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We continue our series about relationships by talking about conflict.

We continue our series about relationships by talking about selfishness and what true selflessness looks like. This week's reflection questions are below: Reflection Questions April 12, 2026 Where do you most often see selfishness show up in your relationships—wanting your way, your timing, or your preferences? Think about a recent conflict. How might that situation have revealed something inside of you, rather than just something wrong with the other person? In what ways do you tend to view life as scarce (like there’s “not enough” to go around), and how does that shape how you treat others? Do you tend to lean more toward selfishness (putting yourself first) or self-neglect (ignoring your own needs)? How has that affected your relationships? Have you ever avoided expressing your needs or desires to keep peace? What did that produce in you over time (e.g., resentment, distance, exhaustion)? When have you been labeled “selfish” for setting a healthy boundary or prioritizing the right things? How did that shape your thinking? Where are you currently looking for security, affirmation, or worth from other people instead of from God? How might your relationships change if you truly believed that God is generous and that you are deeply loved and secure in Him? What is one relationship where you need to grow in honestly expressing your needs, rather than hiding them? What is one relationship where you need to grow in listening and prioritizing the needs of someone else, even when it costs you something?

In our Easter 2026 Sunday gathering we continue our series about relationships, by talking about our relationship with the living Jesus. This week's discussion questions are below: Reflection Questions April 5, 2026 How does the idea that “relationship is what reality is built on” challenge or affirm your current worldview? Do you find it easy or difficult to believe in the resurrection? What barriers (intellectual, emotional, or personal) make it hard for you to pursue a relationship with God? What would it look like for you to “know God” rather than just know about Him? How does the idea that “relationships are forever” impact the way you view people in your life right now? How healthy would you say your relationship with God is right now? What can you do to improve it? The sermon ended with a suggestion to pray a simple pray. What hesitations do you feel about praying a prayer like that?

In our March 29 Sunday gathering, we continue our new series about relationships and delve into why empathy is essential. This week's reflection questions are below:

In our March 22 Sunday gathering we kick off a new series about relationships. This week's Reflection Questions are below: 1. Who are your closet relationships? Who do you have the most strained relationships with? 2. The Harvard Study of Adult Development shows that relationships are the strongest predictor of a healthy life. Do your current priorities reflect that—or is something else taking their place? 3. Peter Scazzero says you cannot be spiritually mature and emotionally immature. Where do you see a gap between what you believe spiritually and how you relate to people? 4. When you think about “spiritual maturity,” what do you instinctively measure— knowledge, behavior, or relationships? How might God be redefining that for you? 5. Jesus teaches that loving God and loving others are inseparable (Matthew 22:37– 39). Who in your life is currently hardest to love well—and why? 6. Genesis says it is “not good” for humans to be alone. Where in your life are you experiencing isolation—physically, emotionally, or spiritually? 7. Think about your closest relationships (family, friends, coworkers). Would those people describe you as loving, patient, and present? Why or why not? 8. In what ways have convenience, busyness, or technology made your relationships more shallow? What is one intentional step you could take this week to deepen a relationship? 9. If your spiritual maturity were evaluated only by the health of your relationships, what would need to change starting today?

We conclude our mini series about the obstacles in the way of our spiritual growth. This week's reflection questions are below: 1. The sermon suggests that some of the negative or anxious thoughts we experience may come from lies of the enemy. Can you think of a recent moment when a thought about yourself, others, or God might have been shaped by a lie rather than truth? 3. John Make Comer in Live No Lies says the devil’s primary strategy is “deceitful ideas that play to disordered desires and are normalized in society.” Where do you see this pattern showing up in your life or in the culture around you? 4. Which of the example lies mentioned in the sermon (about God, about yourself, or about the good life) feels most familiar or tempting for you personally? 5. Why do you think lies that appeal to our desires are often easier to believe than the truth? 6. The story of Ananias and Sapphira shows how a lie can grow until it affects actions and relationships. What are some ways small lies or false beliefs can slowly shape a person’s life? 7. The sermon encourages humility in recognizing that anyone can believe a lie, even brilliant and influential people. How can humility help protect us from self-deception? 8. Jesus responded to the enemy’s lies with truth from Scripture. What are some practical ways you can train yourself to recognize and replace lies with truth? 9. When a thought enters your mind, how might asking “Is this the voice of Jesus leading me toward love and truth, or the voice of accusation and deception?” change the way you respond?

In our March 8 Sunday gathering we continue our mini series on the obstacles that slow our spiritual growth. Reflection Questions: March 8, 2026 1. Paul describes an inner conflict in Epistle to the Romans 7, where he says he does the things he hates and fails to do the things he wants to do. Where do you see this kind of inner struggle showing up in your own life? 2. In the message, the flesh was defined as disordered desires rather than the physical body itself. How does this definition change the way you think about temptation or sin? 3. The sermon described examples like rest becoming laziness, food becoming gluttony, or work becoming pride. Which good desire in your life do you think is most likely to become disordered? 4. The message contrasted trying harder with training differently. Where have you seen willpower alone fail in your life? What might “training” look like instead? 5. The message used the image of two wolves: the one you feed is the one that grows stronger. What habits or influences in your life tend to feed the flesh? What habits help feed your spirit? 6. The sermon talked about three historic Christian practices that weaken the flesh: generosity, fasting, and abstaining from good things. Which of these feels most challenging for you? Why? 7. The message suggested that giving to the poor weakens greed and teaches us that money is not our security. How might generosity reshape your relationship with money? 8. Fasting teaches us to sit with discomfort instead of immediately soothing it. Where in your life do you tend to escape discomfort quickly instead of sitting with it? 9. If the goal is to “starve the flesh and feed the Spirit,” what is one concrete practice you could begin this week to train your desires toward God?

We kick off a mini series exploring the three historic obstacles to spiritual growth: the world, the flesh and the devil. This week's reflection questions are below: Reflection Questions March 1, 2026 Have you ever wrestled with the question, “If Christianity is real, why doesn’t it seem to work?” What experiences (in yourself or others) have made that question feel personal? The sermon suggests Christianity works, but we underestimate the resistance.
What kinds of “resistance” have you experienced in your own spiritual growth? In 1 John 2, “the world” refers to a system of values, not the people God loves. What are some ways our culture subtly shapes what we value, desire, or pursue? The sermon described the world as “the way the world operates” — a rival kingdom. Where do you most clearly see a clash between the kingdom of God and the way our culture operates? Which of these three do you feel most pressure from right now? Lust of the eyes (misdirected desires) Lust of the flesh (more = happier) Pride of life (achievement, status, recognition) “The world is always attempting to form us.” Where are you being most formed right now — media, work culture, social media, friend groups, family expectations? Formation happens at the intersection of desire, imagination, and instinct. What are you currently desiring? What are you imagining life would look like if you “made it”? What habits are becoming instinctual? “Hurry and noise are the great enemies of love.” How do hurry and noise show up in your life? How might they be shaping your ability to love well? The sermon emphasized intentional guardrails.
Which area most needs boundaries in your life right now: entertainment, phone use, schedule, money, ambition, something else? The sermon mentioned that 45 minutes on Sunday cannot undo a week of formation. What daily or weekly rhythms could help you intentionally be formed by Jesus instead of the culture? Jesus says, “Take heart, I have overcome the world.” How does remembering that the world is “passing away” change how you view success, comfort, or pressure?

In the final message of our prayer series, guest speaker Jeff Whitebread encourages us to speak continually with our Father who is always close and available to us. Please note: the audio quality for this message was damaged. This week's reflection questions are below: 1. The sermon contrasts a "transactional" view of prayer-trying to extract blessings-with a "relational" view of a giving Father. Is your prayer like leaving a
"voicemail for a busy CEO" or conversing with a present, interested Father? 2. The "Grand Amen" declares God's kingdom the most solid thing in your life. What is your most pressing current reality (e.g., deadline, stress), and how does God's desire to be with you change your view this week? 3. The "tyranny of the immediate" —stress over "forgotten bread" or looming deadlines-often creates a fog that obscures God's presence. What specific
 "immediate" concerns have been making it difficult for you to sense that God is near and accessible today? 4. Growth comes from reflecting on experiences, like through the Examen. In the past 24 hours, where was a small, overlooked moment of grace? 5. Like a vine needing a trellis in a storm, we require "spiritual structures" to stay connected to Jesus. Is your current "trellis" helping you thrive, or does it feel like powerless "religious obligation"? 6. Richard Foster is quoted saying that God's heart is an "open wound of love" because He "aches over our distance and preoccupation". How does the idea of God longing for your presence, rather than judging your performance, affect your desire to draw near to Him? 7. Many feel prayer is like talking with an old walkie-talkie-short bursts with bad reception. What would it look like in your specific job or daily routine to move toward "constant contact," talking to God about what you are doing together while you do it? 8. The teaching suggests that as we spend time with God, our "little kingdom" begins to look more like His. What is one area of your "little kingdom" (your home, your workspace, your social media) where you are struggling to surrender control to His governance this week?

Guest Sam Spatafore sits down with Alex to talk about having a healthy prayer life, as a bonus episode in our Reteach Us to Pray series.

We continue our series on prayer in our Feb 15 Sunday gathering. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions 1. When you hear the line “lead us not into temptation,” what has it meant to you in the past? Did anything in this sermon change or clarify your understanding? 2. The sermon described three dangers: disordered desires within us tests around us lies from the enemy
 Which of these feels most real in your life right now? 3. What are some everyday “temptations” that don’t seem dramatic but slowly lead you away from the life Jesus invites you into? 4. The Didache talks about two ways: the way of life and the way of death.
What are some small daily choices that move you in one direction or the other? 5. Have you ever gone through a “test” or difficult season that revealed something about your faith or character? What did you learn from it? 6. Which of the lies mentioned in the sermon felt most familiar or personal to you? 7. Why do you think it is often easier to believe lies about ourselves or God than to believe the truth? 8. This week’s practice is to ask: “God, where am I believing a lie?”
What would it look like to build that into your daily prayer rhythm?

In our Feb 8 Sunday gathering we continue to explore the Lord's Prayer. This week's discussion questions are below: 1. When you think about prayer, what do you usually ask God for? How does that compare to the idea of “daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer? 2. What do you think Jesus is teaching us by telling us to ask for what we need today instead of what we might need tomorrow? 3. Why do you think daily dependence on God can feel uncomfortable or even scary? 4. In what ways do we try to control the future instead of trusting God to provide for us? 5. The sermon said, “Daily bread teaches us to trust God as provider, and forgiveness teaches us to trust God as judge.” What does that idea mean to you? 6. Is there a difference between forgiveness and removing consequences? Why is that distinction important? 7. How has God already provided for your real needs in this season of your life? 8. Is there someone you are struggling to forgive, or a hurt you’re still carrying? What would it look like to “release it to God” this week? 9. This week’s practice is to ask two questions each day:
What do I really need today?
What do I need to release today?
How might that change the way you pray or live this week?

In our Feb 1 Sunday gathering we continue our series on prayer. 2/1/26 Discussion Questions: Phillip Yancey describes prayer as “power sharing.” What do you think about that idea? Does it challenge or affirm how you normally think about prayer? The sermon describes the kingdom as “already available, but not yet fully realized.” Where do you see signs of God’s kingdom breaking in right now? Where do you most feel the tension of the “not yet”? Using Dallas Willard’s definition of kingdom as “the space where your will gets done,”what are the main “territories” of your personal kingdom right now? Which ones are hardest to surrender to God’s rule? “Your kingdom come” assumes something is wrong with the world as it is.
What realities in our world, community, or personal lives most stir you to pray this prayer honestly? The sermon claims that not everything that happens on earth is God’s will.
How does that idea sit with you emotionally and theologically? How does it affect the way you respond to suffering, sin, or injustice? Peter Greig says we can’t pray for the kingdom until what breaks God’s heart breaks ours. What do you think breaks God’s heart today—and how aware are you of those things in your daily life? Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane models “not my will, but yours.” Have you ever had to pray that kind of prayer? What did surrender look like in that situation? The sermon suggests God often answers kingdom prayers by moving us. Can you think of a time when prayer changed your perspective or prompted you to act rather than wait? This week’s practice is to pause and ask what God would want done before praying. How might that reshape the way you pray for your family, work, finances, or future this week?

In our Jan 18 Sunday gathering we continue our series on prayer, working line by line through the Lord's Prayer. Discussion Questions: 1/18/26 Do you think how much we enjoy being with God is a good indication of spiritual maturity? Why or why not? What kind of thoughts do you have about the word “father”. How do those feelings effect how you feel about calling God, father? What are some ways that you can hallow the name of God? What are some things that you have done that un-hallow his name? Tyler Staton argues that the biggest barrier to prayer is our inability to accept the relentless love of God for us. Do you agree or disagree? What do you think the biggest barrier is? Jesus teaches us to pray Our Father, not My Father. How does communal prayer shape us differently than private prayer? Where have you experienced being sustained by the prayers of others? The sermon describes hallowing God’s name as treating him as “weighty” and sacred—not casual, but also not distant. How do you tend to drift in prayer: toward flippancy or toward fear? What helps restore a healthy balance? The sermon describes using imagination (throne room imagery, biblical visions) to remember who God is in prayer. How do you feel about using imagination in prayer? What practices might help you become more aware that you’re meeting a real Person, not just saying words? If prayer is primarily about being with someone rather than getting something, how might that change the way you pray this week? What is one small, concrete practice you could try?

We kick off our first series of 2026 about Prayer! Alex explains the power of reciting the Lord's Prayer daily. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions January 11, 2026 1. When you hear Jesus’ disciples ask, “Lord, teach us to pray,” what stands out to you? Why do you think seasoned disciples still needed to ask this question? 2. The message names a gap between “I should pray” and “I want to pray.” Where do you see that gap in your own life right now—if at all? 3. Jesus does not shame the disciples for needing to learn prayer again. How does that shape the way you think God views your current prayer life? 4. The sermon describes prayer as “relationship, not performance.” What kinds of pressures or expectations have made prayer feel like a performance for you? 5. Dallas Willard defines prayer as “talking to God about what we are doing together.” How does that definition challenge or expand how you normally think about prayer? 6. The early church practiced praying the Lord’s Prayer multiple times a day. What reactions do you have to the idea of repetition or ritual in prayer—positive or negative? 7. The invitation is to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day. What do you think might be life-giving about that practice? What might be difficult? 8. When words are hard to find, the message encourages us to “borrow the words of Jesus.” Where in your life right now do you feel tired, stuck, or unsure of what to pray?