Life can feel like being stuck in exile sometimes. Life is full of loss, grief, and sorrow that makes us long for something more. But Jesus meets his people in exile. Peter begins his letter by addressing the "elect exiles" and begins to unpack how our salvation is a Trinitarian endeavor. He is our God and we are his people! He meets us in our lowest, darkest times and he will be with us in our exile to the very end!

Simon Peter goes fishing. But he hasn't caught a thing until Jesus tells him to cast his net on the other side of the boat. What is really going on in this story? What deeper truth is buried under the surface? Find out with us as we explore John 21

In this Easter Sunday sermon on John 20 we look at Thomas. Oftentimes people use Thomas as an example of what not to do, so much so that he's called "Doubting Thomas". But doubt comes to us all more easily than we'd like to admit. But John doesn't highlight Thomas as a warning against doubt, he highlights Thomas for his faith in the midst of his doubt. Thomas needed a Scarred God and so do we.

It's so hard to acknowledge that you need help. But it's even harder to ask for help if you're able to accept that you need it. Where does our help come from? Jesus gives us a window into this in the upper room. He says the helper is coming , but first He must leave us for a while. Would you rather see Jesus face to face or have The Helper indwelling you. Jesus says the helper is better. But do we really believe that?

The way that Jesus talks about discipleship is different than the way we think about discipleship. We may be able to say how to find eternal life in Jesus, but what about life now? How do we change and grow and experience the newness of life that Jesus offers us? In this sermon on John 15, Jesus teaches us what it means to abide in him so that we might bear fruit and experience new life.

Jesus makes extraordinary promises about the Triune God in John 14. Anchor your soul to the Spirit of God. Anchor your heart to Jesus. And anchor your mind to the Father. Our Comforting God will give you peace!

Why did Jesus wash his disciples' feet? The footwashing story is central to Christianity and what it means to be followers of Jesus. His display of sacrificial, self-giving love is the example he leaves us to also love another, yet we so often fall short and get stuck in our discipleship. In this sermon on John 13, we look at why Jesus humiliated himself to wash his disciples' feet and what it means for us as followers of this Footwashing God.

What is the meaning of Judges 19? The downward spiral of Judges culminates in this story in the most horrific chapter in the Bible. The writer wants us to see the depths of evil that have overtaken the people of God. Yet, in the midst of all the depravity and evil, through the silent sacrifice of the woman, Jesus is giving us the blueprint for how he will identify with the suffering and destroy evil. Join us on the journey to study the scripture and grow closer to Christ.

The story of Samson has been told by the likes of veggie tales and C.S. Lewis, but is by no standard "safe for the whole family." In this sermon on Judges 16 we see God extending grace to Samson in his death when Samson finally chose weakness instead of strength. As we look to find Jesus in this passage it may be hard to see. Where is the "good news" in this story? Where is the gospel? Where is Jesus? He is the better Samson.

Judges 10 tells the strange story of Jephthah. In this story we see Jephthah make a rash vow to the Lord that has severe consequences for his daughter. Yet how does this story point to Christ?

Gideon is a complex character in the Bible. We see him doing righteous acts, but for what reason? Gideon's story shows us that there's an altar buried deep within us, and on top of that altar, is the idol of self. It's the last idol that must be torn down as we learn to consecrate our lives to the Lord.

Judges 4 begins with "the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD sold them into the hand of the king of Canaan." In this story of vengeance and violence, God uses Deborah, Barak, and Jael to deliver his people. But you might ask, "how does this passage point to Jesus"? It might be hard to see, but in this story, God is keeping His promise to bring a savior to crush the head of the serpent!

Judges tells the story of what happens when God's people lay aside God's mission. It's the tragic tail of Israel's downward spiral into spiritual decay and corruption. As we begin this series we look at what happened as a result of laying aside God's mission and the destructive cycle it creates.

The Word. It's a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. In this sermon we begin the new year by reminding ourselves of the importance of God's word. What is it and what is happening when we read it. We hope this sermon encourages you in devoting yourself to reading God's word.

John was killed for doing what he was born to do, to call people to repent and follow God. Why didn't God protect John? What does this passage teach us about repentance and setting the course of our lives towards God?

Why does God not heal His people when they call on His name? This is surely the question in John's mind when he he asks Jesus "Are You The One?" And why wouldn't Jesus deliver John of all people? Instead John remains in prison and dies a horrible death. These are the hardest of questions but we can begin to unravel the "why" in Matthew 11.

In Luke 3, John speaks for the first time in the Gospel of Luke and in his first words he calls the crowd a "brood of vipers.” How is John preparing the way for the Lord with this language? His call to repentance awakens a sleepy people of God and he moves them towards being ready for the coming of the Lord. Are you ready for his coming and how does John teach us what that actually means?

In this story Zechariah goes from fearful silence to joyful song. What does Zachariah the priest learn from this silence? He learns faith. What would you do to gain faith? This passage show us that God meets us in our silence and builds our faith!

Two mothers begin a conversation and one of the babies "leapt for joy." This was a supernatural moment. One of these babies was John the Baptist and the other was Christ himself. So tiny in His mother's womb, maybe just an inch long. But these women, filled with the Spirit, knew exactly what was happening, and the significance of these two children not yet born. We pray you'll be encouraged by this sermon from Luke 1:39-45.

God breaks His 400 year silence with, of all things, a birth announcement? This, however, is no ordinary baby. He was born to prepare the way for the Lord as the prophet Isaiah foretold. But this story is actually about Zachariah, his father. We find an incredibly encouraging message 2000 years later buried just under the surface of this story!