The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scriptures. And He is coming again! The dead in Christ will be raised up, and those who are alive at His coming will be changed and receive new, glorified bodies. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It proves who Jesus is. It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life.

How many times do we find ourselves lost and wondering what to do next? We find ourselves in a difficult situation and fail to ask and seek the wisdom God is offering in our lives. This week we learn about Solomon - arguably the wisest and wealthiest person who ever lived. Solomon is a fascinating case study of what happens when one person "has it all." True wisdom leads us to depend on God and humbly trust that He knows what is best for us.

Culture has a remarkable way of defining us by our failures. How did David – despite adultery and murder – come to be remembered as a man after God’s own heart rather than to be defined by his failures? How can we escape being defined by our failures and enjoy the freedom David experienced? Sin will always have consequences, but God's mercy, love, and grace can overcome our sins when we turn to Him in repentance.

We often look at ourselves as if we are underserving. We’re not king material. God still has giants to kill. He still has big plans to accomplish that will take someone like David to get the job done. God often uses underdogs to advance his plan. He looks inside the heart to find people he can use. With our willingness and His power, nothing is impossible.

This week we look at the biblical book of Ruth, a wonderful story of sacrificial love and redemption. Boaz’s love for Ruth is a mirror image of the heart of God. Boaz steps in as a willing kinsmen redeemer and foreshadows Jesus who will step in as the Redeemer for all people.

This week, we continue our series based on the book, “The Story,” with a look at Chapter 8. In this chapter, we see the Israelites fall into a pattern of disobedience to God, to be called back into obedience by a series of different leaders, only to later fall back into disobedience again. What can we learn from their pattern of faithfulness and unfaithfulness? God knows what is best for us and our lives, and He is still at work calling His people back to Him. Let's learn to trust Him in all areas of our lives, and fix our eyes on Him.

Have you ever faced straight on an overwhelming challenge that scared you to death? Did you confront it or retreat? In “The Story,” we find Israel facing a terrifying challenge. God wanted His children to be successful in this campaign to take possession of the Promised Land, but to do so, they had to demonstrate faith and courage. Let's take a look at real courage and God's interesting battle plan. We cannot live the lives we were created for without defining moments of courage. 

God’s plan was clear: deliver His people through a series of miracles, defeat their enemies, give them a covenant and set of laws to make them a chosen nation, and provide them a land of promise. Simple, right? Well, maybe not so much. God always held up His end of the bargain, but the people complained and failed to believe. So, Israel spent the next forty years wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. The faithless generation would die out before they set foot on the other side of the land of promise. Before his death, Moses commissioned Joshua as Israel’s new leader.

God gave His commands for a relationship with Him, and for relationships with one another. God needed some things to change so that He could dwell among His people. God used to be present in a tent, then a temple but now he wants to be present in you. His Holy Spirit can reside IN YOU! How does that happen? It happens when you ask for forgiveness of sin, and put your faith in Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

In the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, we see a beautiful picture of Jesus as our Passover lamb, who shed his blood so that we could be saved and delivered.