On any given day, you feel all kinds of things: happy, sad, betrayed, frustrated, delighted, excited, scared, bored, etc. But those feelings are NOT simply random occurrences. They are connected to your thoughts, to what you are THINKING. In this messages, Pastor Max spells out how you can gain greater control over your emotions and emotional life and how that impacts your ability to experience joy.

On any given day, you feel all kinds of things: happy, sad, betrayed, frustrated, delighted, excited, scared, bored, etc. But those feelings are NOT simply random occurrences. They are connected to your thoughts, to what you are THINKING. In this messages, Pastor Max spells out how you can gain greater control over your emotions and emotional life and how that impacts your ability to experience joy.

Many of us FOCUS on the wrong things: our to-do list, what we didn't get done, what went wrong, etc. The Apostle Paul brilliantly outlines how a SHIFT in our focus is KEY to experiencing JOY.

Many of us FOCUS on the wrong things: our to-do list, what we didn't get done, what went wrong, etc. The Apostle Paul brilliantly outlines how a SHIFT in our focus is KEY to experiencing JOY.

Don't you know people who are simply out to USE others? Of course, you do. Our schools, friend circles, places of work, clubs and organizations are filled with people who are there because of how it will benefit THEM or how others will help THEM. But to be truly spiritual, truly mature, you've got to LOVE others well - and that means loving them for who they are and NOT what they can do for YOU.

Don't you know people who are simply out to USE others? Of course, you do. Our schools, friend circles, places of work, clubs and organizations are filled with people who are there because of how it will benefit THEM or how others will help THEM. But to be truly spiritual, truly mature, you've got to LOVE others well - and that means loving them for who they are and NOT what they can do for YOU.

Parker Palmer, in his book A Hidden Wholeness, writes about farmers in the Midwest (think Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakota's) who would tie a ROPE from their house to the barn. Why? Because if they didn't hold on to the rope, they would get LOST in a blizzard. Which is why there are stories of men freezing to death just a few feet from their home (because they let go of the rope). God has given us some ROPE to hold on to (that will lead us back to Him) amidst the crazy, busy, insane way we live life today. Holding on to the rope is a way to stay human, a way to keep your emotional and spiritual health.

Parker Palmer, in his book A Hidden Wholeness, writes about farmers in the Midwest (think Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakota's) who would tie a ROPE from their house to the barn. Why? Because if they didn't hold on to the rope, they would get LOST in a blizzard. Which is why there are stories of men freezing to death just a few feet from their home (because they let go of the rope). God has given us some ROPE to hold on to (that will lead us back to Him) amidst the crazy, busy, insane way we live life today. Holding on to the rope is a way to stay human, a way to keep your emotional and spiritual health.

Many people, especially those of us with FAITH, tend to minimize loss and disappointments in life. It's no big deal. I'll be okay. God's got something better for me. - We tell ourselves these things, but we feel devastated on the inside, wondering whether God is (ultimately) good and wondering whether we can really trust Him. That's just ONE REASON the Book of Job is in the Bible. In this message, Max Vanderpool implores all of us to truly embrace the loss and disappointments of life - only then can we be truly human. Only then can we be truly FREE.

Many people, especially those of us with FAITH, tend to minimize loss and disappointments in life. It's no big deal. I'll be okay. God's got something better for me. - We tell ourselves these things, but we feel devastated on the inside, wondering whether God is (ultimately) good and wondering whether we can really trust Him. That's just ONE REASON the Book of Job is in the Bible. In this message, Max Vanderpool implores all of us to truly embrace the loss and disappointments of life - only then can we be truly human. Only then can we be truly FREE.