Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person who ever lived. 

But during his life, he was only known by a few thousand people in a forgotten part of the world. After he died, his message transformed the entire western world and continues to do so today. So, who is this man? 

In the final sermon of our Essentialism series, we look at an unexpected spiritual practice that helps to bring clarity to our lives. 

Articles, books, and self-help gurus say gratitude has the power to improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health. But there's one thing they've all gotten wrong. Today we uncover the big shift you need to make to unleash the true power of gratitude.

Nobody can deceive you like you. We are capable of convincing ourselves of almost any idea, justifying any decision, and rationalizing nearly every behavior. So how do we keep ourselves honest?

We are told that the good life is found in accumulation - that more is better. But most of us are accumulating the wrong things. How do we create space —in our schedules, in our homes, in our finances—for what really matters?

As a society, we are overly stimulated and distracted. And it's only getting worse.

Ironically, our constant connection to people and information has caused us to grow disconnected from deeper relationships and from God.

In today's sermon, we talk about reducing distraction as we seek to reconnect to what matters most in our lives.

When our schedules came to an abrupt halt last year, we had time to pause and ask, "What really matters?" God calls us to a slower pace that allows us to interact with and love one another, but, all too often, we let the pressures of the world get in the way. Join us for the next 5 weeks, as we embark on a journey to better understand who God made us to be and who we want to become.

As good as it felt to kick out 2020, 2021 still feels uncertain. But when we tether ourselves to God's promises, we don't need to be afraid of the future.

We have a tendency to think in terms of black or white, right or wrong, darkness or light, good years or bad years. But the truth is, it's not one or the other. There is a relationship between opposites, and the space "in between" is where we find opportunities to grow. As we leave 2020 behind, let's reframe what many might call a "bad year".

Join us for a special Christmas Eve service as we celebrate the birth of our Savior through worship and a message from Rev. Stephen Lohoefer.