LIFEchurch IA

At 52, Rich began meeting with a mentor who told him, “I just want to help you finish well.” Ten years later, that conversation still helps explain what he means by the long game: a life of faith that keeps pointing...

We say “blessed” so often that we can stop hearing what it means. Chris returns to the blessing God asked the priests to speak over his people and lingers on the thought of God turning his face toward us. That kind of...

We keep imagining that contentment is waiting at the next raise, the next milestone, or the moment life finally settles down. The trouble is that “enough” keeps moving. In Philippians 4:11-19, Paul writes about learning...

Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they were still doing faithful work, but they had left their first love. It is possible to keep serving and praying while something inside grows cold. Chris understands that...

Esau came toward Jacob with 400 men. Jacob had taken the birthright that belonged to his brother and then stayed away for decades. When they finally met, Jacob bowed seven times. Esau ran to him, embraced him, and both...

Paul knew what it was to be harmed by one person and abandoned by people he trusted. He did not pretend the hurt was small. He named what happened, left justice with God, kept a wise boundary, and prayed for those who...

Some hurts do not disappear quickly. A betrayal, an absent parent, a broken relationship, abuse, or years of small offenses can leave anger and bitterness working below the surface long after the moment has passed. In...

How do you respond when someone hurts, betrays, disrespects, or refuses to forgive you? The answer is rarely simple, but Pastor Rich reminds us that these are gospel questions—moments that reveal how deeply the grace of...

What does it really mean to live well—especially when life is busy, difficult, or draining? In Week 4 of Transformed, Pastor Josh teaches from Romans 12:11-13 and shows that living well is not the same as living a...

Loving difficult people is one thing in theory. It is another thing in real life. In Week 3 of Transformed, Pastor Chris teaches from Romans 12 and invites us to move beyond performative love into the genuine love Jesus...

If you have ever wondered where you fit in the church, this message is for you. In Week 2 of Transformed, Pastor Amy teaches from Romans 12:3-8 and shows how humility, spiritual gifts, authenticity, and connected...

Romans 12 teaches that spiritual transformation begins with surrender. In this message, Pastor Rich walks through what it means to offer your life as a living sacrifice, refuse the pattern of the world, and let God...

Many of us have learned to live behind masks, agreements, and labels that were formed in pain. In this message, Pastor Chris shows how the enemy uses wounds to shape identity, how Jesus restores us without shame, and...

Do your words reflect your relationship with Jesus? In Week 5 of Jesus + Nothing, Pastor Rich closes the series by teaching from Colossians 4 and reminding us that everything is spiritual, including the words we speak...

What does it look like to honor Jesus in marriage, parenting, & work? In Week 4 of Jesus + Nothing, Pastor Rich teaches from Colossians 3:18-4:1, a passage that can feel uncomfortable in our culture. Rather than fast...