Blaze Church

If Christianity is so great, why do some Christians act so terrible? How is it possible that some Christians become hypocrites? Jesus addresses this problem through His parable of the unforgiving servant. In this message, we discover that Christians act terribly when they become “Grace Amnesiacs.” The best way to combat hypocrisy in our lives is by continually reminding ourselves of God’s grace. Discover four ways we can live out a hypocrisy-free Christianity.

Believers are the house of God. We are His temple. How much attention do you place on living a godly life? It is so easy to allow other focuses to become the priority. The people of Israel had the vision to see the temple rebuilt. They stopped working when the opposition came. By looking at their building project in 520 BC, we discover four values that are essential for us as we “Build His House.” In this Vision Sunday message, our pastors share where God is leading us in 2023.

Friendships matter. The people we choose to surround ourselves with impact our lives. We live in a time where forming true friendships is very challenging. As we look to a moment between Jesus and “the man who had no friends” we see how all of us experience the desire, the cost, and the result of friendships. The gospel declares that while we were enemies of God, Jesus took the first step towards us to call us His friends. At Blaze Church, the greatest place to form true friendships is in a small group.

Sex has become a god of sorts in our culture. We are told that sexual experiences are the greatest forms of pleasure. We center our identity our sexual orientation and preferences. This is nothing new. The Greeks worshipped Eros, the god of love and sex. When we follow their example, the results are clear: heartache, brokenness, dysfunction, pain, and shame. Sex is not the problem; idolizing sex is. God created sex to be enjoyed. He gives us the best plan for sex and romantic love. There are two approaches to sex: covenant and consumerism. Whether you are single or married, discover the freedom that Jesus alone brings by embracing Him as the Living Water for your soul.

Agape love is defined as “a love that serves others”.  In this message, we will unpack what Jesus said about this type of love, what Jesus did to show Love, and what we can do in light of knowing Jesus’ love.  Believers are called to serve others out of a place of being LOVED, not to be loved. When we know the Love of the Father, we can selflessly serve those around us!

Family – it’s a word that brings up so many varying emotions. Love. Appreciation. Joy. Heartache. Family drama. As believers in Christ, we are called to love our family members well. How? In this message, we’ll hear a story of family love that shows us practical ways that will help us. But even with all our determination, there will be a time you will inevitably fall way short. The only way to truly love our families well is to experience for yourself the transforming and empowering grace and love of God through Jesus Christ! Being part of a new family helps us love our family in a new way.

“Don’t you care?” It’s a question we ask God and others when we face a storm in life. We long for someone to meet us in our distress, and hopefully bring peace to our pain. You’re not happy when you don’t have peace. If we want to be peacemakers, we need to have peace! While the disciples were in a storm, Jesus was sleeping in the boat. Jesus rebuked the waves and questioned if the disciples believed in Him. They asked the better question that we need to ask if we want peace, “Who is Jesus?” The storm of sin has been hushed by the power of Jesus. Because we have peace with God, we can be peacemakers.

Does being a Christian mean that we should feel guilty about pleasure? Is everything off-limits now? When God made the world He said, “It is good!” But what does it mean now that this world has been tainted by sin? There are three questions that a believer should ask to discover what kind of pleasure we get to enjoy, not that we have been saved by Jesus. Happiness is found in recognizing God gives good gifts! Don’t settle for sin. Share what you have. And be ready to surrender anything God calls you to lay down.

Wouldn’t it be nice to experience happy days every day of our life? If we connect our happiness to our circumstances, we will be at the mercy of life to provide that happy feeling we all desire. God offers us something better: contentment. What if contentment is the key to experiencing happy days? When we discover that contentment is connected to Christ, not circumstances, we will live a truly happy life! This way of living is not easy, but it is possible when we trust in Christ for our strength.

We are told that the pursuit of happiness is a right for every person. But what if our definition of happiness is wrong? We could find ourselves pursuing something that won’t actually make us happy. God wants us to be happy, but not the way we think of happiness. Discover how much greater God’s definition of happiness is, and how happy people truly live.