The universe in which we live either WAS designed and built by God (or at least a creator), or it was not. Both of these views contain a wide variety of nuanced aspects. Many, if not most people do not believe this is really a critical issue. In this second message of the series The Big Picture, Pastor Steven Merritt highlights why it is one of the most critical things we can think about, and how our views spill over into every aspect of our lives.

Many believers have developed a very limited view of what the Gospel is. Some followers of Jesus have come to understand that the Gospel is so we can work harder and become better versions of ourselves. Others see the Gospel as "fire insurance" or a ticket to heaven. The Gospel is MUCH bigger than that. The Gospel is all through the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation. Pastor Steven started this new series The Big Picture with a deeper look at exactly what the Gospel is, and how it applies to everyone, not just believers.

Do you ever feel like you don't fit in? I do. In my experience people often feel like they don't belong somewhere, and often many "somewheres" in their life. Many people feel that way about church. Most of those who feel that way about church avoid going. We all long to belong. We want to connect and fit it, especially to something bigger than ourselves. In this standalone message for Back to Church Sunday, Pastor Steven Merritt walks us through the familiar story of Zacchaeus and how it applies to all of us in one way or another.

There are a LOT of "salty" people these days. But the kind of "salty" that Jesus told His followers to be, is not that kind of salty. In this last message of the series Loving Your Neighbor in a World of Hate, Pastor Steven Merritt challenges the hearer to not only be the right kind of salty, but also shine for God to the world around them.

Pretty much every one of us is looking for fulfillment in this world. Pastor Dale Otto reminds us that fulfillment CAN be found. In this fourth message of the Loving Our Neighbors In a World of Hate, Pastor Dale outlines what that fulfillment looks like, and how we are changed by it.

We live in a world that's expert at building walls — tribe, class, party, race. The church is supposed to be expert at something else.In this third message of the Loving Our Neighbor in a World of Hate series, Pastor Steven Merritt walks through Scripture to show what a family adopted by the same Father actually looks like — and how two family resemblances can't be faked.Whose are you? Then look like Him.

Despite what we see every day in social media and in the entertainment industry, LOVE is more than a sentiment. Love is a choice that leads to action. Love is also hard. Maybe that is why so many choose to just say the words and go through the motions. Love is often painful. In this second message of the Love Our Neighbors in a World Full of Hate, Pastor Steven Merritt outlines the shape of that love, and tells us how we live out love like that.

We live in a world that is full of hate (and envy, lust, greed, etc.). It is why we have such difficulty getting along with one another. It is an old story though. There is an answer to this problem, and the solution is older and more powerful than the problem. But we must look at the problem first, in order to appreciate God's solution. I this first message in the series Loving Our Neighbor in a World Full of Hate, Pastor Steven Merritt takes us back to the beginning of the problem. It is not just any story, it is our story.