Being engaged in church is about more than merely attending Sunday services. We want to be a church unchurched people love to attend. In order to be that kind of church, we need the help of people who share our passion for leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you share that passion, you can fully engage in the life of the church by doing four things: Connect. Serve. Give. Invite. September 25, 2016
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When we’re in the midst of pain and suffering, it can feel like we’ll never be happy again, nothing good can come from our circumstances, and there’s no reason to continue living. But those are lies. God can redeem, use, and work through our pain. And when he does, we eventually have the opportunity to comfort others. There is a “Fellowship of Suffering.†People who’ve suffered are uniquely equipped and qualified to comfort people who are suffering. September 18, 2016
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Jesus told his followers that unavoidable trials aren’t aberrations; they are expectations. They can actually serve a beneficial purpose. Why? Because God can redeem, use, or work through the undeserved, unavoidable, circumstantial trials in our lives. But in order for that to happen, we have to believe and persevere. September 11, 2016
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What do you do when life hasn’t gone in the direction you hoped or wanted it to go and there’s nothing you can do to change your circumstances? What do you do when you’re living in “the meantime� If you’ve ever been In the meantime or if you’re currently in the meantime, you can’t help but conclude you’ll never be happy again, nothing good can come from your circumstances, and there’s no point in continuing. Can it really be true that God will make things right? September 4, 2016
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What do you do when there’s nothing you can do? Relationally, financially, professionally, physically, or academically, It just is what it is. There’s nothing you can do to change your situation. Challenging circumstances can make you jealous or resentful. They can make you angry with God. They can breed discontentment. But the problem with discontentment is that it can drive you in self-destructive directions that will eventually leave you with regret. So, what is the secret of finding contentment even when times are tough? August 28, 2016
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Every once in a while, we run into people stuck in unchangeable, unalterable, in-the-meantime circumstances who get to the place where they’re able and willing to receive their circumstances, their afflictions, their illnesses, their losses, and their disabilities as coming from the hand of their heavenly Father. How do these people maintain extraordinary faith despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances? Where do they find the peace that characterizes their lives? August 21, 2016
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What do we do when our circumstances are so challenging there’s no way forward and no way out? We have problems for which there seem to be no solutions. We have questions without answers. During times like these, we’re tempted to run or give up. We’re tempted to give in to jealousy, resentment, and anger . . . especially anger toward God. That’s because when life gets hard, it feels like God is absent, apathetic, or angry. But what if he isn’t? Is it possible to hang on to joy, hope, and patience in the meantime? August 14, 2016
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We all want autonomy. We all want to be in charge of our own destinies. It’s good to be king. That desire is natural, but it’s also problematic because it can cause us to drift toward isolation. We need the forced, sometimes uncomfortable, structured relationships that groups provide. You need community and somebody in community needs you. August 7, 2016
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When Jesus’ earliest followers invited people to come and see him, they weren’t trying to explain something. They were inviting others to experience someone. A living example is better than a lengthy explanation. If people don’t like what they see in us, they won’t come and see with us. But how do we know who, when, and why to offer an invitation? July 31, 2016
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You may have wondered, How did the church get started? Why do people all over the world gather together every week to worship God? From the earliest days of the church until today, people become followers of Jesus in the exact same way: through an invitation. July 24, 2016
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