The lineage of Jesus is full of people with stories that would make anyone blush, including the likes of King David and Lot’s daughters. But in spite of jaw-dropping choices people made, God’s purposes marched forward. 

Rahab is one of a few people in the lineage of Jesus that wasn’t Jewish — she was a Canaanite. Not to mention, she was a prostitute. But neither of those things kept her from being used by God in an incredible way.

The story of Judah and Tamar is probably not one we would have mentioned if we were the ones telling the back story of Jesus’s ancestors. However, many times God’s story highlights the unlikely and the undeserving.

No one likes unsolicited advice, but at times it feels like God gives a lot of it. This Sunday we’ll hear about the power of saying yes to direction, regardless of whether we asked for it.

Finding the best audio settings requires some fine tuning. Some people like a lot of bass. Some people prefer crisper treble tones. Finding the best settings for the way you approach life requires just as much (if not more) tuning. Which dials should you turn up, and which dials should you turn down to be the best you can be?

Life’s challenges are inevitable, but choosing to trust God during those tough times can be transformative. It’s when we are faced with struggle that our faith is exposed and can be strengthened.

While we can't predict when miracles happen, there is a posture we can take that increases the chances of God doing a supernatural work within us.

Our circumstances don’t define how God feels about us. So how do we navigate those circumstances when we don’t get the miracle?

Miracles are at God’s discretion to further God’s purposes. 

The miracle of the universe is the foundation of our faith in God, but a different miracle is the foundation of our faith in Jesus.

Serving people with different lived experiences is one of the primary things God uses to fine-tune our worldview.

We are all uniquely gifted to play a part in the story of God. And every part is indispensable.

The intention and desire of Jesus for his church is that we would be a difference and make an impact.

There is a direct relationship between following in the way of Jesus and unleashing our potential for good.

Since 2007, our Be Rich campaign has been making the world an even better place. After all, devotion to God is best demonstrated and authenticated through love for others.

We must take responsibility for the me nobody can see.

Our choices today will leave our loved ones with one of two things in the future: a burden or a blessing.

Sometimes we have to go back to move forward.

Your irresponsibility will eventually become somebody else's responsibility.

We are far more likely to develop meaningful faith when people of faith surround us.

We have a natural tendency to be critical toward others because we want others to change for our benefit. So how does Jesus actually address this idea of being critical and judging others? Is it ever healthy? How do you want to be judged?

A game that requires a loser is a game nobody wins. When we play the comparison game and allow envy to motivate our actions, it can cost us more than we expect.

When it comes to relationships, the blame game is a game that no one wins.

A game that requires a loser is a game nobody wins.

We can disagree culturally and politically, and still love unconditionally.

Following the script of Jesus doesn’t mean all men will be the same. But it does mean we’ll be better men.

Somebody may have defined masculinity for you, but how will you define it for yourself?

What could our world look like if we chose restoration instead of condemnation?

The fruit of the Spirit is produced within us when we walk by the Spirit. So the million-dollar question is, how do we walk by the Spirit?

It’s tough to be a faithful follower of Jesus under normal circumstances, and nearly impossible when someone around you has given you a big reason not to be. But help is available to us.

We all want to be good, but sometimes we’re not. What do we do when we fall short?

What does kindness look like, act like, and react like?

We all have a little bit of patience but we also know how limited it can be. How do we increase our capacity for patience? And why does it matter?

Jesus never said life would be easy, but he did promise us a path that leads to peace.

Jesus promised that a consistent, constant, and steady joy can be ours. And fortunately, he also tells us how.

The Holy Spirit was given to us not so we could be more spiritual, but so we could become more mature.

After his resurrection, Jesus made multiple appearances to his disciples. There may not be one more dramatic and ironic than his appearance to two disciples as they traveled to a town called Emmaus.

It’s easy to believe the greatest enemy of the church comes from outside the church. Unfortunately, the church’s greatest threat is right in the middle of it.

The message of the church is a message for the world.

Early Christians were bold, confident, and courageous. How we pray is an indicator if we’ve strayed from that.

Provide for the next generation what you wish the previous generation had provided for you.

When the church first began, a natural question surfaced right away: What shall we do? The answer had to do more with understanding who your faith was in more than what needed to be done.

Being part of a local gathering of Jesus followers means you are part of something big. It’s up to each generation to determine what Christianity looks like, sounds like, and reacts like.

The first step of courage might be the scariest, but it might not be the hardest. How do we keep choosing courage in the face of adversity and difficulty?

One of the scariest steps of courage we could ever take may also prove to be the most important for the sake of what matters most.

When faced with something that scares us, something that’s difficult, something uncomfortable or even unfamiliar, the human tendency is to back down, close the door, and walk away. How do you cultivate more courage in your life?

In all its subtle forms, greed has the potential to rob your life. But the secret to living a meaning-filled life is found across the border from what’s in it for me.

If the only things that concern you are about you, there is work to do. Ultimately, we save ourselves from ourselves by choosing not to be all about ourselves.

If something about the world is broken and it breaks your heart, there’s an opportunity to be a part of fixing it.