In Acts 9:10–19, we see that a real encounter with Jesus never ends with us sitting still, it always leads to assignment. Saul gets stopped in his tracks, but God doesn’t just work in Saul, He calls an ordinary man named Ananias to listen, go, and serve, and that one act of obedience becomes the doorway to someone else’s miracle. This message challenges us to get close enough to hear God call our name, brave enough to say yes when it costs us comfort, and faithful enough to serve in a way that opens blind eyes, because we weren’t saved to spectate, we were saved to be sent. #FaceToFace

We all make plans. We chase goals. We build our own version of the future. But sometimes God steps in and interrupts everything. In Acts 9, Saul is headed one direction with confidence and momentum, and Jesus stops him cold. What felt like a disruption was actually grace. This message reminds us that God’s interruptions are not punishments. They are invitations to a better path. #FaceToFace

Most of us carry guilt we don’t know what to do with. We hide it, minimize it, or let it quietly define us. In John 4, Jesus meets a woman buried under shame and does something unexpected. He tells the truth without condemning her and offers grace without conditions. This message reminds us that Jesus doesn’t expose us to shame us. He exposes us to heal us. #FaceToFace

Presence Over Performance confronts the pressure to pretend, polish, and perform in order to be accepted by God. In a world that rewards image and effort, this message reminds us that God is not impressed by who we pretend to be. He meets us as we are. Drawing from Exodus 33, we see that real change does not come from trying harder, but from slowing down and meeting God face to face. This message invites us to drop the masks, show up honestly, and discover the transforming power of God’s presence.

“From Knowing About to Knowing Him” confronts the gap between information and transformation. In a culture full of spiritual knowledge but little daily surrender, this message challenges us to stop settling for facts about Jesus and start pursuing real relationship with Him. Through Paul’s words in Philippians 3, we’re invited to let go of what we’ve been trusting in and discover that true freedom, power, and life are found not in religion, but in actually knowing Jesus.

When Following Costs You Something confronts the reality that while following Jesus is free, it is not comfortable. Rooted in Luke 9:21–27, this message challenges us to stop chasing comfort, control, and approval, and instead choose surrender, obedience, and real life in Christ. In a culture obsessed with happiness and self-preservation, Jesus calls us to lay down our way, let go of what is slowly killing us, and follow Him without shame. This message invites us to move beyond shallow faith and step into the freedom and life only Jesus can give. #TheRealThing

“Idols of a Nice Jesus” confronts the tendency to reshape Jesus into a version that feels safe, comfortable, and non-confrontational. Rather than rejecting Jesus outright, many of us unknowingly edit Him, keeping what comforts us and removing what challenges us. Anchored in Colossians 1:15–20, this message lifts our eyes to the real Jesus revealed in Scripture: fully God, Creator of all things, Sustainer of life, and Redeemer through the cross. A “nice” Jesus cannot transform us, but the supreme Christ can. This message calls us to surrender our false versions of Jesus and encounter the One who truly has the power to change our lives.

In Week 1 of The Real Thing, we confront the reality that Jesus was never meant to be a label we wear or an accessory we add to our lives. Using John 14:6, we see that Jesus does not simply show us a path. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Our culture encourages us to follow our own way, define our own truth, and search for life everywhere except God, but those paths always leave us empty. Real transformation begins when we stop treating Jesus as optional and start building our lives on Him. This message calls us to move from religious association to daily relationship by choosing Jesus as our foundation.

#TheRealThing #KnowGod