For many people in the world, believing in God may not necessarily be a far reach. But believing in Jesus? Furthermore, believing that it was necessary for Jesus to die in order for us to receive forgiveness of sins? That, they would say, is a step too far. In this week's message from Exodus 11–13, Pastor J.D. takes us through the story of the Passover, showing us the mercy of God for the Israelites. Ultimately, this mercy would find expression in Jesus, the true Passover Lamb and our only hope of forgiveness.

Throughout Scripture, God uses various means to show that he is far more transcendent and powerful than any false gods that people choose to worship. In this week's message from Exodus 7–10, Pastor Bryan explains how in sending plagues on the Egyptians, God demonstrates not only his power and might, but also immense grace and kindness in confronting idols. It is through these plagues that God comes close and reveals himself to Israel as a God who desires to be known—and ultimately, to dwell with his people.

Our obedience to God doesn't necessarily guarantee that things in our life won't go wrong, or that we won't fail. And yet, that's a hard pill to swallow—if we're obeying God, surely everything will fall into place, right? In this week's message from Exodus 4–6, Pastor J.D. shows us how Moses faced this very struggle in his first confrontation with Pharaoh. Ultimately, God allowed Moses to fail not because he was cruel, but as a demonstration of his saving power and unmatched glory.

When we are overwhelmed by a particular challenge or even just by life itself, feelings of insecurity can threaten to take over. In this week's message from Exodus 3 and 4, Pastor J.D. walks us through Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush. Though Moses felt completely unprepared for the assignment in front of him, God provided reassurance that was rooted in his unchanging nature. This reassurance addressed what Moses needed the most, and what we need the most in the face of life's challenges and trials: the very presence of God himself.

Waiting can be an incredibly frustrating experience, perhaps because it exposes something that we all feel at various times: a longing for control. In this week's message from Exodus 2, Pastor Curtis helps us to see how Moses' time in Midian, a period of waiting, was ultimately used by God as a crucial time of preparation. When we try to take matters into our own hands, we often learn how elusive control really is. But when we wait on God, truly learning to rely on him, we are reminded that he is a God who hears the cries of his people and delivers them.

Rescue. Salvation. Deliverance. These words characterize the story of the book of Exodus, as God frees his people from slavery in Egypt in an amazing display of power and might. As we begin a new series through the first half of Exodus, Pastor J.D. shows us from the first two chapters what we can learn about God's work of salvation on a broad scale, as well as in our individual lives. And often, the very aspects of our lives that we consider weak, broken, or useless are what God uses to write a beautiful story of redemption.

The older we get, the greater the realization of just how fleeting our lives truly are, a realization that is often heightened with the dawn of a new year. As we begin 2025, this week's message from Pastor Curtis focuses on Psalm 90, the only psalm we know that was written by Moses. What Moses petitioned the Lord for is something that we would be wise to pursue as well: a godly perspective on how we spend our lives and a heart of wisdom.

In this short message from Deuteronomy 8, Pastor Rich highlights how the Israelites were cautioned not to forget God as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. In the same way, we should take care to remember and give thanks to God for each of his gifts, the greatest of which is Jesus. As we remember that “every good and perfect gift is from above,” it inevitably produces in us a greater sense of humility and a heightened awareness of God’s goodness. 

Ask just about anyone how they define “blessed,” and it will likely be far different than how Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel, and even Mary herself defined it. In this week's message from Luke 1, Pastor J.D. takes us through the Magnificat, Mary's song of praise and thanksgiving to God. The truths that we learn from this song—largely based in the Psalms—point to a God whose presence and promises anchor our hope, even when it doesn't feel like Christmas. 

While everyone experiences grief differently, the fact is that grief itself is universal. Living in a world broken by sin, none of us will escape it—and yet, we can still grieve as those who have hope because of what Jesus has done for us. In this week's message from Psalm 137, Pastor Bryan helps us view grief through a gospel lens. By remembering God's goodness and sharing our grief with him, we will be in a better position to minister to others who are going through trials and hardships.