In this week’s message from James 2:1–13, we confront a challenge that hits close to home: how we treat people based on first impressions. James makes it clear—faith in Jesus and favoritism don’t mix. Loving others the way God loves us means elevating spiritual values over social status.

We’ll talk about how easy it is to make relationship-defining decisions based on appearance, influence, or what someone can offer us. But Scripture reminds us that God doesn’t see the way we see. While we’re often drawn to outward success, God looks straight at the heart.

James calls the church to be a community marked by justice and mercy, where true worth is never measured by net worth, and where God’s acceptance matters more than human approval. Genuine faith shows up in how we love, serve, and care for those in need—especially the ones who can’t repay us.

In this message, we’ll explore:

✔ Why favoritism is more than a bad habit—it’s a spiritual issue

✔ How faith becomes visible through the way we treat others

✔ The difference between social status and spiritual value

✔ Why mercy is essential to living out the gospel

✔ What it really means to “love your neighbor as yourself”

✔ How the church is meant to reflect unity, justice, and grace

If you’ve ever caught yourself making assumptions, playing favorites, or chasing approval, this message invites you to see people—and yourself—through the lens of God’s mercy. We are somebody, not because of what we bring to the table, but because of who we’re with.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

In this week’s message from James 1:19–27, we shift from enduring trials to growing through them. James reminds us that adversity is no excuse for immaturity—and that real spiritual growth happens when we allow God’s Word to do its work in us.

We’ll talk about our natural knee-jerk reactions when we feel provoked or hurt, and how maturity looks different: being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James teaches that unchecked anger doesn’t produce the righteousness God desires, and that humility is the posture that helps us receive the Word God has planted in our hearts.

But James doesn’t stop at hearing—he calls us to action. We’ll explore what it means to move from being a listener to becoming a doer, because transformation doesn’t come from information alone. Like looking into a mirror, God’s Word reveals what needs to change—and blessing comes when we respond with obedience.

In this message, we’ll explore:

✔ Why listening more and speaking less is a mark of maturity

✔ How anger can hinder spiritual growth

✔ What it means to humbly receive the “implanted Word”

✔ The difference between hearing the Word and living it

✔ Why obedience is how we “work out” what God is working in

✔ How building your life on God’s Word creates stability in every storm

If you’ve felt stuck, reactive, or spiritually stalled, this message will encourage you that growth is possible—because God’s Word has the power to change you from the inside out.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

In Part 2 of our message from James 1:1–18, we continue exploring what it means to endure when life gets hard. James reminds us that God uses the trials we face to develop the endurance we need—because following Jesus is a marathon, not a sprint.

This sermon focuses on how endurance grows when our hearts are anchored in the right place: not in the absence of suffering, but in the outcome God is producing through it. We’ll look at the difference between trials and temptation, why God is never the author of evil, and how humility helps us respond to hardship with faith instead of blame.

Through the examples of Job, Paul, and Joseph, we’re reminded that we can’t see our circumstances rightly until we see God rightly—and that even what was meant for evil, God can use for good.

In this message, we’ll explore:

✔ Why endurance requires preparation, not just perseverance

✔ How to hold onto certainty in God’s provision

✔ Why temporary trials demand an eternal perspective

✔ How humility protects us from blaming God in suffering

✔ Why God’s unchanging goodness is our anchor in hard seasons

✔ How God works in the gap between today’s problem and tomorrow’s promise

If you’re walking through pain, confusion, loss, or waiting, this message will encourage you to keep going—because God is forming something in you that hardship can’t destroy.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

Hard times are unavoidable—but they are never meaningless.

In this message from James 1:1–18, we begin a new teaching series through the book of James by addressing a question every believer eventually faces: How do we endure when life gets hard? Drawing from both Scripture and real-life stories, this sermon reminds us that God uses trials to produce endurance—and endurance to form maturity in us.

James writes to believers who were scattered and suffering under persecution, yet he opens with a surprising command: “Consider it a great joy” when trials come. Not because pain is good—but because God is at work through it. Endurance, or grit, is essential not only for life but for spiritual growth. Following Jesus is a marathon, not a sprint.

In this message, we explore how God develops endurance in us and why perspective and faith are critical when hardship comes. We also see how wisdom from God, eternal hope, and trust in His provision anchor us when circumstances feel overwhelming.

✔ Why trials are inevitable—and purposeful

✔ How endurance shapes spiritual maturity

✔ Where to find wisdom when life feels confusing

✔ Why faith and perspective matter in suffering

✔ How eternal hope sustains us through pain

Whether you’re walking through grief, uncertainty, loss, or opposition, this message offers biblical encouragement and practical hope rooted in God’s promises.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

We’re all familiar with the thrill of the hunt—searching for something valuable, meaningful, or life-changing. Whether it’s a hidden treasure, a priceless discovery, or a long-sought answer, the pursuit reveals what we value most. In this message from Matthew 13:44–46, Jesus tells two short parables that reveal the greatest treasure of all—the Kingdom of Heaven—and why nothing compares to it.

In the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, we see two different paths to discovery. One man stumbles upon the treasure unexpectedly, while another spends his life searching for it. Though their journeys differ, their response is the same: overwhelming joy and a willingness to give up everything else to gain what they’ve found.

This sermon reminds us that the treasure Jesus offers isn’t merely eternal life someday—it’s His reign, rule, and saving work in our lives right now. When we truly see the value of Christ, it changes how we live, what we pursue, and what we’re willing to release. The issue isn’t what we give up—it’s the greatness of what we gain.

As we begin a new year, this message challenges us to take an honest inventory of our hearts. What do our schedules reveal about our priorities? What do our finances say about what we treasure? And most importantly—have we truly seen the incomparable worth of Jesus Christ?

✔ How people discover Jesus in different ways

✔ Why Christ is worth more than anything else

✔ What a transformed response to the gospel looks like

✔ How joy naturally flows from treasuring Christ

✔ Why 2026 is an opportunity to realign our priorities

Whether you’re seeking, stumbling, or standing at a crossroads, this message invites you to see Jesus for who He truly is—the greatest treasure imaginable.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

In every season of life—especially around Christmas—memories shape us. For some, this season is filled with joy, tradition, and celebration. For others, it carries loss, disappointment, tension, or uncertainty. In moments like these, what we remember—and what we forget—matters more than we realize.

In this message from Joshua 4, we step into a defining moment in Israel’s story as God leads His people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. After generations of waiting, wandering, failure, and God’s relentless faithfulness, Israel finally arrives. But before moving forward, God commands them to stop and build a memorial—tangible reminders of His power, provision, and presence.

This message shows us why remembering God’s work isn’t optional—it’s essential. What we don’t intentionally remember, we eventually forget. And when we forget, fear, doubt, and discouragement quickly take over. But when we mark what God has done in the past, it becomes our confidence for whatever lies ahead.

From the stones set up at the Jordan, to the cross and the empty tomb, Scripture is filled with reminders that God is faithful, even when His people are not. These memorials become anchor points—breadcrumbs that lead us back when we feel lost, afraid, or unsure of the next step.

This sermon also celebrates how God is still at work today—changing lives, building faith in the next generation, and using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things for His kingdom.

✔ Why intentional remembrance strengthens faith

✔ How God’s work in us is meant to speak to others

✔ Why memorials become confidence for the future

✔ How God’s faithfulness carries us through every season

✔ Why the cross and empty tomb are the ultimate memorial stones

If you find yourself looking back with gratitude—or forward with uncertainty—this message will remind you that God’s past faithfulness is proof you can trust Him with what’s next.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

Light in the Darkness | Christmas Eve Service

In this Christmas Eve message, Light in the Darkness, we reflect on the timeless contrast between light and darkness—seen from the very beginning of creation to the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals that even the smallest light pierces the deepest darkness.

The Bible uses this image to describe: Nations walking through dark seasons, Personal struggles and, weary hearts. And most importantly, our spiritual reality apart from God.

The core problem of the world isn’t just hardship—it’s the rejection of God and His ways, which leads to brokenness. But because of His great love, God sent His Son to shine light into our spiritual darkness and make a way for salvation.

Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.” His light cannot be overcome, and when we turn to Him, we move from darkness to light, from death to life, and from despair to lasting hope.

This Christmas Eve message invites you to reflect, respond, and rejoice in the truth that:

The darkness has not won

The Light has come

And our future is brighter because of Jesus If you’re walking through a difficult season or searching for hope this Christmas, this message is for you.

🎄 Key Themes:

✔ Light overcoming darkness

✔ Jesus as the Light of the World

✔ Salvation found by turning to the light

✔ Hope for today and eternity

✔ A future illuminated by God’s glory

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved: We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, next steps, missions, and events at:https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations: Multiple campuses across West-Central Florida

Find a location near you → https://bellshoals.com/locations/

In a world marked by uncertainty, fear, and hardship, hope can feel fragile—or even unrealistic. But in this Advent message, Pastor Corey walks through 1 Peter 1 and Isaiah 7 to show that the hope God offers is not wishful thinking or blind optimism—it’s stubborn, resilient, and secure.

From Winston Churchill’s refusal to surrender during World War II to King Ahaz trembling before overwhelming enemies, Scripture reminds us that true hope is not rooted in circumstances, but in confidence. When Judah faced invasion and fear gripped the nation, God gave a sign that pointed far beyond the moment—a promise of Immanuel, God with us.

This message reveals how the birth of Jesus is a hope that holds—not just for Israel then, but for believers now. While hope killers like past pain, uncertainty about the future, health struggles, broken relationships, or financial pressure can leave hearts weary, God offers a living hope grounded in His faithfulness and proven track record throughout history.

Biblical hope isn’t passive—it’s a confident expectation anchored in who God is and what He has already done. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, our hope is alive, secure, and eternal.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or worn down by life, this message will remind you where lasting hope is found—and why it never fails.

✔ Why Christian hope is confident, not circumstantial

✔ How God’s faithfulness in the past fuels hope for the future

✔ Why Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises

✔ How to hold onto hope in seasons of hardship

✔ Why setting your hope on Christ leads to sustained endurance

Share this message with someone who needs to be reminded that no matter how dark things feel, our hope is alive—and it holds.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

In a world filled with noise, interruptions, and uncertainty, peace can feel out of reach. But in this Advent message, Pastor Corey walks through John 14:27, Philippians 4:6–9, and Isaiah 26 to show that the peace Jesus offers is not circumstantial or fragile—it’s supernatural, steady, and unshakable.

From anxious disciples caught in a storm to God’s people facing the threat of Assyria, Scripture reveals that peace isn’t the absence of conflict—it’s the presence of trust. While worry rises when outcomes are uncertain, Jesus gives a peace that persists even when the future feels unclear.

Through powerful biblical truth and moving stories like Horatio Spafford’s hymn “It Is Well with My Soul,” this message reminds us that peace isn’t found in a place or a plan—it’s found in a Person. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, steadies us in the present and secures us for the future.

If your mind feels consumed by worry, anxiety, or chaos, this message will help you see how God’s peace can guard your heart and mind—even when circumstances don’t change.

✔ Why peace is the antidote to chaos

✔ Why the opposite of peace isn’t war—but worry

✔ How Jesus gives peace when outcomes are uncertain

✔ Why peace increases as we know the Peace-Giver

✔ How supernatural peace can exist even in deep sorrow

Share this message with someone who needs to be reminded that no matter what they’re facing, God’s peace is still available—and it is well with their soul.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

When life feels heavy or uncertain, joy can seem distant. But in this week’s Advent message, Pastor Corey shows from John 16:16–22 and Matthew 2:11 that Jesus offers a joy that isn’t fragile, temporary, or tied to circumstances. It’s a durable delight—rooted in God, generated by the Spirit, and strong enough to rise even in seasons of sorrow.

From the wise men who were overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Jesus, to the disciples who learned that their grief would one day give way to rejoicing, Scripture reveals a God who transforms setbacks into victory. Just like Lasse Viren’s legendary Olympic comeback, what looks like disaster in our lives often becomes the very place where God displays His glory.

If you’re facing discouragement, disappointment, or a season of waiting, this message helps you see how Christian joy doesn’t ignore pain—it outlasts it.

✔ Why joy is inevitable for those who walk with Jesus

✔ How joy becomes unconditional, even when suffering remains

✔ Why Christian joy can co-exist with sorrow

✔ How God uses trials to produce deeper joy in us

✔ Why our future with Christ makes joy eternal and secure

Share this with someone who needs to be reminded that sorrow doesn’t have the final word—joy does.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you! https://bellshoals.com/locations/