In this message from Winter Weekend, Brett Avery challenges students with the question, “How do you want to be remembered?” He emphasizes that life is not about personal success or self-promotion but about glorifying Jesus. Drawing from Ephesians 4, he urges the audience to live a life worthy of God’s calling by embracing humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Avery critiques the self-centered culture perpetuated by social media and personal ambition, reminding listeners that true purpose is found in serving Christ and making Him known. Through personal anecdotes and biblical truths, he calls students to reject the lie of self-fulfillment and instead dedicate their lives to reflecting Jesus in everything they do.

In the message “This I Keep On Doing”, Seth delivers a message centered on Romans 7, exploring the struggle between sin and spiritual maturity. He discusses humanity’s innate addiction to sin, comparing it to modern-day habits like phone usage. Using biblical examples, including Adam and Eve and the Apostle Paul, he highlights how sin is both addictive and persistent. Phipps emphasizes that despite our best efforts, we continue to fall into sin, echoing Paul’s words: “What I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.” The key to overcoming this struggle, he asserts, is not through sheer willpower but through finding contentment in Jesus. The message concludes with a call to embrace salvation, recognizing that true deliverance from sin comes through Christ, not through human effort.

Ken explores the themes of patience, perseverance, and daily faithfulness, comparing them to the diligent work of farmers and the enduring faith of prophets. Through real-life examples and actionable steps like practicing gratitude, prayer, and kindness, Ken challenges listeners to build a strong spiritual foundation.

In this episode, Seth Phipps unpacks the call to holiness in his message, Because I Said So. Drawing from 1 Peter 1:13-16, he explores the meaning of holiness as being ‘set apart’ and emphasizes the importance of spiritual maturity in a world full of distractions and challenges. Seth delves into common obstacles to holiness, such as entitlement, apathy, and pride, and shares practical steps to overcome them, including resisting evil desires and standing firm in faith. This thought-provoking message challenges listeners to live with purpose, pursue a life aligned with God’s will, and commit to daily reflection and growth. A powerful episode for anyone seeking to deepen their walk with Christ!

In this episode, we dive into James 4:13-17 with Kyle Kenyon, exploring the theme of surrendering control to God and living in alignment with His will. Kyle challenges us to confront the pitfalls of boasting, self-reliance, and worldly distractions, emphasizing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of prioritizing eternal values. Through scripture and practical insights, we learn to trust in God’s perfect plan, walk in the Spirit, and embrace our true identity as children of God. Join us for this thought-provoking discussion on living faithfully in a fleeting world.

The message “You Know: Week 1” by Seth Phipps centers on spiritual growth and transformation, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging personal struggles and actively pursuing change. Drawing from Isaiah 43, the speaker urges the audience to reflect on their lives and ask how they can grow spiritually in the new year. The sermon highlights God’s power to create new beginnings and calls believers to “claim, confess, and confront” areas of weakness or sin to experience renewal. Seth uses relatable anecdotes and scriptural insights to inspire listeners to align their lives with God’s purpose and glorify Him in all endeavors.

In this lesson, Kyle teaches from James 4:1-12, focusing particularly on verse 8. He begins by establishing the historical context of James, explaining that it was written around 50-52 AD by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who initially didn't believe in Christ but became a devoted follower after witnessing the resurrected Jesus (referencing Matthew 13:55, Acts 21, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-7). The main message centers on what to do when feeling distant from God, emphasizing that God doesn't move away from us - we move away from Him through sin and worldliness. Shuler explains that drawing near to God requires two key steps from James 4:8: "cleansing your hands" (confessing and repenting of sin) and "purifying your hearts" (aligning our thoughts and attitudes with God's will). He concludes with a personal testimony about his own period of spiritual distance during his college years, using his experience as a cautionary tale about the dangers of becoming too friendly with worldly influences.

The lesson focuses on James 3:13-18, where Byan explores the difference between earthly wisdom and godly wisdom that comes "from above." He uses an analogy contrasting knowing a subway system's complete layout (mere knowledge) versus knowing how to drive a car skillfully (practical wisdom) to illustrate that true wisdom isn't just about having knowledge, but about rightly applying knowledge in a godly way. He outlines six characteristics of godly wisdom from the passage: being pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, merciful, and impartial/sincere. Byan concludes by pointing to Jesus as the perfect embodiment of true wisdom, who despite having all power and authority, demonstrated meekness and gentleness in service to God's kingdom.

Byan dove into James 3:1-12 to talk about how powerful our words can be, for better or worse. Using James' comparisons of the tongue to things like a horse's bit, a ship's rudder, and fire, he showed how something as small as our tongue can have a huge impact on our lives and others. With Christmas around the corner, he challenged the group to think carefully about how they'll use their words during family gatherings - will they choose to build people up or tear them down? He pointed out that when we say mean things about others, we're actually disrespecting God's creation, and encouraged everyone to be the kind of person who speaks "words of life" instead.

James 2:14-26