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"Love God." "Love one another." "Love your enemies." "Love not just with words, but in action..." There are few more basic commands from Jesus than "love one another." But is there a more difficult one? Set aside dating apps or coworker drama. Why is this hard to do even with our closest friends and family - especially when it requires more than just "wishing them positivity"? The Scriptures present love with a particularity that includes both external actionables and internal desires. "Love your enemies" is not only a big idea, it is uncomfortably tangible. Why? Because the Bible is clear that love is not just a concept or subjective feeling. It is who He is. He pursues. He pays. He heals. But sometimes I don't like what that implies about me, much less that I should do that for others. Is there such a thing as an 'unloving Christian'? Let's talk about "Life in the Spirit: Love" (1 John 4:7-21).

This week we begin our new series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said, "You will know my disciples by their fruit." Now that's a loaded thing to say. Think about Jesus' own disciples. Think even about the messes we see in the New Testament church. Forgive the pun, but the fruit looks more 'holey' than it looks holy. So what hope does that give us? Paul lists off nine traits as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. However, it's worth noting that he's writing the angriest of all his letters to a church that is riddled with holes. And yet he seems to think this will bring them joy. In other words, it can't simply be a checklist of what they are failing to do. He has a particular hope in mind, that is good news for both the ancient and modern church. Let's talk about "Life in the Spirit" (Gal.5:1,16-25)

What does the New Testament mean when it says all Christians are "members" of Christ's body? And why do we hear that idea so differently from the term "membership"? Even American Express has shifted their motto away from "Membership has its privileges." Who wants to be a 'member' anymore? We hear those terms and think almost solely bad things: arrogant exclusivity, membership dues, deeper commitments and demands, etc. So why does the Bible see it so oppositely? Let's talk about something that our society finds - at the very least - undesirable, yet the Scriptures compare to marital bliss. "Why Join the Local Church?" (1 Cor.12:12-27) And yes, we will be offering immediate ways to experience this joy firsthand. *winking emoji*

This week we come to the end of our series on worship in the Psalms - the benediction. It is the final blessing which sends us out of each worship service. Why do we do this? "The Lord bless you and keep you..." Years ago I had a pastor's daughter ask me: "what is a blessing anyway? Does anyone really know what that means?" It reminded me of how often Christians throw around religious terms without appreciating the depth of what is happening. For lack of clarity, it gets reduced to "have a great week, and we'll see you next time." Those words are forgotten the moment we walk out someone's door. How is the benediction different? There is a promise from God here that is meant to lead us out with joy and equip us for the journey. How do we get that? Let's talk about "Benediction" (Psalm 67).

Who writes letters anymore? Who sends snail mail when you can email or text? We want instant input, a feed we can scroll through and assess our interest in milliseconds. We swipe past anything boring, and forward a meme we like. (I bet some of you even debated whether to read this paragraph because of its length! I know I do.) Who has time to sit around and read long periodicals, much less some arduous theological treatise? The irony of the information superhighway is how little we actually take in and glean. We've become a society who posts pictures of ourselves at the Louvre without sitting and staring at masterpieces. The hours a soul has poured into conveying meaning through art... and we have fifteen seconds to give to it. Somehow as a society we are beginning to awaken to the tragedy of that loss of attention in the arts and education. So what about our spiritual lives? The Scriptures require soaking. There's no cursory swiping. And all of the latest stats say exactly what you'd expect, including among regular attenders of worship. But what does that really mean for us in our relationship with God? How can we counteract that trend? Let's talk about the joy God intends through giving us such a high investment, deeply personal way to know him: "Scripture" (Psalm 19)

I remember learning the best way I know to get rid of hiccups: ask to borrow $20. No jump scares. No yelling. No smacking on the back. Just ask to borrow some money and persist sincerely through the semi-automated questions that follow. As they begin to reach for their wallet, then ask if their hiccups are gone. I've found this even works with children. Why? Because few things scare us like parting ways with our treasure. And that, friends, is why Jesus spoke so much about money. Note well: he did not horde money like some charlatan televangelist with a jet. He knew that money is just a temporary resource to which we have attached all sorts of meaning it simply cannot give us. And that is why he called us to the joy of generosity, possibly the most counterintuitive notion in the Bible for modern Americans. As we continue our series on worship in the Psalms, let's talk about "Offering" (Psalm 81).

He stole another man's wife. He had the man killed. He wrote a song about it. And it became a central part of... worship?! This week as we continue our series in the Psalms we come to the assurance of pardon. Last Sunday we said confession is agreeing with God (over against ourselves). This Sunday we look at how God encourages us through his response to our confession. There are few more practical examples in Scripture than David's confession and assurance in Psalm 51. Let's talk about the transformation God works in us through his "Assurance of Pardon" (Psalm 51).

This week in our series in the Psalms we come to the topic of confession. Sometimes common words in our faith are rarely found outside of worship services. It strikes me that this is not one of those. The need to confess something, the feelings associated with it, the fears... everyone has had tangible experience with it, often accompanied by deep pain and grief. Outside of church, it rarely has a positive connotation. So why is this such a good and necessary part of having a joyful relationship with God? Note well: God doesn't just command and expect it, he clearly intends it to be an instrument of joy and healing in our lives. Let's talk about the counterintuitive gift of "Confession" (Psalm 130)

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies." "The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied." The Psalms are full of longing to be close to God, especially through the image of a meal together. We are even called to 'taste' him! But it's just a metaphor, right? Right, Jesus? "This is my body. This is my blood." What do we do with this? Let's talk about how the Church has sought to understand Jesus' teaching and emphasis on the Lord's Supper. Why is this such good news that fulfills the longings of the Old Testament? Join us as we celebrate the Supper in our series on the "Psalms: Communion" (Psalm 34)

Psalm 63 invites Christians today to cling to God. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are not only given the eternal hope of heaven in the future, but we are also given the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God now. Just like king David clung to God and was upheld by God's powerful hand, we can also pursue after God's presence and trust He is able to sustain us in His mighty hands.

John Calvin wrote, “The Psalms are the anatomy of the soul.” It can dissect, discern, explore, and diagnose the longings, desperation, and cries of the heart. This Sunday we will look at David’s soul in Psalm 30, where he celebrates how God has rescued and restored him, and we see how David’s soul is overjoyed, as God has turned his mourning into dancing. Bad news to good news. Evening to morning. Mourning to dancing. Sinners to saints. We celebrate the transformation and contrast from death and despair to life and joy, as His mercies are made new every morning. May God open and reveal to our souls His goodness, restoration, and faithfulness.

This week in our series on the Psalms we come to the topic of music and singing. Few things affect us like music. From movie scenes to road trips to grieving at a funeral - think about how much of our lives is set to a soundtrack. And the words! The sheer number of lyrics I have internalized simply because they were set to music is astounding. (If they all had been biblical passages, I'd easily have the entire bible memorized.) Why is music so intertwined with our emotions and experiences? It can bring deeply personal nostalgia yet also often transcends culture and even language. So what does God intend for us to do with this gift? Why do we feel the need to raise our voices together and sing these great truths of what God has done? What does it do for us and to us? Let's talk about "The Book of Worship: Singing" (Psalm 96).

This week our series in the Psalms hits the keynote: worship itself. We look to God's Word to know how to relate to Him, and specifically how to respond to his love and beauty. So we are turning to one of the most famous Psalms on the topic of worship. When you read Psalm 95, it sounds much more like what we are hearing from World Cup stadiums than what we may expect from church services - the joy, the singing, the loud laments, fully engaged fanatics who are utterly enraptured by every moment... So what is worship, properly understood? How should we do it? Why would we do it? And how do we get more of that joy into all of life? Let's talk about the greatest joy there is in existence and why we often misunderstand it: "Worship" (Psalm 95).

This week we begin a new series in Psalms: the Book of Worship. Humanity was created to participate in the greatest joy there is - worship. How do we get more of that joy in our lives? How can it be something practical that is a part of our daily routines? We're going to take the summer to soak on the history of how God's people look to His Word to draw near to him in worship - what worship means and even how we got the component 'parts' of our worship services. Why do we do what we do weekly? How is that meant to show us who God is and more deeply connect us to Him? So we begin our series in the same way we begin our weekly services: with the "Call to Worship" (Psalm 147)

At long last! We come to the end of our series in Amos, and finally we get really good news. If you want to be encouraged today, take a moment and read our passage. After all of the harsh challenges Amos has given God's people, he ends with the incredible hope of how God can restore even wayward people. Despite being prone to wander, how is God answering the true longings of our hearts? What does that show us about the heart of heaven? Let's talk about what heaven is not, what it is, and how who He is answers our true longings: "Restore Eden" Amos 9:11-15