Youth Pastor Trentell takes us into the world, the growth over their time, and how God has better prepared their soils for relationship and the greatest relationship of all.

Dialing in on our “internal soil” conditions. Good relationships need proper nutrients to grow good fruit. This Sunday, we check our “forgiveness” levels and how to forgive. Resentment stifles good fruit.

To be good for others, first, be good with yourself.

Derek, our Pastor of Family Ministries, kicks off our new series “Good Soil,” dialing in on our internal relationship with ourselves. We must first love ourselves if we wish to love others or be lovable by others. Pastor Jason will offer baptisms following the message!

He is Alive!

A service focused on prayer and reflection on the death of Christ.

This message wrapped up our series “Seeking Higher Ground,” which focused on our primary relationship with God. The final grace of knowing Him intimately is being grafted in, cared for, and made to produce fruit. So consider this week how God is caring for you—pruning, protecting, guiding you, and how God is working to produce fruit in you that will truly impact others.

Look at My Dress Daddy!

This morning as I prepared breakfast for my kids, they colored in the dining room. My daughter (age 3) shouted in excitement, “Look, Daddy! My dress has two crosses on it!” Thinking she found cross patterns, I peeked around, instead, to see she’d drawn two bright orange, glittery, permanent crosses on her new summer dress. In enthusiastic defense, both Samuel (age 5) and Lizzie explained, “One cross is to give Jesus because He’s in my heart, and the other is to give with others so I can tell everyone about Jesus.” A permanently-marked new dress or not, I immediately halted my scolding. “Lizzie, Samuel, that’s beautiful! I’m so thankful you have Jesus in your heart and want to share Him with others. That makes daddy really happy.”

This message celebrates the grace of knowing fully who we are (identity) and what God has designed us to do (purpose) as we come to know our Designer. While my son and daughter may have a long way to go and plenty of setbacks to face along the way, I think they are already discovering what took me 22 years (maybe more). Have you stopped to think about it and to ask God-“Who have you made me to be, Father? What would YOU have me do today?” That’s my invitation to you this week—find out from God who you are, not what the world or your job or your Instagram says, but your Father and Creator.

This week is the 4th of “Seeking Higher Ground,” growing in our good, good God. This Sunday is the first of the “knowing benefits” in our relationship with God. God empowers us through our intimacy in Him. But why? Right   After the Close, Maybe you too have been in a situation, seeking God’s power, wisdom, and deliverance, only to feel like nothing happened, no one was listening. Sometimes what I’m asking for just isn’t right, and God knows that. But more frequently, I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and finally concluded it’s just not happening, only to see a few weeks later that God DID IT. His timing is different. We constantly need to learn His timing, reject needs for instant gratification, and trust His desire to do good. THIS WEEK, what have you started to lose hope in what God wants you to hold tightly to? Keep it going!

Our 25th Anniversary Sunday will be full of stories, celebrations, memories, and dreams, and will ultimately focus us on the future and learning to know and “unknowable” God through relationships. Winds of Celebration I hope you’ll have a chance to watch Sunday’s message, with long-time member and leader, Susan Sapp, speaking to the 25 incredible years of ministry at Horizons. It is worth hearing! I followed up with a message on the Holy Spirit’s work in it all and challenged each of us to better nurture our relationship with that Spirit. It’s ONLY through the Holy Spirit we can have an intimate relationship with our God and Savior. Nurture your prayer, reading, and fellowship life. Easy Breezy As you enter this week to nurture the Holy Spirit in you, consider this. I recently spoke to my French neighbor about the differences between the US and France. Life here, he said, is way easier, but the quality of life in France is higher. Wait. Easier isn’t better? He explained all the conveniences in the US seem to lead to more work, more rush. Nothing will crowd out the Holy Spirit faster than rush and busyness. Will you take the time to slow down this week for the sake of the Holy Spirit?