In this message, Benjamin Shanks introduces our 4-week series in the Book of Ruth by highlighting the SETTING, CHARACTERS and PLOT of the story. This message will encourage you if you are in the middle of suffering not to separate yourself, or isolate yourself, but consecrate yourself to God and others in this season.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). In this message, Benjamin Shanks explores the threads of clay & glory throughout the Bible, finding that the story of humanity is a story of clay & glory. This message will encourage you if you are going through a hard time that God's glory shines in jars of clay.

ACT I: Creation;

ACT II: Separation;

ACT III: Restoration;

ACT IV: Glorification.

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes has been to some deep, dark places. In Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, he returns from the brink to offer wisdom for everyday life: carpe diem! In other words: EAT GLADLY; DRINK JOYFULLY; ENJOY WORK; BE HAPPY; ACCEPT LIMITS; DO GOOD; and RISE AGAIN. This message will encourage you that in Christ and because of His resurrection, "Meaningless! Meaningless!" becomes "Glorious! Glorious!"

Pleasure, laughter, wine, folly, projects, buildings, vineyards, the delights of a man's heart—meaningless, utterly meaningless. That’s the outcome of the Teacher’s experiment in Ecclesiastes 2, and that’s a dead end. In this message, Benjamin Shanks teaches on the biblical idea of idolatry, the Cycle of Addiction, and how in the Gospel Jesus offers us a narrow road to life. This message will help you understand idolatry, identify the idols in your life, and replace them with the worship of the One, true God who satisfies every desire.

When someone becomes a Christian—saved by grace, born again, forgiven, made alive—it's big news. And when they graduate to glory in the future, it's big news too. But what are we supposed to do in the meantime? What is Jesus' purpose for the present tense? In other words: What is the meaning of life? That's the question this message from Benjamin Shanks aims to answer from Titus 2:1-15. This message will encourage you with a purpose for your life—that the riches of God's grace are available to teach you to do what is good.

OUR PAST IS GRACE;

OUR FUTURE IS GLORY;

OUR PRESENT IS GOOD.

Power. Titus 1:5-16 is about power in the church at Crete. In this message, Benjamin Shanks wades into the waters of power—what it is and what it's for. This message will challenge you to use the power to have to love God and others, the way Jesus did.

THE INTRODUCTION OF POWER;

THE DISTORTION OF POWER;

THE REDEMPTION OF POWER;

THE PERFECTION OF POWER.

The introduction to Paul’s letter to Titus… it’s a tricky passage in a tricky book. In this message, Benjamin Shanks kicks off our July sermon series by asking five simple questions of Titus 1:1-4 — WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? This message will encourage you to further the faith by growing in knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. KNOW TRUTH, GROW GODLY.

What is the old covenant and what's wrong with it? What is the new covenant and what's better about it? In this message, Benjamin Shanks explores the idea of the "better covenant" in Hebrews 8:6-13. After exploring the 4 covenants in the Old Testament and highlighting their essential promise, Ben shows how Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant with all its blessings through his death and resurrection.

THE NOAHIC COVENANT – Promise of Planet;

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT — Promise of Place;

THE MOSAIC COVENANT — Promise of People;

THE DAVIDIC COVENANT — Promise of Person;

THE NEW COVENANT — Promise of Presence.