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During Missions Week, we welcomed guest speaker Ashley Kettner and her husband, Curtis, who are preparing to move to Honduras as full-time missionaries. Ashley preached from 1 Peter 4:10, teaching on the importance of first receiving the Good News and then being released to share it with others. She challenged us to intentionally build relationships with those around us so that we can share the hope of the Gospel with them. We are each called to be sent on mission!

Pastor Joel preached from 2 Corinthians 5:14–20, reminding us of the importance of being Christ’s ambassadors wherever we go. As we experience the love of God, we should be compelled by that love to share the hope of Jesus with those around us.

Pastor Joel preached through John 13 and taught on the importance of being people of love. We need to make ourselves less to love others more. As we love others more, we get to point them to the ultimate love of Jesus.

Pastor Joel preached on the importance of the Holy Spirit’s power at work in our lives, reminding us that we cannot accomplish all the Lord has called us to do in our own strength. Walking through Acts 1, he shared why the baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential for empowering us to live out God’s calling.

Pastor Joel preached from John 8, taking us through the importance of finding freedom from sin. He reminded us that true freedom is found in relationship with Christ and in pursuing what He speaks over our lives, rather than being defined by what the world says about us.

Our associate director, Hope Knoerle, preached on the importance of living our lives in healthy Christian community. Walking through Exodus 17, she shared the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur and how their relationship and support of one another played a vital role in the Israelites’ victory. Christian community has the power to transform our lives when we choose to fully invest and jump all in.

Pastor Joel kicked off our new sermon series, Reflection, by sharing that one of the biggest ways we reflect Jesus is by seeking God. We are called to be people who continually seek Him and spend time in His presence every day. He illustrated this through the story of the woman who had been bleeding for years and simply reached out to touch Jesus’ cloak in faith and was healed.

Pastor Joel wrapped up our sermon series, More Than A Moment, by reminding us of the importance of finding our purpose in Jesus alone. It’s easy to go through life believing that our careers, relationships, achievements, or success are what define us. But the truth is our identity and purpose are found in something far greater, Jesus. He has a greater purpose for each of our lives and it begins with knowing Him.

Pastor Joel shared a message on the rich young ruler, emphasizing that Jesus cares not only about what we do but also about the condition of our hearts. Jesus desires to be the King of our lives, which means being willing to obey Him and surrender whatever He asks of us.

Pastor Joel shared a message on what it looks like to truly allow Jesus to transform our lives. Following Jesus isn’t simply a one time “yes” but a daily surrender to let Him be King and make us into a new creation. Through Paul’s transformation after encountering Jesus, Pastor Joel showed us how an encounter with Jesus can completely change who we are and how we live.

In our first service of the school year, our director, Joel Allen, kicked off our series More Than a Moment. Through Luke 5, Joel explored the difference between moments and monuments (experiences that change us at our core). College can be a monument season, but only if we respond to God’s call to go deeper with Him, just as Simon Peter did when he dropped his nets and followed Jesus.

Chi Alpha UNI’s director, Pastor Derek preached his final sermon, reflecting on how leading Chi Alpha UNI has been the journey of a lifetime. He also shared how we can live the journey of a lifetime ourselves by living others-focused, going all in with Jesus, and having unreasonable belief in people.

Pastor Joel shared a message on the importance of persistence in prayer - calling us to keep crying out to God and to trust that He will move. He challenged us to build our faith this summer, believing that as we do, God will find faith in us when the fall semester comes and that He will move powerfully on our campus.

Pastor Joel preached on the idea that we are made for such a time as this. He shared his vision for the future of Chi Alpha, emphasizing his belief that God has uniquely positioned us for this moment, and that we’re just getting started with what He wants to do here.

Pastor Derek shared a message about being ready for more, reminding us that Christ never intended for us to live in comfort. He also spoke about how Chi Alpha UNI is made for more and shared an important update about its future.