The Nativity. It’s one of the most recognizable and most popular scenes of Christian art that recounts the birth of Jesus and His adoration. You know the elements: the baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, cattle, sheep, a donkey, and often wise men. But is this fully accurate? And how does knowing this story and our familiarity with it impact our lives today?

Message by Doug Applegate

Scripture referenced: Luke 2:4-7, 16, 20

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The Christmas season can evoke a mixture of memories and emotions. For some, it truly is "the most wonderful time of the year" but for others, loss, loneliness and relational dysfunction are magnified amidst the festivities.

Join Will Herron, Ridge Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how the message of Christmas can speak lasting hope into our lives whatever our experience within the season.

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Christmas is full of beauty and grace. It brings peace and comfort, reassurance of God’s profound love for us. That’s the story we tell. And it’s true. But there’s something — someone — we often overlook. Herod. When he realized he had been tricked by the wise men who came seeking the newborn king, in fury, Herod killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under. That first Christmas was filled with pain, suffering and hurt. And there has been weeping each Christmas since.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Matthew 2

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In our final episode in the Habbakuk series, we turn our attention to joy. In contrast to happiness, joy is not something dictated by circumstance but a permanent underlying presence in our life. But how and where can we find such joy?

Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how Habbakuk found joy in the midst of serious challenge and hardship.

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Have you ever asked God for something or been in a situation you knew God had the capacity to do something, but He didn’t? That’s where Habakkuk is here in the last verses of chapter 3. So what does he do? What do we do in those situations? Hint: We find joy. 

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Habakkuk 3:12–19

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For many of us, forgetfulness is an unwelcome attribute we live with. Whether we are naturally prone to it or we just get distracted with the business of life, it's easy for us forget who God is and what He has done. So how can we become a people of remembrance rather than forgetfulness? And how does remembering help us navigate the difficult seasons in our lives?

Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss why remembering what God has done is so important and explore some practical ways to incorporate this practice into our lives.

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Life was hard enough for Habakkuk, and then he got even more bad news. What do we do when life is like that? It’s so easy to get consumed by problems, responsibilities, pain, suffering. Challenges distract us and cause us to forget when what we should be doing is remembering.

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Habakkuk 3:1–11

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You don't have to look far in the Bible to see people worshipping idols. Whether it's statues of wood, figures carved into stone, or a golden calf, ancient people displayed a tendency to elevate such things to a god-like status. Not many people in our region are doing this today, so why is the topic of idols still relevant? What does idolatry look like in the modern day, and how do we go about identifying and freeing ourselves from idolatry in our own lives?

Join Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss these questions and more on this week's post sermon discussion.

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We left off in chapter two of Habakkuk after looking at the Biblical definitions of discipline and wrath. We pick up in verse five, which gives some insight into why God was about to release His wrath on the Israelites, handing them over to the Babylonians. Hint: It has something to do with idol worship. But if we aren’t creating golden calves or primitive statues today, is this really relevant to us today?

Message by Mike Van Rees

Scripture referenced: Habakkuk 2:5–19

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It is both encouraging and mind blowing to think that the God of the universe is working in our lives today. And yet what does that work look like exactly? How can we grow to acknowledge and respond to it?

Join Ridge Marketing and Communication Director, Dayne Logan, and BTS host Will Herron, as they reflect on God's loving work in our lives and explore how we can learn to embrace it even when it's challenging.

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