Blaze Church

A Well Balanced Life Part 4 - We’ve all experienced loneliness on some level before. It’s inevitable. In 2017 we are connected to more people than ever before, and there is still this craving for relationships. Why? Would you believe that God is the One to blame for your need to be in community with other people? Since God is the One who made you to want other people, He has to be the One to bring you into healthy, horizontal relationships. Discover that isolation is not good, and that there is a community of people for you to connect to.

A Well Balanced Life Part 3 - The word “no” has the power to tempt us like no other word. Something wells up inside of us when we are told not to do something. We’ve come to believe as a society that restraint and constraint are the enemies to our best life. When you consider the word no, do you think of freedom or slavery? God has created you to get the most out of life by embracing the necessary no.

A Well Balanced Life Part 2 - Work is part of life. None of us can deny that. When we consider getting the most out of life, we may find ourselves enduring our jobs, or adoring our jobs. Is work your enemy? Or is it your savior? In both of those views, we are hoping to find joy in our role. God has a better way: To discover that joy is in the responsibility. Imagine being able to find joy whether you are working your dream job or not. That is the balanced way of living that God has for you!

A Well Balanced Life Part 1 - We are convinced that busy is best. Telling another person that your life is filled with rest seems impossible. We are so caught up doing life, that we aren’t stopping to enjoy life. The first element that God gave humanity was REST.  Jesus wants you to enjoy food and friends! Does that sound crazy? Today we discover how important rest is, and how we can violate the cultural expectation of full calendars and busy schedules.

James Part 12 - Christians, we have the privilege of creating a culture that helps confession and healing. Are we hindering those things? The unrighteous - the skeptic and seeker - don’t allow your sickness to keep you out. James brings up the word righteous, to remind us that there is only One who is righteous. “The righteous man” is the person who is fully aware of their unrighteousness, and is fully trusting in the person and work of the Righteous One, Jesus Christ!

James Part 11 - Whether it's in relationships, emotions, finances, your job or even in your home, there are times and situations where we experience suffering and pain. During these times where or who do we look to? How do we get through the pain of suffering? It's important to know not only how to get through suffering, but to make it sustainable and not temporary.

James Part 10 - Many of us are focused on becoming rich, and we haven’t considered how to be rich. How will we act when we have money? Truthfully, the problem isn’t a lack of cash, it’s a lack of character. James gives us some healthy warning on how more money can lead to more problems if we don’t understand money’s true purpose. There is hope in knowing that God gives us money so we can share.

James Part 9 - Too many of us are living our lives as if we will exist forever. We aren’t simply planning, we are assuming that when we put something in our calendars, it will happen. We all know the hard truth though - no one is promised tomorrow. How do we navigate the tension of needing to plan and create schedules, and also live with the fact that we may not accomplish our goals? How do we keep ourselves from becoming so focused on tomorrow, that we miss out on what’s happening today? Discover the way to plan your life, and not lose yourself in the process.

James Part 8 -Conflict is a normal part of life. It's unavoidable. How we handle conflict, however, is a choice. The normal response is to win; to make sure you come out on top. Unfortunately this can lead to some messy relationships. Why do we act this way? Today we discover that the amazing grace of God enables us to genuinely love others, even when they have what we don't have. We don't need to be fueled by jealousy! We can have thriving relationships. Horizontal alignment is vertically dependent.

James Part 7- Smart people make unwise decisions all the time. Have you seen a pattern in your life of choices that lead to chaos? Relationships, purchases, life decisions - the rhythm of your day is filled with options. Wouldn't it be great if you knew how to be wise in those moments? Today we discover the two types of wisdom available to us, and the hope that every person can in fact be wise!