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What does God want from us more than anything else? What will set us apart as His people and distinguish from those who don't believe? The prophet Micah answers these questions simply and succinctly. Ancient Israel had lost touch with what it meant to truly know God and society was collapsing all around. With a disconnect from God, there was no moral compass with how people should be valued and treated. There was no justice. There was no mercy. People had become hardened and careless. However, religion was thriving in Micah's generation, because it served as an effective substitute for a true relationship with God. It eased people's conscience while not demanding true devotion or change. So God raised Micah up to condemn the charades of his generation and call the people back home to true devotion. Listen as we discuss how Israel fell for religion's trap in the first place, and why we all should be on guard of its devices. Once we understand what God wants most from us, we will be properly compelled an

The first chapter of Acts is more of a continuation than it is a beginning. That's because it's literally part two of the story of Jesus and the movement He set in motion. For that reason, Acts 1 reflects on the foundation that has been laid in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and looks forward with confidence. In this message, we discuss how the certainty of Jesus' resurrection provides continual inspiration and momentum to the Church in every generation.

The Old Testament contains many efforts by God to breakthrough the hardened hearts of Ancient Israel, and the book of Hosea may be the most powerful and moving. God raised up Hosea as a prophet in a day when His people had turned from Him and charged them with committing spiritual adultery. In this message, we see how God led Hosea into a devastating personal struggle in order to reflect back at Israel the gravity of their unfaithfulness. Listen as we look at one of the most passionate displays of God's redeeming love in all the Bible.

After a tense stand-off with the Religious Leaders on the subject of sin and true righteousness, Jesus departs Israel on one of His most surprising missions ever. He takes His group north to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. Known for their notorious role of influencing the Jewish people in all the worst ways; thus any Jew seeking to maintain purity would never so much as look in that direction. Wanting to punctuate our inability to save ourselves and our reliance on God's grace, Jesus took the Gospel to this infamous people group. In this message, we see how unlimited God's mercy truly is to all who come to Him in humble, sincere faith. We also see how important it is to help bring people to Jesus who are unable to approach Him on their own. If we understand His grace's impact on us, we will be compelled to help everyone come to Him.

Welcome to our newest series, BLUEPRINTS- a study on the first generations of Jesus Followers and the path the paved in founding and building the Church. While the majority of this study will be rooted in the book of Acts, this introduction launches from Matthew 16, where Jesus Himself cast the original vision for His Church. Listen as we discuss the early church's motivation, mission, and power-source. If we want to follow in their footsteps, we will embrace the blueprints they left behind.

In this conclusion to our DISCIPLESHIP series, we study the last part of Jesus' prayer in John 17. Whereas the first part can be extracted from the text and applied to individuals, the last portion addresses every disciple as members of a collective body. What makes this so important is that it explicitly defines a true disciple as a faithful, engaged member of a community of God's people, set apart for His cause-- that is, a local church. Listen as we look back on the challenges, distractions and divisions that have plagued the church in America over the past few decades, forcing us all to return to God's Word for fresh wisdom and direction. We arrive at a pretty conclusive understanding that the future of the Church must be a return to true, devoted discipleship.

In Mark 7, Jesus peels back the religious facade of Ancient Israel and exposes the truth. The Religious Leader's' self-righteous efforts could not compensate for or remedy their sinful hearts. The most unfortunate part of this, however, was how the masses had been misled into relying on gimmicks and traditions to improve their standing with God. Listen as we discuss religion's inability to save and our heart's desperate need for God's grace.

In this message on Discipleship, we learn how Jesus actively intercedes for all of His followers to stay faithful and true. John 17 is a record of the prayer that He prayed on the last night of His earthly life, but it serves as a reminder of the daily intercession He offers for us. We unpack four discipleship truths, which direct us in realizing our full potential as believers. Rest assured, Jesus does not lord over us with pressure, but rather champions and empowers us through the Holy Spirit. We have the capacity and are fully capable to receive His help. It comes down to our willingness to surrender and readiness to serve Him above all.

John summarizes the Gospel as being an invitation to a new, deeper, full brand of life. This begins with understanding why Jesus died, but it continues with being transformed by His resurrection. This series is about realizing our true purpose as Christians in becoming devoted disciples of Jesus. At the crux of this distinction is possessing a genuine love for Jesus. He said that if we love Him, we will obey Him. In this opening message, we answer the question, "How can we fall in love with Jesus?" If we come to understand all that He 's done for us, love will come naturally, and with it, obedience.

In Christ, we all have been set apart for God's work. This message is about pursuing God's anointing and being best positioned to receive all He has to offer.

Most of us see acquiring money and possessions as one of our goals in life. Jesus tells us that these things are actually tools to attain a much greater goal in the afterlife. He spoke of "true riches" that we can only receive if we are faithful with and properly leverage our temporary riches. In this message, we hear Jesus cast His vision for how we should handle our money and possessions, and look back through the Scriptures for even more insight. Listen as we learn about the origins of tithing, the 23 % three-fold tithing system of Ancient Israel, and how all of this translates from Old to New Testament. Ultimately, we realize that our earthly goods are only as good as we leverage them for eternity. When we understand why God gives us any measure of wealth, we will be moved to honor Him with all of it. Generosity is an overflow of love. Just as God loves and gives, when we truly love Him, we will be compelled to give, thus tethering our hearts to His Kingdom above.

The Pharisees were self-designated as the religious elite of Israel. In an age where everyone was desperate to hear from God, they believed they were best positioned to get His attention and earn His approval. They boasted of their superiority and manipulated the religious system to magnify others' sinfulness. Naturally, Jesus and His Gospel upset the establishment and threatened to dismantle the hierarchal system. In this message, we hear Jesus' strong words against their self-righteousness and learn how empty their religion truly was. We also examine the current church and discuss if and how Mark 7 still resonates to this day.

In this message, we study why Jesus left the scene so abruptly in the aftermath of one of His most famous miracles. We also discuss Jesus' intentions in sending His followers into a storm and why this shouldn't cause us to lose heart at all. Listen and uncover a truth that Jesus' original audience so often missed...

Easter invites us to "come and see" what God has done to change our world and our lives. Rest assured, if there's any part of us that wonders if we can rise above our sorrows and sin, Easter also reminds us that Jesus is well acquainted with our brokenness. Once we understand that everything we need to know God and find new life is provided through Christ's death and resurrection, we will have unshakeable hope and peace.

A walk through Matthew 27, where we see how Satan's attempts to destroy Jesus actually created the platform for the Gospel. The redemptive power of God is on full display, from how He leverages evil for our salvation and how Jesus was forsaken in our place, for our forgiveness.

When the Gospel accounts reach the events of Passion Week it's as if time slows to a crawl. Every last detail is included as the story nears its climax. Thursday night, the last night of Jesus' life, is no exception. Matthew shares with us everything that transpired from that evening until deep into the night. Every expression of our fallen world is on full display and we witness Jesus navigating it all, feeling the intense gravity of the moment. Listen as we breakdown the Passover meal, the New Covenant, the high stakes of Gethsemane, Jesus' arrest and trial, and much more.

Every generation knows what it's like to want a revolution. From politics, to culture, to moral issues - we've all hoped and advocated for radical change. 2000 years ago, the people of Judea were desperate for a revolution. Many would-be revolutionaries had come and gone, being unable to put even a dent in Rome's armor. In this message, we look at how many had high hopes that Jesus would answer their cry and deliver Israel into a golden age. Jesus had indeed come to change everything, but His sights weren't set on Rome or any other worldly kingdom. Listen as we see how Jesus identified a much more deadly enemy and provided true, lasting salvation.

The allure of power and authority has captivated every mind once or twice across life. For those with a real shot at obtaining such privilege, it becomes a mesmerizing possibility. For the few that ascend to such heights, they can't imagine ever losing it and spend most of their rule wondering how they may retain it. In this message, we consider how Jesus was truly a king like none other. He had within His grasp all that any man could ever want and He turned it all down. Not only that, He laid His down His supremacy and leveraged His power to arrange the most perplexing of realities: His own death. Listen as we marvel at Jesus' choice to decline the offer to be a king, choosing rather to sacrifice His life for something He valued much more.

Few chapters of the Bible speak to us all as powerfully as John 11. It contains deep theological insight and revelatory practical wisdom. As we walk through this famous account, we discuss: - How Jesus response/delay to a dear friend's need offers vital perspective for our own trials - Martha's willingness to trust Jesus without knowing all the details of His plan - Jesus' emotion in the face of brokenness offers us great comfort - Lazarus death and resurrection is commentary on our sinful condition and potential spiritual transformation

The Redemption Plan involved atonement from the very beginning. God initially warned Adam and Eve that rebellion would result in death. However, in His mercy and grace He chose an animal to die in their place. In this message, we chronicle God's promise to provide a substitute to pay our penalty from Genesis to Exodus to the Gospels. We discuss all of this and more: - The reason a sacrifice is required to atone for sin - How Passover was a display of God's Wrath and God's Mercy - Why sin deceives us into *thinking* we are independent and free only to set us up for shame - What makes Jesus the ultimate substitute for our sin