The Local Church

We're constantly trying to prove that we're no longer children - we're self-sufficient. But the stance of being children dependent on God is integral to our relationship with Him. 1 John outlines four key characteristics of being God's children: we're lavishly loved, majorly misunderstood, future focused, and presently purifying. Are these characteristics of your life today?

Whether you're a parent or not, you have family relationships of some type. We're often committed to pouring our time and energy into these, but is it with the goal of helping our families form their view of God? Deuteronomy 6:5-9 demonstrates that the ordinary, everyday moments of life can point our families back to the Father.

Culture can often make it seem like being single is a curse or an unnatural way of being, but scripture tells us that it is a valid and valuable calling! Guest speaker Pieter Valk dove into vocational singleness: a lifetime calling to singleness for the sake of kingdom work with undivided attention.

No matter what your romantic "relationship status" is, there is something to gain from learning about the purpose of marriage. Pastor Toran is joined by local Christian counselor, Mario, to discuss the psychology and theology behind scripture's instructions to husbands and wives. They explore selfishness, submission, the definition of love, and why tension can be a good thing in our relationships.

May 7, 2023

t TLC we want everyone to have an owner's versus renter's mentality in their involvement as they step into roles and responsibilities to serve our church. A part of how we invest as owners is through our financial giving. In order to do this we need to look at where our treasure is because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). When we give our money we get the opportunity to see what God has for us as we learn to put more of our trust in Him. 

We believe that the church is stronger, better and more beautiful when we are different. When two or more different things come together, there can be unity! This value was not created bc of some cultural trend. It was created because of our discipleship to Jesus; He is passionate about it, and so we are as well. 

When we look at TLC's value Healthy Things Grow, the focus is really on the word "health". John 15:1-8 gives us a way to visualize how regular connection with Jesus is what grows healthy fruit in our lives. 

When Jesus was crucified and buried, many of His followers felt empty and lost. We, too, feel this emptiness and try to fill it with things of this world. But the reality is that Jesus is the only one who can fill the void. He never forces himself into a life - but once He's invited, Jesus turns into the host. So will you go through life with an empty YOU, or believing in the empty TOMB?

Looking at the story of Palm Sunday reminds us of three truths about Jesus: He is humble; He is King; and He is the victor. We meditate on these truths as we enter Holy Week to remind us that while we live in a broken "Good Friday" world, we ARE victorious "Easter" people.