In Genesis 19, we find Lot and his family in a town of extreme immorality faced with a dilemma. Do they stay, or do they go? We find in their choices both good and bad, and in this two-part series find a challenge to modern-day parents--how do we raise our children in a world full of so many spiritual land-mines? How do we preserve the image of God in which they were created, and give them the tools necessary to navigate life in a way that honors God and helps our kids to thrive, not just survive?

Through the prophet Hosea and his dysfunctional marriage to Gomer, God reveals His own heart for similarly unfaithful Israel as they'd turned again to idolatry. Through this story we see a side of God we often forget--the side of God that is sensitive to our actions, that can be hurt, that can be scorned, that is forgiving, that is gracious even when we least deserve it. Join us in this message from God's heart to ours.

As the Israel stood at the edge of the Promised Land, they had a decision to make: Do we trust God's promises, or do we cave to our fears? Thousands chose to cave, but two men, Caleb and Joshua, stood tall in their faith, courage, and resolve to trust God despite the odds.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:37-39, NIV84

We're all familiar with Jesus' parable about the good Samaritan. We have named hospitals, charities, and even laws that require people to report crimes after its central character. But do you know the context of the story? The reason Jesus told it? The reason it was passed down within the pages of Scripture so that all generations would hear it? Join us as we dig a little deeper into this parable of Christ.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship." - The Apostle Paul, Romans 12:1, NIV

What does it mean to be a "living sacrifice?" How (and why) does a disciple of Jesus think of him/herself as a sacrifice to God? What does this look like in "real life?"

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Romans 8, NIV

He was impetuous, rough around the edges, constantly in conflict, and his marriage was a disaster, and that doesn't even cover just one chapter of Samson's life. He may have been, in many ways, a bit of a disaster, but there was something in his life that rose above his many flaws. From his birth, Samson was set aside for God to fulfill a particular purpose. Because of his faith, God did indeed use him to accomplish the deliverance of God's people from the Philistines, and Samson--while remembered most often for his physical prowess and his flawed life--is remembered by the writer of the book of Hebrews (ch. 11) as a hero of faith in the Old Testament.

Join us as we take a jet tour look at the life of Samson, and see how faith in God can lead to redemption no matter how rough around the edges we may be.

Ruth was an outsider, a widow, a foreigner, and from a nation that was cursed by God because of their evil past. So why is a book named for her (1 of only 2 named for women in the Old Testament)?

Ruth's story is a story of love, loyalty, a humble heart, and faith in God. It's a beautiful love story that is a reminder that God blesses those whose true beauty is found within. Join us as we continue our four-part series on the Heroes of Faith.

(Part 3 of 4)

The story of Esther is one of intrigue, danger, and courage in epic proportions. But this isn't just a Hollywood story or a cheap novel. It is the true life story of a Jewish woman who became queen of the Medo-Persian Empire, and who had a serious choice to make. Because of the scheming of an ego-filled politician named Haman, Esther's husband (King Xerxes) had passed an edict that the Jewish people throughout the empire would be exterminated.

Her cousin and adoptive father, Mordecai, challenges Esther with these words: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14, NIV)

Join us as we see how Esther handles Mordecai's challenge, and that we, too, may be where we are "for such a times as this."