"Oh, you are one of those bible believing Christians that believes the world was created in 7 days about 6,000 years ago. Blind faith, you have,” the scoffer chuckles to himself. He thinks to himself, “Another uniformed Christian.” He then says, "Haven’t you seen all the evidence that supports the fact that the earth is 4-6 billion years old? And that the fossil records prove an evolutionary process was at work to produce all life forms on the earth?” Smug, confident and imperious at this point. Our scoffer has made his point. Then you speak, "Well, yes to your first question and I’m not sure that is what the fossil records prove to the second question.” “You are talking Darwinian evolution and actually all you can show me is evidence of inner species development, not one large massive cellular explosion, unguided, unaided, that evolved from one single cell into every known species on the earth.” Feeling confident, you add, "There is not a shred of scientific evidence that can substantiate an argument for how life originated. Science can only observe what is and the process by which life evolved on a micro level." Our scoffer is now flummoxed. “Well… Darwin observed…"

Most hardcore scientific atheists hide behind a shroud of doubt and avoid the big question, where did all of life form come from? The origin. The unsatisfactory answer is given, molecules bumped into each other and formed a single cellular life and then began multiplying spontaneously. But cells don’t work that way. And where did they get the information needed for each added cellular function?

I guess my purpose is to build your confidence in an intelligent designer who was the master creator behind all things. To believe otherwise has no basis in reality. To believe in a creator God is backed by science.

One of the most common reasons people struggle with Christianity isn’t a lack of information—it’s what they’ve seen. Many have watched Christians say one thing and live another, and it raises an honest question: If the message is true, why don’t the messengers always reflect it? Join us as we talk about the reality of hypocrisy, why Jesus spoke so strongly against it, and where real hope is found for those who have been hurt by it—or who see it in their own lives. Our faith isn’t built on perfect people, but on a perfect Savior, and that changes everything.

In countless conversations over myriad legitimate intellectual questions of faith I have had with people over the years, one background experience is a common theme: for many people, God doesn’t feel real. Behind so many of our valid intellectual doubts is the issue of felt experience. Join us as we open up Psalm 63 and explore the question, “If God is real, why doesn’t he feel more real?”

Are the scriptures historically reliable? They are certainly good, moral, spiritual, and inspiring, but are they grounded in historical reality and do they (even try to) “get history right”? These are big, important questions. Questions that, as a historian, I personally care about deeply. Let’s enter into these inquiries with a look at the biographies of Jesus we call the “Gospels.” These narratives are central to our understanding of who Jesus is, what Jesus is up to, and what this whole thing we call Christianity is all about. But can they be trusted? More specifically, why do we think the Gospels “got the historical Jesus right.”

My neighbor paused thoughtfully before she spoke. It had been a typical small talk interaction until I answered a question of hers about something hard I was facing and mentioned my faith in Jesus. "You know, there's a lot I admire about Christianity," she finally said, "but I just can't buy that there's only one way to God, that there's only one truth." It's a question that many of us face as we make sense of the way of Jesus in a place like the South Bay: how can there be only one way? Join us as we learn from John 10, digging into the question "How can there be only one way?" and learn the surprising beauty of Jesus' claim to be the One who gives life and life abundantly.

Voltaire once said that if God didn’t exist, we would’ve invented him. There’s something deep within the human psyche that needs to follow after something. We crave it. Yet, we need to be careful that what we invent or what we follow after does not destroy us. The world is full of idols. A world that God created. They compete for allegiance. Our job is to pick our alliance well. It determines the course of our life.

I’ve been meditating on Jeremiah over the Christmas break. What it has come to reveal to me is that in this new year, our sole focus requires a realignment to one single voice that will not compete with others. A voice so particular, so steady, it does not stutter. It’s a voice in the wilderness crying out. Will we attune our ears? In other words, the Christian life comes down to being attentive to the voice of our creator. He calls out. He reveals his plan. He comforts. He draws us close. He affirms.

Have you ever driven somewhere and arrived with no memory of the trip, answered “good” when someone asked how you’re doing (without thinking), or wondered how it’s already that time of year? You’re not alone. We all go into autopilot through the seeming monotony of life. Sometimes we can go through seasons of life where it feels that way - busy, distracted, tired, and running on autopilot - even in our spiritual lives. Paul has a word for people like us, a word to walk wisely, and live like our time actually matters. Let's sit with Paul and ask the Lord to direct this year for us.

From the garden to the manger, God’s heart has always been to dwell with His people. Christmas isn’t the start of that story—it’s the center of it. Let’s celebrate the gift of Immanuel - God with us, now and forever!

What is the difference between a good story and good news? What is the difference between a good true story and good news? Stories are wonderful. Stories inspire us. Stories shape our imagination. Yet, in the famous angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds of Bethlehem, the angel did not claim to come with a good story; the angel claimed to come with good news. Join us as we continue this advent season by looking at Luke 2:8-12 and learning together to respond to the coming of Jesus as good news.

Christmas is a time for tradition. It’s a season wherein we are careful to do those special things that we’ve always done in the ways we’ve always done them. We throw the customary parties, invite the regular folks, eat the expected foods, sing the songs, drink the drinks, watch the movies, give the gifts. Christmas is that one time of year in which we can count on things running more or less as they always have. Ironically, the stories underlying the whole season—the stories of Christ’s birth—are tales of profound disruption. As we will see this Sunday, they are narratives of God’s story breaking and entering into ours. Some of us—most of us—need divine disruption this December. Let’s answer God’s invasive invitation into His story this Christmas!