The Backpack

Waiting is hard. Our culture calls it laziness. Our souls call it rust. But what if waiting on the Lord is actually one of the most powerful things you can do?This week we explored Psalm 27, David's song of courage in the middle of uncertainty, and what it looks like to gaze at God's beauty when fear tempts us to flinch. From the patience of the blue heron to the 52-year prayers of George Müller, God is at work in the waiting."Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

At 82, Sue Ellis shares a lifetime of faith: from a Brooklyn childhood to finding Christ in Kentucky, and the two words God keeps putting on her heart: connection and faithfulness.

"What if the burnout and stress and anxiety and disappointment, those blah days that you and I experience, are really just a deep, deep longing to experience God?"Feeling burned out? Anxious? Just... off? It might not just be a mental health problem, it could be a spiritual one. This week we dove into Psalm 15 and discovered that our deepest longing isn't for rest or relief, it's for God Himself. Don't miss this message.

Our team just returned from Santiago, Chile, where they led VBS, went on home visits, and witnessed lives changed, including a woman who gave her life to Christ. From breaking language barriers with a translate app to giving away Bibles, God used ordinary people in extraordinary ways. The church truly is bigger than any border.Listen in to hear the whole story!

Chase grew up in the faith, but it took leaving home to make it his own. In this honest conversation, Chase Youngblood shares what it looks like to move from "inherited belief" to genuine, personal faith. From homeschool bubble to public university, from three kids to four, from people-pleasing to trusting God. His story is a reminder that Jesus meets us right where we are and keeps working.

Ever get angry watching corrupt people prosper while you're doing the right thing? You're not alone; David felt it too. In this message from Psalm 37, we explore the four ideas David cycles through again and again: stop fretting over the wicked, look to the future, focus on doing good, and delight in the Lord. Because the real question isn't just what you desire, it's whether your heart is beating in rhythm with God's.

What do you do when life has you hiding in a cave? In this powerful message from our summer series On Repeat, guest speaker Wes Keene opens up about stepping outside his comfort zone, and what happens when we stop keeping God in a box. Drawing from Psalm 34, Wes shares how David, running for his life and fearing the worst, still chose to praise, boast in, and seek the Lord, and how God met him right there. From guarding your tongue to pursuing peace, this message is a reminder that God is near the brokenhearted, He delivers the righteous, and there is no condemnation for those who take refuge in Him. Whether you're in a season of doubt, fear, or complacency, this one's for you.

Emilio spent years as a fan of Jesus, not a follower. Then his world fell apart, a neighbor refused to give up on him, and everything changed. This is a story about shallow roots, nine no's, and the joy that shows up in your hardest year.

Have you ever felt trapped between doing what's easy and doing what's right? Or so worn down by grief that hope feels out of reach?In this message, we walk through Psalm 31, and three conditions of the heart David describes; cornered, crushed, and courageous. Each one is an invitation to run toward the marvelous light of God's love, even when everything feels dark.The courage is already in you. It was put there by the One who loves you.

After a week of summer camp, Jordan, Clayton, and Billy share what God showed them; from the power of "boring testimonies" to finding real forgiveness, to a first-time chaperone who showed up expecting vacation and left with a changed perspective on worship. Hear how one week away can shift everything.

We've all been there, crying out to God and feeling like no one's listening. In this powerful message from Psalm 22, we explore how doubt isolates us from God, from ourselves, and from others and how God's presence never actually leaves.Through the story of David, the cross of Jesus, and a stunning moment with a Brazilian artist in Chile, we're reminded: God is right there with you in the mess, the doubt, and the lonely seasons.

Suffering isn't something to ignore, fix with Band-Aids, or carry alone. In this week's message from Psalm 39, Pastor Kenny walks us through two problems every one of us faces; the weight of living in a broken world and the burden of unrepentant sin and shows us how David moved from muzzled pain to honest prayer to genuine joy.No matter what you're carrying today, your hope is not in fixing it yourself. Your hope is in Him.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Blake continues our summer Psalms series On Repeat by examining Psalm 2 - how we often rage for control in our lives, and how true peace can only be found by giving up that struggle and taking refuge in the rule of the King.

As we kick off a new summer series in the first book of Psalms called On Repeat, Pastor Blake examines Psalm 1 - what it looks like to be deeply rooted in God's word, how his truth nourishes us, and why finding joy comes from living his way rather than pursuing our own ideas and ideals.

"Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life. The Jesus who saves you is the same Jesus standing outside the gate saying, 'Come and follow me.'"This Sunday, Pastor Kenny delivered a powerful message from Hebrews 13, "Go Outside the Gate." Using the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who left the safety of America to return to Nazi Germany, he challenged believers to stop counting the cost of following Jesus while ignoring the cost of staying comfortable. True discipleship isn't just a moment, it's a full-body movement of the head, hands, and heart. Join. Go. Make. It's not a slogan. It's an invitation.

"If we don't go, how are they supposed to know we love them?"Alex, a cattle vet in Kentucky, lives out his faith one farm visit at a time, building genuine relationships with clients, listening to sermons on long drives, and showing up with joy. He's about to head to New Mexico to serve the Zuni tribe with Christian Veterinary Mission, an org that has sent 836 people on mission trips across 30 countries in just the past year. His message? You don't need a task list to go on mission, you just need to show up.

"God faithfully strengthens the victorious local church by sending them to the global one."In the final chapter of 1 Corinthians, Pastor Blake reminds us that God's plan to strengthen the local church runs straight through the global one. After 15 chapters addressing division, conflict, and messy church life, Paul doesn't tell the Corinthians to keep their heads down, he sends them out.Three ways we exercise our "sending muscles": give financially, go physically, and send relationally. When we do, everyone's spirit gets refreshed, even across thousands of miles.

"We are not going to be someone's hero. We are there to show them who our hero is."- John WeinoldJohn recently was part of a team that went to Eastern Kentucky to serve with God's Appalachian project, a partner of ours who ministers in the eastern part of this state. John reflects on why he said yes to this opportunity in a busy season of life, what the Lord taught him through the experience and how it's going to change his life moving forward.

This week we continue on in our series called We Are His.We're studying First Corinthians, and this week we find ourselves in chapter fourteen. Pastor Blake takes a look at this chapter and examines the gift of tongues. What does it mean to speak in tongues and what does it look like if we're going to use our spiritual gifts to build one another up in love?

Jesus gives you complete victory  - victory spiritually, emotionally, physically, and even over death." This week we continue on in our series called "We Are His." We're studying First Corinthians and this week Pastor Blake looks at the second half of chapter 15 as we consider what it looks like to live victorious light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are his champions and we look at how we live that out in this week's message.

The world is a lot smaller the more you say yes to going."- Megan Mattingly So often during our Sunday worship, we feature people telling stories of how they came to know Jesus and what it's looked like as they followed him day by day. This week we got to hear from our recently returned Greece mission team. They were in Greece serving missionaries who had gathered for a conference and retreat. And this Sunday, Kenny Mattingly, Megan Mattingly, Aaron Seton, Sophie Seton and Mel Vote talked about what that trip was like, what they learned, and how they saw the Lord moving in the missionaries lives and in their lives as well.

"The gospel invites you to hold on to the only hope that's actually holding on to you."We celebrated Easter weekend at Christ Community, and we're thankful for the many who came out and joined us as we continued on in first Corinthians looking at chapter 15 and Paul's discussion of why the resurrection is so vital. Pastor Blake encouraged us to believe the gospel and to take steps to make sure that we were not believing in vain.

" Keep pushing, but let God lead, gonna open the doors that are right."This week DJ had the opportunity to sit down with Kolt Bitzer. Kolt was baptized last year at Christ's community, and he sat down to talk about what it was like growing up, believing in God, but not being serious about pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ and how it's changed now that he's moved away from excuses and towards seeing opportunities to follow the Lord in everyday life.

This week we continue on in our series called We Are His A study of First Corinthians.Pastor Blake opens up chapter 13 of First Corinthians, and we look at how exercising our spiritual gifts in the church means nothing if those gifts are not. Exercised in love. So, let's listen in as he explains why in this week's message.

This week we got to hear from Christ's community member Dave Sullivan. Dave has been a part of Sparrow mission and their work in Honduras, and recently Sparrow started doing work in Thailand.So, Dave shared with us about his recent trip to Thailand and the opportunities to join Jesus in working there. So, let's listen in as he tells his story.

This week we continue in our study of First Corinthians called "We Are His."We're in chapter 12 this week. Pastor Blake opens up the text and explores the idea of spiritual gifts and how God gives them to his people to strengthen the church for the work that he's given to it. So, let's listen in as he explains more in this week's message.

 So often during our regular worship gatherings, we feature people from the congregation telling their story of faith in Jesus and what he's currently doing in their lives today. This week we get to hear from Selina Goodlett. Selina is one of our students, and student pastor Kenny Mattingly sat down with her to hear what God's been doing in her life and how she's thinking through God's calling towards missions.So, let's listen in as Kenny sits down with Selina and we get to hear her story.

 This week we continue on in our series, "We Are His," a study of first Corinthians.We're in chapter 11 this week, and we look at how taking the Lord's Supper shows that we are his together, and we see how this act reminds us why we gather together as the church in the first place.

 This week as we continue on in our series, in first Corinthians entitled "We Are His," Pastor Blake,opens up the first half of chapter 11, and we look at how the controversy in Corinth surrounding women and head coverings actually has something to teach us about submission in a world that completely rejects it.

 This week we continue on in our study of first Corinthians called "We are His."We're in chapter nine this week and Pastor Blake opens up the text to look at our role as God's messengers and how that causes us to focus on the message we carry and the Lord who has called us to carry it. So, let's listen in as he brings us this week's message.

This Sunday we continued on in our study of First Corinthians entitled "We Are His." Pastor Blake opened up chapter 10. We looked through Paul's admonition to do everything we do to the glory of God and consider how his instruction to the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ lays down a pattern for us as we engage in discipleship today.

This week we got to hear from Christ community member Ashley Murphy. Ashley went. Through a traumatic car wreck back in the fall, and we have seen God's grace to her in extraordinary ways in preserving her life and healing her in her recovery. So she sat down with friend and pastor Elder Jeff Bracken to talk about that experience and how God's interruption in her life has given her opportunity to share about his goodness with those that he puts in her path.

Jennifer Seaton serves on our worship team at Christ Community, but recently she's also stepped into student ministry, helping build a worship culture among the next generation. DJ sat down with her on Sunday and asked what she's seen the Lord doing as she invests in students through music, and what He's been teaching her along the way.Take a few minutes to listen as Jennifer shares her story.

 This week we continue onward in our study of First Corinthians entitled We Are His.Pastor Blake opens up one Corinthians chapter eight as we look at our responsibility as believers to lay aside our rights, live for others and be ambassadors for Christ in the process. So let's listen in as he unpacks how we do that in this week's message.

 This week we continue on in our series. "We are His," a study of First Corinthians.Pastor Blake opens up, first Corinthians chapter seven, and we look at several dynamics in marriage and how our marriages should reflect and glorify God.

 This week we got to hear from some of our Edge student leaders as youth Pastor Kenny Mattingly sat down with them to talk about their recent experience at the Conclave Conference and what the Lord has continued to teach them as they volunteer and lead our students week by week.So let's listen in as Kenny sits down with TJ Vote, Lauren Sturgill and Jason Midkiff to talk about that experience.

This past Sunday we continued on in our series "We Are His," a study of First Corinthians. DJ had the opportunity to bring the message this past Sunday, opening up first Corinthians six verses 12 through 20. We looked at the dangers of letting slogans drive our theology and our living, and how that practice got the Corinthians into a dangerous place with sexual immorality. What's the pathway out?

This week DJ got to sit down with Melissa Chesterfield and Melissa Midkiff. They both volunteer as leaders with FCA in Shelby County schools, and they talked about why they said yes to that opportunity, how they've seen students' lives change through FCA and what the Lord is teaching them as they continue to step out in serving others.So, let's listen in as Melissa and Melissa get to share their story.

This week DJ got the chance to sit down with Christ community member Billy Doolittle, as he unpacked how the Lord changed the trajectory of his life through encounters with his word. With his people and with uncomfortable circumstances that pushed him towards Jesus.

This week we continue on in our study of First Corinthians and entitled We Are His. We begin chapter six this week and Pastor Blake unpacks the first half of the chapter looking at the reality that we are his righteousness, and we look at how that reality should shape the way that we view slights and offenses from those around us in the church as we strive together in holiness.

This week we return to our series in one Corinthians entitled "We Are His." Pastor Blake Opens up one Corinthians chapter five and looks at the painful reality of discipline within the local church, but why it ultimately is restorative and a path towards forgiveness.

Pastor Elder Jeff Bracken examines a couple of accounts in the Gospel of Luke and looks at the reality that when Jesus saves us, he not only saves us from our sin and desperation, but he saves us to something.