Living Faith Christian Church: Messages, Studies, & Stories

As a young girl, Maya Angelou stopped speaking for nearly five years due to childhood trauma. During this time, she was sent to live with her grandmother in Arkansas. One day, her grandma’s neighbor named Mrs. Bertha Flowers, invited Maya to her home for tea and cookies. During their visit, she gently encouraged Maya to read aloud and introduced her to the beauty of literature and the spoken word. This simple invitation—to share an afternoon and read together—helped Maya find her voice again, literally. She started to speak again. And it, thus, set her on a path to becoming one of the most influential speakers and writers of the 20th century. A simple invitation can have that sort of impact, and no invitation has more power than the one given by Jesus. John 1:35-51 describes 3 aspects of Christ’s invitation to the world.

There is a temptation in us to try to tame Jesus. We tend to domesticate the Son of God in our minds so that he is always kind and nice and unoffensive. One pastor said that we think Jesus is like Mr. Rogers with a beard. Such a good way to put it. The thing is though…he’s not. Sure, he is gentle and compassionate, but he’s also holy and fierce. After all, would the religious establishment have had a problem with Mr. Rogers? Would the Romans have crucified Mr. Rogers? Probably not. When we read about Jesus turning over the tables in the Temple, we are confronted with an untamed Jesus. Why was he so zealous? Mark 11:15-19 has 3 insights for us about the purpose of his actions that day.

In a world where people often feel overlooked, forgotten, or unworthy, this message reminds us of the heart of God—open, welcoming, and full of grace. Drawing from Jesus’ parable of the great banquet in Luke 14:15–24, this sermon is an invitation to all who feel like outsiders: There is still room for you. Whether you’ve wandered far, feel broken, or wonder if you’ve missed your chance, this message proclaims the truth that God’s invitation still stands. His table is not full. His mercy is not exhausted. And His arms are still open. Come and be encouraged by the hope that no matter your past, there is still room—for grace, for healing, and for you

What does it really mean to be saved? Is simply knowing about Jesus enough? In Finding Your Seat, we’ll dive into Luke 13:22–30 and uncover the urgency behind Jesus’ words about the narrow door. This message will challenge common assumptions about faith, explore the danger of missed spiritual opportunities, and ask the question every heart must face: Are you truly ready to enter?

You’re invited to more than a meal, the King has set a table for you. In week two of our series 'Back to the Table,' Pastor Mike explores Jesus’ wedding feast parable in Matthew 22:1-14. Discover how God’s invitation is open, His table is set, and the right attire, which is Christ’s righteousness is required. The question is: will you keep walking by, or will you take your seat at the table?

Join us for the first message in our four-week series Back to the Table as we explore the heart of God’s welcome home in “An Open Invitation.” Drawing from Luke 15, we’ll discover how Jesus turns an accusation—“this man receives sinners and eats with them”—into an astonishing offer: a seat at the King’s table, reserved for every prodigal and every self-righteous skeptic alike.

Consumer products have some of the most obvious warnings on them: On a batman costume: “Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly,” on a cardboard sun shield for a car: “Do not drive with sun shield in place,” and on a portable stroller: “Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage.” Who wouldn’t know that you shouldn’t do those things? Interestingly enough, those warnings a bit like the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. God himself became man in Jesus Christ and told humanity what to do. Who wouldn’t know that we should listen to him? Matthew 7:13-29 contains 3 summary statements about why it’s so obvious we should follow Jesus for true life.

A lady in an airport bought a book to read and a package of cookies to eat while she waited for her plane. After she sat down and became gotten engrossed in her book, she noticed that the man one seat away from her opened the package of cookies on the seat between them. The lady couldn’t believe the man’s nerve, but soon the announcement came to board the plane. Once the woman was aboard, still angry at the man’s audacity and puzzling over the incident, she reached into her purse for a tissue and found her still-unopened package of cookies. This story is a reminder that sometimes we read situations and people wrongly. That’s why we need the reminder from the Lord to always be loving in our relationships. Matthew 7 provides us 3 words that fill in what the Lord means when he tells us to love each other.

There is a story of a wealthy woman who, when she reached heaven, was led to a very plain house. She objected and asked, “Whose is that fine mansion across the way?” Her guide replied, “It belongs to your gardener.” She said, “How is it that he has a house so much better than mine?” The answer, “The houses here are prepared from the materials that are sent up. You choose them by your acts of faith while on earth.” Now, that’s probably not how it is really going to go when we get to Heaven, but the story bears some truth about the “treasures” we accumulate, doesn’t it? It alerts us as to why Jesus has commanded us to invest in Kingdom possessions, not worldly ones. In Matthew 6, Jesus has 4 lessons for us on this topic.

When people first put their faith in Jesus, they usually don’t know how to pray. Sometimes listening to others can add to their confusion. For example, they hear someone waxing eloquently on and on in a deep voice that’s different from their normal voice, and another person ecstatically uttering unintelligible words with no grammar, syntax, or vocabulary, and still another reading a prayer from a piece of paper. They wonder, “God, how you want me to pray?” The good news for everyone is that Jesus has commanded us to pray a certain way and it is recorded in Matthew 6. It has four answers to the question, “How does God want us to pray?”