We’ve all tried to think our way out of bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, only to find ourselves stuck with an out-of-control mind and off-track daily life. But God has something better for your life than your old ways of thinking. It’s time to decide to change your thinking so God can change your life.

The pursuit of happiness is best accomplished through independence. That is the narrative of society. God calls us to trust Him with all of our hearts! How do we depend on God when doing so requires us sacrificing our plans? By exploring the moment where God called Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, we discover that knowing God’s plan, provision, and power is what we need to fully depend on Him. The pursuit of happiness ceases when we believe that Jesus came to earth to pursue us.

Following Jesus was never meant to be comfortable. If we are going to love our neighbors, we need to be ready to step out for God. Time short, eternity is long, and souls matter! We were not created to be ordinary; God has a purpose for your life! Discover how you can bring God's love to your neighbors in the final part of our series Backyard Church.

Our world is saturated by fear. News reports highlight the worst of events. How are we supposed to love our neighbors when we are afraid of them? The Israelites allowed fear to prevent them from entering the promised land. Years later, they discovered what they thought their neighbors thought about them wasn’t even true! When we fear the Lord, fear of others disappears. The remedy to being afraid of our neighbors is to rest in the perfect love of God.

“I don’t have time.” It’s a phrase everyone has used at some point. But is it true? When it comes to loving our neighbors, time is the biggest barrier. Everyone makes time for what matters most to them. Martha and Mary teach us that being with Jesus is more important than doing for Jesus. The reason we aren’t making time for our neighbors is because we aren’t making time for Jesus! When we invest time with Jesus, we will love our neighbors the way He does.

What if when Jesus said, “Love your neighbor” he meant your literal neighbor? Too often, we apply the churchy answer for the question “Who is my neighbor?” When we do that, we end up with metaphorical love for metaphorical neighbors. We love our neighbors in response to Jesus “moving into the neighborhood” and loving us. The first step to loving someone is knowing their name. Discover how you can change your neighborhood for Jesus.

Is God working or sleeping? Too often it feels like nothing good is happening. The story of Ruth ends with a redeemer sacrificing himself for the good of others. We discover that God was at work the entire time in the life of Naomi. Because of Jesus, we can reject bitterness and compromise, and trust that God is always working, even when we don’t see it.

Who’s plan are you following for your romantic relationship choices? This world offers a very different path to take than the one God has laid out for you. Ruth approaches Boaz not for sex, but desiring covenant marriage. As we see their interaction unfold, we discover important truths that will guide us in a world that is filled with promiscuity. We can confidently run to God for mercy and grace as we choose to honor him with our lives.

What causes you to be kind? Culturally, there could be ulterior motives that drive us to act kind, but what does kindness look like as a Christ-follower? As we explore Ruth chapter 2, we see a picture of kindness that points us directly to God’s ultimate act of kindness: Sending Jesus to die in our place for us to know God unconditionally.  Our relationship with Him produces a kindness that only He can give.

How do you respond when hard moments come? Naomi's family chose to leave the land of promise and go to the land of compromise. She endured losing her husband and her two sons. More than that, she lost sight of God as Faithful Provider. Despite all this, God remained faithful and visited his people and specifically Naomi. Discover that God is always working out His redemptive plan in our lives. No matter what you go through, nothing can stop the faithful provision of God.