A Savior who doesn't suffer is a Savior who cannot save. This proper understanding of Jesus' mission gives his followers clarity regarding their own. Listen in to discover what it means to be a true follower of Jesus.

Perhaps the most important question you will ever answer is the question Jesus posed to his disciples. It's a question that narrows what "others" say to what you yourself think. It's the answer to this question that has transformed the lives of men and women throughout the ages. It's the answer to this question that can change your life. Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?"

Like a bowl of oatmeal left unattended, our hearts can gradually become hard and stubborn when left spiritually unattended. Beware of the company you keep and the voices you listen to because that company and those voices left untested by the truth of the Bible can you lead you down a path of doubt and unbelief and will steal your joy and rob you of your wonder. God's remedy for a hard heart, as with a bowl of oatmeal, is to soak...soak in the gospel, soak in God's presence, and soak in the Scriptures letting the Word of God renew your mind.

He Does All Things Well

God's Big Vision for All

When the locus of authority in our lives shifts away from the Bible, it usually shifts onto us. But our own opinions, traditions, or laws cannot address the deepest needs of the human heart. Only God's Word and the gospel within it can. In God's Word we see that God sets the standard of what is pure or impure, clean or unclean, and shows us that only through Jesus can we understand true cleansing in our sinful hearts. So rather than putting on masks and being afraid of being (or actually trying to be) a hypocrite, let's humble ourselves before God and receive His solutions for the sin problem of our hearts.

There are moments in life when we are perplexed by what is going on. We expect God to answer in a way he chooses not to, or move in a way he doesn't. In all of life, we must keep in mind that God is at work even in the storms and even when we feel he is distant. At those times, Jesus reminds us that he is our God and that we can trust in him.

The Bible describes our predicament without Jesus as being "sheep without a shepherd." Lost sheep seek lost solutions to their lost situation that ultimately will leave us...lost. Whether it's drinking away life's challenges with another round, or lighting up weed to fit in, or needing more money to feel secure, or seeking the approval of others at the cost of your own dignity, or ignoring our broken hurts, we ultimately need something, Someone, who is greater. Only Jesus can deal with our sin problem. Only Jesus can heal our brokenness and lead us to the Father because he is our Shepherd who compassionately leads and feeds his sheep.

Prayer is a vital part of the Christian life because when God's people pray, they are personally communicating with the God of the universe who invites his children to come to him in prayer. Prayer with fasting is a unique expression of our deep desire for God to do something among us. Fasting is a means of seeking God’s unique blessing and expressing our hunger for his hand to move and intervene in our lives. David Mathis, a Christian writer, defines fasting as "voluntarily going without food—or any other regularly enjoyed good gift from God—for the sake of some spiritual purpose.” Another writer, theologian Wayne Grudem, adds, “Fasting expresses earnestness and urgency in our prayers…fasting says to God that we are prepared to lay down our lives that the situation [for which we are praying] be changed rather than it continue…Most western Christians do not [regularly] fast, but if we were wiling to fast more regularly—even for one or two meals—we might be surprised how much more spiritual power and strength we would have in our lives and in our churches.” At The Brook, we believe God is calling us to step out in faith in our individual lives, families, and collectively as a Church. As a church, we believe God is calling us to multiply Real Communities and multiply our sending capacity to start more churches in the years to come. So we are calling the churhc to pray and fast asking God for clarity as we seek to obey his mission for our lives and for His church. So we turn to Ezra 8, where we learn 7 Keys to true Prayer and Fasting:

Prayer is a vital part of the Christian life because when God's people pray, they are personally communicating with the God of the universe who invites his children to come to him in prayer. Prayer with fasting is a unique expression of our deep desire for God to do something among us. Fasting is a means of seeking God’s unique blessing and expressing our hunger for his hand to move and intervene in our lives. David Mathis, a Christian writer, defines fasting as "voluntarily going without food—or any other regularly enjoyed good gift from God—for the sake of some spiritual purpose.” Another writer, theologian Wayne Grudem, adds, “Fasting expresses earnestness and urgency in our prayers…fasting says to God that we are prepared to lay down our lives that the situation [for which we are praying] be changed rather than it continue…Most western Christians do not [regularly] fast, but if we were wiling to fast more regularly—even for one or two meals—we might be surprised how much more spiritual power and strength we would have in our lives and in our churches.” At The Brook, we believe God is calling us to step out in faith in our individual lives, families, and collectively as a Church. As a church, we believe God is calling us to multiply Real Communities and multiply our sending capacity to start more churches in the years to come. So we are calling the churhc to pray and fast asking God for clarity as we seek to obey his mission for our lives and for His church. So we turn to Ezra 8, where we learn 7 Keys to true Prayer and Fasting: