Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges our way - disappointments, setbacks, tragedies, and struggles that can all feel overwhelming. Too often, we either bottle up our emotions until they explode or act like nothing is wrong … only to feel lost, adrift, and alone. But what if there was a way to navigate these moments with authenticity, actually acknowledging even life’s most bitter challenges rather than putting on a mask and pretending like everything is OK?

There are powerful truths that can transform how we face hardship. It is possible to express our brokenness in ways that heal rather than harm, to name our pain without giving ourselves into the gloom of hopelessness. How things are is not how they were designed, and a foundational step to finding our way back into that design is admitting that we’re not already there.

#Resilient #ExpressIt

We all love a good story. We read books, go to movies, and watch shows that tell us tales of adventure and intrigue and excitement. And the thing about stories is that they're only good if there's a problem, something to resolve or overcome. We love the hero, but every hero needs a villain. We tend towards these stories because we can vicariously join in the victory without the cost of the struggle. 

Real life, though, is different. It isn't a neatly crafted narrative where the good guys always win and the calamity is avoided in an episode or a quick series. In reality, we all have to face hardship, pain, suffering, and grief … and it takes something special to navigate these treacherous waters: a resilient faith. And it's way more than just gritting our teeth and bearing it. 

#Resilient #Strength #Love

“I don’t believe you.” That can be one of the hardest things we can hear from another person, especially when they matter to us. We instinctively want others to trust us, to count on our words to be viewed as containers of truth. When that belief is compromised, relationships suffer. But belief is more than just trust in the trustworthiness of another.

On a deep level, what we believe about the world shapes every decision we make, every emotion that we feel, and even every thought we think. Because of this, if our beliefs are not rooted in reality, in “true truth” as it were, our lives will invariably face turmoil and dissonance. Part of being a community that is resilient in the face of great difficulty is being a place where we’re all called to experience, wrestle with, and ultimately embrace the truest of truths. And, for Jesus-following people, this starts with the One whose name we bear.

#Resilient #BELIEVE

The world we live in is tough - there’s no denying that! But what makes the difference between navigating those difficulties and succumbing to them? Resilience - which is about developing the strength to endure challenges and return stronger, especially in matters of faith.

A resilient faith thrives in a community where genuine belonging, love, and support are present. It’s not just about holding the right beliefs but also actively living them out in relationships and within the culture, demonstrating truth and love in harmony. This kind of faith transforms lives and inspires others to experience help, hope, healing, and connection through shared purpose and intentional care.

#Resilient #BELONG

Music is a nearly universal language. It communicates in a way that transcends words, and we build soundtracks for our lives in an almost unconscious way, creating a backdrop for who we are. Let's rewind our church's 2024 "soundtrack" as we start 2025. To really understand where we're headed, we have to understand where we've been. Our past shapes and guides and informs both who we are today and who we will become. It doesn't define us, but it's an important piece of our identity.

The Christmas season is one that comes in a flurry of excitement, busyness, and nearly constant activity for most of us, and yet it seems to fade quickly into a distant memory days or even hours after it has passed. But should this be the case? Shouldn’t the coming of the Savior of the world be remembered and cherished and heralded all the time?

In the Christmas story, as it is often told, we learn of the Wisemen, a group of scholarly and kingly men who traveled far and long to encounter Jesus once they learned of His coming, enduring much to simply meet the newborn King. From their story, we learn just a little bit of what it means for Christmas to impact our lives long after the fanfare has subsided.

#SomeoneIsComing #andHasAlreadyCome #Wisemen #Christmas

This time of year, one of the most common phrases we hear is something akin to, “Are you ready?” The answers often allude to things like house preparations, shopping lists, gift wrapping, and sundry items related to celebrations and traditions wrapped up in the Christmas holiday. But, while all of those are good things to consider, none of them are the best way to answer that question.

2000 years ago, the whole of creation, whether aware or not, was desperately waiting for a singular event to take place - the arrival of a desperately needed Savior.  And the world was being asked a question then as we, too, are asked today: are you ready? Are we ready to face what it means that we do, in fact, need a Savior? Are we ready to wrestle with what it means for us to accept that rescue? How we respond to this substantively important, fundamental inquiry will radically impact our lives today and for the whole of the vast stretches of eternity.

#SomeoneIsComing #AreYouReady #Simeon #Anna #Christmas

In the children's book (and subsequent movie), The Never Ending Story, the basic premise is that there is a grand, fantastical tale that one can read about and yet mysteriously be a part of - in fact, the inconceivable notion is that the reader is truly a main character. At one point, as this line between audience and participant begins to blur, the central character Bastion cries out, “But that's not possible!” 

And that's a common belief, even if unspoken, that many hold today when it comes to the story of Christmas. It can seem impossible that God could (or even would) set right the wrongs of this world (there are so many, after all) and that He would pay the cost Himself and become like we who do so much evil. It's even more incredulous that we would be invited to be part of this story. But that is exactly the truth of Christmas and the coming of Jesus into our world - even if some say that it's impossible. 

#SomeoneIsComing #SomeSayItsImpossible #Zechariah #Christmas

Across the great expanse of human history, we find a common thread in the presence of story. Every civilization, every culture, every society has stories and tells stories. From epic and fanciful works of fiction to robust recountings of actual events in days gone by, people are both drawn to hear and to tell their stories. And virtually every story that’s been told (or is worth being told) includes some kind of rescue.

The story of Christmas is no different. Surely, the story is about the coming of Jesus in the manger and all the trappings we hear about that amazing day. But the reason Jesus came and the result of that coming is all about the rescue that all of us so desperately need. And like all great tales, the rescue Jesus brings comes in ways and means that nobody really expected and in greater glory that we could have imagined.

#SomeoneIsComing #ToTheRescue #Joseph #Christmas

For most of us, the Christmas season is something that we look forward to, a time to connected with loved ones and participate in traditions, old and new. There can be heartache, too, but there is generally a sense that good things can and should be happening as we look ahead with expectation to the things that bring us joy this time of year.

If we’re willing to step back just a bit, we’ll see that all the good that we expect to had its beginnings in something (in someone) quite unexpected, a series of events that took place in manners and ways that no one anticipated. And, if we’re willing to take the time, we can revel in the beauty of the unexpected way that Jesus came and still comes into our lives today this Christmas season.

#SomeoneIsComing #Unexpected #Mary

It's been said that one of the most troubling conditions in our culture is an epidemic of ingratitude - meaning that we tend to see and fixate on everything that is wrong or lacking in our lives while minimizing or ignoring the good. And it's an easy trap to fall into for most. There really is evil in this world. We really do face injustice. Bad things have and will happen to us and those we love. But that is not the whole story.

It's also been said that many Christians focus on the events of Genesis chapter three (when sin & death entered into creation) at the expense of chapters one & two (when the beauty of all creation, culminating in the formation of humanity, is manifested and extolled by our Creator). Now, we absolutely must deal with the reality, the effects, and the resolution of sin. But we also must remember that God has infused the universe with beauty and glory (generally) and that He's marvelously imprinted humanity with His own image (specifically). This means that, despite the brokenness around us, we can and should revel in all that goodness in our created order and in one another, showing our gratitude for life and all that God has done to restore that goodness through Jesus, both now (in part) and one day in eternity (in full).

#Celebration #CelebrationSunday #Gratitude #Thanksgiving

One of the most fundamental teachings in Scripture is found in the very first chapter of the Bible, where God emphatically declares, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him - male and female, he created them." (Genesis 1.27) Humanity, in all its glorious diversity and uniqueness, derives that glory from this paramount reality: we are all, each of us, made in God's image. It is from this image-bearing intrinsic to every member of the human race that we carry such worth, value, dignity, and honor. And it is why Jesus links the fulfillment of the greatest commandment (to love God with everything we have) to the absolute necessity for us to love others as ourselves. As we honor the image of God in others, we honor the One whose image we bear.

Unfortunately, shortly after we learn of our creation in God's image, we learn of sin entering the world and lamentable degradation of that image. Humanity quickly gives into pride and selfishness, dishonoring the glory of God woven into the very nature of humanity itself. And one of the most insidious forms this dishonor & destruction takes is that of racism. Throughout all of recorded human history, we find examples of people degrading and victimizing others on the basis of race, ethnicity, and skin color.

Jesus came to set right what humanity broke so long ago, including racism and all its trappings. Tragically, those who claim to follow Him have not always done so in this regard, even up till this very day. If Christianity is to be true to her Lord, those who fill her ranks must be brave and humble enough to admit our shortcomings and actively advocate for the beauty of the Kingdom of our King. If we claim to be in Christ, we must think and act like Jesus who has given us new life.

#Racism #ImageOfGod #WeDontTalkAboutThat

“What's your least favorite topic to preach about?” It's a question most pastors are asked frequently, and (despite vast differences in theology, training, personality, and more) most answer with a single word: money … and for good reason! It's a highly personal topic, and the church-at-large has a less-than-stellar reputation for both how it's handled money and how it's talked about it. Scandal, greed, hypocrisy - all of these have been descriptors of the historical church in recent memory when it comes to this topic.

But that's exactly why we need to talk about it. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that what we do with our money & resources is one of the clearest indicators of what we truly worship. In fact, Scripture talks about money more than it does heaven & hell combined! If we're going to be the kind of people that truly follow after Jesus, we need to manage the resources He's entrusted to us in a way which demonstrates that commitment and which helps build God's kingdom here on earth.

#Faith #Money #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

It’s hard to imagine a topic that has dominated our cultural, religious, legislative, and judicial conversations more than issues surrounding human sexuality. Even within the confines of our churches, it can be a complex and often divisive issue. As believers, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, including those who identify differently than ourselves. While the Bible clearly defines marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, it also calls us to extend grace and compassion to all people. It's important to remember that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is created in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

As much as every person is made in the image of God and worthy of our love, sin also affects all people, Christian or otherwise. Lust, infidelity, and objectification of any sort are harmful, destructive, and outside of God's plan for healthy & holy sexuality. Rather than focusing solely on the sexuality of others, we should examine our own hearts and seek God's forgiveness for our own shortcomings, reveling in Jesus’ amazing grace towards us. We are called to be people of truth, yes … but also those of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

#Faith #Sexuality #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

One of the most contentious and divisive topics in our culture, especially in the United States, is politics. And it becomes exponentially more acrimonious every four years with the return of our presidential elections. At all times, politics seem to bring out the absolute worst, the most base and ugly traits, that humanity has to offer. This is not how God intends His creation to operate!

For those of us who claim to follow Jesus, we must be different than this. This is not to say that we should divorce our faith from our politics - quite the contrary! Rather, every aspect of our engagement in the political realm must be informed and governed by our faith … including how we go about this engagement. First and foremost, we must show our allegiance to the Lamb rather than to the donkey or the elephant (or any other icon). In our world today, this can be incredibly difficult, but it is essential for Jesus-followers and necessary for the thriving of humanity.

#Faith #Politics #WhatIsYourFaithIn #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

One of the most often cited reasons for questioning the existence (or at least the goodness) of God is the exposure of suffering in the world. It's often posited as some variation of: “If God exists, why is there so much suffering in the world? It must mean He's either not powerful enough to stop it or not good enough to care about it.” The faith of many has been shipwrecked on the rocks of this argument.

And too often, the response of Christians has been rather dismissive, offering little more than trite answers or appeals to simply just “trust God more” in lieu of wrestling with the tragic reality that pain, injustice, and evil do permeate our world. Fortunately, God is not silent on this issue, even if His followers have been, at times. The Bible offers insight into the problem and hope through its answer, if we're willing to authentically engage the conversation.

#Faith #Suffering #Hope #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14.6) This is a bold claim, a claim that draws a line in the sand in a world that often rejects and blurs them - but it's rooted in the very nature of God and His plan for salvation. It's not a message of arrogance or superiority, but rather a declaration of love.

How can we hold firmly to this truth while still being winsome, considerate, and kind to those who disagree? The answer lies in the power of the gospel and the grace of God, in the very nature of who Jesus was, is, and evermore will be. We must approach conversations with humility, listening attentively and seeking to understand. Our goal isn't to win arguments, but to win hearts. By sharing our faith with gentleness and respect, and by living a life that reflects the love of Christ, we can point others to the only true path to salvation, to the help, hope, and healing that can only truly be found in Jesus.

#Faith #Pluralism #Holiness #Respect #Truth #Love #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

In the heart of Jesus' teachings, we find a profound and compelling call to love our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable among us. He challenges us to consider how our actions or in-actions reveal the true state of our hearts, especially when those actions will not benefit us at all. There are eternal consequences to how we respond to the needs of the the most vulnerable around us.

As Christians, we are called to be a people who embody the love of Christ in our words and deeds - these two areas cannot be divorced! We need to honestly explore the implications of how this intersects our lives today. What does it means to love the those in need and at risk in practical and tangible ways? How we respond to this call will shape our identity as followers of Jesus and massively affect our impact in and on this world.

#Faith #TheVulnerable #TheLeastOfThese #ImageOfGod #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat