After this week's message someone told me, "The part about letting the Spirit work instead of doing it all myself… that's where I'm stuck. I feel like a hamster on a wheel."

Maybe you do too.

We hear, "Stop controlling. Let God." But what does that mean? Do we just stop trying?

Jesus never tells us to stop moving. He tells us to stop being the engine.

There's a difference between running from anxiety and abiding in trust.

That difference changes everything.

It's our 11th birthday.

Which means we're officially old enough to think we know everything… and still young enough to need a ride.

This week we're talking about growth — not the kind that's about numbers on a screen, but the kind that decides whether the Gospel keeps moving forward or quietly fades into the background.

Paul writes 2 Timothy knowing he's about to die. He doesn't make a five-year plan. No leadership conference. Just a final charge:

Are we passing the baton… or just holding it? Are we running our race — or coasting?

And here's the tension:

"Christ will preserve His Church. But whether we're part of that mission is something we'll answer for."

It's hopeful. It's direct. It's a rally cry.

Hit play. Let's run. www.NewChurch.Love

Romans is the book you read and then think, "Well… that escalated quickly." It's the book that calmly says things like,

"None is righteous." "You can't fix this." "Your best effort still isn't enough."

Which is not usually how you start a motivational talk.

Romans is also the book that says,

"But now…" "There is no condemnation." "Nothing can separate you from the love of God."

So if you've ever wondered:

• Why Christianity isn't just self-improvement

• Why trying harder doesn't bring peace

• Or why Paul sounds like he's arguing with everyone at once

This letter is for you.

Today we're doing a flyover of Romans—not because it's simple, but because it's essential. And fair warning: Paul is going to take apart everything we trust to make ourselves feel okay… before giving us something better.

You're always welcome to join us: https://www.NewChurch.Love

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What if the thing you're worried about… is something God isn't worried about at all?

A lot of us grew up believing that strong faith attracts God—and weak faith pushes Him away. So we spend our lives checking our sincerity, measuring our consistency, and wondering if we're faithing hard enough for Jesus.

But what if that whole framework is off?

This sermon is for the person who takes Jesus seriously—but quietly wonders if they're doing good enough. For the person who wants to be faithful, but isn't sure their faith measures up. For anyone who's ever left church asking, "Am I okay with God?"

💥 "Weak faith doesn't repel God. It attracts Him." 💥 "Self-examination without assurance doesn't lead to repentance—it leads to discouragement." 💥 "Faith doesn't save because it holds Jesus—faith is trusting that Jesus holds you."

No emotional manipulation. No altar-call pressure. Just the steady promise of what God has already done for you in Christ.

🎥 Watch the full message and breathe again.

Most Christians don't struggle with belief. They struggle with connection.

If you've ever wondered why your faith feels thinner than it used to… why patience runs out by Tuesday… why love feels more like effort than overflow…

This sermon isn't about trying harder. It's about staying connected.

👉 "You can't live a full-time faith on a part-time connection." 👉 "Fruit doesn't come from effort—it comes from connection." 👉 "Abiding isn't work. It's rest."

In this message, we talk about why living faith is so rare—even in us—and why the answer isn't guilt, discipline, or spiritual hustle, but staying close to Jesus.

If your faith feels dry, distracted, or exhausted… this one's for you.

Watch. Listen. Breathe again.

We talk about love all the time—but we usually mean like. We love chocolate. We love our favorite song. We love people who are easy to love. But that's not what Jesus means when He says, "Love one another." In this sermon, we flip love right-side up and ask what it actually looks like when love costs us something, shows up in ordinary life, and gets handed to people who didn't earn it.

As it turns out, "The fruit of the Spirit is not for you—it's for the people God puts in your life." And that changes everything about faith, work, family, and the way we treat each other.

Most of us understand the assignment, we just refuse to do it.

This message digs into the Fruit of the Spirit, Lutheran theology of vocation, and why "We know the assignment. We just refuse to do it." It's honest, a little uncomfortable, and deeply freeing—because the Gospel reminds us that "You are not the source. You are not the goal. You are the delivery system."

You don't need more love in your life—you need to give it away.

In this quick flyover of the Book of James:

1. Have you ever noticed his way of teaching sounds more like Jesus than any other epistle in the New Testament?

2. There's a lot of reminders that believing the right things are actually doing the right things are not the same things.

3. You'll want to put some ice on those bruises after you listen.

Part of the Making Sense of the Bible series where Pastor Frank covers an entire book in one sermon. More here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlX1sT616PgaswRu7_jYb5MHZLKIgGbgx Join us at NewChurch: www.NewChurch.Love

Most of us don't struggle to believe in God. We struggle to believe that this moment isn't the whole story.

When life hurts, we assume it's final. When the world feels broken, we wonder if God lost the plot.

But the Bible isn't a collection of random stories or inspirational quotes. It's one story—honest, messy, and stubbornly hopeful—from beginning to end.

Here's the line to hold onto today:

If you ever find yourself in a bad situation, that doesn't mean the story is over.

And this one's worth writing down:

The only difference between a tragedy and a happily ever after is where you stop telling the story.

Today we're going to take a flyover of the Bible—from Genesis to Jesus—to see the story God has been telling all along… and why your story is going somewhere good.

Christmas is usually presented as a season for people who have it together—full houses, happy endings, and neatly wrapped joy. But the story we're given in Scripture tells a different truth.

In this Christmas Eve message, we meet a God who comes not for the successful, but for the weary… not for the confident, but for the fearful… not for the winners, but for those who feel like life hasn't worked out the way they hoped.

Through the words of Isaiah, the promise of the angels, and the story behind A Charlie Brown Christmas, we'll see how God's good news meets us in our disappointment, loosens our grip on false security, and gives us a gift we never thought could really be for us.

This is the good news of great joy—for losers like us. "Faith doesn't make suffering disappear—it just means suffering doesn't get the last word." "Life keeps handing us empty boxes." "Sure, it's the same gift He gave you last year—but it's still the best."

Today's message is from Angel Hart. Angel shares a story about Chuck E. Cheese that turns out to be more theological than you'd expect—and reflects on what's been surprising and formative during his time at seminary in St. Louis. At the heart of the message is a simple but challenging question: What kind of theologian are we really—and who is forming whom? Is God shaped by our expectations, or are we being shaped by His Word and the cross of Christ?

Mic-drop lines you'll hear today:

• "The theologian of glory doesn't just live out there—he lives in me."

• "The Christian life isn't about getting God on my terms, but surrendering to the One who loves me."

Let's listen as Angel points us again to Christ crucified—the wisdom and power of God.