Pathfinder Church | December 22, 2024 | AJ Mastic In this Christmas season, we long for peace in our world. But it seems that there will never be an end to all the conflict in the world around us. How, then, can we find peace? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/pod…

Pathfinder Church | December 15, 2024 | Doug Mauss What is the point of our lives? This is an age-old question, and humanity has attempted to answer it in a variety of ways. How do we figure out the meaning of our existence? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podca…

Pathfinder Church | December 8, 2024 | Dion Garrett What is the source of our strength? Sooner or later, we reach the limits of our own perseverance. Do we despair, give up, or find restoration of our strength from somewhere? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podc…

Pathfinder Church | December 1, 2024 | Dion Garrett Deep down, we all have a sense that there is something wrong, or incomplete, or “less than” in our life. Everywhere we turn, someone is promising a cure for what ails us, to make us a new person—for a price. But is there a promise that actually works, and lasts? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org…

Pathfinder Church | November 24,2024 | AJ Mastic It’s become a meme to talk about the difficulties of “adulting.” It’s hard to provide for ourselves all that we need to survive and thrive in life. Where do we turn when our resources fall short of what we think we need to get through the day? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https…

Pathfinder Church | November 17, 2024 | Doug Mauss The world is a big and overwhelming place. People are sometimes trying to harm us. It’s scary to feel like we’re on our own. In times of persecution or threat, can we count on anybody to be reliably, helpfully on our side? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.or…

Pathfinder Church | November 10, 2024 | Dion Garrett When hard things happen around us, it can seem like God himself is absent or indifferent to what’s going wrong in the world. Can we trust God when evil seems to be winning? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podc…

Pathfinder Church | November 3, 2024 | AJ Mastic We’re constantly striving for good outcomes. We learn that we’re rewarded for success, and punished for failure. But if favorable outcomes are conditional on our worth and effort, the consequences of our possible failures are enormous. Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathf…

Pathfinder Church | October 27, 2022 | Dion Garrett There's no doubt that God is at work at Pathfinder. We've prayed for it, and he has been faithful. The Inspired Service is a special weekend we hold every year to share stories of life change happening RIGHT HERE in our congregation. These stories never fail to inspire all of us to seek God’s dire…

Pathfinder Church | October 20 | Doug Mauss When it comes to what’s right, we often think that the end justifies the means. After all, as long as the “right side” wins, or we prevail in the argument, it shouldn’t matter how we got there. Since we’re fighting for Jesus, it’s okay if we use slander, dirty tricks, and loopholes! Or is it? Website | ht…

Pathfinder Church | October 13, 2024 | Dion Garrett It often seems like there is a sharp dividing line between the righteous and the unrighteous. People on the other side of an issue from us can seem shockingly immoral. How can we engage in loving discussion or collaboration with people who hold such opposing values, without watering down what we b…

Pathfinder Church | October 6, 2024 | AJ Mastic We all naturally have a bonding identity, meaning we group with people most similar to us. However, by retreating into this form of identity, we tend to increase our resentment and hostility, and we become less capable of weathering adverse conditions. How can we find a more robust form of identity fo…

Pathfinder Church | September 29, 2024 | Doug Mauss As the movie Inside Out shows us, Disgust and Anger are both primal feelings. But when they are joined together, it creates contempt. Contempt feels really good—it reinforces our basic need to feel righteous. In fact, we’ll naturally seek out circumstances and people that outrage us, just for the …

Pathfinder Church | September 22, 2024 | Dion Garrett Planted deep within all humans is a desire to live forever because that’s what we were created to do! But ever since we were thrown out of the Garden, we’ve had to face the unkind reality of death—something that we know is inevitable, but nevertheless feels unnatural. As technological advances h…

Pathfinder Church | September 15, 2024 | AJ Mastic What does it truly mean to connect with another person? Can it happen on a FaceTime screen or by following each other’s newsfeeds? Is a 90 day snapchat streak a surefire sign of a real connection? In a world where people are considered “friends” because we click a button and we “do church” online, …

Pathfinder Church | September 8, 2024 | Dion Garrett The natural world used to give us cues of when it was time to work or rest, sow or reap, sleep or wake, wear shorts or sweaters the rhythms of creation demanded and almost guaranteed that there would be no overindulgence in anything and we would find abundance in all the rich states of our existe…

Pathfinder Church | August 25, 2024 | Doug Mauss We’ve been long promised that technology will make our lives easier, reduce the number of hours we work, remove unpleasant labor from the equation, and deliver us into lives of greater leisure. Despite those promises, for the last 70 years, life has moved in the other direction. But now, with new adv…

Pathfinder Church | August 18, 2024 | AJ Mastic Over time, people have defined what it means to be human in different ways (rationality, creativity, ethics and morals). For Christians, we have looked to the Book of Genesis to understand the place of honor we’re given in and over creation. But in a world where artificial intelligence is quickly encr…

Pathfinder Church | August 11, 2024 | Dion Garrett Why doesn’t God take us to heaven right away? What’s the point of our sojourn on earth? On the journey we discover more about God’s grace and power, his transformative hand through all the things that feel challenging, tragic, and pointless. It’s about what God does in the journey, not the destinat…

Pathfinder Church | August 4, 2024 | Doug Mauss Most stories are about a protagonist overcoming obstacles due to his own strength, perseverance, and wisdom. But the Christian story relies on God’s supernatural wisdom and guidance, not our own. And we all have access to a divine power, the Holy Spirit in us. Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Onlin…

Pathfinder Church | July 28, 2024 | Dion Garrett There’s one final step to living with a deep sense of gratitude that too few of us experience: paying forward our blessings to others. How can giving to others enrich us, when the math says it will only deplete us? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Pod…

Pathfinder Church | July 21, 2024 | AJ Mastic When you experience something really good, it’s natural to want to talk about it. Except sometimes, whether because of modesty or self-protection, we do the opposite. In life, we’re encouraged to keep life’s good things to ourselves; after all, no one likes a braggart. But what do we miss out on when we…

Pathfinder Church | July 14, 2924 | Doug Mauss While we may say “thank you” to the person at the counter who serves us, things like thank you notes are a challenge. When seen through the lens of etiquette, formal “thank yous” seem burdensome, antiquated, and pointless, and perhaps they are? But what do we miss when we fail to take time to express o…

Pathfinder Church | July, 7, 2024 | AJ Mastic When someone pays you a compliment, what do you do? Do you quickly brush it off or do you take it in and savor it? What about when someone does something generous for you in a time of need? Why is it so difficult to enjoy the lemonade of life, even when we can clearly see the full glass before us? Websi…

Pathfinder Church | June 39, 2024 | Dion Garrett We notice lots of things in our daily lives, but usually we’re quicker to notice life’s lemons—life’s sour moments. Then, once we start seeing lemons, that’s all we can see! Just look at how quickly this can happen for entire nations! How do we cultivate a grateful mindset when life throws so many fr…

Pathfinder Church | June 23, 2024 | Doug Mauss Our world can be a really ugly and difficult place. The Gospel gives us hope of a better life, where God prospers us, like He did with many in the Bible – but that leaves us confused when life gets hard. Shouldn’t faith shield us from the pain and suffering of the world? Website | https://pathfinderstl…

Pathfinder Church | June 16, 2024 | Dion Garrett Some leaders bridge the gap between church and state; pastors that preach politics, and politicians that make faith their platform. Their uncommon approach may win our attendance or vote, but should we entrust one voice with so much authority? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https…

Pathfinder Church | June 9, 2024 | Doug Mauss The Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, contains hundreds of laws; shalls and shall nots. Are they just a part of history, or should we still be trying to keep them? What function do they serve today? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | htt…

Pathfinder Church | June 2, 2024 | AJ Mastic For ages, Christians have gotten the impression that our faith is about believing we’ll get to go to heaven someday. But, how could that have produced the global Christian movement that we have today, or established high-impact faith-based institutions like Hospitals, orphanages, and schools? Is there so…

Pathfinder Church | May 26, 2024 | Doug Mauss Christians know that we will have to answer to God for our deeds, so we hold ourselves and others to the standards laid out in the Bible. But it seems like the bar is impossibly high. Do you ever wonder where you stand with God? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.o…

Pathfinder Church | May 19, 2024 | Dion Garrett People read the Bible in all sorts of different ways, so how are we supposed to make sense of it? We do our best to let it guide the lives that we construct, but what if we’re emphasizing the wrong things? Is there a way to know we’re reading scripture the right way? Website | https://pathfinderstl.or…

Pathfinder Church | May 12, 2024 | Doug Mauss Our earliest complaint as children, and our enduring value as adults, is that life should be fair. Everyone should get what they deserve. But is perfect fairness the highest good, is there something even better—something we all wish we had instead? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | htt…

Pathfinder Church | May 5, 2024 | AJ Mastic It’s really nice to have comfortable things! A nice house, a quality car, constant access to the internet and our phones. The messaging of our culture says that comfort should be our ultimate goal—but is there something even better? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl…

Pathfinder Church | April 28, 2024 | Doug Mauss “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Our culture honors a good work ethic. It’s right to be diligent and work hard at what we do. And yet, this busy-ness becomes a taskmaster, demanding that we keep up the pace, in order to earn the good things in life. Website | http…

Pathfinder Church | April 21, 2024 | Dion Garrett There are certain assets in life that obviously help smooth out our paths: money, power, resources, and talent. These are the powerful levers that help us feel secure in life. But the quest for security comes with costs, both for ourself and others. What is the better dream God would have us rely on…

Pathfinder Church | April 14, 2024 | AJ Mastic It’s so good to be free. To be in control of your own life. To not have to do what anyone else tells you to do. And we often try to build a life that only depends on our own ability to be successful. But at what point does the “self-made” man need a little help? When does individualism begin to limit u…

Pathfinder Church | April 7, 2024 | Doug Mauss Being “unique” is a tricky dance. On the one hand, many of us would love to have extraordinary lives. On the other hand, very few of us want to be considered weird. How do we find a balance between making our mark and sticking out from the crowd, but also fitting in with the people you care about? Webs…

Pathfinder Church | March 31, 2024 | Dion Garrett What’s Better than Getting our Dreams? All of us have dreams for our lives, whether they be big or small. But dreams are tricky things. On the one hand, missing out on the life we’ve always wanted can lead to despair. On the other hand, as championship athletes can attest, succeeding at our dreams d…

Pathfinder Church | March 24, 2024 | AJ Mastic When someone is suffering, it feels right to try to join them in their suffering, to somehow stand with them. But lately the offering of “thoughts and prayers” to someone in a hardship has come to be seen as an empty and patronizing sentiment. But should those two things be linked, “thoughts and prayer…

Pathfinder Church | March 17, 2024 | Doug Mauss We all want guidance. We need it! Life is too confusing to navigate on our own. Some people have tried to find guidance looking to the stars and other heavenly bodies. Others have tried to interpret the meaning of various “signs from the universe.” But even if those entities were offering guidance, ho…

Pathfinder Church | March 10, 2024 | Dion Garrett There are numerous documented benefits to mindfulness practices and if the alternative is “mindlessness” then who can argue with the benefits? But what if quieting a runaway mind is not enough to give you lasting inner peace? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.…

February 28, 2024 Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podcasts Facebook | https://facebook.com/pathfinderstl Instagram | https://instagram.com/pathfinderstl St. John School | https://stjls.org Contact Us | churchinfo@pathfinderstl.org…

Pathfinder Church | March 3, 2024 | AJ Mastic What do you do when you want something, really want something? Do you set goals? Create a vision board? Write a letter to the universe? Manifesting is a practice that lies somewhere between spirituality and pseudo-science but even if it works, is it a good idea to get everything you want? Website | http…

February 21, 2024 Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podcasts Facebook | https://facebook.com/pathfinderstl Instagram | https://instagram.com/pathfinderstl St. John School | https://stjls.org Contact Us | churchinfo@pathfinderstl.org…

Pathfinder Church | February 25, 2024 | Dion Garrett God’s values are so expansive that no individual person could pursue all of them, let alone hold them all in tension. Left to ourselves, we’ll prioritize the biblical values that come most easily to us, or are most attuned to our own lives and histories. How do we avoid making godly morality some…

Pathfinder Church | February 18, 2024 | Doug Mauss The American experiment was to create a society not bound by the rigid structures of social class. And yet, it can be uncomfortable to socialize with people who are significantly wealthier—or significantly poorer—than we are. It only seems to promote resentment or envy! Which may be the reason we p…

Pathfinder Church | February 11, 2024 | Dion Garrett Everywhere you look, people naturally group themselves by age and season of life. From retirees gathering at McDonald’s to young families doing play dates together—it’s easier to stick with people your own age. But what are we costing ourselves by not maintaining relationships with people in all …

Pathfinder Church | February 4, 2024 | Doug Mauss It’s seemingly hard-wired into us to create loyalty groups. It’s easier to connect with someone who shares the same affinity for a sports team, patriotic fervor, or religious label. We sort ourselves into tribes, and narrow our frame of reference. Can we worship God sufficiently from only our own gr…

Pathfinder Church | January 28, 2024 | AJ Mastic Once you have a clear sense of who you really are, a really meaningful rich life can flow from it. It doesn’t work well when the flow is reversed. Otherwise, any changes in your career, your reputation, or your performance can rattle your sense of self. So once I know who I really am, what does that …

Pathfinder Church | January 21, 2024 | Dion Garrett One of the scary parts of getting closer to Jesus is that we are promised that we will change. But how do I know I’ll like the person I’m changed into? Website | https://pathfinderstl.org Online Giving | https://pathfinderstl.org/give Podcasts | https://pathfinderstl.org/podcasts Facebook | https:…