There’s a kind of transformation that won’t come through pressure, punishment or performance. It happens when we walk with one another and let the Spirit shape us, not shame us. Mike invites us into a way of dealing with sin that starts at the root: identity. When we stop managing behaviour and start discerning what’s broken beneath, we begin the long, beautiful journey toward freedom. Together, step by step.
We’ve become experts at image, but strangers to intimacy.
And so, the Spirit comes, not to decorate our dysfunction, but to shatter the mirror of self, and replace it with His own reflection.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn the world upside down? Mike shares how the early church wasn't just a holy huddle, but a holy force that transformed their culture through bold faith and genuine community. Drawing from Acts 17, he reveals how authentic Christian fellowship isn't an optional add-on but the very anatomy of Christ's body—where we grow, encourage, and empower each other to share Jesus wherever we go. From classrooms to living rooms, this message inspires us to move beyond spectating to active participation in God's movement, challenging us to invite, invest, and inspire others through shared life, learning, and mission. Ready to be part of something bigger? Watch now to discover how community becomes the catalyst for kingdom impact.
On Sunday, Pastor Mike shared how he was asking a simple question: “Lord, how do I respond as a pastor to everything happening right now?” What followed was a clear word from the Lord that led him to Exodus 17—a moment where God’s people were under pressure, under attack, and spiritually dry. In that passage, Moses lifted his hands toward heaven as the battle raged, and victory came when hands were lifted—not in striving, but in surrender. From that passage, Mike heard God say, “The time for striking rocks is over. The time for touching thrones has begun.”
This message is an invitation to shift our posture. To stop reacting and start abiding. To respond not with outrage, but with trust. And to step into a rhythm of prayer that brings renewal, unity, and life. Below is a prayer guide you can use as you respond this week:
Prayer Guide:
1. Praise: Honoring God’s Faithfulness and Outpouring of His Spirit
Heavenly Father, we lift our hands to You in awe and gratitude. You are faithful, and Your Spirit continues to move in our lives and in our generation. We praise You for Your presence, Your provision, and Your power that sustains us.
Pray for:
• Thank God for His faithfulness in every season, acknowledging that nothing in heaven or earth can thwart His plans.
• Praise God for the outpouring of His Spirit, awakening hearts to new hunger and deeper intimacy with Him.
• Declare God’s victory over every Amalek attack, trusting His authority to protect, restore, and advance His Kingdom.
• Celebrate the ways God has revealed Himself in past battles, remembering His power and mercy.
• Invite God’s presence to fill every room, heart, and community, allowing His life to flow freely.
2. Confession: Surrendering Striving, Distrust, and Conflict
Lord, we confess the times we have not abided in You, striving in our own strength, doubting Your provision, and wrestling with anger or contention toward others. We recognize where we have partnered with thoughts that oppose Your will and disrupt Your peace.
Pray for:
• Confess personal striving instead of resting in God’s timing and authority.
• Confess distrust, doubt, or anxiety that limits our faith and hinders intimacy with You.
• Ask for forgiveness for anger, quarreling, or holding bitterness toward others.
• Renounce any agreements with pride, ego, or grumbling.
• Pray for healing, humility, and restored alignment with God, so we walk fully in His presence and purpose.
3. Intercession: Lifted Hands for Each Other and Our Broken World
Father, we lift our hands in intercession, covering one another’s vulnerabilities, lifting the burdens of our families, communities, and the world. We declare Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Pray for:
• Pray for those around you, asking God to meet their deepest needs and protect their hearts.
• Pray for comfort and hope in our relationships, families, communities, and country.
• Ask God to pour out His presence in communities, awakening hunger for His presence and truth.
• Pray for the defeat of the Amalek spirit and every force that seeks to steal joy, kill hope, or destroy destiny.
• Declare healing, restoration, and unity, trusting God’s authority and power to transform brokenness into new life.
What if the foundation we’ve built our faith on isn’t the one Jesus had in mind? Mike traces the ache of a generation worn down by performance, shame, and spiritual striving—and reveals a deeper invitation. Jesus didn’t just promise a better life, but his life. The kind that flows from the inside out. Not hollow, not heavy—just real, renewing, and alive. This is where discipleship begins: not with doing more, but being made new.
When life presses hard and fast, we tend to reach for control, distraction, or performance. But what if the pressure is an invitation—not a punishment? Mike explores the deep, often-overlooked heartbeat of the whole Bible: abiding. Not a task list or a time slot, but a rooted way of being that produces lasting fruit—sometimes through crushing. Because in Jesus, even the pressure can pour out new wine.
We chase clarity, progress, and fruit—but what if the thing we’ve been reaching for was already within reach? Mike spent the summer drinking deeply from one passage, one truth: apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Abiding slows the soul. It roots us in presence. In stillness. And from that place, something begins to grow—not from effort, but from union.
There’s something unique about being in a room with people who understand what you're going through—because they’ve lived it too.
On Sunday Andy shared his story about when his life was turned upside down in 2016 when his spouse asked for a divorce. He did what many of us might do—tried to fix it, control it, hold it together. When it became clear that the relationship couldn’t be salvaged, his whole life shattered. Career, identity, routines, even how often he could see his kids—it all shifted. He was left staring at what he called “broken glass.”
And at first, he resisted help. Even after finding a divorce support group at a nearby church, he said no. But then a friend—who was also navigating a divorce—invited him to join. Reluctantly, he said yes.
And that “yes” changed everything.
“It was the most impactful thing I’ve ever done,” he shared. “Counseling is great, but there’s nothing like sitting in a circle with people who understand your pain, who will cry with you, laugh with you, journey with you. Nothing replaces it.”
Today, he leads others through the same care group that helped him heal.
Care isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s just showing up.
It’s delivering a meal to someone recovering from surgery. Giving a ride to a doctor's appointment when someone’s in a cast. Sitting silently next to someone in grief. It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about being present.
That’s the heart behind the Ministry of Presence, a training offered to equip people to simply show up with God’s heart. No clever words needed. Just presence. Just love.
Care looks like this.
So, what’s your next step?
You may be in a season where you need to receive. Or you may be ready to give. Maybe both. But no matter where you are, you’re not meant to walk alone.
And remember this: nothing you bring to the altar is wasted. Not your grief. Not your story. Not your healing. Not your gifts.
When you bring it to God, it becomes worship. And it becomes a doorway to life for someone else.
Ready to take a step toward healing or connection? Explore the full list of available Care Groups by clicking the button below.
A pause where the story isn’t over. James ends his letter in that holy space, urging patience that endures, prayer that breathes life, and love that chases the wanderer. In the space between heartbreak and healing, frustration and fulfillment, he shows us what it means to live the next line in God’s unfinished sentence.
What does a wrong turn on a hiking trail have to do with your spiritual life and your bank account? In this message, Skyler unpacks James 4 and 5 with a powerful blend of personal story, biblical truth, and real-life challenge. From planning without God to hoarding what was meant to be given, this talk confronts the subtle ways we drift from dependence on God. It’s about getting honest, living submitted, and stewarding what He’s entrusted to us. If you’ve ever tried to control the path or hold on to what God asked you to release this one’s for you.
Wisdom isn’t about what you know—it’s how you live. Jen traces the thread from envy to chaos, from selfish ambition to rupture, and asks where our choices are really coming from. Are we reacting to protect ourselves, or responding from a deeper place? The wisdom from above is quiet, steady, and sincere—but it won’t chase us. It waits to be chosen, again and again. Even in conflict. Even when it costs us pride.
A single spark can torch a forest—and a single word can fracture a soul. Jake traces the quiet, explosive power of language, showing how every text, every joke, every offhand comment carries the weight of our inner life. Our words don’t just communicate; they create, shape, and reveal. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture makes it clear: the tongue doesn’t just talk—it steers the entire ship. So…what story are your words telling?
Emma unpacks what James really means by a “faith that works”—not faith and works, but a kind of belief so alive it moves. Not stagnant. Not private. But the kind that flows outward—into love, sacrifice, and radical trust. Because real faith doesn’t just nod its head. It walks. It carries. It builds. It lives.
Storms will come—Jesus promised that. But what if they don’t have to leave us wrecked? Jeff explores how our understanding of God and ourselves shapes whether we collapse or endure when trials hit. With clarity and tenderness, he asks: What if the deepest truths—God is good, and you are loved—are not just comforting ideas but the foundation that holds when everything else shakes?
Trials aren’t side notes in life; they’re the crucible where faith gets its edge. If our beliefs never show up in traffic, conflict, or compassion, are they really alive? With urgency and grace, Jake unpacks a faith that’s not theoretical but earthy and enduring. What if maturity isn’t about knowing more, but staying when it’s hard? Real faith doesn’t escape the fire. It’s shaped by it.
1. You don’t have to have all the answers.
2. Share your story and your experiences.
3. You can learn to share the Good News.