New Life Irvine

Forgiveness. It’s one of the core teachings of Jesus, and yet one of the hardest commands to obey. When someone wounds us deeply—whether it’s a single life-shaping event or years of accumulated hurt—forgiving feels impossible. In fact, it feels doubly cruel as we must process the attack of our offender and the guilt of withholding forgiveness.

Yet the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant teaches us that forgiveness is not designed to punish us but to free and empower us. It is not a path towards great oppression but deeper joy. Join us this Sunday as we explore how forgiveness transforms us into forgivers.

Joy is a defining characteristic of following Jesus. The difficulty with this though, is joy isn't something we can just produce on our own. This Sunday we will see how despite being out of our power to produce, joy can be uncovered.

This Sunday, we’ll explore one of Jesus’ most challenging parables — the story of a master, his servants, and what they did with what was entrusted to them. In a world where it’s easy to play it safe or bury our potential, Jesus calls us to live boldly and faithfully with what we’ve been given. Whether it's our time, talents, or treasures, how we steward our lives matters to God. Join us as we discover what it means to live for the Master and hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Few thoughts are more terrifying than to be on your death bed and come to the realization that "I have wasted my life." We only have one life, one chance to live in this world. What a pity it would be to realize that we wasted it. In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus shares about a man who thought he had it all—bigger barns, early retirement, and a future full of ease. Unfortunately for him, God calls him a fool. Join us this Sunday so that we don't make the same mistake and instead understand what the good life truly looks like.

In a world that often values the crowd over the individual, Jesus tells a story that flips the script, one of Jesus' most beloved parables, the Parable of the Lost Sheep. This Sunday we’ll examine the scandalous grace that seeks out the wayward and throws a party when they are found. Whether you've wandered far or stayed near, this parable invites all of us to meditate on the radical, pursuing love of the Good Shepherd.

This Sunday, we continue our series Sacred Stories as we examine some of the parables Jesus used in his teaching ministry.

Luke 18:9–14, at first glance, appears to be a simple story about prayer—but it’s really about something deeper: our craving for approval, our need to be accepted, and the quiet calculations we make to prove we belong.

In this short parable, Jesus exposes the games we play—and offers something better.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we encounter a fascinating story about a rich man who suffers in hell. Through the rich man's folly, Jesus reshapes our understanding of sin. We see how sin doesn't just break God's rules, it ultimately breaks us. More specifically, sin disintegrates our souls. Join us this Sunday as we come face to face with the wonder of our sin and the greater wonder of God's love.

This Sunday, we look at one of Jesus’ most pointed parables — the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. It’s a gripping parable of a vineyard owner, rebellious tenants, and a beloved son sent into hostile territory. Through this story, we come face to face with the darkness of the human heart and confounding nature of God's love. Come ready to be challenged and comforted because the Lord of the vineyard continues to speak today. 

We work for what we cherish. Therefore, discovering the real identity of our treasure can lead us to either praise or repentance or both. In our relationship with God who gave us His very best (Christ), the only reasonable currency is to cherish Christ back, our heavenly treasure. The affection associated with our treasure serves as a conduit for deeper empathy and connection with God that enriches our daily existence.

In this week’s passage, Jesus tells a story that flips our sense of justice on its head: a landowner hires workers throughout the day, from early morning to late afternoon—and then pays them all the same. Those who worked all day are outraged. Wouldn’t you be?

Matthew 20:1–16 isn’t just a lesson about the nature of God's kingdom; it’s a confrontation with our hearts. This parable reveals the self-righteousness that lurks in our hearts and sabotages our capacity for joy. Jesus, however, offers another way--to live with glasses of grace.