Real Life is a church for the rest of us, you know, the not-so-perfect-or-pretty-people. The people of Real Life have habits, hang-ups and history... but they have also found HOPE. We're real people with real problems finding real solutions in the person of Jesus. We post our weekly messages her…
The story of Ruth starts out focused on Naomi who feels abandoned by God because of her own rebellious behavior. The story ends with God making a way to write her back into the story and redeem her while proving Himself faithful to Ruth and Boaz. It's a beautiful picture that reminds us there is more to love than we think.
While chapter 3 starts out with a Naomi trying to trick Boaz into marrying Ruth, Boaz (and God) have another plan. Unlike Naomi, Boaz trusts the story God is writing for him and we'll see if it pays off in chapter 4.
Ruth is busy trying to figure out how to survive as a stranger in Israel. But while she's struggling God is writing a pretty amazing story, but Ruth has to be wiling to give up what's present for what's promised. Not as easy as it sounds. Ruth 2
To the Jewish reader the book of Ruth is an iconic love story, like Romeo and Juliet without all the suicide. But the book of Ruth is full of struggle, loss, spicy relationship stuff and most importantly a narrative of self-sacrifice.
Judas was one of the disciples who saw all the miracles and was part of every teaching moment of Jesus. But unlike the others He was not moved by Jesus' ministry, he was motivated by money.
Being a part of Jesus' Kingdom means more than serving Jesus, it means serving others like you serve Jesus. Being a part of the Kingdom means being a participant in the Kingdom. You can't serve the King and not serve in the Kingdom.
Jesus didn't "say" a whole lot to His disciples about serving one another. "They" would have a LOT to say about it in their later writings, but Jesus didn't say much. Instead, He modeled it. Serving the physical, emotional, spiritual and felt needs of the people He came in contact with. It wasn't until the night He was to be betrayed, when He washed the feet of Judas that He gave them the command, serve each other as I have served you. It's out command too.
In this message pastor Corey will be sharing some highlights from 2023, our 2024 budget, some thoughts on giving and an opportunity to take the 3 month tithe challenge.
Jesus, this King, wasn't born into splendor, He was born into suffering. A suffering world, nation, family and situation. Just like today. And just like back then, this baby born king still brings hope, our suffering isn't for nothing, it helps us look more like Jesus every day.
The story of Mary should encourage us all in our walk with God. So often we focus on our failures instead of our faith. So we miss that God isn't looking for perfect people, He's got the perfect part figured out, He's looking for partners. People who will walk through life with Him even when it doesn't make sense - and the story God wrote for Mary and for humanity, didn't make sense.
In this message we're going to compare the story of the shepherds with that of the wise men, they are strikingly similar! What we'll see is that Jesus welcomed the shunned at His birth and continued throughout His life. Luke 2:8-20
The wisemen had been on the move for nearly 2 years because of a star the people of God had missed. 2 years after the birth of Messiah and God's people knew the where and the what but they completely missed the when and the why. If you won't move you will miss. The wisemen were willing to move so they didn't miss the birth of the promised King. Are we willing to move or are we willing to miss?
We thank God way more for doing the things we want Him to, than for the things He wants to. And even in those moments He is still willing to give up His life in order to bring life to us. This final message in The Power of Thanksgiving reveals just how big of a deal it is that God hears our prayers, even if He doesn't answer them the way we want Him to.
Often the things we think should set us apart as spiritual giants are things that God thinks are common. In His upside-down-Kingdom there is no better accomplishment then pledging your allegiance to King Jesus. In this message we learn about the power of thanksgiving for what God has done for us, not what we've done for Him.
In this series we're talking about how to be thankful and what to be thankful for. Jesus tells a story in Luke 18 to help His listeners understand that it's not your presentation before others, but your posture before God that matters - He calls it humility and it sets us up to release the power of the thanksgiving.
We wrap up the series with the story of the flood and find out once again that God isn't angrily destroying humanity, He's actually carefully preserving humanity. Humanity has grieved Him, but He hasn't given up on them.
One again, now in Cain's story, we're going to see God acting in love toward humanity even though they continue to act like beasts. But there's also an underlying story... Even in the pain of Cain's consequence we see God's greater purpose develop. Cain ends up accomplishing, at least part of, what God commissioned all of humanity to do. Fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all the beasts. Here that purpose actually begins.
We've made it to Genesis 4 and typically we'd continue the conversation about how bad and evil humanity is because God has to kick them out of the garden then sends Cain even further away. But this story is not what it appears to be. It's a story about who God really is and He is NOT like the gods of Egypt or Cannan. This God is different. He doesn't demand offerings and He still loves even when we disappoint Him.
We typically think that the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden made God so mad that He cursed humanity and kicked them out. But that's not the whole story, it's not eve the right story. Nowhere in the story does God appear mad and He never curses humanity even though there are consequences. Sin didn't separate Adam and Eve from God, their shame did. God never stopped loving them, even though they left the garden. That same love extends to you.
The story of Genesis 3 and the curse of humanity and our exit from the garden has created some pretty distinct and fearful views of an angry God kicking humanity out of His presence and protection. But is that the real story? We know they were naked, but did they have any reason to be afraid?
One again, now in Cain's story, we're going to see God acting in love toward humanity even though they continue to act like beasts. But there's also an underlying story... Even in the pain of Cain's consequence we see God's greater purpose develop. Cain ends up accomplishing, at least part of, what God commissioned all of humanity to do. Fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all the beasts. Here that purpose actually begins.
Most of us believe that because of Adam and Eve's sin we are now bad and God is angry with us. After all, that's why he kicked us out of the garden. Only… it's not. Every act of God in Genesis 3 is kind and loving and shows great care, not anger or a desire to punish. We've got to know how God feels about us if we're going to navigate sin effectively.
Jesus ends His ministry much like He began it, overturning tables in the Temple. Only this time, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56 when He says, my House shall be a house of prayer for all nations. It's not our house, it's His House and He wants it to be a house of prayer.
After Jesus ditches His parents for 3 days so He can hang out in the Temple the story goes silent for 18 years until Jesus pops back up on the scene at a wedding and then immediately after that in the Temple again. These two polar opposite events highlight the difference between the relationships Jesus has and the religious practice of the people.
Joseph and Mary experience one of the worst moments as a parent, they left their child behind. Only, it wasn't their child, it was the Son of God and they left Him, for maybe 5 days! But it's not their parent fail that's important it's the exchange between them when they reunite. Jesus drives a steak in their heart but not on purpose, He is just passionate about His Father's House and being about His Father's business.
As we begin our first series in our first building what will we talk about? This House is about the kind of "house" this will be. It's not our house, it's God's house and that means it's a house for others.
The miracle of the story of the feeding of the 5000 is impressive but understanding the back story is more important. Jesus reveals the protective hearts of the disciples as well as what happens when we're willing to part with what we have to have all that we need.
If we're going to help every person possible find real life in Jesus and look more like Him every day we need to stop pointing out others sin and start pointing others to Jesus. In today's message we see that Jesus redirects us to be nearsighted about our own guilt and far sighted about others. This will help us present Truth with grace and stay relevant in a lost world.
Many Christians try to mask their real selves in order to portray who they think they should be instead of who they really are. Jesus puts an end to this and redirects us to not only be real about who we are but about what's most important in our lives.
The story of Ezekiel and his visions of a new Jerusalem were not about a restored Israel living in Jerusalem they were about restored individuals from every nation/tribe/tongue living as a family in Jesus.
Have you ever had anyone take the LONG way around to making a point? That's what God seems to do with Ezekiel, takes him to a valley of bones, gives him these commands, has to up the ante and then in the end is like, I said all "that" to say "this." It's a windy (you'll see
When we try to do life on our own we're telling God we don't trust His way of living in the Kingdom. And when we commit spiritual mutiny the result is always captivity to the things we sought to express our freedom with.
Ezekiel is violently taken back to Jerusalem in a vision to see the utter rejection and adultery of Israel and her leaders with the worship of other gods. We see a complete failure of the people to recognize God as the One Power or as Israel's spiritual husband. Their corruption is complete.
God called Ezekiel and then used Ezekiel to call to His people Israel, God almost always uses a person to reach a people, it's why He works to get our attention before he gets our assistance. In the end, He wants them to see HIM, not us.
We live as people captured by culture but that doesn't mean we have to submit to it. Our best option is not to combat culture or condemn it but to offer a viable contrast to it. People need to see there's another, better way to live.
Peter goes from thinking he's a hero to knowing he's a zero. But Peter's failures can't keep Jesus from pointing to his future! We've all screwed up but Jesus doesn't waste time condemning, He just encourages and points us back to mission!
Matthew records parallel stories of Jesus and Peter in his Gospel. Jesus prepares and Peter ignores. Jesus succeeds and Peter fails. But what Matthew is trying to show us in real time is why he and we needed Jesus to die, why remorse wasn't good enough and how Jesus turns failure around on the road to redemption.
Easter Sunday is a time of joy and triumph, but many of us enter the season with doubts and fears that feel inconsistent with the celebration. But instead of being angry with us, we learn that Jesus fiercely and tenderly meets us in our doubt in order to transform our hearts and lives.
It's amazing the incredible events that have been set in motion by seemingly simple incidents, like the first domino that falls and sets the whole run in motion. Jesus has this moment when some Greeks come to speak with Him - this simple event sets in motion Jesus greatest sacrifice. And instead of evading it, Jesus embraces it. Can you see purpose in your pain like Jesus did?
The first two stories about Jesus in John's Jesus Biography parallel two events: Jesus invited to a wedding and Jesus crashing worship. There are huge similarities here but the bottom line is that Jesus displays first love for others and then love for God. He begins His ministry displaying in real-time the highest two ethics of the Kingdom He was ushering in.
Jesus didn't just have to die, He willingly chose to die. Sometimes the plans of God don't seem that appealing to us, but we can't accomplish the will of God through the ways of man. Jesus was obedient to God's will and God's ways and because of it, He purchased our salvation
We often consider the creation story the story of how we got here, but it's much more a story of how we got here... in this state, looking more like beasts than image bearers of God. Genesis 3:1-7
Lifer Alan Funk brings a message about recognizing and appreciating your blessings even when they don't initially seem like blessings - it will bless you! (so you can add it to your blessings list!)
Our friend Terry Deaver brings a message about starting well - it will bless you!
In the marriage (and all male/female relationships) it's not good to always agree, we need opposition to make the best decisions... God knew this and built it into our existence. We HAVE to work together to be God's image bearers.
When it comes to relationships every one of them is complicated; married, single, just pick your complicated. Some people want to make everything a choice between salvation and satan - but that's not the case. Paul's encouragement is still good - be you, being Jesus. Focus on that.
Humpback whales and magnifying glasses help us talk about relationships, sex and marriage.
Once we figure out that the creation story isn't a primer on creation but a poem about creation we're able to ask, why did God make this the first thing He tells Moses to write down? Well, because we learn two very important things from this poem - that God created everything to be good and that includes us, whose worth is not tied to our work.
When you read the creation days in Genesis 1 you're left with more questions than answers. We get some important information about God and creation but we also find things that just don't make sense. We need to come to grips with the idea that Genesis 1 is not a primer on creation but a poem about creation. And when you understand that you can discover the treasure God hid in the middle.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
