Success in life can be defined in many different ways. The Gospel seems to define success in a way that goes against every other definition our world would give. Jesus, Himself shows us how even He came "not to be served, but to serve." That has huge implications for us as His followers. The life of a Christian is one of sacrificial service for others and while our world often tells us that we should make sure we fill ourselves up before serving others, the Gospel tells us to pour ourselves out for others first so that the Lord may truly fill us up.

If you ask almost any modern American churchgoer why they go to a particular local church, it's likely you will hear something about the "community" they have found there. At the same time, you will hear that same answer from many who frequent a certain gym, sports league, mom's group, etc. When we say that we value Authentic Community, we are talking about a spiritual fellowship among followers of Jesus that cannot be manufactured by any other means than the Gospel itself. Often, the community we are looking for is superficial and has to do with related interests. The Gospel offers a much better, deeper,  and eternal fellowship.

ReDiscover MissionWay - Week 2

True, authentic, passionate worship must flow from our having dwelt deeply in the Word of God. That worship is also not meant to happen in isolation, but should often happen surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ, and it must be more than a song that we sing. The truth is, we are either worshiping the Lord or an idol with everything we do and every word we speak. May we be a people who worship the Lord truly and worship Him alone. After all, that is the first and greatest commandment - to love God with everything we have.

ReDiscover MissionWay - Week 1

We believe discipleship is the ultimate mission of the Church. This is the first of our core values and is the umbrella under which all of the others rest. The ministry of discipleship is not just given to pastors and those in "full-time ministry," but to every single believer.  We are all called to make disciples and therefore build up the body together.

God is our refuge. Because of His goodness, His provision, and His joy; we can trust Him. Are we running to Him or to other things (gods) for our refuge?

Jesus' concluding words on the Sermon on the Mount show us the importance of obedience to His Words. After hearing all that He has said in this sermon, we can either be wise and withstand the storms of life, or we can be foolish and our faith will crumble in the storm.

Jesus moves on from talking about false teachers to addressing false Christians. This is certainly one of the most sobering passages in the entire Bible and it should cause all professing Christians to examine themselves. Is Jesus actually saying that there will be professing Christians who end up going to hell? How can we be sure that's not us?

One of the biggest dangers facing the Church today is that many Christians cannot spot false teachers and therefore are prone to chasing after lies. Jesus warns us that we must be prepared to spot and avoid false teachers and that one of the ways we do that is to analyze their "fruit."

As we celebrate baptisms this week, let's hear from Jesus these sobering, yet foundational words that there are only two options for eternity - life or death. There are two gates we can walk through. One of them is broad, easy, and leads to destruction. And the other is narrow, and hard, but leads to life. Which one will you walk through?

One of the greatest promises in the Bible is found right here in the Sermon on the Mount. Even though it is sometimes twisted by some, this is an amazing promise given to believers that our Good Father loves to give us good and needful things. And when we live in His generosity toward us, it should cause us to be generous to those around us as well.