What is God thinking right now? Answer—More than you know. While humans tend to think small, logical, natural thoughts, God’s mind soars to higher places, higher than the heavens are above the earth. There he thinks about illogical grace, supernatural power, and freely pardoning wicked people.

The famous phrase “I think, therefore I am” has a powerful application for God’s people. What we think about determines how we are in our day to day lives. Think about what is true, good, noble, beautiful, and biblical, and you will get one step closer to the peace and joy that Paul describes in Philippians 4.

Do you have questions about God? Or about faith? Or about different religions, different churches, and different ideas? We all do, but often we are scared to ask them. That is why The CORE’s Q&A Sunday started. In place of a regular message, we will take time to anonymously ask questions and find the passages with Jesus’ answers. We hope you can join us for Q&A Sunday!

Do you have questions about God? Or about faith? Or about different religions, different churches, and different ideas? We all do, but often we are scared to ask them. That is why The CORE’s Q&A Sunday started. In place of a regular message, we will take time to anonymously ask questions and find the passages with Jesus’ answers. We hope you can join us for Q&A Sunday!

Did you know that the name, Jesus, was a common everyday name in the New Testament? There were lots of baby boys given that name. Jesus however gave new meaning to that name. Because of that new meaning, we have new meaning in life. Your birth certificate states your legal name. Your name on it legally identifies who you are. The Gospel writer Matthew records how Jesus' name gives us a greater identity than any birth certificate. The benefits are greater than any legal piece of paper. ...

It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to see the amount of stress that preceded the birth of Jesus. Roman occupation. Raised taxes. A mandated journey. Terrible timing. A pregnant fiance and a steep climb to Bethlehem. No room in the inn. Can you imagine it?! But in the midst of that stress and chaos, Jesus was born. These details are a gripping reminder that God isn’t waiting until life is peaceful and perfect to bless us. Instead, he shows up in the middle of personal, political, and...

In the 1st century, motherhood was everything. That meant that Elizabeth, old and infertile, had nothing. But God worked a miracle to take away her shame and weave her into the story of the coming Savior. In a similar way, God reaches out to us, in our sin and shame, and offers us the miracle of grace, a connection to the Savior who has already come.

In the 21st century, the Virgin Mary is a household name. But in the 1st century, Mary from Nazareth as a nobody, a humble and sometimes hungry girl from the hills of upper Galilee. When Gabriel announced the news to Mary, she was stunned and overwhelmed with joy. So are we. Jesus saves us, fills us, and lifts us up to join him in his Kingdom, a blessing we don’t deserve but absolutely enjoy.

The first Christmas is filled with all kinds people - and not just young people. Luke’s main characters include Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna, and Simeon, faithful Christians whom God blessed to be a part of his Son’s story. The first two Luke introduces us to are Zachariah and Elizabeth. And yet their story is like many people who have loved God - being faithful isn’t without discouragement or disappointment which makes being full of faith hard. These two “past their prime” 1st Christmas...

Luke’s Gospel begins with a clear reminder that the story of Christmas is more than a story. It is history, verified and recorded by eyewitnesses. The point of that careful research is to help people like Theophilus, and people like us, to be certain of the Christmas promises that we are about to hear.

The end of Job is simply stunning. What will God say to his suffering son? How will God answer all of Job’s questions about pain, grief, and loss? How will God convince Job that He is still worth worshiping? The final chapters of the book provide the answers, which are a surprise and comfort to anyone who is suffering in this life.

What strikes most readers of Job is how long the book is. The fairly short introduction and conclusion are dwarfed by dozens of chapters of words—Arguments. Complaints. Accusations. Laments. But perhaps the wordiness is the point. Perhaps Job is structured to prove to us that suffering is a long and challenging journey, even for the faithful, a journey that tests us and forces us to run back to our living Redeemer.

Job’s friends comfort him in his grief…for a while. As time goes on, however, their presence turns sour and an epic argument beings about Job’s life and God’s plans. This message forces us to reflect on what we say (and don’t say) when suffering takes over our story.

Just when Job’s life seemed to be as bad as it could get, Satan struck again, tearing away what little earthly joy Job had left. Even Job’s wife breaks, cursing God and begging for death. Yet, even then, Job clung to his belief in the goodness of God. How can we respond with such trust when it feels like God is kicking us while we are already down?

Job suffers a level of pain and loss that few, if any, of us will ever experience. Yet he responds with nearly unfathomable faith, allowing God to be God, and praising him no matter what blessings are given or taken away. How can we respond with such trust in the face of our darkest moments?

Do you love God or just use him? Satan posed this question about a faithful believer named Job, and God didn’t object to the line of thinking. Our Father longs to be loved, not simply used for a healthy and happy life. Satan’s question is good for us to ponder too. Would we love God if he was all we had? Or would we curse him to his face?

Controlling ourselves when face-to-face with temptation is one of the harder parts of the Christian calling, a challenge so great that Jesus himself taught us to pray about it in the Lord’s Prayer. So, how do we do it? Answer—in a Group. God loves to use the power of other people to help us fight against temptation, a detail that can be seen throughout the proverbs, the wisdom that encourages us both to be self-controlled and to rely on the wisdom of others.

Patience is the ability to endure a painful situation without losing it, a virtue that is vital for the Christian faith. In a world where pain happens, sometimes because of our connection to Jesus, we must learn how to handle our struggles without giving up on our Savior. This is one of the many reasons why we Gather for worship, giving us examples of people who are going through the same situations, yet still praying, singing, and declaring that Jesus is worth it.

If you were unjustly accused of a crime, brutally beaten, and tossed into a prison cell, what would you do? While such things may not happen to you any time soon, you will endure plenty of unexpected losses and deeply felt pains in your life. This is why the story of Paul and Silas in prison is so powerful. These two early Christians faced their suffering with bold, peaceful faith by praying and singing to God. This detail in Acts 16 reminds us of the spiritual power of a Grow Root, that...

A famous theologian once said that you couldn’t truly enjoy something until you had told others about it, which is why sharing good news blesses both the speaker and the listener. The gospel of Jesus works the same way. Despite all of the challenges and fears, “Going” and talking about Jesus is a gorgeous reminder of every good thing that is ours through faith in Christ.

Most people would agree that we could use more kindness in our world. Gentleness. Warmth. Consideration for others. Yet such character qualities are challenging when the whole world seems selfish, angry, and anything but kind. So, how can Christians stand apart from such a world? This message focuses on the kind, generous, Giving heart of Jesus, and Christians’ connection to him, a relationship that changes us into kind, gentle, generous people.

Sometimes God doesn’t seem to be fair. Sometimes God gives undeserving people blessings that they do not deserve. Sometimes good things happen to bad people. But Jesus knows that there is good news when God gives people good things they do not deserve.

What if it cost you to follow Jesus? What if you had to give up something you treasure? What if you had to repent of what used to make you proud? Would you still follow him? Jesus reminds us today that whatever we lose for his sake will be nothing compared to what we gain.

A short bedtime prayer. Another average church service. A Bible story with the kids. These mundane routines seem too small to be powerful. But Jesus knows better. Our Savior says that small steps can lead to big blessings.