Blaze Church

“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.

Did Jesus resurrect? If he didn’t Christianity has no basis for its beliefs. If you doubt the resurrection, so did Mary and the other disciples. But do the critiques of the resurrection of Jesus really hold any weight when stacked against the historical evidence of this event? Discover why we can be sure that Jesus did resurrect and how it changes everything.

Does suffering prove that God doesn’t exist? Does it prove that God is not powerful, or not good? Every worldview has to address the problem of suffering. Only Christianity offers the promise that when we suffer, we do not suffer alone. Because Christ suffered on the cross, we have received an inheritance that one day, all pain and evil will be done away with. Discover the problem, purpose, and promise of suffering in part three of our series, I Have My Doubts.

Doesn’t the Bible condone some horrible practices, like slavery & polygamy. Isn’t it oppressive and out of touch with our modern ways regarding marriage and family units? How can we believe that the Bible is reliable and relevant? The first skeptics of the Bible after Jesus resurrected were disciples. Discover three actions to take when we doubt the validity of the Bible.

No one likes to be told they are wrong. Inclusiveness is celebrated; exclusivity is seen as narrow-minded. What do we do with the claim Jesus made when he said, “I AM the Way”? Culture attempts to embrace inclusion by saying all religions are the same, or each religion only sees one part of the whole. The gospel is an invitation to extend your hands towards the One who was wounded to save you.