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Because we're Americans, we tend to make plans and have dreams about our future. Where we'll go to school. What we'll do for a career. How many kids we will or will not have. But, as James points out (and cautions) in the New Testament, making assumptions about the future is trap rich people fall into - because they mistakenly believe that they can control the outcomes. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from James 4:13-17 - that a posture of humility is the best posture to adopt when it comes to tomorrow.

We kick off the month of October with a focus on the virtue of courage - and courage is when God helps us to be brave enough to do hard things. Pastor Max highlights the story of Jericho - and how God is our place of strength and safety - even in the face of what seems impossible.

We've all heard the phrase, "judge not," but we tend to view it through the lense of one individual to another. So what exactly is James talking about in James 4:11-12? And what does it mean to walk this pilgrim way - with OTHERS - together? In this message, Dr. Steve Bruns unpacks James 4:11-12.

It's easy to read James 4 and think that NONE of it applies to us (or our settings). But James addresses the ways in which our motives are ALWAYS mixed - and sometimes incredibly selfish - even though we wrap our desires in language of "better for all." In this outdoor worship service celebrating our 22nd anniversary - Pastor Max leads up to three questions worth asking as we read and make sense of James 4:1-10.

Someone stops by your house or apartment to say hello. You accidentally say that you're sad to see them - but you MEANT to say you're glad to see them. What happened? On the one hand, it simply could have been a glitch. But, on the other hand, your heart - the way you REALLY feel or think - might have spoken. There's a powerful connection between what you really think, believe, and feel - and what you SAY. And in this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks that connection by teaching on James 3.

Our intergen worship in September kicks off a month-long emphasis (for our kids) in learning to hear from God - that's, in part, because faith is believing in what you can't see because of what you can see.

Have you ever witnessed or experienced someone getting preferential treatment? Because they were rich - or looked wealthy? Because they were dressed nicely? Because they were a man? Of course you have. But what if that kind of preferrential treatment for the rich or the beautiful or the powerful or the well-connected was taking place in church? What then? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks James 2:1-13 and why favoritism has NO place in the Church of Jesus Christ.

On any given day there are a number of ways we can enjoy Scripture. We can read it - we can listen to it on our phones - and we can even commit some of it to memory. And let's be honest, there are a TON of sermons and podcasts based on the Bible. Face it, hearing God's Word isn't a problem. It's living it. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks James 1:19-27 and how Christians are expected to police their speech, strive for holiness, and help the vulnerable in their community. Apparently, it matters that you live what you hear.

Jesus said that, in this world you would have trouble. And he didn't lie. All of us experience trials and hardships and difficulties and loss and sorrows and disappointments. But what's really strange is that, while God doesn't CAUSE those things, God works in us THROUGH those things - because God wants to do something IN us during trials. In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks the first big idea in the letter of James (found near the end of the New Testament).

Uniqueness - appreciating how God has made me special.

The earliest Christians believed that ordinary people could make a difference. But it's hard to believe that if you are hearing things like: you are not enough, you need to try harder, or you are alone. But here's the thing: God creates WORLDS out of words - and so does every human being made in God's image. The words we use to talk about the world around us actually builds the worlds we inhabit. In this message, Brian Hull asks two IMPORTANT questions everyone should ask themselves - to determine the kinds of worlds you're creating.

You only live once. That's what they tell us. And no generation has embraced this "live today" advice more than Gen-Z - who value experiences and meaningful connections with friends and family OVER acquiring stuff. But what if you struggle with a medical condition that leaves you partly or mostly disabled? What if you can't afford (or even charge) those incredible experiences and events? And what if your relationships are marked by conflict and selfishness? What then? In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines WHY the resurrection life ("the life to come") is critically important - and why the earliest Christians were told to encourage each other with the HOPE of Jesus's return.

We live in a world of chaos and scarcity, which can naturally spark fear. In response, we often scramble to control our circumstances. But control is just an illusion. No amount of planning or manipulation can guarantee our safety or secure our future. That is exactly why the Bible repeatedly calls us to have faith. From the journeys of Abraham and Moses to the Psalms of David and the radical example of Jesus, Scripture implores us to place our trust in God's provision rather than relying on our own fragile grip on control

We American Christians have forgotten something important about our faith - namely, it's about a life WITH God rather than all the things we're doing FOR God. Our focus on endless activity is no accident. In the late 1800s, American Christians shifted heavily toward action, perfectly captured by preacher Charles Spurgeon’s famous plea: “Brethren, do something; do something; do something.” For over a century, this mindset has defined the movement by its programs and busyness. But the earliest disciples were marked as different - simply because they had been WITH Jesus.

When faith is watered down to a checklist of ministries or evangelistic goals, we start believing our worth comes from our output. But our value isn't tied to our performance. God treasures friendship with you far more than He needs your accomplishments