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As we continue our "Being an Outpost" series, we take a look at the story of Esther - through both the fairy-tale version and the version that the Bible actually tells - and discover the invitation that God extends to us to embody the tension between mercy and judgement in all that we do.

When we declare that God reigns, how should that shape our prayers, our courage, and our witness? This morning, we're looking at Psalm 96, a song about the Lord's kingship that speaks into our everyday lives, and discover the ways that the Psalms function as more than poetry. They are a prophetic soundtrack that grounds us in God's truth and nudges us toward humble action, both of which are critical as we live as outposts of God's mission.

Who belongs in God’s story? In our sermon today, we look at Joshua 2 and the unlikely figure Rahab to ask about what it means to be “in” or “out.” In doing so, we learn something about the ways that the Kingdom of God crosses boundaries and invites people toward Jesus.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God invites his people to live fully—building, planting, multiplying, and praying for the city that surrounds them - in the midst of their exile! God's call to his people in Jeremiah's day was to seek the shalom of the city where God placed them, and the call is the same for us today.

What happens when the empire’s demands conflict with worship of the one true God? In Daniel 3:13-30, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face Nebuchadnezzar’s blazing furnace with fearless trust—and a surprising fourth figure in the flames. As we look at this story from Israel's exile in Babylon, we are invited to consider what it means to be an outpost for God in a world hungry for gold, power, and allegiance to anything but Him.

Exodus 1 sets the stage for a daring moment, where two midwives become unlikely instruments in God’s mission to ultimately save His people. Join us as we listen together and consider what it means to live faithfully in the places where God has planted us.

This morning, we are invited to lean into the idea of being an outpost of God’s kingdom in a world that can feel dark and divided. What does it mean for the church to be visible, welcoming, and transformative—without losing sight of Jesus as King?

How do you step into an unfinished promise when fear feels real? Pastor Cheryl Lavornia invites us into Joshua 1:1-9, where courage emerges in the face of interruption and fear, and the call to obedience. In a moment of transition Joshua learns to lead with faithfulness amid uncertainty. In our own moments of transition and uncertainty, then, what might God use to help us grow? What fear do we need to allow God to confront for us?

The New Testament is filled with threads and themes that are woven through the story of God's people from the very beginning. As a final recap of our year-long emphasis, we're taking a look at five of them: cloud, crown, fire, scroll, and the yet-to-come city. As we explore them, we find that these "hyperlinks" help us see God's faithful presence and promise. As we follow each thread and see the ways that each is woven through, what can we discover about God's invitation to follow him more closely today?

As we explore 1 Kings 19, we witness God meeting a burned-out servant with three generous gifts: rest and nourishment, a tangible encounter with His presence, and companionship for the journey ahead. What might it look like to weave Sabbath-like rest, intentional retreat, and meaningful friendship into our own busy weeks—not as luxuries, but as gifts from a loving God? How could these rhythms shape the way we live, serve, and follow Jesus in a world that prizes constant motion and accomplishment?

Today, we continue our look at the Psalms as a practical, honest conversation with God. Psalm 77 - a psalm of disorientation and struggle - invites us to see how our memory of God’s past acts and covenant faithfulness can help us reframe the moment.

As we study the Psalms, we enter into a time-honored practice that has sustained God's followers for centuries. But, how do we pray with Scripture in a way that mirrors or real experience—joy, doubt, pain, praise?

We often find ourselves in the tension between what is already ours in Christ and what we long for in his promised return. It's no coincidence, then, that Jesus invites us to join him in his death and resurrection through the tangible reminder of baptism, and to remember his promises at the table.

A famous song once retold the story of millions traversing to a music festival to try to get themselves "back to the garden." And, as we explore this morning, the idea of getting back to the place where everything is good and perfect is actually a normal human longing. But, the idea that we have to get ourselves there doesn't line up with the core beliefs of our Christian Faith. While we live in tension between "the already and the not yet", how do our deepest yearnings align with the work that Jesus alone can do (and is already doing, and has already done?)

What if the hardest seasons you want to skip past are shaping you for an eternal story? As we explore 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, we are invited to glimpse a surprising balance: outward decay and inward renewal, seen and unseen, temporary and eternal. There is hope to be found in even the hardest moments, because we are assured that our light and momentary afflictions pale in comparison to the weight of glory we will experience in eternity.