In Matthew 19:13–15, families bring children to Jesus for prayer, and the disciples try to stop them. It looks responsible. It sounds efficient. But Jesus interrupts the interruption and says, “Let the little children come to me…do not hinder them.” This message asks a personal question: do I live like a recipient of grace, or like someone who manages access to it? From church culture to everyday relationships, we can subtly “gatekeep” belonging. Jesus shows a different way. The kingdom isn’t earned by the impressive, it’s received by the dependent and open. You’ll hear practical, honest applications for families, students, and anyone who wants to become a person who creates space instead of guarded doors. Because when we remember we’re recipients, we become the kind of people who say: let them come.

In Matthew 19:1–12, Jesus is tested with a loaded question about divorce—meant to trap Him in the cultural debates of the day. But instead of arguing loopholes, Jesus brings everyone back to the beginning: God’s intent for marriage, the sacredness of covenant faithfulness, and what it means to live with integrity when preference and discipleship collide. This message explores how Jesus reframes the conversation from “What am I allowed to do?” to “What is God forming me to become?”—and why marriage (and singleness) is ultimately about reflecting the faithfulness of God in a preference-driven world. Whether married or single, we’re invited into a deeper kind of fidelity: a life shaped by the gospel, not by cultural permission structures.

Confession isn’t about shame, exposure, or punishment—it’s about healing. In this message, Jodi explores the often-overlooked practice of confessing our sins to one another and why Scripture invites us into community for the sake of restoration. Drawing from James 5, personal story, and the wisdom of the early church, this teaching reminds us that while forgiveness comes from God alone, healing often happens together. When we bring what’s hidden into the light with trusted people, fear and pride lose their grip—and God’s grace has room to do its healing work. This message invites us to become a church without secrets, marked not by perfection, but by honesty, courage, and hope.

Confession carries baggage—shame, fear, and the feeling that we have to earn God’s forgiveness. In week two of our Spiritual Practices series, Charlie reframes confession as a gift: not a way to get forgiveness, but a way to remember the forgiveness already given in Jesus. Confession follows repentance—moving from an inward posture to an outward naming—and it doesn’t change your identity in Christ. Instead, it closes the relational gap sin creates and makes room for what God loves to do most: extend compassion and grace. In a culture full of condemnation, confession becomes a way we re-learn the heart of God.

What if repentance isn’t about shame—but about freedom? In this opening message of our January Spiritual Disciplines series, Charlie reframes repentance as a lifelong practice of reordering our lives around God’s goodness rather than our own control. Drawing from Scripture, theology, and everyday life, this message explores why repentance isn’t self-hatred or moral failure—but an honest, hopeful act that recenters authority where it belongs. You’ll hear: Why repentance is more than saying “sorry” How sin affects us, happens to us, and surrounds us Why repentance leads to clarity, healing, and joy How surrender actually produces freedom Why repentance is essential—not optional—for spiritual formation This message sets the foundation for a month exploring repentance, confession, and celebration—not as religious obligations, but as practices that lead to wholeness and life.

This Advent message invites us to rediscover the place of awe and wonder in our faith through the story of the Magi in Matthew 2. As Jesus is first named King, we see three very different responses to His authority—fear, familiarity, and worship. Herod clings to control, the religious leaders settle for knowledge without movement, and the Magi follow the light with open hearts. In a world that prizes certainty, control, and information, this message reminds us that faith is sustained not by fear or familiarity, but by wonder. Awe opens us to joy. Wonder leads us to worship. And worship forms a faith that is alive, joyful, and deeply rooted in the goodness of God. As Christmas approaches, we’re invited to make room again—to look up, follow the light, and remember that God has come near.

What do you do when God asks you to obey before all the details make sense? In this Advent message from Matthew 1, we look at the quiet, costly obedience of Joseph. Before an angel ever appears, Joseph is already wrestling with what to do about Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. As a “righteous man,” he chooses mercy over public shame—a picture of restorative justice instead of retributive payback. Then God steps in. The angel addresses him as “Joseph, son of David,” anchoring his story in a bigger story of promises, covenant, and a King whose kingdom will never end. Joseph is invited to take Mary as his wife, to name the child Jesus, and to trust that this Son will “save his people from their sins.” It’s not blind faith; it’s obedience rooted in the memory of God’s faithfulness.

When life gets disrupted, our first instinct is often to protect our plans, our comfort, and our control. But in this Advent message from Luke 1, Pete walks us through Mary’s response to the most life-altering disruption imaginable—and shows us a better way forward. Mary’s story reminds us that faith flourishes when our hearts are shaped by trust instead of fear, humility instead of control, and availability instead of certainty. Through confusion, risk, and unknowns, Mary chooses to say yes to God’s invitation and her surrender becomes the doorway through which Jesus enters the world. This message challenges us to reflect on how we respond when our lives are interrupted, our plans unravel, or our future feels uncertain. It invites us to make room for God—not just in our schedules, but in our hearts. Advent isn’t just a season—it’s a posture. A posture of waiting, listening, trusting, and making space for God to work.