God is present in our culture as a concept, but not as an inescapable, living reality. And yet, our spiritual hunger and desire for rescue never goes away. What do we do with that?Di Eric Stiler- Acts 16:13-19

Even though our culture is deeply influenced by Christianity, many people have a distorted or false picture of Christianity. It doesn’t make any sense to them. How do you make sense of Christianity to people for whom Christianity doesn’t make any sense? This passage helps us.Di Eric Stiller -Acts 14:8-22

It’s often hard to recognize God’s work in our lives and in the world, because it doesn’t look like what we think it should look like. How can we take care not to miss what God is doing? In this passage, the apostle Paul shows us it’s all wrapped up in understanding the story we’re in.Di Eric Stiller - 13:16-30, 38-39

Evangelism is a controversial and fearful topic for many people, and for many reasons. But the word has its roots in the idea of "good news," specifically the good news about Jesus. This passage helps us recover a healthier and happier understanding of this much misunderstood word.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 11:19-26, 13:1-3

God's vision for the world has always been a multiethnic, multicultural vision. This story is one of the most powerful examples of that. In this passage, Peter recounts how he was led to a summit experience in the expansion of the gospel to all the world.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 11:1-18

This famous passage is not just a story about one man and how he met the risen Jesus. It's also a powerful lesson about what it means to be the church.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 9:1-16

What if the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can really affirm and honor all the different cultures of the world because it’s the only thing that can truly fulfill our deepest spiritual longings? This passage shows us how.Di Eric Stiller: Acts 8:26-39

The quest for meaning and control is at the heart of our lives. This story about a magician looking for the same things has a lot to show us about this quest and its ultimate fulfillment.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 8:9-24

We live in a world full of hatred, division, and polarization. What does it mean to be the church in this, and what if the church could be a source of joy in the midst of the division? This passage shows us how.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 8:1-8

Di Eric Stiller - Acts 7

One of the biggest threats to the church in America isn’t external: the loss of power. It’s internal: our inability to give power away. The book of Acts, and especially this passage, helps by showing us what it means to be the church.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 6:1-7

Whether it’s the ancient Roman Empire, or the year 2024 in the modern West, following Jesus requires courage. If you struggle with fear, and wonder where you can get the courage to follow Jesus, this passage is a goldmine.Di Eric Stiller -Acts 5:27-42

Wouldn’t it be great if the Church could be totally transformed? If it could, how would that be possible. Historically, when the Church experiences radical transformation it is called Revival. Join us as we continue our series in the book of Acts and we look at the account of the very first revival.Di Eric Stiller - 4:23-25

Many people say no one should ever claim to have the one, true religion. But what if the gospel is not only not the oppressive threat many people think it is? What if, instead, it’s actually the only thing that can really create a world of true justice and peace?Di Eric Stiller - 4:1-13

The presence of evil and suffering in this world is still one of the most powerful arguments against faith in an all-loving, all-powerful creator. We want to make sense of it. Even more, we want to find freedom from it. Is that possible? And if so, how?Di Eric Stiller - Acts 3:1-21

What if the only solution for the oppression, abuse, and injustices of the church isn’t the removal of the church, but the renewal of the church? One of the best ways to get a vision for the future of the church is to get a clearer picture of the very first church. This passage helps us do that.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 2:37-47

This passage contains the first explicit proclamation of the gospel of Jesus. So if we want to understand what the gospel really means, there is no better place to look.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 2:12-39

In our culture, spirituality is hot. Church is not. But what if real spirituality is impossible to experience apart from Jesus and the church he called into being? This passage helps us by showing us what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 2: 1-13

Jesus had gone back to heaven. It seemed like the end. But then his disciples were reminded of what they needed to go on. It could be just what you need, too.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 1:12-26

The first Christians were a minority movement of social, cultural, and religious outsiders with zero political power. Yet within 30 years, they turned the world upside down. How? It all begins in this passage.Di Eric Stiller - Acts 1:1-11

We live in a world where many believe in God or spiritual reality, but what feels more real to us is all the pressures, anxieties, and discouragement of what we call “the real world.” How does that change? In this passage, Jesus leads us through the path of transformation.Di Eric Stiller: Luke 24:13-33

To have a name is to be a person: a unique self with meaning and dignity. Evil is anything that distorts and destroys your personhood. It erases your name. But in this passage, we see how Jesus restores it back to us.Di Eric Stiller: Mark 5:1-20

Faith healing is a real thing. And it isn’t magic, unless you put your faith in someone other than Jesus. This passage considers the significance of vulnerability, prayer, and gratitude in healing.Di Eric Stiller - John 5:1-18

With this question, Jesus doesn’t ask whether we have faith. He assumes we do. That might sound counterintuitive to many, but this passage takes us deeper into the real nature of faith.Di Eric Stiller - Luke 8:22-25

We live in a weeping world, because everything we love is always dying. But we also live in a seeking world, because we long for something that cannot be touched by death. How does the resurrection of Jesus address this struggle?Di Eric Stiller - John 20:11-18

“Why have you forsaken me?” Jesus didn’t ask this question of a human being. He asked it of God. What does it mean? To look at the cross is to come face to face with something we don’t want to look at, but desperately need to.Di Eric Stiller - Mark 15:33-39

Di Eric Stiller - John 21:15-19

It’s hard to face the pain and negativity of our lives and this world. We want things to be smooth, including spirituality. But Jesus offers us a way through the pain to something far greater.Di Eric Stiller - Mark 8:27-38

Di Eric Stiller - Mark 5:21-43

We all need to know not only that we are worthy of love and belonging, we need to know why. The woman in this story, and Jesus’ question about her, give us a new way of seeing others by giving us a new way of seeing ourselves.Di Eric Stiller - Luke 7:36-50

To be human is to long for more than we currently experience and to be more than we currently are. In this passage, Jesus asks a question that brings us to the very heart of our longing for something more.Di Eric Stiller - John 1:35-51

Why would Jesus do so much of his teaching by means of parables, which are so hard to understand? In this passage, Jesus shows us the counter-intuitive, yet deeply healing, answer.Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:10-17,53-58

We modern people struggle greatly with the idea of God’s judgment. But in this parable, Jesus shows us that unless we allow God to be a God of judgment, then he cannot be the God of love we so desperately desire.Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:47-50

Who doesn’t want to be someone’s precious “treasure”? Who doesn’t want to know that someone loves them more than life itself? No matter who you are, these two short parables are an invitation to both those gifts.Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:44-46

The problem of the “other” is one of the biggest problems in our world. How should we respond? Is it possible to embrace the other? These two short parables offer us a powerful answer.Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:31-33

Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:24-30

We have a longing for something bigger than ourselves, and many people wonder if Jesus might play a part in it. In this parable, Jesus shows us what we’re longing for, and how it comes into our lives.Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Di Eric Stiller - 1 John 4:7-11

People with different worldviews nonetheless describe the same experience: We feel cut off from our true home. This passage shows us why that is and, more importantly, what God does about it.Di Eric Stiller - John 1:1-18

“Whatever has your attention is shaping and directing your life. In the parable of the ten maidens, Jesus warns us not to give all of our attention to lesser things, lest we miss out on the best thing.”Di Eric Stiller - Matthew 25:1-13

The Day of the Lord. The end of time. Good news or not so much? This passage sheds light on the life-giving difference between threat and promise.Di Eric Stiller - 2 Peter 3:1-10

The most important conversations are the ones we’re least likely to have, because they’re most likely to go wrong. In this passage, Jesus models four things that help us walk through the most challenging conversations.Di Eric Stiller - John 4:6-26

Human beings don’t just shape technology. Our technology shapes us. What is technology? How does it shape us? How should we use it? This passage is one of the best places to think about that.Di Eric Stiller - Genesis 11:1-9

Of all the topics that involve our body, abortion is one of the most notable. But it is fiercely debated. This passage helps us make sense of the debate and find a way through.Di Eric Stiller - Luke 1:39-56

Our culture says the love, intimacy, and connection we need as human beings is only available through marriage, romance, and sex. The Bible says it’s available to everyone through the unique relationship called friendship. This passage offers us a beautiful picture of this.Di Eric Stiller: Acts 20:17-25, 36-21:1

Singleness is deeply misunderstood in both our culture and the church. It is often seen as a deficiency or something survivable only with a special gift. But this passage helps us with a radically different vision of what singleness truly is.Di Eric Stiller - 1 Corinthians 7:7-9, 17, 25-31

On the surface, this passage is a difficult and challenging read, especially in our modern world. But when we dig deeper, we find many surprises that offer us a fuller understanding and experience of marriage.Di Eric Stiller -Ephesians 5:21-33

In week two of this conversation, we want to ask what it means to support and care for those who might consider transitioning. This passage helps us with this questionDi Eric Stiller -Romans 12:1-3, 9-16

The conversation about transgender identities is challenging at multiple levels. But at the deepest level, it’s a conversation about what it means to be a human being.Di Eric Stiller -Matthew 19:3-12

The church has not been a safe place for gay people. Can Christianity offer us a way to think about same-sex relationships that honors the full dignity of gay people?Di Eric Stiller - Romans 1:21-2:1