Do you have any reason to worry? Of course you do! Human beings are not able to control the world around us, nor are we able to direct everything in our own lives. There are dangers aplenty – many of which we do not see. So we have no choice but to worry and fear, right? Wrong! As believers, we live with a different view of security and life itself. There are many passages in Scripture that teach us not to fear (“fear not” is found 365 times in the Bible). So how can a Christian live life free of worry and fear? We live in this world, but we are not of it. Let’s learn how that applies to the scary and dangerous parts of our lives.

"Don’t get mad…. Get even.” It’s such a simple saying that gives focus and direction when you’ve been hurt. The betrayal or pain makes you feel powerless, and the thought of revenge reverses that. Instead, your pain makes you strong. That all makes sense in human terms and it is the way many of us want life to work.  But for those who follow Jesus, there is a very different way. We are called to forgive. What does that mean and how do we do it? Today, we’ll look at some of the most famous places in Scripture where our call to forgive is spelled out and see what we can learn.

The world we live in has firmly adopted the idea that each of us get to decide fundamental truths about our lives. This has been seen most prominently in the discussions of gender and sexual orientation. It is understandable that people who do not worship the Lord will chase whatever they define as a path to happiness and satisfaction. But how do Christians face these issues? Again, we are in this world but not of it.  We walk by faith instead of sight or understanding. What do we see in Scripture that can help us sort out what we do with internal struggles over gender identity or sexual attraction? Let’s take a look at some passages that have direction for Jesus followers.

Do you know someone who has control issues? It is human nature to want to shape our lives according to our desires. But as we fight for what we want or need, are we following the example of the lost world around us? We’re going to look at how Christians fight differently in the battles we face. First and foremost, we have to learn what it means to let the Lord fight our battles. From the story of Israel trapped at the Red Sea to the writings of Paul to different churches, we’ll try to get some traction on how knowing Jesus changes how we fight our battles.

On a typical day, how many times do you see images of people and their lives that invite you to compare your life with theirs? This has always been ‘a thing’ but today’s technology world certainly magnifies the opportunity for each of us. Our culture is grounded in comparison as a way to measure our worth, our accomplishments, and our attractiveness to others. But Christians live differently. We don’t allow our self-image to be swallowed by this trap. Instead, we see ourselves and our world differently.  Let’s take a walk through some of the things Paul says to the Corinthians and see what the Spirit will do in our hearts.

Those who follow Jesus actually don’t belong to this world. Jesus says exactly that in John 15. Peter says we’re citizens of heaven. Both Peter and Paul say we’ve become a part of the family of God. But we still live in this world and we have to deal with decisions, tasks, pressures, and ideas while we’re here. So in John 17:14-18 when Jesus says that He has sent us into the world, but that we are not ‘of the world’, it means that we need to understand how to live as people who think differently, believe differently, and live differently while interacting in our mission field for Jesus.

When we set out on a mission of authentically representing the God we call Father and a Savior who died for our sakes, it can feel a little like mission impossible. We look to others for leaders that we can follow, we read books to find habits that we can adopt, but the nitty-gritty of our calling as children of God often lies in introspection. Being an ambassador for Christ is not a selfish calling but it is a self-aware one, because it is only after we become aware of our weaknesses and imperfections that we can better follow an all-powerful and perfect Lord.

How do we best prepare for the road ahead? Life is so full of twists and turns, ups and downs, highs and lows, it’s hard not to allow circumstances get us off track. As we gather together, let us look together to best prepare to walk in the road where God has called us.

Light is one of the most common metaphors used of Jesus and his followers. At Stellar VBS, our students heard all about the Light of the World and were encouraged to shine Jesus’ light for all to see. What are the characteristics of light and how do we embody them? Today we’ll take a look at a few passages where Jesus talks about light and see how we can be a light in the darkness.

Our favorite week of the year is here!  And we know it is going to be filled with fun and laughter as well as the power of God. As we get everything in place to welcome all kinds of kids into our VBS, we are reminded that God’s promises are sure. We know this is going to be a great week because we know that God is at work in us and through us for His Kingdom. Plus, the news we get to share about salvation is His passion.  We get to join with God in His faithfulness and rest in His promises for the week ahead. We can’t wait to see what God will do.