This Sunday we're going to talk about a group of people who almost got turned away from Jesus.

Can you imagine that?  Not because they had done anything wrong. It’s just they didn't belong.

Simply because... they were kids.

Parents were bringing their children to Jesus, not for a miracle, not for a sermon, but simply for a blessing. Yet the disciples saw them as a distraction. An interruption. In that culture, children were expected to be seen and not heard. (Ever wonder where that expression came from?) Surely Jesus had more important people to see and more meaningful things to do.

Then everything changed.  Mark tells us Jesus was indignant. He was HOT. He essentially said, "Time out!" "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Mark 10:14)

Which led me to wonder... Are there people we sometimes assume don't belong?  Who do we quietly decide is too messy, too broken, too different, or too far from God?

Maybe it’s someone you know? Or even…even yourself.

One thing Jesus made abundantly clear: the people others overlook are often the very people He welcomes.

This Sunday, we'll discover why Jesus made room for children and really, for anyone who sincerely comes looking for Him, and why we must do the same.

We'll celebrate everything God did this week through Illumination Station and pray for Ian and our students as they head to camp next week.

Because when we make room for the next generation... when we make room for people... we're following in the footsteps of Jesus Himself. The future of the Church isn't waiting to grow up.

It's already walking through our doors.

So, Bring your family. Bring a friend.  And above all... Bring the Kids.

I'll see you Sunday!

— Pastor Mike

Hey Friend, when people think of you...
What Will You Be Known For?

The question isn't if you'll be remembered. It's what you'll be remembered for. See our lives are writing a story long before we're gone.

When your name comes up, what do people think of? Your career? Your accomplishments? Your opinions? The fact that you're always right? The sports expert? The political analyst? The family person?

Or do they think of someone whose word can be trusted... someone who is generous... someone who stands with courage... someone whose confidence rests in Jesus?

As Joshua nears the end of his life, he gathers the people for one final conversation. He doesn't talk about military victories or his own accomplishments. Instead, he reminds them of God's faithfulness.

"You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done..." (Joshua 23:3)

Only then does Joshua declare, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

That's the order we often miss. We don't serve God to earn His faithfulness. We serve Him because we've experienced it.

This Sunday, I'd like us to do something a little different.

Before you come, would you write down two or three specific ways God has been faithful to you? Not just, "God has been good to me," but a moment, a provision, an answered prayer, a rescue, a relationship, a season where He carried you when you couldn't carry yourself.

Bring it with you on a 3×5 card, a sticky note, a sheet of paper—or email it to me.

My hope is that, like Joshua and the people of Israel, we'll remember together. Because remembering God's faithfulness fuels present-day faith.

I believe this could be a meaningful moment for our church. Join me this Sunday.

What will you be known for?

—Pastor Mike

P.S. Don't overthink it. Just write down two or three specific ways you've seen God's faithfulness and bring them with you. I can't wait to celebrate what He's done among us. 

Have you ever found yourself asking questions like these?

"God, are You there?"
"Do You see what I'm going through?"
"Are You listening?"
"Are You with me in this?"

If we're honest, most of us have.

Last Sunday we talked about the mountains we all face. Maybe yours is a difficult diagnosis, a strained relationship, growing financial pressure, or a decision that's keeping you awake at night.

When life feels uncertain, our instinct is to ask, "God, are You with me?"

Joshua found himself asking a similar question on the eve of Israel's greatest battle. He encountered a man ready to battle with sword drawn. He asked the man, "whose side are you on?" Jesus answered "neither, but as Commander of God's army I now come." 

Before the walls of Jericho ever fell, Joshua had to learn a lesson every one of us needs to hear:

God didn't come to take sides. He came to take over.

This Sunday we'll open Joshua 5:13-15 in a message titled, "Whose Side Is God On?"

If you're longing for God's presence, peace, and strength in the middle of your battle, I hope you'll join us. I believe this passage has the power to change not only how you see your circumstances—but how you see God.

Praying for you, my friend.

Pastor Mike

Finding a Faith that's Still Climbing...

Most of us have a mountain. What’s yours? What’s the thing God may be asking you to trust Him with today?

Maybe your step is to pray a prayer you’ve been avoiding.  Maybe it’s to forgive someone.

Maybe it’s to serve where God has been nudging you. Maybe it’s simply to open your Bible and spend time listening for His voice. A choice we need to make?

Something in front of us that feels bigger than us. The question is not whether we have a mountain. It’s What do we do when we see it?

In Joshua 14, Caleb stood at the edge of a mountain that had been promised to him 45 years earlier. At 85 years old, he could have chosen comfort. He could have celebrated the past and settled into the present.

Instead, Caleb said: “Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.” — Joshua 14:12

Caleb didn’t see the size of the mountain and lose faith. He saw the faithfulness of God and found courage.

This Sunday, we’ll discover how a faith-filled person responds when God places a mountain in front of them. Because the mountains in our lives are rarely just obstacles.

Sometimes they are invitations.  An invitation to trust God. An invitation to grow. An invitation to discover that God is not finished with us yet.

Before Sunday, take a moment and name your mountain. Write it down. Pray over it. Ask God for the courage to take the next step.

Then take one small step.  Make the call.  Start the conversation. Pray the prayer. Take the step.

Say this to yourself right now!  You don’t have to climb the whole mountain today. You just have to trust God enough to take the next step.

Give Me This Mountain.  Join Me in Church this Sunday

Pastor Mike 

PS- Pray for VBS. Encourage someone you know to sign up today!