South Hills Santa Clarita

Even if you're not a Christian, you probably have a picture in your mind of who Jesus is. For most people, it's someone unwaveringly kind, caring, and gentle. And for the most part, they're right. But if you read through the Gospels, you'll inevitably come across instances that upset your expectations. Jesus said and did things that almost seem out-of-character; moments where He comes across as mean, dismissive, and even aggressive. At times He's flat-out SAVAGE. So what's really going on here? Are we misreading these stories, or have we misjudged Jesus? Who was He really and why did He do the things He did?

Even if you're not a Christian, you probably have a picture in your mind of who Jesus is. For most people, it's someone unwaveringly kind, caring, and gentle. And for the most part, they're right. But if you read through the Gospels, you'll inevitably come across instances that upset your expectations. Jesus said and did things that almost seem out-of-character; moments where He comes across as mean, dismissive, and even aggressive. At times He's flat-out SAVAGE. So what's really going on here? Are we misreading these stories, or have we misjudged Jesus? Who was He really and why did He do the things He did?

Even if you're not a Christian, you probably have a picture in your mind of who Jesus is. For most people, it's someone unwaveringly kind, caring, and gentle. And for the most part, they're right. But if you read through the Gospels, you'll inevitably come across instances that upset your expectations. Jesus said and did things that almost seem out-of-character; moments where He comes across as mean, dismissive, and even aggressive. At times He's flat-out SAVAGE. So what's really going on here? Are we misreading these stories, or have we misjudged Jesus? Who was He really and why did He do the things He did?

Even if you're not a Christian, you probably have a picture in your mind of who Jesus is. For most people, it's someone unwaveringly kind, caring, and gentle. And for the most part, they're right. But if you read through the Gospels, you'll inevitably come across instances that upset your expectations. Jesus said and did things that almost seem out-of-character; moments where He comes across as mean, dismissive, and even aggressive. At times He's flat-out SAVAGE. So what's really going on here? Are we misreading these stories, or have we misjudged Jesus? Who was He really and why did He do the things He did?

Even if you're not a Christian, you probably have a picture in your mind of who Jesus is. For most people, it's someone unwaveringly kind, caring, and gentle. And for the most part, they're right. But if you read through the Gospels, you'll inevitably come across instances that upset your expectations. Jesus said and did things that almost seem out-of-character; moments where He comes across as mean, dismissive, and even aggressive. At times He's flat-out SAVAGE. So what's really going on here? Are we misreading these stories, or have we misjudged Jesus? Who was He really and why did He do the things He did?

The Curtain. The Stone.

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

Everyone's facing something; Things we're battling but aren't sure we can beat—goals we want to reach, habits we want to break, relationships we want to rescue. But significant victories don't come easy. The sheer size of the fight in front of us can leave us anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted. How do we keep from giving up? There was a warrior king in the Old Testament who overcame insurmountable odds, time and again. His secret: FIGHT SONGS. Like an athlete playing pump-up music before a big game, David leveraged certain lyrics to fortify him for the fight in front of him. One collection came to be known as Psalm 23. Is it possible this ancient anthem can do for us what it did for him? How?

We all want someone to share our lives with. But finding the right person is hard and making it work with them is even harder. Most relationships don't last and those that do don't always seem all that happy. So, I ask, why are romantic relationships in our culture getting shorter and our satisfaction with them getting lower?Could any of this have something to do with the pace at which the world works now and our inability to adapt? What if your partner isn't the problem? What if you're not bad at relationships, you're just bad at managing stress? And if that's true, how could changing that breathe new life into your love story? Let's talk about it.

We all want someone to share our lives with. But finding the right person is hard and making it work with them is even harder. Most relationships don't last and those that do don't always seem all that happy. So, I ask, why are romantic relationships in our culture getting shorter and our satisfaction with them getting lower?Could any of this have something to do with the pace at which the world works now and our inability to adapt? What if your partner isn't the problem? What if you're not bad at relationships, you're just bad at managing stress? And if that's true, how could changing that breathe new life into your love story? Let's talk about it.

We all want someone to share our lives with. But finding the right person is hard and making it work with them is even harder. Most relationships don't last and those that do don't always seem all that happy. So, I ask, why are romantic relationships in our culture getting shorter and our satisfaction with them getting lower?Could any of this have something to do with the pace at which the world works now and our inability to adapt? What if your partner isn't the problem? What if you're not bad at relationships, you're just bad at managing stress? And if that's true, how could changing that breathe new life into your love story? Let's talk about it.

We all want someone to share our lives with. But finding the right person is hard and making it work with them is even harder. Most relationships don't last and those that do don't always seem all that happy. So, I ask, why are romantic relationships in our culture getting shorter and our satisfaction with them getting lower? Could any of this have something to do with the pace at which the world works now and our inability to adapt? What if your partner isn't the problem? What if you're not bad at relationships, you're just bad at managing stress? And if that's true, how could changing that breathe new life into your love story?  Let's talk about it.

You like where you live, but there's no telling who (or what) is lurking next door. The possibilities are terrifying. You already know the major plot points: what they drive, how often they mow, who they voted for. You do your best to avoid them. The thought of mail-box small talk with these monsters sends shivers down your spine. Shouldn't we all just mind our own business and keep to ourselves? But… what if the most nightmarish neighbor you know looks at you in the mirror every morning? Jesus seemed to think loving your neighbors was a big deal. But did He mean it? How does someone even become a Bad Neighbor anyway?

You like where you live, but there's no telling who (or what) is lurking next door. The possibilities are terrifying. You already know the major plot points: what they drive, how often they mow, who they voted for. You do your best to avoid them. The thought of mail-box small talk with these monsters sends shivers down your spine. Shouldn't we all just mind our own business and keep to ourselves? But… what if the most nightmarish neighbor you know looks at you in the mirror every morning? Jesus seemed to think loving your neighbors was a big deal. But did He mean it? How does someone even become a Bad Neighbor anyway?

You like where you live, but there's no telling who (or what) is lurking next door. The possibilities are terrifying. You already know the major plot points: what they drive, how often they mow, who they voted for. You do your best to avoid them. The thought of mail-box small talk with these monsters sends shivers down your spine. Shouldn't we all just mind our own business and keep to ourselves? But… what if the most nightmarish neighbor you know looks at you in the mirror every morning? Jesus seemed to think loving your neighbors was a big deal. But did He mean it? How does someone even become a Bad Neighbor anyway?

You like where you live, but there's no telling who (or what) is lurking next door. The possibilities are terrifying. You already know the major plot points: what they drive, how often they mow, who they voted for. You do your best to avoid them. The thought of mail-box small talk with these monsters sends shivers down your spine. Shouldn't we all just mind our own business and keep to ourselves? But… what if the most nightmarish neighbor you know looks at you in the mirror every morning? Jesus seemed to think loving your neighbors was a big deal. But did He mean it? How does someone even become a Bad Neighbor anyway?

A ‘thrill' is essentially ‘enjoyably nervous excitement'—the kind we feel on roller coasters or in suspenseful movies. But poets from our faith tradition often describe the feeling of Christmas as ‘The Thrill of Hope'. Every year, the December air is thick with it. Ancient songwriters and storytellers seemed to believe the birth of Jesus somehow stirs up a sense that things are going to get better in the hearts of those on the verge of giving up. This is especially profound when you realize who they claim first felt this thrill—people on the fringe: nameless shepherds, an invisible innkeeper, an unprepared father. And yet their roles in this story changed all of human history. So what if what God did for them that first Christmas is something He longs to do in you this Christmas—to show you the significance of your role in His story & instill in you a hope every bit as thrilling as it is fulfilling.

A ‘thrill' is essentially ‘enjoyably nervous excitement'—the kind we feel on roller coasters or in suspenseful movies. But poets from our faith tradition often describe the feeling of Christmas as ‘The Thrill of Hope'. Every year, the December air is thick with it. Ancient songwriters and storytellers seemed to believe the birth of Jesus somehow stirs up a sense that things are going to get better in the hearts of those on the verge of giving up. This is especially profound when you realize who they claim first felt this thrill—people on the fringe: nameless shepherds, an invisible innkeeper, an unprepared father. And yet their roles in this story changed all of human history. So what if what God did for them that first Christmas is something He longs to do in you this Christmas—to show you the significance of your role in His story & instill in you a hope every bit as thrilling as it is fulfilling.

A ‘thrill' is essentially ‘enjoyably nervous excitement'—the kind we feel on roller coasters or in suspenseful movies. But poets from our faith tradition often describe the feeling of Christmas as ‘The Thrill of Hope'. Every year, the December air is thick with it. Ancient songwriters and storytellers seemed to believe the birth of Jesus somehow stirs up a sense that things are going to get better in the hearts of those on the verge of giving up. This is especially profound when you realize who they claim first felt this thrill—people on the fringe: nameless shepherds, an invisible innkeeper, an unprepared father. And yet their roles in this story changed all of human history. So what if what God did for them that first Christmas is something He longs to do in you this Christmas—to show you the significance of your role in His story & instill in you a hope every bit as thrilling as it is fulfilling.

A ‘thrill' is essentially ‘enjoyably nervous excitement'—the kind we feel on roller coasters or in suspenseful movies. But poets from our faith tradition often describe the feeling of Christmas as ‘The Thrill of Hope'. Every year, the December air is thick with it. Ancient songwriters and storytellers seemed to believe the birth of Jesus somehow stirs up a sense that things are going to get better in the hearts of those on the verge of giving up. This is especially profound when you realize who they claim first felt this thrill—people on the fringe: nameless shepherds, an invisible innkeeper, an unprepared father. And yet their roles in this story changed all of human history. So what if what God did for them that first Christmas is something He longs to do in you this Christmas—to show you the significance of your role in His story & instill in you a hope every bit as thrilling as it is fulfilling.

The obvious….the world we live in is on fire. Or at least it feels like it. Our news networks, social feeds, and email inboxes are full of evidence to confirm our suspicions that everything is falling apart. Nothing is as it should be, and it's only getting worse. Everything we care about, believe in, and rely on is in danger. The end is near folks.  But for many, maybe even some of us here today, we believe that if we could just get this person into office, or that policy into place, or this party into power—everything will be ok. Both sides promise they can save us, and their opponent will enslave us.  So, how do we handle all this conflicting information and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with it? What are we supposed to do? Where is God in all this? And how can someone follow Jesus well when everything & everyone around them feels like it's falling apart? Yeah…LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!

The obvious….the world we live in is on fire. Or at least it feels like it. Our news networks, social feeds, and email inboxes are full of evidence to confirm our suspicions that everything is falling apart. Nothing is as it should be, and it's only getting worse. Everything we care about, believe in, and rely on is in danger. The end is near folks.  But for many, maybe even some of us here today, we believe that if we could just get this person into office, or that policy into place, or this party into power—everything will be ok. Both sides promise they can save us, and their opponent will enslave us.  So, how do we handle all this conflicting information and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with it? What are we supposed to do? Where is God in all this? And how can someone follow Jesus well when everything & everyone around them feels like it's falling apart? Yeah…LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!

The obvious….the world we live in is on fire. Or at least it feels like it. Our news networks, social feeds, and email inboxes are full of evidence to confirm our suspicions that everything is falling apart. Nothing is as it should be, and it's only getting worse. Everything we care about, believe in, and rely on is in danger. The end is near folks.  But for many, maybe even some of us here today, we believe that if we could just get this person into office, or that policy into place, or this party into power—everything will be ok. Both sides promise they can save us, and their opponent will enslave us.  So, how do we handle all this conflicting information and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with it? What are we supposed to do? Where is God in all this? And how can someone follow Jesus well when everything & everyone around them feels like it's falling apart? Yeah…LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!

The obvious….the world we live in is on fire. Or at least it feels like it. Our news networks, social feeds, and email inboxes are full of evidence to confirm our suspicions that everything is falling apart. Nothing is as it should be, and it's only getting worse. Everything we care about, believe in, and rely on is in danger. The end is near folks.  But for many, maybe even some of us here today, we believe that if we could just get this person into office, or that policy into place, or this party into power—everything will be ok. Both sides promise they can save us, and their opponent will enslave us.  So, how do we handle all this conflicting information and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with it? What are we supposed to do? Where is God in all this? And how can someone follow Jesus well when everything & everyone around them feels like it's falling apart? Yeah…LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!

Words are so powerful. Even years later, you can recall something someone said (to or about you) because of the way it elevated or devastated you. We don't often think before we speak (and sometimes even less before we type, text or post). But our words have the potential to bless and/or curse, heal and/or hurt, bring life or even death. Words, to a large degree, determine destiny. And according to research, some have an even bigger impact than others.  What if, when your kindergarten teacher told you to, “Say the magic words!”, she was onto something so vital to and for us? And if so, what words, if understood fully and incorporated regularly, might have the ability to change for the better our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world at large? Over the next several weeks we will be talking about the magic words…Please, Sorry & Thanks.

Words are so powerful. Even years later, you can recall something someone said (to or about you) because of the way it elevated or devastated you. We don't often think before we speak (and sometimes even less before we type, text or post). But our words have the potential to bless and/or curse, heal and/or hurt, bring life or even death. Words, to a large degree, determine destiny. And according to research, some have an even bigger impact than others.  What if, when your kindergarten teacher told you to, “Say the magic words!”, she was onto something so vital to and for us? And if so, what words, if understood fully and incorporated regularly, might have the ability to change for the better our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world at large? Over the next several weeks we will be talking about the magic words…Please, Sorry & Thanks.

Words are so powerful. Even years later, you can recall something someone said (to or about you) because of the way it elevated or devastated you. We don't often think before we speak (and sometimes even less before we type, text or post). But our words have the potential to bless and/or curse, heal and/or hurt, bring life or even death. Words, to a large degree, determine destiny. And according to research, some have an even bigger impact than others.  What if, when your kindergarten teacher told you to, “Say the magic words!”, she was onto something so vital to and for us? And if so, what words, if understood fully and incorporated regularly, might have the ability to change for the better our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world at large? Over the next several weeks we will be talking about the magic words…Please, Sorry & Thanks.

Words are so powerful. Even years later, you can recall something someone said (to or about you) because of the way it elevated or devastated you. We don't often think before we speak (and sometimes even less before we type, text or post). But our words have the potential to bless and/or curse, heal and/or hurt, bring life or even death. Words, to a large degree, determine destiny. And according to research, some have an even bigger impact than others.  What if, when your kindergarten teacher told you to, “Say the magic words!”, she was onto something so vital to and for us? And if so, what words, if understood fully and incorporated regularly, might have the ability to change for the better our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world at large? Over the next several weeks we will be talking about the magic words…Please, Sorry & Thanks.

I think that many of you would agree that we take our senses for granted, unless we can't access them. Remember for those who got Covid and lost their sense of smell or taste? Or maybe you couldn't breath through your nose because of a cold and stuffy nose...know what I'm talking about.  But what if there are all sorts of meaningful experiences you're missing even when all five senses are functioning? In Scripture, God describes the relationship He wants with humanity as highly sensory. That's why ancient faith was thoroughly experiential, not purely intellectual.  Could the distance you sometimes feel in your relationship with God (or others) be the result of being out-of-sync with your senses? What would you do about it if that were true? Could learning to more mindfully see, hear, smell, taste, and touch unleash a level of fulfillment you've been too distracted to even know existed?

I think that many of you would agree that we take our senses for granted, unless we can't access them. Remember for those who got Covid and lost their sense of smell or taste? Or maybe you couldn't breath through your nose because of a cold and stuffy nose...know what I'm talking about.  But what if there are all sorts of meaningful experiences you're missing even when all five senses are functioning? In Scripture, God describes the relationship He wants with humanity as highly sensory. That's why ancient faith was thoroughly experiential, not purely intellectual.  Could the distance you sometimes feel in your relationship with God (or others) be the result of being out-of-sync with your senses? What would you do about it if that were true? Could learning to more mindfully see, hear, smell, taste, and touch unleash a level of fulfillment you've been too distracted to even know existed?

I think that many of you would agree that we take our senses for granted, unless we can't access them. Remember for those who got Covid and lost their sense of smell or taste? Or maybe you couldn't breath through your nose because of a cold and stuffy nose...know what I'm talking about.  But what if there are all sorts of meaningful experiences you're missing even when all five senses are functioning? In Scripture, God describes the relationship He wants with humanity as highly sensory. That's why ancient faith was thoroughly experiential, not purely intellectual.  Could the distance you sometimes feel in your relationship with God (or others) be the result of being out-of-sync with your senses? What would you do about it if that were true? Could learning to more mindfully see, hear, smell, taste, and touch unleash a level of fulfillment you've been too distracted to even know existed?

I think that many of you would agree that we take our senses for granted, unless we can't access them. Remember for those who got Covid and lost their sense of smell or taste? Or maybe you couldn't breath through your nose because of a cold and stuffy nose...know what I'm talking about.  But what if there are all sorts of meaningful experiences you're missing even when all five senses are functioning? In Scripture, God describes the relationship He wants with humanity as highly sensory. That's why ancient faith was thoroughly experiential, not purely intellectual.  Could the distance you sometimes feel in your relationship with God (or others) be the result of being out-of-sync with your senses? What would you do about it if that were true? Could learning to more mindfully see, hear, smell, taste, and touch unleash a level of fulfillment you've been too distracted to even know existed?

I think that many of you would agree that we take our senses for granted, unless we can't access them. Remember for those who got Covid and lost their sense of smell or taste? Or maybe you couldn't breath through your nose because of a cold and stuffy nose...know what I'm talking about.  But what if there are all sorts of meaningful experiences you're missing even when all five senses are functioning? In Scripture, God describes the relationship He wants with humanity as highly sensory. That's why ancient faith was thoroughly experiential, not purely intellectual.  Could the distance you sometimes feel in your relationship with God (or others) be the result of being out-of-sync with your senses? What would you do about it if that were true? Could learning to more mindfully see, hear, smell, taste, and touch unleash a level of fulfillment you've been too distracted to even know existed?

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

Listen, most of us have been around long enough to realize everyone is not the same. Some people can go through almost identical situations but read and react to them in very different ways. We've all had moments where we sat back and wondered – “What's their deal? Why did they freak out about that? What were they thinking? Why are they like that?”  What if the people around you wonder the same thing? There's something deep inside each other's responses, thinking – where is that coming from? What's the thing behind the thing?  There's something deep inside each of us driving everything we do. Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew what it was? We're all living our lives in an attempt at getting a single, primal question answered with a “yes”. What's yours? How did it get there? And how can you leverage it to help (not hurt) you and others? 

We all know that trust is a big deal. Nothing really works without it. When you have it, there's nothing like the confidence and security that comes with it. But we've all given it, and later regretted it. Someone broke it or abused it. We didn't see or react to the warning signs soon enough and were wounded in the process. And afterward, we found ourselves so much more skeptical, on guard, or even completely closed off. In some ways, it's protected us. And in others, it isolated us. But truth is, we're not sure where to go from here. Some people just don't deserve our trust.  Are Christians allowed to say that? And at the same time—being overly suspicious of everyone all the time doesn't seem to work either. So, how does trust work? How do you build it? How do you know when to give it? When is it wise to withhold it? And is it possible to fix it when it gets broken?  The life of Jesus gives us incredible insight into all these questions. And some of His advice is so unexpected.

We all know that trust is a big deal. Nothing really works without it. When you have it, there's nothing like the confidence and security that comes with it. But we've all given it, and later regretted it. Someone broke it or abused it. We didn't see or react to the warning signs soon enough and were wounded in the process. And afterward, we found ourselves so much more skeptical, on guard, or even completely closed off. In some ways, it's protected us. And in others, it isolated us. But truth is, we're not sure where to go from here. Some people just don't deserve our trust.  Are Christians allowed to say that? And at the same time—being overly suspicious of everyone all the time doesn't seem to work either. So, how does trust work? How do you build it? How do you know when to give it? When is it wise to withhold it? And is it possible to fix it when it gets broken?  The life of Jesus gives us incredible insight into all these questions. And some of His advice is so unexpected.

We all know that trust is a big deal. Nothing really works without it. When you have it, there's nothing like the confidence and security that comes with it. But we've all given it, and later regretted it. Someone broke it or abused it. We didn't see or react to the warning signs soon enough and were wounded in the process. And afterward, we found ourselves so much more skeptical, on guard, or even completely closed off. In some ways, it's protected us. And in others, it isolated us. But truth is, we're not sure where to go from here. Some people just don't deserve our trust.  Are Christians allowed to say that? And at the same time—being overly suspicious of everyone all the time doesn't seem to work either. So, how does trust work? How do you build it? How do you know when to give it? When is it wise to withhold it? And is it possible to fix it when it gets broken?  The life of Jesus gives us incredible insight into all these questions. And some of His advice is so unexpected.

We all know that trust is a big deal. Nothing really works without it. When you have it, there's nothing like the confidence and security that comes with it. But we've all given it, and later regretted it. Someone broke it or abused it. We didn't see or react to the warning signs soon enough and were wounded in the process. And afterward, we found ourselves so much more skeptical, on guard, or even completely closed off. In some ways, it's protected us. And in others, it isolated us. But truth is, we're not sure where to go from here. Some people just don't deserve our trust.  Are Christians allowed to say that? And at the same time—being overly suspicious of everyone all the time doesn't seem to work either. So, how does trust work? How do you build it? How do you know when to give it? When is it wise to withhold it? And is it possible to fix it when it gets broken?  The life of Jesus gives us incredible insight into all these questions. And some of His advice is so unexpected.

We all know that trust is a big deal. Nothing really works without it. When you have it, there's nothing like the confidence and security that comes with it. But we've all given it, and later regretted it. Someone broke it or abused it. We didn't see or react to the warning signs soon enough and were wounded in the process. And afterward, we found ourselves so much more skeptical, on guard, or even completely closed off. In some ways, it's protected us. And in others, it isolated us. But truth is, we're not sure where to go from here. Some people just don't deserve our trust.  Are Christians allowed to say that? And at the same time—being overly suspicious of everyone all the time doesn't seem to work either. So, how does trust work? How do you build it? How do you know when to give it? When is it wise to withhold it? And is it possible to fix it when it gets broken?  The life of Jesus gives us incredible insight into all these questions. And some of His advice is so unexpected.

Obviously, we've got lots of questions for God, but as it turns out, He's got questions for us too. The Bible is full ofthem. But why? Doesn't God already know everything? You'd think so. But when God comes to earth, in the form of Jesus, He asked way more questions than He answered. Is God just toyingwith us? Oris there something else going on? What if thesequestions are more for us than Him? So...why these questions? And what does wrestling with them stand to teach us about God, the universe, and ourselves?