If Jesus asked you “What do you want me to do for you,” how would you respond?  Jesus once asked this question to a man named Bartimaeus who was blind. You think the answer would be obvious—“to see!”. But as we see with Bartimaeus, not only did he want to see, but he also wanted to follow.  Bartimaeus didn’t see Jesus as a genie, but as Lord. He was ready before he was healed to follow Jesus in this life and into the next.

Life is so much easier when we know what's coming next. Minor inconveniences and frustrations now don't seem so bad when there's a glimpse of the good to come. Yet, what happens when life throws you a big problem and you have no idea what to expect next? That's scary. In this miracle, Jesus provides a snapshot of a restored world as God intended it to be. Your "right now" may be causing you anxiety and fear, but what's coming next is completely worth it! 

Not all miracles of Jesus were to heal people who were sick or broken because life in the Kingdom of God will not just be about us having resurrected life. Some miracles were done to glimpse how we will relate to God in resurrected life. Although Jesus has hit a dark place in his ministry, his transfiguration showed his disciples, and us, that this was part of his rescue plan to lead his people into the ultimate freedom and glory of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was never in a hurry. Fully present people aren’t. One time, Jesus was accompanying a desperate dad whose daughter was close to death. Then from behind, a woman who was suffering terribly from a chronic disease for twelve years came for healing. Who would Jesus decide to heal? The more desperate one? The more holy one? The one with more faith? No, Jesus healed both. This miracle shows that Jesus’ ability to heal is limitless and that Jesus is never too busy for you.

Most modern people scoff at the idea of demons and that they are an active force in the world. Not only are they real, but they also hold remarkable power. In this miracle, we will not only see that Jesus has authority over all things, visible and invisible. He also has a heart of love that wants to help a tormented man – a crazy man that other people feared was a man that Jesus came to redeem and set free.  

The first miracle of Jesus is one of his strangest. A bunch of wedding guests were in danger of sobering up because they ran out of wine. Jesus made sure that the party kept on going. Why did he choose this for his first miracle?!? He was intentional in choosing this as his coming out miracle. This was how he showed the world that his true purpose was to prepare a wedding feast unlike any other, the wedding feast of the Kingdom of God.  

In America, we often think of a person’s heart as where our emotions reside. However, in scripture, the heart is seen as the driver of the whole person. Your heart directs your life. And just as we are shaped physically when we exercise, our hearts are formed by what we give our attention to. Who you love and what you love will determine the person you become and the destination you arrive at. This is why the scriptures warn and encourage us that we need to guard our hearts above all else. So how do we cultivate a healthy heart?

We hear lots of conflicting things about how to make plans-that God laughs at our plans, that you can control your own destiny, take care of yourself first, don't get your plans wrong or God won't use you....Making plans can be a hard thing. What's the wisest way to choice a course of action? How much is on us? And how much is on God? This weekend, come learn what wise planners do, and the dangers of planning in pride.

There are competing views on the purpose and meaning of sex. Some people view it as a natural appetite - so if it is safe and everyone consents, then it’s good. Other people view sex as their identity – they believe that they are what they do with their bodies. The book of Proverbs shows us that “modern” views of sexuality have been around for a very long time – and they aren’t leading us to good destinations. In this message, we’ll see that Sophia has an approach to sexuality that leads to delight and flourishing.

"I know what is right." This is a common statement we make throughout our lives. However, as we progress through different phases of life, we see that our understanding is constantly growing and evolving. History demonstrates the same pattern: what we once believed to be right often turns out to be wrong. If both our personal experiences and history show that our understanding is flawed, where do we turn for true understanding?