In her sermon From Groanings to Glory, Lydia Brooks draws from Romans 8:18-28 to challenge the tendency many believers have to skip straight to the comfort of verse 28 without sitting in the weight of the verses that precede it. Using a mirror-versus-microscope approach to Scripture, she walks through three movements in the passage: first, that we are bound to our human nature and our pride will be challenged by the call to obedience; second, that God provides warning signs and a map so we are never left without direction in our suffering; and third, that difficulty produces endurance, endurance produces wisdom, and wisdom ultimately produces glory. She unpacks the key phrase "according to His purpose," reframing love for God not as a feeling but as trust, surrender, faith, and obedience. Her closing charge is clear: the groanings of this life are not obstacles to salvation but instruments of it, and our responsibility in the middle of those groanings is obedience, prayer, and attentiveness to where God is working.

This week we wrapped up our “Big Picture” series by turning to the final two chapters of the Bible — Revelation 21–22. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells one unified story: creation, fall, rescue, redemption, and restoration. Pastor Russ explores how the Bible ends where it began — with God dwelling among His people in a renewed creation. Along the way, we look at the connection between Eden and the New Heavens and New Earth, the symbolism of Revelation, and the hope Christians have in the resurrection and restoration of all things through Jesus. This message reminds us that the story of Scripture is not ultimately about fear or speculation, but about hope: in the end, God wins.

In week five of "The Big Picture", Ebony traces the birth of the church through Acts 2. The early church was marked by devotion to scripture, shared meals, communal prayer, and generosity, a model the pastor admits she deeply longs for while also acknowledging the tension modern believers feel between that first-century ideal and today's consumer-driven church culture. Drawing on the example of her own painful experience with church leadership, she is honest that no single model of church is one-size-fits-all, while testifying that her healing and renewed faith in the local church came through her community at Maury Hills. The sermon closes with a challenge rooted in Micah 6:8 and Francis Chan's pointed contrast between what congregations expect from church and what God actually commands of it, calling believers away from comfort-centered faith toward sacrificial, Spirit-led community, with a charge that lingers long after the benediction: don't just come to church; be the church.

This message continues our series The Big Picture by focusing on Act Four—The Chosen One (Jesus)—where everything in Scripture finds its fulfillment. After tracing the story from the Garden to the Fall to the Chosen People of Israel, we see how the promise was never about elevating one nation but about pointing to one person—Jesus. Looking at the opening of the Gospels and key moments in Luke, we explore how Jesus fulfills the promises made to Abraham, David, and ultimately to all people. Like a story rooted in a greater story, the life of Jesus only comes fully into view when we connect it to what came before. From his first sermon in Nazareth to the road to Emmaus, Jesus reveals that all of Scripture has been leading to him.

In Week 3 of The Big Picture, we step into “The Chosen People” and trace the unfolding story of God’s rescue mission through Abraham and the nation of Israel. Beginning in Genesis 12, we see God make a promise to bless all nations through one family, but what follows is a story filled with faith and failure, hope and dysfunction. From Abraham to Moses to the giving of the Law, God reveals His heart and calls His people to live differently, yet Israel continually falls short. Even in their rebellion, exile, and brokenness, God remains faithful, raising up prophets who both confront sin and point forward to a coming rescue. This message shows how the entire Old Testament builds tension and expectation, setting the stage for Jesus, the One through whom God ultimately fulfills His promise to bless, redeem, and restore the world.

The Big Picture: Understanding God’s Story Week Two

This week, we explore the Fall in Genesis 3 and why it’s one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible. What began as a perfect world filled with goodness, peace, and relationship is disrupted by deception, sin, and rebellion. This is where the story shifts—from a “report” to a real story—because conflict enters the picture. In this message, we unpack how the Fall introduces shame, separation, suffering, and death, realities we still experience today. But even in the middle of the brokenness, there’s a hint of hope. From the very beginning, God is already pointing toward a future rescue through Jesus. When you start to see the Bible as one connected story, you begin to realize—there’s always something more going on.

In Week 2 of our series The Big Picture, we explore the Fall in Genesis 3 and why it’s one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible. What began as a perfect world filled with goodness, peace, and relationship is disrupted by deception, sin, and rebellion. This is where the story shifts—from a “report” to a real story—because conflict enters the picture. In this message, we unpack how the Fall introduces shame, separation, suffering, and death, realities we still experience today. But even in the middle of the brokenness, there’s a hint of hope. From the very beginning, God is already pointing toward a future rescue through Jesus. When you start to see the Bible as one connected story, you begin to realize—there’s always something more going on.

Cultural Crossroads: Four Trends Shaping our World : Week Four

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—but what does that mean for our lives right now? In a culture marked by loneliness, division, and isolation, this message explores one of the most pressing needs of our time: community. Drawing from Luke 24 and Acts 2, we see that Jesus didn’t just rise to give us hope for the future—He rose to invite us into a new way of life together.

Following Jesus was never meant to be done alone. Whether you’re here every week or just once a year, this message is an invitation to rediscover the beauty of belonging and the kind of community Jesus created for us to experience today.