The parting of the Red Sea was not only an epic moment in Israel's history, but an event that would become the most frequent image of salvation in the Old Testament. In this week's message from Exodus 13–15, Pastor J.D. shows us how this defining moment became a marker for the Israelites to look back on when their faith faltered. In the same way, when we are tempted to doubt God's goodness in our lives, we can remember his faithfulness to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

We know that there are people in need all around us. We know that, as followers of Jesus, we are called to do something about it. But often, the difficulty lies in knowing how best to help. In this week’s message from Luke 10, Pastor J.D. unpacks the parable of the Good Samaritan, a story which beautifully illustrates how showing compassion toward those who are most vulnerable reflects the very heart of God. How might he be calling you to help meet the needs of those you encounter this week?

The power of the gospel to change people cannot be underestimated, and we see examples of this riddled throughout the book of Acts. In this week's message from Acts 8, Pastor John highlights the example of Philip, whose changed life had a profound impact on those around him. Likewise, when we have been truly changed by the gospel, we cannot help but share the good news and meet the needs of those in proximity to us. 

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.