Beyond Sunday: Living Out What We Hear

Christmas is more than a season. It’s an invitation. An invitation to slow down.An invitation to remember.An invitation to come home. The story of Jesus’ birth reminds us that God did not stay distant. He came near. He stepped into human history. He entered our broken...

Every year, one of the most meaningful moments at Lake Lynn is watching our kids tell the Christmas story. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s honest. Kids don’t pretend Christmas was neat and polished. They tell it with joy, excitement, and sometimes a little...

When we think of Christmas, we often picture calm scenes. Soft music. A peaceful night. Everything tidy and still. But when you open Scripture, the first Christmas tells a very different story. The night Jesus was born was filled with movement and noise. Angels...

My wife works nights, so during the day our bedroom is pitch black. Curtains pulled tight. No sunlight sneaking in. Just darkness. And yet all it takes is one switch. One small light. Suddenly the darkness disappears. That’s what Jesus does. Isaiah says that those who...

Every four years politicians promise hope. Commercials promise hope. Our own plans promise hope. But the Bible paints a different picture. Hope isn’t a feeling you work up. Hope is a certainty rooted in the character of God. Isaiah talks about breaking the “yoke” that...

There’s something about Christmas that wakes up a longing inside us. For some, it’s the memories of running down the stairs on Christmas morning. For others, it’s the smell of their grandmother’s kitchen or the sound of family laughter. We want to go back. We want to...

Every family has its idiosyncrasies. Maybe yours is the kind that eats Chinese food every Christmas Eve. Maybe you all pile into the car for a movie on Thanksgiving night. Maybe your family can’t get through a gathering without breaking into loud laughter, or maybe...

Everyone wants peace. A quiet heart. A settled mind. A moment when you feel steady again. Paul promises that the peace of God will guard our hearts, but he roots that promise in Christ Himself. Peace is not a mood that drifts in and out. It is the presence of Jesus...

Christmas brings beauty, but it can also stir up anxiety. Expectations get high. Schedules fill up. Finances get tight. Old memories come back. And we start to feel pressure that God never asked us to carry. Philippians 4:6 gives us a simple practice. “Do not be...

Joy can feel out of reach when life gets heavy. Many people step into December carrying losses, disappointments, or memories that hit hard this time of year. I understand that feeling. My dad passed away in early December of 1989, and even after all these years, that...

Near the end of the message, we talked about generosity. Paul thanked the Philippian church for their gift and called it “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” Their giving was worship, not just a transaction. I shared something my parents...

I joked Sunday about being an Apple fanboy. For a long time, every time a new iPhone came out, I wanted it. I liked being up to date. I liked the new features. I liked the feeling of having the latest thing. Then the Lord started poking at my heart. Not because phones...