Jesus came announcing the arrival of a new kingdom. Not as one more option alongside the kingdoms of this world, but one that redefines every other allegiance. Jesus was clear. God doesn’t take sides. He takes authority. That same tension shows up today. Followers of Jesus live in two places at once: fully engaged here but ultimately defined by somewhere else. From the very beginning, Christians didn’t fit neatly into cultural or political categories. They were known for belonging to Jesus above all else. And the goal is to make your secondary country look a little more like your primary country.

In a world obsessed with influence and control, the way of Jesus looks radically different. Instead of grasping for power, early Christians transformed their communities through humility, unity, and love - especially in the face of opposition. They refused to repay evil with evil, chose blessing over retaliation, and lived with a courage rooted in their hope in Christ. Their lives stood out so clearly that people couldn’t ignore them. Real change didn’t come from the top down, but from the inside out as ordinary believers embodied an extraordinary way of life. That same calling remains today: not to dominate culture, but to influence it through character, conviction, and Christlike love.

Nobody likes waiting. Waiting rooms are uncomfortable because they remind us we’re not in control. And sometimes life feels exactly like a waiting room where nothing is moving, and no one is calling your name. In one dramatic moment in the Gospels, Jesus makes a desperate father wait while he stops to help someone else. And while the father waits, the worst possible news arrives. But what looks like a delay turns out to be something else entirely.

When the disciples found themselves in a storm on the Sea of Galilee, they panicked, even though Jesus was with them. Instead of calming them first, Jesus asked a question: “Why are you so afraid?” It’s the same question many of us still wrestle with today.

Our culture tells us to chase success, career, money, influence, and recognition. But Jesus asked a question that cuts through all of it: “What good is it to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” It’s a question that forces us to reconsider what we’re really living for and what it might be costing us.

Most people don’t intentionally build their life on something vulnerable. But according to Jesus, it happens more often than we think. In one of his most famous stories, Jesus describes two people building houses that look identical. The difference isn’t noticed until the storm comes. The difference isn’t intelligence, intention, or even belief. The difference is obedience.

Jesus asked a lot of questions. Not because he didn’t know the answers, but because questions have a way of getting under the surface. A good question can expose our fears, challenge our assumptions, and force us to think about things we’d rather ignore. In this series, we’ll explore some of the most powerful questions Jesus asked and discover that they’re not just questions for people in the Bible. They’re questions for us.

After searching everywhere for meaning, Solomon finally gives his answer. In the final week, we’ll discover the simple, powerful truth that brings clarity to everything else. And the sooner in life you discover the meaning of life, the better off you will be.

We’ve never been more connected, yet we’ve never been more lonely. This week, we’ll learn why relationships are central to a meaningful life and how God uses community to strengthen and sustain us.

The human assumption is that if I have more than others, then I win. This impulse is driven by envy. Solomon, who had more than anyone, found that envy will never make you win in life. In this message, we’ll see that when you overcome envy, your life becomes a win-win scenario.