Malachi 3: The Israelites were experiencing a gap between what they expected from God and what they were experiencing through God. It’s pivotal that we know God — His nature, character and attributes, His love and kindness, His righteousness and His justice. It is important for us to know all of Him.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Malachi 2:17–3:5

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As we continue in the book of Malachi, our focus turns to marriage and faithfulness to God. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore three "Cs" to a healthy marriage, and discuss why the Bible's teaching on marriage still holds true.

Additional Resources: for more info on getting connected into a community group at The Ridge click here.

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Behind Malachi's words in verses 10–16, we see that God is all about covenant. We’ll take a closer look at the concept of covenant — what it is and what it means. Hint: It's not a contract. It's a partnership — a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sounds like God's design for marriage.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Malachi 2:10–16

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Do you enjoy confrontation? If so, you are in the vast minority! Most people will do anything to steer clear of challenging conversations. So how do we go about preparing ourselves for confrontational dialogue? And how become more open to receiving critique from others? 

John Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees and BTS host, Will Herron, as they discover how confrontation, though challenging, can end up being an unexpected gift to both parties.

Additional Resources: for more info on getting connected into a community group at The Ridge click here.

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Some passages in the Bible that inspire. Some passages guide us. And some that we’d just rather avoid completely. Rather than just skipping over these verses, if we dig in, we can figure out what God means. And what this one is really about is confrontation.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Malachi 2:1–9

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This week we took a break from our series in Malachi and spent time in the book of Ruth. One of the primary questions the story provokes in us is this: How do we go about making wise decisions in our lives? And when we make poor choices, how can we use those failures as a means to grow rather than regress in our faith?

Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Leadership and Ministry Director Julie Wiemann as they discuss how we can know God's guidance in the present while experiencing freedom from our past failures.

Book referenced in this episode: "Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts" by Jennie Allen

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The folks at The BibleProject describe the book of Ruth this way: a beautifully crafted look at how God’s purpose interplays with human decision. See how this worked in the lives of Elimelech and Naomi, their sons, as well as their daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. And learn, too, what this means for us and our lives today.

Message by Julie Wiemann

Scripture referenced: Ruth 1:1–19

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As we continue in The Book of Malachi, we learn that the Israelites were giving God their leftover animals as sacrifices. While we're not in the business of offering up animal sacrifices today, we can still be guilty of giving God our second best.

Are you giving God your leftovers? 

Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss how we can cultivate a heart of love for God that motivates us to give God our best.

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The first few verses of Malachi 1 tells us this: God loves us. A few verses later, though the question is turned: Do we love God? If we read on, Malachi reveals that love isn’t just a word or a feeling. It’s something you can see. If you love somebody, it shows.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Malachi 1:6–14

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Within the first few words of the book of Malachi, God is reminding the Israelites of His love for them. God loves us in the same way yet sometimes it's easy to forget. Sometimes miss the various ways He expresses that love in our lives.  

Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss ways in which we can remain aware of God's presence and provision in our lives in the coming year.

Resources: The New Bible Commentary, How Not to Read the Bible – (Navigating difficult passages in the Bible)

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