Media & Sermons | The Gathering Church Springfield, MA

MEDIA

FAITH, CLAIMED... (RUTH: When Faith Finds Redemption, #4: 6.07.26)

Talk is cheap, and faith is easy to claim when it costs nothing. That tension shows up in our relationship with God. Even though about 62% of Americans identify as Christian, fractured homes, a cruel culture, and celebrations of sin reveal a sobering truth: many professions of faith never reach the level of transformed living. But God has never measured faith by what we say alone. He measures it by how we live, and in Ruth chapter 3, that truth comes into sharp focus. In this message, we’ll see that Ruth’s faith was not empty talk—it was courageous, costly, and unmistakably real. (NOTES)

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THE LIBERATOR (RUTH: When Faith Finds Redemption, #3: 5.31.26)

In a story shadowed by grief, loss, and vulnerability, Boaz steps onto the page of Ruth as more than a respected man of wealth and influence in Bethlehem—he appears as the possibility that Naomi and Ruth are not forgotten. Boaz is their kinsman-redeemer, a title that may sound distant to modern ears, but to these two women it meant everything: protection, restoration, belonging, and the return of dignity. And that is what makes Boaz so compelling. He is not merely a good man in an ancient story; he is a breathtaking preview of the One far greater to come. (NOTES)

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SEEN (RUTH: When Faith Finds Redemption, #2: 5.24.26)

One of the most basic human desires is to be seen. To be seen is to be valued. To be valued gives at least the possibility of being known. As we turn to the second chapter of Ruth, we see a woman now in a foreign land, trying to make the best of a truly hard situation. But instead of manipulating outcomes, instead of trying to make things go her way, Ruth decides she will stay faithful to her promise to help Naomi and follow the God of the people of Bethlehem. And "as it so happened", that's precisely where God revealed that he'd seen her from the start; her rescue was now in motion. (NOTES)

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WHEREVER YOU GO (RUTH: When Faith Finds Redemption, #1: 5.17.26)

To take Bible narratives out of context is to shrink familiar stories into tidy moral lessons. The Book of Ruth is often treated that way. While Ruth is a story of loyalty and kindness, it is also a gripping account of loss, providence, redemption, and the unmistakable heart of God moving in unbelievably hard imes. To see the world Ruth was written in, the book does far more than inform us. It comes alive. In this message, the stage is set for one of Scripture’s most compelling narratives, revealing God’s heart with stunning clarity. (NOTES)

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MOTHERHOOD & JESUS DISCIPLES (Dean Trune)

Motherhood in our day has never demanded more—and moms are feeling it. They need more than our applause; they need steady support, real encouragement, and resilient love. But if we try to offer that while God is pushed to the margins, we’re building on sand. God must be the center of our lives—the source of our strength and the guide for each new day. In this message, special guest Dean Trune invites us into the heart of God, drawing a powerful comparison between the way we should surround and support mothers and the way, as followers of Jesus, we’re called to strengthen one another.

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TETHERED (BENCHMARKS, SERIES II, #3: 4.26.26)

Knowledge is a beautiful thing. It can open doors, sharpen judgment, and make you feel prepared for life. But there’s a kind of knowledge that doesn’t just inform your mind—it awakens your soul. Because the Bible is no ordinary book, Biblical knowledge is not ordinary knowledge. In this message, we won’t just learn what Biblical knowledge is—we’ll uncover the incredible process God uses to bring it to life within us. (NOTES)

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PACESETTER (BENCHMARKS, SERIES II, #2: 4:29.26)

Unless you completely cut yourself off from the world, you’re shaping someone, and they’re shaping you. And that influence is never neutral: it builds what’s good or feeds what isn’t. So the question isn’t if you influence—it’s how. How do we make sure the mark we leave is positive? How do we become the kind of example others want to follow? In this second message of Benchmarks II, we’ll find a sure path to an impact you’ll be grateful for, years from now. (NOTES)

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AN EXCELLENT LIFE (BENCHMARKS, SERIES II, #1: 4.12.26)

Excellence isn’t optional for a disciple of Jesus. It’s part of the call. But in our day, where the culture so often redefines things, we can lose the true meaning of excellence altogether. Scripture defines excellence not only as something superior, but more importantly, as the manner in which we handle what God has entrusted to us. In this second Benchmarks series, we begin with understanding what the Bible would truly call “excellent”. (NOTES)

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THE EASTER PROBLEM (Easter Sunday, 2026: 4.05.26)

Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear. Usually, it gets worse. Yet, for many, that’s the strategy they adopt when it comes to Jesus. Ignore Him, and He’ll fade away. At least, that’s the hope. But Easter refuses to cooperate with that plan. The resurrection shatters the illusion that Jesus can be dismissed or sidelined. A man executed and sealed in a grave does not simply return, alive. Easter confronts us with a truth we would often rather avoid: Jesus is God—and that reality demands a response. (NOTES)

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SPECIAL GUEST TONY WOLF (3.29.29)

In late March 2026, Springfield welcomed MercyMe on their Wonder & Awe tour, and with them came a challenge that reached far beyond the music. Through humor, heart, and honesty, comedian, author, and speaker Tony Wolf invited the audience to partner in a mission to help lift children out of poverty and offer them a future filled with hope. On Sunday, March 29, The Gathering heard Tony expand on that invitation, reminding us that following Jesus means more than belief—it means action. We are called to move, serve, and become His hands and feet in a tangible, life‑changing way.

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CONNECTIONS (The One Thing, #4: 3.22.26 - Bryan Kaye)

Colossians leaves no room for casual Christianity. Get Jesus wrong, and nothing else matters. But just as dangerous is the lie that faith is a solo journey. When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, He didn’t just move into individual hearts—He bound believers together into a living community. The Church was never meant to be optional, peripheral, or negotiable. In this final installment of “The One Thing,” we’ll confront a hard truth: spiritual growth outside of Christ-centered community isn’t just difficult—it’s unbiblical.

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IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS (The One Thing, #3: 3.15.26 - Bryan Kaye)

A life changed by Jesus can’t stay the same. In Colossians 3, Paul shows us that real transformation isn’t just about what we remove—it’s about what we replace it with. When Christ becomes our focus, our relationships are forever altered, starting in our homes. In this powerful teaching, Bryan Kaye reveals how getting one thing right—Jesus—brings new depth and meaning to every relationship in our lives.

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ALL WE NEED (The One Thing, #2: 3.08.26 - Thom Dearborn)

Last week, we began our study of Colossians by anchoring ourselves in a simple but powerful truth: there is nothing better than Jesus Christ. Paul shows us that Jesus is supreme over all, and that everything else in life finds its place under Him. This week, as we step into Chapter 2, we encounter another beautiful assurance: the life Jesus offers is already complete. As Thom Dearborn shares in this message, if Christ truly stands above everything, then walking in His way isn’t just right—it’s the most life‑giving way to live.

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DRIFT (The One Thing, #1: 3.01.26)

We all want to get life right. We want to be good parents, loving spouses, faithful friends, and dependable employees. But not everything in life carries the same weight. Some things matter more than others—and if we’re honest, it’s easy to drift away from what matters most without even realizing it. So what is the most important thing? And how do we make sure we don’t slowly lose sight of it? As we begin this series in Colossians, Scripture gives us a clear and compelling answer. God shows us what truly belongs at the center of our lives—and how to guard our hearts from drifting away from it.

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WHEN GOD BECOMES VISIBLE (What Is Love, #4: 2.22.26)

Too often, we speak the word “love” flippantly, scattering it across people and pleasures alike. Yet Scripture proclaims a love that cannot be handled so lightly. God’s love is deeper than language, stronger than feeling, and wider than our understanding, and without Him, love is only a shadow of what it was meant to be. As this message will reveal, God’s love stands alone—transformative, incomprehensible, and capable of doing what nothing else can: making an invisible God someone we cannot ignore. (N OTES)

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HALF-HEARTED (What Is Love, #3: 2.15.26)

God is not looking to be included in your life; he demands to be Lord of it. Partial devotion is not devotion at all. Jesus makes this unmistakably clear in Revelation 3 when He confronts the church at Laodicea. Their lukewarm faith didn’t merely disappoint Him; it disgusted Him. In this third message of the What Is Love series, we will expose the attitudes and behaviors that keep faith shallow and love half-hearted. (NOTES)

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A PROFILE OF LOVE (What Is Love, #2: 2.8.26)

Many people claim they have been in love, describing it as something they felt deeply, believed sincerely, or experienced powerfully. Yet with so many competing definitions of love in our culture, how can we be sure that what we’ve experienced love at all? Rather than leaving us to guess, Scripture gives us a clear and compelling picture of what real love looks like. In Psalm 63, we are given a vivid profile of love—one that goes far beyond emotion or circumstance.

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A SPINNING COMPASS (Benchmarks, #4: 1.25.26)

In today’s world, the lines between “right” and “wrong” are increasingly blurred. Are our moral standards shaped by fleeting cultural trends, shifting philosophies, or ever-changing societal rules? For many, the concept of absolute truth has faded, replaced by a troubling relativism that leaves us adrift—like travelers with a compass that no longer points to true North. When truth itself becomes negotiable, how can we confidently discern what is truly right or wrong?

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FINDING JOY (A Thrill of Hope, #4: 12.28.25)

The night of Jesus' birth, the angels said that their announcement about Jesus was supposed to bring "great joy to all people". Christians today believe what the angels said that night, because they believe Jesus was and is the Messiah (deliverer). But do the Christians you know live in joy? Do they bring more joy into the world, or suck the joy out of it? In this final installment of the "A Thrill of Hope" series, we'll see how we can find (and keep) joy.

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FOR THE TAKING (A Thrill of Hope, #3: 12.21.25)

The night Jesus was born, the angels declared that peace could be on earth for those who pleased God. But the way that message was presented, first with one angel, then with row after row of angel armies, the visual effect didn't match a peaceful message. It appeared downright war-like. But that's what Christmas was, in reality: it was God making a move in the war on sin. Fortunately for us, this war has been won, and peace is our prize, if we'll only choose it.

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DEFINING HOPE (A Thrill of Hope, #1: 12.07.25)

For many individuals, the term “hope” is often used interchangeably with “wish” or “expectation.” However, this interpretation does not fully capture the depth of meaning intended by God when the concept of hope was established. According to divine perspective, hope is far more substantial and enduring. To truly comprehend the essence of hope, it is important to reflect on the moment in history when hope was truly realized—Christmas.

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KILLING THE DRAMA (The Family Business, #5: 11.30.25)

The unnecessary junk we go through in relationships - the drama - gets old really quickly, doesn't it? The bickering, fighting, posturing...it's just so...taxing! So how do we get rid of it? Fortunately, there's an answer found in God. It's a new way of living that'll be harder at first, but once we find it, it changes absolutely everything! In this finale of "The Family Business" series, we'll come to see that God's way really is the solution to the drama in life.

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LEADERSHIP VOID (The Family Business, #4: 11.23.25)

COVID is now just a memory, but another pandemic is sweeping through the United States like nothing we've ever seen. It's the damaging virus of fatherlessness, and it's ripping families apart at a staggering pace. Having a passion for the family unit he created, it's understandable that His Scriptures address this issue extensively. Fathers, in particular, bear a unique and vital responsibility within the family that can only be fulfilled through God himself.

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AGAINST THE FLOW (The Family Business, #3: 11.16.25)

Let's face it: trying to follow Jesus within a culture that really doesn't seem to care for him all that much isn't easy. But this is nothing new. In fact, all the way back in the time of Noah, the culture was pretty toxic. As it says in Genesis 6, everyone did whatever they wanted, and God was an afterthought...except for Noah and his family. Somehow, they stuck with God, and because of that faithfulness, God used them to save the entire world. How'd they do that?

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THE PATH OF FORGIVENESS (The Family Business, #2: 11.09.25)

So often, we want grace and forgiveness for the wrongs we do, but we fail to extend that same latitude to those who've offended us. What does it take to forgive someone...to truly let go? Even more difficult, how do we really absolve those who've hurt us in our own families? In part 2 of "The Family Business", we see something in Genesis, in the life of Joseph, that can actually make forgiveness easy.

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ORIGIN OF THE DRAMA (The Family Business, #1: 11.02.25)

Our families are supposed to be a safe haven, where we feel supported and cared for by some of the people who know and love us best. But for so many, this just isn't the case. Our families are often drama-filled clubs that we'd rather opt out of. Why is it that way? Where does family drama come from? In this first installment of "The Family Business", we'll look at King David's drama-filled household, and learn that the pain and heartache in a family has a very sinister origin.

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RIVAL OR RESOURCE? (The Almighty Dollar, #1: 10.05.25)

Imagine for a moment that money is no object for you...but not because you won the lottery or landed a posh job with big paydays. What if, on what you currently make, money is no object because you finally learned to look at it as Jesus instructed his followers? Jesus spoke extensively about money, and in fact, it was the subject he addressed the most in his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. In this first part of "The Almighty Dollar", we'll look through Jesus' eyes to get a new perspective on money.

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THE GOSPEL. THE WHY. (Good. God. Gospel. #3: 9.21.25)

One of the most important words in all the Bible is "gospel", and it refers to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a payment for sin. But to only see the gospel as this moment is to miss its true impact. As the Apostle Paul shows us in Galatians 1, the good news of Jesus is part of a much larger story, and knowing this story is critical to understanding how the gospel is the game-changer our lives have been searching for.

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THE WORK. THE ADVENTURE (Good. God. Gospel. #4:9.28.25)

Many of us believe misconceptions about whether people want to talk about themselves, God, or even Jesus. The truth is, there's overwhelming data showing that people are more open to discussing these topics than ever before. But how do we move toward the "Good, God, Gospel" conversation? In this final part of the series, we not only explore ways to overcome our fears of sharing Jesus, but also how doing so can lead to adventures beyond what we can imagine.

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THE PATTERN. THE PLAN. (Good. God. Gospel. #2: 9.14.25)

For those who claim to follow Jesus, we have a clear call to share him with others; it's a get-to, not just an ought-to. But how do we do this? Jesus gave a clear pattern of how we are to take a good conversation and move it to a God conversation, and how we take a God conversation and move it to a gospel conversation. And here's a stunning truth that's unavoidable: as the events of the past few weeks show, from Utah to Charlotte, Minnesota to Colorado, we can no longer afford to wait to share King Jesus with all who will listen.

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THE JONAH INSIDE (Jonah & The Mercy of God, #4) 8.31.25

We all want to believe that we're better than we really are. We'd like to think that some of the things that come out of us are exceptions rather than the rule. Nevertheless, being exposed is often the best thing that can happen to us; this is what happens to Jonah in Jonah 4. In his wisdom, God shows Jonah an ugliness inside of him that's got to go - an ugliness that lives in many of us even today, some 2,700 years later.

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THE GOD OF ALL (Jonah & The Mercy of God, #3) 8.24.25

Most people are at least familiar with the story of Jonah... up until the whale, at least. But what happens after the whale might be even more amazing, as Jonah finally obeys God's command and goes to the city of Nineveh. However, this city isn't just any city. As the capital of the Assyrian empire, it was home to one of the darkest, cruelest, and most brutal cultures on earth. But as Jonah would soon learn, not even these people could escape God's love and mercy.

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IN THE BELLY OF DESPAIR (Jonah & The Mercy of God, #2) 8.17.25

Many people know what despair is like...the sense of hopelessness, pain, and being trapped often leads us into dark places where we believe there's no way out. For Jonah, this was exactly the case. Swallowed by a whale, all he could do was cry out to God. But that prayer in the whale was more than enough for God to show mercy and rescue Jonah from a mess he made himself. The good news? God is willing to do the same for us today.

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THE GUARANTEED PRAYER (Prayer Words: Renewed, #3) 7.27.25

One of the most familiar prayers people pray is for God to look out for them and to protect them. That's a logical prayer, right? Isn't that part of God's job, especially for people who follow him? Well, what do we the stories of people who followed Jesus? How about the disciples? Or the martyr Stephen? Or, what do we do with the stories of Christians who are regularly killed for their faith around the world today? Does God just choose to answer some of those requests, and not all of them? Or, could it be that there's something God values more than our safety?

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ALREADY DONE (Prayer Words: Renewed, #1) 7.13.25

As Americans, we often say things that are meaningless. When we greet someone, for example, we say "How are you?", but we don't really want to hear about their current state of being.

In the same way, when we pray, we often say things that are more filler than content. Doesn't God deserve better? Shouldn't we pray prayers that have more meaning? In "Already Done", we'll explore the reality that God has likely accomplished much of what we pray for, necessitating our consideration of the words we use before Him.

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CONFESSION (Elements of Faith #5): 6.22.25

Imagine for just one second that your life had no guilt. No shame. Nothing to hide. The person you present is the same person you are when you know no one is looking. Is that kind of existence even possible? With Jesus, it is. What's more, he provided a way for us to be able to offload that guilt and shame onto him, for he asks us to do this very thing. This happens with the element of confession, and according to 1 John 1:8-9, there's a process to this we should know about and practice.

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LEGACY MAKER (Father's Day): 6.15.25

Father's Day is one of those moments in the year we're forced to think about our dads. For some of us, many happy moments come to mind. For others, thinking about our dads is something we'd rather avoid altogether. But like it or not, whether we're a father or not, we're ALL writing a legacy. What legacy are you writing? Does it create pain for others, or joy? In this message, we'll come to understand that writing a legacy we can be proud of first depends on what we've done with God.

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READING THE BIBLE (Elements of Faith #4): 6.08.25

The Bible can be an intimidating book. It's big. Many people don't know where to start. Sometimes it's confusing, and is it really true? Getting the most out of the Bible isn't dependent on what you know, it's dependent on what you believe about it in the first place. As we'll see in 2 Chronicles 34, what King Josiah believed about the Bible made all the difference for one nation, and it can make all the difference for you, too.

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FASTING (Elements of Faith #3): 6.01.25

When Jesus gave his instruction about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6), it wasn't something foreign to the Jewish audience that heard it. They were very familiar with the subject. But something had happened to fasting as with prayer. It had been taken hostage by people who were just doing it for show. In his teaching, Jesus redeemed the beautiful practice of fasting, showing us how intimate and powerful this element of our faith can be.

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SABBATH (Elements of Faith #2): 5.25.25 (Bryan Kaye)

In the second installment of our series, Elements of Faith, Bryan Kaye brings us a closer look at God's command of taking a day of rest, or what is commonly known as Sabbath. Why is this so critical to us as human beings that God would command it, and is it even possible? Far beyond being an antiquated practice of the Jewish people, Sabbath isn't only something Jesus endorsed, it's something deeply necessary to our humainity.

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SLOWING (Elements of Faith #1): 5.18.25

For a lot of people, once they've decided to follow Jesus, life becomes an effort to go to church, read their Bible, and pray. These are all great things to do to follow him, but what if these practices were just a few of many more? Throughout "Elements of Faith", we'll look at Jesus' behaviors and habits that can better help us connect us to him. In this first installment, we'll understand the importance Jesus placed on slowing.

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A LIFE OF HONOR (5.11.25)

Even if you're not a Christian and don't go to a church, the 5th of the 10 Commandments might be familiar: Honor your Father and Mother. But what does this mean? Should we do everything they demand we do? Should we make excuses for bad behavior or lifestyles?

In reality, honor is much bigger than a command in the Bible. In fact, honor is a word that is so close to the heart of God that it's virtually impossible to understand him without it. Just as important, honor is more than an action; it's a way of life.

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LIGHT THE FIRE (5.4.25)

Most people believe that there is a God, and many have heard that He wants to be part of their lives. According to the Scriptures, this is true. But where do we start if we want to know God? If we do know Him, how can we improve our relationship with Him?

In Psalm 63, we can read one of the most passionate exhanges ever recorded between a human being and God. In this Psalm, King David shows us what "logs" we need to throw on the fire of faith to have a passionate relationship with Him.

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HANDS (HEAD, HEART, HANDS #3): 4.20.25 (Easter Sunday, 2025)

Do you ever ask yourself the big life questions? You know...why are we here, what's our purpose, and other questions like that? In this last installment of the series Head, Heart, and Hands, we take a final look at Nicodemus, seeing how his initial curiosity in Jesus had not just become courage, but after the cross, the discovery of something much bigger. What Nicodemus found, in fact, was his very purpose for being alive. It's a process that God is still using today.

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HEART (HEAD, HEART, HANDS #2): 4.13.25

Two years after the meeting Nicodemus had with Jesus, it was clear that it was still affecting him. He couldn't shake what he'd heard from Jesus that night, but now the obscure rabbit Nicodemus met was much better known. In fact, throughout Judea, Jesus was now a household name, and that popularity was making him into a bigger threat to those in power. Eventually, it led the Jewish leadership to start breaking their own rules, and in that moment, Nicodemus' intellectual curiosity become something much more.

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HEAD (HEAD, HEART, HANDS #1): 4.6.25

Coming to faith in Jesus should be an emotional event. But if our faith is only about emotion - about feeling something - then we've got a problem. Because emotion is built on feeling, and feelings are changeable, a faith built on emotion is a shifting faith, too. In this opening message of this series, we examine how Jesus appealed to Nicodemus during that nighttime conversation in John 3. To get Nicodemus where he needed to go in faith, Jesus didn't seek to create an emotional experience for him. Instead, he appealed to Nicodemus' head - his intellect - to bring him closer to the truth.

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DISCIPLE #6: BURDEN OF PROOF (3.9.25)

In John 13, when Jesus gathers his disciples for a final time before his crucifixion, he gives them a "new" command to love. Only...it wasn't new. Moses had given the same command hundreds of years earlier, and he'd mentioned it just two days before. But what he said that Thursday night with his disciples wasn't just a shift in how love could be understood; it was a completely different way of reaching people with the good news of who Jesus actually is.

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DISCIPLE #5: AMBASSADORS (3.2.25)

The data is clear. Fewer Christians are sharing Jesus now than at almost any time in the history of the Church. Yet, a search of the Scriptures reveals that the people that met Jesus couldn't shut up about hm. In fact, many of the people who were threatened with death if they talked of Jesus still couldn't be silenced. Why was it this way then, and so many people struggle to share him now? Could it be that it has to do with whether or not we've actually met him?

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DISCIPLE #4: JUST THREE WORDS (2.23.25)

Doesn't it seem that we over-complicate everything? It's like we can't help ourselves... Our faith is no different. We try to follow God and do what he says, but before long, things get more complicated. So often, we make it about rules, traditions, or our best guess, and soon, what we have is nothing like what we wanted...or what God intended. Fortunately, Jesus simplified everything through three powerful words he spoke in John 15.

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DISCIPLE #3: THE GOD WE DON'T KNOW (2.2.25)

For so many people, their view of God, and in particular, Jesus, has been shaped by many things other than Jesus himself. Our parents, as well as other authorities in our lives, have often been the culprit or the anchor that gave us a false or true view of Christ. The problem with this is that any view of Christ that isn't shaped by his own life and words isn't accurate. What would it look like for us to just let Jesus speak for himself?

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FOR FREEDOM #6: WHAT REALLY COUNTS (SERIES FINALE: 11.17.24)

The American culture is a distracted culture, and that reality has penetrated the American church. But this isn't the first time this has happened; the entire book of Galatians was written because of this issue. The rule-demanding culture of the Jews had taken over in Galatia. In this look at the final few verses of Paul's compelling letter to the Galatians, we hear his heart for what really counts when it comes to our faith in Jesus.

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FOR FREEDOM #5: THE FAMILY OF FAITH (11.10,24)

It seems that every few weeks there's a new story about something dumb that a church did or said. What is going on with this? As we near the end of Galatians, Paul takes the time to expand his idea of what the Spirit-filled life of love looks like now as a collective body - as the church - instead of just as individuals. What he offers is the remedy for the Church getting off-course, for staying true as a family of faith in Jesus.

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FOR FREEDOM #4: THREE LIVES (11.3.24)

Galatians 5:16-26 might be one of the clearest passages in the Scriptures about what it means to follow Jesus. In practical terms, the Apostle Paul writes in vivid detail what a life apart from Him looks like. But he also shows what the work of the Holy Spirit in us would be as well, helping us understand the battle that rages in so many of us who try to follow Jesus. But is there more to this Jesus life than just living in a war zone?

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HOW TO PRAY #6: YIELDED (9.15.24)

Throughout this series, we've tried to identify from Christ's teaching in Matthew 6 how he wants us to pray. It's clear he wants us intentional, unyielded, paused, refocused, and asking for what we need. If we pray like this, it will change our prayers for sure. But even if we get all these things right, there's still one thing that can keep us from the connection He desires in prayer...whether our hearts and lives are truly yielded to him.

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HOW TO PRAY #4: REFOCUSED (9.1.24)

When Jesus tells us how to pray, he tells us to pray and remember God is holy, to ask for His Kingdom to come, and to ask for His will to be done on earth like heaven. For even seasoned followers of Jesus, this is the part of the prayer we ignore, because it sounds like a lot of religious stuff we don't understand. But we've got to understand it...to miss what Jesus is saying, and to not pray what he asks, can cost us dearly.

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TRY LESS #1: THE RELIGION OF "DO" (6.2.24)

The Good News of Jesus can't possibly be true, can it? All I have to do is believe in Jesus? Isn't there something I've got to DO?!? For many of us, even those who claim to follow Jesus, there's a lot of doing that seems to accompany a belief in Jesus. Yet, the Gospel - the Good News - isn't about what Jesus asked us to do. As we begin this look into Galatians, a people a LOT like us today, we'll see that Paul's concern is just as timely now as it was then.

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THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN SPRINGFIELD - Sean Thomé (4.14.24)

When Jesus instructed his followers to pray, he said that we should pray for his Kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven. Some of us have prayed that prayer dozens - perhaps even hundreds - of times, but have we ever considered what it might look like? In this message, Sean Thomé, Executive Director of Expand, a critical partner in getting The Gathering launched, helps us see what this might be.

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EASTER EPILOGUE #1: GATEWAY (4.7.24)

On the Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead, he joined two disappointed travelers on their route from Jerusalem to Emmaus. While at first he was unfamiliar to them, they eventually recognized him for who he was. Their conversation tells us much even today about how we can hear God, but it starts with something obvious: it was Jesus who showed them who he was. In our day, it's the same. To hear God, we must first consider Jesus.

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EASTER SUNDAY, 2024: THE WRONG JESUS (3.31.24)

That first Easter morning, one of Jesus' closest followers, Mary Magdalene, arrived at his tomb only to think she'd stumbled on a crime scene. She thought Jesus' body had been stolen. It hadn't dawned on her his promise of rising from the dead could be true, so she came looking for the wrong Jesus. Do we do the same thing? Are we looking for Jesus as we think he is, or as he actually is? Mary soon found out that Jesus was much more than she thought, and if we look at Jesus for who he actually is, we'll find the same thing.

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THE LAST DAY #4: THIRSTY (3.24.24)

In his last moments on the cross, and in a cruel and ironic twist, Jesus said that he was thirsty. However, Jesus wasn't the most thirsty person there around that cross - physically, perhaps, but not in the most important ways. Such a reality meets us even today: we're all thirsty for something. We all have dreams and desires that live inside us, but how we quench that thirst will determine if it will be satisfied at all.

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THE LAST DAY #3: PRISONER (3.17.24)

By the time the Jewish leaders had resolved to kill Jesus, Pontius Pilate had resolved to stay as far from the issue as he could. But when they showed up at Pilate's court that Good Friday morning, everything changed. Questioning Jesus on his own, Pilate wanted out of the affair, but had he listened closely, he would have heard Jesus offering that very thing: a way out of the prison that disillusionment and discontentment had brought him.

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THE LAST DAY #2: TRIAL, DENIAL, AND HONOR (3.10.24)

Like no other passage in the Scriptures, John 18:12-27 shows us that in the hours before his crucifixion, Jesus was treated like garbage. Sure, we expect this behavior from the people who hated him, but from his best friends? As we look at this first trial and the subsequent denial of Jesus by Peter, it's hard not to wonder, do we treat him as worthless? Do we fail to honor Him in all our life for who he is?

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DIFFERENT #6: THE REAL YOU (2.18.24)

What makes you you? That should be a fairly easy question, right? But for many of us, including followers of Jesus, we can't quite pinpoint what makes us...us. As we begin to wind down this series, the Apostle Paul pauses in his list of behaviors in Ephesians 4 to point us back to the cost of not living differently. Beyond making God sad, we also miss out on the very thing that makes us different: we miss out on the new person God made us to be.

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DIFFERENT #3: THE F.A.C.E. OF ANGER (1.28.24)

Doesn't it feel like everyone's angry these days? No matter where you go, it seems, people are angry at each other...on the highway, in the store, or wherever people gather. One of the clearest ways we can look different is in how we deal with anger. But anger in and of itself isn't bad. Don't forget, Jesus got angry, too. But how did he handle it? In this message, we'll take a look at how we can get angry without it turning into something messy.

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FINDING THE PLANS (12.31.2023)

One of the big themes of the Bible is that God has a plan for our lives. But how do we find it? How do we live out the agenda he wants for us? As we begin a new year, we look at the truth that no matter how much you've messed up, no matter how much you think you've blown it with God, his plan is as available to you now as it was the day you were born. And better yet, we'll have the opportunity today to hear how we can find that plan.

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THE CHURCH: R.A.S.H. PRAYERS (12.3.23)

Do your prayers sometimes look like a kid's Christmas list - like a list of wants, and not much more? Even just a quick look at how the first church prayed will tell us that there's a LOT more to prayer than just asking for what we want. This church saw it's prayers answered in amazing ways, and it serves us well to take the time to look at how they prayed. In this conclusion of the series "The Church", we'll understand that prayer is much bigger (and better!) than we thought.

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