When we’re picking a movie theater for an evening out, we usually consider a few different factors, such as which one has more comfortable seats or better snacks. It’s all about what we can get out of the experience. And there’s nothing wrong with that when it comes to entertainment! But it can be a real problem when that attitude translates to how we think about church. That’s our subject as Pastor J.D. continues our study in the book of Acts, Chapter 2.

As Pastor J.D. continues our study of Acts called, SENT, we’re looking at the book of Acts and learning what it means to be a follower of Christ. As we dive deeper into our series called, SENT, we’re discovering what it looks like  to be fully committed to God’s mission, and it just might involve some fireworks!

If you’re like most people, you probably think that mission work is for someone else who’s more spiritual or more talented. But we’re gaining a whole new perspective and taking a fresh look at what it means to be on the mission field as Pastor J.D. continues our series called, SENT. 

As he begins a study in the book of Acts called, SENT, Pastor J.D. is unpacking the birth and spread of the early church. But this isn’t just a history study! J.D. is challenging us to reframe how we think about the church today. It’s not just a place; it’s a movement! And we’re called to be an active part of the team. 

Sometimes life feels like an Olympic event with a panel of judges scoring us on everything we do. We constantly feel the need to be better. In fact, that’s how a lot of people imagine God: as an angry judge who’s constantly disappointed. But Pastor J.D. reveals that God actually uses our failures to make us more dependent on him! It’s the conclusion of our series called, Can’t Believe, and Pastor J.D. is teaching from John 21.

If we’re honest, we’ve all had days where we’ve messed up big time. Maybe we fell back into an old sin, or we did something we swore we’d never do. And in that moment, maybe you wondered if God could ever forgive you. Maybe you felt broken, or even felt like “damaged goods.” Well, we’ve got some good news! As he continues our series called, Can’t Believe, Pastor J.D. explains how God can redeem even our greatest failures. 

Many people who reject the resurrection like to think that their issue is an intellectual one. They say the evidence isn’t convincing, or that they just can’t believe in some ancient myth. Well, Pastor J.D. presents an alternative explanation for their unbelief. He argues that unbelief doesn’t actually stem from a lack of evidence. As an example, he points to one of the most famous skeptics of all time: the Apostle Thomas, who earned the unfortunate nickname of Doubting Thomas. 

How can we trust a God that we don’t fully understand? Today, Pastor J.D. tackles that question and more as we continue our series called, Can’t Believe. Discover the barriers that can hold us back from truly giving our lives to God. It’s a message on how we can overcome doubts and fully trust in God, even if we still have questions.

Have you ever come home one day and realized that your yard has gotten completely out of control? Weeds are everywhere, the grass is knee-high, and you’re catching dirty looks from the neighbors. Nobody wants their yard to look that way, but sometimes it’s easier to just ignore it and put off mowing until later. Pastor J.D. explains that a lot of us have a similar attitude towards faith. We might not be actively rejecting God, but we aren’t willing to step out in faith and follow him, either. It’s part of our series called, Can’t Believe.

As Easter approaches, Pastor J.D. helps us answer two incredibly important questions by pointing us to two statements that Jesus made to people at his crucifixion and after he had risen. These statements, found in the gospel accounts of John and Luke, still have critical implications for us today, particularly when it comes to what we do with our doubts and questions. If we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, we can trust that all of our questions have answers—even if we have to wait to find out what they are.