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Can God's purpose still move forward when everything seems to be working against you? Paul knew God was leading him toward Rome, but the journey was anything but direct. Arrests, trials, imprisonment, shipwreck, and unexpected stops could have looked like delays to God's plan. Instead, every detour became an opportunity for the gospel. In the final week of ADVENTURES WITH PAUL, You Can't Stop the Gospel, we follow Paul's journey from Jerusalem to Rome and discover how God used the very circumstances that seemed to slow Paul down to advance His purpose. Paul shared his testimony while under arrest, stood before rulers and leaders, ministered after being shipwrecked on Malta, and continued proclaiming Jesus when he finally reached Rome. Paul couldn't always control his circumstances—but his circumstances couldn't stop his calling. And as we look back over the entire journey, we discover something bigger: this was never really just an adventure with Paul. From Damascus to Rome, through changed plans, hardships, redirections, and detours, God had been leading the journey all along. That's the invitation for us, too, to trust God with our direction, our delays, and even the parts of the journey we don't understand. In the end, these weren't simply Adventures with Paul. They were adventures with God.

What happens when God closes the door to the direction you planned to go? During Paul's missionary journey, he had a destination in mind—but the Holy Spirit stopped him. Then, through a vision calling him toward Macedonia, God redirected Paul's journey toward an entirely different region. In Week 3 of ADVENTURES WITH PAUL, When God Redirects Your Plans, we follow Paul's journey into Macedonia and explore what it means to recognize and trust God's direction when He changes our plans. What looked like a closed door was actually direction. As Paul followed God's leading into new cities, God connected him with people who would become important to the spread of the gospel and the growth of the early church. People like Lydia in Philippi, Jason in Thessalonica, and later Priscilla and Aquila became part of a much bigger story than Paul could have seen when his original plans were interrupted. The destination changed—but God's purpose didn't. Sometimes God's “no” isn't rejection. It's redirection. And sometimes the people, places, and opportunities waiting on the other side of our obedience are things we never could have planned for ourselves. That's part of the adventure of following God: trusting that when He changes the route, He already knows what's waiting down the road.

Paul's missionary journeys were filled with incredible moments of ministry—but they were also marked by opposition, rejection, suffering, and unexpected hardship. In Week 2 of ADVENTURES WITH PAUL, When Life Doesn't Go as Planned, we follow Paul's ministry into Lystra, where his journey takes a dramatic turn. Paul goes from being celebrated by the crowd to being stoned, dragged outside the city, and left for dead. This probably wasn't how Paul imagined the journey going. But hardship didn't mean God had abandoned him, and opposition didn't mean God's purpose had failed. Through Paul's experience, we explore what it means to trust God when life doesn't go according to our plans, remain faithful through suffering, and keep moving forward when following God's calling becomes more difficult than we expected. Paul's journey reminds us that difficult circumstances don't cancel God's purpose. Sometimes the adventure of following God takes us through places we never would have chosen for ourselves. When life doesn't go as planned, God is still at work. The journey may look different than we expected—but the One leading us hasn't changed.

In Acts 9, Saul is traveling to Damascus with one purpose—but an encounter with Jesus changes everything. The man who had persecuted followers of Jesus would become Paul, one of the most influential voices for the gospel and the early church. In Week 1 of ADVENTURES WITH PAUL, The Road That Changed Everything, we explore Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus and what his story teaches us about transformation, calling, and God's ability to give our lives a completely new direction and purpose. Saul thought he knew where he was going. He had a destination, a mission, and a plan. But God interrupted the journey. And that interruption changed everything. Paul's story reminds us that an encounter with Jesus doesn't simply change what we believe—it changes who we are, where we're going, and what we're living for. No one is beyond the transforming power of Jesus, and no life is beyond God's ability to redeem and repurpose. This is where Paul's adventure begins. But even from the first road, we discover that Paul isn't really the one directing the journey. God is. Sometimes the greatest adventure begins when we allow God to change our direction.

Our words may seem small, but they have incredible power. In "Watch Your Words," Pastor Paige Bostwick wraps up our series through the book of James by confronting one of the most practical—and challenging—areas of our faith: the way we speak. James reminds us that the same tongue can be used to bless and to curse. Through powerful illustrations of a bit directing a horse, a rudder steering a ship, and a spark setting a forest ablaze, James shows us how something seemingly small can have an enormous impact. Our words can encourage or wound, build up or tear down, bring life or cause lasting damage. If we're going to be doers of the Word, our faith should be evident not only in what we do, but also in what we say. So, watch your words. They have more power than you may realize.

It's possible to know what God's Word says without allowing it to change how we live. In "Do What You Know," Pastor Paige Bostwick explores James' direct challenge concerning the sins we're tempted to overlook and his strong warning to those who have been given much. James forces us to reconsider what it means to be rich. When we recognize just how much God has entrusted to us, we also begin to recognize the responsibility that comes with it. Generosity isn't simply about what we give—it's about what our lives reveal concerning what we value. God has blessed us so that we can become a blessing to others. The question isn't only, "What do I know?" It's "Am I doing what I know?"

In this message, guest speakers Drs. Harry and Cheryl Salem share about the urgency of Christ’s return and the importance of living ready, faithful, and focused on what matters for eternity. As followers of Jesus, the promise of His return shouldn't produce fear—it should produce urgency. Harry and Cheryl encourage us to recognize the times we are living in, remain spiritually awake, and live with an eternal perspective as we anticipate the return of Christ. The question isn't simply, “When will Jesus return?” but, “How should we live knowing that He will?” ABOUT OUR GUESTS Drs. Harry and Cheryl Salem are international speakers, authors, and the founders of Salem Family Ministries. Together, they have spent decades sharing the gospel and encouraging people in faith, healing, restoration, and a deeper relationship with Jesus.

In this message, guest speakers Drs. Harry and Cheryl Salem share about the urgency of Christ’s return and the importance of living ready, faithful, and focused on what matters for eternity. As followers of Jesus, the promise of His return shouldn't produce fear—it should produce urgency. Harry and Cheryl encourage us to recognize the times we are living in, remain spiritually awake, and live with an eternal perspective as we anticipate the return of Christ. The question isn't simply, “When will Jesus return?” but, “How should we live knowing that He will?” ABOUT OUR GUESTS Drs. Harry and Cheryl Salem are international speakers, authors, and the founders of Salem Family Ministries. Together, they have spent decades sharing the gospel and encouraging people in faith, healing, restoration, and a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Continue with us in Session 2 of Daughters, LC Women’s one-day conference. Through biblical teaching and encouragement, Daughters challenges women to grow in their relationship with God and allow His truth to shape every area of their lives.

Join us for Session 1 of Daughters, LC Women’s one-day conference. Daughters is a time for women to gather around the Word of God, grow deeper in their faith, and be encouraged to confidently live out who God has called them to be.

Join us for the final session of Daughters, LC Women’s one-day conference. As we close our time together, be encouraged to carry what God has spoken beyond the conference and continue pursuing Him with faith, purpose, and confidence.

What happens when the faith we profess is put to the test? In "Tested Faith," Pastor Brad Fontaine continues our study through James by looking at how followers of Jesus respond to trials. James doesn't tell us that following Christ will remove every difficulty. Instead, he shows us how God can use those difficulties to produce perseverance, maturity, and a faith that has been proven genuine. Our trials don't have to destroy our faith. In God's hands, they can develop it. When your faith is tested, how will you respond?

Knowing the Word of God is important—but James challenges us to do something with what we know. In "Just Say Yes," Pastor Preston Bostwick opens our study through the book of James with a challenge to become doers of the Word, not hearers only. Following Jesus means allowing God's Word to shape our decisions, actions, and everyday lives. Faith isn't simply agreeing with what God says. It's trusting Him enough to obey. When God speaks through His Word, will we just listen—or will we say yes?

What would happen if, instead of trying to clean up the mess before coming to God, we invited Him right into the middle of it? In Week 2 of On Guard, we talk about surrender and what it means to invite God into our inner world—the thoughts, fears, anxieties, hurts, questions, and emotions we often try to manage on our own. God already knows what is happening inside of us. Psalm 139 reminds us that He knows us completely, yet David still prays, “Search me, God, and know my heart.” There is something powerful about intentionally giving God access to the places we would rather keep hidden. God doesn’t heal what we pretend doesn’t exist—He heals what we bring to Him. Access leads to transformation. Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest. Philippians reminds us that instead of carrying our anxiety alone, we can bring everything to God in prayer and allow His peace to guard our hearts and minds. You don’t have to fix the mess before inviting God in. Let Him into the mess.

In Week 1 of On Guard, we’re bringing the conversation about mental health into the light. Too often, struggles with anxiety, depression, exhaustion, fear, or emotional pain are hidden because of shame or the belief that having faith means we shouldn’t struggle. But Scripture shows us something very different. Even Elijah—a man of incredible faith who had just experienced God move in a powerful way—reached a place of complete emotional and physical exhaustion. God didn’t shame him for it. He met him there. Healing begins when we’re willing to be honest about what is happening inside of us, because we can’t heal what we hide. Acknowledging that you’re struggling isn’t a sign of weak faith. Sometimes it’s the first step toward healing. God is near to the brokenhearted, His grace is sufficient in our weakness, and we don’t have to suffer silently.