One of the things that virtually every wedding includes are vows - things promised to one another between the two people getting married that they agree to live by - to be faithful with. But what does it mean that love is faithful - that it BELIEVES. And what is supposed to be our response when someone behaves UNFAITHFULLY in a marriage?

#SummerLove #LovingAin’tEasy #LoveBelieves #LoveGivesTheBenefitOfTheDoubt

Marriage isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s often flat out hard. But it can be (and should be) both good and FUN. But for that to happen, to REALLY happen, we’ll need to keep in mind some very important truths. And the first one that we’re exploring together is the notion that true love always protects the other. Even if it means that we’ll get hit by those arrows ourselves.

#SummerLove #LovingAin’tEasy? #WhatLoveBears #LoveProtects

Love is many things. And many things are NOT love. But there is something that love always lifts up - truth. This doesn’t mean that love is unfiltered or unfeeling. So much more than that, love speaks truth in a way that lifts up and breathes life into others.

#SummerLove #WhatIsLove? #WhatLoveLifts

It is fairly intuitive that if someone is really being loving, then they will lean into patience and kindness. And the Bible affirms this notion. However, it may not be as intuitive to know that there are many things that love must leave behind if it truly is patient and kind. And one of the hardest is letting go of the evil that’s been done to us.

Love is a many faceted thing ... but there are also many things that love is NOT. If we're going to truly, really love, there are things we'll need to leave behind. And it might not be as easy as you think!

What are some of the core components of love? Is it affection or duty? How about inclination or obligation? There are many things that love is, but the Bible lets us know of two things that are indispensable: patience and kindness. So what about it? Are these things that you would use to describe yourself, or do you need to evaluate what it means to be a loving person?

Love is in the air. Love is all around us. Love is something we talk about all the time ... but love is also misunderstood. It is romanticized, and it is trivialized. But love - true love, real love - really does shed light on what it means that we are to be truly human.

In a world where things can so often go wrong, it can take a special kind of discipline to remember the good. But that’s exactly what we need to do to navigate those difficult times. And it’s something God has designed us for, something we’ll spend our eternities doing … so why not start now?

It has been said - even in the midst of more opportunities for connection than ever before - we face an epidemic of loneliness, something that gnaws away at us even if we’re surrounded by people. We all need the safety, nurture, and partnership of real, authentic community if we want to grow. And it’s quite frankly exactly how God designed us to function … none of us were intended to go it alone.

Prayer is that spiritual discipline that is practiced most widely (that is, most everyone has prayed or does pray at some point in their lives) and yet most widely misunderstood. Discover that it is both more than you think it is while being less intimidating than you thought. In fact, it can be said that there can really be no spiritual life without prayer.

In our discovery of who God is and what His purpose is for us in all things, there is one singular, foundational source of knowledge: the Bible. While it is not the only way, it is the penultimate one, the one that informs all others. And yet, even with how essential the Bible is for us as we develop healthy spiritual lives, there remains a caution. Discover how to push into this Rhythm of life while not letting it be more than it should.

Though we may not have a clear understanding of it, we all worship something. There is something that demands my ultimate allegiance, something that orders the rest of my life. What that something is determines how I’ll live my life, what I’ll really value, and which choices I’ll make in the end. Rightly placed, this is the most significant factor in what my life will look like. And rightly organizing the rhythms around HOW I worship will bring health or chaos into the mix.

Because of the brokenness of our world, trauma is reality for many (if not MOST) of us, to one degree or another. While some stress is good for us - it can energize us into problem solving, increase our awareness, or keep us motivated - TRAUMA has been described as a brick wall that disconnects us relationally as well as rationally.

There are many things we can discuss when it comes to being honest about our mental health, and the Bible actually has a lot to add to that conversation. However, there is a principle that needs to be in play if any of us are going to be truly able to find light in the darkness - we have to look deep, go deep, and authentically deal with whatever we find there.

Even in our hyper-connected society, it has been said that we are in a pandemic of loneliness, that many (or most) of us struggle regularly with being lonely, feeling like we don’t have deep connections, that others don’t really know us, that we don’t have people that we can turn to. This is not how we are designed to be, but it is the first problem the Bible talks about. And there are ways that we can shine light on this particular kind of darkness.

All of us have ups and downs - this is normal for life. However, what happens when our times of heightened awareness & energy stays too high or the lows stay too low? It’s more than just needing “not to worry” or to “just cheer up” … and it’s simply wrong to think that’s all it will take when we are walking through this particular darkness. Explore some of the roots of Anxiety & Depression and a little bit about what it looks like to shine light into those dark places.

Mental health can be a very difficult topic to discuss within the church because it is complex and highly personal, but all of us are affected by mental illness - personally or with those we love. Therefore, The Church must address this subject ... silence leads people to struggle in isolation. If you have or are currently struggling with mental health issues, please know this - you are not the illness or disorder. It is part of your journey, and God is not intimidated by it!

It’s one of the most unbelievable things that the Bible records and that Christianity teaches: that Jesus actually rose from the dead. Can we believe that? Can we really trust in it? It’s an amazing proposition, but there is compelling evidence to answer one way: YES.