1. “She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, She's Cheer Captain, and I'm on the bleachers, Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find, That what you're looking for has been here the whole time, If you could see that I'm the one, Who understands you, Been here all along, So, why can't you see? You belong with me, You belong with me.” -Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me
2. “But it's my right to be hellish, I still get jealous.” -Nick Jonas, Jealous
3. “We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things [read: to envy], even before the old have been entirely consumed. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.” -Paul Mazur
4. Study on envy: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/193216/1/dp11922.pdf
5. Study on medical effects of envy: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=1848#:~:text=Envy%20and%20jealousy%20also%20add,with%20some%20forms%20of%20cancer
6. “Discussing envy is akin to treading on a territory of unseen warfare. Hidden, improvised explosive devices abound…This volatile sensitivity attests to why envy may be of titanic relevance in human psychology.” -Dr. Frank John Ninivaggi, in Learned Mindfulness
7. “As a moth gnaws a garment, so does envy consume a person.” -John Chrysostom
8. “Envy is the consuming desire to have everybody else be as unsuccessful as you are.” -Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking
9. Envy and Avarice, by Victor Hugo
10. “Envy senses no pleasure, satisfaction, joy, or glee, only the mental pain of absence, privation, and unbearable intolerance needing deletion.” -Dr. Frank John Ninivaggi, Learned Mindfulness
11. “Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.” -Joseph Epstein, Envy
12. “The fundamental attitude of the envious is directly opposed to love. To love is to seek others’ good and rejoice when they have it. To envy is to seek to destroy others’ good and sorrow over their having it.” -Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung, Glittering Vices

Character Matters | Envy - 1 Samuel 18: 1-16 - Clint Leavitt

In a world marked by division, isolation, and loneliness, we are a people in desperate need of radical love and connection in the ordinary parts of our lives and world. Join us at Midtown for our new teaching series entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Radically Ordinary Hospitality, as we go on a spiritual journey of exploration, mining the riches of Jesus’ life and teaching to explore the radical practice of neighboring and examining the ways that this ancient and timeless practice can get us caught up in the present work of the Kingdom of God in our own time. Together we’ll challenge the prevalent culture of division by emphasizing the importance of building authentic relationships across societal boundaries, provide practical guidance on fostering a sense of community in our homes and world, examine how to break down walls of hostility that isolate and divide, and ultimately combat the epidemic of loneliness through intentional acts of kindness and inclusion, that all people might come to a knowledge of their identities as beloved children of God and might experience His love and grace in their own lives.

Watch/listen as Pastor Clint closes our series by examining Jesus' actions in John 13, and how we become people who get the power to go and wash feet in our own lives

Sermon Resources:

1. “I grew up in the ghetto, and I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. Policeman were siccing dogs and water hoses on people.” - François Clemmons, Interview With StoryCorps
2. “He who wraps the heavens in clouds wrapped round himself a towel. He who pours the water into rivers poured water into a basin. And he before whom every knee bends in heaven and on earth and under the earth knelt to wash the feet of his disciples.” -Severian of Gabala
3. “Jesus was well aware that he was about to be betrayed. Such knowledge might so easily have turned him to bitterness and hatred; but it made his heart run out in greater love than ever. The astounding thing was that the more men hurt him, the more Jesus loved them. It is so easy and so natural to resent wrong and to grow bitter under insult and injury; but Jesus met the greatest injury and the supreme disloyalty, with the greatest humility and the supreme love.” -William Barclay, Daily Study Bible on John
4. "A house show feels like a true faith community…The lead singer is less than two feet away from thirty people who are screaming the same thing. Punk rock teaches the same inversion of power as the Gospel. You learn that the coolest thing about having a microphone is turning it away from your own mouth.” -Julien Baker, Interview with the New Yorker
5. “We choose: we follow the dragon and his beasts along their parade route, conspicuous with the worship of splendid images, elaborated in mysterious symbols, fond of statistics, taking on whatever role is necessary to make a good show and get the applause of the crowd in order to access power and become self-important. Or we follow the Lamb along a farmyard route, worshiping the invisible, listening to the foolishness of preaching, practicing a holy life that involves heroically difficult acts that no one will ever notice, in order to become, simply, our eternal selves in an eternal city. It is the difference between wanting to use people around us to become powerful and entering into covenants with the people around us so that the power of salvation extends into every part of the neighborhood, the society, and the world that God loves.” -Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder

Wont You Be My Neighbor | Go And Wash Feet - John 13:1-17 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources:
1. Audio clip is not our own - from Disney's "Zootopia" (2016)
2. Sloth is "aversion to the divine good in us." -Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae"
3. “Sloth is not to be confused with laziness. Lazy people, people who sit around and watch the grass grow, may be people at peace. Their sun-drenched, bumblebee dreaming may be the prelude to action or itself an act well worth the acting. Slothful people, on the other hand, may be very busy people. They are people who go through the motions, who fly on automatic pilot. Like somebody with a bad head cold, they have mostly lost their sense of taste and smell. They know something's wrong with them, but not wrong enough to do anything about. Other people come and go, but through glazed eyes they hardly notice them. They are letting things run their course. They are getting through their lives.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"
4. “The puzzle is why so many people live so badly. Not so wickedly, but so inanely. Not so cruelly, but so stupidly. There is little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture. We have celebrities but not saints. Famous entertainers amuse a nation of bored insomniacs. Infamous criminals act out the aggressions of timid conformists. Petulant and spoiled athletes play games vicariously for lazy and apathetic spectators. People, aimless and bored, amuse themselves with trivia and trash. Neither the adventure of goodness nor the pursuit of righteousness gets headlines.” -Eugene Peterson, "Run With The Horses"
5. Article on "languishing:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html
6. “To our chagrin we discover that the declaration of self-determination has issued not in a race of free, masterly humans, but rather in a race that can be described by its poets and dramatists only as bored, vexed, frantic, embittered, and sniffling.” -Thomas Howard, "Chance or The Dance?"
7. “Sloth is the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive only because there is nothing it would die for.” -Dorothy Sayers, "Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine"
8. “Can you hate the world enough to want to change it, and yet love it enough to see it worth changing?” -G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy"
9. Boston Globe study: https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2018/05/19/don-get-too-comfortable-america-relentless-pursuit-convenience-and-relaxation/liWGIaQgFNWMXVU7Pvl0rN/story.html
10. "The Lonely Century," by Noreena Hertz
11. “‘Nothing’ is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man's best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like…You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the ‘Nothing.’ Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” -C.S. Lewis, "The Screwtape Letters"
12. Prayer from the Breastplate of St. Patrick

Glittering Vices | Sloth | Proverbs 24: 30-34 - Clint Leavitt

Brand New | The Resurrection Of The Dead - 1 Cor. 15:35-58 - Daniel Barth

Sermon Resources:
1. “The majority of politicians are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.” -Harold Pinter, "Art, Truth, and Politics"
2. “So the Scribes and Pharisees set James on the pinnacle of the Temple and called to him: "O thou, James the Just, to whom we all ought to listen, since the people are going astray after Jesus the crucified, tell us what is the door of this Jesus?" And with a loud voice he answered: "Why do you ask me concerning the Son of Man? He is the Savior. He sitteth himself in heaven on the right hand of the great Power, and shall come on the clouds of heaven." And when many were convinced and gave glory for the witness of James, and said, "Hosanna to the Son of David," then again the same Scribes and Pharisees said to one another, "We were wrong to permit such a testimony to Jesus; but let us go up and cast James down, that through fear they may not believe him." Accordingly they went up and cast James down. And they said to one another, "Let us stone James the Just," and they began to stone him, since he was not killed by the fall, but he turned and knelt down saying, "I beseech thee, Lord God Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And a certain one of them, one of the fullers, taking the club with which he pounds clothes, brought it down on the head of the Just; and so he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him there on the spot, near the Temple. A true witness has he become both to Jews and Greeks that Jesus is Christ.” -Hegesippus, "Church History: Book II"
3. "Truth forever on the cross, Wrong forever on the throne,—
Yet that cross sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own." -James Russell Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
4. “All kinds of experiences will come to us. There will be the test of the sorrows and the disappointments which seek to take our faith away. There will be the test of the seductions which seek to lure us from the right way. There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christian way must so often involve. But they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger. Therefore we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. The Christian is like the athlete. The heavier the course of training he undergoes, the more he is glad, because he knows that it is fitting him all the better for victorious effort. As Browning said, we must "welcome each rebuff that turns earth's smoothness rough," for every hard thing is another step on the upward way.” -William Barclay, "DSB: James"

The Great Con | Suffering Means Failure - James 1:1-4 - Clint Leavitt

The Great Con | Wisdom is from the World - James 3:13-18 - Daniel Barth

Sermon Resources:
1. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” -Ecclesiastes 1:8
2. “Desire alone, of acquiring goods and possessions for ourselves and our nearest friends, is insatiable, perpetual, universal.” -David Hume, "A Treatise of Human Nature"
3. "I can't get no satisfaction." -Mick Jagger, "Satisfaction"
4. “In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by a relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” -Edward Bernays, "Propaganda"
5. “Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption…The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more he tends to express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives, eats, his home, his car, his food, his hobbies. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever-increasing pace. We need to have people eat, drink, ride, live with ever more complicated and, therefore, constantly more expensive consumption. ” -Victor Lebow, "The Journal of Retailing: 1955"
6. Harvest Queen vs. Homecoming Queen: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1991/november-25/murder-envy-and-harvest-princess-what-really-poisoned.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1723312423553888&usg=AOvVaw1ZO4y_-tCOr2mrBn_u6LFG
7. “We have tended to turn the Christian faith into a relationship with a God who is the divine vending machine in the sky, there to meet our every want. Unhappy? Unattractive? Unsuccessful? Unmarried? Unfulfilled? Come to Christ and he’ll give you all these things you asked for. We forget that God is not primarily in the business of meeting our wants. When we make him out to be, we squeeze him out of his rightful place at the center of our lives, and we put ourselves in his place. God is in the business of being God - of redeeming and restoring and forgiving and healing and loving. Christianity cannot be reduced to meeting peoples’ wants, and when we make it so, we invariably distort the Gospel message.” -David Henderson, "Culture Shift"
8. "I Will Never Cast Out," by John Bunyan
9. Examen resource: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

The Great Con | You Can Serve Two Masters  - James 4:1-10 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources:
Scripture References: James 5:1-11; Luke 12:15; Luke 6:20; Mark 10:24-25; Matt. 6:19-21; Proverbs 23:4-5; Proverbs 6:8
1. "God and Mammon in America," by Robert Wuthnow; additional study: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-24-me-42320-story.html
2. “We live in a materialist culture, we want money and possessions, and very few people have heard a powerful voice telling them to resist those impulses, or how to resist those impulses. Organized religion has not done a good job of challenging people to examine their lifestyles.The point isn’t that we are all just strapped. It’s a matter of making moral choices about how we use our resources.” -Robert Wuthnow, "God and Mammon In America"
3. Data on the wealth of Americans: https://www.sportofmoney.com/how-rich-are-americans-on-a-global-scale-very-rich/#:~:text=39%25%20of%20the%20world%27s%20millionaires,share%20is%20at%20%24145.8%20trillion.
4. “Upward mobility often ends not in satisfaction and peace, but in exhaustion, disappointment, and emptiness.” -Robert C. Roberts, "Just A Little Bit More"
5. “When success is equated with excess, the ambition for excess wrecks us.” -Jon Foreman, "American Dream"
6. “Riches are, from a biblical point of view, an affliction, a massive obstacle in entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” -Alasdair MacIntyre
7. “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
8. “God has not appointed gold for rust, nor garments for moths; but, on the contrary, he has designed them as aids and helps to human life.” -John Calvin

The Great Con | Materialism - James 5 1-11 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources:
Scripture References - John 8:31-32, John 14:6, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Ecclesiastes 5:4, Psalm 50:14, Matthew 5:34-37, Luke 16:10
1. "Spin Room" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_room
2. “There is perhaps nothing that so marks us as human as the gift of speech…By speaking, we can reveal the hiddenness of thought, we can express the subtlest as well as the most devastating of emotions, we can heal, we can make poems, we can pray. All of which is to say we can speak truth—the truth of what it is to be ourselves, to be with each other, to be in the world—and such speaking as that is close to what being human is all about. What makes lying an evil is not only that the world is deceived by it, but that we are dehumanized by it.” -Frederick Buechner, "Wishful Thinking"
3. "The essence of swearing that Jesus targets here is about invoking something or someone else, especially God, to make your own words more significant or weighty. The aim is to impress others with your seriousness or piety so that you get what you want. It’s a device of manipulation designed to override the judgment or input of others in order to possess them for our purposes. It’s manipulation, or, as we say in our culture, “spin.” And Jesus says it's evil. Instead of loving and honoring others with truthfulness, the intent is to get one’s way by verbal manipulation of the thoughts and choices of others.” -Dallas Willard, "The Divine Conspiracy"
4. “The tendency to lie is absolutely natural in the child, and if not checked, leads to deeper and deeper evil. That children lie, steal, cheat, and want to make reality what they want it to be is routinely observable. The fact that some people grow into honest adults is absolutely remarkable.” -M. Scott Peck, "People of the Lie"
5. "Just as forgiveness is the one way to be free from your painful past, so promising is the only way to be free from your unpredictable future. But it is not only that I know myself in the mirror of my promises. My people, the ones who belong to me, who depend on me, also know me by the promises I have made. What I promise is what I am and will be to them. Only if they really know what I am can they live with me in trust. They know me in the important way, not by reading my therapist’s notes, but by knowing my power to keep promises.” -Lewis Smedes, "Controlling The Unpredictable"

The Great Con | Spin And Non - Commitment - James 5:12 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources:
1. Franz Jägerstätter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_J%C3%A4gerst%C3%A4tter
2. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
3. “For the growing good of the world is dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." -George Eliot, "Middlemarch"
4. “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others…it is selfless prayer, even self-giving prayer. In the ongoing work of the kingdom of God, nothing is more important than intercession.” -Richard Foster, "Prayer"
5. "On The Powers of Simple Medicine," by Galen
6. “In careful scientific studies, forgiveness has been shown to reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection, and increase self-confidence.” -Fred Luskin, "Forgive For Good: A Proven Prescription For Health and Happiness"
7. “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” -Brennan Manning

The Great Con | You Don't Make A Difference - James 5:13-20 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources:
Scriptures - John 4, John 2:24-26, John 19:28
1. “Our stories are all stories of longing. We long for a good self to be and for good work to do. We long to become human in a world that tempts us always to be less than human or looks to us to be more. We long to love and to be loved. And in a world where it is often hard to believe in much of anything, we long to believe in something holy and beautiful and life-transcending that will give meaning and purpose to the lives we live…The word longing comes from the same root as the word long in the sense of length in either time or space and also the word belong, so that in its full richness to long suggests to yearn for a long time for something that is a long way off and something that we feel we belong to and that belongs to us.” -Frederick Buechner, "The Longing For Home"
2. “The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment.” -John Cheever
3. “Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God.” -A.W. Tozer, "The Pursuit of God"
4. “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country.” -C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
5. “You have made us for Yourself; and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.” -Augustine of Hippo

Sermon Stat Correction: Suicide rates increase exponentially upon retirement age, doubling rather than going up by "three times," as stated. 
Source Statistics can be found on:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db483.htm

The Search | Looking In The Wrong Places - John 4:1 - 15 - Clint Leavitt

The Search | Proclaiming Living Water - John 4:28-30, 39-42 - Luke Parker

For Such A Time As This | Prideful Influence - Esther 2:19 - 3:15 - Daniel Barth

In this powerful message, we're invited to explore what it truly means to create a masterpiece with our lives. Drawing inspiration from O. Henry's 'The Last Leaf', we're challenged to reconsider our definition of success and significance. The story reminds us that our greatest impact often comes not from grand achievements, but from small acts of sacrificial love. As we delve into Romans 16, we discover a beautiful tapestry of diverse individuals united in Christ. This passage reveals that the true masterpiece of our lives is found in how we love and serve others, breaking down societal barriers and embracing the equality of all believers. We're encouraged to see ourselves as part of this grand masterpiece, where our individual brushstrokes contribute to a larger, more beautiful picture of God's love in action.

Painting A Masterpiece | Gratitude For Community - Romans 16:1-16 - Clint Leavitt

In this powerful message, we're challenged to examine our role as Christians in a world filled with diverse beliefs and idols. Drawing from Paul's encounter in Athens in Acts 17, we're reminded that our faith isn't meant to be a private affair, but a transformative force in every aspect of culture. Just as Paul went to the marketplace, we're called to immerse ourselves in our communities, workplaces, and social spaces. The key lesson here is that authentic faith in Jesus propels us into every arena of our culture, living as different sorts of people there. We're encouraged to see beyond the surface, recognizing that everyone worships something, even if it's not a physical idol. This insight invites us to approach our neighbors with compassion, understanding their deepest longings and anxieties. As we engage with our culture, we're challenged to feel deeply distressed about the brokenness around us, yet move towards our neighbors in love, avoiding both outright condemnation and uncritical affirmation.

Link in the Chain | Speaking To The Longing - Acts 17:16-34 - Clint Leavitt

In the final Sunday of our reThink Everything sermon series, culminating on Palm Sunday, we explore how repentance is ultimately a trajectory toward forgiveness. Daniel takes us on a journey through the story of Joseph in Genesis, witnessing how God can transform even the deepest betrayals into opportunities for growth and redemption. Joseph's tale reminds us that forgiveness isn't just about letting go of anger, but about recognizing God's sovereign plan in our lives. As we reflect on Joseph's words, 'What you intended for evil, God intended for good,' we're challenged to see our own hurts through a divine lens. This message encourages us to break free from the chains of resentment and embrace the liberating power of forgiveness. It's a call to trust in God's bigger picture, even when we can't understand the 'why' behind our pain. As we approach Holy Week, let's consider how we can embody Christ-like forgiveness in our own lives, remembering Jesus' words on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'

reTHINK Everything | Forgiveness and Freedom - Genesis 45:4-15; 50:19-21 - Daniel Barth

Artist Credits:
Namaste - Audionautix - http://audionautix.com/
Lost At Sea - TrackTribe
Renunciation - Asher Fulero
Prison - Argsound
Vishnu - Patrick Patrikios
Heartbeat Of The Wind - Asher Fulero
Elegy - Asher Fulero
Hon Kyoku - Doug Maxwell_ Zac Zinger
The Six Realms - I Think I Can Help You
Verve - Benjamin Martins

Reading Credits:
Jordan
Ryan
Thane
Madaline
Evalynn
And Tobin.

Good Friday 2025

This week, we chart an exploration of Jesus' teachings on money and treasure as it challenges us to examine our relationship with wealth and possessions. The sermon focuses on Matthew 6:19-24, where Jesus warns against storing up treasures on earth and encourages us to store up treasures in heaven instead. We're confronted with the stark reality that money often enslaves us through lies and blindness, causing us to chase after false security and happiness. The message draws fascinating parallels between our cultural obsession with wealth and the spiritual dangers it poses, reminding us that 'where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' As we reflect on our own spending habits and attitudes towards money, we're invited to consider how we might relocate our treasure to align with God's kingdom values. This shift isn't just about belief, but about truly treasuring Christ and embracing His self-giving generosity in our own lives.

Free (From The Power of) Money | The Slavery of Money - Matthew 6:19-24 - Clint Leavitt

This week, we dive into Malachi 3 as we are confronted by our relationship to money and possessions through the lens of God's abundance. The prophet Malachi's words serve as a wake-up call, urging us to examine how our financial choices may be 'robbing' God, others, and even ourselves. We're reminded that everything we have is a gift from God, and we're called to be stewards rather than owners. The parable of the abundant party vividly illustrates how scarcity mindsets can lead to hoarding and conflict, even in the midst of plenty. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to cultivate hearts of generosity, recognizing that our well-being is intimately connected to the flourishing of our neighbors. This message invites us to experience the freedom and joy that come from aligning our financial practices with God's vision of abundance for all.

Free (From The Power of) Money | The Robbery of Money - Malachi 3:8-10 - Clint Leavitt

This week in our Free (From The Power of) Money series, our good friend John Talley III takes us into the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30, a powerful story that challenges us to examine our faithfulness with God's gifts. This parable isn't just about money; it's about how we steward all that God entrusts to us - our time, talents, and treasures. The master in the story represents God, and we are His servants, each given different 'talents' according to our abilities. The key question we must ask ourselves is: Are we being faithful with what we have? The servants who invested and multiplied their talents were praised, while the one who buried his talent faced severe consequences. This stark contrast urges us to actively use our God-given abilities for His kingdom, rather than hiding them away in fear or laziness. As we reflect on this, let's consider how we're using our skills, resources, and time to glorify God and serve others. Are we picking and choosing what to be faithful with, or are we committed to stewarding everything God has given us?

Free (From The Power of) Money | The Carelessness of Money - Matthew 25:14-30 - John Talley III

This week, we wrap up our sermon series Free (From The Power Of) Money as Gayle Parker brings out the point behind the series. She challenges us to examine our relationship with money and how it aligns with our faith, reading from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul encourages the Corinthians to give generously, just as the Macedonian churches did despite their extreme poverty. We're reminded that our Lord Jesus, though rich, became poor for our sake - a profound example of divine generosity. The central lesson is clear: if we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly; if we sow bountifully, we reap bountifully. This isn't about prosperity gospel, but about trusting God and participating in His kingdom work. The message urges us to give not out of guilt or compulsion, but cheerfully, as God loves a cheerful giver. Through inspiring stories of unexpected generosity and its ripple effects, we're encouraged to see giving as a declaration of trust in God's provision. This teaching invites us to reflect on our own giving habits and challenges us to step out in faith, knowing that God will multiply our generosity for His kingdom's work.

Free (From The Power of) Money | The Point: Generosity - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - Gayle Parker

This week we begin a new sermon series exploring who God is through the lens of Exodus. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to see how this ancient story is not just a historical account, but a mirror of our own spiritual journey. The narrative of Israel's enslavement and liberation becomes a lens through which we can understand God's activity in our lives today. We're challenged to recognize that even in moments of apparent absence, God is working behind the scenes, weaving together a story of redemption. The text reminds us that God often chooses to work through the unexpected and the marginalized, teaching us to look for His presence in unlikely places. This message encourages us to resist cynicism and remember that our seemingly small acts of faithfulness can be pivotal in God's grand narrative. As we reflect on the parallels between Exodus and the life of Jesus, we're called to embrace a larger, truer story – one where we're freed not just from external bondage, but from the internal chains that hold us back from fully experiencing God's love and purpose for our lives.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Active In Human History - Exodus 1:8-2:10 - Clint Leavitt

This week, Daniel Barth leads us in an exploration of Exodus 3 where we delve into the profound moment when God reveals His name to Moses through the burning bush. This pivotal encounter reminds us that God often appears in unexpected places and uses unlikely people for His purposes. Just as He called Moses—a failed, forgotten old man—God can use us in our brokenness and searching. The lesson here is clear: our past doesn't disqualify us from God's calling. Instead, it's when we come to the end of ourselves that we're truly ready for God to work through us. This story challenges us to remain open to God's presence in our lives, even in the 'wastelands,' and to trust His timing, which is often different from our own. As we reflect on God's self-revelation as 'I AM,' we're invited to contemplate His eternal nature and self-sufficiency, finding comfort in the fact that the same God who liberated the Israelites is present and active in our lives today.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Deliverer - Exodus 3:1-15 - Daniel Barth

This week, Clint brings to the moment of Moses and his encounter with the burning bush. This pivotal moment in Exodus reveals how God breaks into our lives, shattering our paradigms and inviting us into a greater story. We're reminded that God's call isn't about our qualifications, but about His grace and purpose. Just as Moses struggled with insecurity and doubt, we too might question our worthiness. But God doesn't demand perfection; He offers His presence. The burning bush symbolizes how God uses the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary, challenging us to be attentive to His voice in our everyday lives. This message urges us to turn aside from our routines, to create space for God to speak, and to trust that He can use our 'staff' - our skills, experiences, and even our weaknesses - to participate in His work of redemption and justice in the world.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Chooser - Exodus 4.1-17 - Clint Leavitt

The story of Moses confronting Pharaoh isn't just ancient history - it's a mirror reflecting our own struggles with pride and hardheartedness. We see how God's invitations to change are met with resistance, not just by Pharaoh, but often in our own lives. The plagues aren't random acts of vengeance, but carefully orchestrated 'de-creation' events, showing the consequences of rejecting God's order. This narrative invites us to examine where we might be refusing God's call to center Him in our lives. Are we, like Pharaoh, hardening our hearts? The message reminds us that God's commands aren't arbitrary rules, but wisdom woven into the fabric of reality. When we reject them, we invite collapse into our lives. Yet, even in judgment, God's ultimate goal is salvation - for the oppressed and, remarkably, even for the oppressors. This story challenges us to see beyond our limited perspectives and recognize a God who is both just and merciful, inviting us into a life of true freedom and flourishing.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Victor - Exodus 5:1-9; 7:14-18; 10:21-28 - Clint Leavitt

This week, Tom Parker invites us into the story of the Israelites in Exodus 17, where we see how God miraculously provides water from a rock in the desert. This narrative challenges us to examine our own reactions when faced with life's difficulties. Are we quick to complain and forget God's past faithfulness, or do we respond with trust and mature faith? The sermon encourages us to cultivate a 'holy memory' - remembering God's goodness in our lives, even amid challenging circumstances. It's a call to move beyond reactivity and develop emotional and spiritual maturity, recognizing that God's grace is abundant, even when we falter. As we reflect on our own 'thirsts' in life, we're reminded of Jesus' invitation to come to Him for living water, addressing both our physical and spiritual needs.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Provider - Exodus 17:1-7 - Tom Parker

This week, Luke Parker explores God's covenant with His people as we delve into Exodus chapters 19 and 20. The central message reminds us that God is a promise keeper, faithfully fulfilling His word throughout history. We see how God's covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai wasn't just about rules, but about relationship. This covenant foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who became both sides of the covenant - God and man. The imagery of Moses going up and down the mountain serves as a powerful metaphor for our role as 'priests' in the world, bridging the gap between God and others. We're challenged to consider: What promises has God made to us? How are we living as His 'treasured possession'? This message encourages us to trust in God's faithfulness, even when we fail, reminding us that our relationship with Him is not based on our performance, but on His unwavering love and commitment.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | Covenant-Maker - Exodus 19-20 - Luke Parker

This week, we wrap up our exploration of Exodus as we delve into the heart of God's character. As Moses ascends Mount Sinai to rewrite the covenant, God reveals Himself in five profound attributes: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and faithful. These qualities paint a picture of a God who is deeply compassionate, yet just; patient, yet righteous. The story reminds us of the tension between God's mercy and justice, a theme that echoes throughout Scripture. As we reflect on these attributes, we're challenged to consider how they manifest in our own lives. Are we showing the same compassion, grace, and patience to others that God shows us? This passage invites us to trust in God's unwavering love and faithfulness, even when we falter. It's a call to embrace our role in God's grand narrative of redemption, knowing that His character remains constant through all of life's ups and downs.

Exodus - An Introduction to God | The Lord, The Lord - Exodus 34:1-9 - Daniel Barth

This week, we take a break between sermon series’ to focus on the spiritual practice of fasting. Paige Vender and Bailey Gambill walk us through insights on their favorite F-word through their deep dive into biblical scholar Scot McKnight’s book “Fasting: The Ancient Practices.” In this podcast-style discussion, they open with an explaination of what spiritual discaplines looks like, bringing the conversation around to how and why people have used fasting historically. The practice becomes an act of worship, striping away our sense of independance, uncovering our deeply human need for a provider and savior. Paige and Bailey encourage us as followers of Jesus to "Fast around and find out."

Spiritual Practices | Fasting - Isaiah 58:2-10 - Paige and Bailey

The Ten Commandments | No Gods Before Me - Exodus 20:1-3 - Lisa McFarland

The Ten Commandments | Do Not Make For Yourself an Idol - Exodus 20:1-2, 4-6 - Daniel Barth

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