The question most human beings eventually ask is how to we get to God or eternal life?

In other words, what do we have to do to make sure we are good forever?  It's the right question and many different religions have answered it in different ways.  

In Luke 18 Jesus tells a story about a pharisee and a tax collector.  Two people that couldn't be more opposite in how they are viewed and treated in that particular culture.  And as He often did, Jesus flips the script on what everyone thought and believed by describing how you get to God by using these two characters.  

Listen and hear how pride and self-righteousness keeps us from God but how humility and repentance draws us to Him.  

Are you on the sidelines or are you in the game?

The Bible makes a few things abundantly clear about people.  We have been created in His image.  We have been created with specific gifts, personalities and skills.  We are called to use all of those for His glory.

The problem? So many of us struggle to get in the game to join the mission of God because we are scared to fail or don't believe we bring anything to the table.

The parable of the bags of gold illustrates the calling every believer has when it comes to how we spend our time, talents and money.  We have been given value and we are meant to produce something with it.  

What are you fighting for?

Life presents many challenges and often times we are put in a position where we are fighting for someone or something.  And when it comes to our faith in Christ we know that God promises that He is with us in the fight.  

He offers us the ability to pray and seek Him and His presence in our struggles.  The problem is that we fall into a place where we give up the fight.  We lose hope, trust or faith in God and maybe even question if He is still with us or working in the fight for us.  

Listen and hear the parable of the persistent widow and how Jesus makes clear to us that if we truly understand the heart and character of God we will use prayer as our first resource and not our last resort.  

The culture has a strong view of what the good life really is.  Chasing the "American Dream" is something so many buy into in the search for fulfillment and satisfaction.  

Jesus had other ideas.  He made a point in His ministry to flip the idea on its head.  The good life has nothing to do with wealth, status and success.  It has everything to do with our faith in Jesus.  

Listen and hear the Parable of the Rich Fool and how Jesus encourages us to make sure our priorities are in the right place both for this life and eternity.  

We have all experienced a time or a season where we have been separate from God.  

Whether it was by our own choice or by life circumstance we've felt a distance between us in our relationship with Him.  

The Prodigal story is one that illustrates that dynamic but also reveals God's heart towards us even when we have been distant from Him.  Listen and hear Griffin walk through the powerful story of the Prodigal Son and how Jesus shows us no matter how far away we get, God is always ready and willing to welcome us back home.  

What is the most powerful tool you posses?

Christians have many thoughts on how to change or impact the world positively.  We have ideas and strong convictions about how things should be and how people should act.  

Unfortunately, the world seems to be trending away from truth and faith more and more.  So, how can we really be effective in drawing people to Christ?

Jesus taught an unforgettable truth through an unforgettable story called The Good Samaritan.  In this parable he uncovers what our greatest tool is: love.

Listen and hear Griffin share how Jesus has called us to love any and all people around us to share the true love and message of Jesus.  

Jesus made it clear.  He will leave the 99 to find the lost one.  

Jesus came for the lost.  The problem was that the "religious" people of the day rejected those who were sinners.  

The question for us is how will we treat those who are lost around us?  Listen and hear an in depth look at the parable of the lost sheep and how Jesus teaches us the value of loving the lost.  

Jesus was a dynamic preacher.

He used different methods to make sure his message was not only heard but remembered.  A part of His strategy was to use stories and illustration to make sure His points were received.  Those stories were called Parables.

This message begins a 10-week focus on different parables Jesus taught during His ministry.  This week unpacks the reason Jesus used parables. It also focuses on two similar and concise ideas He shared to show His followers the value we should place on the Gospel and the eternal Kingdom He came to introduce to the world.  

When you think about it, the odds weren't in your favor.  

To be in a relationship with God, born again and living with the Holy Spirit is in some ways a miracle for any of us who can say those things are true.  

The end of the story of Ruth is truly a celebration.  A celebration of how God can work even in the most difficult situations.  In the end we are reminded that God is all about redeeming His people.  

Listen and hear what God can do in all of our lives when we live out our redemption through Him.  

We all love a redemption story.  

Unfortunately, we often feel like we are unredeemable.  We wonder if the mistakes we've made or the challenges we've faced puts us in a position with God that removes His love or blessing.  

Ruth chapter three is a picture of how God works to redeem us.  Listen and hear Ruth's redemption story and how it mirrors what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.