REVELATION: The Dragon and The Beast This week we are going to explore a topic that we don’t often talk about in church: the devil. But as the book of Revelation reaches its climax, we see the devil doing his best to upend God’s plan for ultimate restoration and renewal. Whether we see it or not, the devil is working his hardest keep us from experiencing the fullness of God’s hope and healing. Few of us are aware of the ways in which the devil works, let alone how to counter his tactics. But in Christ, we have the victory that our lives and our world depend on.

REVELATION: Water of Life From Wall-E to Interstellar, we are well acquainted with a vision of an uninhabitable earth. As the script often goes, intrepid explorers are sent to the heavens to pioneer a new home, leaving earth behind. For all of it’s fantastic imagery and science-fiction type characters, the book of Revelation is not one of those stories. The book of Revelation is not about leaving earth— it is about heaven coming to earth! Sometimes the Christian faith is dismissed as pie-in-the-sky escapism. But God’s plan for redemption isn’t an escape plan. In fact, John the Apostle sees a vision of God’s holy city, descending from the clouds to bring total restoration on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus' resurrection is the affirmation that our future includes a physical existence where God is making everything new.

REVELATION: Final Words of First Importance As we’ve explored the book of Revelation, we’ve followed the story of God as told to a persecuted and suffering church. Many of these believers would have felt that their lives were being lived in the dark. But over and over, Jesus reminds them to make the most of the opportunities they are given because their ultimate victory is close at hand. Join us as we celebrate the conclusion of our series on Revelation with the truth that everything that we do matters for eternity.

REVELATION: Church at Sardis This Sunday, we are continuing our series on Revelation by reading a “wake up” letter to the church in Sardis. Once known for it’s spiritual fervor and prosperity, the community in Sardis has been lulled into a comfortable routine that holds them back from fully embracing the movement of God in their church and in the world. As I have been reflecting on the letters to the churches, this letter, perhaps more than the letters previous, has challenged me to examine my life and the life of our community.

HAPPY HUNTING: Attitude of Gratitude We are continuing our series “Happy Hunting” this week by examining the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Philippian church to live a life of radical service without grumbling or arguing. And by doing so, not only do we experience fulfillment for ourselves, we share our joy with others.

HAPPY HUNTING: Downward Rising We often view the path to success as a ladder to climb. But true success begins when we climb downward to invest our skills and influence to empower others.

HAPPY HUNTING: Worried Sick As a culture, we have become experts in comparison. But all too often, this tendency leads us to obsess over things we can’t even control. We become hostages to worry, and worry robs us of the opportunity to fully embrace God’s gifts to us in the present.

HAPPY HUNTING: Forget the Past This weekend we are continuing our series Happy Hunting, by examining how we can move beyond the remorse, regret, and resentment in our lives to true and lasting joy.

HAPPY HUNTING: Habits of Miserable People Researchers have found that a large majority of our decision making each day is actually the result of habits. Chances are that you grabbed your toothbrush and toothpaste this morning without even thinking. Through a process known as “batching,” our brain automates common tasks, like brushing our teeth or backing out of the drive way into habits. Many of us can recognize habits that can make us miserable—relationship patterns, work-life imbalance, overspending—but what are the habits of happiness? This week we are going to be putting the habits of joyful people under the microscope to understand how we can find fulfillment for the long run.

HAPPY HUNTING: The Quest for Contentment This Sunday, we are beginning a new series called “Happy Hunting: The Quest for Contentment.” All of us are on a search for happiness, but the paradox of finding happiness is that it actually finds us when we are living a life committed to and for others.