Biblically Oriented
As a church, we have chosen six Core Values that help us determine the “how” behind our mission to make mature followers of Jesus. One …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As a church, we have chosen six Core Values that help us determine the “how” behind our mission to make mature followers of Jesus. One …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Courageous generosity requires a heart that is oriented around managing, not owning, the resources God has given us. It is a discipleship issue; it is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Engaging the culture to share the message of salvation includes both doing good deeds and having a voice—for our church and for us personally. Motivated …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Understanding God’s sovereignty over death means that we can trust him with the difficult questions. The pain of loss is hardly removed, but there is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Grief and mourning bring a fresh look at the gospel for us. Walking the line of despair is a journey to know God in a …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The ideas of aging, suffering, and dying are a work in and of themselves—something that God has called us to embrace. With the decay inherited …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Death is a paradox. The way out of death is through death. We cannot be fully redeemed until we pass through the veil of physical …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Eli’s sons, priests who have been charged with the responsibility to stand in the gap between people and God, are living dishonorably by abusing their …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
After suffering a great loss in battle, Israel’s army decides to take things into their own hands and put hope in what God provided rather …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
God delivered the king that the Israelites asked for as they neglected the kingship of our Creator and instead demanded the physical comforts of a …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Saul and Jonathan are left to fight the incoming army with 600 fragile men, two swords, an armor bearer, and a cursed priest. While Saul …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Saul has been rejected as king by God, so God instructs Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint the next king that God has chosen. …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Saul is on the decline, and David is on the rise. While it is obvious that God is with David in whatever he does, Saul …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In 1 Samuel 21, David, who has shown that he is not afraid of those who oppose God, is now fearful and on the run …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In 1 Samuel 25, we see David in a time of weakness. When he is rejected and demeaned by Nabal, he acts rashly and takes …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The resurrection of Jesus gives us freedom—its victory gives us new life, hope, and an eternal inheritance that reaches far beyond our life here on …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
This week, we meet Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho who says “yes” to God in an extraordinary way. When Joshua sends spies into Jericho, Rahab …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
During a tense period of Israel’s history, a powerful pagan commander—Naaman—finds himself in a place of need. Stricken by leprosy, Naaman is led by a …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The leaders of the Corinthian church have rejected Paul in part because of his suffering, believing that God has abandoned him. In order to correct …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Paul continues the defense of his ministry to the church at Corinth, he explains what it means to be a minister of the New …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul unpacks the counter-intuitive nature of the gospel. Following Jesus does not promise ease and prosperity. Instead, we must be willing to …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Marked by humility, Paul defends the credibility of his ministry and encourages the Corinthians to renounce false teachers who are challenging his leadership and creating …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
At this point in 2 Corinthians, Paul acknowledges a previous “severe” letter he sent the Corinthian church to correct some sinful patterns. Although this letter …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Paul encourages the Corinthians to fulfill their commitment to give to the persecuted believers in Jerusalem, he unpacks the gospel core of generosity. Just …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Paul is deeply concerned that the believers at Corinth are being deceived and taken advantage of by false teachers. As he refutes their arguments, he …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Paul explains the redemptive nature of corrective discipline, he urges the believers at Corinth to humble themselves. Sin is powerful, destructive, and has far-reaching …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Throughout this letter to the church at Corinth, Paul has exposed and corrected their sin. As he concludes, he exhorts the believers to be joyful, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The core of our identity is that we are created by God, in his image, and for his glory. However, our sinful nature—reinforced by our …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
To be a believer in Christ is to be reborn and recreated by God. This miraculous rebirth not only saves our souls from sin, it …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In his great kindness, God created and recreated us with a purpose—to be a light that points people towards Christ. As disciple-makers, we must go, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
When God recreates us and brings us into his family, we become strangers in our present world. As we live in a culture and space …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Nehemiah prepares himself and the people of Jerusalem for the work ahead, he knows they will face conflict. However, they remain dedicated to the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Nehemiah and his followers continue the work of building the wall around Jerusalem, they encounter harsh and threatening opposition. While they take action to …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Nehemiah and his followers have weathered outside opposition and worked towards completing the wall. However, they must now deal with division and tension within their …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Now that the wall around Jerusalem is complete, Nehemiah creates a record of who is present and committed to the work at hand. This is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As the Israelites gather to confess both their own sin and that of their ancestors, they model genuine repentance. Through the act of remembering God …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, the Israelites celebrate the completion of the wall and dedicate it to God through a joyous parade of worship culminating at the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Jesus demonstrates his power over the spirit world. Ironically, the demons recognize his position and power while those who witness this act …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
At the beginning of 2019, we introduced our two-year ministry plan, We Choose, across all of our campuses. Using our Core Values as a framework, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
This passage in 1 Thessalonians captures our hope in the resurrection—because Jesus conquered death, we have faith that those who die in him will be …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul reinforces the sinful nature of all humanity. However, he also pivots to the hope we have in Jesus. In his mercy, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul unpacks the hope we have in Jesus. While we were his enemies, God made a way for us to be reconciled …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul addresses one of the great tensions for the believer. While we are dead to sin’s power and alive in Christ, we …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
One of the great themes in Romans is the choice we all must make—will we be controlled by sin or righteousness? In this passage, Paul …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul reminds us of the assurance of our salvation and sanctification. No matter the depth of our pain and suffering, we are …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The relationship between sovereignty and responsibility often creates tension in our convictions about humanity and fairness. Instead of inviting us to understand, God simply asks …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul urges believers to respond in worship with self-sacrificing obedience to the mercy shown to us through Jesus Christ. Romans 12 calls …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul encourages believers to live in submission to God by yielding to human authorities, loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, and …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Paul reflects on what he has shared with the Roman believers and on his future plans. He encourages them to be strong …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, we see the birth of the Church, which from its inception is an international movement. As God sends his Spirit to dwell …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Peter and John face persecution for healing and preaching in Jesus’ name. Even in the face of resistance, they calmly speak God’s …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
When faced with persecution from Jewish leaders, Stephen seizes the opportunity to share the gospel. While his fearless love results in death, his sacrifice ignites …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, we see Jesus pursue and invade the very man who has been violently persecuting the Church. After Saul encounters Christ and is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As the early church continues to grow, including people from all nations, persecution continues. Peter is imprisoned, fellow believers intercede on his behalf, and he …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As the church at Antioch grows, they face growing tension between Jews and Gentiles. Leaders meet at Jerusalem to work through the issue, and they …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In Athens, Paul preaches the gospel to a group of people from a radically different context. Yet even apart from the backdrop of Judaism, the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Paul bids farewell to the elders at Ephesus, he both charges them to continue the work of spreading the gospel and entrusts them with …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Paul’s experience continues to be rife with tension and suffering. However, he is committed to sharing his story and advancing the gospel. We also should …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Paul faces trials by various Roman officials and spends two years in jail. However, he remains determined to share the gospel and the story of …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The days following Jesus' death are full of confusion for his followers. In this passage, we see two of his disciples grapple with unmet expectations, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Solomon is conducting an experiment wherein he uses all the resources and time at his disposal to see if he can find meaning in pleasure …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this beautiful passage, Solomon captures the dual nature of our world. Because of the fall, we live in the wake of God’s judgment, and …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Solomon addresses the emptiness of envy, our need for companionship, and the reality that status is unstable. While we are naturally bent …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
This passage is full of practical wisdom that can give us a better understanding and experience of life. However, Solomon is clear that even this …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Continuing his warnings about the emptiness of placing our hope in the things of this world, Solomon expounds on the reality of death for everyone, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Wisdom is helpful in many ways—we learn to take strategic risks, diversify our work, and understand the world around us. However, Jesus is the only …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The book of Daniel begins with loss and loyalty. As Daniel and his companions navigate the challenges of living in exile, they remain faithful to …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
When Daniel reveals and interprets the king’s dream, we learn that while Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom is powerful, God’s Kingdom will prevail. In his mercy, God offers …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this dramatic passage, Daniel is targeted and his life is at stake. Because Daniel has cultivated a heart of trust in the living God, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In the face of another prophetic vision, Daniel is troubled, confused, and terrified. Prophecy was challenging for Daniel, and it continues to be challenging for …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
At the end of Daniel’s life, it becomes increasingly clear that there are hard times ahead for God’s people. However, God also promises hope and …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As John the Baptist takes the stage, we are prepared for the reality that Jesus will not meet his people’s expectations of the Messiah. But …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
When Jesus enters the Temple, he exerts his authority, driving out all distractions and corruption. As the true Temple, he is our access to God, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is a beautiful picture of how he engages us in our brokenness. Although his exposure of her shame is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Jesus creates tension for the Jewish leaders when he heals a man on the Sabbath. As he exposes their desire for control and power, Jesus …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
On the heels of his miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus skillfully uncovers the crowd’s agenda and brings them to a point of decision. …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
During the Festival of Tents, a significant week in the Jewish calendar, Jesus seizes the celebratory moment to preach in Jerusalem, offering himself as living …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Jesus answers questions of his identity by clearly claiming equality with God, and because his audience feels entitled and privileged, they respond in anger. We …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus has an intimate connection with his sheep—they know his voice, follow him, and trust him. Trusting Jesus’ direction is not …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The response to Jesus becomes increasingly polarized—some hail him as Messiah, while others plot his death. Those who worship him truly respond like Mary, with …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this moment, Jesus astonishes his disciples in an act that is both defining and transformative. By washing their feet, he paints a picture of …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Jesus prepares his disciples for his death, he makes an extraordinary promise. While the disciples may not understand what lies ahead, they can rest …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Jesus uses the image of a fruitful vine to explain what it looks like to have a vibrant, intimate relationship with the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for the future, he is clear that this world holds trials and sorrow. However, the reality of his …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
After encouraging his disciples, Jesus walks with them to the grove of olive trees, where he knows he will be betrayed. When Judas and the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Because the Jewish leaders don’t want the responsibility of executing Jesus, they pressure Pilate to solve their problem. The entire situation is fraught and chaotic, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
John gives an eyewitness account of Jesus' death so that we might believe in the power of the risen Christ. And while the event is …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Jesus mirrors Peter’s three denials with three questions, three affirmations of love, and three affirmations of work to be done. We can …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As believers, we have new life in Christ. However, we still live in a fallen world and retain an inner sinful nature. This results in …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
For many years, the Edomites live in a position of power, gloating over the downfall of their adversary, the Israelites. But their time of judgment …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Jesus is clear that we cannot worship both God and money. Being managers and not owners of our resources frees us to connect with God …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, James calls us to move—to embrace the transformative power of the gospel by obeying God’s Word. This kind of action requires humility …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
James continues to unpack his central theme—faith and works are bound together as a vibrant expression of the Christian life. In a religious setting, it …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
James’ audience is dealing with division over issues rooted in envy and jealousy. While being judgmental is innate to the human condition, as believers, we …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As we navigate the suffering inherent in a corrupt and broken world, James holds out the hope we can have through patience, courage, confession, and …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Jesus’ appearance to his followers causes fear, astonishment, confusion, and wonder. Just as Jesus carries his scars in a resurrected body and lets them tell …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Because he loves the Israelites, God has poured his heart and soul into making a way for them to be connected to him. Yet, they …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
God sees the injustice of many Israelite men divorcing their wives for economic gain, and his response is fiercely protective. Being a child of God …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The Israelites are confused by the distance their sin has created between themselves and God. Their disregard for the sacrificial system God has put in …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The book of Malachi ends by describing the great and terrible day of God’s judgment. While the wicked are brought low, those who trust in …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this psalm of ascent, we get a glimpse into David’s journey from pride to humility. He has learned what it means to carry a …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
The psalmist recognizes the challenge of living in a broken world where evil and injustice seem to be winning at every turn. Instead of being …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, we meet Boaz—a man of character, wealth, and status. Although he is vastly different from Ruth, God is weaving their stories together …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this series, we explore what Scripture says about being exiles and foreigners in a world that is not our permanent home. Even in the …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
Citizenship is an identity issue. If we primarily identify as citizens of our earthly nation, then we fall prey to fear and anger—our hopes rise …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
In this passage, Jonah comes face to face with the reality that he cannot outrun God. Yet as he sinks towards death, his heart turns, …
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director