Messages

We have underestimated the power of Christmas. We appreciate the traditions—the songs and gifts and family gatherings. But we rarely dig beneath the surface to find the deeper power of the Christmas message—a power that can cure the deepest problems in our lives. Whether itʼs hopelessness, isolation, shame, or conflict, the arrival of Christ can bring healing to the things that matter most. This Advent season, letʼs look beneath the surface and experience the cure that only Christmas can bring.

Our culture is more angry and divided than ever. Especially during election season, we’ll be bombarded by passionate voices, demanding our allegiance and demonizing all who disagree with them. Let’s not get pulled into the ugliness. Each Sunday this fall, we’ll hear a New Testament teaching that reminds us we belong to a higher kingdom and serve a higher King—who sends us into the world as carriers of his grace and truth.

God calls us to “cross bridges” and engage with those who are different from us, whether geographically, culturally, generationally, or politically. In “Crossing the Bridge,” Pastor Dave reminds us that we should do this not to impress others, but to please God and lovingly share the gospel and our lives. As we obediently step out of our comfort zones and cross these bridges, we will not only eternally impact those we serve, but we will find ourselves deeply impacted and transformed in the process as well.

In “Inclusion Sunday,” Pastor Dave Gustavsen focuses on how we relate to people with disabilities. Every person is created in the image of God, and we are to recognize their beauty rather than overlook it. Our interactions with those with disabilities should be marked by compassion and sensitivity to their challenges.

In ”The God of Peace,” Pastor Dave Gustavsen shares five choices that can help us overcome anxiety: choosing joy, gentleness, prayer, beauty, and action. True peace is not found in our efforts, but in our relationship with God, the ultimate source of peace. By focusing on God’s presence in our lives, we can experience a peace that transcends all understanding, even during difficult times.

David was Israel’s greatest king: a leader who rose from obscurity and persevered through adversity to take on God’s enemies and establish the nation as a unified, powerful empire—all while leading the people in heartfelt worship of the Lord. At the same time, he made some foolish decisions that caused lasting scars in his life and family. As we walk through the life of David, let’s allow his successes and failures to make us wiser…and let’s open our hearts to the One David’s life points to—the King whose reign will never end.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. You have probably experienced anxiety or depression or know someone who has. In “God’s Response to Anxiety and Depression,” Pastor Paul Klouse teaches from the highs and lows of Elijah’s life, and shows how God responds with generosity and gentleness. Just as God cared for Elijah, we can support others who might be experiencing anxiety and depression.

Malcolm Gladwell says that “We have a storytelling problem. We’re a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don’t really have an explanation for.” In “A Whole New World,” Stuart Hall states that whenever we stop trying to do what seems impossible, we settle for a version of life that God never intended. For the sake of the next generation, he urges us to keep doing what seems at times impossible.

God has called you by name, and He has equipped you to do something for Him that only you can do. Too often though, we float through life – going through the motions – wondering why we are here and what we’re supposed to be doing. By looking at the example of Nehemiah, we’ll discover God’s purpose for each one of us and how, by His power, we can achieve great things for Him. 

Our relationship with Jesus changes our past, present, and future. In “Second Chances,” Pastor Ted Voltmer shares Peter’s story: Peter loved and followed Jesus, but failed by denying Him three times. He wrestled with guilt and feeling like a failure, something we can all relate to. But, Jesus, in grace, restored Peter and transformed his life! Jesus wants a relationship with each of us – all we need to do is open the door and He will heal our past, empower us in the present, and give us purpose for the future.

What kind of leader are you drawn to? Some of us prefer the “king” types—powerful and fearless. Others prefer the “servant” types—gentle and humble. The problem is, both types have their drawbacks: kings tend to be prideful, and servants tend to be weak…which is why we so often get disillusioned with our leaders. But in Jesus, we find something utterly unique: the Servant King. As King, he authoritatively casts out demons, heals sickness, and forgives sins. As servant, he radically redefines greatness in terms of humility and sacrifice. As we begin the new year, let’s spend eleven weeks walking through Mark’s Gospel, and let’s allow the Servant King to form our character and prepare our hearts for Easter.

In “Building a Life,” Pastor Dave Gustavsen teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven, by giving us a closer look at what God’s kingdom does in us and through us. When we walk in God’s kingdom, by trusting and following the King, it affects our private and public life. As we begin a new year, let’s resolve to go all in, following King Jesus and walking in his kingdom.

“Emmanuel.” In Hebrew it means “God with us,” and we sing about it every December. But by limiting Emmanuel to Christmas carols, have we missed the main point? This Advent season, we’ll discover that the biggest problems in our lives—and in our world—trace back to the same source: our lack of Emmanuel. And we’ll see how the story of Scripture, from the Garden of Eden to the stable of Bethlehem and beyond, is really the story of God with Us: how we lost his presence, how we try to get it back, and how what happened that first Christmas is the turning point in the whole story.

Are you living with a mindset of scarcity, or abundance? When Jesus commissioned his disciples, he told them “Freely you have received; freely give.” In other words: take what God has given you—at no cost—and generously give it out to others. It’s such a simple concept, but it contains the secret of the truly good life. If we learn to allow God to fill us each day, we will stop feeling like we’re constantly in deficit and we’ll begin to overflow with good things to give out to others—including our presence, our forgiveness, and our money.

Jesus had a countercultural view of children. In a culture that said childrenshould be “seen and not heard,” Jesus welcomed children with open arms…andhe taught us to both welcome them and learn from them. This fall, let’s turnour eyes toward the children. We’ll start by opening our hearts to a villagehalfway around the world, giving the children of the village the dignity ofchoosing us. Then for six weeks, we’ll humble ourselves to learn from theexample of children throughout the Bible. And through it all, we’ll allow God toredefine what it means to be truly great in his kingdom.

As the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, and the man nicknamed “Israel,” we may look at Jacob as a larger-than-life patriarch of the faith. In reality, he was a highly flawed man whom God used in spite of his many faults. Starting as a spoiled kid who learned early how to get his way through deception, Jacob’s life experiences molded him into a much different person. He finished life with a limp: evidence of God’s loving discipline and the maturity that only painful lessons can bring. 

In “Why I’m a Christian,” Pastor Dave Gustavsen shares the top ten reasons why he’s a Christian. He includes clues that lead us to Christ, and keep us following Christ. While we all have a unique journey, this message may help you think through your own questions and your own faith.

Ruth’s world had fallen apart. When the life she enjoyed and the future she anticipated were ripped away from her, there didn’t seem to be anything left to live for. How do you recover from a loss that deep? And how do you not become resentful and bitter toward God? In unexpected ways, the story of Ruth is a beautiful demonstration of how God redeems even the worst situations.

Teaching from Matthew 9:35-38, John Oostdyk, the director of Servant’s Heart Ministry, reminds us that God says there is an abundant harvest – a world of people to be reached for God’s Kingdom. This means we, as Christ-followers, have a lot of work to do. He shares three practical steps that we can take to contribute and help advance God’s Kingdom: see a need, feel a need, and pray for the need.

Worship is our response—both individually and in community, expressed in both words and actions— to who God is and what he has done.

What is the most influential force in the world? Power? Greed? Sex? Pride? Thankfully, it’s none of the above. The Bible says it’s love. Not the emotional, passive, fall-in-love kind of love. It’s a love the Bible calls agape—it’s active, resilient, and fierce; it can melt frozen hearts, open stingy hands, and change the course of a life. And it’s defined not by words on a page, but by a Person who walked the earth. Let’s dream about what our lives could be like if we were captivated and catapulted by the power of agape.  

The story of Jonah is about much more than just a man and a big fish. It’s really about obediently following God, and what happens when we do that half-heartedly. God will always finish what He calls us to do – even if we aren’t giving Him our best – but we’ll miss out on so much. Let’s allow Jonah’s example to reveal where we may be “holding back” from God and missing out on what He wants to do in us and through us.

What could we possibly learn about the cross of Christ from the Old Testament? More than you realize. From Adam to Moses; from Isaac to Isaiah; the Hebrew Scriptures are alive with mysterious previews of the sacrifice, suffering, and eventual triumph of the cross. As we open our eyes to the unfolding drama of redemption, let’s allow God to deepen our appreciation for the cross—and for the Savior who went there for us.

Darkness takes lots of different forms: hypocrisy, pride, selfishness, division, hopelessness, and the list goes on. We see it all around us, and if we’re really honest, we see it in our own families and even our own hearts. In this short letter, John writes to people surrounded by darkness and points them to the only hope: Jesus, who entered our dark world as the Light, and invites us to walk in relationship with him. As we begin the new year, let’s dream about reflecting the light of Christ to a world that needs it more than ever before.

As we near the end of 2022, what story is ruling your heart? Is it a story of fear? Of stress? Of material pursuit? This Advent season, it’s time to lean in and hear a better story—one that’s true, and one that outshines all other stories. The story of Christmas spans thousands of years and has been re-told countless times, and we need it now more than we ever have. In a world that’s filled with competing stories, it’s time to find stability, joy and hope through the story of Christmas. 

Most of us have heard the list: Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. In a world filled with selfishness, anger, and violence, the fruit of the Spirit reminds us there's a better way. It's a beautiful portrait of a life well-lived—a life that reflects Jesus and blesses those around us. But we'll never experience this kind of life by trying harder; it comes naturally when we learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

John Calvin called the book of Psalms “an anatomy of all parts of the soul.” The original songbook of Israel, the Psalms cover the full range of human emotions, affirming our humanness and validating our feelings. But they don’t leave us there. In each song of praise, we are called out of our small, self-absorbed world to consider the vastness, power, and love of God…and if we are listening, we will be changed.

Why did Jesus influence the world more than anyone else in history? Because his message was not a theory or a philosophy; the faith he taught was perfectly demonstrated by the life he lived. In other words, Jesus taught a faith that actually works in real life. And to a world jaded by religious hypocrisy, this was incredibly refreshing. What does it mean to follow in his steps? James, the brother of Jesus, wrote a short letter that answers that question—and provides a gut-check for the reality of our faith.

In a culture that’s rapidly becoming secular, it’s easy to become intimidated and defensive, to lose hope, or to simply give up and blend in. That’s why we need the Book of Revelation. Through prophetic visions, Revelation shows how the timeless battle between good and evil will ultimately be won. And when we know how it ends, we can stand firm in our faith today—worshiping our victorious God, proclaiming a message of hope to the world, and looking forward to the day when all things will be made new.

You can’t do it all. And if you try, you will burn out fast. So as we enter a new year, let’s resolve to get the right things right. Let’s feel free to say “no” to lesser things so we can honor God in four key areas: our spiritual, relational, physical, and financial life. This kind of clear focus will simplify your decisions, lower your stress, and position you to serve God better. 2022 is filled with mystery, but one thing is certain: life will be better if you get the right things right.

For many of us, Christmas evokes warm feelings like nostalgia, gratitude, and generosity—all wonderful things! But for the first recipients of the Christmas message, the effect was more powerful. When they heard the news of the newborn King, they were moved. They found themselves doing things they never would have done before, because they realized the arrival of Christ changed everything. This Advent, open your heart and allow yourself to be moved by Christmas.

We are all natural-born prodigals. We go about it in different ways, but in one way or another we all have a tendency to push away from God and try to make life work on our own terms. It never ends well.  So why do we stubbornly resist God? Because we don’t truly understand his heart. In Luke 15, Jesus delivers a mini-series of three parables, all with the same purpose: to give us a glimpse into the Father’s heart. And what he reveals stretches us in life-altering ways, challenging our own prodigal tendencies and the way we treat the prodigals we love. 

How does real change happen? Is it education, self-help, or getting socially “woke”? None of the above. When Jesus walked this earth, he changed lives by encountering people one at a time. He engaged them in conversation, saw their deepest needs, and invited them to the better way of walking in his kingdom. This fall, we’ll look at six encounters with Jesus from John’s Gospel. And if we’re listening, we’ll never be the same. We’ll hear his voice. We’ll experience his love. And we’ll become passionate about helping  others encounter Jesus for themselves.

For the Hebrew people, here was not a good place to be. As despised slaves in Egypt, they were stripped of dignity and without hope. But God had a dream for their future: to bring them there. Through some of the most memorable events in history—the burning bush, Moses confronting Pharaoh, crossing the Red Sea—God powerfully led his people from here to there. It’s an epic story…and it can be our story. Whatever our here is, will we trust the God who wants to lead us there?

Sometimes life feels like a prison. The prison walls might be physical sickness, family drama, economic hardship, or mistreatment by others. Over time, self-pity and victimization take hold of our hearts, and we feel trapped. But in his letter to the Philippians, Paul demonstrates a radically different mindset. Writing from a Roman prison cell, with every reason to feel trapped, Paul invites us to a kind of freedom that no chains can take away—a freedom found only through knowing and following Christ.

Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and preparation—a time to align our hearts with the heart of Jesus. And there is nothing more central to the heart of Jesus than the cross. This Lent, we’ll discover that the cross wasn’t just the way Jesus died; it was the way he lived. And we’ll hear his invitation to live the same way: following in his footsteps and sharing in his suffering, as we anticipate the joy of Easter.

As we begin 2021, more Americans than ever have decided they’re done with church. Why? This winter, let’s lean in and talk about some of the main reasons that people turn away. Let’s do some honest self-critique and be humble enough to change where necessary. And let’s never lose sight of the one who showed up to disrupt organized religion 2,000 years ago.

It’s easy to get discouraged by the darkness that surrounds us. Whether it’s the darkness of political division, racial injustice, or the numbing monotony of the pandemic, the darkness can creep into our souls and make us cynical and hopeless. But all through the pages of Scripture, over many centuries, God speaks a word of hope: a light is coming. As we enter into the 2020 Advent season, let’s open our tired hearts to the light of Christ. He has come! He is alive! And he has the power to light up our world and make us a source of hope to everyone around us.

We all have a choice to make: will we go through the holiday season with an attitude of entitlement, discontentment, and anger...or with an attitude of humble thankfulness? It has everything to do with our relationship with God, and the choice we make will have a profound impact on our lives and those around us. At a time when there is so much we could complain about, let’s choose to be thankful.

We’re living in a world where there’s tremendous pressure to fit in. What does it mean to follow Jesus in a culture of conformity? As an exile in Babylon, Daniel shows us that different is good. He demonstrates not only how to resist the influence of culture, but how to be an influencer of culture, bringing grace and truth to the relationships and communities where God has placed us. 

Life can be so confusing—especially in a pandemic. At a time when everything seems to be changing, let’s root ourselves in the unchanging wisdom of Proverbs. Throughout this 3,000-year-old book, wisdom is referred to as “the fountain of life”—exactly what we need when we’re exhausted, empty, and dry. Come and drink deeply from the fountain of life.

Covid-19 is a tragedy, but failing to learn from it would be a double tragedy. Rather than just tolerating the lockdown, what if we walked through it expectantly? What if we could hear things from God that we wouldn’t hear at any other time? And what if we emerged from this crisis not just thankful that it’s over, but permanently changed for the better?

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down…and he began to teach them. Thus begins the most famous—and most misunderstood—sermon in history: the Sermon on the Mount. In three chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus presents a countercultural vision of life as it’s truly meant to be lived. On one level, Jesus is presenting standards that are impossible to live up to. But on another level, he is offering a life that’s within our grasp—if we will choose to embrace a higher kingdom and walk with the King.  

How do we express the most shocking, mysterious, joyful news we’ve ever heard? We sing. This is why we love Christmas carols: in a way that mere words never could, they engage the deepest part of us…and they connect us with countless generations before us who sang the same songs. But what if we could go back even further, to those who experienced the birth of Christ firsthand? What songs did they sing? This Advent, let’s listen for the wonder, hope and fierce joy in the original songs of Christmas.

Life is filled with assumptions: Suffering is random. Confidence comes from within. Confrontation is terrifying. But what if some of our assumptions are flat-out wrong? When Jesus taught, he opened people’s eyes by challenging their assumptions and opening up brand new ways of thinking. And in Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, he expounds on Jesus’ teaching by addressing some of our main assumptions—and how following Jesus puts things in a completely different light.  

Despair. Joy. Confusion. Anger. Gratitude. Fear. Shame. Worship. This is what it means to be human, and the book of Psalms masterfully speaks to the full range of human emotions and experiences. The original songbook of Israel, the Psalms meet us where we are and consistently call us to look up—filling our small, self-absorbed world with the beauty and glory of God. In a culture that urges us to look inward, let’s choose instead to look up.  

It’s amazing how often Christians miss the whole point. It’s right there in the word “Christian,” but somehow we miss the “Christ” part. We obsess over religious rules, or we run after emotional experiences, or we use faith to advance a personal or political agenda. In his Letter to the Colossians, Paul brings us back to the core: the simplicity of walking with Jesus. It starts with knowing who he is, what he’s done, and who he says we are. It’s so simple, but it changes the way we view ourselves…the way we worship…the way we treat people…and everything else that matters.

The way of Jesus often defies common sense. Losing is gaining. Weakness is strength. Last is first. His teachings are counter-intuitive and sometimes frustrating. And yet, by embodying these paradoxical teachings, Jesus lived a life of unmatched beauty, love, and spiritual power. Let’s take a closer look at how Jesus taught these seemingly contradictory teachings, how he lived them, and how the rest of the New Testament fleshes them out. What would it look like to align our lives with the paradoxical power of Jesus?

Christmas time is an explosion of words…what if we could simplify it to just four?

You know the saying: “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” We’ve all felt the burn of envy, but it seems like it’s at an all-time high right now. The 24/7 connectivity of social media thrusts the success of others in our face all day long, causing discontentment and resentment. Is there any way out of this trap? Obviously God felt so strongly about the danger of coveting that He made it one of the Ten Commandments, but often commandments cause more guilt than actual help. So how do we stop looking over the fence, and find the riches buried deep on our side?

Jesus said that having the Holy Spirit in us is better than if Jesus were physically with us. Why do we struggle to believe this promise? Maybe it’s because we fear the unknown…or because we associate the Spirit with snake-handlers and faith healers. But when we neglect the Holy Spirit we wind up living one-dimensional, flat spiritual lives, with a God who can never surprise or overwhelm us—which is no God at all. Let’s rediscover the power that turned the first-century world upside down—the One who can inject our lives with deep confidence, supernatural guidance, and spiritual power.

Our concept of self can be distorted in so many ways: the influence of our parents, voices of culture, our body chemistry, memories of past failures and rejections, etc. This matters so much! Because our outward lives always flow from our inner identity—either for good or for bad. The book of Ephesians is like a wise counselor, a godly pastor, and a challenging trainer…all coming together to transform the way we view ourselves in light of the gospel, and how we live out that identity. In the process, we will become powerfully equipped to help others understand and live out their God-given identity.

Opinions about Jesus are endless, ranging from the ridiculous (he’s the key to a Super Bowl victory! he’s the giver of Porsches and yachts!) to the simplistic (he’s my ticket to heaven…he’s my best buddy) to the skeptical (he’s outdated and irrelevant, if he even existed). But the real question is: Who do you say that he is? This series will help us answer that question by examining Jesus’ own words: his “I Am” statements” in the Gospel of John. In seven memorable statements, Jesus revealed what he was all about and why he still matters. So…who do you say that he is? It’s life’s most important question.

Over the long winter months, a house accumulates dust, clutter and mold. Our lives are no different: when neglected, we accumulate things like worry, busyness, and unforgiveness. Without realizing it, we become cluttered…weighed down…paralyzed. It’s time to clean house. This year for Lent, let’s give up something deeper than Facebook or Starbucks; let’s give up control over our inner lives. And let’s allow the fresh air and cleaning power of the gospel to transform those things we thought could never change.