We're taught our whole lives to be self-sufficient. To pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. To be independent. But what if that's all wrong? What if we weren't created to be independent? What if we were created for dependence? It's only in dependence that we can find true freedom in this life.
Read MoreIn order to accomplish the purposes and plans that God has for us, we must be page turners. We must allow God to move us forward in life to writing the next chapter and not stay stuck reading and rereading our previous chapters. #turnthepage
Read MoreFather's Day is a day filled with different emotions for everyone. For some people it's joy and celebration, but for many people it's a day filled with pain due to broken relationships with their own fathers. Unfortunately, sometimes we view our Heavenly Father through the lens given to us by our earthly father. But even the best fathers can't love like the Heavenly Father, because His love is perfect.
Read MoreEverybody wants to be happy, right? But happiness is temporary and fleeting. What we really need is joy. Deep, abiding joy. Joy can get us through the best of times and the worst of times, but it's hard to find. This week we learn the things that block joy in our lives and how we can overcome them.
Read MoreRelationships are the key to life. Whether for better or for worse, they never leave us the same. This week we learn five characteristics of the kind of people you need in your life if you're ever going to live the full, abundant, purpose-filled life God has for you.
Read MoreWalking through the right doors in life can be difficult. How do we know which doors are the ones God has put in front of us? How do we know which are just great opportunities? In trying to find God's plan for our lives, walking through the right doors is key. In part two of this two part series we discover the second guardrail that keeps us in the center of God's plan for our lives, and makes sure we always walk through the right doors.
Read MoreGod's will seems like an elusive thing sometimes. So often we know our lives aren't where they're supposed to be, but finding and living in God's will seems so difficult. Simply by asking ourselves three simple questions and being honest with ourselves we can get our lives back on track and live God's plan for our lives.
Read More"I want to believe in God, but I don't feel him in my life..." This is such a common thing for people to say, but feelings are not the best evidence of God's presence. Why? Because feelings are hard to interpret. How do we know when we feel God? When we don't feel God who's fault is it? In part three of this four part series we talk about why we don't feel God in our lives sometimes, and what we can do to change it.
Read MoreIn an on-demand world we want an on-demand God. The problem is On-Demand God doesn't exist. This causes us to question and doubt whether God is real at all. In part one of this four part series we'll learn how the real God is actually better than the false On-Demand God and answer tough questions about times when God doesn't seem to answer our prayers.
Read MoreEaster isn't just something to celebrate, it's something to experience. In the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Easter story we see the same journey we go on in our own lives, from pain to confusion, and ultimately to victory. But we can only experience that victory through the resurrection power of Jesus! There is no death His power cannot resurrect!
Read MoreNo matter who you are there are seasons of life filled with pain and heartache. Sometimes we call these times times of "fire". Often we can't see past the flames, but when we're in the middle of the fire God is doing things we never could imagine, and if we can have the strength to stand firm in the fire our lives will never be the same.
Read MoreAt moments in our life of prayer and faith, it can feel as though no one is listening, our prayers are not working and God is not responding. The truth is that God hears us from the first moment we pray, and He is at work even when we don’t see result yet. Stand Firm in Faith that God is at work! Keep praying and you will see Gods response in His timing.
Read MoreLife as a follower of Jesus is not always easy. In fact, we should expect opposition when we're advancing God's Kingdom in this world. How can we have the faith to stand strong in the toughest of circumstances? This week we explore the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den to learn how.
Read MoreThere will be a time in your life when you have to stand up for what's right and confront someone you love because of how they are living. How can we do that in the right ways, at the right times, and for the right reasons? Today we learn from the story of Daniel confronting Nebuchadnezzar after he interprets a pretty crazy dream. By standing up, Daniel changes the heart of the King and (eventually) gets him on the right path.
Read MorePolitics. No matter who you are they effect you. This is especially true in the political climate in our country today. Yet in this divided time the church has an extraordinary opportunity to bring hope and healing and be light in the darkness. What should our response be? Find out in this standalone message.
Read MoreMarriage is so difficult because, if we’re not careful, we can easily go down a road that leads to hopelessness. It’s there that we begin to ask ourselves, “is this even worth it?” When we want to give up we need to remember that marriage is a covenant, not a contract. A covenant is a permanent agreement with no end date. When we marry, God does a miracle and makes two people one, and you can’t un-one what God made one. In that covenant, if we will remember and practice the principles of sowing and reaping we can have hope again. So remember, you reap what you sow, and you reap where you sow. From this day forward let’s be people who give what we want to get, and who sow where we want to grow.
Read MorePurity is a hard thing in a sex-driven culture. But purity is absolutely necessary to have a great marriage. As difficult as it is, there are safeguards we can put in place to make sure we stay on the right track. This week we discover some safeguards from God's Word that give us the power to stay pure.
Read MoreOur marriage can't survive without fun, but life has a tendency to suck the fun out of our marriages. Before we know it the memories of the way things used to be are a distant memory and we have no idea how to get back there. This week we look at three types of fun we have to have in our marriages for them to stay healthy and life-giving.
Read MoreFights happen. They're inevitable. The key to having a great marriage isn't IF we fight, it's HOW we fight. This week we discover three rules for fighting fair, and get some practical help to bring healing to our hurt. Remember: healthy couples fight for resolution, but unhealthy couples fight to win. Fight Fair.
Read MoreAre great marriages possible? They are, but they're unlikely if you approach them the common way. In part one of this five part series we look at the first of five commitments we can make to fail-proof our existing marriages and set up future marriages for success too.
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