"Now it is your turn." These can be five of the most thrilling and terrifying words a person can hear. When the moment comes where God says, "It is your turn", what hope will help us follow in the footsteps of the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12? Pastor Russell Cravens, our guest preacher from one of our sending churches, Neartown Church in Houston, TX, shares in his message today that we can trust in Jesus, our Unrivaled Hope.

Why does death feel so wrong—even when we know it’s inevitable? In this powerful sermon from Genesis 23, we explore the deep and ancient tension between death and hope. From Homer’s Iliad to the promises of Scripture, humanity has always asked: Is this life all there is? Join us as we look at the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and uncover how this moment is far more than tragic—it's filled with profound hope in the resurrection. Abraham’s choice to bury his wife in the Promised Land is not just a cultural act; it’s a bold declaration of faith in God’s future promises and the bodily resurrection of the dead.

Is God cruel to ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Why would Abraham be willing to go through with it? 

In this sermon from Genesis 22, Pastor Mace Perez guides us as we wrestle with one of the most jarring and misunderstood stories in the Bible. In it, we find not a picture of cruelty, but a powerful portrait of trust, surrender, and divine provision.

Richard Dawkins once called this story “disgraceful,” a tale of child abuse and blind obedience. But a closer look reveals a God who isn’t demanding something He isn’t also willing to give and a man who has finally learned to trust Him fully.

📖 We’ll walk through:

💡 Big takeaway: Because The Lord will provide, we can live lives of radical trust and surrender, lives that don’t make sense apart from the gospel.

Whether you’re wrestling with faith, struggling to trust God in a hard season, or just curious about why this story matters, this message is for you.

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How to Read the Bible |  Session 13: Review & New Testament Prophecy (Revelation)

Welcome to the final session of How to Read the Bible! In this closing class, we begin with a review of everything we've covered, from understanding the Bible as a unified literary work to learning how to interpret its various genres. And then we turn our attention to the final genre: New Testament Prophecy, specifically the Book of Revelation.

Revelation is not primarily about decoding modern headlines. It's about faithful endurance in light of God's ultimate victory.

In this session, we explore:

Stay tuned for future classes, like “The Story of the Bible” where we’ll dive deeper into how Revelation fits into the grand narrative of Scripture!

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For more information, check out www.thejourneyhouston.org

Who can you trust?

In a world where trust is declining, where broken promises by parents, friends, or spouses leave us feeling anxious, alone, and exhausted, the story of Isaac’s birth in Genesis 21 reminds us of a powerful truth: God always keeps His promises.

In this sermon, Pastor Mace walks us through Genesis 21 to show how:

Through every obstacle, old age, barrenness, human failure, God remains true to His word. He turns sorrow into laughter, doubt into joy, and waiting into fulfillment.

Like Abraham, who waited 25 years for Isaac, and like Israel, who waited 400 years for deliverance, we too can find strength in God’s unwavering faithfulness. His greatest promise fulfilled? Jesus, who lived, died, rose again, and will return to make all things new.

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Learn more at www.thejourneyhouston.org.

📖 How to Read the Bible | Session 12: New Testament Letters

Welcome to Session 12 of our How to Read the Bible series! In this episode, we’re diving into the New Testament Letters (or Epistles), a rich section of Scripture that includes 21 of the 27 books in the New Testament.

These letters, 13 from Paul and 8 general or "Jewish" epistles, were written to real people and churches in real situations. That means context is everything. These aren't just abstract theological essays; they are personal, practical, and deeply pastoral responses to problems, questions, and conflicts in the early church.

We begin this session with an exercise: reading a historical letter not from the Bible, Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 response to the Danbury Baptist Association. This helps us get into the mindset of reading letters as whole, situational documents. Just like Jefferson’s letter had a purpose, audience, and message, so do Paul’s and the other New Testament writers’.

📝 Teaching Highlights:

We wrap up by reading Philemon, one of the shortest and most personal letters in the New Testament. We ask:

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In this message from Genesis 20, Pastor Steven Hiller walks us through a powerful moment in Abraham’s journey of faith, a moment filled with fear, failure, and the faithfulness of God.

Pastor Steven opens with a personal story from his college days in Cru, recalling a summer mission trip to Asia where evangelism wasn’t just controversial, it was dangerous. The risks were real, but so was the question: Is it worth it to share the Gospel when it might cost someone everything?

That same question echoes through Genesis 20, where Abraham, gripped by fear, once again chooses deception to protect himself. But even as Abraham falters, we see the mercy and sovereignty of God on display. The Lord intervenes, not only to protect His promises but to open the door for blessing to reach the nations.

This chapter challenges us to consider our own fears when it comes to sharing our faith. Are we willing to trust that God's promises are true? Will we step into uncomfortable spaces to be a blessing to others, even when the cost feels high?

Join us as we explore:

📖 Scripture Passage: Genesis 20

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How to Read the Bible |  Session 11: New Testament Narrative

What’s the point of the Gospels? Are they just collections of inspirational teachings and miracles?

In this session, Pastor Mace Perez explores the New Testament narrative books—the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John plus Acts—aren’t random stories, but essential contributors to the one great Story the Bible tells: from Creation, to Fall, to Redemption, to Restoration.

New Testament narrative is real history with theological purpose. We dig into how Gospel writers chose and arranged their stories to show who Jesus really is, the fulfillment of Old Testament hope. We also explore how Acts continues the story, tracing the spread of the gospel through the Spirit-empowered church.

💡 Learn how to:

Whether you're new to the Bible or want to deepen your understanding, this class will help you read with clarity, context, and confidence.

Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?

In this sermon, we explore the destruction of Sodom and the rescue of Lot in Genesis 18–19, where God's perfect justice and His unexpected mercy collide. Abraham intercedes for a wicked city. Lot, flawed and fearful, is spared—not because of his goodness, but because of his connection to a mediator.

Through this account, we see a crucial truth:

Ultimately, this all points to Jesus Christ, the true and better Mediator. At the cross, God's justice against sin and His mercy toward sinners meet. In Him, we are offered righteousness by grace through faith.

📖 Key Themes:

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📍 The Journey | A church in the Heights, Houston

How to Read the Bible | Session 9: Old Testament Poetry 📖

Understanding the Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

The Wisdom Literature of the Bible is some of the most encouraging yet oft misunderstood books of the Bible. Wisdom books are philosophical writings about the human situation. They answer -Question of suffering -Question of right vs wrong -Question of life and death -Questions of love and desire -Existential questions of reality. They are Concerned with TRUTH. 🔍 Whether you're new to the Bible or looking to go deeper, this session will help you read and respond to the poetic books with fresh eyes and an open heart. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more content to help you understand and enjoy the Bible. 🔔 Don’t forget to turn on notifications so you never miss a session!

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