Do you ever notice some days it's just easier to praise God? Have you ever noticed some days it's more difficult to praise God? Everyone who has been following Jesus for any length of time knows that there are days when each of these are true. The reality is that regardless of our circumstances, God is still worthy of our praise! The final five chapters of the book of Psalms focus on praising God and why He is worthy of our praise. Whether you feel like praising God and it's easy to see all of His goodness, or you need a prayer to preach God's goodness to yourself, Psalm 146 is a great place to start.

In a world full of violence, injustice, and greed where can we possibly find the gospel? This week special guest Sarah Ikerd joins us to talk about one of her favorite movies and the gospel parallels that go with it. Is Katniss more Jesus or Moses? Is hope truly stronger than fear? Is this movie even good? Come find out!

As the Israelites of the Old Testament ascended the road to Jerusalem they would sing out songs to God that prepared their hearts for the festivals and celebrations they were on their way to witness. We find two great examples of theses songs of ascent in Psalm 121 and 122. As you prepare yourself to worship God, what do you do? Using these Psalms as examples we explore four steps to help you prepare your heart to engage in worship with God.

As the Israelites of the Old Testament ascended the road to Jerusalem they would sing out songs to God that prepared their hearts for the festivals and celebrations they were on their way to witness. We find two great examples of theses songs of ascent in Psalm 121 and 122. As you prepare yourself to worship God, what do you do? Using these Psalms as examples we explore four steps to help you prepare your heart to engage in worship with God. 

Summer, carnivals, pools, and baseball - how could it not be about the gospel? In this 1993 feel good summer comedy Scott Smalls moves to a new town during the beginning of summer with his mom and step dad. Smalls is faced with the challenge of making friends and fitting in with the kids in his new environment. Thankfully for Smalls, his savior appears in the form of Benny "the jet" Rodriguez who shows him how to play baseball and some other life lessons along the way. In the end, Benny must defeat the beast in order to save Smalls, his friends, and the game they all love. 

How can a story about supernatural things happening in Hawkins, Indiana have anything to do with the gospel? We start a new series this week diving into the hidden gospel themes inside of popular movies and television shows. The television show Stranger Things on Netflix is a story about a group of teenagers who discover strange things happening inside their small town. You may be shocked to find out how many parallels there are between this tv show and the good news of Jesus! 

Psalm 79 gives us a great blueprint for a prayer of lament. When you find yourself in difficult circumstances or life feels out of control, this pattern from the psalmist could help. First, in verses 1-5 we are encouraged to tell God about our circumstances. Second, in verses 5-7 we are reminded to share our request with God. After sharing our circumstances and requests, we can remind God of His compassion (v8-9) and ask for that compassion for ourselves. Finally, the psalmist shows us to remind God of His character and what He has promised us (v10-13).

Psalm 79 gives us a great blueprint for a prayer of lament. When you find yourself in difficult circumstances or life feels out of control, this pattern from the psalmist could help. First, in verses 1-5 we are encouraged to tell God about our circumstances. Second, in verses 5-7 we are reminded to share our request with God. After sharing our circumstances and requests, we can remind God of His compassion (v8-9) and ask for that compassion for ourselves. Finally, the psalmist shows us to remind God of His character and what He has promised us (v10-13).

In Genesis 1 God creates humans in His image and gives them the responsibility of having dominion over the earth and everything that lives on it. Since we are made in His image, we are also to reign and rule over the earth in a way that reflects His character. We should show love, grace, mercy, and justice to creation while helping it to flourish as God intended. In this episode we discuss how sin is the opposite of reflecting God's character in our dominion over the earth. The reality is that sin actually makes us less human because it robs us of the things God originally gave us that set us apart. A perfect example of this idea comes from King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. the king receives a dream that he will be made as one of the beasts of the field because of his sin and attempts to take glory for himself. Although his sin causes him to become beastly and unrecognizable to his previous self, Nebuchadnezzar repents and God restores him to his former humanity. This same restoration is offered to each of us when we repent of our sin and glorify God in the responsibility He has given us. 

God said king Solomon would be the wisest man to ever live on earth. In 1 Kings 3 God grants him gifts of discernment and understanding. In Psalm 72 we get a template of Solomon's wisdom in his prayers. We see themes of God's justice, righteousness, and mercy. Not only were these wise prayers when Solomon prayed them, but we have the advantage of using them as templates for our own prayers today.