Have you noticed how people seem to get lit up about Christmas earlier and earlier every year? For some, the Christmas season can’t come early enough. For others, any mention of Christmas before Thanksgiving is a major annoyance. But for still others, the holidays add new layers of complexity. Over the last year, they’ve lost loved ones, seen their…

Our church is a stewardship. It isn't about us. It's about all of the people around us who don't know Jesus . . . yet. God has given us the opportunity to create churches unchurched people love to attend. That's why we're about to do something unprecedented. November 20, 2016

We want to feel closer to God. We want our faith to grow. But when God calls us, it usually involves some sacrifice. He asks us to let go of our plans for our lives so we can take hold of his plans. What would happen if you decided that when God asks you to do something, you'll walk through the pain and sacrifice of obedience in order to discover t…

We're all tempted to think that obeying rules will put us in right relationship with God—if we do what he wants, he will accept us. But we find ourselves having to ask God for forgiveness over and over again. That's because our heavenly Father's rules aren't designed to put us in good standing with God. They're a reminder that we're rule-breakers a…

No one aims to live an average life. When we were younger, we all aspired to live extraordinary lives. But somewhere along the way, we settle into an average job, average debt, average marriage, average family, and average dreams. If we were to really follow Jesus, we would not be average. Jesus calls us to give more than expected. He calls us to l…

No one wants to be average. You don’t want to be an average spouse or parent. You don’t want to be an average boss or employee. You may not want to be extraordinary, but you probably want to stand apart from the crowd. You probably want to avoid the pitfalls you see in the lives of some of the people around you. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sp…

Being engaged in church is about more than merely attending Sunday services. We want to be a church unchurched people love to attend. In order to be that kind of church, we need the help of people who share our passion for leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you share that passion, you can fully engage in the life of th…

When we’re in the midst of pain and suffering, it can feel like we’ll never be happy again, nothing good can come from our circumstances, and there’s no reason to continue living. But those are lies. God can redeem, use, and work through our pain. And when he does, we eventually have the opportunity to comfort others. There is a “Fellowship of Suff…

Jesus told his followers that unavoidable trials aren’t aberrations; they are expectations. They can actually serve a beneficial purpose. Why? Because God can redeem, use, or work through the undeserved, unavoidable, circumstantial trials in our lives. But in order for that to happen, we have to believe and persevere. September 11, 2016…

What do you do when life hasn’t gone in the direction you hoped or wanted it to go and there’s nothing you can do to change your circumstances? What do you do when you’re living in “the meantime”? If you’ve ever been In the meantime or if you’re currently in the meantime, you can’t help but conclude you’ll never be happy again, nothing good can com…