We live in a time where we are constantly being bombarded with distractions and rival "gods" to the one true God. These distractions can come from the places we least expect it - ourselves, money, materialism, entertainment, pleasure, politics, ideology, technology, control, image, or influence. One thing is for sure however - we MUST stand firm in our covenant to God to forsake all idols but Him, see Him as our supreme treasure, and make the CHOICE to serve Him.

Whether you consider yourself "younger" or "older," obedience to Christ does not care about our age. God desires that we pursue Him in faithfulness throughout our entire life. Just like a marathon, we must pace ourselves to finish strong. We must remember that we won't reach perfection in this life and we will make mistakes. God's mercies are new EVERY morning and He WILL finish the work He started in our lives. But we must still make the conscious decision to obey Him & do what He has asked us to do. It is by maintaining an attitude of thankfulness we will never take Him for granted and want to serve Him with our entire being.

Have you ever had a disagreement or falling out with someone because you misunderstood each other? One of the most overlooked aspects to relationships is communication. We tend to avoid saying how we feel or what we are truly thinking for the sake of peace but it actually ends up being worse and causing bitterness, resentment, and division. As we'll see in today's passage, we must all take personal responsibility to create environments that welcome transparency and honesty with our communication - first and foremost with God.

Happy Father's Day! We are so thankful for all the fathers & fatherly figures in our lives and most of all our Heavenly Father! The Bible has MUCH to say on how fathers should live out their life in front of their wife, children, and ultimately before God. And whether you are a father or still have a father/fatherly figure in your life, we ALL have a responsibility & role to play: for fathers - to be present, be godly, be intentional; for families - honor your father, encourage him, and pray for him; and to everyone - look to God the Father as the model of love and leadership.

Do you realize the person that has the most influence on you is YOU? Have you ever thought about the person you talk to and hear from the most - is you? Whatever we tell ourself has a massive impact on what we think, feel, and do. That's why the Bible tells us to guard our hearts and minds and to saturate them with GOD'S words. The Psalm are studying this morning encourages us to do just that - speak to our souls and in the darkest of times, remind ourselves that we have ALL we could ever need in Christ and that HE is our true delight and satisfaction

Do you realize the person that has the most influence on you is YOU? Have you ever thought about the person you talk to and hear from the most - is you? Whatever we tell ourself has a massive impact on what we think, feel, and do. That's why the Bible tells us to guard our hearts and minds and to saturate them with GOD'S words. The Psalm are studying this morning encourages us to do just that - speak to our souls and in the darkest of times, remind ourselves that we have ALL we could ever need in Christ and that HE is our true delight and satisfaction

Many times in our walks with Jesus and spiritual journeys, God will ask us to make difficult decisions and it can be scary. But it is in those moments we must remember to ask Him for the courage and boldness to step into His calling by faith. He is faithful to equip us with what He has called us to and He will also give us the desire to fulfill it! It is because of these truths that anxiety and worry lose their power and we can rest easy knowing our God is in absolute full control.

What an exciting day it is to celebrate all of our graduates and their amazing accomplishments! It is so important for us to remember that while many aspects of our life could appear to be "routine" or "mundane" (i.e. work, school, etc.), that is never the true reality. The fact is we are ALL alive right now for a specific purpose and reason - for "such a time as this." And it is up to us if we are going to fully embrace the mission that Jesus has given us: to seek and to save the lost and remember He is ALWAYS working even when we can't "see" it.

Happy Mother's Day! As we celebrate the mothers and motherly figures in our lives, let us truly be thankful for just how much they have done for us. What a beautiful reality that so many of the attributes that these amazing women have are also perfectly reflected in the love and attributes of our God.

God's timing is not our timing. Even when it comes to certain promises God has made to us in the Bible, Scripture tells us that 1,000 years is like a day to Him. Because of this truth, it is so important for us to never give up hope and never stop worshiping WHILE we wait. We can rest assured that in God's perfect time & providence, He will accomplish what He said He will do.

So often when we face struggles or battles, we feel like we are alone. Many times we think we are the only one who has ever faced what we are up against. That is exactly where Satan wants us. But it's at that exact moment we must remind him as well as ourselves that our God is not only with us but FOR us. He will NEVER leave us and He will go before us to defeat our enemies. It may not be exactly in the way we think or want but we can rest assured we will emerge victorious because He is incapable of defeat.

Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the most miraculous event of history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ! No matter what we go through in our lives, we can know without a doubt that because Jesus lives, we too can have victory over sin, death, and Hell.

As we prepare our hearts for Easter, today we have the privilege to celebrate Jesus riding into Jerusalem as the long-awaited Messiah! The majority of the Gospels focus on this final week of Jesus' life and rightly so - it is because of these events and ultimately His sacrifice on the cross that provide the way for us to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. While He may have rode on a lowly donkey in preparation to die, this foreshadows that beautiful day when He shall return on a glorious white horse as our triumphant, conquering King.

The life of Jesus is absolutely extraordinary. From healing people, speaking boldly about the Word of God, to literally raising people from the dead, the fact that Jesus Christ is God is undeniable. But the question we all must answer is: "Do I truly believe this in my heart?" Many people can say they "believe" in Jesus, but to them it's no different than "believing" in George Washington. Either Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or He was telling the truth. And if He was telling the truth, then He is the Lord of all to whom we must surrender our entire lives to.

Have you ever read the stories in the Old Testament and desperately wished you could have physically seen the miracles that God did? Well the amazing reality is the God of the Old Testament is STILL the same God today and continues to do miracles for us, among us, and through us. They may not necessarily "look" the same but we can rest assured He still does great and wondrous things. Never give up hope or faith. God ultimately does miracles for His glory but we also profit from them because they are ALWAYS for our good.

For many of us - if not most - the realization of being "duped" or deceived is one that nobody looks forward to. No one in this world enjoys that sinking feeling in their stomach when they think they are buying something authentic but it turns out to be fake. Think of how God must feel when we "pretend" to live like Jesus on Sunday but the rest of the week, we never think or speak about Him. The Bible has another name for that: hypocrite. Such behavior hurts God and should make us want to live differently. We must be honest with ourselves and repent and ask Jesus to be real with Him and others. And the glorious part about it is that He will forgive us and help us change our deceptive ways.

Often times in life we can be our own worst enemy. There is no doubt that Satan indeed prowls around seeking to kill and destroy our lives. However, even though as believers our sins are forgiven and we are forever secure, we still must deal with our flesh and the sin that dwells within us. It's important to note that just like in today's story, sin is never truly just personal - it also affects those around us. Because of this fact, it is DOUBLY important then that we cultivate a pattern of self-reflection, repentance, and restoration with Jesus, ourselves, and others.

May we always keep in mind that when God commands us to do something, He WILL equip us to do that task. It may not always be the way we think or expect - especially when it comes to the timing of things - but we can take heart knowing He will be WITH us every step of the way and NEVER leave us as any time. When God instructed Joshua that it was time to overthrow Jericho, even before they left for battle, God told him that He had ALREADY given it into his hand! THAT is the kind of confidence and trust we can have in our God. He goes before us and He knows the future so therefore we are unstoppable and indestructible for Jesus' fame. Whatever He asks us to do, He WILL accomplish it in His own way for our good and His glory.

It is a convicting thought to reflect on how many times we have shown up to church and our hearts have not been prepared for worship. Now of course when we hear the word "worship," often our minds go straight to music and singing. However, while that is a part of the worship experience, it is the ENTIRE time we are gathered together in Jesus' name. With this in mind as reality, it makes it all the more important that we come eager and prepared to hear from the Holy Spirit. It also makes is vital that we spend time with Jesus THROUGHOUT the week leading UP to the gathering rather than just thinking about Him one day a week on Sunday.

Have you ever needed a divine intervention from God and He showed up at JUST the last second? We must remember that God is ALWAYS on time - He is never too early, never too late. Sometimes we may forget He does not dwell in time nor is bound to any other restraint that is common to us. But it's BECAUSE of that our faith and confidence in His power should be ever growing with each passing day! That is exactly what the Israelites - specifically the priests - experienced when crossing the Jordan River. How amazing would it have been to see that miracle!