Arborway Community Church

Becoming more like Jesus doesn't happen overnight, and it's not something we can accomplish on our own. God uses the people in our church family to encourage us, challenge us, and help us grow in ways we never could alone. In this sermon from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, Pastor Ivey explores how God uses the church to shape us into the likeness of Christ, and the incredible promise that gives us hope: God isn't finished with us yet, and he's faithful to complete what he started.

Have you ever wondered where God is when life gets difficult? When prayers seem unanswered and circumstances don't make sense, it's easy to question God's goodness. In this message from 1 Chronicles 16, guest speaker Andy Geffers, Director of Missions for Alliance New England, reminds us that God's faithfulness isn't determined by our circumstances. Discover how remembering God's goodness, giving thanks, and trusting His enduring love can transform the way we face life's challenges.

What happens to our hope when someone we love dies? In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11, Paul writes to a grieving church with an incredible promise: death is real, but it isn’t final. We may not know when Jesus will return or exactly how every detail will unfold, but we do know how the story ends. In this message, Pastor Ivey explores how the resurrection of Jesus gives us a hope strong enough to change both how we grieve and how we live.

What if loving your neighbor means more than being kind, generous, or helpful? Sometimes love looks surprisingly ordinary. In this message from 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Pastor Ivey explores three unconventional ways God calls us to love the people around us. From the chaos we create to the responsibilities we carry, we'll discover why love asks a question we rarely consider: “What's it like to live around me?” And we'll see how Jesus, who carried a burden we could never carry ourselves, frees us to love our neighbors because he loved us first.

Our culture sends us all kinds of messages about sex: it’s everything, it’s nothing, it’s dirty, or it’s essential to a fulfilling life. But what if God offers us something better? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, we discover a vision of sex that is sacred without being ultimate. God doesn’t simply give us rules for our sex, he gives us his Spirit and transforms us from the inside out.

Following Jesus isn’t about reaching a point where you’ve finally arrived. It’s about learning to live a life that pleases God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, Paul encourages a young church that is already following Jesus not to give up, settle in, or stand still, but to keep going. In this message, Pastor Ivey shows us what it means to walk with Jesus in everyday life, why spiritual growth is a lifelong journey, and why we were never meant to make that journey alone.

In a world constantly trying to shape how we think, God calls us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. This message by pastor Wale explores how surrendering to God, knowing His Word, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit help us resist conformity to the world. When our thinking changes, our lives change, and our transformed lives become a light that brings glory to God.

What does it look like to love someone well? Christian love isn't cold or detached. Paul loved the Thessalonians so deeply that their joy became his joy and their suffering affected him personally. But loving them didn't mean praying their lives would become easier. Paul worked for something more. In this message from 1 Thessalonians, Pastor Ivey helps us explore how the gospel frees us to give people our hearts without losing our heads.

What should genuine Christian community look like? In 1 Thessalonians 2:1–12, Paul shows that the gospel is not only something we proclaim, it should shape the way we live and treat one another. In this message, Josh Kappert explores four characteristics that should mark every Christian community. As followers of Jesus share, not only the gospel, but their lives with one another, the church becomes a visible testimony to the transforming love of Christ.

What keeps a marathon runner moving when every muscle says "quit"? Hope. In this first message from our Living Hope series through 1 Thessalonians, we'll see that the same kind of future-focused confidence enables Christians to endure today. If you're weary, discouraged, or wondering whether following Jesus is worth it, this message is for you.