Peace is one of the deepest longings of the human heart—and one of the hardest things to hold onto in a world marked by chaos, fear, and fractured lives. In week two of our Advent series, we discover that true peace is not the absence of trouble or the illusion of control. True peace is a Person. Peace is Jesus.

In this teaching, we explore the contrast between false peace—the kind we manufacture through comfort or control—and the true peace Jesus brings: True peace arrives not through strength, but through surrender. The angels announce peace not to kings or elites, but to exhausted shepherds—those most familiar with fear, lack, and vulnerability. This is who Jesus comes to first. His peace meets us where life feels the most fractured.

Jesus doesn’t simply bring peace—He is our peace. His presence heals what fear has broken, restores what sin has disordered, and makes us whole in the midst of everything we cannot fix. His peace is honest, reconciling, costly, and deeply personal. Advent invites us to stop gluing the pieces back together on our own and place them in the hands of the One who can actually restore wholeness. Peace comes when Jesus is at the center—reordering our lives where chaos once ruled.

If you feel afraid, overwhelmed, or undone, this teaching is for you. Peace is not out of reach. Peace has come. Give the pieces to Jesus, and let Him make you whole again. This is Advent. And Jesus is our Peace.

Advent begins in the dark—right where the hope of Jesus shines the brightest.

In this opening week of our Advent series, we explore the deep, soul-steadying truth that hope is not optimism or pessimism. Hope is Jesus Himself. Biblical hope invites us to wait honestly, even painfully, in the places where we can’t see a way out.

This teaching walks through three truths that reshape how we wait in the dark:

1.    Hope means we don’t see a way out yet—but we wait with expectation. We name our discouragement and groaning while trusting that God is already on the way.

2.    When we don’t have enough, God has more than enough. Isaiah 40reminds us that while we grow weary, the everlasting God never does.

3.    Hope is a Person named Jesus. The light that breaks into our darkness isn’t an idea—it’s the Savior who came as a child and will come again as King.

Whether you’re overwhelmed, weary, or longing for something to change, Advent calls you not to ignore the darkness but to meet Jesus in it. He is the hope who doesn’t disappoint. He is the One already on His way.

Light a candle. Slow down. Let yourself hope again.

This is Advent. And Jesus is our Hope.

In the final week of Nothing More Nothing Less, we look at what it takes to follow Jesus faithfully for a lifetime. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes his final words to Timothy—passing the baton and calling him to a long obedience in the same direction. Paul gives three essentials for a lasting legacy of faith: (1) Anchor yourself in God’s Word. The Bible is our steady truth “in season and out of season.” We don’t just read it—we let it form us, guide us, and ground us in every part of life. (2) Learn to discern what's right. We are naturally impressionable, and Paul warns that people will drift toward teachings that simply affirm their desires. Disciples must grow in discernment—testing motives, agendas, and fruit to stay rooted in what is actually true. (3) Endure pressure and help others experience life in Jesus. Following Jesus includes hardship, pressure, and sacrifice. Yet Paul tells Timothy to keep his head, endure suffering, and keep doing the work of an evangelist. Faithfulness means living on mission and helping others experience the Gospel. Paul ends by saying, “I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.” One day, our own lives will be measured by faithfulness. This is what matters most—nothing more, nothing less.

In Week 3 of Nothing More Nothing Less, we look at Jesus’ bold call in Mark 8:34–37 to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We explore what Jesus actually meant by “follow me”—not merely believing in Him, but apprenticing under Him. Jesus calls anyone to become His disciple, but surrender sits at the center of true discipleship. Losing our life for Jesus’ sake is the very path to finding it. So many people identify as Christian yet so few actually apprentice Jesus. Following Jesus requires nothing more—and nothing less—than a fully surrendered life. If you’re longing for a deeper, truer experience of life with Jesus, this teaching will help you take your next step of surrender.

In this message of our "Nothing More Nothing Less" series, we dive into what it really means to have faith in Jesus. Faith isn’t just belief in theory—it’s trust in action. It’s not blind, naïve, or wishful thinking; it’s confidence rooted in the proven faithfulness of Jesus.

Through John 6, we watch a moment when Jesus’ popularity explodes after feeding 5,000 people—but then quickly fades when His message gets hard to accept. He challenges His followers to move beyond wanting more signs or proof and to put their full trust in Him—the Bread of Life who gives eternal life.

Pastor Josh Taylor unpacks what faith actually looks like, why we can’t eliminate the need for it, and how Jesus’ past faithfulness empowers us to live by faith today. Whether you’re exploring who Jesus is or deepening your walk with Him, this message invites you to take a confident step of trust—because the One who calls you has already proven Himself faithful.

In week one of "Nothing More, Nothing Less," we dive into Paul’s warning in Galatians 1 about “a different gospel.” The pure and complete Gospel is just Jesus—nothing more, nothing less. Pastor Josh Taylor challenges us to strip away what culture, politics, and personal preference have added to the message of Jesus and return to the simplicity and power of the real Gospel.

We all want to belong—but belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through intentional practices that form us into a spiritual family. In this final week of the Belong series, we talk about accountability—a word that can feel intimidating but is actually essential to real community.

Accountability cultivates belonging when we remove the planks from our own eyes so we can see clearly, stay invested in each other even when it’s difficult, and gently help one another grow in the way of Jesus.

In this message, we explore what healthy, grace-filled accountability looks like—where people listen instead of judge, stay instead of walk away, and grow together instead of apart. Because following Jesus isn’t easy, and existing isn’t easy. We need each other.

Text “BELONG” to (740) 936-5040 for this week’s conversation guide.

Thanks for following our Belong series! Access conversation guides each week here: https://bright-city.cls.co/dFhw

What if one of the most spiritual things you could do was to be sad—and to let others be sad with you? In this teaching, we explore Belong Practice #5: Empathy. Pastor Joel Trainer invites us to wrestle with three honest questions:

- How good are you at being sad?

- How good are you at being sad with other people?

- How good are you at letting other people be sad with you?

Empathy isn’t the same as sympathy. Sympathy says, “I’m sorry for you.” Empathy says, “I’m sorry with you.” And most of us aren’t great at it. Through the story of Naomi in Ruth 1, Joel shows how lament can lead us toward healing instead of silence—and how God often cares for us through good friends who stay with us in the murky middle between hope and reality.

As Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” In a world quick to move on, maybe it’s time we learn to sit with sadness—together.

Thanks for following our Belong series! Access conversation guides each week here: https://bright-city.cls.co/dFhw

Forgiveness is one of the hardest — and holiest — journeys we can take. In this week’s message from our Belong series, we explore how Jesus calls us to walk the long road of forgiveness in Matthew 18 — not to minimize our pain, but to lead us into freedom. We all want people to own their mistakes and acknowledge the hurt they’ve caused. But what do we do when that doesn’t happen? When someone keeps wounding us, or refuses to admit they're wrong?

In Practice #4: Forgiveness, we unpack four phases that help us move from pain to peace — Hurt, Hate, Heal, and Restore. You’ll learn how to acknowledge your wounds, let God transform your anger into compassion, and rediscover freedom on the other side of forgiveness. Whether you’re struggling to forgive someone close to you, or wrestling with the weight of your own mistakes, this message will help you experience the healing power of God’s forgiveness — and learn how freed people can help free people.

🎧 Listen and be reminded that the path of forgiveness always leads to freedom.

Thanks for following our Belong series! Access conversation guides each week here: https://bright-city.cls.co/dFhw

In this week’s conversation, we explore Practice #3: Vulnerability—the risky but life-giving openness that makes real belonging possible. Drawing from Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians and the humility of Jesus in Philippians 2, we discover that true strength doesn’t come from perfection, but from grace made visible in our weakness. Vulnerability begins with honest humility, becomes possible through God’s grace, and grows through relational courage. When we open our hearts to God and others, we create the space for grace to flow and for love to become real. Join us as we talk about why vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the way to healing, connection, and the kind of belonging our souls were made for.

Thanks for following our Belong series! Access conversation guides each week here: https://bright-city.cls.co/dFhw