What does real strength look like to you? As Americans, it sure isn’t embracing and exposing our weaknesses. Weak is not something most people in this world walk out the door hoping to become. We have fought hard to hide our weaknesses. Many of us in the room are proud of our ability to seem strong to others when, in fact, we are struggling and insecure. Sometimes, I am good at hiding it; sometimes, I do not. Like everyone else, I want to be strong, but like most people, I do it the wrong way. Today, we will look at what Paul thinks real strength looks like.

Our country did not start this way, but we have become lonely and isolated as we have developed. Back in the day, you didn’t have a choice because, without community, you struggled to get almost anything done. Today, because of modern conveniences, it has become more accessible and easier to isolate with the feelings of being connected. Whether it is the way homes are built, the fact that most houses have AC, that we have online shopping, access to smartphones, or connected to all our friends on social media, it is pretty easy to get what you want by interacting with people. Today, we head into the Old Testament and to the book of Ecclesiastes to see what wisdom we can get on the importance of community.

Do you ever feel like a failure? How about being overwhelmed with life, and the thought of tomorrow is already stressing you out? If that is you, you are in good company. I can be one of those people, and I often find myself in the pit of despair. I call it my "chicken little" times.  I would love to tell you that I could free you from all future pain and suffering. Anyone promising you that is a liar, and I don’t plan on lying to you today. I plan on allowing the hope and promises of God to show us a way through. If you are familiar with the Bible, you are aware that none of God's people were spared the struggles of life. (JOB) The question for you today is, who are you going to trust?

Today, we will tackle the most popular wedding verse to discover that 1 Corinthians 13 wasn’t just written for couples getting married. Today, we will see the importance of being rooted in the Love of God to operate in the world properly. There are so many good things that we can be ruined by doing them from the wrong motivation. We have all been wounded when we find out we were treated well, but only because it benefitted the other person. Everyone longs to be loved, but how do we know the way of Love without knowing and surrendering to the source of Love? Buckle up this way, sting a little.

Why do we keep repeating things that bring us pain? Why are we sometimes so reluctant to learn from the wisdom of others, telling ourselves that it is different for us or we can handle it better? The truth to both is that we think we are smarter than we are. People haven't changed as much as we believe they have over the last few thousand years. People are people, including us, and if we don't learn our lesson, we are doomed to repeat the same painful things repeatedly. Today, we will see how Paul tried to get the Corinthians to learn from the lessons of the exiles. God has always and will always provide a way out for you to stand under his Grace, but it will be your choice.

Last week, we spent some time in Romans 10 working through the idea that the only way to salvation and righteousness is through the finished work of Jesus. With that truth in mind, it is essential to share the Gospel because they can believe and trust in what they don’t know. Today, we continue to the next step in our journey with Jesus, building on this foundation and truth of the Gospel. Here is the big idea of today: it makes a difference how and what you build, so take care of how you build. This week, you get a reminder of the importance of a strong foundation built above the flood plain.

How did you come to believe in Jesus? To become a believer, you must first be told who to believe in. That means that somewhere in your life, you heard a compelling story about the person and work of Jesus. So much so that you put your faith in him and began your faith journey as a disciple; for some of you, that happened in church service like you are today, and for others, it was from someone who loved you enough to share the Gospel with you. Today, we will look at the first part of Romans 10 and see the importance of doing our part to know and share the Gospel.

The world around us is going crazy; over the next few months, it will seem even crazier than usual. With all this craziness, it is easy to blame this crazy world for all our troubles. It is easy to blame traffic, co-workers, spouses, kids, TV, and social media for why you are acting the way you are acting. When you get caught misbehaving, what is your typical response? If you are anything like me, we look for someone to blame. They made me do it. This has been the story from the beginning of time. Eve blamed the snake, and Adam blamed the woman God gave him. What if I told you that your worst enemy is inside you not outside of you? Our mission at Reach is to help you live like Jesus is Greater in your hearts, homes, and cities. There is a reason why hearts are at the front of the list. We can't change anything outside of us without first dealing with our hearts. Matthew 5 "In his heart" Mark 7 What defiles a person is not what goes into him but rather what comes of him. My feeling now is that work always starts inside me and not outside. Ignoring the job done on and in my heart will get us nowhere. I like the practical work my outward actions do, but if those aren't fueled by what God is doing inside me, they won't get me where he wants me.

This is the garden in which good fruit grows, the soil that God cultivates and cares for, the place where a blessing is commanded. Unity.

This is the garden where we can stand before God, naked and unashamed. Unity

This is the garden where blame stops and gratitude begins, the ground in which holy longing and holy being collide. Unity

Three times in the gospels Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer…” We know that even though things seem out of control in our world God is still working. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray…” What if… the church was UNITED in prayer? Would the church experience an even greater move of the spirit of God?