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On March 1, 2020, Eagle Brook celebrated Bob Merritt and his 28 years of incredible leadership: How has God used the people in your life to point you to him? He loves using everyday people to accomplish amazing things. Join us as we celebrate Bob Merritt and his 28 years of incredible leadership.

Most people around the globe believe that Jesus was a great man, great teacher, and blessed by God with certain prophetic and supernatural powers. But what do you believe about Him? Was He just a great teacher, prophet and miracle worker, or was He more than that? In this message, Pastor Bob Merritt teaches us who Jesus really is.

On Good Friday, the day that Jesus was crucified, all hope seemed to have been lost. Jesus’ followers were devastated—this man, who they believed was the One who would save them, had died. What hope was left in the wake of such tragedy? But on Easter morning, He rose from the grave. And suddenly, hope came flooding back. There is now hope for forgiveness, hope for a relationship with God, hope beyond the grave—because Jesus conquered sin and death, forgave our sins, and made us right before God. And all we have to do is believe.

We all have chasms in our lives, relationally and spiritually. But God's power shows up best in chasms. In fact, that's what Easter is all about. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt takes a look at the greatest chasm ever crossed: when Jesus bridged the gap between us and God. He rose from the grave to heal us, forgive us, and restore our relationship with God and others.

Easter is a celebration of the world’s biggest event—the death and resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection gives us the power to close the gap between the life we have and the one we could have.

When Jesus rose from the grave, his light pierced through the darkness and conquered it forever. In this light, we find hope, comfort, and peace—no matter the darkness we face.

On Good Friday, we pause and prepare our hearts for Easter morning—when light conquered darkness once and for all.

It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of anxious, fearful, or critical thoughts. But God created us for so much more. When we take His truths and apply them to our thoughts, we can win the daily battle in our mind.

What plans have you made this year that were totally wrecked? Sometimes your expectations for the future collide with the reality of the present. The Christmas story brings a timely reminder that even when the unplanned turns your world upside down, God’s purpose will still shine through.

When someone asks you how you’re doing, is your fi rst inclination to say, “Busy, overloaded, running like crazy?” If so, it’s no wonder. Studies show that we Americans have way more things to “get done” than there are hours in a day to do them. While there are some unavoidable seasons of stress, there are wise choices we can make for a more replenished, joyful, energized life.

Sometimes Christians get accused of what’s called “perpetual niceness.” And it’s good to be nice, the Bible calls us to a higher form of love and forgiveness than what might be expected. But is it ever “loving” to confront bad behavior and even restrict someone who is hurtful to others? The Bible teaches that it is.

Psychology Today says that “Loneliness is not about being alone, it’s about not feeling connected.” It’s possible to be surrounded by people in a stadium, classroom or workplace and feel lonely. But some of our best friends and closest relationships might not even be in our lives yet. They are yet to be discovered!

More and more these days, people are saying “I believe in God, I like Jesus, but I’ve had it with the church. In this message we’ll look at the reasons why many are giving up on church, but also paint a picture of how beautiful the church can be when it’s running the way God intended.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus as our Savior, then what? What does God really want us to do? When each of us stands before God one day to give an account of our lives, will we have done what God asked of us, or will some of us be embarrassed?

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus as our Savior, then what? What does God really want us to do? When each of us stands before God one day to give an account of our lives will we have done what God asked of us, or will some of us be embarrassed?

God wants every one of us to be in relationship with him and others. It’s why God created marriage, family, friends, and church. Often these relationships can be the most difficult part of life, a broken marriage, a wayward son or daughter, a failed business partnership, an addicted spouse, a damaged friendship, a faithless father, a whacky mother, or a messed up sibling. Everything in life comes down to our relationships. God intends for us to be connected to each other and to have deep, healthy and meaningful relationships. Remember, “For where two or three gather as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).

For some people the idea of talking to others about matters of faith is outside of their comfort zone. They may live by the motto, “There are two things people should never talk about politics and religion.” But from God’s perspective if there’s one thing believer should talk about it’s what we believe. Jesus said, “Go make disciples of all nations.” But it’s hard to make disciples if we’re unwilling to talk to anyone about Jesus. We may not feel prepared or ready to share our faith, but there is something every believer can do—invite people to church.

Every year the Bible is the top-selling book around the world, and yet most people aren’t reading it. For some it’s that we think we’re too busy; some don’t like to read; and others tried to read the Bible at one point but got confused and gave up. In this message we’ll not only help you read and understand this best-selling book, we’ll also help you enjoy it.

Whenever you get a text message you try to check it right away. You can be traveling on a freeway, sitting in a classroom, board meeting or an interview that determines your entire future, but if you get a text it’s like “Hold it, I got a text!” What’s amazing is that God has sent us the best text message ever, but so few of us read it and then wonder why our life isn’t working like it should.

If there’s one thing that’s needed today it’s a sense of peace. All we have to do is turn on the TV and we can begin to worry about where our neighborhoods, cities, nation and world are headed. Add to that what might be happening with our job, in our families, or with our friends, and it’s no wonder we live with anxiety. Yet, Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.” Jesus wants us to live with his peace; it’s a gift He’s given us. So the question is how do we do life with a deeper sense of God’s peace?

One of the big questions we who put our trust in Jesus have to ask ourselves is: “How much of my life will I truly turn over to God and will I trust Him with every area of my life, or just parts of it?”

Have you ever doubted your salvation or wondered “There has to be more to it than just faith?” Maybe there’s a sin or habit that you can’t seem to overcome and that causes you to doubt your salvation. You’re not alone—even the best of us sin, because none of us are perfect. Still, what is grace? What is faith? And what is the role of good works with regard to salvation?

The promises we’ve looked at so far in this series—if we believe them and live by them—will change our present, future, and eternity. This message's promise is different. Romans 8:28 is a great promise of hope, but most people don’t turn to it unless they are going through a difficult time. It’s the kind of promise we wish we didn’t need, “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Unfortunately, some people don’t see this verse as a promise of hope, but a source of disappointment, because they aren’t clear about what it’s really saying. We need to understand what this verse is saying, and what it’s not saying, if our hope is going to remain strong.

Do you ever feel like you’re going through deep waters and difficult days? Ever feel like you’re having a hard time keeping your head above water? Most of us live with some amount of fear or a sense of being overwhelmed, and yet over 300 times the phrase “fear not” or “do not fear” is found in the Bible. Apparently our fears are a big deal to God. Today we’re going to look at a promise from the Bible that can get you through even the most fearful and overwhelming times in life.

We live in a world that’s full of differences. It’s important for us to know which differences matter. This message kicks off a series called, “What’s the Difference?” and addresses the main differences between two of the most popular groups within Christianity—Catholics and Protestants.

There are a lot of different religions in the world, and although many have similarities, there are many differences as well. This message takes a close look at Mormonism and how it compares to Christianity. Pastor Bob teaches through some similarities, but also concludes that Christianity and Mormonism are “far from being the same fish.”

n this message, we learn about the similarities and differences between Muslims and Christians. The goal in this series is to help us have a basic understanding of other predominant faiths so that when God gives us an opportunity to have a conversation with a person of a different faith background, we’ll be prepared and equipped to respond to them with confidence and love.

In many ways, Judaism seems like it’s become an unknown religion. Most people have heard of Hanukkah, some have heard of Yom Kippur, but what is Judaism all about, and how is it different from Christianity? In this message, we’ll see how the major similarities and differences impact our lives.

As parents, we want the best for our kids. We hope they turn out to be people of character who are self-controlled, courageous, responsible, and faith-filled. But it doesn’t take long to realize these qualities don’t come naturally to them. It takes intentionality on our part as parents. The question is, how do we raise faith-filled kids?

What is the climate of comfort in your home? Children who grow up in homes that are excessively comfortable don’t do well. The signs of excessive comfort are laziness, boredom, selfishness, entitlement, and a lack of skill development. That’s not amazing. Our job as parents is to help our kids become responsible and productive adults. But how?

In early 2012, one of the purest voices to ever sing was silenced when Whitney Houston died a tragic death at age 48. She joins a host of others whose lives were cut short: John Belushi, Chris Farley, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and Amy Winehouse. The reason? They had something in their life they couldn’t control. In this message, Bob Merritt discusses the importance of self-control and shares ways to instill this value in your kids.

Every parent has a natural instinct to protect their kids and keep them safe at all cost. However, at the end of the day, most parents would also say they don’t just want kids who are safe. They also want kids who are courageous. They want kids who have conviction, courage, and will take a stand for Christ. In this message we’ll talk about how to raise amazing kids who are courageous.

The teachings of Jesus were often counterintuitive to his listeners 2,000 years ago, and they can still be counterintuitive to us today. His teachings can confront and even confuse us, but what we can be sure of is Jesus always wants us to grow in our faith. The problem is there will be times that we are going to experience something that will cause us to question what we believe. Our faith will be shaken, and we will hit a barrier that could not only stop our growth, but if we let it, it could cause us to walk away from God.

Sometimes I look at pro athletes or country singers and wish I had their life. I think, “Now that person has it made.” But do they? The money’s great, but what about their personal life, their relationships, peace, joy and forgiveness? What about their eternal standing with God when it’s all over? Who really is the blessed person?

I run into someone just about every day who irritates me. And I can form little grudges in my heart; little battle lines. I may even say something snippy or withhold kindness to punish that person. But when I do, my heart gets a little harder, and I lose any chance to experience the goodness in that person.

How many people do you know who are striving to be the “least” instead of the “greatest”? Not many. Not only is it counterintuitive, it’s not even a natural instinct for us as humans. And yet, Jesus says that those who want to be great should actually be the least among us. What does he mean? In this message we’ll find out how to be great in God’s eyes.

Everyone of us goes through transitions in life. Some of those transitions leave us anxious, stressed, and scared. In this message we’ll learn that if you want to take new territory in life, you have to be strong and courageous in Christ.

Have you ever thought that you couldn’t recover from a bad choice, failure, or setback? The redemptive story of the Bible is that Christ offers the chance to start over to everyone. But it takes a choice; a courageous choice that’s available to every human being.

If you’re a Christ follower, God will lead you to major river crossings during your life that will scare you. And they will be impossible to cross unless God shows up and does a miracle. Miracles never happen on the bank, they always happen in the river.

Joshua and the Israelites have just crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land—the land God had promised they would eventually settle in and become a nation. The first city that needed to be conquered was Jericho, and it was surrounded by a tall, thick, reinforced wall. The wall is what separated Joshua from his goal. In the same way, we all may face a wall of our own, and our walls separate us from our desired future—like a better marriage, quality friendships, or a healthy lifestyle.

Joshua and the Israelites have crossed into the Promised Land and have conquered the first city, Jericho. God performed another miracle by causing the walls around the city to fall. The next city to take is Ai, but this time God’s people are defeated. Joshua knows God is no longer with them, but why? One man named Achan took some of the plunder when God instructed them not to. Achan’s one small sin had the potential to derail what God had planned for his people. In the same way, our small, and seemingly harmless, mistakes have the potential to derail what God wants to do in us.

Is there an area of your life that feels impossible? If the size of your need seems too big for you, it’s just the right size for God. If you are in a situation where you’re saying, “The only way this can happen is for God to do it,” you are in God’s wheelhouse. God still makes the sun stand still. He still does the impossible in people’s lives.

Some people wonder why God doesn’t bless them with good relationships, a great family and amazing opportunities, and they’re waiting for God to act. Often, God is waiting for them to put a stake in the ground and start living in obedience to him. Obedience is the trigger that releases God’s blessings.

The book of Revelation is one of the most mysterious in the Bible, filled with bizarre imagery, strange creatures and intrigue. The two most common mistakes people make is they either become obsessed with Revelation and get freaked out about the end times, or they completely ignore it.

"Do you ever look around and think, “Is God really in control? Is there anyone guiding human history?” In today’s message we’ll see that there’s a throne in heaven. And that throne is occupied. Not by a politician, president, or person, but by Jesus Christ himself. And so no matter how stressful, chaotic or diffi cult your life gets, the rock solid truth that you can rely on when your feet hit the ground in the morning is: Jesus Christ is on the throne. He’s in control."

So far in the series we have seen what Jesus said to the seven churches, and that some of the compliments and complaints he had would be the same things he would likely say to us today. Then last week we got a glimpse of what worship will be like in heaven. So far John’s vision has been upbeat and encouraging, but today marks a turning point. Watch or listen to this message as we see the beginning of Christ’s judgment.

Ever wonder if there’s more to life than what you can see with your eyes? This week, in our continuing study of the Book of Revelation, John gets a vision of a war taking place in heaven. But this war isn’t just relegated to heaven. It affects our lives now. And so John writes because he wants every Christian to overcome. No matter what life or Satan throws your way, you can be one who overcomes.

Today we will be looking at seven angels, one at a time, pour out God’s wrath from a bowl. These seven bowls of wrath represent the end of God’s judgment, and the end of the world. Whether you believe what we’re reading in Revelation will happen literally or you think John’s vision is more symbolic, it can make some people wonder. Why does God have to do all this? Why does God seem so…harsh? Watch or listen as we learn that God isn’t doing this just to be mean, or pay people back, instead we’ll discover two reasons why God’s wrath is a good thing.

One minute you’re alive, the next you are not. One minute air flows through your lungs, the next you gasp your last breath. One minute you’re before a doctor, the next you are before God. In less than 10 seconds, your body will die, your soul will depart, and you will be standing before God to give an account of your life. The question is this: Are you prepared for that day?

What do you think of when you think of heaven? A bright light? Floating on clouds? Seeing friends and family that are already there? Maybe a better question is, are you excited to go there? Heaven is where God lives, and it’s the place where believers go when they die, but John in Revelation talks about a new heaven and a new earth. This is the place where God’s people will spend eternity after the final judgment. What will it be like and why should we look forward to heaven?

Final words often have fi rst importance. Revelation is full of imagery and drama surrounding heaven, hell, Satan, the anti-Christ, Armageddon, the rapture, and tribulation. But in the end there’s only one thing that matters.

"The New York Times bestselling author, columnist and frequent guest on nightly news shows, Carl Bernstein writes: “For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal.” Ours is a culture filled with toxic influences that can poison our family and faith."

“If you go to work or school tomorrow, the people that you see who have their heads hanging low, are sad, depressed or burned out. You can usually trace it back to a hurtful interaction they had with someone. When someone is hurting, 99 percent of the time, somebody else’s words were on the other end of that.” —Henry Cloud Our words can do enormous good, but when they are toxic, they inflict massive pain and damage.

Do you realize what toxic thoughts do to your life? Your negative thoughts are what cause you to be grumpy and irritable. Your anxious thoughts are what rob you of what the Bible calls “a peace that passes all understanding.” Your discontented thoughts take away the joy that Christ offers. And your critical thoughts clog up your ability to love people. If you could identify, reject, and replace your toxic thoughts, so much could change in your life for the good.

As we’ve moved through the Toxic message series, we’ve seen that our words, thoughts and influences are all things that we have direct control over. The same is true when it comes to our faith. God may have stirred our heart to put our faith in Jesus, but we have the responsibility to then put the hard work into growing our faith. Without even knowing, we may have turned our faith in Christ into a toxic religion.

"Why do we tend to love and hurt the same people? The people I love the most are usually the ones I hurt the most. Jesus said “My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you.” The ability to love one another is THE sign of spiritual authenticity."

When we compare ourselves with others who seem better, brighter, skinnier, or richer than us we become envious and lose our contentment. Simply put, envy is when we resent God’s goodness in other people’s lives and ignore God’s goodness in our own.

"Why do we tend to hurt the people we love the most? The Bible says, “So encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” Think of one relationship in your life that you wish was healthier. I’ll bet a big part of the problem is a lack of encouragement. In fact, if we could increase the encouragement quota in our life, all our relationships would improve."

It’s impossible to be in a friendship, business, school or family and not have confl ict. Everyone has confl ict, but not everyone handles it well. Also, confl ict gets a bad rap. Conflict is normal, necessary and helpful in solving problems and making wise decisions.

Nothing is more powerful, more shocking and more unfair than forgiveness. And nothing penetrates the human more than real, heart-wrenching, life-giving forgiveness.

Many of us grew up going to church, but that doesn’t mean we really know how to pray. We may know some of the basics, but that doesn’t mean our prayer life is good. We may not even be sure what a good prayer life looks like. It’s not often that someone says, “My prayer life is awesome!” Yet, I think we’d all like to experience what the Bible tells us comes through prayer, things like peace, God’s grace, and less anxiety.

Jesus says, “Ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” How can Jesus say, “Ask and you’ll receive,” and yet there are so many times in our prayer life when we ask, and we don’t receive?

Bob Merritt has been the senior pastor of Eagle Brook Church for more than 20 years. Hear a little bit about what he thinks about, feels and hears as he gets ready to speak from the platform every weekend.

"Do you know any impossible people? Maybe you’re married to one. That’s tough. Maybe you work next to one or go to school with one. When someone’s impossible and beyond hope, it’s easy to give up on them."

"There’s a painful side to sacrifice. There’s a cost; a price. You have to give something up. But on the other side of sacrifice is joy. “Jesus endured the cross, for the joy that was set before him.” Anything worthwhile in life requires sacrifice. But what's the payoff?"

Learn about where we're headed as a church and get involved in One by One. To make a pledge and to track our progress, visit ebconebyone.com.

There’s a monumental difference between believing that God exists and believing in Jesus Christ. In this message we’ll look at the hope that’s found when we stop just believing there’s a God out there someplace, to believing “in him."

"Think about the bad choices you’ve made throughout life. Some decisions we knew were bad before we made them, so we end up saying to ourselves, “What was I thinking?” The other kind of bad choice is the one we didn’t know was bad until after we made it. What if we could know the outcome of a decision beforehand? That’s what God offers us. John 3:16 tells us what the two outcomes are to the biggest decision we can ever make in life.

Life is unfair and sometimes cruel. Sometimes we’re the victim of someone else’s irresponsibility. But if I’m not careful, blaming others for my lack of progress can become a habitual fallback that keeps me stuck. Even if it is someone else’s fault, blaming others doesn’t solve my problem – I still have to deal with the problem.

"What is in your life that you just can’t seem to stop? No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to overcome it? You’re not alone. One of the heros of the Christian faith, Paul the apostle, struggled with something that he couldn’t overcome, either. But there are two keys to winning the battle."

But it’s not hurting anyone has become a cultural value by which many people live their lives. It’s not hurting anyone so why not do it? It’s not hurting anyone so who cares what the Bible says? It’s not hurting anyone so what does it really matter?

Even the most accomplished people feel inadequate at times. Every single person is insecure in some way. Every one of us doubts if we have what it takes in multiple areas of our life. During this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand gives three truths out of God’s Word, that you can draw from whenever you’re tempted to say, “I don’t have what it takes.”

"How many times have you thought or said, “But things won’t change.” We might have said it about a relationship that wasn’t working, a job we didn’t like, or a difficult family member. When we say, “But things won’t change,” what we’re really saying is, “I wish things were different. I don’t like the way things are, but I can’t do anything about it.” And because we feel like we’re powerless to do anything about our situation we’re left to stew in our frustration or bitterness. But what if it didn’t have to be this way? What if we didn’t have to settle for the status quo? "

Americans have all sorts of time-saving options and devices and yet we’re as stressed out and busy as ever. Most of us frequently feel as if we don’t have enough time. And in some ways, we’re right. The Bible says our days on earth are numbered. In this message, we discover how we can number our days so that we can get the most out of the life God has given us.

"The Bible says that a person is saved by their faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:8: “You are saved through faith, not by works.” But the verse goes on to say, “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works.” Saved through faith, for good works. It’s pretty clear. So why do so many Christians have doubts about their faith? What are some indicators of genuine faith?"

Is there a person in your life that when you hear their name or see their face it sends a jolt of negative feelings through you? When the Bible says, “Love others,” what does that mean? Is it just a feeling, or is it more than that?

The Bible is clear that you are a genuine Christian, saved and forgiven, the moment you put your belief and your trust in Jesus. But what are the signs that your belief is real? John says that one of the signs has something to do with what you value or crave.

"Throughout this series we’ve been looking at what signs we should see in our life that tell us our faith is real. The apostle John highlights things like; our sin should bother us; our love for others should be growing; and we should value our relationship with God more than we value our stuff. In this final message, John says that those who are genuine followers of Christ will endure in their faith. The question is: How do we do that? In light of the challenges life throws at us that can cause us to question God and have doubts, how do we endure in our faith?"

When someone has potential, it means they have the ingredients to do or become something great. Potential isn’t actual, potential just means that the possibility exists. It’s what you do with potential that counts.

Samson had great potential, but ultimately he squandered most of it. He was a victim of the most common mistakes that men make. What are they, and what can we do to avoid them?We’ll find out in this message.

We all have a weakness of some kind. For some it’s food, for others it’s spending, but if there’s one broad generality we can make about most men one of their greatest vulnerabilities is women. We see this weakness played out all the time. It doesn’t matter if you call yourself a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or Atheist. It doesn’t matter what a guy’s social or economic status is. We’ve seen CEOs, professional sports figures, coaches, and politicians fall, so it’s not a matter of intelligence either. Most men are vulnerable to allowing a God-given desire to take over, which can lead to relational, emotional, and spiritual disaster. The question is-how can men manage this weakness?

"We’ve all made mistakes and failed at various times in our lives. But our failures don't have to be final. They don't need to define us forever. There may be some lasting or lingering effects from our mistakes, but God is big enough to help us overcome them. Watch or listen to this message as Senior Pastor Bob Merritt wraps up the story about Samson and the MENtality series."

Evolution is huge topic, and as Senior Pastor Bob Merritt states in his message, his goal is not to exhaust the topic or to win over die-hard evolutionists; rather his goal is to present the basic tenets of evolution and offer four reasons why he thinks that creation is far more believable than Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Today, more and more people have a deep need for connection with God, yet there is a growing number of people who do not identify with organized religion. There’s a movement toward identifying with being spiritual but not religious, and with that idea comes the belief that all religions lead to the same God. But do they? Watch or listen to this message as Senior Pastor Bob Merritt tackles the question, "Are all religions the same?"

The resurrection is the core of the Christian faith and assures our eternal life in heaven. Watch or listen to this message as Teaching Pastor Jason gives five pieces of evidence why he believes that Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.

"The Bible is the foundation for the way we live our lives as Christians. But some people ask, “Is it trustworthy?” In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about the credibility of the Bible. Because it is trustworthy, it can speak into our lives, show us what is true and right, and help us to see Jesus more clearly."

God cares about us and created our world exactly how we need it to be. He also created us is His image, both male and female. We learn about God’s expert works and love for his people in the book of Genesis. This week, we look at God’s goodness in the world and the importance that he places on healthy relationships.

This week’s message identifies human selfishness, pride and rebellion as the cause of a broken world. Watch or listen to this message as Senior Pastor Bob Merritt talks about where sin began and how it shows up in our lives today.

Watch or listen to this message as Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about why a good God would destroy an entire nation with a flood and save only one family.

As we continue this series in Genesis, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand talks about Abraham, who walked by faith and did some amazing things in life, even at an old age. In this message, we learn from Abraham's faith and discuss how we can experience the abundant life that God desires for us today.

"Can you imagine what a society completely set against God would look like? Or, a society that made a sport out of sinning? Watch or listen to this message as Teaching Pastor Jason Strand tells the story of ""The Sin Cities""–Sodom and Gomorrah–and gives three ways that you can make a difference in our world today. "

By nature, we as humans don’t enjoy most tests, and some of the most challenging tests that we will face in life will be spiritual ones. Watch or listen to this message as Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about why God sometimes allows our faith to be tested.

The Bible is filled with some of the same stories of dysfunction, pain and drama that we experience today. Thankfully, we can learn a lot from them. Watch or listen to this message as Teaching Pastor Jason Strand continues our study of Genesis with “The Twins” and talks about how the decisions you make today can affect the rest of your life.

"We all face hard times. Sometimes they’re brought on by ourselves and sometimes by others. However, even though times may be hard, your lowest point could be just the beginning of spiritual greatness in your life."

We all face hard times. Sometimes they’re brought on by ourselves and sometimes by others. However, even though times may be hard, your lowest point could be just the beginning of spiritual greatness in your life.

Culture affects each one of us in profound ways–it influences what we wear, what we eat, how we think about others and ourselves, and even how we perceive and interpret the world around us. Culture is relentless and powerful as it shapes our attitudes, expectations and what we accept as normal. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson explores what God and culture have to say about love, sex and dating.

Our culture gives people the idea that there's just one person meant for us, that the right person is out there somewhere waiting to be found. And the TV shows and romantic comedies we watch reinforce that. But what if that idea is just a myth? What if marriage is less about finding the right person and more about becoming the right person? In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand uncovers "The Right Person Myth" and explains the Bible's principles of dating and marriage.

Dating and marriage are not easy, and they can be even more difficult when approached with little advice or preparation. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt shares fatherly advice about relationships and encourages us to focus on becoming healthy and whole ourselves rather than on changing the other person.

The Bible answers many questions about dating, sex and marriage, but these topics remain confusing at times. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson discusses some of these questions and encourages us to honor God with our bodies by keeping ourselves sexually pure for our future or current spouse, and to make faith the foundation of our relationships and marriage.

So often in life we get labeled by someone with something that isn't true about us, and it makes us feel excluded, inadequate or unattractive, like we don't belong. In our new series Labeled, we'll talk about how God labels us, and in this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt explains the first label God places on our life: you are chosen.

As we go through our day-to-day life, it can be easy to overlook the blessings that God has lavished upon us. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt explains that God hasn’t withheld any blessing from us, but rather has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The greatest power in the world is when God changes someone's life. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches how we can tap into God's power to become all that God created us to be.

When we are in Christ, God labels us as truly alive. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand explains the difference between being spiritually alive and spiritually dead through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Some people spend their entire lives wishing for more money, more power, more this or more that, but when they finally get it, the craving remains. In “I Am Filled,” Senior Pastor Bob Merritt explains Paul's prayer in Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit and Christ's love so that we may experience lasting joy, peace, and love.

God has placed a specific calling on each of our lives, and in this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches us how we can discover our spiritual gifts and use them to serve God and others.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson teaches how we are made new in our relationship with Christ.

In this world, we will have trouble, but we gain security in God’s protection. In this message, learn how to fight off spiritual battles as Pastor Bob concludes our series through Ephesians.

Don't steal. (Check!) Don't murder. (Check!) Don't commit adultery. (Check!) You may not horse around with the big sins, but what about the seemingly acceptable ones? They still damage our Spirit, and if we’re honest, they probably cause the most problems in our relationships. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about how irritability can affect our Spirit, our relationships, and our lives.

Are you satisfied with God's unique plan for your life? Or, do you find yourself wanting what God has uniquely designed for others? In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand talks about how to fight off jealousy and embrace the YOU God made you to be.

Selfishness can be a relationship killer, because when it’s all about me it can never be about somebody else. Senior Pastor Bob Merritt continues our Acceptable Sins series and teaches how we can overcome selfishness to truly love the people around us.

When we’re judgmental of others, we lose our ability to love them. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt wraps up the Acceptable Sins series with a message about why it’s dangerous to be judgmental.

In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches how we can beat the odds and overcome family tension.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand teaches how we can experience the peace of God and find rest in the midst of stress.

We were created to be in relationships–with God and others. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about the importance of our relationships and how we can beat the odds of loneliness.

Our culture demands more of us than we can realistically give, and if we aren't careful, we can quickly find ourselves overwhelmed and exhausted. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches how to find rest in the midst of our daily grind.

We live in a culture that normalizes the practice of over-extending ourselves. However, we have control over how we spend our time. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt looks at what the Bible says about controlling our calendar and teaches how we can say no to doing some very good things so that we can do the most important things.

Part of simplifying life is learning to live within the margins of what we have and to find joy and contentment knowing that what we have is enough. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches how to create financial margin in our lives and trust and honor God with our money.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand teaches us how generosity leads to a simpler and more joy-filled life.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson teaches on how being engaged and enthusiastic in our faith leads to a simplified and joy-filled life.

1 John 2:6 tells us that whoever claims to live in Jesus must do the things he did. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and he expects us to do more than just believe. He calls us to follow Him and to do the things that He did, which include serving and giving to those in need. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt introduces The Micah Project series and teaches how we can do justice.

In Micah 6:8, God tells us to love mercy. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt talks about the common fears that stop us from showing mercy, and he challenges us to find small ways to show compassion to those around us.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand wraps up The Micah Project series and teaches how we can walk humbly with God and put our faith into action every day.

Fairytale weddings are what many people dream of, but too often real life isn’t happily ever after. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Anderson talks about how a strong marriage starts with a strong foundation.

Conflict is normal and inevitable. We can’t control how others handle conflict, but each of us controls how we engage in conflict—constructively or destructively, thoughtfully or selfishly, gracefully or angrily. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches us how to “Fight Fair” in our relationships.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand teaches how to make marriage a priority.

In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt teaches on how you can build friendship and fun in your marriage.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand encourages married couples to never give up and shares four ways to stay happily married for life.

Jesus invites you to follow him, just as you are. In this message, Senior Pastor Bob Merritt kicks off Follow with a message about Jesus' invitation.

In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand teaches that taking one simple step toward following Jesus can have a profound impact on our faith.

In this message, Pastor Bob continues the Follow series and shares the benefits that come only from following Jesus.

While becoming a follower of Jesus is the best decision you could ever make, it has a cost. In this message, Teaching Pastor Jason Strand explains what following Jesus may cost you.