge us to recommit to a connected life and casts a vision for who The Grove Church needs to be.
"Everyone loves a great story. But beyond entertainment story is essential. We understand our lives through the stories we tell. These stories create meaning, identify heroes and villains, and guide us on how to live. But not every story is created equally.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares the newest principle, discerned from the wisdom of trees, to help us live a life-giving story."
Trees have rhythms. These rhythms helps them maintain and generate life. Rhythms can do the same for us. Rev. Allie Shulman leads us through how spiritual rhythms can better shape our life with God.
We all want a successful life. We want our relationships, families, careers, health, and businesses to grow and prosper rapidly and abundantly. The question is, how do we make this happen?
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares the first of seven principles, discerned from the wisdom of trees, to help us live a life of purpose and meaning.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer teaches about the ancient patriarchal custom of a redeemer, a role that is important for followers of Jesus today. We have been blessed to be a blessing, which often looks like bringing people back into the family of God.
When strangers show up on your doorstep, what is your response? Do you invite them inside and cook a meal, serving them on your finest china? Or do you hesitate even to answer the door at all? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer introduces the concept of biblical hospitality and challenges us to adopt an elevated standard and reconsider how we engage with those around us.
There’s a story in Genesis 12 where God tells Abraham, “I will bless you... and will bless all people through you.”
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer unpacks the concept of “blessed to be a blessing” and teaches us something fundamental about God’s desire to bless humanity AND his expectations that we are the way this blessing happens.
This idea is an essential principle of the whole Bible. It’s not just about Abraham - this is a statement of purpose that applies to everyone who, through faith, becomes part of the people of God.
In learning to listen and respond to God's calling, there are obstacles along the way that we can run into that interfere and make it more challenging for us. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at the story of Saul, the first king of Israel, to show how a man chosen and called by God struggled to continue to listen and follow God's calling throughout his life and what we can learn from his story.
How do you know when God's calling you? Do you wait for the clouds to part, a dove to descend, or a loud voice from the heavens to call out? One of the biggest challenges in understanding our calling is recognizing it in the first place.
Rev. Stephen Lohoefer explores the call story of Esther, to shed some light on the challenges of hearing and accepting God's calling.
We are all searching for our ultimate purpose and significance. We may not use this language or even be fully aware of this truth, but we experience the effects of this search daily. From the careers we pursue to the people we share our lives with to how we spend our energies and resources - we all seek fulfillment of this deep longing for purpose.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer introduces the idea of calling and how we can live with the highest purpose and fulfillment possible by listening and responding to God's call upon our life.
We all feel and experience a deep desire to be well known and well liked, publicly approved of, and applauded. Whether or not we are successful in gaining this approval, it's still something we wrestle with.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer describes how when our desire for recognition grows out of control, we find ourselves caught in the vice of vainglory, and what we can do to escape this vice's dangerous grip.
"We all long for financial freedom, but what does that actually mean? Does it mean never having to work again, securing our retirement future, or having the freedom to spend without worry?
Ultimately, financial freedom is rooted in our desire for control. We want to be able to guarantee our happiness and security - and we trust that financial freedom is the surest way to achieve it.
But scripture talks about gaining a different kind of financial freedom and one that protects us from the dangers of the vice of greed. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer helps us identify how we can achieve this kind of financial freedom."
Of all the vices, only envy is no fun at all. At least with gluttony, you get good food. With sloth, you don’t have to do hard things. Envy is just…the pits.
Wanting what someone else has or to be what someone else is (lucky, smart, beautiful, etc.) makes you bitter. Resentful. It severs relationships. It can turn an ordinary person into a monster. We know envy is bad for us. But then how come we keep living it out? How come we can’t free ourselves from it?
Rev. Allie Shulman continues our series on Vices and Virtues.
From the hateful comments on social media to 24-hour vitriol from news pundits to national and global political and social unrest - doesn't it feel like everyone is angry all the time?
Anger as an emotion in response to an offense is understandable and normal - but when it becomes chronic, when it becomes a habit, when we are constantly offended and angry - this becomes a problem we must address.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about how to handle our anger and how Christians should confront injury, offense, and injustice in our lives and the world.
Our society measures personal worth in terms of productivity, efficiency, and the maximization of our potential. But what if that's all wrong? What if busyness and workaholism aren't virtues but telltale symptoms of a deadly vice? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares a new understanding of the vice of sloth and how we can find peace in our restlessness.
A vice is a habit, a pattern of action, that develops into a character trait - and so, in short, what we do determines who we become. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer helps us examine the vices in our life and learn how to avoid their destructive patterns in pursuit of Christ-like virtues.
Tongues of fire?! Violent wind?! If you've never celebrated Pentecost before, it is a special day on the church calendar that marks the official end of the Easter season and the birth of the church itself.
This Sunday, we celebrate a famous scene in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit fills the disciples with the power to bring heaven on earth. That legacy lives on in us-- the church! As followers of Jesus, we too have the Holy Spirit within us, empowering us to bring the kingdom of God here, right now, in our homes, our workplaces, and our lives.
In a story, the plan is given to the hero by the guide. It lays out the path for the hero to follow and explains who the hero needs to become to succeed. We see this in Star Wars with Obi-Wan Kenobi teaching Luke how to use the Force.
Similarly, we long for a plan in our own lives - someone or something to tell us what to do and who to become. But the danger comes when we trust the wrong guide and follow a bad plan. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about the plan available to all of us and how to follow it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gandolf. Dumbledore. Every good hero needs a guide to help them navigate their great adventure. This Mother's Day, Rev. Allie Shulman talks about what it means to have a guide, who our true guide is, and how to more faithfully access his guidance.
We are all living a story. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares how the quality of our story depends on how we respond to the call to adventure, that moment that disrupts the status quo, throws us into the unknown and challenges our abilities and confidence.
Rev. Allie Shulman talks about the impact of stories in our lives and on our brains. Then, she tells us a story - THE story- for this Bible Sunday.
When the ground on which you stand becomes unstable, and everything begins to fall apart, what do you hold on to? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares an Easter message to help us find an unshakable ground.
Everyone has treasures. This is an essential part of what it is to be human. But what we treasure says a lot about who we are and how our life goes. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares Jesus' teaching on this question, "what's your treasure?" and why it matters so much.
"How's your heart?
As we move through this series on the Sermon on the Mount, we see time and time again how our motivation, or our heart, matters most. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at Jesus' litmus test for true discipleship - and how to know if your heart is in the right place."
"Are you a good person?
According to Jesus, this might be more uncertain than you think. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shows how Jesus challenges our notion of who is and isn't a good person, how we can become one, and why it matters so much. "
"Pound for pound, word for word, the Sermon on the Mount is the most incredible collection of wisdom ever recorded.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares how Jesus' teachings here, contained in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew, reveal the relevance of God to every aspect of our existence - and its necessity to our life now more than ever."
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer wraps up our series, Troubled Hearts, and looks at the two-headed monster of our desire to acquire - Jealousy and Greed. Jealousy is the desire to have what someone else has, and greed is the desire to have more and more. They can be so subtle that you likely don’t think they affect you - but left unchecked, they have a significant influence over our lives and erode our relationships.
We are all guilty of something. We live with that guilt whether we acknowledge it or not. Guilt can be a constructive thing, but it also can poison our hearts and our lives in a way that ends up being destructive.
In this sermon, Allie talks about navigating these feelings of guilt in our relationships as we continue our series Troubled Heats.
"We've all felt it before. That slow boil just below the surface. Our chest tightening, pulse-quickening, face reddening, and then....BAM! We explode.
Now anger is a normal feeling, but what happens when your anger becomes the norm. What do you do when you're always angry or can't control what happens when you get angry?
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer wrestles with one of the most common emotions that wreck our relationships - anger."
Have you ever said something you didn't mean or done something you thought you'd never do? Most of us have. In the aftermath of these moments, we wonder to ourselves, "where did that come from?"
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer answers this question as we explore our new series, Troubled Hearts.
What happens when our prayers go unanswered? How do we reconcile the gap between our reality and the future we hope for? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares a way we can respond in prayer during difficult seasons.
Whether it's doubt, cynicism, or overconfidence in our abilities - we struggle to ask God for help. Depending on your level of self-sufficiency and pride, asking for help from others can be uncomfortable and challenging. But asking for help from God - that's a non-starter. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about the why's and how's to ask God for help.
"The single biggest obstacle to a prayerful life is cynicism. Cynicism has become the dominant spirit of our age and is taught in schools, reinforced in culture, and is wreaking havoc in our relationship with God. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer addresses the cynicism we experience and shows how Jesus gives us straightforward ways to overcome this obstacle and replace our cynicism with hope."
Often when we sit down to pray, we try to be our best selves. It's like we're going to a dinner party and we get dressed up and put on fancy clothes, ready to impress all those we meet. The problem is Jesus specifically tells us that this type of behavior should not belong in prayer. Instead, we should approach prayer more like a child, messy, unkempt, without guile. Rev. Allie Shulman unpacks what it means to pray like a child in this Sunday's sermon.
The Light we search for and celebrate during Advent isn't meant to be something we keep just for ourselves. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares about internal reflection and the impact it has on the world.
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more decorations, more parties, and more gifts will be the secret to capturing that elusive Christmas magic feeling - and if it works, it's only short-lived.
However, there is a way to create and experience that feeling this season. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about a simple way to experience true Christmas magic.
Since the beginning of time, humanity has searched for light. Light brings opportunity, warmth, and even hope - in a word, life.
The same is still true today - all around us, we are searching for light. A light. The light. Something to guide us through the darkness and bring hope and life. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares the history of this search for light and how we can find it today.
Christianity grew from a few followers into a movement in just a relatively short period - spreading from Jerusalem to the rest of the Roman Empire. This movement wasn't a centralized organization but a decentralized network of Christians witnessing to people all around them. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares how the Christian movement is still at work - spreading through the power of our witness to people all around us.
There's this wild story in the book of Acts. A couple sells a piece of land and then gives part of the proceeds to the church. They hold back the rest of the money without telling anyone, and later the wife lies about the whole thing.
And this decision kills them...literally.
In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about this story, what we hold back (it's more than just money) - and how doing so causes us to miss out on the best part of life.
As we wrap up our series on the Book of Acts, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer explains why they cared to even record the the beginnings of the church. And from that - he shares why the church matters more today than ever.
In the midst of the fear and anxiety in our lives we often adopt inadequate responses and solutions that only make things worse. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shows us how to be a non-anxoius presence and how we can escape the vicious cycle of aniexty and fear.
As we celebrate our fourth birthday, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares his original prayer for the church - that God would, "Fill this place and these people with your spirit. Move and work in miraculous ways. Make this church like the early church in Acts. Make each of us like your Son."
Do you ever wonder what church is for? This is a question that Luke, the author of Acts, tries to answer in his 28 chapters. As we've seen this fall, Acts is full of stories to help us keep answering that question. This Sunday, we will revisit a story that helps us think about what we might be missing in our attempt to be the church that God calls us to be.
We underestimate the impact our invitation can have in someone's life. We believe that little acts usually fail to make a big difference, but we couldn't be more mistaken. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares about the true power of an invitation.
Jesus calls Christians to be his witnesses in the world. A witness is someone who gives an account of what they have seen, heard, and experienced. This kind of witness comes through our words, but more often, it comes through our actions. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about the challenge, and cost, of being a witness.
Have you ever experienced something so impactful that you had to tell others about it? Maybe a meal, a vacation, or even a movie - something that was just that good you had to share? Why isn’t our faith usually among the things we feel we have to share? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at a passage to encourage us to make our faith the one thing we can’t keep quiet about.
Hollywood's first great movie producer, Irving Thalberg, was famously quoted as telling his writers at MGM, ""Just give me five great moments, and I can sell that movie.""
For movies and screenplays, moments are specific points in time of particular importance to the overall story. Moments are how most of us remember movies.
Think of the conversation on the tarmac between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at the end of Casablanca.
Or Harrison Ford as he attempts to steal the golden idol in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Or even Mel Gibson's rallying battle cry, ""They'll never take our freedom!"" in Braveheart.
Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at one of these type of moments in Acts - full of drama, excitement, and hugely important to the entire story of scripture.
There are over seven billion people on earth, and 1 out of 3 identify as Christian. How did something so massive and so widespread begin? The book of Acts answers this question - it tells the story of the early church and how it grew from a few followers into a movement. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer talks about the kind of story it takes to change the world.
There is a tension between two ideals central in shaping human history and still at work today: community and freedom. But these two don't coexist easily. We place a high value on individuality and self-reliance, but we can't escape our fundamental need for community. In this sermon, we examine this tension and where we are called to live within it.
Whether you are sending kids back to school, starting up new rhythms, or venturing into a new season of life - it's normal to feel a sense of uncertainty and fear about the unknown.
In this sermon, we talk about the best way to navigate these uncharted seasons and where we can find the confidence to head into the unknown.
The Enneagram teaches us that there are nine different ways of experiencing the world. Suzanne Stabile shows us how looking through the lens of the Enneagram makes it possible to understand and love ourselves and others better.
We all want to know about ourselves. What makes us tick, what makes us stand out, what, in short, makes us...us. But what if the journey to self-discovery is something we've been doing all wrong? What if there's a deeper why to our pursuit of knowledge of self? And what if there's a tool that can help us map the way? Rev. Allie Shulman teaches us about a tool that help us on the path to self-discovery.
"Our relationship problems share a common denominator - the other person. We often feel like our relationships would be perfect if the other person would think, act, and talk like us.
Why is it that we assume that everyone else should be like us? What if the problem isn't them, but it's us and our belief that they should be like us?"
Before there were fancy cathedrals or dreams of international missions, Christians had bread and wine. The table has long been the spot where Christians have gathered to share in God and in each other. In this sermon, Rev. Allie Shulman explores why it is important to gather together still. Around the table.
The question of what happens after we die is a question that has haunted humanity ever since its existence. It's a question that philosophers and theologians have attempted to answer for centuries. But surprisingly, it is not one that the biblical authors had in mind when they wrote about the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. They, and the authors of the Apostles' Creed, had something very different (and better!) in mind when they thought about life after death. Rev. Allie Shulman explores the final two lines of the Creed as we think about what Jesus promises us after we die.
This is one of the most foundational statements of Christianity, but what does it really mean? What does Jesus' life, death and resurrection have to do with the forgiveness of sins? In this sermon, Rev. Allie Shulman faces the doctrine of sin head-on as we dig deep into the second to last belief in the Apostles' Creed.
I believe in the holy catholic church.
Have you ever wondered why we say this in the Creed?
These are the most misunderstood words of the entire Creed, but they are every bit as significant as any other line.
Understanding what the church is and how it is both “holy” and “catholic” is central to understanding (read: remembering) who God calls us to be.
As Christians, we believe that God is one God revealed in three persons-- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But for so many reasons, we struggle to name and recognize the Holy Spirit as active in our lives. In this sermon, Rev. Allie Shulman explores who the Spirit is in Scripture and how we can recognize the Spirit in our lives.
Over two-thirds of the Apostles' Creed is devoted to explaining and understanding the person and work of Jesus. But what do we really know about this 1st-century rabbi? What did it mean to call Jesus Christ God's Only Son, our Lord in the time of the apostles? Maybe more than we think. Join Rev. Allie Shulman as she explores who Jesus is and what that means for us today.
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." This is the foundational belief for almost 4 billion people across the world. But we usually find ourselves drawn to one aspect over another. For some of us, we find comfort in the image of God as a loving Father - available and attuned to our feelings, hopes, and needs. But for others, we are drawn to God the Creator, one who is all-powerful, all-capable, and all-present. But when we look at one aspect of God apart from the other, it creates problems. God's love without power is comforting but not capable. And God's power without love is impressive but harsh and distant. But we believe in a God who is both loving AND powerful. In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer tells you why this makes all the difference.
I hope you'll join us at 10 am for church or church online.
Stephen
P.S. If you missed Week 1 of our new Creed series, you can catch up here.
P.P.S. Want to dig deeper? Allie and I are leading a Creed study this summer that starts Tuesday morning. You can find more details and sign up here."
Credo is the first word of the Apostles’ Creed in Latin. It means “I Believe.” Before we explore what Christians believe, why they believe it, and why it matters, we have to unpack belief itself. What do we mean when we say we believe? What are our sources of belief - and the reasons we believe? How do our beliefs affect our actions and life?
"Well, we've always done it this way." This explanation can be frustrating. This dynamic between how it was done before and how it's done now occurs a lot in religion. And frankly, the church has often done a poor job communicating WHY things are done a certain way. Nowhere is this more evident than the sacrament of Holy Communion. For two thousand years, the church has understood Holy Communion as essential to our faith and the centerpiece of worship. But WHY? In this sermon, Rev. Stephen Lohoefer shares the WHY behind Holy Communion.
When it comes to God, we all have questions. But did you know God has questions for us? What do we do with these questions? What do they mean for us? Rev. Allie Shulman explores why our questions matter to Jesus and why Jesus' questions matter to us.
What do we do when we struggle to find answers to the biggest questions in life? Rev. Stephen Lohoefer looks at the story of Job and reminds us there is hope in the face of our most significant questions and most profound uncertainties.
Too often at church, we're told to leave our questions, our doubts, and our thoughts at the door.
What if God not only doesn't mind our questions but wants us to ask questions? What if our ability to ask questions is one of the primary ways we can know and understand who God is?
Rev. Allie Shulman explores how and why our questions matter to God.
Have you ever experienced a side of someone that changed everything you thought you knew about them? This same thing can happen with God. The more we discover the complete image of God, the more we discover who we're created to be. On this Mother's Day sermon, Rev. Allie Shulman explores an often less-discussed metaphor for God.
Have you ever wondered if this version of your life is the one you're "supposed" to live? We aren't born knowing who we are, and the journey of life helps us become our true selves. In this sermon, we wrap up our series on The Two Halves of Life and talk about how we become who we truly are.
When we find ourselves in seasons of suffering, it's easy to want to avoid the pain. But seasons of suffering can be blessings that help us to transform our lives into something new. Today we look at the gift of embracing the pain and suffering we will all experience along life's journey.
Most of life is a search, especially during the first half of life. It's a search for identity, for vocation, for a family. Ultimately, we are searching for acceptance and belonging - but in all the wrong places.
God has a destination in mind for your life. But the path to reach it isn't always clear. Is there only one way to get there or are there many routes? This series is about navigating the journey of life and recognizing the sign posts and markers along the way to ensure you stay on path. Join us as we dive into a theory about the way we mature throughout life, and how we distinguish where we are in the process.
The tomb has come to represent a symbol of hope. But it wasn't always that way. When Jesus died, his followers questioned everything. They didn't know what would happen next. In these uncertain times of life, when we don't know what's going to happen next, it's often what we can't see that matters most.
We all want to live a life of purpose. A life with no regret. And Jesus tells us exactly how to do it. Today we look at the one sure-fire way to ensure that you live the most fulfilling life possible.
When things don't go the way we think they should, we often begin to wonder who God is and why he let this happen. How could a God that loves us let things go so wrong? In this sermon, we wrestle with the uncertainty about who God is and how he feels about us when we are faced with the unthinkable.
When life doesn't go as planned, when our hopes are dashed...Jesus sees you. When you're longing for something more, Jesus sees you. He is there, offering you more than you ever knew to ask for.
It is oftentimes our limited understanding of who God is and what he is calling us to do, that keeps us from living our most fulfilling life. Understanding who God is, allows us to participate in the life He is calling us to lead.
Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person who ever lived.
But during his life, he was only known by a few thousand people in a forgotten part of the world. After he died, his message transformed the entire western world and continues to do so today. So, who is this man?
In the final sermon of our Essentialism series, we look at an unexpected spiritual practice that helps to bring clarity to our lives.
Articles, books, and self-help gurus say gratitude has the power to improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health. But there's one thing they've all gotten wrong. Today we uncover the big shift you need to make to unleash the true power of gratitude.
Nobody can deceive you like you. We are capable of convincing ourselves of almost any idea, justifying any decision, and rationalizing nearly every behavior. So how do we keep ourselves honest?
We are told that the good life is found in accumulation - that more is better. But most of us are accumulating the wrong things. How do we create space —in our schedules, in our homes, in our finances—for what really matters?
As a society, we are overly stimulated and distracted. And it's only getting worse.
Ironically, our constant connection to people and information has caused us to grow disconnected from deeper relationships and from God.
In today's sermon, we talk about reducing distraction as we seek to reconnect to what matters most in our lives.
When our schedules came to an abrupt halt last year, we had time to pause and ask, "What really matters?" God calls us to a slower pace that allows us to interact with and love one another, but, all too often, we let the pressures of the world get in the way. Join us for the next 5 weeks, as we embark on a journey to better understand who God made us to be and who we want to become.
As good as it felt to kick out 2020, 2021 still feels uncertain. But when we tether ourselves to God's promises, we don't need to be afraid of the future.
We have a tendency to think in terms of black or white, right or wrong, darkness or light, good years or bad years. But the truth is, it's not one or the other. There is a relationship between opposites, and the space "in between" is where we find opportunities to grow. As we leave 2020 behind, let's reframe what many might call a "bad year".
Join us for a special Christmas Eve service as we celebrate the birth of our Savior through worship and a message from Rev. Stephen Lohoefer.
As a child, we saw everything as new and wondrous. This gift of awe is something that often fades with age. But wonder is a part of God's design. It is the gateway to hope. It even gives us humility, knowing that we are a small part of a bigger story that we cannot understand. So how do we get it back?
We are designed for wonder, but sometimes our search for wonder can lead us astray. We find ourselves looking in the wrong places, always striving for more. Mary’s story teaches us how being open to the story God has for us will satisfy our cravings.
Join us as we explore the miracle of the Christmas story and the wonder that is waiting to be rediscovered all around us.
If you make above $25K a year, you are in the top two percent of the world. That qualifies you as “rich”. Ironically, happiness is most elusive for the rich. James exposes the three lies about wealth that can keep us from experiencing hope and security.
We all can relate to the cartoon of the person with an angel and a devil on each shoulder. The two of them persuading, encouraging, even arguing about what to do, think, or say. Maybe you find yourself in that battle now; at war between what you know you should do, and what you want to do. In this sermon, we will talk about how to win the war within and find peace.
Words have the power of life and death. We can be careful, thoughtful, and precise with our words, or we can use them to start little fires everywhere. In this sermon, we look at what James says about being a relational arsonist, and what our words say about who we really are.
If we all put our faith into practice, the world - and our nation - would be a different place. The world needs more Christians who embody the faith they claim to hold. A faith that manifests in their actions, priorities, and values across every area of their lives. As we continue our study of the book of James this week, we look at the relationship between faith and works in our lives.
If we place our hope and trust on the things of the world, we are like waves tossed by the pull of gravity and the wind. A true faith helps us live in a grounded and anchored way that is able to withstand the pushes and pulls of life.
No matter how challenging 2020 has been, God wants to take the fragments of our lives and turn them into abundance. What do you need to trust God with and turn over to him? What is he waiting for you to give to him that he can multiply exponentially and use for his glory?
Have you ever stopped to think about what you're living for? What drives you? What keeps you going? In today's sermon, we look at the innate longing we have for a deeper level of meaning in our lives.
When God isn't at the center of our lives, we often feel disappointed and unsatisfied but don't know why. No matter what we do, we can't find fulfillment. But God offers us a pivot point. And when we take it, life looks different.
Feeling disappointed and discouraged is one of the biggest challenges we face. Some of us have falsely been led to believe that if we do everything we’re supposed to do that we won’t feel that way. But it’s simply not true. What God actually promises is that there will be suffering. So, what should we do in those times? What’s God’s role?
This week we begin our new sermon series on the book of Haggai. In this sermon we kick off our study with Haggai 1:1-9, and explore the danger of returning to an old routine in a new world.
What does it mean to be made for this moment? In this sermon we explore how it is often through the most difficult times that we learn and grow the most.
Making lasting change is hard. We are conditioned to believe our capacity to grow and change is fixed and defined. But this line of thinking is incorrect. It misses a vital piece of the equation. That's right; there is a simple equation that contains most of what you need to know about why you do what you do, and how to grow and develop in your faith, happiness, and life. In this sermon we will dive into understanding that missing piece.
In this sermon, we explore Hebrews 10:23-25, diving into the power of community and understanding why we are, in fact, better together.
There's been no shortage of discomfort, pain, or adversity in our lives. It's been relatively minor for some of us, and for others, it has been significant. The prevailing opinion seems to be we're worse off because of all we've faced. But what if that's completely wrong? What if these times have actually been gifts? What if we are stronger, more adaptable, and better positioned for the future because of what we've faced?
In this sermon, we will wrap up our series, School of Rock.
One of our favorite quotes comes from Miles Davis, legendary Jazz musician, who once said, “man, sometimes you have to play a long time to sound like yourself.”
We all have people we look up to and aspire to imitate. Ways we wish we were more like someone else, whether in ability or appearance.
In a world that reinforces conformity to specific pre-approved images or molds, it can be intimidating to risk being yourself.
Join us, as we head back to the studio with Michael to unpack this idea further.
Class is in session at the "school of rock." We're going into the studio with Michael Gomez, our worship leader and music expert, to explore lessons from music relevant to our lives.
Whatever your level of music ability, there's plenty to discover in our first music lesson.
Are you ready for a field trip?
This week, Join Stephen on an adventure. There is a verse we've been thinking on a lot, but instead of just telling you about it, he's going to show you.
So pack your bags, and see where we go!
Let's look at a parable Jesus tells about two people. One good, one bad, and one ugly. If you can do the math, you realize this doesn't add up. And that's the point.
But a word of caution, this story will challenge us all!
What do you do when a conversation feels out of control? You are angry, your conversation partner is angry. People are lobbing insults left and right. No real dialogue is happening. The conversation seems hopeless.
How can we respond in the middle of these tough conversations? Discover when to press on and when to walk away.
's yelling, you're pointing fingers, and it feels like utter chaos?
In Week 2 of our new series Rules of Engagement, we will dig a little deeper into what to do when a conversation goes haywire. How do you keep your calm? How do you move forward to find a solution? Listen to find out!
How do you approach a conversation with someone with who you disagree? Do you ever feel like Mohammed Ali preparing to fight Joe Frazier? Are you in it to win it? What if that's not the best approach?
I think the perfect way to wrap up and punctuate our series on Exodus, is to invite you into a conversation with me and my friend, Rabbi Asher Knight. I loved our conversation about the story of Exodus and I learned so many things from him during it. I’m excited to share our conversation with you this Sunday.
"If you build it, he will come." The classic line from the movie, Field of Dreams, steals the idea from the book of Exodus. In the final chapters of Exodus, God gives an exhaustive list of instructions for building the tabernacle. The tabernacle is the place where Israel can come and experience God's presence. "If you build it, I will come," is in essence, what God tells Moses. And over time (thousands of years), the tabernacle gave way to the temple, and the temple gave way to the church, and with each iteration, it was the place where the people of God could expect to experience God. So fast forward to today, what do we do when the church is closed? What will we do if the church stays closed? How do we experience the presence of God, without a building? Tune in, and find out!
This week, God has given the Israelites the Ten Commandments. They were a radical leap forward in human ethics at the time they were given. Today, we tend to look at them as trite or antiquated, but they are every bit as relevant in our modern world. Let's take a new look at the Ten Commandments and see how following the spirit of the law transforms our hearts, minds, and lives to stand apart.
So far in this sermon series, we have journeyed with the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. This week, we meet them in the wilderness, where they have been wandering for 45 days. They are hungry, out of food, and unsure how to move forward. How does God respond? What can we learn from his instruction?
What do you do when you don't know the way out? How do you move forward when you feel stuck? What once worked isn't working now. You are out of ideas, out of energy, and out of hope. If this place feels familiar, then watch this message, and learn what to do.
Questions can uncover the truth in ways thoughts and ideas can't. This Sunday, we will look at one of the most important questions ever asked to help us discover something worth building our life on. Fair warning: the process will be uncomfortable, and you may not like the answer.
Have you had enough? Are you over all of this - the social distancing, the uncertainty, the anxiety that comes from not having answers? It's exhausting. And when we get exhausted, we are in danger of losing hope. If you feel like your hope is starting to slip, or if it's already gone, then Sunday's message is for you.
Has it all felt like a waste? The last two months, all of your plans, the way you thought this spring would go, all wasted. What if this isn't a waste, but instead, it's a launching pad for something new, something better God is doing in the world? What if this is the beginning of a new way of life that God wants us to discover? Will you venture into the unknown or simply return to what is familiar?
In Hollywood, suspense is the key ingredient to success. No one wants to watch a movie where they know exactly what will happen. In real life, though, suspense can feel disorienting. When we don't know what's going to happen, we feel lost, ungrounded, and often aren't our best selves. What can Moses's story teach us about how God can use this time of uncertainty?
Why does God allow bad things to happen?
How often have you asked this question? A global pandemic, economic downturn, and a mounting death toll - it's difficult to reconcile what we see and what we believe about God.
Our logic tells us if God is good, then he wouldn't let bad things happen. But bad things do happen. So what does this mean?
Let's look at this question and discover how to grow your faith even in the worst of times.
This week we start a new series on Exodus. Maybe it's been a while since you've read this story in your Bible, but it's the perfect story for us right now. Exodus is the story of God drawing his people out into the wilderness, into the uncertainty and the unknown, to draw them into a relationship with Him. And we think God is doing this same thing with us right now, too.
These are unusual and stressful times. Many people have lost hope. How does the story of Easter relate to us today?
Have you ever felt the storm coming? How do you react? Do you respond to the storms of life in fear? Jesus felt fear, too. How can Jesus's reaction to His fear during Holy Week teach us to respond?
When times are difficult, when things aren't going your way, what do you do? Where do you put your trust? Is your trust conditional? Oftentimes, we allow ourselves to think, "Only if [the thing I want to happen] happens will I trust God." What happens when we switch to an "Even if" narrative?
We are in a new, strange reality these days. As we adjust to this new normal, how do we navigate it? How do we respond to the uncertainty as people of faith? Let's take a look at what scripture says about dealing with the impact of this type of crisis.
While spending Sunday morning in our homes instead of being together at The Grove is not ideal, I am confident it is the wisest choice. I hope you find this sermon encouraging. During uncertain times we must anchor ourselves on that which is certain. Do not worry, our God is with us.
Few passages in scripture are more famous than the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the list Jesus gives of, “Blessed are...” They are also among the most misunderstood. Let's set the record straight on what Jesus meant and why it’s worth losing sleep over.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God more than anything else. We find the concept of this kingdom in the beginning of scripture and at the end of scripture. We think we know what a kingdom is. How does the Kingdom of God differ? What is our role? Jesus shares one idea in Matthew that changes how we look at scripture and gives us a key to access the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
We all know that moment - when your blood begins to boil, your face reddens, and heat and anger are swelling inside of you. Maybe it was because of something said or done to you, or maybe it was because of something not done that was promised. Either way, they messed up, and they deserve to pay. But what you do next has the potential to make or break your relationship.
Is there a right way to handle conflict? Will you make the right choice?
If you track love songs over the last 70 years, the way love is described has evolved and changed a lot. Not surprisingly, sociologists have identified a similar evolution within the nature and character of relationships. Our expectations of our relationships have changed - but our actions and behaviors haven't changed accordingly. What can we do? Where can we turn?
There's a lot of bad relationship advice in the love songs we listen to. Take for example the 80's hit, I'm Gonna Be: "But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walks a 1,000 miles, to fall down at your door."
How dumb is that?! You would never be persuaded to be in a relationship with someone because of the distance they traveled.
"But babe, I walked really far to be with you!"
No way! You'd likely laugh at them or maybe even call the cops.
There has to be a more reliable source than love songs for guidance in our relationships. How do we find something we can trust?
In light of the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others on board the helicopter that crashed, many of us have spent a lot of time this week thinking about this idea of a legacy - and the things we leave behind. For Kobe, much has and will continue to be said about his legacy. Pundits and journalists will talk at length about his career achievements - the championships, accolades, and awards won during his 20 year NBA career.
There is another aspect of a legacy we often overlook. What's the legacy truly matters?
Have you ever been lost? As in, you don't know where you are, lost? You may have to recall a time before we all had GPS devices in our cars or Google Maps on our phones, but getting lost was something that used to happen.
It's one thing to know where you want to go, but it's a very different thing to know how to get there.
Do you have areas in your life where you feel a little lost? How do we get to where we want to go?
Have you ever heard of bananas growing in Antarctica? Of course not. They can't. And there's a good reason why. The same reason why bananas can't grow in Antarctica is a truth largely ignored in our own lives. It's a truth that kings, leaders, and celebrities all succumb to - but it's a truth we need to understand.
In life, we are presented with choices, paths we can go down. Many are irreversible. You probably have some vision of where you want to be in five years. How do you make sure you end up where you should be? What is your strategy for focusing on your vision?
We have plans for our lives, but so often, we let the day-to-day get in the way and overwhelm us. Losing track of our vision is not only a modern-day problem. Scripture tells us to focus on what God is doing in our lives. How can we be more intentional about tuning into what God wants for our lives?
Good endings matter. They matter in books, movies, and tv shows. Few things are as disappointing as a great story ruined by a weak ending. Endings also impact beginnings - how one story ends often shapes the beginning of another story. The same is true in our lives. How we end this current year shapes how we begin the coming year. Let's end the year in gratitude for all God has done, and prepare for a great start to the new year!
Christmas is supposed to be the most joyful time of the year. If you scan the lyrics of any popular Christmas song, you will likely find mention of the word joy. But for many of us, this joy seems fleeting at best, and impossible to find at worst. Maybe we're searching for joy in all the wrong places. How do we find true joy?
As we get closer to Christmas, the pace of life speeds up. More errands, more shopping, more parties - and we cram all of this into a decreasingly narrow window of time. As we continue to add more, we find we are more exhausted, more irritated, and more stressed. Deep down, though, we want to be different. We all want to be kinder, more generous, and more loving this season. But how? How do we get back to the version of ourselves we all want to be at Christmastime?
It's Christmastime, and we cram everything in - expectations, finances, and obligations. It's likely "peaceful" is the last thing you are feeling.
When you think about peace, you may think of calmness and tranquility. What does "Shalom" or harmonious peace mean? How can you be a peacemaker? Discover how you can find Shalom in your life this Christmas.
The knowledge that you’ve got “enough” is a powerful predictor of happiness. It’s also a central component of gratitude. But beyond “enough” and “gratitude” being nice buzz words, they can fundamentally change your life. Discover how these prepare us for The Good Work God has called us to do.
In every good work, there comes a time when the work becomes monotonous. There may be rules that seem like they are too much. When this happens, it's easy to lose sight of why you began the work in the first place. But all the while, God is often doing far more behind the scenes than we can imagine. What we see with Nehemiah, is that while he's consumed with rebuilding the wall, God is building something even greater. Discover what God is building and the role we can play in it.
When you look at where you spend most of your time, do you find that your most important work doesn't get most of your time or attention? It seems we're all saying, "Yes," to too many things. We can learn a lot from Nehemiah in this area. He understands how distractions, often disguised as good things, are incredibly dangerous to the most important work in our life. Discover how to say, "No," and refocus on what matters.
"No good deed goes unpunished," so the saying goes. Now not all sayings are true, but this sardonic expression has survived for a reason. There is a reality that good deeds often experience resistance. For Nehemiah, this is what happens. Maybe this is what is happening to you, too - you're trying to do a good work, but you keep experiencing resistance. Perhaps this resistance is criticism from friends or ridicule from a group, or maybe it's even flat-out hostility. Sunday, we'll talk about how to fight through the resistance and continue the good work.
Have you ever felt called to act? You have to prepare your mind and your work. You often ask others to join in. What does it look like to work alongside each other to do the work? How does it strengthen the community?
What do we do when we want to help, but we don't know how? What is our role when the problems are more complicated than we can solve? Let's look at the story of Nehemiah who finds himself in a similar same place. He sees a big problem, but he isn't sure how to make a difference.
As we celebrate these last two years as a church, we reflect on all that God is doing in our lives. There are so many stories of transformation to share and celebrate - marriages saved, sicknesses healed, lives being restored. Looking forward, we pray and dream about what God will continue to do in our community and in our individual lives.
We share the best things in our lives with others. Why don't we do the same thing with God? When it comes to our faith, we get quiet. How can we use three simple words to change everything?
Why does joy matter? This Sunday we heard from The Grove's own Paige Chenault, Founder and Chief Birthday Enthusiast of The Birthday Party Project. Their mission is to bring joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of a birthday party! Listen as she and Stephen discuss their mission, how to throw an incredible party, and why joy matters most.
Thinking like Christ helps us live like him. Our mindset impacts the quality of our thoughts. What if we reframe our mindset to see the world the way Jesus does?
You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you frame it. Is your framework positive of negative? How can you adjust it?
Change your thinking—Change your life! What happens when you intentionally work to change your thoughts? How do you do that?
Your life moves in the direction of your strongest thoughts. What direction are you moving? Are you happy with that direction? Learn how to let God direct your thoughts.
Have you ever wondered why the church exists, or what our purpose is? What does it look like when our community comes together and finds its rhythm?
Rhythm moves our lives and everything in them along. It’s why at this time of year, we all experience a desire to "get back into rhythm.” What is it about rhythm that we can sense when we don’t have it? How do keep our lives in rhythm?
There is never a place on the comparison treadmill where you can stop or take a break. The reference point you use to tell you you're okay is constantly moving. What drives this insecurity and need to compare? How do we get off the treadmill?
Comparison has become almost instinctual. We compare ourselves to others to see how we're doing. What happens when it impacts your ability to appreciate what you do have?
Do you find yourself trying to determine your place in the world relative to those around you? Do you think you're more than some, less than others? What does scripture teach us about how to get out of this trap?
We all have that thing, that cause, that group where we want to get involved. Often fear, anxiety and uncertainty make us feel we aren't special enough to make a difference. How do we move forward without a big moment or sign?
When you think of what it means to be "super," what does that mean for you? Measuring by the world's view will never allow you to feel you have achieved for long. You will always be looking for more. Is there another way to think about success that leaves us satisfied?