What makes a leader truly worth following? During the ancient Jewish festival of Hanukkah, Jesus speaks publicly for the last time. He makes bold claims about himself, and he challenges us to think about who we allow to influence us and how we can lead others well.

Our world is full of beautiful potential and dangerous pitfalls. How can we experience the joy while avoiding the pain? In short, it comes down to leadership. Who are you following and how is it working? Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, and clarifies the difference between good and bad leaders.

In order to live well, we need to see and understand how the world actually works. In this captivating, multi-layered, surprise-ending story, Jesus demonstrates his compassion and reveals why it’s so important to see him for who he really is.

The Gospel of John has held a special place in the heart of the church for thousands of years, drawing millions into a relationship with Jesus and deepening their faith. While its mission is clearly outlined in chapter 20, the richness of the book can’t be fully appreciated by reading it quickly. It’s crafted to slowly reveal its meaning as one listens, reads, thinks deeply, and discusses it with others over time.

One of the traps of our modern society is the idea that we can do this life on our own. This idea, however, goes against the most basic truth about what it means to be human. The truth is we are made to be in relationship with God and we are made to be a valuable part of His family, the church. Our passage today encourages us to see that each one of us, though we are many and diverse, form one community and each one of us belongs to all the others.

The New Testament church was built on God’s blueprint to live as a community of believers, sharing life and relying on one another to further the message of the Gospel and the Kingdom of Jesus. The Holy Spirit also empowered these early believers with spiritual gifts, allowing them to equip and support one another as the unified body of Christ. Today, our call as the church of Christ is no different. We are to live in faith as a community, serving one another and growing together as we follow Jesus.

Paul envisions a church interconnected like our bodies: each part seeing themselves as part of the whole and necessary for healthy function. To neglect that is to neglect the call God has for you and His church and our responsibility to one another. There is no other way to be His church. In a “me” culture, that can be a hard thing to remember and do. How does God empower us to do that?

The biggest things in life often begin with a single, courageous step. Whether you're desiring more in life or wondering where God is calling you, your first step, no matter how small, can lead to extraordinary transformation.

As the apostle Peter walked with the Word (Jesus), he learned to delight in the law of the Lord and courageously stand for Jesus. His example reminds us that thriving in the Kingdom does not mean comfort and ease, but that the Lord offers us His peace, strength and joy in the midst of trials as we listen to Him and do what He says. Let’s follow Jesus together!

I wonder what it would have been like to be Samson's parents. From the beginning, their child was filled with heavenly promise of being a deliverer of the Israelites but as he grew up, they watched him only scrape the surface of what God intended for him and instead lap up for himself destruction. Do you know someone, like Samson, who has chosen to walk away from God's best for them? What are we called to as we wait and wonder if they'll come back?

It can be easy to feel like, as a Christian, we have all this power at our disposal but our actual day to day lifestyle doesn't really need it. The story of Samson reminds us that, despite ourselves, God has called us to stand in the way of death and sin and invites us to live in a way where we can allow, see, and experience God in and through our lives.

We are called to be on mission together -- with God and what he's doing through the Global Body of Christ. God is at work around the world, particularly through the Global Church. As we go on mission whether internationally or within our home communities, we should discern how the Spirit is inviting us to partner with those God is already at work in.

Jesus invites every person into a personal relationship with him, through which we can experience true life. Today’s story is of a Biblical character that walked very closely with Jesus, yet did not open himself up to experiencing the full relationship and thriving life that Jesus was offering. It’s a striking reminder to us that proximity to Jesus does not equal thriving, and that it is never too late to say yes to Jesus…..even today!

There are a number of things in our lives we can procrastinate doing. You can probably wait one more day to do the laundry, fill the gas tank, or to return that library book. And there are realities in our lives that we really should not procrastinate on like  prioritizing our spiritual health yet so many of us do. Whether it’s fear, discouragement, confusion or just plain procrastination, God is still calling us to a next. Luckily he knows you and knows what He wants to do in you and all he’s asking is that, like Noah, we trust Him by obeying one warped and splintered board at a time.

All of us who follow Jesus have had a sense that we are to share the good news of Jesus with the world. We want to thrive in this area but are often paralyzed by feeling unequipped for the task. We might think witnessing is for the missionaries and paid staff of the church. In today’s passage, we see through the life of Philip that God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes, and we will see some powerful truths about how to thrive in our witness of Jesus.

Suffering and Hardship can block our connection with God. Yet it is possible to stay connected with God during hard times.

The people of God are to be like a canvas that displays the beauty of God’s mercy and grace. Throughout the history of the people of God though, we see that they continually turn to idolatry. The consequences of their sin leave them oppressed and feeling what it is like to be a people without God. Then God raises up a prophetess judge, a woman on fire for the Lord who calls them to turn their eyes to the Lord and follow Him. Like Israel, we need people like Deborah to fit us for battle and turn our eyes back to the Lord.

We each encounter challenges in life, even if we’re living for God. Sometimes it’s our fault, but sometimes life just happens. This message identifies three powerful lessons and three practices to successfully navigate life’s difficulties.

Jesus calls his followers “salt and light” and challenges them to make a positive impact on the world. This summer, what are your unique opportunities to make it better?

What does it mean to actually follow Jesus? In one his most intense conversations in the gospels, Jesus calls the religious people of his time liars and murderers, and identifies three features that are a part of actually following him.