​What are you handing off?  Recently, Patti and I finalized some legal documents to make sure what we want to pass down to our kids actually gets into the right hands. It made me think…

How often are we intentional about what we’re handing down?

Your parents passed some things on to you. Some of it you’re grateful for. Some of it… not so much.

You didn’t choose your height, eye color, or shoe size. You may or may not have received wealth.
But you did inherit a way of thinking about money. You may have inherited a temper. A habit.
A mindset. A pattern.

This makes me wonder,  what are you passing down?

This Sunday we begin a 3-part series called “Pass It Down.”

We’ll start with a woman named Rahab (Joshua 2). By every cultural standard, she was on the margins, the wrong background, wrong religion and a bad reputation. A prostitute in a male-dominated society.

But she had heard stories. Stories about what God was doing. Stories that stirred fear — and faith.

Then came the moment of decision. When two Israelite spies showed up at her door, Rahab had a choice: Turn them in… or trust the God she had only heard about.

Faith required risk. She hid the spies. She gathered her family. She hung a red cord from her window, a visible act of trust in an unseen God.

And because of that decision, her family was saved. Her legacy changed in an instant.

Hebrews 11 lists her among the heroes of faith (one of only two women mentioned by name.) She didn’t just believe. She acted on what she believed.

And that’s always the tension, isn’t it?

We hear the stories. We know the truth. The real question is: What will we do with it?

Where is God asking you to trust Him? What risk of obedience is in front of you? What legacy are you building, intentionally or unintentionally?  Because we are always passing something down.

More than money or possessions. More than genetics. Our kids, our friends, our church family — they need to see a genuine faith lived out. 

Let’s be people who pass down our trust in the Lord!

See you Sunday,
Pastor Mike

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up today for our Mother’s Day event this Saturday — we’d love to see you there! 

How do you respond when someone invites you to breakfast? It probably depends on who’s asking.

In John 21, we find one of the most tender moments after the resurrection. Peter and the others have gone fishing. Back to what they know. Back to what feels familiar. A return to what feels safe.

They fish all night.  Nothing. Eight hours. Empty nets. Empty hands. That’s frustrating when it’s your livelihood. That’s how you feed your family. That’s how you pay the bills. A whole shift with nothing to show for it? Exhausting.

Then at daybreak. A voice cries out “Try the other side.” One more cast. And suddenly the nets are straining with fish. in that moment everything changes. John whispers, “It is the Lord.”  Peter jumps in and begins to swim for shore.   

Jesus was closer than they thought.

Here's the question I've been grappling with this week: How did Jesus know they were on the lake?

They didn’t organize a prayer meeting.  They didn’t send up a flare.  They didn’t go searching for Him. They weren't calling or looking for Him. How did He know.

Because He was looking for them. And maybe that’s a word for us.

When you’re exhausted. When you’ve gone back to old patterns. When you’re unsure what’s next.
When you feel like your efforts are producing nothing.   He’s not distant. 

He’s on the shore. He sees.  He knows.   He may even be calling out directions, but sometimes we don’t recognize His voice.   Still… He’s here.

When the disciples were in the storm, He was with them.  When He gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He promised, “I am with you always.”   When we are weary and heavy-laden in Matthew 11, He says, “Come to Me.”

And then comes the most beautiful part.  Jesus already has a charcoal fire burning. Bread laid out.  Fish frying. And He says: “Come have breakfast.”

No rebuke for Peter’s denial.   No lecture about faithlessness.  No reminder of their failure. No I told you so.  Just a simple invitation. “Come and have breakfast.”

Maybe this week you feel like your nets are empty. 

Listen carefully.  He still sees us. He is still looking for you & I. He is calling you not to quit. It's Jesus inviting you to “Come sit with Me.”  No shame.  No guilt.  Just grace over a warm fire.

Friend, listen for His voice this week.  Look for Him on the shoreline of your ordinary moments.

He is closer than you think. 

See you Sunday!
Pastor Mike 

The Sunday after Easter Matters More than You Think...

There’s something deeply appropriate about saying thank you when someone leaves you a gift.

This Sunday, we’re going to say thank you to Thomas.

In John 20, Thomas missed Easter. He wasn’t in the room when Jesus appeared to the others. For an entire week his closest friends tried to explain what they had seen. Jesus had showed up, spoke with them, ate with them, answered their questions. It was real. It was physical. It was undeniable.

But Thomas couldn’t accept their version of reality.  “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were… I will not believe.” (John 20:25)

Can you imagine 8–10 people you trust telling you something so unbelievable that you just can’t get there?     Thomas was honest about his doubts. His questions.

And here’s the gift: because he was willing to question openly, we get to see how Jesus responds to honest doubt.

The following Sunday, this Sunday in the story, Jesus comes again. And this time, He comes for Thomas.

No scolding.
No shaming.
No lecture.
Just an invitation: “Touch. See. Believe.”

Thomas falls to his knees and makes one of the most profound declarations in all of Scripture:

“My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

First, Thomas gives us the gift of seeing that Jesus is not threatened by our questions. He meets doubters with patience and grace. Second, the change in his life proves that Jesus resurrection was not a myth, not a vision, not a ghost, but physical, bodily, life-changing reality.

History tells us Thomas would eventually carry the message of Jesus all the way to India, where he gave his life for his faith. Doubt did not define him. An encounter with the risen Jesus did. He wouldn't have given his life for feel good story of myth.

And Thomas isn’t alone. The dramatic change in the Apostle Paul echoes the same story. Christ is Risen indeed. 

So what happened after Easter?  What were those next 40 days like for the followers of Jesus?

For the next four weeks, we’re going to walk through “The Next 40 Days”—how Jesus answered their questions, strengthened their faith when they wanted to quit, restored them in their shame, and gave them purpose that still shapes our lives today.

Easter wasn’t the end of the story.  It was the beginning.

I’d love for you to join us this Sunday as we begin the journey.

If you were with us on Easter we welcome you back.
If you’ve got questions, bring 'em. 
If you’re not sure what you believe, you're closer to Jesus than  you might imagine. 

The Next 40 days changed everything. Let’s walk through them together.

See You Sunday!

Pastor Mike

There are moments in life when it sure looks like it’s over.  Saturday night, two elite college basketball teams battled to the final breath. With .03 seconds left, the game looked finished until one improbable shot changed everything.

We’ve all seen moments like that. But life isn’t always a game.

Sometimes it’s a marriage that looks done.
A job that disappears. Friends who walk away.      Stress that overwhelms. Grief that sits heavy on your chest.

There is no place the words “it’s over” hit harder than at a grave. In John 11, Jesus stood in that place.

Lazarus was dead. The stone was heavy. The tomb was sealed. Hope felt buried.

Mary and Martha believed Jesus could have done something… if only He had been there sooner.

But Jesus wasn’t late. He was intentional.

The grief was real and Jesus entered into it. He wept. He was deeply troubled. He was angry at the brokenness of a fallen world. Death was never God’s design. Sin, sorrow, separation were not Plan A.

So if you’re carrying something that feels final, consider these two things:

1. Jesus grieves with you - He sees it. He feels it. He is not detached from your pain. The injustice bothers Him. The sorrow moves Him. The delay is not indifference.
2. His purposes will not be denied - Jesus said they would see the glory of God. Then He walked to the tomb… and told them to move the stone. And with a voice that still shakes graves, He called, “Lazarus, come out.”

And death had to let go.

Jesus is still moving stones. He is still calling names. He is still setting people free.

Easter reminds us that the grave does not get the final word. It’s not over until Jesus says it’s over.

And because He walked out of His tomb, whatever feels buried in your life is not beyond His voice.

Today He still asks: “Do you believe this?” “Will you trust Me?”

Friend — this Sunday we celebrate the victory that changed everything.

Jesus is Risen. He is Risen Indeed.

I look forward to celebrating Jesus resurrection with you this Sunday at 9:33am. 

- Pastor Mike