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The story of the Good Samaritan is familiar to many of us, but what was Jesus really teaching when He told this story in Luke 10? Loving our neighbors means more than what lies on the surface, as Jesus crafts a masterful story where each character has an intentional purpose for showing how we can respond to those around us with compassion and grace.

What could God do through your life if you learned to recognize the Holy Spirit’s leading and courageously said YES? In Acts 16:6–34, Paul follows the Holy Spirit into the city of Philippi, not knowing what awaits him. What unfolds is a remarkable story of God’s power at work: hearts are opened to the gospel, a young woman is delivered from spiritual oppression, and a jailer and his household come to faith in Jesus. But following the Spirit also leads Paul and Silas through opposition, suffering, and imprisonment. In this message from our Sowing Together series, we discover what it means to listen to the Holy Spirit, obey His leading even when the path is uncertain or costly, and trust God to work through us to advance the gospel. What kind of faith story will your life tell? Will you hesitate in fear, or listen to the Spirit and say YES?

We are in a spiritual battle, and the souls of the people around us are at stake. In Ephesians 6:10–20, Paul reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of darkness. As followers of Jesus, we are not called to sit passively by, but to stand firm in the strength of the Lord, armed with his Word and empowered through prayer. In this message, we consider what it means to contend against darkness in our own lives and fight for the spiritual good of our city.

What if the people of our city could see the goodness of God through the way we live and love others? In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus calls His followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We weren’t created to hide our faith but to shine the light of the gospel in the darkness. And that light shines not only through what we believe, but through who we are becoming and the good we do for others. In this message from our Sowing Together series, we explore how the gospel transforms us to be good in our city and frees us to do good for our city, not to earn God’s love or gain the approval of others, but so that people might see our good works, encounter the love of Jesus, and glorify our Father in heaven. What good is God calling you to do in your city?

God has called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light—but he doesn’t leave us there. He sends us back into the darkness to shine the light of the gospel. In this message from 1 Peter 2:9–12, we consider where God is sending us, what keeps us from going, and why we desperately need both obedient faith and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the hope of Jesus into the darkest places around us.

What do you do when Jesus asks you to do something that feels impossible? In Mark 6:30–44, the disciples are faced with 5,000 hungry people, five loaves, two fish, and a command from Jesus: “You give them something to eat.” The need was greater than the resources in their hands—but not greater than the power of Jesus. In this message from our Sowing Together series, we’ll see how Jesus calls us to recognize the needs around us, give Him what we have, and move forward in faith and obedience, trusting Him to provide what we need for the mission He has given us.

God has placed us where we are for a purpose. In Jeremiah 29, God calls his people in exile to put down roots, invest their lives, pray for their city, and seek its welfare. As followers of Jesus, we are still exiles—but we are also a sent people. Rather than simply consuming our city or withdrawing from it, God calls us to live on mission for the spiritual and physical good of the people around us.

Why has God blessed you? From the beginning, God’s blessing was never intended to stop with the person who received it. In Genesis 12 and 22, God promises to bless Abraham so that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed—a promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus and the gospel. If we have received God’s greatest blessing through Christ, then our salvation, resources, abilities, possessions, time, relationships, and even the places God has put us can all be stewarded so that others might receive that blessing too.

What is God’s will for your life? We often ask that question when we’re trying to make decisions about our future, but Jesus gives us an answer that is much bigger than any one decision. In Matthew 9:35–38, Jesus sees the lost and broken with compassion and calls his disciples to pray and enter the harvest. God’s will for us is not to sit on the sidelines, but to see our community as Jesus sees it and go where he sends us.

What can God do through ordinary people with a little faith? In Judges 6–8, Gideon seems like an unlikely choice to rescue Israel—weak, afraid, and often unsure. Yet God chooses him, empowers him, and sends him. In this message, we look at how God restores what sin has broken and how he still uses ordinary people, empowered by his Spirit, to bring the hope of the gospel into the brokenness around them.

What actually makes someone a Christian? Is it being a good person, growing up in church, being baptized, praying a prayer, or simply believing that God exists? In this week’s message, we look to Scripture to answer one of life’s most important questions: What does God say makes someone a Christian? We’ll see what saving faith really is, what it means to confess Jesus as Lord, and why the gospel is both exclusive and an open invitation to anyone who will trust in Christ.

When I am weak, run to the Lord. In times of weakness, when it feels like God is far away, where do you turn?  When you are struggling to believe, your faith is weak, the temptation feels like it's too powerful and will certainly overtake you, where do you go?  Far too often, when we find ourselves in times of weakness in the flesh or in our faith, when we feel under attack, we either keep fighting or roll over and lose the fight.   But there is a better way.  Psalm 61 guides us to run to the Lord in moments of weakness.  In times of weakness, when we are at the end of our rope, we must run to the Lord.  He is our strength; He is our protection; He is our savior; His love is watching over us.

What is the secret to a steadfast heart through, the heat of life, hard circumstances? Psalm 57 is a peek into the heart of the person who, although life is hard, they remain steadfast. The link to a steadfast heart through hard circumstances is trusting in the Lord.

Psalm 118

Following Jesus isn’t easy—and God never pretends that it is. In Psalm 119:33–40, we hear the prayer of someone who genuinely desires to obey God but knows they cannot do it in their own strength. Rather than relying on willpower, the psalmist asks God to teach his mind, transform his heart, direct his steps, and turn his eyes toward what truly gives life. This message reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about trying harder—it’s about depending more deeply on the Holy Spirit. As we learn to trust God’s goodness and surrender to His leadership, we discover that His way is not only right, but it is our greatest delight.