Compass Church Bloomington-Normal

How do we know what the bible really means? Why can two people read the same passage and come away believing completely different things? Sometimes the bible seems confusing, contradictory, or difficult to reconcile with what we believe about God. What happens when something you've believed your whole life starts to fall apart?

Mark 2:23-3:5

How should Christians vote according to Jesus? When faith and politics collide, the answers aren't always as simple as we'd like. Which Christian values should influence our political choices? What should we expect from the people we elect? And how do we know whether our faith is shaping our politics or the other way around?

Why do Christians vote the way they do? Our political choices reflect what we believe, but what happens when those beliefs collide with what Jesus taught about power? Explore the questions behind Christian voting, the limits of government, and why faith and politics get complicated when we expect elections to accomplish more than they can.

Does an ordinary life matter to God? Acts 9 pauses around people most of us would barely notice. Their stories feel surprisingly familiar if you’ve ever wondered whether God notices people who don’t stand out, especially when your limits keep showing up and what you have feels small. What if ordinary and unimportant aren’t the same thing?

God can work in people whose past, personality, or pace makes us uncomfortable. But will we cooperate? When the disciples feared Paul, Barnabas helped them see what God was doing in him. This message explores how we recognize change, make room for growth, and help others become who God is calling them to be, even when we still have questions.

Paul persecuted Christians. The harm he caused was real, and people had reason to fear him. Yet God still worked through him. What does Paul’s story mean for people carrying regret today? Can someone who has made a serious mess of things change and still have a future? This message explores what it means to believe God can work with fallen people.

Was the Bible changed over time? Ancient copies don’t agree on every word, the original manuscripts no longer exist, and the text passed through thousands of human hands. So how can we know whether the Bible we read reflects what its authors wrote? Explore the evidence behind one of Christianity’s most important questions.

Some people are genuinely unsafe, and easy answers rarely help. How should Christians respond to dangerous people who have already caused harm? Explore the tension between forgiveness, trust, prayer, boundaries, courage, and safety, and what following Jesus can look like when grace and protection seem to pull in opposite directions.

Can Christians be completely sincere about God and still be wrong about Jesus? Saul knew Scripture, respected religious authority, and believed opposing Jesus was what God wanted. His encounter in Acts 9 raises a difficult question for skeptics and lifelong Christians alike: Have we seen Jesus as he is, or only as he has been represented to us?

What does the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 reveal about belonging, exclusion, and finding room with God? Explore a story for anyone who feels outside.