The Porch

Some say the Bible is outdated and unreliable, yet we as Christians claim it’s the foundation we build our lives upon. So how can we know for sure that it's trustworthy? We’re putting it to the test. In this message, we present the facts that support the Bible being the true words of God.

It’s common to wonder, how can God be good when so many bad things happen in the world? Questions like this can chip away at us over time and lead to doubt, so it’s important to answer this for ourselves. In this message, we learn how Christianity explains how bad things happen and actually points to the fact that God is still good.

In this season of quarantine, being single and not able to mingle is a struggle for many. We all want to go back to normalcy, but we shouldn’t waste the time we have and miss what God is trying to teach us. In this message, we learn two ways that we can succeed in this unique season of singleness if we choose to use our circumstances for a greater purpose.

You simply can’t win the game if you don’t know the rules. In this message, we look at chapters 7 through 10 of Esther and see how to live a successful life full of purpose - even when things seem chaotic. Although you can’t always see it, God is moving the pieces of life together for good.

Many of us have embraced false ideas related to faith. Do you have a fairy-tale faith or true faith in Christ? In this message, we look at chapters 5 and 6 of Esther to learn about three ideas that we tend to falsely believe.

As our world faces the pandemic of COVID-19, it’s easy to feel anxious and fearful in the midst of uncertainty. The chaos has made it clear that many of us have imperfect peace instead of a peace that surpasses all understanding. In this message, we look at how the Bible says we should respond to anxiety and how we can find peace - even if it’s imperfect.

I bet you didn't realize that the book of Esther has something in common with the show "Making a Murderer." In this message, we introduce the villain of the story in chapters 3-4 and talk about our purpose. Are you missing it or are you embracing the significant purpose God has given you?

The story of Esther is often misunderstood, but it actually describes an imperfect woman that God used despite her brokenness. Think about all the messiness and drama of "The Bachelor" meshed with “The Princess Diaries,” and you get Esther. In this message, we look at the first two chapters to see how God is at work in the details and tragedies of life. Even when it looks like He is hidden, we can be assured that God is always there.

It’s easy to think that your 20s don’t really matter, but the truth is that what you do today will matter tomorrow. In this message, we learn how to own our faith now and impact the next decade of our lives. The decision is yours: Will you go through life just getting by or choose to go all in with Christ?

One of the most common problems is that many of us search for an escape from pain through different coping methods. We’ve chosen to numb what we feel, and have not learned the right way to deal with our pain. In this message, we learn three steps that can help us to stop numbing and start healing during this defining decade.

In this decade of decisions, one of the biggest choices we are faced with is who to marry. None of us want to ruin our love life, but things don’t always go as expected. Who doesn’t want that all-the-feels-Rom-Com kind of love that will last a lifetime?! In this message, we look to the Bible for advice and talk about 10 things to avoid when looking for a love that lasts.

Money impacts everyone, but many of us don’t have the right view on how to use it. We can either let money define us or decide to see it the way God does. In this message, we learn three must-do money moves that will impact our lives for years to come.

The truth is your friends are affecting your future whether you realize it or not. Do you have the right people in your life to point you in the right direction? In this message, we look at how to have real community with friends that are committed to Christ.

Each of us are headed down a path with the decisions we make today. The question we must ask ourselves is “Where is this path going to take me?” In this message, we look at Galatians 6 to learn how to “sow good seeds” so we can reap the benefits in the decade to come.

We all have labels that we think define us, but there is a way to get rid of these labels and redefine who we are. In this message, we look at Jesus’ family tree to see the people that He came from. As we go through Matthew 1, we learn that Jesus came from sinners and for sinners in order to bring salvation to broken people.

We all make mistakes, but they don’t have to define us. What matters most when we fail is how we respond. In this message, we look at 2 Samuel to see how God used David despite his failure and learn how we can respond in the midst of our mistakes.

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is ”What does it mean to trust God?”. Trusting God and having faith takes practice, which doesn’t always come naturally. As we look at the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 through 22, we see what it means to have true faith and how to trust God with everything, even what we want most.

We all have a bloodline that tells us about who we are and where we came from. In Genesis 1 through 3, we dive into the life of Adam at the start of creation. Throughout this message, we see how we were created, what made us the way we are, and where we can find restoration.

Marriage is a gift from God and it’s a gift that He takes seriously. The good news is, He gives us instructions for a marriage made in heaven within His Word. In Song of Solomon chapter eight, we look at two key components that every marriage should have.

Falling in love can be easy, but staying in love takes intentionality. People talk about falling out of love like it’s something that happens at random, but realistically we play a bigger part than we think. In this message, we talk about what it takes to stay in love by looking at Song of Solomon chapters 6 through 8.

In any relationship, the “honeymoon phase” eventually comes to an end and conflict is inevitable. Having a successful marriage has a lot to do with the ability to work through conflict in a healthy way. In this message, we look at Song of Solomon chapters 5 and 6 to see an example of a relationship that is unbreakable.

Maybe you’ve heard that sex is for marriage, but is that outdated? In this message, we open the Bible to Song of Solomon chapters 3-5 to learn about God’s design for sex and how it’s still relevant today.

People call marriage “tying the knot.” The truth is tying the knot starts when you’re dating, long before the wedding day. In this message, we discuss Song of Solomon chapters 2 and 3 to see an example of how to date in a way that sets you up for a marriage that will last.

Things are getting heated, and we don’t mean #bachelorinparadise. In this message, we open up God’s Word to the first two chapters of Song of Solomon. We learn from a spicy biblical romance what we should do and what we should look out for when we’re all up in our feels.

When it comes to pursuing what we’re passionate about, we’re here for it. But what happens when all our dreams come true and we still want more? In this message, we talk about the dangers of living by the mantra “Follow Your Dreams” and see what it could look like to #livethedream by chasing what God says really satisfies.

The popular mantra “love is love” sounds loving, but is it biblical? After all, God IS love right?! In this message, we talk about how to love like God and about what is true and false about the saying “love is love.”

We can all rally around having a voice that matters. In some ways, the encouragement to “speak your truth” has it’s perks, but we often mistake what we feel, think and experience for what is true. In this message, we break down the difference and provide practical ways to #filter what God’s Word says we should always share and what’s worth keeping to ourselves.

We’ve all probably heard the popular mantra “good vibes only.” The idea of wanting to live a life that is primarily positive is not necessarily a bad thing, but tragically variations of this idea have entered into Christian teaching that are not biblical. In this message, we talk about three partial truths as it relates to “good vibes only” and what God’s Word has to say about them.

Oftentimes we can come up with our own idea of who Jesus is. But what if our perspective is skewed? In this message, we look at three stories of Jesus interacting with people when He walked the earth to see more of who He really is and how He views us.

What if future regrets in life could be avoided by improving your ability to recognize temptation? Temptation isn’t a sin, but your response to it might be. In this message, we look back in Matthew 4 to when Jesus walked the earth to learn practical ways to beat temptation.

In our broken world it’s inevitable that bad things will happen. From mass shootings to personal suffering, it's easy to wonder why God would allow bad things to occur and if he’s really good. Where will you turn when tragedy occurs? In this message, we look at Luke 13 to see what Jesus said about tragedy when he walked the earth, and how it relates to us today.

When it comes to your relationship with God, needy is a good thing. What if we don’t have to be hesitant to approach God, regardless of our past? In this message, we learn from Luke 18 about how our weakness becomes our advantage because of Jesus.