Many times, the Bible is so much more relatable to our lives than we realize. From the same emotions, struggles, and joys that we all go, the individuals that we read so often about in the Bible went through the exact same things we do, just in a different way. And it's no different when it comes to conflict. David was on the run for his life from King Saul and as we'll see today, David came face to face with a decision that would ultimately show what kind of character he had. May we ever strive to have the same self-control and response that David had in these verses in our own conflicts.

Today we start a BRAND NEW series called, "Collision Course." We all have disagreements and conflict with people in our lives but the most important thing we remember is HOW we handle that conflict. This is especially vital when it comes to our Christian brothers & sisters - if the body of Christ is always in conflict and constant fighting, why would the world ever want to be apart of that? We see then that it is not only for OUR sake but CHRIST'S sake we must strive after peace and learn how to navigate the "collisions" in our lives.

It is a tremendous blessing to live in the land of "plenty" and to be surrounded by having access to so many things we want and need. However, with that blessing comes tremendous temptation to slip into a stagnant, "comfortable" faith when following Jesus. This is something we must resist and fight against. The first step is regaining our understanding of fearing the Lord and allowing that to stir our affection, reverence, and desire for Him. We must desperately ask Him to give us the boldness to live in "holy fire."

The more we grow in our understanding of what it means to fear God, the deeper our awe and desire for Him will grow as well. Before we ever trusted in Jesus to forgive our sins, we should absolutely be terrified of the God of the universe. He is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Judge who sees all and knows all. Our sins are a slap in His face and our rightful place of punishment is Hell. But once we have repented of our sins and place our trust in Jesus for our salvation, that fear transitions to a holy, reverential awe of Him. Yes He is just as powerful and terrifying but we never have to look at Him the way we once did. He is now our loving Father who sees us through the eyes of His Son. And it is by understanding THAT truth when true intimacy with God can begin.

As we continue our new series, today we will look at what exactly is the fear of the Lord, why we've seemed to have lost that fear, and how we can get it back and stay there. Properly (and healthily) fearing the Lord truly is the beginning of wisdom and if we are going to continue to grow as disciples of Jesus, we must have the correct understanding of it.

One individual that often gets neglected the most in today's modern church isn't a church attender, a particular staff member, or even a volunteer - rather it is none other than the Holy Spirit. There can be various reasons as to why that is but perhaps one of the primary reasons is simply a lack of knowledge. We don't truly know WHO He is, WHAT His purpose is, or WHY we have Him in our lives. But it is so important for us to realize that the closer we are with the Holy Spirit and allowing HIS power to flow through us, the more we will grow more like Christ and develop a healthy fear of the Lord.

As believers, we all know it is extremely vital to keep our eyes, thoughts, and hearts centered on Jesus. Today, we will take a closer look at how exactly we can live that out and truly "focus" every aspect on Christ.

Often times we go through life weighed down by heavy "baggage" - not literal bags but things we carry from our past, sins we try to hide, hurt and emotional trauma, and more. The list could go on and on. The sad reality is the longer we carry these bags, the more tired and exhausted we become. Jesus said on numerous times He came to give us LIFE, FREEDOM, and RELIEF. But the choice is up to us if we are going to continue to carry all these things around or surrender them to the ONLY One strong enough to carry everything we have held on to for so long.

Today we begin a mini-series centered around all the "baggage" we carry in our lives - many times unnoticed by those closest to us. The first step in overcoming ANYTHING is being honest and admitting we need help. Today we will see the startling facts that NO ONE is exempt from being hit with the struggles of mental health, relational hurt, emotional hurt, and the only hope we have to escape these things is Christ.

We live in a time where we are constantly being bombarded with distractions and rival "gods" to the one true God. These distractions can come from the places we least expect it - ourselves, money, materialism, entertainment, pleasure, politics, ideology, technology, control, image, or influence. One thing is for sure however - we MUST stand firm in our covenant to God to forsake all idols but Him, see Him as our supreme treasure, and make the CHOICE to serve Him.

Whether you consider yourself "younger" or "older," obedience to Christ does not care about our age. God desires that we pursue Him in faithfulness throughout our entire life. Just like a marathon, we must pace ourselves to finish strong. We must remember that we won't reach perfection in this life and we will make mistakes. God's mercies are new EVERY morning and He WILL finish the work He started in our lives. But we must still make the conscious decision to obey Him & do what He has asked us to do. It is by maintaining an attitude of thankfulness we will never take Him for granted and want to serve Him with our entire being.

Have you ever had a disagreement or falling out with someone because you misunderstood each other? One of the most overlooked aspects to relationships is communication. We tend to avoid saying how we feel or what we are truly thinking for the sake of peace but it actually ends up being worse and causing bitterness, resentment, and division. As we'll see in today's passage, we must all take personal responsibility to create environments that welcome transparency and honesty with our communication - first and foremost with God.

Happy Father's Day! We are so thankful for all the fathers & fatherly figures in our lives and most of all our Heavenly Father! The Bible has MUCH to say on how fathers should live out their life in front of their wife, children, and ultimately before God. And whether you are a father or still have a father/fatherly figure in your life, we ALL have a responsibility & role to play: for fathers - to be present, be godly, be intentional; for families - honor your father, encourage him, and pray for him; and to everyone - look to God the Father as the model of love and leadership.

Do you realize the person that has the most influence on you is YOU? Have you ever thought about the person you talk to and hear from the most - is you? Whatever we tell ourself has a massive impact on what we think, feel, and do. That's why the Bible tells us to guard our hearts and minds and to saturate them with GOD'S words. The Psalm are studying this morning encourages us to do just that - speak to our souls and in the darkest of times, remind ourselves that we have ALL we could ever need in Christ and that HE is our true delight and satisfaction

Do you realize the person that has the most influence on you is YOU? Have you ever thought about the person you talk to and hear from the most - is you? Whatever we tell ourself has a massive impact on what we think, feel, and do. That's why the Bible tells us to guard our hearts and minds and to saturate them with GOD'S words. The Psalm are studying this morning encourages us to do just that - speak to our souls and in the darkest of times, remind ourselves that we have ALL we could ever need in Christ and that HE is our true delight and satisfaction

Many times in our walks with Jesus and spiritual journeys, God will ask us to make difficult decisions and it can be scary. But it is in those moments we must remember to ask Him for the courage and boldness to step into His calling by faith. He is faithful to equip us with what He has called us to and He will also give us the desire to fulfill it! It is because of these truths that anxiety and worry lose their power and we can rest easy knowing our God is in absolute full control.

What an exciting day it is to celebrate all of our graduates and their amazing accomplishments! It is so important for us to remember that while many aspects of our life could appear to be "routine" or "mundane" (i.e. work, school, etc.), that is never the true reality. The fact is we are ALL alive right now for a specific purpose and reason - for "such a time as this." And it is up to us if we are going to fully embrace the mission that Jesus has given us: to seek and to save the lost and remember He is ALWAYS working even when we can't "see" it.

Happy Mother's Day! As we celebrate the mothers and motherly figures in our lives, let us truly be thankful for just how much they have done for us. What a beautiful reality that so many of the attributes that these amazing women have are also perfectly reflected in the love and attributes of our God.

God's timing is not our timing. Even when it comes to certain promises God has made to us in the Bible, Scripture tells us that 1,000 years is like a day to Him. Because of this truth, it is so important for us to never give up hope and never stop worshiping WHILE we wait. We can rest assured that in God's perfect time & providence, He will accomplish what He said He will do.

So often when we face struggles or battles, we feel like we are alone. Many times we think we are the only one who has ever faced what we are up against. That is exactly where Satan wants us. But it's at that exact moment we must remind him as well as ourselves that our God is not only with us but FOR us. He will NEVER leave us and He will go before us to defeat our enemies. It may not be exactly in the way we think or want but we can rest assured we will emerge victorious because He is incapable of defeat.