Marysville Nazarene

Serving "Babylon" means showing up faithfully in a place that may not cheer for us, because our loyalty is not to the crowd, but the Kingdom. We plant gardens, love our neighbors, and do good--not because Babylon deserves it, but because God has called us to it.

The heart of God, his intent and instruction, is the essence of what the prophet Jeremiah told his people in exile, and it's the essence of what we see God do through Creation and the formation of His people! When we are fruitful and increase, when we work for the "good," for peace and prosperity of the people with whom we live--especially in exile--we wade into the confluence of the sacred and secular. The physical and spiritual. And this has always been God's purpose for his people. 

When we live in exile, one of our tasks is to raise "resident aliens” - to teach the next generation how to remain faithful to God in  a land that is not our own. One of the most powerful tools that we have to do this effectively is our story. Consistently telling the story of God at work in and through us 1) Roots our identity, 2) Explains our rhythms, and 3) Gives hope in exile. 

Faith is confident trust in what God has said, even when it's not visible. Exile sharpens our dependency on God's promises, not culture's affirmation. When we feel displaced or pressured to conform with competing stories, our roots must go deeper into God's story, not ours. 

We are part of a real-life story that is going on around us, but many of us haven't yet realized our role in God's story. To be a holy people is to be an intentional, loving people, with a purpose--to bring others to Him. We are now the place where heaven and earth intersect and from which the glory of God radiates out into the world. We are the people of God.

We may not be strangers in a strange land, but we are strangers in a strange time. As Christian influence wanes, exile helps us evaluate our lives, and, like Jonah, discover that God is up to something powerful among us. There is hope even in the belly of a fish--and God wants to use us to bless our Babylon.

We see in John 4 how a single invitation lead "many more" to become believers: the woman at the well encountered Jesus, and she HAD to share the news! Likewise, millions have heard and/or shared this same gospel invitation, but... there are millions of others who have not. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to take that invitation into our communities--the places that are familiar to us as well as those where we are not welcomed and do not want to go. To do so, we need to see every single person we come in contact with as "table mates" and make room for them to sit and join us. In other words, we have to adopt the heart and passion of the woman at the well to share our relationship with Christ with everyone we encounter--even those who may have offended or hurt us. And it starts with one small conversation. 

Worship is a response to what God has done and who we are in Him, and it overflows from a real encounter with Jesus that changes the way we live. God doesn't want to be part of our lives--He wants us to leave behind empty passions that reflect our misplaced devotion and surrender all of ourselves to Him. When we live with such passion--such worship--we can't keep it to ourselves. What are you excited to share?

Ripples moving in the same direction grow into waes. Transformation is a process, and every step is precious to God. He can multiply its impact in ways we can't imagine! What is your next "yes"?

Jesus doesn't see people the way the religious see people. But we're not called to be religious--we're called to follow His example. Everyone is created in the image of God and is loved by Him no matter what... therefore, we as a church believe there are no lost causes. No one should be defined by their failures, issues, or conditions. We are known, seen, heard--and worthy of redemption!

It can be uncomfortable walking in ankle deep, knee deep, or even waist deep waters, but God is calling us to something deeper! "Where the river flows, everything will live..."

Earthquakes don't end with the first rumble. The aftershocks continue long after, shifting the ground beneath us, and Pentecost is one of the most powerful aftershocks of Christ's resurrection. We are created to host the holiness of God! To be holy is not a command, it's an identity. It's not about behavior modification, it's about transformation! Real holiness is magnetic. Are you ready to allow the aftershocks of the resurrection to reverberate through your life? Because the world is starving for real people filled with real love from a real God. 

Just like the aftershocks that follow an earthquake, Jesus' resurrecction and ascension were shocking, powerful, world-changing moments that continue to shape our faith and mission today. We live, we believe, and we serve in the tension between Christ's ascension and his return, but we are meant to be living aftershocks--carrying the power of the resurrection--into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth! How are you living in the in-between?

Celebrating the Class of 2025!

Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus model, lead, teach, inspire, convict, and instruct his followers. This instruction--the command to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves--comes before The Great Commission. A commission is a formal, written warrant, granting the power to perform various acts or duties. It's the authorization to act in a prescribed manner. And those who've been commissioned have been given a charge to serve.  So what are our "marching orders"? Go. Make. Baptize. Teach. 

Failure identifies a gap between where we are and where we can be. But just as He did with Peter, Jesus fills that gap! The aftershock of Christ's death and resurrection made a difference in Peter's life, and His love inspires us to respond as well. 

Just like our fears, our doubts are opportunities for God to work in our lives.

No other king loves his enemies, humbles himself, heals the unclean, eats with the outcasts, washes feet, or died for us. This is not just good news... this is great news! And the truth of the Resurrection is imperishable and unfading, nor can it be spoiled by the happenings of this world.

What we do on Sundays is meaningless without the foundation of understanding both the vertical AND the horizontal nature of the Greatest Commandment--to "love the Lord your God [out of] your heart, soul, mind, and strength" and "love your neighbor as yourself." What comes out of us reflects the king that we worship--the king of pride or the king of humility. Grace helps us reconnect the vertical (loving God) to the horizontal (loving others). Humility feeds gratitude, gratitude feeds generosity, and generosity allows us to love our neighbor. Which king are you feeding?