If there’s one myth surrounding marriage that has been perpetuated by our society, it’s that marriage is what completes you. Of course, Jesus refuted this idea over and over in his teachings. In this message from Mark and Luke, Pastor J.D. shows us the importance and implications of considering the church as family. When we take this seriously, we will realize that faithfully investing in this family will yield a harvest far beyond what we could ever imagine.

Throughout history, there have been countless songs, poems, and books written about love. Yet, we know that turning to pop culture for advice on finding love is not the wisest course of action. In this message, Pastor J.D. reminds us from Song of Solomon 1 and 2 of some foundational truths about love that are helpful in navigating singleness, dating, and marriage. In the end, these earthly forms of love are intended to be a signpost, pointing us to the much greater love that God has for us.

As we close our journey through the book of Exodus, we come to a seemingly anticlimactic ending—the construction of the tabernacle. You might think it strange, after all of the crescendos in the book, to end here. The burning bush, the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, Moses meeting God on the mountain … and this is the happy ending? But as Pastor J.D. shows us, the tabernacle functioned as the center of the Israelites walk with God. Not only that, but through Jesus, it can enrich our daily time with God as well.

We tend to read the story of the Israelites making the golden calf and ask, “How could they?” But we fail to realize that what the Israelites were guilty of, idolatry, is the very thing that is behind all of our other sins. Today, Pastor J.D. shows us not only the danger of idolatry in our lives, but how we can escape it. Ultimately, what is bad news for those who reject Christ is actually good news for those who follow him: You become like what you worship.

In a secular, post-Christian society like the one we find ourselves living in, the Ten Commandments aren’t exactly popular. Cries to “live your own truth” threaten to drown out the absolute truth of God’s law. But how can we expect to love each other well without parameters for what that actually looks like in practice? Today, Pastor J.D. shows us how the Ten Commandments are designed to help us flourish, experiencing God’s creation as it was truly intended to be. True freedom, it turns out, isn’t found in the absence of God’s law, but in the embracing of it.

We all have an important role to play in the body of believers. This truth, though seemingly ingrained in us now, was something that God had to intentionally teach the Israelites. Today, Pastor J.D. takes us through three foundational lessons that God taught the Israelites about life in the redeemed community. In showing them that everything wasn’t meant to be centered around one leader, the people were ultimately better equipped to serve the needs of the community as a whole.

You aren’t likely to find many people who genuinely enjoy tests, but they certainly have a way of revealing where we are lacking in knowledge. Today, Pastor J.D. explains three tests that God walked the Israelites through after delivering them through the Red Sea. These tests, along with the lessons learned from them, were so fundamental that New Testament writers would later refer to them again and again. The truth is, we are no less forgetful than the Israelites, and like them, we need to be continually reminded of why God is always worthy of our trust.

The parting of the Red Sea was not only an epic moment in Israel’s history, but an event that would become the most frequent image of salvation in the Old Testament. Pastor J.D. shows us how this defining moment became a marker for the Israelites to look back on when their faith faltered. In the same way, when we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness in our lives, we can remember his faithfulness to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

For many people in the world, believing in God may not necessarily be a far reach. But believing in Jesus? Furthermore, believing that it was necessary for Jesus to die in order for us to receive forgiveness of sins? That, they would say, is a step too far. In this week’s message from Exodus 11–13, Pastor J.D. takes us through the story of the Passover, showing us the mercy of God for the Israelites. Ultimately, this mercy would find expression in Jesus, the true Passover Lamb and our only hope of forgiveness.

Our obedience to God doesn’t necessarily guarantee that things in our life won’t go wrong, or that we won’t fail. And yet, that’s a hard pill to swallow—if we’re obeying God, surely everything will fall into place, right? In this week’s message from Exodus 4–6, Pastor J.D. shows us how Moses faced this very struggle in his first confrontation with Pharaoh. Ultimately, God allowed Moses to fail not because he was cruel, but as a demonstration of his saving power and unmatched glory.