Pathways Church | Messages

We all face times in life when we feel we are standing on the edge of a cliff, wondering whether the rope will keep us safe. No matter how many times you examine the rope and test the equipment, eventually you have to trust and take the first step.

Rhythm in life can lead to blessing or disaster, and where we end up is determined by the daily decisions we make on a consistent basis.

As we remember Memorial Day, we revisit a series called "Gone But Not Forgotten" and talk about Honor, a virtue that seems rare today, yet it is critical to our spiritual lives and our witness.

Modern society is obsessed with making life faster, easier, automated, and more comfortable. While technology and modern conveniences can certainly be blessings, there is also a hidden danger within comfort. If we are not careful, our relentless pursuit of ease and convenience can slowly weaken our spiritual hunger, dull our dependence on God, and ultimately erode the strength of both our personal faith and the church as a whole.

The phrase "the world is an ugly place" is often said, but what does it really mean? We feel the need to compete with those around us, to fight for significance, but God's word clearly tells us how special and beautiful we all are.

We live in a world of amazing technology, and we can witness almost anything anywhere in real time. We can stream movies and music into the palm of our hand, with the tap of a finger to order almost anything, and sometimes have that item delivered the same day. The downside to this gift we've been given these conveniences can easily become overwhelming, and before we realize it, it's simply noise and distraction that keeps us from the truly important things. The question is, how do we clear some of this noise, and does it even matter?

Perhaps one of the most dangerous games people play in their spiritual lives is avoiding sin by staying on the "acceptable" side of a threshold. We believe that issues aren't really black or white. We tell ourselves we can get close to sinful things, as long as we don't cross the thin lines we believe mark them as sin. The problem is that we don't recognize the consequences of living in the "gray areas".

Among all the teachings of Jesus, repetition signals increased importance. When we see a teaching appear in all four Gospels, we know it is critical to our spiritual lives. Jesus made it clear that we are to live a life of surrender in order to find the fullness and peace we are all searching for.

This week, we revisit a message from sixteen years ago in a series called “Reality Bytes.” In it, we unpack a few simple but powerful truths—“bytes” that challenge how we measure our worth. Instead of defining ourselves by the standards of others, our abilities, or our accomplishments, we’re reminded that our identity is found in who God says we are. When that perspective shifts, everything else begins to fall into place.

They said it was impossible for a man, a teacher, to be put through a brutal death and come back to life, but this was no ordinary man...