First Champaign-urbana

"One and done" and "One hit wonder" are phrases that signify a great impact for a moment or a season. Often times when we hear this we think of a band who had only one major hit song or a team who wins a championship, never to win it again. Lucky for us, the church is not a "one hit wonder" and consistently does good for people and their communities. Are you in?

There's no person so small and insignificant that they can't bless their community. So, how can we move our communities to restoration? When a lot of us think of what it means to lead, we think about our position. But what matters most is our posture.

When the going gets tough, the tough...are hard to find. A lot of us struggle to see things through and finish things out. But opposition is a part of our growth. How we endure struggles and hardship can determine whether or not we will finish the task that God has called us to.

To experience heartbreak is painful. Having an unshakable heartache can feel intolerable. The burden can become our purpose in life, our motivation to respond, or our reason to change the world around us. What if the aching in our heart is more than heartburn? What if the burn is what our heart yearns for? The restoration of our communities and people is one of God’s burning passions. Is it yours?

When we look around our communities, we can see woundedness and brokenness. A better community doesn’t just happen. Wishful thinking can't stand on its own. It requires this burden for change and the motivation to be a catalyst, but most of all it starts with a heart for our community.

What does it really mean to help somebody grow? How do you know when to press in, and when to hold back? When we truly live life together, and are genuinely there for one another, God puts us into the perfect type of community. A community that spurs each other on and grows together allows us to become the people God created us to be.

“You’re with me, but are you really with me?” Have you ever felt like that about someone close to you? Sometimes we can unintentionally communicate that we aren't fighting for the ones we claim to love. How so? Well, sometimes simply being present isn’t enough. We need to have each other’s backs too.

“I love my church!” Of course we want everyone to say that, but what does that even mean? Does it mean we love the messages, we love the music, or maybe we just love what our church has to offer our kids? Those aren't bad reasons, but at its heart, “I love the church" should mean one thing first and foremost—that we love people.

When the church is flourishing it reflects a community of love, compassion and care to everyone. A place where people of every background, life stage, ethnicity and economic status can find their home. It’s time to be the church where we live work and play. "ALL IN" ON 3!

Giving is an act of vulnerability. Nothing exposes our desires more than how we give of ourselves. Sacrifice, service, and generosity collectively point to the depth of our hearts. Let's honestly and openly evaluate what it truly takes to give our time, talent, and treasures.

Pressure and hardship tend to expose a person’s character. When was the last time life smacked you in the face and did not go as you hoped? Very often in those times of conflict and hardship we tend to go through it alone. However, when we are a part of a community we have people who can walk through hard times with us. Ultimately, through this, our character is refined and a community is impacted.

When we gather with our whole family - we often call it a reunion. Reunions are times to retell old family stories to remember who we have been and snap pictures of 3rd and 4th generations to capture who we are becoming. The church is a family - a family that gathers and meets people where they are. A family without purpose can drift off course, however, a family with healthy intention can leave a positive legacy that lasts throughout generations. Invite your family and friends to join us as we continue to build our legacy.

In the midst of everything that doesn’t make sense there are a couple of clear paths to choose… toil away in meaninglessness, or trust God. This is easier said than done, but we believe that finding true meaning in life is a choice we can make.

Many people spend a lot of time trying to avoid the inevitable reality of death. Spoiler alert… we won’t live forever. People obviously handle this in a variety of ways. Some of us obsess over it, some of us try to ignore it, and some of us cling to one form of faith or another. On Sunday we’ll talk about how we can find meaning in life, even in the face of death.

It seems like the worst stuff happens to the best people, and the worst folks seem to keep catching breaks. Why does it seem like God is okay with that and what are we supposed to do with that? This week we will dive into this mystery and see there actually is a way to move forward in life without understanding things that don’t seem fair.

Ever feel like you’re trying to “keep up with the Joneses” getting stuff you don’t really need to impress people you don’t really like? Money, property, cars, status, fame… and on and on it goes. A lot of the things we chase in life fail to deliver on their promises to fulfill us. Is there more to life than the rat race for more, more, more.

There are many cliches people often say about time—“We’re in a race against time...” “Time is money...” “I don’t have the time…” Does it ever seem like time is a burden instead of a blessing? Well, what if we could take back time? Not like time travel… but what if we quit buying the lies we believe about the value of a day, month, year, and lifetime and saw time as a blank slate we could use to honor God?

There are some mysteries in life that don’t get answered. You may be surprised to find out that the Bible is comfortable with this. We all have a choice to make when confronted with the grand mysteries of life… we must ask ourselves do I trust God or toil away in weariness. What we’ll discover as we dive into the book of Ecclesiastes is that just because life’s meaning isn’t clear, it doesn’t mean life is meaningless.

Who can be used by God? Pastors? Of course! Church goers? Absolutely! What about criminals? Yup! Despite the shakiest of pasts, even the criminal has the same chance and opportunity to positively impact the lives of others. Join us as we break into the life of Moses, one of Scripture’s most influential criminals.

While the castles are few and far between, there are many “princesses” around us today. Princesses are typically pampered and protected—possibly making their ability for a lasting impression a little more difficult. However, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Join us as we watch the throne of one of the Bible’s most influential people of royalty; Esther.