You are God’s Plan A to reach the world, and there is no Plan B. This may feel overwhelming at first, it’s important to note that His strategy doesn’t require you to change careers, memorize every scripture, or become a missionary on the other side of the world. In fact, for most of us it means staying exactly where we are. So what part do you have…

Everybody knows that just like a road trip isn’t complete without music, a church service isn’t complete without worship. We may not know how we know, or why it’s true, we just know it is. Obviously, there’s something powerful about music, but why do we need to sing (what amounts to) love songs to someone we can’t see, hear, or touch? Especially wi…

Life is busy, and it shows no signs of slowingdown. For many of us, that means we do our best to maximize our time and minimize distractions. That isn’t always a bad thing, but it certainly can be a bad thing. Some parts of life aren’t meant to be rushed, skipped, or sped through. It might be convenient to drive-thru a favorite fast-food spot, or e…

Making room for and compromising with other people can be uncomfortable and annoying. Which is why a lot of us would rather go it alone. We drive alone, eat alone, and binge our shows alone. The catch is: doing so much alone is…lonely. We all want to find people we just click with—people who share our interests, opinions, and preferences. In other …

So much of what we think we need is dictated by what those around us have. We feel the pressure to keep up with and occasionally one-up our neighbors. But social media has expanded our community of comparison to everyone in existence. Which is a little overwhelming. Why is so much of our self-worth tied to what we have, and why do even those who ha…

Statistically, most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet regardless of how much they make. It’s easier to make money than to make a plan for your money. We tend to just spend what we get on whatever we need in the moment, not realizing that some of our needs may just be wants in disguise. How can you tell the difference? Is …

Most families don’t talk about money, especially to their kids. Which is a shame because money is a big part of life. A lot of us leave home without much of a financial compass. What we do know we’ve cobbled together from peers, commercials, and social media. Most of that advice leads us to crave what we don’t have and spend what we haven’t earned.…

Getting started with something new is tough enough but sustaining a habit long-term is even harder. To create lasting life-change, make what’s important easy to do, and what’s unimportant hard to do. So, how do you do that?

It’s not enough to know what’s most important; you have to say no to what’s not. Most of us are aware we should say no, and maybe even what or who we should say no to. But we’re nervous about the repercussions. So, how do we courageously navigate no with the least amount of collateral damage?

Of all the things we feel like we could or should do, what takes priority and where do you start? Knowing what to do is about clarifying what’s most important to you. So…How do you do that for yourself in this season?

Our culture attempts to convince us we can be, do, and have it all—all at once. But often, the more we do, the less fulfilled we are. Why is that and what do we do about it?

Christmas at South Hills 2023 with Alec Alvarado

Whether you laugh or cringe, we’re all familiar with fictional NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby’s prayer to “Dear 8lb, 6oz newborn infant Jesus.” When he said “I like the Christmas-Jesus best,” he said out-loud what many of us think internally. Christmas-Jesus is adorable, cute, and easy to imagine. We keep the Jesus of our faith small and contained, like…

The gifts that the wisemen gave Jesus were deeply meaningful, symbolic and extravagant. Those gifts, according to many, were the impetus for the Christmas tradition of gift-giving. While there is nothing wrong with gift-giving, gift-buying has become an increasingly large focus for many. Christmas for many just means consumerism, debt, and wish-lis…

Every nativity play we’ve seen has the grumpy innkeeper who turns Mary & Joseph away. We imagine a heartless man slamming the door in the face of a pregnant woman. Scripture actually says almost nothing about who this person was, or why they turned the young couple away. But what we do know is that, whether it was intentional or not, there was an u…

Because of his murderous campaign to kill every boy child under 2 years old, Herod is the obvious villain of the Christmas story. He’s also the easiest villain to look down on, because his actions are so evil we can only compare them to something from a movie. But, while his actions are unimaginable, his motivations are much more familiar to us. Ki…

For the most part, our mindset is, “I should be able to do whatever I want, as long as I’m not hurting anyone.” And most of our indulgences don’t seem to be. Who cares if you add more clothes you don’t need to your closet, or sneak an extra piece of cake in the breakroom, or lose sight of your other obligations during NFL season? Although, if what …

Family members aren’t always going to get along. That’s a given. With different personalities come different preferences and perspectives. We’re bound to disagree and get on each other’s nerves. Obviously, we can overlook the small stuff, but what about the big stuff? What happens when someone says or does something deeply wounding that they can’t …

We all know people who didn’t grow up in a great family but made their way through life leaning on their “chosen” family. These are people they’re not biologically related to, but who love, support, challenge, and encourage them to be their best selves. They needed these extra influences because they didn’t have access to a built-in family. But doe…

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Family first!” What does that mean though? Is the family unit more important than the individuals in it? Does being a part of a family mean letting go of your personal identity? What if what’s good for them is bad for you? The Bible seems to talk a lot about sacrifice. Is that God’s expectation—that give up our goals an…

We all have a high need for belonging; to feel like we fit with a group of people. We want to be known, loved, and accepted for who we are. But when it comes to family, it can feel like we have pick one or the other. Like we can either be honest OR accepted, but we can’t be both. Why do some of us feel least comfortable with those we should have th…

We all want to be happy. We design our lives around it. We want to have fun, be carefree, and enjoy our day to day. And obviously, we want the same thing for our family. Few things make us sadder than seeing those we love unhappy. But sometimes they are. Happiness is a hard state to sustain. Expectations go unmet, preferences clash, and feelings ge…

Nobody likes feeling out of control, but for some, uncertainty is their nightmare. They desire self-discipline, certainty, and standards above all things – and they’re willing to sacrifice spontaneity and relationship to get it. The controller’s mantra is “If I want it done right, I have to do it myself.” In our attempt to control our environment, …

We’d all appreciate less demands and more freedom – but for some, this is an obsession of their heart. When we pursue the idol of comfort, we’re more than willing to not be productive at all if we can be comfortable. In our avoidance of stress and expectations, we see people around us as potential obstacles to our comfort – because relationships ta…

When we begin to feel that life only has meaning, or that we only have worth, if we are loved and respected by a certain person or group, we’re facing the idol of approval. We want affirmation, love and relationships so much that we sacrifice our independence. The desire to be loved is healthy and natural, but for the problem for the person with th…

What we would define as success or influence, may be the idol of power in disguise. It’s not even primarily about winning as much as the fear of losing – of humiliation. People with an unhealthy pursuit of power often cause others to feel used or manipulated, because their relationships are built on what others can bring them or do for them to incr…

It’s becoming all-too-common for our politician, platform or party of choice to not be in power. People have always believed the right political power will save them, but how can we make sure that people in power don’t determine our level of personal peace? How can we hold on to hope when it feels like it’s all falling apart?…

It’s easy to feel like our Christian values are under assault and that we need to fight to protect them. But while we’re hoping to beat the opposition and change people’s minds, Jesus is calling us to pray for our enemies while he changes their hearts. All-to-often, we’re louder about our political beliefs than we are about our spiritual beliefs; s…

How can they claim to be a Christian, but vote that way? How could they possibly think that person is the right choice? My faith is why I’m a Republican! Wait…your faith is why you’re a Democrat? Maybe things aren’t as cut and dry as we think they are. Could it be that we’ve edited Jesus to fit neatly within our political framework? And more import…

It seems that all of life is a battle between good and evil. It only makes sense that we, as Christians, are the good guys – right? We see sin, brokenness and evil all around us, and we want to make it stop! Obviously God is on our side, right? This week we’ll look at the importance of having “rightly ordered loves” and avoiding the temptation to r…

We might expect God to speak through a Bible verse, worship lyric, or sermon quote. These things feel sanctified, sacred, safe. But where else might we find the voice of God? What about a romance novel, superhero comic, R rated movie, or explicit song? Should we look for God in these places or avoid them altogether? Are there certain things God nev…

Most of us aren’t great at stillness. We’re always on-the-go, multitasking, earbuds in, distractedly doing one thing while worrying about not having time for the next. A lot of us can’t stand silence. Even more of us can’t sit still. Our lives are busy and noisy, our minds even more so. Ever have someone nudge you and ask,“Did you hear me?” And you…

If you’ve ever visited a place where you don’t speak the language, having a reliable interpreter is a lifesaver. You need someone to translate what’s being said into words you can understand. But everyone’s who’s gotten a message through an interpreter has also wondered, “Is that really what the other person said?” Trusting someone to translate tak…

Some people say the Bible is the ‘Word of God’; like it’s somehow His way of speaking to us. But it wasn’t written to us. It was written to people who lived a really long time ago, in another part of the world, and spoke different languages. And yet, some people read this ancient book and say things like, “that spoke to me” or “thatwas just for me”…

We all know stories or have seen documentaries about people who claim to have heard from God. Most of them weren’t just convinced God wanted them to know something, but DO something, and the ‘somethings’ are all over the place—adopt a baby, launch a non-profit, fight an addiction, pass a law, start a commune, or bomb a building. Most of us have our…

Everyone eventually asks themselves, “What do I do with my life?” And a lot of the cultural answers to this question don’t end up being all that satisfying. We all know people who have made lots of money, acquired lots of power, and had lots of sex, but feel hollow and unhappy. It turns out, humans aren’t content to simply be alive, we want somethi…

There are few things as painful as feeling like nobody gets you and there’s no one you can turn to. We are meant and made for relationships—with each other and with God. The people part can be difficult but is somewhat intuitive. But a lot of us don’t think of God as relational. And to be fair, through most of human history, He wasn’t. For the most…

Ever felt like there was something between you and someone else? Like something was off between you. Maybe you weren’t even sure what it was, but it was clear there was something there. Almost every relationship has these moments. But it wasn’t meant to be that way. Something happened in the story of humanity that got between us and each other, us …

Knowing where you came from brings into focus who you really are and how you got that way. Our cultureis interested in this, maybe more than ever. When we meet people, we impulsively ask them where they’re from. We love movies that revolve around theorigin story of a character. We map our family trees. We ship our spit off to companies to tell us t…

We’ve all seen stories of people doing things we thought were impossible. They made a massive change, turned their lives around, overcame an addiction, or overturned an entire industry. The reason we’re in awe of these people is that most seem to come from humble beginnings. We’re not impressed that they did something they ought to be able to do, w…

How can two people with similar skill sets look at the same situation and come to vastly different conclusions? It would make sense that both would have the same shot at success. But we’ve all seen prepared people fail, and those nobody would bet on succeed. Is it pure luck? Is it circumstantial? Or is there something happening on the inside of the…

The plot of most inspirational stories boils down to someone with everything stacked against them, who, through sheer will and determination, conquer seemingly insurmountable odds & rise to the top. We love the self-made success story. There’s just one catch: that’s not how it works. No one who survives, overcomes, or achieves anything unbelievable…

When there’s something we can’t seem to make ourselves do or stick to, we assume it’s because we lack inspiration. We go on the hunt for an uplifting story, an encouraging word, or motivational quote to get us going. But all of us have things we feel inspired to do but never quite get around to. Is it that we don’t want it bad enough, aren’t focuse…

Almost everyone’s heard the statement, “God is love.” If that’s true, why do so many of His followers seem so unloving? How important is it to reflect the god you believe in? Are most Christians just hypocrites, or are they a reflection of who they think God is—condescending, self-protecting, and punishing? Is Christianity about you living a certai…

Christians are nice enough, as long as you fall in line, fit the mold, and don’t ask too many questions. But if you have your doubts or disagree with someone in authority, you’re out. Does having faith mean playing along with everything you’re told & keeping your mouth shut? Is God as annoyed with our lack of certainty as other Christians seem to b…

Christians have a reputation for getting cornered by a logical argument, responding by quoting a cryptic Bible verse, and then celebrating as if they won the fight. Is that what the Bible’s for? Is quoting Scripture some sort of untouchable trump card? Are there certain situations where ancient instructions don’t make sense in our modern context? I…

What does help look like? It may be most recognizable in the flashing lights of a tow truck, or the sirens of a fire engine, or maybe even in the red swimsuit of a lifeguard. But what if we don’t know what we’re looking for? Would you even recognize help if it was standing in front of you? The Easter story is full of twists and turns - not the leas…

There’s not a person around who would claim that the world is perfect. In fact, with social media and the 24-hour news cycle, we are over-informed of the issues, problems and challenges both locally and globally. War, politics, the environment, education, and the general fabric of society: God, won’t you please fix it? This same thing was shouted a…

We get that it’s a good thing to be a giver. Maybe generosity is even a goal of yours. But where do you draw what lines? If you gave everything away—you’d end up naked and penniless, living on the streets. That can’t be what God wants. You don’t want to be a miser either. How do you know what to give and what to keep? There are needs and needy peop…