Of all the sermons ever preached, one reigns supreme: The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon, Jesus gives practical advice for how a Christian should live. In this extensive sermon series, Pastor Merritt will spend several months walking verse-by-verse through this life-changing sermon. Following Jesus is different from the way of the world, and those who follow Jesus will look different than the rest of the world. Join us for this series: “Get Used to Different: A New Way to Live."
Think you've got life figured out? Or are there some questions that just leave you guessing? When you get stumped, there is a place to turn for answers, and that is God's Word, the Bible. In Scripture we find the solutions to the most profound, the most complex and the most far-reaching questions we can ask. When we understand where we came from, why we are here, what we are doing and where we are going, according to God's design, we can move from being stumped to being sure of our past, present and our future.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ? In this teaching series, Pastor Merritt unpacks the Scriptures' teachings on how a Christ-follower interacts with his friends, neighbors and community. Key to Jesus' instructions to His followers in the Bible is the idea that followers of Jesus make followers of Jesus. As we live of our lives and share our faith, we become a witness of Christ to others, and God uses that witness to draw people to Himself.
People Tweet and post Scripture verses all the time. So often, in fact, that there are "viral verses"--Scriptures that receive the most attention online. Which verses are they, and why do people share them? Can we learn something intentional and important from God's Word as we study the "viral verses?"
Have you ever felt that life was just too much? There's not enough time, money, energy, or brain-power for the commitments, choices and responsibilities you have. Or maybe there's not enough of you to go around. And just when you think you have things figured out, here comes a crisis, loss, or disagreement. And it's all too much again. But Jesus promised us a different kind of life. One where our burdens are His. Tired of being overwhelmed? Find out how to place your deepest concerns at the feet of Jesus.
Today's smart phones are so smart, you can ask them any question. What's the weather like tomorrow? What time is the game this weekend? How is the stock market doing? Is there traffic on the way to work today? But what would happen if you asked your phone a really big question? We all have questions that are deep down, about God, about life, about purpose and about our toughest decisions. Questions that are more than a search on the internet. For those questions, you can ask your phone, and the response may be interesting or amusing. If you want a real answer, however, you'll need to look to the One who not only has the answers, but who is the Answer.
How can you make better decisions, avoid temptations that lead you away from God and make the most of your relationships, your health, your finances and more? Maybe it's time to put conventional wisdom aside and trust in unconventional wisdom. The wisdom that comes from God through His Word, the Bible, is like no other wisdom on earth. It's more than wise. It's other-wise.
Go to the shopping mall or listen to the radio today and you won't find a rendition of Christmas that is true. We invite you to join us and experience a different kind of Christmas. It is not the Christmas of Santa Claus, but the Christmas of a Savior. It is not the Christmas of a reindeer, but the Christmas of a Redeemer. It is not the Christmas of the North Pole, but the Christmas of a Bethlehem. In this three-part message series, Lead Pastor James Merritt will teach us why the birth of this baby was unlike the birth of any other baby before Him or after Him.
When relationships break--a spouse, a child or parent, a friend, a co-worker--the first thing we often look for is who to blame. But if we spend all of our time looking for the fault, we'll miss the opportunity to understand what went wrong and restore the relationship. All of us live with divides between people in our lives. Those who have let us down, or hurt us, or that we disagree with. And keeping distance takes time and energy.
God says there is a better way. We really can move past fixing the blame, and start fixing our relationships. In this teaching series, Lead Pastor James Merritt details practical principles from the Bible for mending the most broken of relationships. If you're suffering from a broken relationship, join us for this great teaching series, and learn how to mend hearts and minds, God's way.
The Messiah was coming! In the months and weeks leading up to an event that would change the world, heavenly voices broadcast the news of Jesus' birth. Angels visited Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds, and each angel visit held a particular and significant message about Who Jesus was and how He would impact the world for all eternity. Jesus was no longer an idea, a future happening. He was here, live, in the flesh. And as the angels' broadcast proclaimed, that changed everything!
Jesus gave many invitations in the Gospels. He called His disciples to "Come, follow me". He called many to salvation in Him--some that we would probably consider extremists today. Throughout the Gospels the theme "Come to Jesus" is loud and clear. Today, as we look at the life of Christ and how we can live like Him, we can often miss the opportunity to extend an open invitation to Christ and His church to our friends, relatives and others.
Who is your missing person? That individual who could know Christ today if you gave them a simple invitation? Join us for this practical and powerful teaching series from Pastor Merritt entitled "Missing Person". Together, looking at Jesus' example, we'll learn how "Come with me to church" may be the five most influential and impactful words you can say to another person.
Everybody's done it--take a gift you received, repackage it and give it to someone else. One of many wonderful things about the Christmas story is that regifting is a part of it. Not the cheesy, slightly cheap and awkward regifting you might accomplish with a pair of plaid socks or a fruitcake. No, God's amazing gift of Christ allows us to re-gift the incredible love, joy and peace that comes from a personal relationship with a living Savior.
Ever received an invitation in the mail? The finely crafted envelope and your name emblazoned in hand-inked calligraphy on the front. Inside, a carefully worded card that beckons you to be a part of something special. At at the close those four letters, abbreviated from the French phrase répondez s'il vous plaît--your response to the invitation is requested.
In this three-part message series, Pastor Merritt looks at the most important invitation ever given. An invitation from Christ to join His kingdom and His work on earth. As Christ-followers we have already given our response with our lives. Now, it is our turn to share this most precious of invitations with our friends, our neighbors, our families.
