In Mark 12:12-17, the religious leaders of Jesus' day tried to trap him saying something he shouldn't say. Jesus refused to fall prey to their polarizing options. Instead, he brilliantly found a middle ground in his response giving us a blueprint for how to navigate difficult conversations. Loving one option doesn't always infer that we hate the other option. Sometimes our choices aren't between right and wrong, but between better and best. In this sermon, we will learn how to find the middle ground with the goal of uniting people in a divided world.

Student Celebration | Connor Hall

Leading hundreds of thousands of people for 40 years in a desolate wasteland was no picnic in the park for Moses. As a leader, he had to improvise, overcome daunting obstacles, deal with difficult personalities, and push past personal insecurities to be effective. In this message, we will learn some simple principles to help us deal with the complex problems we often face in life.

In a fit of rage, Moses let his temper get the better of him and he killed an Egyptian soldier. For the next 40 years, Moses had to live in seclusion to avoid being punished for his crime, but God used that season of his life to prepare him for an important task. In this message, we will see how God can take our worst decisions and use them for good purposes.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," is definitely a phrase that applies to the first few years of Moses' life. He was born into slavery, the government tried to kill him before he could take his first steps, his mom gave him up for adoption, and he was raised by foreign people in a foreign land. In this message, we will see that in spite of his challenging childhood, Moses became a man that God could count on and the same can be true for us.

Jonah's Anger (Jonah 4)

Ever get angry because God didn't do what you thought He should do? Unrealistic expectations and unmet needs produce anger in all of us. The root of it all is pride; the need to be in control. In this message we'll look at how Jonah reacted when people whom he considered to be unworthy were given God's mercy and grace. In the process we may recognize some things about ourselves that we need to change.

The most likely time to appreciate God's mercy is when we've made a major mess of our lives. Bad choices and foolish decisions usually create horrible circumstances that leave us in a state of desperation. One of the advantages of being desperate is that we're likely to understand our need to turn back to God and obey Him. In this message we'll see ourselves in Jonah as he came to his senses and found his way back to God.

I've heard it said that we can run faster when we lose our way. Ever been there? Me too. Our tendency toward rebellion is part of the fall of humanity and persists to this day more than any of us care to admit. In this message we'll look at some of the consequences of stubbornness and disobedience that leave us swimming in a sea of regret.

A transformed heart leads to a transformed life that results in loving people out of our love for Jesus.