The story of Noah's flood is darker and different than the one we learned about in Sunday school. It's also more complicated: How should we read it? As a historical account, religious myth, or spiritual parable? What do we have to learn from God's judgment of the earth and His rescuing of life by one righteous man? Let's "dive" in!

Hope is a dangerous thing. It can drive a man insane. You better get used to that." So says Ellis Redding to his friend, Andy, in the famous movie, Shawshank Redemption. Hope can be hard. But it's what Easter is all about. On Good Friday, Jesus died to give us forgiveness, and on Easter, he rose to give us hope.

With the impending flood, God gives Noah instructions to build an ark to save him and his family. What can we learn about their partnership, and what does it mean for us today?

The Bible has strange things in it -- especially in the book of Genesis. It's a different world from ours, but understanding this world in Genesis helps us understand the story of Noah. And it helps us answer an important question: What would possibly motivate God the Creator to utterly wipe out His creation?

Everybody knows the story of Noah and the flood. Or do they? There's plenty in the story that we skip or ignore--for starters, where the story begins. Before we can discuss the story of Noah in Genesis 6, we have to talk about his family tree in Genesis 5.

Jesus tells his people to go into the world and spread God's love and truth. That should start with our friends. But what if we don't have any friends—or any good ones, or enough of them? Friendliness is increasingly common in our disconnected world, and it comes with great cost. God can help us here. Not only can he give us friends, but he can make our friendships the kind of deep relationships that people really need to thrive.

The Bible gives us many examples of people who struggled with depression and anxiety. How did God respond to those people? Find out in a message with Pastoral Intern Ariel Stephens.

How do you show the love of God to someone who doesn't even believe in Him? Pastor Matt Herndon has some ideas.

We all have people in our lives who are addicted to unhealthy behaviors and thinking. (There's a good chance we have an addiction ourselves.) It can feel powerless to help these friends and loved ones. Is there anything we can do? Perhaps--by loving these people as Jesus loves us.

We all have people in our lives who claim to be "spiritual but not religious". Listen in as Pastor Josh pulls directly from scripture to lay out a framework for how we, as Christians, can and should show up for our friends who may believe in God, but want nothing to do with the church.