Posts with the category “devotional”

The Father’s gift of His Son is the true definition of love. As we celebrate Jesus’ Advent, we must see it as a part of our love story. Throughout history, God showed His love by calling us to Him. We...  Read More

Feeling low amid Christmas joy is normal, like Charlie Brown’s struggles in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Rather than looking inward or taking on more, Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest. This se...  Read More

We often put our hope in people or things and end up disappointed. Where can we find hope that won’t disappoint? On Sunday, Pastor Josh said that our hope is found in Jesus. He never waivers. He has ...  Read More

Whether you are serving in ministry or any other area of life, you are called to steward your gifts well. It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of life and forget the purpose behind what we do. Bu...  Read More

This past Sunday, Pastor Josh Rhodes kicked off our new series, "Margin for More." We have the ability to create margin for more generosity in three areas of life: our time, talent, and treasure. But ...  Read More

The enemy's lies often lead me to believe that if I dwell on every "what if," every potential scenario, and all the things that could go wrong, I will be better prepared when these challenges arise. T...  Read More

On Sunday, Pastor Josh Rhodes reminded us of an often-overlooked truth: suffering for our faith is not just something Jesus warned us about but something He shared in, for our sake. As Christians, we’...  Read More

When Pastor Josh said, "Holy living starts at home," it struck a chord in me. As he mentioned, home is where our guard is let down. As long as no one else sees the chaos, we can hide our weaknesses fr...  Read More

This past Sunday, Pastor Josh taught from 1 Peter 2 how, as “citizens of heaven, we are to live honorably as citizens of earth.” I couldn’t help but think of the Olympians representing their countrie...  Read More

Given the absolute destruction Hurricane Helene has caused, my mind has been flooded with hopelessness for the past week; yet, amid the storm and beyond, many beautiful stories of hope existed. As pow...  Read More

People flourish, and organizations thrive when they have great leaders. Ultimately, Jesus is the leader and head of the Church, but He also established a need for local church leaders. On Sunday, Past...  Read More

When I was about four or five, my neighbors invited me to church. They would allow me to go with them to church whenever I wanted. They were being the hands and feet of Jesus by showing me that I was ...  Read More

Where do you want to grow? Where is your life's foundation? Growing with God takes planning, diligence, and effort. It isn't just about hearing a message on Sunday; it's about digging deeper into His ...  Read More

When presenting the Gospel to young children, we often use a gift box to signify that God gives us the gift of Jesus. A few weeks ago, one of the four-year-olds turned to his leader and said, “I hate ...  Read More

As you read through the book of Titus and really the entirety of the Bible, you can learn who God is, what He’s like, His attributes, and quite frankly, what He is not like. However, we often miss ...  Read More

This past Sunday, our church celebrated Pastor Tim Haring and what God has done through him over almost 40 years. Pastors Matt Santen, Seth Broadhurst, and Josh Rhodes shared about Pastor Tim’s faithf...  Read More

Are we so resistant and fearful of change that we are blinded to the miraculous things God has in store? God wants to do something new right now in each of our lives, but we need to trust Him. Instead...  Read More

Comparison often breeds covetousness, the desire for what others have. This desire can quickly spiral into discontentment, causing us to question God's provision and goodness. But covetousness is a th...  Read More

This week, I was reminded about the importance of speaking up. I can remember occasions when someone spoke up for me when I was heading down a path that would have brought a lot of pain and regret. At...  Read More

Stealing is one of these things we like to adjust in our own eyes how severe the sin is because of the value of what we are stealing or who we are stealing from. We might think lightly of a kid steali...  Read More

Ones who have chosen to be in adulterous relationships can be forgiven. In seeking forgiveness, Warren Wiersbe states that the adulterer and adulteress must live with the sad consequences of forgiven ...  Read More

The loss of my cousin has taught me the importance of compassion and forgiveness. I have learned to extend grace to others, recognizing that life is too short and fragile. Each day is a true gift and ...  Read More

Andrew asked a pointed question toward the end of his talk. "Am I living a life worth honoring?" As a parent, I have tried to emulate for my children what my parents did for me—care, nurture, protect,...  Read More

Rest is something that we all crave and need. Because of our society, we are almost afraid to seek rest for fear that someone will see us as lazy and unwilling to give more of ourselves than is really...  Read More

Do you ever find that when you’re sitting in church, and the pastor makes a great point, you immediately think of someone you wish could be hearing the message? By doing this, we are missing a vital s...  Read More

How has our culture influenced you? Have you downloaded Instagram? Is there a desire in you to climb the corporate ladder or have a beautiful home that HGTV would want to visit? These things are in an...  Read More

During the second week of our “Ten” series, Pastor Tim pointed out that if God has His proper place, everything else will fall into place. If putting God first seems overwhelming, begin by counting yo...  Read More

Our new series, “Ten,” began on Sunday, and Pastor Tim made the point that the Ten Commandments are not the way of salvation but reveal the path that leads to an abundant, rich, and satisfying life. T...  Read More

As I have grown in my relationship with the Lord, there have been times when remembering God’s faithfulness has come in great sorrow. It is important to realize that God’s character is often seen thro...  Read More

The problem the religious leaders were facing was that they had allowed their hearts to become so callous that when they looked at the man with the paralyzed hand, they did not see an image bearer of ...  Read More

Withholding forgiveness was poisoning me and the hope for my new relationships. Realizing this and offering forgiveness was downright painful. It required a total surrender and trust that God knows be...  Read More

During the last couple of years of my mom’s life, she suffered from some pretty severe memory issues, robbing her of recollections and weaving confusion into her day. Now that she has been gone for ov...  Read More

When my little sister Bree entered our family, it marked a significant turning point in my life, a transition from self-centeredness to selflessness—everything wasn't about me now. While selflessness ...  Read More

What we all need to recognize is that the intimacy we long for can only be found in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no more intimate act than Christ’s death for us. He knew everything about us, a...  Read More

Marriage matters to God because it reflects the depth of His love for His people. Just as Christ laid down His life for His bride, the Church, so too, are husbands and wives called to sacrificially lo...  Read More

Jesus is our hope. He died as payment for our sins and rose again to conquer death. God’s desire for us to be in a relationship with Him was made possible. Now, each of us has a responsibility to reco...  Read More

The instructions God gave the Israelites during Passover were not to be followed alone; they included other people. This is how we are called to live once we have received the grace God has given us—t...  Read More

For those of us who know the story well—we can miss out on just how shocking it is to see God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. My encouragement to you would be to read through some of the most...  Read More

Jesus' substitutionary atonement serves as the cornerstone of our faith, underscoring the depth of God's love and the unfathomable extent of His grace. It is a testament to His unwavering commitment t...  Read More

Just like Legacy Marbles provide a visual reminder of the number of weeks you have left with your child before they graduate high school, what if we had a jar of marbles that represented our lives? Wo...  Read More