You Can't Experience Forgiveness If You Won't Confess Your Sin
I have a certain child who shall remain nameless for the purposes of this blog. And we have the same conversation every single time they get in trouble. Every. Single. Time.
Discussion Questions 05/17/26
Pastor Sam talked briefly about the cliche of the hero who swoops in in the nick of time.What's your favorite movie or book scene where the hero arrives just in time? Why do you suppose this storytelling device resonate so deeply with people? When have you hoped for this in your own life?
Earthly Kings Pt 1 - You Have Done Foolishly
The solution to the empty promises of earthly kings is really to put our faith in the true King, in Jesus. And I know that's the churchy kind of thing you expect a pastor to say, but I want you to hold on to that truth. There's power in that truth. And we're going to be coming back to that idea over and over in these next few chapters, considering the life of faith and what it means to actually look to our real King.
Building Shrines
I think most Christians, when we read about ancient Israel building statues to Baal and we think similar to: "Man, what a bunch of idiots. They literally saw God part the Red Sea, and they're out here worshiping a statue with a cow head? Come on." Right? I mean, from the hindsight of several thousand years and a renaissance or two it can just seem silly to think of asking a statue to help you succeed in life.
Discussion Questions for 05/10/25
This week, we described Israel's sin cycle (forgetting God, chasing idols, experiencing consequences, repenting, and being restored). Where do you see this pattern playing out in your own life? How about in the broader culture?
New Days Pt 6 - Here is the King you’ve Chosen
I think there's this reality that every single one of us lives our lives in this broken and cursed world. And whether we've had it happen or it's currently happening, the reality of the curse leaves all of us—at least sometimes—longing for a reset.
New Days Pt 5 - Renew the Kingship
Before we get into our actual passage today, I want to give us just kind of a quick recap. It's been a little while since we've been in 1 Samuel, and we are ending one of the series that we've been going through. We broke this book up into sections of chapters and themes that go together, and we're ending this "New Days" series today.
Discussion Questions for 05/03/26
In 1 Samuel 11, we see Saul go from the guy hiding in the luggage to boldly leading Israel into battle. What do you suppose caused this dramatic change? How do you thunk the Holy Spirit's work in Saul compares to how the Spirit works in believers today?
More Than Chemicals
we’ve been subtly trained to believe that the physical world is the only world. Even though research is showing that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly more open to spiritual realities, our overarching culture is still build on the assumed naturalism of the modern world. We’re told that our consciousness is just a series of chemical reactions in our brain, that our mind is just a biological fluke, and that when the body stops, the story ends.
Discussion Questions for 04/26/26
When you hear the word "Spiritual," what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it something peaceful, something mysterious, maybe something that feels other or unrealistic?
Who Am I? Pt 3 - Your Spiritual Vitality Matters
It feels like we live with a lot more cultural pressure to find a fulfilling, clear, and unique definition of ourselves than maybe our parents and grandparents did before us. Even though these sermons have been somewhat heady, we've had some of the best discussions in our groups the last couple of weeks—digging into how we understand our relationship to our body and how we understand the way our mind works and our mental health.
Is Your Mind a Bad Neighborhood?
There’s a famous quote that seems to have originated author Anne Lamott. It’s developed a life of its own and has made its way through recovery circles and even into a now famous interviews with the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park shortly before his death. It goes like this: “My mind is like a bad neighborhood. I try not to go there alone.”
May 2026 NewsLetter
I've been thinking a lot lately about the best ways to keep our church family connected and up-to-date on goings on. I don't know if a newsletter type communication is the best tool, but I'm gonna try it for a bit and see if it helps. : )
discussion Questions for 04/19/26
From a human perspective, Daniel’s plan to eat only vegetables and drink water was a bad strategy. It was a physical disadvantage. Recall a time when has God called you to make a choice that seemed illogical or risky to the world, but was necessary for your spiritual integrity?
Who Am I? Pt 2 - Your Mind Serves the Kingdom of God
We're continuing our short series on biblical identity, and I believe this is an incredibly important topic for us to engage right now. We live in a cultural moment where there is immense pressure for people to create their own unique and fulfilling identity. And if we're being completely honest and look soberly at our culture, the overarching momentum seems to be saying that this endeavor isn't going well—that people are actually quite bad at this, and it makes it really hard for humans to flourish.
Beyond the Bone Mech
In our world of instant information and digital hyper-connectivity, a strange paradox has emerged: we have never been more connected, yet many of us have never felt more lost. Think about it, we are living through a mental health crisis, particularly among the young people. Suicide rates for young adults have climbed to levels never before imagined.