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What does it actually mean to follow Jesus — not just believe, but live it out? In this message, we explore a challenging truth found in Isaiah and the teachings of Jesus: that faith cannot be separated from how we live, how we love, and how we respond to the needs around us. Through the images of salt and light, we’re invited into a kind of spirituality that is deeply present — rooted in real relationships, real pain, and real acts of justice and compassion.

What if the faith you inherited was incomplete? Not wrong, just missing something. In this message, Pastor Chris kicks off a new series called More Than Belief, exploring what it means to have an embodied faith for everyday life. Drawing from James chapter 2 and the theology of Latin American scholar René Padilla, he challenges the idea that faith is simply about believing the right things or securing a spot in heaven. Jesus wasn't pointing people toward a distant destination. He was announcing a kingdom coming here, now, and inviting us into it. Faith without action, James says, is like a body without breath. But the good news? You already have a gift, and when you use it, the whole community is better for it.

This Easter, we gathered across our community to celebrate the hope at the center of our faith — the resurrection of Jesus. In this gathering, you’ll hear stories from people in our community and a message from Pastor Chris reflecting on what it means to experience new life, even in the midst of ordinary and complicated circumstances.

It's one thing to accept a supporting role. It's another thing to embrace it. guest preacher Tyshawn Gardner, looks to John the Baptist, a man with every credential to be the headliner, who chose to point away from himself instead. Through the stories of a college football recruiting trip, Andre Agassi living out his father's dream, and a Super Bowl moment most people forgot, we're reminded that the most significant thing you can do is find your role in something bigger than yourself and play it well.

We are a community full of people with different cultures, contexts, stages of life, personalities, vocations, religious backgrounds, and capacities. As we all enter into Lent in our own unique ways, our pastoral staff is inviting us to join together in one Community Spiritual Practice—the Examen—to learn, practice, and grow deeper in with God. You can pray the Examen on your own, as a family, or with a small group.

What if God's interruptions are actually invitations? In this message, Ericka explores the story of Abraham and Isaac through the lens of emotionally healthy spirituality and discovers that the most disruptive moments in our lives are often the most sacred ones. From the Ignatian Examen prayer to the ancient Jewish Midrash about Abraham smashing his father's idols, this sermon traces a through-line from Abraham's radical break with the gods of his culture to the cross of Christ. What old story do you need to put down? Whether you're carrying guilt you can't shake, patterns of self-punishment you can't break, or a picture of God you no longer believe in, this message is an invitation to receive something better.

Faith isn't about having all the answers. It's about taking the next step even when you can't see the road. In this message, Pastor Chris draws from the story of Abraham to explore what it looks like to trust God through fear, uncertainty, and the mistakes we'd rather not admit. Through stories of migrant brothers and sisters walking thousands of miles toward hope, and the raw vulnerability that happens when we finally share who we really are, we're reminded that God doesn't call the fearless. He walks with the afraid. Whatever season you're in, the invitation is simple: just keep walking.

In this message from our Lenten series on emotionally healthy spirituality, we explore the life of David through the lens of five hard spiritual truths: life is hard, you are not in control, your life is not about you, you are not that important, and you will die. These are not slogans for coffee mugs. They are the deep realities that shape mature faith. David teaches us how to name what is real, process pain instead of projecting strength, embrace confession, reject entitlement, and cultivate gratitude. Even in failure, David shows us the path back to God through repentance and honesty.

Lent isn’t about giving something up. It’s about becoming someone new. As we begin this Lenten journey, we’re exploring what it means to develop an emotionally healthy spirituality — because, as we’re reminded: “You can’t be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.” Through the story of King Saul, we see what happens when insecurity, fear, ego, and unmanaged emotion go unchecked. Saul had power, success, wealth — and no real health. No real friends. No inner stability.

Lent is a season of reflection but it’s also a season about spiritual growth. In this preview episode, Pastor Chris, Pastor Rylea, and Pastor Ericka introduce our upcoming Lent series on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and why emotional maturity and spiritual maturity can’t be separated. We talk about: Why anger isn’t the problem and what we do with it is Signs of emotional unhealth (overreacting, taking things personally, repeating patterns) The difference between self-help and spiritual transformation What it means to stop being a “one-year Christian 22 times” How Lent can help break old habits and form new ones This Lent, we’ll explore biblical characters like Saul and Joseph and examine how their emotional lives shaped their spiritual journeys. We’ll also be inviting our entire community into:• Practicing the Prayer of Examen• Crafting a personal Rule of Life If you’ve ever felt stuck in your faith, this season might be your invitation to move forward. Episode Overview This episode previews our upcoming Lent series: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. We explore the connection between emotional maturity and spiritual growth — and why Lent is the perfect season for introspection and intentional formation. Key Quotes “You can’t be spiritually mature if you’re emotionally immature.” “I was a Christian for 22 years, but instead of being a 22-year-old Christian, I was a one-year-old Christian 22 times.” “Our spiritual life and our emotional life are deeply intertwined.” What We Discuss Why emotions aren’t sinful — but unexamined emotions can be destructive How resentment, insecurity, and anger show up in Scripture Why self-help alone cannot change us The role of community, communion, and confession How faith evolves and adapts over time Why growth is not linear Lent Resources During Lent, we are inviting our community to: Practice the Prayer of Examen daily Craft a personal Rule of Life Use our Community Spiritual Formation Guide

As we head into Lent, we are invited to slow down, create space, and listen. In this message, we reflect on the Transfiguration in Matthew 17, the wisdom of Fred Rogers, and the tension between mountaintop moments and valley realities. We talk about why we are so tempted to stay on the mountain, why Jesus leads us back down into real life, and how prayer and fasting reshape our desires and our direction. Through stories of faith, failure, joy, and loss, this sermon explores what it means to stop climbing the wrong ladders and start listening to Jesus.

Pastor Chris sits down with Executive Pastor Ramon Huertas for a thoughtful conversation about Bad Bunny, art, and how followers of Jesus can learn to read culture with wisdom and humility. At Ecclesia, we believe formation happens not by avoiding the world, but by learning how to live in it with wisdom, courage, and grace. This episode is an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and learn how to see what’s really there.

What do you do when you want to be kinder, slower, and more loving, but real life keeps getting in the way? In this message, Pastor Chris explores why becoming the person we want to be is often harder than we expect, and how the way of Jesus and the example of Fred Rogers invite us into a different way of living. A practical and honest look at kindness, generosity, presence, and choosing love in a hurried and divided world.

What if loneliness isn’t a personal failure but a signal that something sacred is missing? In this message, Pastor Chris explores why friendship may be one of the most holy and necessary gifts God gives us. Drawing from Scripture, cultural insight, and the life of Fred Rogers, this sermon invites us to rethink vulnerability, presence, and what it truly means to love one another well.

Pastor Chris contrasts the way of empires with the way of Jesus. Empires move fast, promise safety, and rely on fear and force. Jesus moves slowly. He notices. He draws near. He builds the Kingdom not through domination, but through love at eye level.