Drawing from the story of David and Goliath, our special guest speaker, Ruth Dearnley, challenges us to face the modern giant of human trafficking with courage, clarity, and action. Just as David learned to count the size of the giant and aim with purpose, we’re reminded that understanding the scale of injustice helps us respond wisely and effectively. U COUNT weekend calls each of us to recognize that our voice, our choices, and our willingness to act truly matter in the fight to bring light into dark places.
Grounded in Paul’s bold prayer in Ephesians 3, this message paints a compelling vision of the life God desires for His people. It begins with posture—Paul kneeling before the Father—and reminds us that what we bow to shapes what has power over us. In a culture filled with competing allegiances, the call is to humble ourselves before God as the starting point for spiritual transformation. The prayer unfolds in four movements—strength, love, knowledge, and fullness—each revealing both God’s invitation and the shadows that often hold us back. God offers strength in our weakness, love that overcomes fear, knowledge that moves beyond information into lived experience, and fullness that replaces spiritual emptiness with His presence. The message invites us to unearth buried dreams, surrender self-reliance, and trust God to do what is impossible on our own, believing that when we come before Him with humility and faith, He fills us with everything we need to live out His calling.
Wednesday night community is back! Join us for My Weird Bible, 11 weeks on the passages that finally make sense. My Weird Bible will explore some of the strangest, most confusing, and often misunderstood passages in Scripture. By digging into the historical, cultural, and biblical context behind these stories, the series helps make sense of what can feel weird or unsettling—and shows how even the most unusual parts of the Bible reveal God’s character and invite us into deeper faith.
Bold prayer isn’t reserved for perfect faith or polished words—it’s an honest response to real life. Rooted in James 5, this message reminds us that prayer is meant to be our first response in every season: trouble, joy, sickness, confession, and waiting. God works through ordinary people who come to Him with humility, trust, and expectation, believing that prayer truly is powerful and effective.
Prayer isn’t meant to be passive or theoretical—it’s meant to work. Rooted in James 5, the focus is on how authentic faith produces action, and authentic prayer produces real impact in our lives and in the world around us. Scripture presents prayer as powerful and effective, not because of who we are, but because of who God is and how He invites us to participate in His work. The passage highlights the everyday moments when prayer matters most—when we’re suffering, when life is good, when we’re sick, and when we’ve sinned—revealing prayer and praise as the natural rhythms of a life anchored in God. By pointing to Elijah as an example, James makes it clear that the power of prayer isn’t reserved for spiritual elites, but for ordinary people who trust an extraordinary God. The invitation is simple but bold: believe that prayer truly works, and step into it with honesty, faith, and expectation.
As we step into a new year, the invitation is to begin not with resolutions, but with bold, faith-filled prayer that reflects how big we believe God is. Rooted in Ezra 8, the teaching highlights a moment when God’s people faced overwhelming odds and chose humility, prayer, and fasting as their first response, trusting God to lead and protect them on a risky journey. Bold prayers aren’t about volume or performance—they’re about dependence, calling on God when the situation is beyond our control. The practice of prayer and fasting is framed as spiritual training rather than religious transaction—relational disciplines that shape our hearts, reorder our desires, and create space for God to move. Like training for a marathon, these practices prepare us to walk faithfully with God over time. As a church, we are invited into a season of intentional prayer—seeking God’s movement in our world, our community, and our own lives—believing that when we pray first, trust God along the way, and give Him the glory, He will faithfully lead us forward.
As we step into a new year, the invitation is to begin not with resolutions, but with bold, faith-filled prayer that reflects how big we believe God is. Rooted in Ezra 8, the teaching highlights a moment when God’s people faced overwhelming odds and chose humility, prayer, and fasting as their first response, trusting God to lead and protect them on a risky journey. Bold prayers aren’t about volume or performance—they’re about dependence, calling on God when the situation is beyond our control. The practice of prayer and fasting is framed as spiritual training rather than religious transaction—relational disciplines that shape our hearts, reorder our desires, and create space for God to move. Like training for a marathon, these practices prepare us to walk faithfully with God over time. As a church, we are invited into a season of intentional prayer—seeking God’s movement in our world, our community, and our own lives—believing that when we pray first, trust God along the way, and give Him the glory, He will faithfully lead us forward.
Join us as we end this year with a message from our Student Ministry leader, Sami Gutierrez, as we look at the passage of time through God's eyes.
Standing in the in-between space after Christmas and on the edge of a new year, this message invites the church to reflect on the past while courageously stepping into what God is doing next. Drawing from Isaiah’s promise that God is always doing a new thing and Paul’s resolve to press forward despite hardship, we’re reminded that clinging too tightly to yesterday, whether past failures or past successes, can keep us from recognizing God’s work in the present. Through Paul’s story of transformation and perseverance, we see that spiritual growth requires intentional effort, focused pursuit, and a willingness to let go of what once defined us. As individuals and as a church, we are called to pursue Christ above comfort, trust God with the unknown, and take the next faithful step forward, confident that the God who has been faithful before is still leading us into the future.
Whether you’re watching live or joining us later, this Christmas Eve service is a chance to pause and remember the true meaning of Christmas. We gather to celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, and the good news that Jesus has come. If you’re looking for a Christmas Eve church service online, we’re so glad you’re here. Invite your family, light a candle at home, and worship with us as we reflect on the story of Christ’s birth and the hope it brings to the world.