Celebration Center

Jesus often gives commands that seem backwards from anything we hear elsewhere in the world around us. As part of His famous 3-step command to living life, Jesus first says that we must be people who deny ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we mope around in life having no fun. Instead, Jesus is calling us to give up our old ways of doing things and enter into the abundant life of Christ.

All throughout history we deal with sickness, injury, and death. Through various situations we pray and either see God heal, doctors heal, or ultimate healing where people pass from this world and into the presence of Jesus. How do we process through these times when it feels like our prayers aren’t answered, or we feel like God isn’t healing the way he does in scripture? Ultimately we will see that He is sovereign and healing doesn’t always look/work the way we think…

Our life is full of appointments. Some we look forward to, others we avoid or are late to on purpose. What do we do when we are dreading an appointment? To the Dr? To the Dentist? What about when we have an appointment with God and we REALLY don’t like what is currently happening in life. Will be listen to his prescription and look for His will, or will we live in disappointment with his path, and where we currently are in it?

There is no amount of sin in our lives that can separate us from the love of God. If we are willing to confess, He is willing to forgive. We can live pure lives because God promises us forgiveness through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our part is to repent and believe, that is the message we are given throughout the New Testament to experience new life in Jesus.

Sometimes we are tempted to be discouraged because of what seems like wasted time, wasted opportunity, or wasted potential. However, God promises us that He will use all things in our lives to work out His plans. Nothing is wasted when God is involved, His goodness abounds in all things.

Life has a way of throwing all kinds of trials our way. It might be disappointment, mistakes, sickness, persecution or loss, but through it all, God promises to offer us grace that is sufficient for whatever season we’re in. We learn to rejoice in everything, because we know that His grace is enough.

It’s sweet to know that when we find life to be overwhelming, God has offered rest for us. When we find ourselves weary and burdened, sometimes it’s because we have taken on a yoke or a way of living that comes from the world rather than from God. Living to please others can be crushing, but finding God is already pleased with us offers us rest.

Giving, something that some churches never talk about or maybe talk about too much. Sometimes we can feel like we are being manipulated into giving money, or maybe we even thing tithing is only an Old Testament principle? Money talks, and something it says is “Give Me.” Scripture speaks a lot of giving, and even says that THIS is the area to test God… Giving says a lot about priority, obedience, faith, and trust!

“In God We Trust” is printed on all American currency…paper and coin. We see it, we read it, but do we actually LIVE by it? Trusting money can seem easier and more convenient, but it may not always lead us in the way that God directs in scripture. How do we differentiate trusting God vs Trusting the almighty dollar, and what is the difference between the two? Money offers us something, but God offers us something else!

Missions are important, so important that the last command Jesus gave on Earth was to go to the world and spread the message of His love. Today we will hear from the Mexico Missions team, and learn about how we all can be a part of the Great Commission.

Are you uncertain how to know God’s voice. “Is that thought from God or not? Is that the Holy Spirit or just an impression, or idea of my own? How can I know when God is speaking to me? Acts chapters 10 and 11 is full of the amazing story of how Simon Peter, the former Jewish fisherman - now a disciple/apostle of Jesus – is directed by God to take the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles - something that had never been done before - and something no orthodox Hebrew would ever consider doing, because it was unlawful. Join us we see how Peter learned to know when God was speaking to him.

The story of the Prodigal’s son is one of the most well-known stories in all of Scripture. However, it holds so much more weight when you know just how important it was that that father didn’t simply wait for the son to come home, and instead actively sought it out.

Money itself is not evil. Besides saving, giving, serving…money is also used for spending—it’s a tool. The key here is not overindulging or squandering, but to use it with discretion, and to understand that the money we have REALLY isn’t ours in the first place. We have to shift our mind from owning/spending money, to STEWARDING the money God has given us responsibility with.

Saving is not something that’s talked about much in church. Of course, financial gurus the world over would instruct you to build a sound savings plan in preparation for retirement. But where is the balance between being a wise saver or a simple hoarder? On the other end of the spectrum, we’re told that our generation, and the ones after us, won’t be able to retire because we’ve entirely neglected the principles of saving and investing. The question then becomes not how much money you should have, but how to honor God with the money you do have.

God invites you to a better way of working. A way where you earn money through purposeful work, through serving God, rather than chasing money. Both ways—the relentless chase and the purposeful service—involve work, but the pace is different, the pursuit is different, and ultimately the posture of the heart is different. Both ways result in income, but God’s way doesn’t come at the expense of all of the people and things most important in your life. Do you want your money to say, “Chase me!”? Or do you want to teach it to recite a different script?

Money talks! Money talks a lot and if we aren’t careful can become an Idol in our life. One of the biggest things money says is “Serve Me.” But the bible is clear that we can’t serve two masters, so how to we make sure that we are good stewards and God honoring with what He has blessed us with?

If we aren't careful, our walk with Jesus can look like a hot mess, and that directly ties to our faith and trust in Him. Sometimes we have to look past our doubts and fears, take the leap, and let Him catch us when we fall. Scary, yes. Worth it, absolutley!

We all are called to some sort of work. For many, this looks like a 9-5 job that ends in retirement. For others, it is the responsibility of being a stay-at-home mom. No matter what we call our job, it can often feel like a hot mess, as if nothing is going our way. This week, we dive into what the Bible says about the work we do, our perspective on it, and even how to respond in order to keep peace.

There are many ways to make sure you stay up to date on your daily routine or schedule. However, no amount of fancy technology can help with a schedule that is just too full. This week, we pull from the Bible practical steps you can take when your schedule seems like a hot mess, and how we can make sure we are keeping the main thing, the main thing.

Join us as we have special guest, Pastor Matt Venable from Restoration Point Church in Tacoma, shares with us on Godly Words and their impact on our our lives and those around us.