Truth Community Church

If Christianity is so great, why do some Christians act so terrible? How is it possible that some Christians become hypocrites? Jesus addresses this problem through His parable of the unforgiving servant. In this message, we discover that Christians act terribly when they become “Grace Amnesiacs.” The best way to combat hypocrisy in our lives is by continually reminding ourselves of God’s grace. Discover four ways we can live out a hypocrisy-free Christianity.

Believers are the house of God. We are His temple. How much attention do you place on living a godly life? It is so easy to allow other focuses to become the priority. The people of Israel had the vision to see the temple rebuilt. They stopped working when the opposition came. By looking at their building project in 520 BC, we discover four values that are essential for us as we “Build His House.” In this Vision Sunday message, our pastors share where God is leading us in 2023.

Friendships matter. The people we choose to surround ourselves with impact our lives. We live in a time where forming true friendships is very challenging. As we look to a moment between Jesus and “the man who had no friends” we see how all of us experience the desire, the cost, and the result of friendships. The gospel declares that while we were enemies of God, Jesus took the first step towards us to call us His friends. At Blaze Church, the greatest place to form true friendships is in a small group.

Sex has become a god of sorts in our culture. We are told that sexual experiences are the greatest forms of pleasure. We center our identity our sexual orientation and preferences. This is nothing new. The Greeks worshipped Eros, the god of love and sex. When we follow their example, the results are clear: heartache, brokenness, dysfunction, pain, and shame. Sex is not the problem; idolizing sex is. God created sex to be enjoyed. He gives us the best plan for sex and romantic love. There are two approaches to sex: covenant and consumerism. Whether you are single or married, discover the freedom that Jesus alone brings by embracing Him as the Living Water for your soul.

Agape love is defined as “a love that serves others”.  In this message, we will unpack what Jesus said about this type of love, what Jesus did to show Love, and what we can do in light of knowing Jesus’ love.  Believers are called to serve others out of a place of being LOVED, not to be loved. When we know the Love of the Father, we can selflessly serve those around us!

Family – it’s a word that brings up so many varying emotions. Love. Appreciation. Joy. Heartache. Family drama. As believers in Christ, we are called to love our family members well. How? In this message, we’ll hear a story of family love that shows us practical ways that will help us. But even with all our determination, there will be a time you will inevitably fall way short. The only way to truly love our families well is to experience for yourself the transforming and empowering grace and love of God through Jesus Christ! Being part of a new family helps us love our family in a new way.

“Don’t you care?” It’s a question we ask God and others when we face a storm in life. We long for someone to meet us in our distress, and hopefully bring peace to our pain. You’re not happy when you don’t have peace. If we want to be peacemakers, we need to have peace! While the disciples were in a storm, Jesus was sleeping in the boat. Jesus rebuked the waves and questioned if the disciples believed in Him. They asked the better question that we need to ask if we want peace, “Who is Jesus?” The storm of sin has been hushed by the power of Jesus. Because we have peace with God, we can be peacemakers.

Does being a Christian mean that we should feel guilty about pleasure? Is everything off-limits now? When God made the world He said, “It is good!” But what does it mean now that this world has been tainted by sin? There are three questions that a believer should ask to discover what kind of pleasure we get to enjoy, not that we have been saved by Jesus. Happiness is found in recognizing God gives good gifts! Don’t settle for sin. Share what you have. And be ready to surrender anything God calls you to lay down.

Wouldn’t it be nice to experience happy days every day of our life? If we connect our happiness to our circumstances, we will be at the mercy of life to provide that happy feeling we all desire. God offers us something better: contentment. What if contentment is the key to experiencing happy days? When we discover that contentment is connected to Christ, not circumstances, we will live a truly happy life! This way of living is not easy, but it is possible when we trust in Christ for our strength.

We are told that the pursuit of happiness is a right for every person. But what if our definition of happiness is wrong? We could find ourselves pursuing something that won’t actually make us happy. God wants us to be happy, but not the way we think of happiness. Discover how much greater God’s definition of happiness is, and how happy people truly live.

What is Christian fasting? If you want to see Jesus increase in your life, fasting is essential. When we go without, we are able to see who/what we look to for satisfaction in life. Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness, and overcame the temptations of the enemy so that He could achieve for us salvation! When we fast, we remind ourselves that we most need to be satisfied by the Bread of Life.

What are you dreaming about? We all have dreams, but we all experience moments where our dreams do not come true. What do we do then? The message of Christmas is that God came to us! To an engaged, young Jewish couple, the birth of Christ meant personal dreams would be lost. The angel’s words to Joseph provided the needed courage to trust God’s plan, power, purpose, and presence. Discover a hope that outlasts every dream. Anchor your soul to the One who came to save you from your sin.

How busy are you this holiday season? Between the shopping, parties, hosting, and family photo sessions many of us are busier than ever. Why? Who are we doing all this for? If you’re honest, you may realize that the person you are trying to make happy during the holiday season is YOU. It’s very easy for selfishness to creep in. As we look at The Grinch, we see that both the people of Whoville, and The Grinch, missed the meaning of Christmas because they were all focused on themselves. God sent His Son to the world to be a Light that exposes our darkness. There is hope this Christmas season for you to be set free from selfishness!

How easy is it for you to forgive? Maybe this Christmas you’re reminded of friends and family who may have hurt you in some way or maybe you find it hard to love some of the people in your life because of their past decisions. We’ll see through God’s word and Home Alone 2 that the ultimate reason we forgive is because God forgave our biggest debt by sending his son Jesus to earth to save us from our sins.

We all want to be loved! A place to call home. A place to belong. We have all found ourselves longing, searching or working for the love of a father. In this message, we’ll look at Buddy the Elf’s story and his search for love. You’ll be sure to relate as Buddy works to get his dad’s love and experiences disappointment along the way. But the best news is that there is a loving Heavenly Father who wants you to belong in his family. Through Jesus, you can truly know your Heavenly Father and receive His love for you!

What is the path to success and greatness? Be the best. Get recognized. Fulfill your dreams. What the world says to do, Jesus says won’t work. He gave his disciples the secret to greatness. Discover what Jesus meant when he said “Be different.” When we understand how to live and why to live the way Jesus says, we will truly become great. If you want to have the best life possible, you need to carry a towel.

Jesus has given every believer spiritual authority. Because Satan was defeated at the cross, we no longer have to live as slaves to sin. What if the thing you are asking God to take away - addictions, immorality, idols - continues to exist because you will simply not surrender it to the Lord? Discover what it means to fight from the place that Jesus has secured for you!

The Lord’s Supper. The Eucharist. Communion. What exactly is this sacrament, and why does it matter so much? Every time we come to the Lord’s Table we look back, presently engage and look ahead. Discover all the significance and beauty in the Christian practice of Communion. Everyone is invited to the table. 

Is it hard for you to talk about Jesus with other people? You’re not alone! Sharing our faith is the best way to increase our faith in God! What do we need to know so that we can be prepared to share the Good News with our friends and family members? An unnamed Samaritan woman gives us the answer. You don’t need to be intimidated or afraid. 

Every person is tempted. How do we stand firm? James says to count it all joy when we face trials and temptations. There is a purpose to your pain. We can overcome temptation by deciding to stand before the temptation comes! What vows have you made to the Lord? Are you keeping them? There are three things that we can render to the Lord, in response to His generosity towards us. When we remember our vows, we will stand firm in the midst of trials.