In this message from the Abide series, the church is invited into the transforming practice of confession as a vital rhythm in a Rule of Life that helps believers grow closer to God and one another.

Rooted in 1 John 1:8–10 and James 5:16, Terrence’s message teaches that confession is not about shame or punishment, but about truth-telling, agreeing with God about our sin so that forgiveness, healing, and life change can take place.

Confession is presented as a personal, communal, and relational practice, essential to spiritual maturity and freedom. Through Scripture, theology, and the example of David’s prayer in Psalm 51, the message shows that honest confession opens the door to restoration, deeper intimacy with God, and authentic community.

Where in your life do you need to bring what’s hidden into the light so God can bring healing and freedom?

This Tuesday, will you practice confession intentionally with us? Trusting that God meets us with mercy, renewal, and joy when we bring our sin fully into the light.

This weekend, Tyler launched the Abide series, focused on helping believers experience God more consistently through intentional spiritual practices. Drawing from John 15, we were reminded that fruitfulness comes not from sporadic faith, but from remaining rooted in Jesus through daily rhythms.

As a church, we are committing to a communal Rule of Life, beginning with daily prayerful engagement with Scripture and limiting our screen intake.

Over the next seven weeks, Tyler and Terrence will introduce seven additional rhythms and restrictions, which we will then practice together during Lent beginning February 23. The first discipline introduced is fasting, defined biblically as abstaining from food. Tyler invited us to fast from everything except water or plain coffee/tea on Monday, January 12, from 7:57 AM to 5:45 PM. If you missed it, we encourage to join in tomorrow or choose another day this week.

Every time you feel hunger, pause to reflect and pray. Ask:

This week, Terrence’s message centers on Luke 1 and the theme of the wrestle of joy and obedience, using Mary’s story as a model for faithful discipleship.

God meets people where they are, anticipates their weaknesses, and invites them beyond themselves for the sake of His redemptive work. Obedience is not about personal strength but dependence on God.

As we follow Him, obedience leads to deeper trust, endurance, and peace rooted in God’s faithfulness. We are encouraged to say yes to God’s invitations, trust His promises, and take the next faithful step forward.

Tyler challenges us to reconsider where true joy is found. Scripture teaches that true joy is not discovered by chasing comfort, but by living for God’s purpose. When joy is rooted in pleasure, it eventually disappoints and enslaves; when it is rooted in God’s mission, it sustains and fulfills, even through hardship. Living for Jesus is not a trade where obedience eliminates pain; it is a path where pain and purpose coexist, and where the sacrifices you never planned for become the doorway to the joy you were created for.

Great joy is the reward of living for God’s purposes, but suffering is often the cost. As Tyler reminds us, “Don’t live for the trivial. Live for the eternal.” When our lives are anchored in the eternal, joy no longer depends on circumstances, and even suffering becomes purposeful rather than wasted.

While our culture rushes to Christmas searching for joy, hope, and meaning, real joy is only found in Jesus. This weekend, Tyler continued our Great Joy series by focusing on spiritual curiosity. Drawing from Matthew 2:1–13, he used the Magi as a model for curious people and highlighted three lessons:

→ The Purpose of Curiosity

Spiritual curiosity is meant to guide us toward Jesus, not keep us wandering. Curiosity may get us close to truth, but only God’s Word can lead us all the way–and true joy comes not from merely knowing about Jesus, but from worshiping Him.

Tyler urged the spiritually curious to take a committed step of faith, specifically through baptism, and reminded us that worship is a God-given “medicine” proven to strengthen mental, emotional, and physical health. Whether you’re a new, wandering, or longtime believer, come to Jesus, receive His joy, and worship freely.

This week, Terrence began our new series leading into Christmas called Great Joy. His message, drawn from Psalm 98, explores the nature of joy, emphasizing that great joy begins with gratitude to God. He reminds us that joy is not a denial of hardship, but a spiritual practice cultivated through worship, remembrance, daily gratitude, and hope.

To live in great joy means to live in constant awareness of God’s presence and promises. It’s not about pretending pain doesn’t exist, but about interpreting pain through the lens of God’s unchanging goodness. Gratitude transforms grief into growth, anxiety into adoration, and waiting into worship.

When gratitude anchors a believer’s heart, it reshapes perspective, strengthens faith, and reorients life toward God’s sovereignty. Ultimately, joy is not circumstantial—it’s covenantal. It flows from God’s eternal faithfulness and culminates in the promise of His righteous judgment and eternal reign.

Terrence invited us to a practical gratitude exercise, reflecting on God’s faithfulness in the past, His presence in the present, and His promises for the future, anchoring our joy in a God who is able and will not fail.

This weekend, Tyler continued the Bible Study series by teaching through the book of Micah, a prophet who confronts Israel’s long history of idolatry and injustice while also pointing forward to the hope of Christmas. One of the central passages he addressed was Micah 6:8, a verse many people view as inspirational—yet in its original context, it is actually a rebuke.

Micah 6:8 reveals God’s standard for His people:

However, Tyler emphasized that Micah 6:8 ultimately exposes our inability to meet this standard on our own. Like Israel, we repeatedly fall short—no matter how disciplined, sincere, or well-intentioned we may be. This is why Micah points us beyond human effort to the coming King, the one born in Bethlehem, whose strength is divine and whose leadership is perfect.

No matter how hard we try, our efforts alone can’t reach God’s summit. We need a Savior who not only shows the way but becomes the way—lifting us, forgiving us, and leading us into the life Micah describes.

This weekend, Tyler led us in a Bible Study Weekend focusing on the book of Haggai and its timeless relevance for rebuilding our spiritual lives.

Haggai, a post-exilic prophet, was tasked with motivating the Jewish people to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after returning from Babylonian exile. The people had begun the work but became stagnant due to opposition and fear. Haggai’s message addressed this spiritual stagnation, calling the people to:

Tyler highlighted that Haggai’s short, direct mission demonstrates a practical formula to reverse spiritual stagnation, applicable to modern struggles like sin, addiction, depression, or complacency.

This timeless message finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who keeps God’s promises, brings His presence into our lives, and frees us from the power of sin.

Will you invite God to restore your heart, renew hope, and transform your life?

This weekend, we welcomed Heather Gorman from Abilene Christian University’s Department of Bible, Missions, and Ministry, who led us in a deep dive into 2 Corinthians and Paul’s powerful message about the ministry of reconciliation.

We saw that 2 Corinthians was written amid tension, grief, and misunderstanding between Paul and the believers he loved. Yet, instead of abandoning them, Paul calls the church—and every follower of Jesus—into God’s ongoing work of setting things right in the world.

Paul reminds us that all Christians are ministers, entrusted with God’s reconciling mission: restoring right relationships with God, with one another, and with creation. This ministry often involves both suffering and comfort, hardship and hope, but it is sustained by God’s Spirit and the strength of community. Paul’s call to generosity, unity, and care for the poor reflects that reconciliation is not just spiritual—it’s tangible, lived out through compassion, justice, and openhanded love.

Ultimately, 2 Corinthians invites us to join God in His redemptive work—to be people who heal, restore, and bring peace wherever brokenness remains.

This Sunday, Terrence answered the question, “Now what?” What happens after the mountaintop moment? What does the church and each believer do next? His answer was simple yet powerful: “We stay true to God every step of the way.”

Rooted in Proverbs 4:20–27, Terrence challenges us to embrace God’s Word, guard our hearts diligently, and make faithfulness our first priority. Spiritual growth, he reminds us, doesn’t come from external success or emotional moments, but from attentiveness to Scripture, intentional holiness, and daily obedience. As a church, we’re called to ensure that our Godly ambition never outruns our Godly dependence—grounding every effort in love for Christ and submission to His Word.

Ultimately, the call is clear: do the next faithful thing. Live a life marked by integrity, repentance, and steadfast devotion.