The recent pandemic is certainly still affecting us all—and we’re feeling the tremors all through our culture. It has certainly affected what people believe about God, about reality and about themselves. It will take some time to recover from the fear, the anxiety and the uncertainty. We know this: Everything has changed!  It’s during these times we will ask questions we never even thought of before, like, where is God in all of this?

Summer is a season of growth and abundance in nature, and it can also be a time of growth in our faith. We will focus on ways to rejuvenate our faith and deepen our relationship with God. We need to cultivate spiritual disciplines, engage in intentional prayer, and seek God's guidance for our lives. God in His word encourages us to embrace a renewed and refreshed faith - but not to forget what He has done in our lives and what He's going to do!

During the summer we have more opportunities to spend time outdoors and engage with our community. As Jesus followers we are called to be salt and light in all our relationships. In other words, our actions, attitudes, and interactions with people can reflect who we say we are… or not. What kind of influence do you want to have?

In this fast-paced and busy world, we often neglect the importance of rest and its impact on our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. We will explore the concept of finding rest in God and how it can restore our souls. The Bible highlights God's invitation with practical ways to incorporate these things into our lives... especially during the summer season!

Gratitude seems to be one of those things that should come naturally. But, it doesn’t really. What does seem to come naturally is jealousy, greed, envy, self-pity, and resentment. But, God offers us forgiveness, companionship, grace, what we need to eat, beauty, strength, and Himself - and yet without the discipline of gratitude, we miss all of this. Unchecked over time, we become overly focused on what others have and what we seem to lack — digging ourselves into a hole of self-pity. And if we don't climb out... we'll miss the very goodness of God.

Everyone would like to be truly great. In our world's system, greatness is determined by what people think about you, what the media says about you, about your accomplishments, power, and wealth — and, to be honest, what YOU think of you. However, true greatness is defined very differently by God. Jesus was the greatest man who ever lived, but there's something about living like Him that 'gets us' every time. Something that holds us back, trips us up — and keeps us from the truly great life God has waiting for you and me.

To give, and everyone can, we have to limit what we keep for ourselves. It’s the same as the other parts of our spiritual work-out... if we ignore it, we won’t grow. So, if your goal is to be more like JESUS — to live like Him and love like Him — no matter where you live or how much you have, generosity absolutely, positively, needs to be part of your life.

Cultivate... it means, "to improve or develop by careful attention, training, or study; to devote time and thought to.” Today, we’re going to be talking about cultivating; how to cultivate love, joy, peace and patience. The Bible tells us to go deeper and discover the life-changing power of what is called “Fruit of the Spirit". Now, it won't happen all at once... it will take time, effort, and lots of prayer. Like, if you planted an apple tree in your backyard, would you expect to be baking a pie that night? Probably not! And, like a tree, when you grow by allowing God to change your heart over time, when you give Him permission to pull the weeds and prune the branches, when you intentionally pursue and practice love, joy, peace and patience, you'll be amazed by the harvest… how He will change the world through you!

We all know that communication is extremely important. It’s how one person gets to know another person. Prayer, at its core, is communicating with God. Like every conversation, it involves both talking and listening. But know this: prayer is not magic. There are no brownie points in Heaven for how long or how well you pray. God hears every prayer, however humble, and the requests of 'prayer warriors' are not given higher priority. It doesn't matter where you are or who you're with. GOD HEARS YOU.

New Series: “THE WORK-OUT: Preparing for What You Cannot Do"
News, government, social media, friends, teachers, ads - everyone wants to shape the way we think - knowing that it will influence how we spend, how we live, what we do, what we watch - and ultimately - who we are. What is almost completely missing in this is God’s perspective - the bigger picture of what He’s up to in our world. Without it, we're just making it up as we go. Is that good enough for you? Is that the way you want to live your one and only life?