In the second installment of our Milestones series, Pastor Mel teaches about the gifts of the Spirit. Through exposition of both 1 Corinthians 12 and Acts 2 - 4, Mel explains how the gifts of the Spirit are deeply practical. He talks about the difference between a public gift and a private grace, and he shows what happened to the early church in Acts after the day of Pentecost. Mel notes that God wants His glory to disrupt your normal life and that - like the apostles - you don't have to be specially qualified to live an obedient life in Christ.

In the opening message of our Milestones series, Pastor Mel teaches about Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Spirit through Acts 1 & 2. He explains how God accelerates His glory through Christian unity. He also talks about how the Holy Spirit isn't weird, and how the gifts of the Spirit are given to encourage the Church and draw unbelievers.

Through verse-by-verse exposition of Psalm 23, Pastor Rob teaches how the Bible illustrates humanity as sheep and Christ as the Good Shepherd. He reminds us how sheep are defenseless without the shepherd. Our only job as Christians is to stay close to the Shepherd. The message finishes with an explanation of the Hebrew variants for the name of God which detail important elements of His character.

Mel explains the importance of adding value to your organization. Whether as an employee or a manager, there are likely undiscovered or underutilized ways you might contribute to the success of your company. From saving money by being creative in your operational efficiency to being excellent at the specific role you were hired to do, Mel outlines several time-tested strategies to make yourself more valuable.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss whether or not God ordains our suffering in order to advance His kingdom. Why would God do this? They also talk about the value of hard work and why a strong work-ethic is a biblical value. The conversation finishes with an evaluation of whether it's appropriate to be a carefree Christian.

Pastor Kim finishes our series called Much Fruit with a discussion of the fruit of self-control. Kim explains how the road to self-control runs through remembering who we belong to. Self-control is cultivated by nailing the passions and desires of our sinful nature to the cross of Christ. Features of self-control include reminding ourselves that everything's not about us and doing our best to live by the Spirit.

Mel, Todd, and Michael discuss the reasons for maintaining an eternal perspective in ministry, and the benefits of being careful to do so. They talk about seeking first the kingdom of God and what that looks like for a pastor. The conversation finishes with a discussion of material goods like cars, clothes, etc. and how to own these things without allowing them to negatively influence your ministry.

Week 5 of our Much Fruit series brings a message on biblical gentleness. Pastor Mel explains the difference between meekness and weakness, and how gentleness is actually restrained power. Jesus is gentle and yet He is also the most powerful. Mel uses the story of the woman caught in adultery to showcase the gentleness of Jesus and he encourages the Church to exercise gentleness as a feature part of their Christlike disposition.

Through Romans 8, Pastor Jim Hennesy teaches about understanding your purpose in the Christian life. He encourages us to be bold and to step out in faith to answer God's call. Jim explains how God worked His purpose through biblical characters like Moses, Abraham, and others. Even when things seem difficult, we can be certain God chose us to be the ones to advance His kingdom on earth at this moment.

The fourth week of Much Fruit brings a sermon on faithfulness. Pastor Mel explains what faithfulness is according to scripture. God is not looking for people of great faith, He's looking for common people to trust His great faithfulness. Mel explains how gifts are given while fruit is cultivated. He also reveals how the faithfulness God invites us into is a reflection of God's own faithfulness.