There is far too often a large gap between what we say we believe and how we live. The story of Joshua is about followers of God being called to courageously bridge that gap. They are called to fearlessly cross over and become the people God called them to be, and in the same way we will learn how we are called and encouraged to do the same thing today. Listen in as Joey Ross teaches us how to nurture courage through faith.

Moses had a confusing upbringing. He had all the material blessings of Egyptian royalty, but belonged to a people group who was enslaved. Later in life, he moved to another nation and became a shepherd. In Exodus we read that God claims Moses as his own and keeps his promise to Israel by commissioning him to deliver them from Egypt. We are likewise claimed by Christ when we claim him. He will keep his promise of blessing beyond what we can imagine, but those blessings aren't just for us. Listen in as Teller Emmer teaches on Exodus 3, and see how God claims us, keeps his promises, and commissions us as a blessing to the world. 

The manger scene is everywhere. It’s on Christmas cards, wrapping paper, gift bags, and in the neighbors front yard. The manger is the centerpiece of every Christmas play where the birth of Jesus is told. In reality though, the manger is a feeding trough. The place where the Son of God laid was the same place where stable animals had eaten their dinner that very night. This Christmas, let’s look at the importance of the manger. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on Luke 2:1-20 and see how God orchestrates unexpected events to accomplish His purpose. 

Elizabeth teaches us a great lesson about hospitality this Christmas: talk less about yourself. Elizabeth could have shared about the angelic visit to her husband. She could have pointed to her stomach and confirmed the miracle of God taking place in her womb. She could have given statistics on women her age getting pregnant, but instead she chooses to bless Mary. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on Luke 1:39-80, and let’s look at the three ways Elizabeth blesses Mary.

Christmas is the only Christian holiday that is also a major secular holiday. The result is two different celebrations, each observed by billions of people, at the same time, for different reasons. Public festivities for Christmas have begun leaving out any reference to Christ—the very reason for Christmas! Background music in stores is moving from “Joy to the World” to “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” People are more interested in gifts under the tree than making room in their heart for Jesus. This week as we consider the example of Mary, we'll see just how different her response was to the Christ child. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches that God calls surrendered people to His greater purpose.

Luke is a wonderful historian. Archaeological findings have repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of his accounts. As a historian, Luke goes into greater detail and length than the other gospel writers about the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Luke believed important things related to the coming of Jesus happened before that first Christmas night in Bethlehem. In this study, we go back to the beginning of Luke’s Christmas Story. We are introduced to Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth—an older, childless couple—and the surprising way in which Zechariah learns that they are going to have a son. Luke begins his Christmas story here, because of the important role the son, John, has in relation to Jesus. Listen in as Pastor Doug Meye encourages us to live in such a way that people will want to know Jesus.

We’re in the final week of a four-part sermon series about living a generous life. In this series we’ve studied several examples of people in the book of Luke who came to Jesus with financial questions. These people had questions about inheritance, job loss, and how to be rich in God’s eyes. Today we’re going to look at the story of Zacchaeus who is well-known for climbing a tree to see Jesus. His experience with Jesus is wild, and because of his generosity we’re still talking about his life today as we seek to follow his example of living abundantly. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Luke 19:1-10 on how to live with absurd generosity. 

In this week's Absurd Generosity study, we look at an interaction Jesus has with a rich man in Luke 18.  Jesus invites this man to follow Him, but he makes a poor choice and chooses to walk away. He is one of the few people to leave the presence of Jesus deeply disappointed. In this parable, Jesus instructs us to think more about our Heavenly investments than our earthly investments. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson explains why we cannot serve both God and money.

We continue this week in our sermon series: “Absurd Generosity.” In order to be absurdly generous we need to steward our resources well. In today's message we'll examine the parable of the shrewd manager and hear Jesus’ teaching about stewardship. This parable has sparked much debate about whether or not the character of the steward was acceptable, and those debates may never be settled. We do know, however, what Jesus wanted us to take away from the story, as he continued on after the parable to deliver important spiritual truths. Listen in as Pastor Teller Emmer teaches us about using the "little" to serve the "more."