bill steward

Just believe. Live your truth. Sound familiar? In a culture preaching the power of whatever feels right to you, it’s time to set aside positive vibes for a Truth you can stand on. The Biblical book of James is a call to counter-cultural living – the kind that rejects the latest “feel good” message for a mature faith. A faith with deep roots producing the fruit of a life lived on purpose. Join us as we spend the next six weeks journeying through our new message series, James: Live the Truth, as we're confronted with the question, "Am I living what I claim to believe?" Listen with us to our first message in the series, Surviving Seasons of Suffering, and discover how only through a mature faith in God can we survive the trials life brings. 

Whether in conversation, on the news, or plastered across our newsfeeds, "freedom" is a hot topic these days. There are countless opinions on what true freedom is and how it should look today. And, just as people are talking about freedom, they're talking about slavery - a word with deep pain packed into it. But maybe the reason these buzzwords run so deep in our culture is not only because of our nation's history, but because each one of us is engaged in a spiritual battle between slavery and freedom. Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, as Paul reminds us that everyone is a slave to sin, but through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, Christians are free! Listen with us to our newest message, The Freest Slave, and ask yourself the question, "Whose slave am I?" 

Who is your representative? Despite your first thought, we aren’t asking about your favorite government official. Reality is, just as we're represented politically in this nation, all people are also represented spiritually by one of two individuals. Wondering who? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discover who these two representatives are and which one is ruling your life. Listen with us to our newest message, May Grace Reign, to understand how our lives are ruled by one act from one person. The question is, which one? 

To excel in something is to do it with abundance and excellence; to go above and beyond what is “normal” in that area. In our Biblical text today, we are called to “stand out” or “surpass” the norm in a particular area of our lives: generosity. As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - we'll be challenged by God's Word to not simply give, but to excel in our giving! Listen with us to our newest message, Giving & Love, as we see how exceptional giving displays God’s grace, genuine love, and ultimately the truth of the Gospel!

Today we celebrate the goodness of God! Join us as we reflect upon the verses in Matthew 27 telling of the brutal trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ. Matthew’s vivid description invites us to see Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of those who witnessed it firsthand: the governor, the soldier, and the crowd. Listen to our newest message, Opinionated, to hear how these accounts reveal the true identity of Jesus Christ.

In the closing words of Jesus' final teaching before His crucifixion, He paints the picture of a shepherd separating sheep from goats, by which He teaches us a critical lesson: our faith reveals our identity - and determines our destination. Our current series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, concludes with a hard look at our own faith in the anticipation of Christ’s return. Listen with us to this final message, The Shepherd King, as we prepare for that glorious day!

For many, a key motivation in what we choose to do every minute of our day is to avoid discomfort. Our culture tries its hardest to escape any kind of suffering. No one likes to suffer, but the extremes many take to stay comfortable has become an idol to many. And the Christian church is not exempt. Today, as we continue through our series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, we’re hit with the hard truth that suffering is inevitable, especially as Christians. But we have a Savior who also suffered and overcame it all for us. Listen with us in our newest message, Don’t Be Surprised.

Big Idea: The grace of the gospel completely transforms us for God's glory
Point 1: We are all in desperate need of grace
Point 2: Conversion is God's work in our lives
Point 3: Because of grace, be faithful to Jesus
Text Galatians 1:11-16a, 22-24

It’s time to rethink what it means to be a citizen in this country. Too often we allow politics and opposing parties to dictate how we behave and treat others around us. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, we discuss how we are supposed act as temporary citizens of this world but eternal citizens of heaven! Listen with us in our newest message, One Nation Under God, to hear how submission, goodness, and servanthood is how God wants us to live!

This week we are starting a brand new series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World! Hope seems to be a word thrown around when our circumstances seem, well, hopeless. In this series, searching for hope, we look to 1 Peter. Here, we read of the unshakeable hope of a scattered group of Christians facing exile and persecution from the culture around them. We see that hope is active and are encouraged to praise God for the security we can find only in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if we are experiencing great suffering, we know that Jesus is our hope. Listen with us in our newest message, Hope Has a Pulse.

Has worship ever seemed like just a tradition you are supposed to do before a Sunday service? And now, worship seems less inspiring over a TV or computer screen? In Part 3 of our message series, Assembly Required, we are discussing the importance of praising God in every season. Worship is the key to unlocking blessings that we may have never realized. So what does happen when we praise God? Discover more in this message, Ever-present Praise.