Finding your way back to God is not just about leaving the distant country behind. God brings us home so we can discover what it means to truly live.

In the final message of our Finding Your Way Back to God series, we return to the younger son in Luke 15. When he comes home, his father does more than welcome him back. He restores him to the family and invites him into a new life.

That life has three directions: up, in, and out. We celebrate our life with God, connect with others in community, and contribute to others through service. These are not ways to earn God’s acceptance. They are the natural response to knowing we are already loved and accepted through Jesus.

The life we are looking for is not somewhere far from the Father. It has been with Him all along.

Scripture: Luke 15:19–24; John 10:10; Psalm 16:11; Galatians 6:10; Acts 2:42–47; Ephesians 2:10
Series: Finding Your Way Back to God
Speaker: Stephen Saxton
Islands Christian Church | Savannah, Georgia

What do you expect to find when you finally make your way back to God?

In the final message of our Finding Your Way Back to God series, we return to Luke 15 as the lost son finally comes home. He expects to plead his case and earn his way back into his father’s household. Instead, he discovers something far better than he imagined.

The father moves toward him, accepts him, and celebrates his return. Jesus uses this picture to show us the heart of God. Our failures do not have the final word on who we are, and we do not have to earn our way back into His grace. The Father’s response to repentance is restoration and belonging.

Ultimately, our way home comes at a cost, but it is a cost Jesus has already paid. We find our way back to God not because we finally become good enough, but because God has made a way through Christ.

Scripture: Luke 15:20–24; Romans 5:8
Series: Finding Your Way Back to God

Islands Christian Church | Savannah, Georgia

Have you ever reached the point where you realized, I can’t do this on my own?

In part three of Finding Your Way Back to God, we continue through Jesus’ story of the lost son in Luke 15 and discover another important awakening on the journey home: recognizing that we need help. The son had tried to fix his situation himself, but eventually he had to get up and return to his father.

You do not have to have everything figured out before you come home. Sometimes the first step is simply admitting, God, I need help. I believe You are good, and I trust You with what comes next.

Scripture: Luke 15:17–20
Series: Finding Your Way Back to God
Islands Christian Church | Savannah, Georgia

Have you ever looked back at a decision, a relationship, or something you said and thought, I wish I could start over?

In the second message of our Finding Your Way Back to God series, we continue through Jesus’ story of the lost son in Luke 15. When the younger son finally comes to his senses, regret helps him see clearly where he is, how he got there, and where he needs to go next.

Regret does not have to keep us trapped in the past. God can use it as a gift of grace that leads us to repentance and moves us back toward Him. We cannot change what we have already done, but because of Jesus, the way home is always open.

Scripture: Luke 15:11–18; 2 Corinthians 7:8–10
Series: Finding Your Way Back to God
Islands Christian Church | Savannah, Georgia

Have you ever looked at your life—even a good life—and wondered, Is this really all there is?

In the first message of our Finding Your Way Back to God series, we begin walking through Jesus’ story of the lost son in Luke 15. Like the son who left his father’s home searching for something more, we can slowly wander from God without even realizing how far we have drifted.

Sometimes that wandering leads to obvious brokenness. Other times, life may still look successful and comfortable on the outside, while something inside us quietly says, There has got to be more. The things we achieve, accumulate, and enjoy were never meant to carry the full weight of our identity and purpose.

That sense of emptiness may actually be a gift of grace—an invitation to recognize what cannot satisfy us and begin finding our way home. No matter how far we have wandered, Jesus welcomes wanderers, and the Father is still calling us back.

Scripture: Luke 15:1–2, 11–14
Series: Finding Your Way Back to God
Islands Christian Church | Savannah, Georgia

This week's message wraps up our Life Together series by exploring why meaningful Christian community is worth the effort. Looking at Colossians 1:24–2:5, Pastor Stephen reminds us that the church is far more than a place we attend—it's the body of Christ, where we grow together, encourage one another, and help each other mature in faith.

Paul's example challenges us to see church differently. He willingly endured hardship because Christ is worth it, people are worth it, and the church is worth it. While life together can be difficult, God doesn't call us to build community in our own strength. He supplies the grace and power we need to love, serve, and remain faithful to one another.

Whether you've been following Jesus for years or are just beginning your faith journey, this message is an invitation to move beyond simply attending church and embrace the life God designed His people to share together.

📖 Scripture: Colossians 1:24–2:5
🎯 Series: Life Together (Part 4)
🎙️ Speaker: Stephen Saxton
🏠 Church: Islands Christian Church | Savannah, GA
❤️ Key Theme: Life together requires intentional effort, but because Christ, His people, and His church are worth it, God gives us the strength to faithfully invest in one another.

Prayer can often feel intimidating. We wonder if we're saying the right words, praying long enough, or doing it the "right" way. But what if prayer isn't about mastering a skill at all? What if it's about growing a relationship?

In this message, we discover that prayer is one of the greatest gifts God has given His church—not just for our own spiritual growth, but for carrying one another through life. Looking at Paul's prayers for the early church, we're challenged to move beyond routine prayers and become people who faithfully lift others before God.

Whether you've been praying for years or don't know where to begin, this practical message explores eight biblical expressions of prayer—including praise, confession, intercession, thanksgiving, meditation, and listening—and reminds us that God isn't looking for perfect words. He's inviting us into His presence.

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 1:15–23, Colossians 1:3–14
🎯 Series: Life Together
🎙️ Speaker: John Lamaison
🏠 Church: Islands Christian Church | Savannah, GA
❤️ Key Theme: Prayer isn't a performance to perfect—it's a relationship that deepens as we carry one another to God.

Faith isn't meant to be lived alone. In this message from Ephesians 4:1–16, Pastor Stephen explores what it truly means to be part of a healthy church community. While it's easy to think that great churches are built through better programs or polished services, Scripture points to something much deeper.

Discover how God grows His church as believers protect unity, serve one another with their unique gifts, and pursue spiritual maturity together. Whether you've been following Jesus for years or are just beginning your faith journey, this message offers a practical vision for moving beyond simply attending church to becoming an active part of God's family.

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 4:1–16
🎯 Series: Life Together
🎙️ Speaker: Stephen Saxton
🏠 Church: Islands Christian Church | Savannah, GA
❤️ Key Theme: A healthy church isn't built by better programs—it's built as God's people protect unity, contribute to the mission, and grow together into the likeness of Christ.

What is the church, really? Is it a building, a weekly service, or something much deeper?

In the opening message of the Life Together series, Pastor Stephen explores Ephesians 2:11–22 and reveals God's beautiful design for His people. Through Jesus, those who were once far from God have been brought near—not only into a relationship with Him, but into a new family. The church is more than a place we attend; it is a community where believers belong to one another, grow together, and become the very dwelling place of God.

Discover why Christian faith was never meant to be lived alone, how Jesus fulfilled God's promise to unite people from every background, and why life together is essential to following Christ.

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 2:11–22
🎯 Series: Life Together
🎙️ Speaker: Stephen Saxton
🏠 Church: Islands Christian Church | Savannah, GA
❤️ Key Theme: Jesus didn't just save us from sin—He saved us into His family, joining us together as His church and the place where His presence dwells.

Faith was never meant to be a private journey. As James concludes his letter, John Lamaison explores why prayer, confession, encouragement, and authentic Christian community are essential parts of a faith that works. In a culture that prizes independence and self-reliance, James reminds us that God often brings healing, strength, and restoration through other believers.

Discover why isolation can stunt spiritual growth, how vulnerability leads to healing, and what it looks like to walk faithfully with God—and with one another.

Scripture: James 5:13–20
Series: Faith That Works
Speaker: John Lamaison
Church: Islands Christian Church | Savannah, GA
Key Theme: Faith isn't meant to be lived alone. God uses prayer, community, confession, and encouragement to strengthen, heal, and restore His people.