The Lord himself says, "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15). The Lord is holy, separate, set apart, from sin and the world. Peter, quoting from holy scripture, then instructions Christians to be different than those around them. Pastor Jeff highlights why many times, we seem to de-emphasize holiness in Christian circles, and then gives us some wise counsel on how to know right from wrong by asking:

1. Is it helpful physically, mentally, and spiritually? (1 Cor. 6:12)

2. Does it bring me under its power? (1 Cor. 6:12)

3. Does it hurt others? (1 Cor. 8:13)

4. Does it glorify God? (1 Cor. 10:31)

Do you find yourself in need of hope today? There's such a wonderful hope that we have in the Lord, knowing that despite our circumstances, how we feel, or what we've done, God is still faithful towards us! Pastor Jeff gives context to the prophet Jeremiah's life and calling from God. Jeremiah finds himself in a place of despair, from both the world and from the fruit of his own life, but then he writes: "Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope." (Lamentations 3:21). Thank you, Lord!

Happy Summer! It's been pretty busy for everyone at First Assembly, but the staff finally sit down to discuss our July sermon series called, "Emotions." With both Sawyer and Gianna interning this summer, they add their thoughts to the discussion as well, as Pastor Matt, Pastor Todd, and Pastor Bonnie break down into more detail some of the points from Sunday Sermons. Some things we discuss in more detail: anxiety, systems that keep people from God, and we each answer the question: are you more the Rebel or the Rule Follower? The answers might surprise you!

07/25/21 | Joy. Sadness. Anger. Compassion. God has given each of us the capacity to feel deeply. And when we can better process our powerful emotions, we can start to understand how He will use them for His good.

How do I experience joy in my walk with God, even when I'm going through something difficult? Reading from Luke 15:11-32, Pastor Matt shows how when we know what brings Jesus joy, it enables us to walk in that joy as well. And when it comes to the concept of joy, Jesus didn't answer with a statement, but instead told an emotional story to show the depth of God's love. In order to experience joy with Jesus:

1) Take one step towards your Father (v. 20)

2) Enjoy a relationship over rules (v. 20, 31-32)

3) Bring someone with you (v. 23-24)

07/18/21 | Joy. Sadness. Anger. Compassion. God has given each of us the capacity to feel deeply. And when we can better process our powerful emotions, we can start to understand how He will use them for His good.

Jesus Himself needed anxiety relief. And when He despaired, He gave us the blueprint for how to deal with worry, stress, and fear (Mark 14:32-36). If you need anxiety relief, Pastor Bonnie helps us discover the three things Jesus leads us to do in to find peace in our hearts and align the feelings we experience with a faith that never fails:

1) Talk to your Friends

2) Talk to your Father

3) Talk to your Feelings

07/11/21 | Joy. Sadness. Anger. Compassion. God has given each of us the capacity to feel deeply. And when we can better process our powerful emotions, we can start to understand how He will use them for His good.

Jesus felt many emotions—and anger was one of them. But there are a few things we can learn about why Jesus got angry, and what He chose to do when He felt strong emotions. Pastor Jamal talks about how when we focus our anger on the right things and channel our emotions the right way, we can start to unite a divided world. Reading from Matthew 21:12-14, Pastor Jamal shows that:

1) Jesus is known for his love, not his anger

2) Jesus was angry on behalf of those who were mistreated

3) When Jesus was angry, he flipped tables, not people

4) When Jesus was angry, he loved and healed those who were hurting

07/04/21 | Joy. Sadness. Anger. Compassion. God has given each of us the capacity to feel deeply. And when we can better process our powerful emotions, we can start to understand how He will use them for His good.

Where is God when you hurt? Sometimes we feel like God is old, cold, and in the sky. However, Pastor Matt reminds us that Jesus feels compassion for people who hurt. Looking at Jesus' response to a widow's grief in Luke 7:11-16, Pastor Matt shows us that: God cares for you, he loves you, he comes to you, and he's with you. Where is God when you hurt? He's right there.

06/27/21 | What does it mean to be a good neighbor? It involves more than simply waving "hi" across the street or across the aisle. Being a good neighbor involves Loving Your Neighbor, Crossing Culture, Changing the Narrative, Coming to the Table, Creating Space to Engage Our Neighbors, Tenacious Friendships, and Living Differently.

In this final week, Pastor Jeff says that our vertical love for God is reflected in and defined by our horizontal love for one another. Reading from Matthew 25:31-36, he talks about:

1) Sins of Commission vs. Omission

2) Caring for One Another

3) The Hallmark of Jesus’ Ministry

If your faith journey was a movie, who would be on the credits list at the end of the film? Pastor Matt, Pastor Todd & Sawyer Matthews discuss why sometimes it can be hard to be vulnerable and ask someone to help us, and also talk about who has been on their "credits list" for their faith journey. We also talk about the importance of listening, and how that is simply the baseline when it comes to serving someone else.

06/20/21 | What does it mean to be a good neighbor? It involves more than simply waving "hi" across the street or across the aisle. Being a good neighbor involves Loving Your Neighbor, Crossing Culture, Changing the Narrative, Coming to the Table, Creating Space to Engage Our Neighbors, Tenacious Friendships, and Living Differently.

In Week 6, Pastor Jeff reads the story of the four friends and the paralytic Jesus healed (Luke 5:17-26), and shows us that:

1) Friends carry the mat

2) Friends activate faith

Pastor Jeff challenges us with these questions: "Who's carrying your mat today?" and, "Whose mat are you carrying?"