There’s a common habit that is destroying American families and communities. They’re being destroyed through words of gossip and slander. This Sunday we will see why God reserves the harshest judgement for gossips and slanderers. More importantly, we will unmask the self-deceptions that cause us to justify gossip and replace them with words that build community.  

“Don’t judge me” is a popular phrase. Yet people continually pass judgment on one another. We judge people for their politics, their competence, their appearance, their maturity, and – well, pretty much anything. This judgmental attitude is dividing people. Jesus had something to say about this. He didn’t tell us not to judge others. He told us that you will be judged by the same standard that you judge others. How do you want to be judged? You probably want to be judged NOT. In this message, we’ll learn a new filter to use before passing judgment on others.  

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It's cute, but it’s not true. Words have power - power to build - power to destroy. Words shape reality. The words spoken to you have shaped you in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Words weigh way more than we think they should or do.  Since words are so powerful, we will begin to discover how to use our words to make a difference, not a point.  

Have you ever had a moment where your brain caught up with your words – three seconds after they left your lips?  Why do we say the dumb things we sometimes say?  It happens because there is a direct conduit from your heart to your mouth. Sometimes, the things that you believe, think, and feel in your heart get out of your mouth before your brain has a chance to filter them. Your words are the window to your heart. As we begin this series, we will learn about the importance of paying attention to your words. What story are your words telling?  

The local church is the best financial you can make. Most charities exist to solve downstream

problems. They want you to practice intervention giving (and you should). But church is the

place where we do prevention giving. Generosity towards the church keeps bad things from

ever happening in people’s lives because we help them follow the way of Jesus.

This Winter, we’re embarking on our most ambitious, faith-growing, world changing project since the church was built. We’re opening a new church. This is an “all hands on deck” kind of project. If you’re grateful for hope Church. NOW is the time to engage or to re-engage. You’re invited to participate in something bigger than yourself. And investing in the church returns the best return on your volunteering investment.  

If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll keep you busy. Busyness keeps the activities that matter the most off of our schedules. This week we’re going to learn that if we wasn’t to make the world a better place, and if you want to make your world a better place, it will require something from you. It’s going to require some of your time. And once you’ll give it, you won’t want to live any other way.

We all want to be known for something. People want to be known for everything from great

parenting to great success. But according to decades of research, if we’re going to lead happy

and fulfilling lives, the goal isn’t to be known for something but be known by someone, or by a

group of someone. In this message, we’ll understand why Jesus designed his church to be a

team sport.

Celebrations matter. What people celebrate reveals what matters to them. So what does God celebrate? Jesus’ answer to the question surprised the people in his generation. But if we don’t absorb the lesson of what God celebrates, we’ll miss out on what matters most to God.

Storms will come in life. If we don’t know how to respond, we’re at risk of drowning.  Peter’s reaction to witnessing a miracle can show us what we need to do when we are in the middle of a storm and gives us a glimpse of what Heaven looks like.