Jacob's Well Church

It is easy to look at ancient people and consider them primitive and barbaric. We look at the obsession with idols and wonder how they could be so backwards. In this message we are going to recognize the golden calves we fashion in our "modern" lives and we will see that these false gods are cruel and control us in ways we do not recognize. We were made to worship and we will worship something. In this message will guide us to name and reject the false gods that are destroying our lives. Freedom awaits.

It is hard to be in between. Stuck in traffic, between relationships, trapped in an airport, waiting to start at a new school or stage in life, between a job or even relationships. The truth is we spend most of our life in between. Not where we were but not we want to be. We can't go back but are not able to go forward. This is unsettling and very stressful. Inside we wish we could just arrive. This is also true in our spiritual life. Many would say I am not where I was but not where I want to be. Theologians call this process sanctification. The ongoing work of living up to and growing into our salvation. The now and the not yet. The children of Israel were in the in between during the wilderness wandering. They were no longer slaves in Egypt but they had not become a people in the Promised Land. This 40 year period represents over 165 chapters of teaching and story in the Bible. Filled with lessons for life and revelations about the nature and character of God. The New Testament sees this season as a metaphor for the Christian life and it is very important to understand and study this section of Scripture or we will miss so much.

Shifting our perspective in Parenting

Many people feel sandwiched between the needs of aging parents and the reality of delayed adolescence which required parents to remain more deeply involved in their kids’ lives for much longer than in the past several generations. Some who had the expectation that “empty nest” would allow for greater freedom are finding more demands on their time, money and emotions than ever before. In this message we will discuss the challenges of caring for elderly parents. We will consider the biblical teaching to “honor” your mother and father. We will then seek to give some practical steps people can take as they begin the role of supporting and caring for their aging parents in a way that would be pleasing to God.

Family... It's Complicated. Right?!? Many of us have a box of mementos we have kept from the years of our lives. We also have an internal box of things we collected from family. Some are good some not so good. Understanding what is in your box and what is missing can become a great path to healing and growth. It is also a key to healthy family relationships because whether we realize it or not we are putting “stuff” in the boxes of our family members.

For reference, check out “The Forgotten God” by Francis Chan, which is like a class in “Holy Spirit 101,” (available in the Jacob’s Well resource center, and free online at RightNow Media .)

What should you do when you are not satisfied with this life and you find yourself longing for more? Rejoice. Longing is the indication that there is something more. The something more is Heaven. The Christmas story opens the door to an eternal relationship with God in Heaven.

Understanding the proper role longing plays in our life causes us to live with greater love and passion in this world now even with so much struggle and pain.  This is not our home we are just on a journey through this land.  We live in tents, but we have a land where a permanent home is being made for us.  This changes our expectations for this life and gives our longing meaning and hope instead of creating deep despair. There is satisfaction in being dissatisfaction. The big surprise is that there is Joy.