The heart of servant leadership is putting the needs of others ahead of your own while pursuing their good. From the moment we are introduced to Elisha in the Bible (1 Kings 19), we see this about him. 

In our final week of this series, Pastor Dave will use the story of Elisha in the Bible to show us the meaning and beauty of servant leadership. As a concept, servant leadership came about in the 1970s. And yet, well before the business world could articulate a leadership theory, there were characters in the Bible who lived it out as a model for us to embrace and live by. How can we all embody servant leadership as our own leadership style?

In the lead-up to the general election in the USA, we’re bringing you an important series about leadership, praying for leaders, and how we might incorporate some of the qualities that matter to God into our own lives and leadership.

In week 1, Pastor Megan Marshman uses the story of Deborah in the Bible, an inspiring judge and prophetess in the book of Judges. Biblical Deborah is an example of a leader who retains her integrity throughout. What does it look like in our own lives to retain our integrity in leadership? Let’s explore that.

It might seem odd, but God really does care about who you sleep with and gives us all great guidance on how to be wise with our sexuality. Advice designed to help us live fully into our potential and purpose, caring for our entire being; mind, body and soul.

Pastor Shawn teaches this week on what the bible says about sex.

Some people don’t feel this is an area Christians should be concerned about. But God created everyone and loves us all, so we should reflect Him and love everyone, too. In our love, we want everyone to enjoy equality at all levels, even if it means sacrificing something ourselves.

We are living in the post-George Floyd, post-Covid Asian racist attacks era. Racial justice concerns all of God’s children, beginning with the cultural mandate in Genesis 1 (26-28), where God commands humankind to care for the earth and all that is in it. 

Pastors Dave and Thomas demonstrate God’s heart for justice, how the early church promoted and lived into this life of justice, and how we, as followers of Jesus, can engage in justice now.

Last week we learned about the prophecy books of the Bible. This week we see how Jesus came to fulfill those prophecies!

Yes! You do! 

Nehemiah, in the Bible, felt like he had many constraints, but he was still able to use his influence as King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer and his connection to God to serve others in need. And you can too.

In week two of Celebration of Hope 2024, David Temfwe of the Jubilee Centre, one of our partners in Zambia, demonstrates how God has given us all that we need to use our influence, connections, and resources to help people around the world, and tells us how the Jubilee Centre is making a significant impact in the lives of the people they serve in Zambia.

In John 18, Peter denies Jesus three times, something he is deeply ashamed of. And then, in John 21, Peter is forgiven by and restored through Jesus.

You, too, can experience forgiveness and restoration; true healing and freedom from shame, guilt and regret. Pastor Shawn shows us how this is possible in our own lives.

We can sometimes wonder how we can be happy. Or curious about where others are finding joy in this life. We can ask; what do I need to find my joy? 

As we begin a new series on Big Feelings, Pastor Dave takes us to John 2:1-12 to discover how being close to God can bring out our own joy.

Jesus calls us to do the same in our world today! We can help in our community by giving generously–and remember, it’s not about the amount you give, but the heart behind it–we can meet the needs of others. What would the world look like if we all gave to help in our community?

Pastor Dave explores the story of Joseph in the Bible through Genesis –41, where Joseph takes his setbacks and temptations and allows God to use him in ways beyond his wildest dreams.

The story of Joseph in the Bible deals with his struggles with a highly dysfunctional family and the ways in which they harm him (Genesis 37–40) when they dislike his big dreams for life.

Joseph holds onto hope through his faith, knowing he will ultimately achieve big things in partnership with God and His purpose for Joseph’s life. How will God partner with you to fuel your big dreams and achieve immeasurably more than you could on your own?

Remember when you were a kid, and you wanted to be an actor, a firefighter, or a marine biologist, but life got in the way, reality hit, and your big dreams fell by the wayside? Life has a way of presenting challenges that seem impossible to overcome.

As we begin our new series, Divine Dreams, we explore the story of Joseph in the Bible in Genesis 37 and how he persevered through so much, remaining faithful throughout and achieving his big dream.

How about rest? Could resting well be a part of what you want to achieve this year? It’s different, sure! But God Himself takes a rest, and if He can, surely we should too!

God tells us to take a sabbath–a day of rest–because He knows just how important it is for us to do so. God wants you to be healthy in all ways: physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally. And He knows that not resting well will affect those things. Rest is a spiritual discipline!

Pastor Dave starts us off right with a message on why we should rest well.

What does evangelism really mean? We’ve all seen the guy standing on the street corner yelling at everyone to repent. But that’s not what the Bible tells us about evangelism.

Is evangelism a value we should be embracing? Yes! 

Pastor Betsy uses learnings from the first century church to demonstrate what God is really calling us to do as evangelists.

When Jesus, the King of Kings,  was born, King Herod felt intimidated and tried to eliminate the threat to his kingdom. What’s your response to Jesus? You can ignore Him, feel threatened by Him, or choose to follow and experience the wholeness He has to offer.

This Christmas, experience a relationship with the King of Kings, the one born to save the world!

Had Jesus been born in a castle or fortress, He would only be accessible to a select few. Instead, He was born in a stable, so even the outcast and powerless could approach Him. What would change if you saw that Jesus truly was available to us all? Pastors Megan Marshman and Shawn Williams take us through Luke 2 and the Christmas story of the Shepherds in the Bible.

Jesus’ birth came at a most inconvenient time—or so Mary thought. Right before the birth of Jesus, His parents, Mary and Joseph, had to journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and by the time they arrived, there was no place for them to stay. Instead, a perfect God made His appearance in an imperfect setting.

How can we keep our focus on God when we face detours and distractions? Pastor Shawn uses Luke 2 to help demonstrate how and why keeping God at the center of our lives is so important, especially during busy seasons.

What happens when we desire Jesus’ gifts more than Jesus Himself? Pastor Dave explores this question by looking at the historical setting of Jesus’ birth as we begin our Christmas series, What If It’s True.

Why is self-control sometimes so hard? And what benefits can we draw from this fruit of the spirit to help our own lives and those of others? The Holy Spirit can help empower us to be masters over our own desires and destructive impulsivity. Pastor Dave concludes our series on the fruit of the spirit!

Through the Holy Spirit, we’re empowered to live lives of humility, using our power, strength, and influence to benefit others. Does that sound like gentleness? Pastor Dave explains.

As Pastor Shawn explains this week, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live lives of goodness by living lives of integrity.

There are plenty of Bible verses about peace, but it's not just about having our own peace of mind; it’s about enjoying the peace of God that allows us to live fully at peace in a broken world.

Why is joy a trait of Jesus that we should be using regularly? Because the joy of God in our lives is strength against darkness. Ever hear the phrase “the joy of the Lord is my strength”? That’s what we’re talking about! Learn how to leverage God’s strength in your life everyday through the fruit of the spirit, joy.

Patience, or forbearance as it’s sometimes referred to in the Bible, is something we could all do with in our daily, incredibly busy lives. When impatience threatens to destabilize our mental and emotional health, the Holy Spirit can help guide us in healthy ways to respond, through the fruit of the spirit; using patience.

We’ve been given 9 traits of Jesus that, when applied to our lives through the Holy Spirit, can help us live more like Him. Why? Because that’s what we’re called to do.

The 9 “fruits of the spirit” reflect all the qualities we need to be more like Jesus in this world. 

We start with the fruit of the spirit ‘love’, and Pastor Shawn kicks us off with a teaching about God’s love and how we can reflect that onto others.

This week we enjoy a multi-lingual Spanish/English teaching from pastors Fabian and Dave about mode

What does the Bible say about heaven? Quite a bit, it turns out! It can be nerve-wracking not knowing everything about what awaits us in the afterlife, but what the Bible says about heaven is that heaven is a great place–an awe-inspiring place–and, perhaps, closer than we think.

What happens after we begin a relationship with God? It’s important to develop that relationship through regular rhythms of discipleship. Such as prayer, Bible study and worship. That leads us to real life transformation.

Pastor Shawn takes us through Luke chapter 15, verse 21, and the story of the Prodigal Son that gives us insight into how much love for us God has!

Just like the prodigal son’s father, God is full of compassion for you and actively wants to welcome you back into relation with Him when you’re needing help the most, no matter where you have been, or what you have done.

When we try to find quick fixes for our desires, they can lead us down a path of bad decisions and addictions to things that exacerbate our poor choices. How to change? How to get back to God and experience a renewed life? Let Him know you want help: “God please help me!”, and seek His wisdom. 

Where do you need to find a new direction in your life?

The Book of Jude is a one-chapter, short book of the Bible that’s really not a book at all, but a letter written by Jude, a half-brother of Jesus. But while the Book of Jude is short, it is packed with spiritual nutrition to strengthen our faith. He talks about fake teachers and leaders; to be wary of them leading people astray, and encourages Christ-followers to stand firm in their faith.

Pastor Dave takes us through the small but mighty Book of Jude and how we can apply it’s teachings to our lives now.

Because Jesus gave us the best prayer template: The Lord’s Prayer. Otherwise known as the “Our Father Prayer”, the Lord’s Prayer, from Matthew 6, tells us exactly how to pray, straight from Jesus’ own lips! This week, Pastor Dave leads us through the Lord’s Prayer and why our own prayers can–and should be–a simple conversation between us and God.

Pastor Megan Marshman fills us in on what the unforgivable sin could be and if we need to get doused in holy water immediately. We joke, of course, but there is a way to walk confidently in Christ by understanding this ‘unforgivable sin’. Looking at Matthew 12 30-32.

This week in our series exploring the things that Jesus actually said, the red letters in the Bible; Pastor Shawn looks at Matthew 16, verses 24-25, and shows how we can know our true value and worth in something that will never go away.

Pastor Oscar Muriu from Nairobi Chapel kicks off Celebration of Hope and unpacks Ephesians 3:14–21 to show how it leads to a movement of people fighting poverty and injustice so that lives are transformed and Jesus is known.

If you’re experiencing severe depression or suicidal thoughts, please know your life is valuable beyond measure. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 for immediate help. 

It might seem impossible, and it’s certainly hard, but God has a plan and has always used all your experiences for good, even the ones we might regret now.

So how do we move on, turning those regrets into positive changes that benefit us in the here and now? 

Pastor Dave takes us through Proverbs 7, Psalm 143 and why it is beneficial to “enter through the narrow gate”, as Matthew 7:13-14 tells us.

Whether you are in your dream career or whether you are working just to pay the bills, every day when you go to work your job provides you a platform; a place to do ministry.

This week we look at Proverbs 14 and Colossians 3, and discuss how to work well.

Yes, God is concerned with your relationships and wants to give you His best advice on how to make friends, and, specifically, good friends. God Himself declared, “It is not good for man to be alone”.

Pastor Dave looks at Proverbs 6 and how this verse is packed with great advice for finding, and being, a good friend.

The church is representative of the body of Jesus, and we can all represent Him through our own work at church. We all have unique spiritual gifts we can use to help revolutionize our own local community, throughout our state, and even the world!

Every person matters, and everyone has a place on a team within our local church.

When we ‘abide’ with God, we become closer to Him. To abide means to sit, dwell, be near, or make our home with God. That sounds pretty good. Right? Join us as we  learn about abiding with God and why we should do this consistently.

All Christians have a responsibility to love others as ourselves. What does that look like in actuality? It means showing God's love in practical ways to others, with no strings attached. Pastor Dave takes us through 1 John 2 to explore this idea and why it's important to love God, love people, and change the world.

Jesus taught the disciples all about spiritual practices that would keep them close to God. Things like; how to pray, live generously, give time to others who need it, and Bible study. And these spiritual disciplines help us today to stay close to God, too.

Pastor Dave tells us how these practices are still relevant to our lives as he teaches from 1 John 2.

This week Pastor Megan Marshman talks about the distinction between sameness and belonging. Every person has a place in the Kingdom of God to belong and contribute to the community. As the community of Christ, we are to care for the parts that are hurting. We are to offer belonging to one another, combating loneliness and isolation, even if all some of us can do is be present.

Pastor Dave shows us how Elijah was forced to stop and rest on his journey in 1 Kings, demonstrating that rest is essential and God-given. Without rest, we can't function at such a high capacity without facing burnout and crash.

How to pray and speak to God are covered here, plus why prayer matters.

we may hold in order to serve God and love all people well.

How can we do that, practically, without sounding a little bit out there? Our Campus Pastors look at James 1:19 and how we can both talk about and show God's love.

Pastor Megan Marshman leads us through James chapter 1 and the framework God has given us.

Church, joins us to celebrate her father, former Willow Teaching Pastor Mike Breaux.

What battles are you facing that require Benaiah-level courage?

Hannah did what any mother would do: feed, protect, guide, and pray for her son Samuel. And when she gave her son to God, God saw to it that Samuel would go on to lead and protect a whole nation. It’s this sacrificial love that moms display that can go on to change the world.

Thanks for spending Mother’s Day 2022 with us!

that's not what God is saying in the Bible. The Bible tells us that we should give what we can to meet others needs and receive in our own needs.

We don't give generously to help others as an act of charity; it's an act of reciprocity. We receive even greater gifts when we understand that we have much to learn from our partnerships

God has disappeared? Ron Bueno, Executive Director of the non-profit organization ENLACE, shares

stories of God's incredible work through churches in hard-hit communities worldwide and how God is

equipping the church to help rebuild these communities.

hope isn’t something we need to search for actively; it’s already here.

When our world is shaky, we reach for hope. At times, it can feel far away—nearly impossible to grasp.

This Easter, hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from a new vantage point, seeing that hope isn’t something we need to

search out, it’s already here. Come experience a hope that came near.

The gospel of Luke tells us a lot about the wisdom of Jesus, who sometimes uses parables, or stories, to illustrate a point. This week, Pastor Shawn takes us through Luke 11, in which Jesus famously advises, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find." But what did He mean? Let's find out!

yourself, this teaching will help. Willow Creek pastors take us through the importance of the practice of communion, what each element means,

and how to enter into communion on a personal level. Communion is an important tenant for Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice on the

cross. If you're ready to try communion, grab some crackers or bread and juice and practice along with us.

Robert Morris on how to prioritize and make sure we're living fully for God.

live generously? This week in our More Than Money series, Pastor Dave Dummitt explores what the Bible says about money, which Scriptures

talk about money, and how to apply that in very practical ways to our own lives.

This week we will take a look at the different postures people take towards money and what Jesus has

to say about the role of money in our lives.

But it won’t come because of wishful thinking, it will come with a new view of right priorities, and taking next steps one step at a time.

This week we take a look at the story of a man named Nehemiah who had a vision for what God wanted, and started getting to work.

God has good things for us, but it won’t come without us changing perspectives, adjusting direction, and courageously stepping forward

Good news that will cause great joy; good news that causes doesn’t mean life gets easier. Why did they say it’s good news? 

Christmas means that all fear is conquered because Christ has come.

cheering on one another, telling each other difficult truths, and above all, encouraging a deep relationship with God.

marriages, healing families, impacting entire communities, and sharing His Good News across the globe.

As we step into the future together, Senior Pastor Dave Dummitt and the team are excited to share about the hopes and dreams that God

has been stirring in our midst. Be part of praying, worshipping, and hearing what’s next for Willow at our Worship & Vision Night

Other lies  people believe: There is no way for my loved ones to know God, no way for that person to come to church, I’m not smart enough, skilled enough…I attend but I’m not a part of building this church.

Hosanna will aim to challenge Willow to hold fast to the belief that our greatest witness will be our with-ness--our being with people.

“How Not To Save the World” which tackles lies we believe that hold us back from sharing the Good News of Jesus with those around

us, with a specific focus on believing the lie that our prayers don’t matter.

Other lies people believe: There is no way for my loved ones to know God, no way for that person to come to church, I’m not smart

enough, skilled enough…I attend but I’m not a part of building this church.

frustrated & confused. We're off beat. However, there is a rhythm for your life that God wants you to live,

because He knows what’s best for you. And when the Word of God comes into our life and instructs us how

to live, it interrupts those other rhythms. To experience all that God wants for us, we need to learn to move

to the beat of His heart and not our own.

His promises. When we pray, God can do more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine!

Parents & Children. Anger, bitterness, and resentment creeps in and relationships are torn. When this happens, a Parent/Child

defaults to sitting in either the Self chair, the Spiritual chair, or the Shame chair. But there is one other chair we can

choose...the Surrendered Chair. We are all in one of these chairs. What chair are you sitting in?

Jesus calls us to be a light to the rest of the world, so let’s be a church that is continually growing, moving, and giving. Let’s offer hands of help to our neighbors, near and far, and share the love of Jesus with them. We’re told to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden: it’s time to let our lights shine as we serve, share, and give, being the hands

Jesus modeled this by changing the world from the bottom, up.  Jesus said, “I’m not going to change the world on a power trip.  I’m not going to take over the government and change lives from the top down.  That’s how the world operates.  That’s what the world thinks greatness is.  I’m going to change the world from the bottom up.”

But we have to also listen. Get to know people. Listen to their stories, genuinely get to know people: their struggles, their pains, in the places God sent you.Jesus models this by showing us that He didn’t assume He knew what people needed. So He asked questions. He listened.

The best way to accomplish the Jesus mission of reaching  and restoring is to be a “blesser,” not a “converter.”

Recorded for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL.

Discover: https://www.willowcreek.org/

Watch: https://www.willowcreek.tv/

Using the story of Daniel in the lions den we are going to take a look at a decision each one of us. And in the lion’s den that we face we often come to that moment when we say “I don’t want to be in here, I don’t want to face this, I don’t know where to go so God I’m coming to you. Please let this pass by”

Throughout the pages of the Bible, calamities strike, desperation is on display, and empires rise and fall. But God has not changed, an unshakeable presence even when all of history has been in tumult. Even in troubled times we can let God love us, change us, and use us.

What if you really knew me? We get used to living life like we’re on a perpetual first date, hiding our quirks, our baggage, our past, and our innermost thoughts and feelings. After all, how could anyone love all of that, right? Psalm 139 is a close-up examination of our intimate God, the one who sees it all, knows it all, loves us all, and has all along.

Is it okay to not be okay? Many of us feel the need to always put on a brave face, hoping to keep the world, our loved ones, and even God from knowing what’s really going on. But inside we’re hurting, heartbroken, or depressed. Psalm 42 gives voice to these feelings and offers them as an honest prayer, and a cry for help and hope.

February 1/2 - Matt Wright

What if I have doubts? Sometimes the only thing of which it seems we’re certain is that everything seems uncertain. God feels a million miles away, and we feel abandoned. We wonder if he’s listening or if he’s even out there at all. Psalm 13 begins with a brazen question, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” The Psalmist wants to know when God will reveal himself, when will he come through?

What about the world? Our broken world is filled with stories of transgressions and oppression. And whether we are among the “woke,” the weary, or somewhere in between, the Bible leaves little room for apathy and little doubt about God’s commitment to justice. Psalm 7 and Amos 5 are scathing rebukes of injustice, but they’re also mirrors we must hold up to our own lives, begging the questions: What have I done, and what can I do?

January 11/12 - Megan Marshman

What about this thing in my past? None of us can escape the stain of sin, and most of us are helpless to avoid the spiral of shame. That shame makes us hide from each other and from God. But Psalm 51 shows us that the way out of the cycle of sin and shame is to go through. To come out of hiding we need to go through confession and repentance.

December 28/29 - Eugene Cho

The Psalms have it all. They reflect the full gamut of human experience and emotion, harboring no-holds-barred doubts, fears, and frustrations alongside sincere worship and praise. The Psalms also hint at the fullness of God, his character, his power, and his willingness to welcome all we are to all he is. Let’s begin a journey into sacred space.

The Christmas story resounds with the message: You are not alone! Extend that message of God’s hope and compassion to some of the most lonely and isolated people this Christmas, the incarcerated. During services, we will assemble gifts for every inmate in the state of Illinois.

Despite the overwhelming blessings most of us enjoy living in Chicagoland (when compared with the rest of the world), it's quite common for us to feel discontent, especially when we compare our situations with others. What Paul teaches, and also models, is that joy and contentment are possible even in the most difficult circumstances.

Anxiety is something we all face, and Paul was not immune to it (Philippians 2:28). What Paul teaches us, however, is that peace is possible when we face trying times. It begins with recognizing God as the source of peace, turning to Him with our requests, and not forgetting to thank Him for what He has already done.

discovered after he became a Christian was that everything he previously clung to was like human waste

compared to the value of knowing Christ. Nothing compares to having a relationship with Him, so Paul

pressed on every day to get to know Him better.

Evangelism has become something of a dirty word, funny considering that the root of the word means “good news.” What are the fears and excuses that hold us back from sharing the best kind of news?

Jesus called each of us to go into all the world. But do we know people who need Jesus? Do we see their desperation for this good news? And do we go to them, meeting them in that place?

The disciples noticed something unique, something radically different in the way Jesus conversed with God. That fascination prompted them, in Luke 11, to say, “Teach us how to pray.”

What can often impede our prayers are our misconceptions of who we are and who God is. Our most real prayers are made possible when the real us learns to speak with the real God.

When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he doesn’t just tell them, “I’ll pray for you.” He prays for them! And his prayer pushes past their circumstances to the very heart of life in Christ.

What role does the Holy Spirit play in worship? And in what ways can our experience of worship as a body (and with our bodies) spill into our everyday lives as children of God?

When we roll into church on Sunday it’s easy to think it’s just another service, forgetting that we’re together to worship a holy God. But what is worship? And why do we gather and sing together?

Ephesians 2 tells us that we are created by God to do work he’s called us to do, so when we serve, we are more of what God has made us to be than at any other time.

In John 13 Jesus wraps a towel around his waist, gets down on his knees, and does the job no one else deigned to do. And then he says, “Do like I do.” How do we join Jesus in his humility?

What if the Church were where the hungry came to be filled and where you received the best meal you’d ever eaten? What if the Church were like a potluck where everyone brought his or her best dish to the table?

Pushed the fringes, kept out of sight, sent to the back of the line. That’s how Jesus’ followers treated the children when they
came to see Jesus. After all, Jesus was too busy, too important, too distracted to make time for the little ones. But Jesus said,
“Let them come.” He welcomed them, he listened to them, he looked them in the eyes, and there he saw the glimmer of the

kingdom he’d come to bring.

Eugene Cho | July 6 & 7

As the summer heats up, the fruit begins to grow; that’s what plants are made to do, right? But compare apples to apples and
you’ll often find a big difference. Great fruit is the product of a great garden. A great garden is most often made by a great
gardener. John 15 reminds us that the same is true for the fruit we hope to produce in our own lives.

Four words... four little words with profound meaning tell the story of who God is, who we are, and what is possible. Those
words are: love, sin, justice, and rescue. Love is who God is. Sin is the mess we’ve made. Justice is what’s necessary. And
rescue is what God offers. But beyond those four words, God has given us two ways—communion and baptism—that help us

remember and celebrate the sacrifice and promise of what God has done.

June 15 & 16  | Steve Gillen

Whether intentionally or accidentally, whether we’re trying or not, fathers and parents of all kinds are always handing down lessons to our children. By watching the things we do, what we say, and the things that are important to us, our kids are learning. What would happen if chose to be intentional about the lessons we’re passing down? How can we think through the big things, the little things, and the fun things we want our children to learn?

June 8 & 9  | Eugene Cho
An appointment, a commitment, a recital, a practice, a lunch, and on and on and on. So much of our time is spent herding our tribes and our lives from one thing to the next, desperate to keep the schedule on track. Is there a way to find relief from the constant hurry? What if we could stop being busy long enough to just be. And what if we asked ourselves the dangerous question of... why?

Our world is constantly shifting and changing, and each generation faces new challenges and opportunities. But what are the lessons that can stand the test of time? What can the experiences and practices of different generations teach one another about how to handle family, parenting, and all the other relationships in which we live?

May 25 & 26  | Matt Wright/Panel
Sometimes it can feel like our relationships are conducted through tin-can conversations, muffled words reverberating along a too-taut string. We’re not entirely sure we’re being heard and not too confident we’re listening well either. Maybe it’s time to set aside our tin cans for some new tools while we explore how our ability to see one another affects our ability to hear one another.

May 18 & 19  | Eugene Cho
Few things can damage relationships more deeply than unresolved conflict, creating distance, ambivalence, and bitterness that can usually metastasize over time. And the effects of unforgiveness are known to pull at the fabric of all our other relationships as well. How can we learn to give forgiveness generously and also to receive it graciously?

May 11 & 12  | Megan Marshman  | Genesis 1-3
How do we hand down faith and the lessons of life to our children? How do we make a lasting impact on the people around us? Well, the first step may be recognizing the things that are our job and the things that aren’t. Our job is not to change people but to introduce them to the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. How do we as parents and as people create environments where our children, friends, and everyone around us can encounter God?

April 13 & 14 • Steve Gillen

His time. His love. His creation. His resources. His affirmation. His purpose. His plan. His mercy. His
restoration. His glory. His Son. Our God gives and gives and gives and gives. And gives some more. He
is giving hope and a future to people around the world, and one of the ways we can partner with him is
by giving too. This isn’t a one-time kind of giving but an emptying out. God asks us to GIVE of our time,
our hearts, our abilities, and our resources to join what he has in store for the restoration of everything.

This year, we’ll be hearing from many of our partners in person as they share the places where they’ve seen God at work, where they’re still waiting, and what God may be calling them to next.

March 30 & 31 • Eugene Cho

Jesus called us to live lives that are characterized by going. But the command to GO is about more than simply signing on to a project. GO is about going out of our comfort zones. It’s about going where we have proximity to a need we may never have seen up close. It’s about going beyond what is comfortable, what is familiar, what we’ve done before. When we GO in these kinds of ways, God can use our disorientation to change us and change his world.

Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, has died. When Jesus arrives, he’s
already been in the tomb four days. Lazarus’ sister, Martha,
tells Jesus, “You’re too late.” But Jesus knows he’s come
at the perfect time. As with all of the miracles John
mentions in his book, this one points to a deeper truth,
unveils some part of who Jesus is. Jesus holds the power
over all things, including death. In his words, in his tears,
and in his miracle we get a glimpse of Jesus’ whole
purpose. He offers life to all of us!

John’s book begins like a movie. A dramatic and poetic
prologue sets the scene. A supporting player summons us
to anticipate the arrival of a promised hero. And then, as
that hero steps into the light, we wonder who he might be,
awaiting his very first line. Those first words come in the
form of a question: What do you want? That question is
closely followed by an invitation: Come and see. Over the
next six weeks, let’s try to answer Jesus’ question and
even accept his invitation to come and see who he really is.

Jesus brought a message of
justice and crossed lines of
prejudice. When we take a look
at the stories, he told we find that
many of the main characters, the
heroes aren’t who we’d expect.
They’re the down-and-out and
the disenfranchised, the hated
and the hurting.

But Jesus didn’t just tell stories
of those kinds of people, he
entered into their stories with
them.

In fact, he went out of his way to
do so.

In John chapter 4 we read the
account of when Jesus took the
path no one expected him to
take so that he could enter into
the story of a lonely woman at a
well. Throughout their encounter,
Jesus knocks down stereotypes,
prejudices, and expectations,
and through this scene, we begin
to see answers to some of our
biggest questions.

    - “Two are better than one.”

    - “Three strands are not quickly broken.”

The message is clear... we need one another. Life will inevitably bring calamity, but who will be there with you when it comes?