If you understand the math behind compounding, you realize the most important question is no, 'How can I earn the highest returns?' It's 'What are the best returns I can sustain for the longest period of time?' Little change compounded for a long time creates extraordinary change.Today's sermon isn't a conversation about compounding interest, it's a conversation about the power of compounding faithfulness, and faithfulness in its rawest is staying committed when you can't see results.

We started this year with what has been basic introductory material on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. As we come to the end of the “introduction” and prepare to move into a deeper conversation on the “fruit of the Spirit," we're going to let this one simple statement guide this message: The Holy Spirit is a divine person who helps us.

Pastor Bryan shares a personal story of a supernatural interruption he experienced at a remote cabin in Arkansas.

In this message, Pastor Bryan shares a Biblical perspective on living a life empowered by the Holy Spirit that distinguishes itself from cessationism and sensationalism. Scripture calls us to live in the tension while keeping our eyes focused on the Lord.

To the early church, the Holy Spirit and God were one and the same. It wasn't hard for them to think of the Father as God or the Son as God, but many view the Holy Spirit as some Jr. deity, some lower-ranking, impersonal force not equal to the Father and Son.One of the reasons people fall into this theological trap is because the Holy Spirit, by nature, operates in the background. His goal is never to bring honor and attention to Himself. The Holy Spirit always comes to reveal Jesus--to glorify Jesus.

We have more books written on prayer, more podcasts, videos and teaching tools on prayer than any generation in the history of the world. If our heart really wanted to engage in a meaningful relationship with God through prayer, we would.It's not a matter of "know-how"--it's a matter of "want-to."The Lord wants us to sense and see what is possible if we truly become a praying church.

No one in Scripture has been more misunderstood, misaligned, forgotten, or ignored than the Holy Spirit. There are all kinds of theological extremes surrounding the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and it's usually the extremes that get all the attention. Throughout the year, we will address the extremes and wade through the scripture to get a biblical understanding of the Spirit’s work.

Pastor Bryan discusses ways to prepare our hearts for Northplace's 21-Day fast.In the next 21 days and throughout 2024... our prayer is that the Holy Spirit would move so powerfully that:1. You become the you, God destined you to be.2. You are empowered by the Spirit to love people when they least expect it and least deserve it.

It will be your best year ever if it is your best year spiritually, and it will be your best year spiritually if you learn what it means to respond to God correctly.

Merry Christmas Northplace FamilyAll month long, we set out to answer the 4 big questions on the timeline of human history:1. How did it all begin? (Creation)2. What went wrong? (The Fall)3. How is God going to make it right? (Redemption)4. How will it all turn out in the end? (Restoration)Technically, the first in-breaking of God into human history was the very beginning ofthat history (at creation). The Garden of Eden was the first place the passion of God’s heart for a relationship (with us) was revealed. In the beauty of that paradise, He came down every day to walk and talk with Adam and Eve as a father and a friend.This, not Christmas...was the first Advent.It’s in these moments in the earliest days of creation and in the opening lines of your bible that you see the heart of God to be “with ”us. We’ve focused on this theme all month at Northplace: “Heaven Came Down”. But we want you to understand… this is not just true at Christmas. Heaven came down at creation...and He’s been coming down in unique ways ever since. Christmas is just one more moment in God’s story where God comes down to be with us.

Each week, we’ve been looking at lesser-known, more obscure Christmas passages that don’t tell us the details of what happened (shepherds, wise men, mangers), but they tell us the meaning of what happened. Today's sermon helps answer this question: How does Christmas connect with God’s plan to make everything right in the world?

The whole story of the bible can broken into these four chapters: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Last week, we looked at how it all began. This week, we’re going to be looking at what went wrong.Without truly understanding what went wrong with the human race, you’ll never understand why Jesus HAD to become human, and you’ll never see the full beauty of Christmas.

As we begin the Advent and Christmas season and end this year-long bible engagement journey, we want to finish it the way we started it: by pointing you back to the bigger story. And as we do, it not only helps you understand the whole bible more clearly, but you’re going to understand and appreciate the meaning of Christmas in a way you never have before.

Aristotle, immersed in the pantheon of Greek gods, thought it was totally absurd to think that a human being could be a friend of the gods. Aristotle said friendship was an impossibility because humans and the divine share absolutely nothing in common.Is it absurd to think that man could be a friend of God? Yes. But is it possible? According to scripture...Yes. It’s a beautiful absurdity...but a stunning possibility.And it’s only possible because the God of Christianity is very different from any other deity throughout all of history.

What does it look like to live a spirit-filled life? If we are truly empowered by the Spirit, shouldn’t that be noticeable in our work life, in our relationships, in our witness? If so, how?Far too many of us live lives that are too much like our friends and neighbors who don’t follow Christ. We’re living an everyday life when a supernatural life is available to us. We’re living beneath our privilege as sons and daughters of God.Project Rescuehttps://forms.ministryforms.net/embed.aspx?formId=fa9ab3d6-70fd-403a-ba47-fd5b63d77a8a

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been looking into various aspects that define the “church”, not just a particular local church but the Lord’s church globally (and eternally). In the Great Commission, you see an underlying principle recurring throughout the bible. Once we realize the depth of God’s grace that has been given to us, gratitude will overflow from our hearts. We will want to pay it forward. We will want others to know and experience what we now know and have experienced.Give to Project Rescue Herehttps://forms.ministryforms.net/embed.aspx?formId=fa9ab3d6-70fd-403a-ba47-fd5b63d77a8a

Over the last few weeks, we've been discussing the reawakening of our love for the church. Not the building, not a denomination, not a certain ministry, but the beautiful, complex, diverse, global, and eternal family of God. His Church.This week, Pastor Bryan brings clarity to misconceptions about heaven in order to come to a true, biblical understanding that would infuse a future-focused hope into our present journey through life.

Will you prepare your heart and your life to be a place where God dwells?There is something unique, powerful...even holy, and supernatural about the collective worship of God’s people when we gather. In week 2 of The Church Defined series, we will discover how worship is defined and lived out in the context of The Church.

Guest speaker and one of Northplace's teaching pastors, Scotty Gibbons, joins us this week with a powerful message about how to respond when life has not panned out the way we thought it would.

The church has been chosen by God the Father, purchased by Christ the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The church is a sacred family that should be cherished and recognized as “dear” by all who call her home. But referring to something as “dear” is not all that common in our culture...especially, when thinking about the church.The goal of this sermon (and the next few weeks) is to help all of us rediscover and reawaken our love for the church. If you’re struggling to value the church or see the beauty in it, these next few weeks are for you.

Last week, we focused on the previous part of chapter 12 and saw the practical advice the writer of Hebrews gives on “how to get” or “how to build” an unshakable life. But today, we want to back up and look at the earlier parts of this passage where the author compares and contrasts the shakable life from the unshakable.

Adversity reveals who you really are. When the earth gives way underneath you or when the storm rages around you. When the shaking starts, it’s going to expose you for who you really are. So here's the question: What will wash up on the shore of other people’s lives after the biggest storm of your life?There will be things shaken loose that scatter from the storm of our life that will invariably impact the lives of people we are in relationship with.

If we study the Gospel message from the Angel and the appropriate wayMary responds to it; it will help us determine if we are truly Christians.It leaves us with the question: Have YOU truly understood and appropriately responded to the gospel?Luke 1:26-38

When we read this description of Jesus' lineage, and see it the way God intends us to, it becomes a literal summation of the story of grace that has unfolded throughout the Old Testament. It’s like Matthew is kicking off the New Testament with this genealogy saying to us: Here is a summation of the story so far.The Gospel isn’t a story about how to live your life better. It’s not some “once upon a time” sweet little fairy tale about how to live a more moral life. It’s not advice. The Gospel is the announcement of what Jesus has already done. All we have to do to be saved is respond to that announcement. We must bow our knees to the king who fought the battle to save us.

If there is one thing God cannot do, is change. Changing his character, His ways, His nature, is not even a possibility. God’s promise to us is that He will never do that. And the promise of God’s immutability, His unchanging nature, is where we can anchor our lives in an ever-changing world of chaos, uncertainty, and ambiguity.

Join us with Dr. Oss, as we take a deep dive into the book of Psalms. 

There are going to be moments in your life when the lights go out. Where you’re having to follow God in the dark. When the promises of God you read in his word (or that He’s whispered into your heart) that at one time were so clear and certain. There will come a time when they will seem like an allusion. It will all seem like an impossibility.We spend so much of our lives living in that space. Where our God seems silent and our problems are very loud. Where God seems distant and obscure and our suffering is not.And if you’re in that space today, this is one more nudge of the HolySpirit calling you to stiffen your spine, stand firm in your faith, and trust in the faithfulness of your God.

Abraham is considered “Father Abraham”...the “Father of Our Faith” because of the radicle obedience referenced here in Hebrews 11:8. Every follower of Jesus can trace their spiritual ancestry back to this single step of faith. We’re sitting here today as followers of Jesus because Abraham made that courageous decision to honor God with irrational obedience.The defining moments of your life will usually come down to a decision between your personal comfort or your irrational obedience to God.

If, like many American Christians, you see God as a divine bellhop that can be ordered around at your whim, or a genie that’s simply supposed to grant your wishes or some type of Santa Claus that’s just there to fulfill your requests, you’re going to have a hard time processing the God revealed in the scriptures today.But, if you can learn to trust the character, the goodness, the sovereignty, and the timing of (this often-misunderstood God), that we see in the scriptures, your life will have far more peace and your spirit will be far more at rest, than the average churchgoer or person who claims to be a Christian.

Our culture is absolutely obsessed with appearance. There are even companiesyou can hire to help you manage your image. But God is not impressed by our image management. He couldn’t care less. He doesn’t judge a person by appearance, achievements, accomplishments, acquisitions, education, or wealth. He’s more concerned about the authentic internal you--the purity and integrity of your heart.If you have integrity, there’s not a church version of you and a different work version of you. If you have integrity, the Friday night (or vacation you) is the same as the “Sunday morning in church” you.Integrity means you don't pretend to be something you're not and you’re not always changing based on who you’re with at the moment.

Far too many people come to church on the weekends, raise their hands in worship, give, pray, even get emotional when they sense the presence of God, and yet walk out of here and be someone totally different at work, or at home, or with the girls on that night out, or with boys out on the town because they’ve compartmentalized their life to rationalize two sets of behaviors, and people who do that don’t have integrity. They're living duplicitous, double-standard lives. It’s almost as if this scenario is more normal than a Christian who is righteous, consistent, and lives a blameless life. It may be normal in American Christianity but it’s not the expectations set out in God’s word for his people.

He is the God who sees our tears, but do we see His tears for us?This week we are looking at one of God’s most forgotten aspects found in the book of Ezekiel … God as a lover.God comes and says I want to be the husband and lover of the church. God is a Smitten Lover, a Wounded Lover, and a Faithful Lover. This is why we need to understand that our sin is more than just breaking God’s law; our sin is what breaks God’s heart. You become a slave to what you love and seek.

The writer of Hebrews makes a unique statement about the shed blood of Christ. He says the blood of Christ “speaks” better things than the blood of Abel. The blood of Jesus has a voice and it speaks mercy, grace, pardon, and forgiveness over our lives. In the same way, your tears have a voice. Your tears speak. They are a language all their own. And it’s a language God intimately understands. They need no interpretation or translation. It’s heart-to-heart communication.In some mysterious way, our complex inner communication systemknows when it reaches its verbal limitations and that’s when the tears flow.

Pastor Scotty Gibbons, one of Northplace's teaching pastors, joins us this week to discuss the importance of the next generation and our responsibility to pass on our 'God Stories' and commit to praying for them.

For so many people in the world and unfortunately for so many followers of Jesus, the phrases "I still haven’t found what I’m looking for," or "I still haven’t seen or experienced what I thought I should by now," or "I’ve looked everywhere and there still seems to be something missing in my work, in my family in my relationships in my emotional and inner life," seem to be mindsets that we constantly struggle with, and we tend to think that if I could just have this one thing, I'd be really happy.The problem is, if that philosophy worked, we would all be the happiest, most fulfilled versions of ourselves by now, and yet so many of us aren’t. But at the same time, something inside of us screams that we were made for more. So we keep searching and looking, and the majority of us ultimately end up in one of three places:1. We blame things2. We blame ourselves3. We give up on what we're looking forBut what if the fact that you haven’t found what you’re looking for isactually proof that something out there exists that will satisfy you? You just need to adjust where you look...

Words create worlds. Your words create the culture in your home. Your words create the perception people have of you. Your words either strengthen or destroy your relationships. So yes...your words create the world you live in.If you want to change your life, you have to change your words.

Proverbs has a lot to say about our speech patterns. And if you survey the entire book and examine everything it has to say about our words, it can be boiled down to this thesis or premise: If you want your words to reflect God’s heart, you need to know the “why”, “what” and “how” of words:1. Why Words Have Power2. What Differentiates Life-giving Words from Destructive Words3. How to Align Your Words with God’s HeartAccording to Proverbs, words can kill physically, psychologically, spiritually, butwords also have the power to destroy relationship and community. Because once a damaging word is spoken, there is nothing you can do to make it as if it had never been uttered.

In week one, we saw how our relationships impact our destiny. In week two, we learned how to biblically respond to criticism and critical people. In week 3, we learned the importance of staying excited and hopeful about our future.Here’s the focus for week 4: Your attitude more than your aptitude will determine your altitude.

In week one, we saw how the bible teaches us that our relationships determine our destinies. (For the good or the bad). The company you keep is the best indicator of your future. Last week, we learned from the lives of Moses, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, and ultimately from Jesus...on how to respond to criticism (and criticalpeople) in an emotionally and spiritually mature way.This week, we look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:3 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”God has planted in side of every one of us an awareness that there is something more to life than this transient, temporary world. And that awareness is meant to feed our hope and expectation of the future.

Last week we talked about relationships. And how the bible revealsthat our relationships determine our destinies. (For the good or for the bad)We saw that over and over again in Scripture, from the Proverbs to Paul.Today, we’re going to look at: Dealing with Criticism in an EmotionallyMature, Christ-like Way. When we say criticism, we're not talking about the healthy kind of constructive criticism where people who love you are exposing your blind spots and speaking the hard truth because they care. That’s the goodkind of criticism...that you’re supposed to welcome.Today we're talking about your critics...those who try to tear you down, undermine your reputation, and attack your character. How do you respond to THAT in an emotionally mature, Christ-like way?

The Bible has a lot to say about how to respond to critics and criticism in a Christ-like way, how our responses to things we can't control will determine the direction of our lives more than what actually happens to us, or about how staying excited about the future is a prerequisite to living a life of fulfillment, and how the people you associate yourself with will determine your success or failure.As we celebrate the Class of 2023, the quote "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future" is a great start to a conversation about relationships and the influences we allow in our lives. Because your relationships will determine your destiny.

Happy Mother's DayAs we read through our bible reading plans together this year, something has stood out like never before. Over and over again, scripture uses the imagery of a Mother’s love to capture how tender, compassionate, and absolute God’s love is for us.

The only way to turn beliefs into character is through practices. Practices that we often call spiritual disciplines. Practices like prayer, worship, and the study of His word. There are many more Christian “practices” that produce character, but this week let's look to Psalm 119 to help us better understand the “practice” of engaging God’s word and how doing so is supposed to impact our everyday life.

Maybe you’re not all that religious and have never thought about God having some grand plan or vision for your life. In some way, you may have disqualified yourself, simply through your lack of awareness. But make no mistake about it, God has a bigger dream for your life than anything you could ever come up with on your own. You just need to discover it and develop it.You can’t change the past, but today you can start living in the present and preparing for the dream God has for your future.

Bonus Material from Week 2 of Dream - The Key to Living Life in Crescendo

Anybody that has ever stepped out in faith and followed God on this adventurous journey toward His dream for their lives is familiar with these words: Delay, Denial, Detour, Distraction, Discouragement, Difficulty, and Dead Ends. The headwinds of struggle are inevitable when you’re pursuing God’s call, God’s dream, and God’s plans and purposes for your life. As we talk about the struggle, we all need to remember one thing: God is more interested in who you’re becoming than what He’s called you to do.

Bonus Material from Week 1 of our new series Dream - The Key to Living a Life of CrescendoCheck out the full message on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTigCb_FvRA&t=1s

If any group of people ought to be able to live their lives with a "Crescendo Mentality" it ought to be followers of Jesus who believe in the hope of the Gospel. So this week, we are starting a series of messages called: Dream - The Key to Living a Life of CrescendoBecause having a dream, pursuing a dream, and fighting for a dream is a major key to living. life with a crescendo mindset and mentality.

One of the reasons music is so emotionally powerful is the use of two dynamics known as Crescendo and Diminuendo.One of the most powerful moments in a song is it’s crescendo. A crescendo in music is the slow, gradual build in volume and intensity that brings everything to a powerful climatic peak.When done well, the listener actually feels and experiences that moment with the artist.Every crescendo is followed by a diminuendo. A diminuendo is where the volume and intensity decreases.There’s a sense of forward momentum that crescendos...and then the song begins to decline...that decline is the diminuendo.But this crescendo and diminuendo thing is not just a music thing. It’s also a life thing. The “crescendo mentality” is when you live as if the best days of your life are always in front of you.An Easter Prayer of SurrenderJesus, I’ve grown tired of the constant cycle of spiritual highs and lows. My heart aches for something solid and secure in a world of continued instability and uncertainty.Today, I’m convinced that only You can satisfy the ache of my heart. You alone can bring consistency to my up-and-down life.I need You, AND I want you. I need your forgiveness and grace becauseI’ve sinned and fallen short. I want your resurrection power to make my tomorrows different than my past and my present.Today, I put my faith in the Jesus of the empty tomb. I give you all of me. I fully surrender my life to your Lordship and ask you to transform my heart with the power of your love.I choose You, just as You have chosen me, and I know I will never be forsaken by fully trusting in you. Jesus, because of Your resurrection power, today will be the crescendo of my story. Amen.

On this particular Sunday, the day we've come to call Palm Sunday. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a borrowed colt while people feverishly praise him waving palm branches and singing.But don't misunderstand this moment and don't misunderstand the reason for their praise. If you don't understand the motivation behind waving the palm branches and offering their praise, you'll never understand how they could go from yelling "Hosanna" on Sunday to many of these same people yelling "crucify him" on Friday.And we sit here and condemn the crowd for their fickle emotional swings, but are we all that different? Some of us sit here today bitter at God because He hasn't met our expectations.But let's try to learn from their mistake and realize that God is up to something bigger than we can understand. When we cannot track his ways, we have to trust his heart. When he is silent, he is not still. He is actively working behind the scenes to bring his good plans and purposed to fruition in this world and in our lives even if what I currently see with my natural eyes doesn't show it.

The way we love and serve others is a litmus test of our own love for God, but also, if we're willing to inconvenience ourselves loving and serving others it will open the door for our neighbors to meet Jesus and experience eternal life for themselves.

Our modern understanding of war and conquest is this idea that the strong impose their will on the weak. And in many cases, the strong turn their conquest into a "holy war" using their god or god's as an excuse to justify their plundering of the weak.Last week, we zoomed out and looked at the big picture story of what's actually going on in the Bible when it comes to war and violence. There are some things that were obvious to the ancient writers and readers of the Old Testament that we misinterpret when we try to look at them through modern lenses.This week we continue the conversation and ask ourselves: How do we confront the modern caricature with a more historically and biblically accurate reality?

As we read through the Bible together this year, it's easy to notice all the violence in the Old Testament. As the voices of God's critics are getting louder, one of the major criticisms we hear today is how God seems to condone "holy war" telling His people to occupy the land and kill anyone that tries to stop them. And then Jesus comes along in the New Testament telling people to love their enemies and turn the other cheek.So then the critical voices ask: Which God do you serve? The genocidal general of the Old Testament, or the peace-loving, merciful God of the New? Because surely these extremely different character traits can't be the same deity, right? And if they are, doesn't that make God problematic?As we reclaim a healthy understanding of the historical and biblical narrative, it answers some of the criticisms of the modern skeptic. But it still doesn't fully deal with those drastic marching orders where God commands them to show no mercy and kill everything that breathes. As we study this in its biblical and historical context, we believe you'll walk away more assured of the goodness of God.

As we prepare to move into the book of Joshua in The Unfolding reading plan, let's review the book of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and ask ourselves these three questions:1. How do these books move the story and narration of the Bible along?2. How do they point us to the Gospel of Grace?3. How do they point us to Jesus?

We're living in the beginning of a historical moment--a moment we've been praying for for years. But because it's happening right in front of us, and because it's happening among students and because it's not happening in a church, many people don't recognize it for what it is.Will people mismanage this move of God? If history proves anything, probably so. But history also proves that God wants to move among us so passionately that he will (mercifully) keep coming. That's just his heart.

Redemptive Historical Unfolding: God Reveals Through TimeIntroduction- The revealing of God’s plan of redemption in the Scriptures is tied to time and space, cultures and people.- Biblical theology utilizes the Bible’s themes, images, concepts, and types to understand and communicate biblical truths about God’s plan in Christ to extend grace to people in order to redeem them.- The plan of salvation amplifies through history. The “unfolding” gains momentum and substance, with all roads leading to salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.The Principle- Scripture uses the covenants, themes, concepts, persons, places, objects, actions, and events to reveal God’s redemptive plan in increasingly detailed perspective. At the same time, Scripture gives us an overarching view of the “grand narrative” of redemption.- Biblical theology explores both the increasingly detailed perspective and the larger whole—the grand vista.- The method of biblical theology leads us to understand how the parts of Scripture fit into the larger whole.Check out theunfolding.bible for reading plans and more resources

This lecture is taught by our Scholar in Residence, Dr. Doug Oss. He has over 25 years of pastoral experience and 27 years as a seminary professor. Dr. Oss has served as a theologian, author, church planter, Bible translator, Greek scholar, and evangelist. The Big Idea:Jesus Christ is the center point of everything, everywhere, all at once, from the infinity past to infinity future. Christ is the center of ALL. God’s Story is already completed in the scripture - we know the end. We know who wins - yet it is still unfolding in history as we know it. For more information about The Unfolding project, bible study resources, and access to our Northplace reading plan check out TheUnfolding.bible

If you’re paying attention, God is doing something big--right now. Since the Asbury Awakening broke out on February 8th at the end of normal chapel service that turned into a prayer service that never stopped, what God is doing has spread across the country.Be careful of your preconceived ideas of what revival is or what it ought to be. You may have preconceived ideas base on your past experiences, or you may have preconceived ideas based off of denominational expectations. Quit drawing lines for God and telling him He has to color inside your lines. And guard you heart of the cynicism that will make you spiritual barren.If people are in the altar crying out to God, repenting of sin, coming to Christ, and seeking to live a more holy life, we want more of that. That’s the classic definition of renewal and revival.

This was a special week as Pastor Bryan preached from our Durban campus in South Africa for the 5-year birthday celebration. The fact that Pastor Bryan was able to speak in Durban speaks to the power of faith and vision. It speaks to the fruit of being faithful to what God asks us to do, and it speaks the faithfulness of God.There are hundreds of different names and titles assigned to God in the Bible, but the one we need to remember on this historic day is that He is Jehovah-Frugal; the God Who Wastes Nothing.

Just like a team of professional football players need a playbook to map out plans and strategies for a game, we as God's people have been given a book to guide us through life. We have access to a tool that helps lead us through the struggles of life and the power to mold us into who God has intended for us to be. It's not enough for us to see and hear God's Word; we need to love it, learn it, and live it.Check out theunfolding.bible for more resources and a monthly reading plan

God cannot be truly “good" and NOT deal with sin, evil and injustice. This tension between God’s holiness and righteousness and his compassion and mercy toward sinful, broken people is felt throughout the book of Exodus (and your whole bible for that matter). And Exodus will start revealing to us how God is going to reconcile this tension between his gracious heart that demands mercy and his holiness that demands accountability.

You often hear people talk about “preaching the Gospel” or you’ll hear them refer to the “Gospel of Jesus Christ." But what is the Gospel? Well, in a literalsense, it means “good news." It’s the good news about salvation through Jesus Christ. But when most people think about the Gospel they’re usually thinking about it in one of two ways:1. The “Gospel” as a principle2. The “Gospel” as a storyBut here’s the part that a lot of people miss: even though we’re saved by faith in Christ alone (and not by our own works) a real, authentic, saving faith WILL produce good works in us. The gospel will change us deeply and impact the way we live our lives.

We want to answer the question: "What is the Bible?"Is it an encyclopedia of truth where you look up a subject of interest and learn all there is to know? On subjects like God, marriage, sex, money, how to get ahead in life...Is that what it is? Or is it an allegory or riddle about you and life and Jesus and the right way to read it is to look for the deep symbolic clues or spiritual meanings?Here's why this matters: if we misunderstand what the Bible is, we’llturn it into something it's not...and then we’ll end up using it and abusingit to our own ends.

TheUnfolding.BibleMost of us claim to be Christians but have never read the bible through. Which means we're basing our lives on a book we've never actually read. Why is that? How can there be so much love, respect, and admiration for a book we see as sacred, yet people won't read it?A LOT of crazy things have been done in the name of "the Bible says." The Bible has been the cause of some of the greatest good in human history, and it has been misused for some of the greatest evil.When misused, the Bible becomes a poison. When read, understood, and accurately applied, it becomes the cure.

The Bible is not a collection of 66 random books full of odd stories. It’s not a compilation of inspirational quotes. It’s not a moral code. This book is the way God has chosen to reveal Himself to us.As you read and engage every page with an understanding of the overarching storyline, God reveals more and more of himself to us. That’swhy we call the Bible “the unfolding revelation of God”.And it all points to Jesus.Check out theunfolding.bible for our reading plan, resources, and more. We have something for every age!

Merry Christmas from your Northplace family!"Obedience to God aligns us with His heart and places us in the pathway of His blessings." - Pastor Bryan

Christmas is the story of this transcendent God becoming one of us--the story of the divine becoming human--of deity robing himself in flesh. Because of that, our attention in the coming days before Christmas will be on the baby in a manger. The nativity scene captures our focus; however, we will NEVER comprehend the magnitude of God becoming flesh until we understand what it means for God to be God.We've already focused on the 'Ever' part of His nature, so on this Sunday before Christmas, let's look at what it means for God to truly be 'present' with us.

Ever Present Week 2Psalm 46 doesn't normally cause people to think about Christmas, but the concept of an Ever-Present God is the very essence of what Christmas is all about. What God has done for us in the Christmas story--his willingness to be present with us--is one of the most beautiful expressions and demonstrations of love you will ever see.Just think about how much peace it would give you, if you lived constantly with an awareness that the presence of Jesus was always with you.

During the month of December, we celebrate God's presence in the world, with Christmas as the pinnacle, but we also let our anticipation build for his return--his second Advent--as promised in scripture.To understand the "Ever Present" nature of God, we need to understand two words often used in theological circles that are rarely used anywhere else: Transcendence and Immanence.These are opposite concepts and yet both are completely true of our God. The words "Ever-Present" describe the transcendence and the immanence of God.

Closing out The Affluenza Antidote series, this week we looked at the last part of Paul's explanation of the antidote that can cure our hearts of affluenza.If you want to move the heart of God, if you want to capture His attention, if you want to show Him love, then give yourself--your time and resources--doing something for the people that are made in His image. Like Paul, Jesus instructs us to let eternity motivate our generosity--to look past this present world and think about laying up treasure in the age to come.Jesus teaches us to view our time and money in light of eternity, because when we do, we will loosen our grip on our money and it loosens its grip on us.

All Christians have been instructed to do good for other people. PoorChristians, middle-income Christians, rich Christians. Every Christian, every follower of Jesus is supposed to “do good." But in his comments specifically made to affluent people, he’s saying: Do even more good.Can you imagine what would happen in our communities in our country if every Christian took this piece of advice from Paul and Jesus and acted on it? It would literally change the world. And it would change us. The entire reputation of the Christian faith in this country would be changed.

Week 2 of series : The Affluenza AntidoteWhich of these two statements create the most anxiety in you:1. There is no God.2. You have no money.Your honest answer will tell you where you really place your hope.There is an antidote to affluenza clearly marked out for us in scripture, and if we can cometo an awareness that we have this spiritual disease and we’re willing to apply the scripture’s cure, our hearts can be healed of it.

Affluenza: 1. a pseudo-psychological condition defined as the inability of an individual to understand the consequences of their actions because of their social status or economic privilege. (i.e. Ethan Couch) 2. a social condition that arises from the desire to be more wealthy or successful. (i.e. most Americans)Jesus could not have been any clearer on what we should be doing with what we have. His teaching on the subject can be summarized like this: It's not how much you have that matters. It's what you do with what you have that will count either for you or against you in the kingdom of heaven.

If you have put your faith in Christ, you are not a slave; you are a son. You are not a slave; you are a daughter of the King. But because most of us don't truly understand what the Gospel promises, we live our lives like religious slaves instead of living our lives with assurances the love of God gives us as His children.Your identity is made up of the combination of your self-image and your self-worth. On the other hand, your self-worth comes from the things that make you feel significant, worthy, and confident in your value. So what kind of identity do we need? What kind of identity is stable, secure, and lasting? We need someone from the outside to name us--to GIVE us our identity.

Approval of Others + My Performance = My Self-Worth/Image/Identity.Here’s what this formula produces in us:1. Fear of failure2. Fear of rejection3. Fear of punishment4. ShameThese 4 things are the byproduct of living our lives performing to gain approval and letting other people’s opinions determine our self-worth. These are 4 lies that govern us when we don’t understand the gospel. These lies negatively shape our self-worth, the way we perceive God and the way we relate to other people. God’s response to these lies are profound theological truths anchored in his character and in the gospel. If we can get our heads and hearts around these truths, it would change everythingfor us.

Your thoughts affect your emotional, relational, and spiritual development. And so many of our emotional, relational, and life problems are rooted in our wrong assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs about love and acceptance. We haven’t fully grasped the way God loves us.Most people going to church every Sunday don’t really understand the gospel. They’re more influenced by religious traditions that have been handed down from one generation to the next. And in many places our religious and church traditions are in conflict with the real gospel."Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6 This is an emphatic promise--a bold declaration: The goodness and mercy of God WILL follow you every single day of your life.

For some of us, we reached what we thought was the dream, but it doesn't feel as magical as we pictured it. For some of us, it feels like the dream is constantly ever-so slightly outside of our grasp. For some of us, the dream is dormant. We've let defeat and frustration bring us to a place where giving up on the dream felt like a better option than waiting for it to happen the way we thought it was going to happen.1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.'"Not what you've prepared. Not what you've concocted. But what God has prepared for those who love Him. When you finish living out your dreams, when you finally step into what you've been called to step into, will people be talking about you or will they be talking about Him?

One of the consequences of sin is alienation. Not just alienation from God, but also from each other. In the Bible, relationship restoration is often referred to as "reconciliation." When lived out, the gospel has the power to restore us to each other. "For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death." Ephesians 2:14-16 If being transformed by the gospel produced this forgiving, reconciling culture in the early church, what does that say to us as Christians today?

Do you believe that when you die, you're going to rot? That this world is all you have? That one day the sun is going to burn out and civilization is going to be gone and nobody will remember anything anybody's ever done? Or do you believe what John writes about in Revelation 21:"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All things are gone forever. And the one sitting on the throne said 'Look, I am making everything new!'"When you study the narrative of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, the central theme of scripture is Restoration. When sin entered the world, the perfection and paradise God had established for His people was shattered. We see all throughout scripture God's plan to restore His people--to undo the curse of sin. When you understand God's design to restore, it produces a hope for you that can't be found anywhere else in the world. It's not an abstract idea. It's a real, living, certain hope.What we believe about the future determines how we respond in the present. 

If you study the activity of God through history--His character and nature--you will notice that it's during dark times, like what we may be experiencing in our time, that God interrupts the course of human events in destiny defining ways. When things looks darkest--even hopeless--these are the moments when God intervenes. In the Bible we see God, through the prophet Amos, promise restoration:Amos 9:13-14 "'The time will come,' says the Lord, 'when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine.'"God reveals something to us about himself in this book--He gives promises of acceleration and restoration. So what does that look like for each of us in the seasons we're living in? If we live lives in full surrender to God and pursue what He pursues, He will accelerate our effectiveness to make a difference in this world. He will exceed what we expect and increase what we invest. He will accelerate time to accomplish His kingdom purpose in and through us.Let hope arise. Let faith increase. Elevate your expectation for a season of unexcelled and unprecedented harvest. The season of restoration is a season of accelerated harvest! 

What if you’ve obeyed, been faithful, done everything right, and still nothing happens? What if your prayers are still not answered? What if there is no healing? What if there’s no breakthrough or miracle?During their Babylonian captivity, King Nebuchadnezzar created a statue, turning it into a god, and making a decree that all the people in his kingdom must bow down before it. However, three young Hebrew men that had been taken captive, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow. Nebuchadnezzar is furious and goes into a rage. And in the public square, before all the people at the statue, he gives the Hebrew boys one more chance to bow and warns them that if they do not bow, the Babylonians will throw them into a blazing furnace.Here’s the response from these young men to a powerful and wicked king:Daniel 3:16-18 NLT16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”Key in on that phrase in verse18 that has become one of my life verses: 18 But even if he doesn’t.Those young men were saying, “Our God can deliver us, but in His sovereignty, if he were to choose something else at this moment, we’re serving notice on you king we will still trust our God we will still be faithful to him we will still honor him, and we will not bow to your idols.The phrase “But even if he doesn’t” is an incredible expression of trust and faith. These young men believed in God and trusted him, even if he wouldn’t answer their requests the way they preferred.

At first glance, it’s not all that profound. It says this in Luke 9:15 ESV: “And they did so...” You’ll probably never hear another person refer to this verse as a life verse. As a matter of fact, you may never hear another sermon preached from this particular verse of scripture. Doesn’t seem all that powerful, does it? But when you realize who “they” are, when you see what “they” did, and the circumstances in which they did it, you’ll begin to understand: The Power of Irrational ObedienceLooking at the verse in context, this passage is about the famous “feeding of the 5000.” One of the most well-known miracles of Jesus. This story is included in all 4 gospels. It’s the only miracle of Jesus besides the resurrection that is told in all 4 gospels (Which should tell us something about its significance).

When Jesus left the splendor of heaven to walk the earth in human form, he had two primary motives. The first was to show us the image of God. As God in the flesh, he came to reveal God’s love, character, compassion, and nature. Second, he came to show us what it looks like to be human in a way that honors God.  The second part is very relevant for the church today, showing us what it means to be human. Jesus came to show us the nature of God, and He came to show us how to be human.  We have a phrase in English that most use (or hear used) so often I don’t think we realize how odd the term is. We’re so familiar with it that we don’t think about it. We just say it. The phrase is “Pay Attention.” Have you ever thought about that phrase? We talk about “paying” attention to people or “paying” attention to details, or “paying” attention to the things of God. Paying for something means a transaction is taking place. When you “pay” for something, you exchange some form of currency for something of value. Your attention is a currency. And giving your attention to (or “paying” attention to) someone or something...coveys value upon that person or thing.  So you can increase a person’s value by giving them your attention, or you can diminish their value by withholding it (or giving it half-heartedly). Your attention is a currency (like money) which means you can use it wisely or waste it. You can invest it, or you can withhold it.

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Conflict is the key to laughter and peace. When we hear a funny joke, we experience conflict. Every time we laugh, we do so because of the conflict in the premise. The following is a neutral position, which won’t include laughter. Every time we hear a joke, this occurs A, B, and three. We would assume the series would be A, B, and C. However, the twist in the third part brings conflict. After we analyze it, we can see how the speaker got there. Finally, we realize that the number three fits in place of C. Here is how conflict is the key to peace as well. Conflict brings up emotions that make us try to justify how things should be versus asking the question, why is a particular situation bothering me? What is this coming up in me? Everything in life plays like this, and it’s an opportunity. If we let it, conflict can mean that we get to get better. It’s inevitable; life is going to bring you to these circumstances.  Imagine being made out of wood, and there’s a doorway shaped precisely like you. And you’re supposed to walk through that doorway, but you have a knot that will not let you through. You don’t quite fit through the door, and life brings you people and circumstances that act like sandpaper to rub this knot down.  What happens when you shy away from conflict? We invite you to watch this video and find out. Michael Jr. is one of the funniest guys alive, and he can do that in a wholesome way, which is not standard on the comedy scene. He is a multi-talented guy, not just a comedian but an actor. You’ve seen him in great movies, like the war room. He’s had starring roles in movies like “Selfie Dad” and productions like “Laughing on purpose” and “More than funny.” He’s authored several books, the most recent in 2021, funny how life works, and he has new material coming out. 

Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. In this wisdom literature, the Bible repeatedly tells us that what is happening in our “inner life” has more bearing on our happiness and fulfillment than what is happening to our external lives. We’ve seen that expressed in Proverbs: 14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 NIV Notice that the Bible’s term for emotional unhealth is: “a crushed spirit.” So if you have a crushed spirit, you have a broken heart OR a wounded soul, OR a toxic “inner-life” for one reason or another.  As Proverbs 15 points out:13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13 NIV Over the last several weeks, we’ve been looking at all the emotions and feelings that can cause a crushed spirit: stress, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, burnout, grief, and many others. But in this message which concludes our series, Pastor Bryan points to our hope. We will point to God’s promise for a crushed spirit, to the Bible’s path toward healing.

A valley perspective reminds us of the value of God's Word. We want the value of God's word to be limited to favor and blessing. But what if our perspective of favor and blessing is only in our expectation that favor and blessing equal abundance? The Value of God's Word is not in abundance but in action. If he said it, we believe it. God said the drought was coming. God said He would provide Elijah water from the brook & ravens. But he did not say how long it would last or how much he would be given.Elijah was not promised he could ride the entire drought out at the brook.  "Trust is the goal of every season" - Joshua Seymour. 

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"Your image of God determines your expectations of God."This week Pastor Bryan Jarrett reminded us about how our image of God affects every aspect of our lives. You can watch this message here at http://www.northplacechurch.com/watch/Connect with us:Website: http://www.northplacechurch.comNorthplace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northplacech...Northplace Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northplaceNorthplace Church Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northplace

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Join Pastor Bryan, Mike Dsane, Bill Beamon, Alex Bryant, and Monte Coleman, as they humbly learn from each other in an open conversation about race.

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

We wanted to remind you of a few ways you can stay connected with our church. ·  Visit northplacechurch.com for updates·  Subscribe to our email newsletter, at northplacechurch.com·  Text NPC to 31996 to receive updates during this timeOur team in the office has been working around the clock to bring you more ways to stay connected during this time. We have also created "The Official Northplace Community Online." (https://npch.us/2J3ywGF) It's a Facebook group that will help you get connected to other believers, people who want to grow in their spiritual journey. We have some great upcoming opportunities for you in that group, and we don't want you to miss out.If this is beneficial to you, we would love for you to let someone else know! Share it with a friend and interact in the comments section. We would enjoy knowing your thoughts.To watch the video of this podcast head to our YouTube page, youtube.com/northplacechurch

Join pastor Greg Hartmann as the host of our new podcast series, the Breakdown. In each episode, we will have conversations about practical applications to our weekend messages. As our frame of reference, we will be discussing our series "Get Up and Lead" that pastor Bryan shared in January, and we will explore how we can use those principles and apply them to our current circumstances. We wanted to remind you of a few ways you can stay connected with our church. ·  Visit northplacechurch.com for updates·  Subscribe to our email newsletter, at northplacechurch.com·  Text NPC to 31996 to receive updates during this timeOur team in the office has been working around the clock to bring you more ways to stay connected during this time. We have also created "The Official Northplace Community Online." (https://npch.us/2J3ywGF) It's a Facebook group that will help you get connected to other believers, people who want to grow in their spiritual journey. We have some great upcoming opportunities for you in that group, and we don't want you to miss out.If this is beneficial to you, we would love for you to let someone else know! Share it with a friend and interact in the comments section. We would enjoy knowing your thoughts.

There will always be someone in your ear telling you how unachievable our dream is. There will always be situations in front of you, telling you it’s impossible. These kinds of voices of discouragement are a dime a dozen, especially in moments like this.To get involved and learn more visit : northplacechurch.com

This is a special edition of the Northplace Podcast. The goal of these episodes is to bring people who can add value to your life during this time. This episode's guest is Dr. Jeff Kerr; he is a chief medical officer of a local community hospital that is a part of a much more extensive network in the Dallas Fort Worth area. He's right on the frontline as many of the medical professionals are fighting this pandemic. We wanted to remind you of a few ways you can stay connected with our church. ·  Visit northplacechurch.com for updates·  Subscribe to our email newsletter, at northplacechurch.com·  Text NPC to 31996 to receive updates during this timeOur team in the office has been working around the clock to bring you more ways to stay connected during this time. We have also created "The Official Northplace Community Online." (https://npch.us/2J3ywGF) It's a Facebook group that will help you get connected to other believers, people who want to grow in their spiritual journey. We have some great upcoming opportunities for you in that group, and we don't want you to miss out.If this is beneficial to you, we would love for you to let someone else know! Share it with a friend and interact in the comments section. We would enjoy knowing your thoughts.To watch the video of this podcast head to our YouTube page, youtube.com/northplacechurch

Our world, our nation, our communities, and our church…we all find ourselves in new territory…beyond the map…off the beaten path. We’ve never been in a situation quite like this before. It’s an uncertain and ambiguous time for leadership, parenting, medicine, business, finance, education…every facet of life. It’s human nature to “huddle” together in times of uncertainty. Historically, in catastrophic moments like war or like the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, we were drawn to be together. We want to connect. We want community. We finally realize our deep need for each other. Research has shown that in nearly every significant moment of national uncertainty…whether it was the Great Depression or the more recent Great Recession or in times of war or after 9/11, attendance to church and attendance to movie theaters rises dramatically. Why? People go to the movies in times of crisis to escape the harshness of reality. People go to church to find refuge and connect with the eternal, something that transcends the fragile present.The current extremes with this pandemic are panic or denial. It’s hard to find someone with a sensible balance. On the one hand, panic has sent our financial markets into chaos and has many people hoarding staple goods like it’s the end of the world. On the other hand, some are shrugging their shoulders, as if this is not a significant event and basically ignoring simple precautions that would greatly limit the spread of the virus. One of the core values of Northplace Church is “balance.” In a world full of extremes, our trust in the Sovereign hand of God enables us to live centered, balanced lives, even in the face of situations like we find ourselves in today. Living without fear and approaching moments like these with an unshakable trust in God says more about Him to the “watching world” than 10,000 sermons. If our faith isn’t strong enough to sustain us with hope in moments like these, can it be a legitimate faith?We started the year with a series about leadership. Much of what is happening in our world right now is “reactionship.” But God has called his people to offer hope-filled leadership and be a stabilizing force when the ground seems to be giving way.Recorded on March 14, 2020Speaker: Bryan Jarrett2800 Pleasant Valley RdSachse, TX 75048

As we think about that phrase “For the one,” I want you to be tuned in to God’s heart for you. The whole story of the bible is the story of God’s pursuit of us. From the beginning to the end, no matter what page you pick, every smaller story is one piece of the bigger narrative. And if you boil the whole bible down to one phrase…it is the story of God’s passionate pursuit of broken people so he can love us, restore us, and be in a relationship with us. He wants to truly “know” us.I want us to think about God’s heart for us, in these terms, If you’re a Christ-follower, He “knows” you fully, intimately, and personally. But what does it mean to be known by God?

Are you calibrating your entire life by the metrics of Jesus? Is He the fuel that drives the engine of your life? Or has life become so full of everything else that he’s been pushed off to the side, becoming an afterthought? If he’s become an afterthought, that’s not wrong just because it grieves Him; in the end, it keeps you from experiencing your best life.Last weekend, we briefly looked at the promise Jesus made in Matthew 6:But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33 NIVHere’s the promise: The very things we’re chasing that have displaced God from a place of priority in our life will eventually come to us in the right way, at the right time, and bring more fulfillment, that is, if we seek Him and His kingdom FIRST. There is an “order” that shows honor. And when you get the order right, it unlocks supernatural blessings.You’re going to be tempted over the next few minutes to minimize this conversation as one of those “been there, done that, got the T-shirt” …things. It’s not. When you hear the word “priorities,” you assume this is that same tired old conversation. It’s not.We are having a conversation about Divine Order and the promised blessings and supernatural favor that come when you calibrate your life around that Divine Order.It is more than Pastor Bryan “talking AT you” for the next 40 minutes, telling you to get your priorities straight. We want you to see this for YOUR sake and possibly see in this way for the first time. There is divine potential for your life when you honor God with “First Things” in every area of your life.You’ll see a pattern. You will see a Divine principle that God has promised to honor. This message is titled: Divine Order and The Supernatural Power of “First Things.”

On November 10th, 2019, we had one united service in the Curtis Culwell Center that culminated the launch of our Unfinished Vision Initiative. We knew the day would be significant, and Pastor Bryan had a message burning in his heart, but I had no idea how one simple sermon illustration would become a battle cry that would shape the destiny of this church. For those of you who were there, it will be a shared experience we will never forget.In a world that is spiraling downward faster than we could ever imagine, the church is the lifeboat that rescues the perishing. Here’s the question we asked ourselves that day: Do we have enough lifeboats?Toward the end of the message, Pastor Bryan started calling people forward to get in small stationed lifeboats upfront in the arena. We crammed as many people as we could over the course of several minutes. His plea during that time was “Just One More!” Surely we can get “one more.” As people tried to press in anywhere, there was room, and it was apparent many would be left out.Somehow, at that moment, in that very powerful visual, God used a simple illustration to break our hearts for people far from God. Hardly a week has gone by since that day when someone hasn’t sent us a note or email with this statement: Just One More!You’re going to be seeing that phrase a lot over the next few months. FOR THE ONE. It’s the vision of this church. It’s the heartbeat of God. Just one more! It’s all about one more changed life!For the one, broken in your sin. For the one blinded by your addiction. For the one, imprisoned in your unbelief. For the one, that’s always searching and never finding. For the one that’s always traveling and never arriving. For the one that tried religion, and it failed them. For the one angered byinjustice. For the one that feels used up, wasted, overlooked, and forgotten. For the one, far from God. You are the reason God put Northplace Church here almost 100 years ago. You are the reason we are still here today. We exist: FOR THE ONE.

Your most significant kingdom impact will not necessarily be a what, but a who.All of us have opportunities to develop the people around us. We may think, well, I'm not a pastor. You might say, I'm not some prominent leader in some significant leadership position, but all of us have different relationships where we can make a difference. Whether you're the boss of your company or department, a coach or a teacher, a parent, grandparent, brother, or sister, perhaps you lead a Bible study, still all of us have an opportunity to be a difference-maker by developing the people around us.Who's going to be a better version of themselves because you came into their life? Who's going to be more effective in what they do? Who will still be in the game a year from now, three years from now, five years from now, simply because you chose to encourage them to never give up?If you find yourself saying, I can't make a difference, this message is for you. Pastor Scotty's scriptural study isn't on the most notable figures in scripture, because you may look at that and think, "I could never lead like Paul. I could never develop like Moses." Instead, we're taking a look at an individual that you may know little about, but from whom you can learn a lot.

You could have so many leadership qualities active in your life, but if you lack integrity, it would undermine the combined impact of every other quality. Your integrity is more important than your gifts and talents, your money and position, the size of your network or your reputation. Listen to the words of the Psalmist:Psalm 15:1-2 NLT1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,speaking the truth from sincere hearts.Our culture is absolutely obsessed with appearance. There are even companies that you can hire to help you manage your image. But God is not impressed by external images. He couldn’t care less about how you look. He doesn’t judge a person by their appearance, achievements, accomplishments, acquisitions, education, or wealth.God is more concerned about the authentic internal you, the purity and integrity of your heart.

The big dream is often so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start. You’re paralyzed by the magnitude of it, so you never get around to doing anything productive about it. You sit around waiting on your lucky break or some blessing to fall from heaven. You’ll never do anything until you give yourself permission to dream small.What’s an initial step? It is a small thing that is possible to take the initiative to tackle, to move you forward to what God has put in your heart.There are some cultural trends, even church trends, and belief systems,…that will kill your personal drive and initiative. In this message, we will look at this from a practical perspective, a biblical perspective, and then we want you to see what initiative it has to do with the gospel and being a follower of Jesus.

Your ability to foster and maintain quality and meaningful relationships will be one of the most significant factors that will determine success or failure in every area of your life. Relationships are unavoidable. And if you’re bad at them, you will sabotage friendships, family, career aspirations; literally, everything will be impacted by the quality of relationships in your life.We want to look at this from a biblical perspective, as we have each of these qualities so far. But first, I want you to see what everyone else is discovering. Leaders in the field of education and leaders in business have realized what Jesus has taught all along; that quality and meaningful relationships are crucial to success.There are two often sited data points discovered by Gallup after thousands and thousands of interviews with employees. Here’s what Gallup found:1. Most often, people don’t leave jobs. They leave their manager or boss. This is a relationship issue.Here’s the second item their research showed:2. The number one predictor of job satisfaction was determined by an employee’s relationships at work. If the employee had just one close friend at work, they had a much longer tenure and were far more productive.Positive relationships and quality connections add value everywhere, and where the relationships are negative, it is a drain everywhere.

We can't overstate the impact of attitude in a person’s life. Outside of our relationship with Jesus, there’s probably no other factor that will determine your success or failure more in life. And you’ve probably noticed that attitudes run in groups. In other words, individual attitudes attract people with similar attitudes. And you can often see certain attitudes passed down from one generation to another, so much so, that families are commonly known by their attitudes. We have the old story of the two fighting families… the Hatfields and the McCoys.Families have distinct attitudes. Businesses have attitudes, the same is true with restaurants, airlines, and churches.Romans 12:2 NLT2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Don’t miss what Paul is saying. He’s warning us. Don’t copy the world’s way of thinking. As a follower of Christ, don’t take on the attitudes of the world around you, but instead, let God transform you. That word for transform here is the Greek word methamorpho, which is where we get our English word metamorphosis. It means a complete change; a total transformation.  Let God morph you, totally change you by changing the way you think.The bottom line, when you come to Christ, he changes the way you think, which means there should be a dramatic change in your attitude. He transforms the way you relate to everything.

Self-Discipline was far and away the most requested quality to talk about during this series. We didn't all ask for self-discipline because we're all so good at it; most of us recognize self-discipline, or the lack of self-discipline, as the most significant growth barrier between who we are and who we want to be.1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NLT24 Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize…  The minute we start talking about self-discipline, somebody's going to equate self-discipline with will-power immediately. If due to past failures, you've already labeled yourself as someone with no will power, you wrongly assume that a disciplined life is out of reach for you.If you struggle with self-discipline, you don't have a will problem, you have a reward problem. Paul said, the runners in a race run that they might win the prize. The value of the award fuels their self-discipline.Elite athletes don't live disciplined lives because they think disciplined lives are virtuous. They live disciplined lives and endure all kinds of self-denial because they want the pleasure of the prize. They believe the satisfaction of the medals, trophies, rings, and records are superior pleasures to eating whatever they want or sleeping in and not working out.The power for self-discipline does not come from admiring self-discipline; it doesn't come from wishing we were more self-disciplined. It doesn't come from making new resolutions and detailed plans and schedules for self-discipline. Those things can help, but in the end, they aren't enough fuel to keep us motivated. And self-discipline certainly doesn't come from being cynical about our lack of self-discipline.The fact is, when the reward of what we want (heath and fitness, living on a budget, etc.) becomes a greater joy to us than our current pattern of living, we will find the self-discipline to change.

Romans 14:7 NKJV7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.In other words, our lives are forever woven into the fabric of other people’s lives. At work, with family, in the neighborhood, in our hobbies, at church: no man lives to himself. We live influencing others. And no man dies to himself. Even after our deaths, the ripple effect of our influence will impact generations that come after us. None of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.Our deeds, our actions, our word, or the words we should have said but didn’t; they’re all a part of our influence (for the good or the bad), that will impact people while we are alive and will continue to impact people after we are gone.We all cast a shadow, and that shadow can be one of healing or one of devastation.

Who you believe yourself to be, determines where you place yourself. You are a child of God.The knowledge that you are a child of God changes everything. It's not the fact of being a child of God, because you are, but knowing and acknowledging that you are indeed a child of God.The awareness of being a child of God tends to stabilize the ego and results in a new courage, fearlessness, and power. I have seen it happen again and again. - Howard ThurmanJohn 10:3 New Living Translation (NLT)3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Throughout December, our Christmas and Advent theme has been: Joy to Your World, with an emphasis on “your” world. It’s pretty evident if you have any familiarity with the Christmas story, that the birth of Christ was a monumental event, both historically and spiritually. And that event was marked by incredible joy.On nearly every page of scripture that details the events of the Christmas story, there’s some reference to an expression of extreme joy. The central passage of the Christmas story is the announcement of the birth of Christ by the angelic hosts and the thesis, or the principal theme of that announcement is “great joy.” Listen to it:Luke 2: 8-7 NLT8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!Here’s the challenge, we read it, and we sing it: Joy To the World, The Lord has Come. Let Earth Receive Her King! But while we’re reading and singing “Joy to the World,” that joy never seems to get to us. The commercials this time of year sure make it look like everybody else has joy. All the festivities and parties seem to ignite the atmosphere and environment of the holiday season with more “jolly” feelings. But while the world appears to have a little more joy this time of year…it seems to be passing some of us by.So yes, joy has come the world, but has it come to you? Has joy come to your world, your life, your circle of influence?

We have this sense that God wants you to experience joy at a profoundly personal level. He wants to bring joy to your world, your life, to the people you love and care about. This can’t just be about the general “joy” of the season. It has to be felt and experienced on a personal level for it to impact our lives in a lasting way. Otherwise, we’ll pack up all of our goodwill, peace, love, hope, and joy when we put the Christmas stuff back in storage. The message of God becoming a man…the story of the incarnation…Christmas joy…is so real and so powerful…it has the potential to impact us far beyond December. It has the power to change us.In week one, we talked about Waiting in Joy. In week two, we talked about Receiving Joy. This week, we want to talk about Choosing Joy.To “take” something means you forcefully grab it. You make a choice. It’s intentional. You exert the effort. And to “take” something assumes it’s available for the taking. But to take joy? Really? Joy seems so intangible. So subjective. So fleeting. How do you lay your hands on joy? So, how do you Take Joy??

If you could understand the narrative of the bible, it would fill you with wonder. This righteous, all-powerful, and majestic God that has been continually rejected or ignored by mere mortals continues to pursue us. Not because we are worthy, but because we are wanted. He wants you. He wants me.He wants us so badly that he left the splendor of heaven and robbed himself in the frailty of human flesh. God became a baby. He became a tired fellow traveler with sore feet, so like Sarah, we would see him as gentle, approachable, and accessible.He's the hero from outside us that chose to put himself into the desperation of our human story. He became one of us that he might rescue us. But the wonder, joy, and laughter he promises to bring doesn't fade after you close the back cover the book or slip away in your drive home from the theater. It's a love that lasts, and laughter filled with wonder that springs from the deep places of the soul.

one that is finite. There is a set date on the calendar when the waiting will end, and we know that when we get to the end, we will find something desirable. But much of the waiting that occupies our lives is open-ended.  We spend much of our life waiting on a promise.The most challenging thing about waiting is not knowing when it’s going to end. Waiting brings questions without easy answers. When you’re in long seasons of waiting, you start asking questions like: Should I change course or hold out for my heart’s desire? Is my unfulfilled yearn an indicator of sinful discontentment or merely a blessing God hasn’t yet fulfilled in his sovereign time?All the feel-good Christmas movies intensify the hope of a happy ending in time for Christmas. The lonely find families and the lost make it home. But in the real world, Christmas often comes and goes without fulfilling the longings of our hearts.Advent is about more than anticipating Christmas. The word “advent” signifies “coming.” Yes, we remember that Jesus came to earth as a baby; but moreover, we prepare our hearts for His second coming when He will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

There’s a subtle but significant difference between gratitude and thanksgiving. Where gratitude is a feeling, thanksgiving is an action. The psalmist didn’t say, “enter his gates with gratitude (feeling).” He said, “enter his gates with thanksgiving (action).” There’s something significant about the act of thanksgiving that opens up access to the presence of the King.Gratitude is important. You can’t express genuine acts of thanksgiving without true feelings of gratitude. Otherwise, it’s just a show. It’s not authentic. Nobody wants a cold kiss, especially God. So, the sense of gratitude is essential, but it can’t stop there. We have to act on it. We have to turn our gratitude toward God into action. Thanksgiving is gratitude expressed.Through your words, your worship, your service, your generosity…act on your gratitude.You enter the gates with thanksgiving. Remember,  the gates were not only a place of access, but:A place of Wisdom on Counsel A place of justiceA place of renewalA place of preparation for battleA place of proclamationIf you need wisdom from God today, enter his gates with thanksgiving.If you seek justice today, enter his gates with thanksgiving.If you seek renewal and repentance, enter his gates with thanksgiving.If you under spiritual attack, enter his gates with thanksgiving.Let the gates of the King be a place where you begin to proclaim the promises of God over your life and your family.

When we study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we can see that there are a lot of things that seem to bring pleasure to the heart of God; things that honor the Lord. We can't escape the thought that it looks like God's love language is seeing His people living a faith-filled life.God continually puts us in situations that require that we love him and serve him by faith. In Matthew, there's a story of a centurion who comes to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. Jesus was amazed! Jesus was so amazed that the centurion believed Jesus had such authority that he said to those following him, "truly, I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."Hebrews 11:6 says: "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." It doesn't say it's going to be difficult, it's actually going to be impossible. We like to say things like I walk by faith, not by sight. Yet, it is so challenging to walk by faith. There's often a breakdown between what we believe and what we actually do.It's easier to talk by faith than to walk by faith. So, how can we live a faith-filled life? We grow into it.We pray that faith would begin to rise in your heart today to trust God's sovereignty, even before the miracle comes. We pray you can rest in God, even before the breakthrough happens. We pray you can celebrate because God's for you and with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

When we started this initiative several weeks ago, we wanted everyone listening to understand that the generations before handed our church family an incredible spiritual inheritance. This inheritance is almost 100 years of kingdom impact. Jesus said: To whom much is given, much is required.We need to be asking ourselves: How can we hand off our faith to the next generation? How can we go, give, live, and serve so that our ceiling becomes their floor?We have a call from God to leave them a legacy. We have a call to finish the unfinished task of covering the earth with the glory of God. That's what we want our legacy to be.The difference between Inheritance and Legacy is that: Inheritance is what you receive. Legacy is what you leave.Like Abraham, we have a divine call to leave an eternal legacy. Genesis 12 is to the Old Testament what Matthew 28:19 is to the New Testament. We have been blessed to be a blessing.Our ultimate prayer coming into a day like commitment Sunday was that the Lord would Burden our hearts. We will take every opportunity possible. We dream that every street corner would be filled with a chance for somebody to get off the sinking ship and into the lifeboat. We need more lifeboats.The hourglasses of eternity are ticking down, and if there's not enough room in this lifeboat, we need more! We need lifeboats in Uganda, in Vietnam, in Sachse, in Wylie, in Rowlett, in Garland. God forbid, we don't have enough room!We are the rescue ship, not a cruise ship. Our goal is to go in where people are lost and perishing and save as many lives as possible. 

We are nearing the end of our study of Abraham’s life, and we’ve left out as much as we’ve discussed. We could spend a year teaching on the historical and spiritual significance of Abraham’s life. The most prominent story of Abraham in the bible is probably the most troubling to modern readers. It’s the story of God asking Abraham to offer Isaac on Mount Moriah.If you summed the whole account up in one word, it’s a story of total and complete surrender. Most Christians know how the story ends. Abraham proceeds to Moriah, preparing an offering to the Lord. As he’s getting to a place of no return, an angel of the Lord stops him, and God provides a ram for the offering.God asked for Isaac, but He never really wanted Isaac. He was after Abraham’s heart. We don’t know to what depths, but somewhere deep within Abraham’s heart, there was a war over who was going to sit on the throne of Abraham’s heart: God or Isaac.God’s gift to Abraham was becoming an idol of his heart. And Abraham’s entire future, including all the promises that God gave him, depended on Abraham having his heart right. This experience of surrender in Mount MOriha was a test to get Abraham’s heart back.

This weekend is our fourth time in as many weeks to come together and learn from Abraham’s life. So far, he’s taught us about legacy, trust, and honor. In our fourth installment in the life of Abraham, he’ll show us about transformation.In the dictionary, the word “transformation” means “a thorough or dramatic change.” But in scripture, when you see the word “transformation,” it takes on an even deeper meaning. For example, take Paul’s comments in Romans 12:Romans 12:2a NLT2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.The Greek word for “transform” here is “metamorphoo,” which is where we get our word metamorphosis. The most common image that comes to mind when thinking of a metamorphosis transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly: caterpillar—cocoon—butterfly.The transformation that God calls his people to IS “a thorough and dramatic change,” but it's more profound than that…it’s a metamorphosis…it’s you becoming something completely new and different because of the deep work of grace in your life.

At Northplace, we’ve become accustomed to using this statement: We honor up. We honor down. We honor all around. “Honoring Up” means we honor God and those in authority over our lives. “Honoring Down” means we honor younger generations. It means we honor those who serve us in some way, whether it’s the waitress at lunch, the baggage handler at the airport, or the person you pay to mow your yard. “Honoring All Around” means showing honor to your peers and equals.There are some incredible promises in scripture to people who understand and live out the concept of honor. God promises to reward honor. We continue to look at Abraham, but we’ll also look to the New Testament to see how honor invites God’s reward and blessing into our lives.

Abraham shows us how to trust profoundly and doubt with honesty. Trust is not the absence of doubt; it’s obeying God in the face of your uncertainties. And we’ll see from Abraham’s life, how God welcomes and embraces the doubter all while addressing their doubts. It’s titled: The Place of Doubt in Learning to Trust. There’s a big difference between believing and trusting.  You can believe in something but not be ready to put your full weight on it. You subconsciously think it is “belief-worthy,” but not trustworthy. That’s the way too many people approach their relationship with God; they believe in God, but they don’t trust him.Be careful; there’s a lot of preachers out there selling the benefits of walking with God. He will protect. He will provide for you. He will promote you. And the crowds are cheering: Webelieve! We believe! But those blessings don’t come through your belief. Those kinds of covenant blessings come through your trust. 

We begin our journey through the study of Abraham’s life, and I don’t want you to overlook the significance of this study. If you drive through a large US city and pass a church, a mosque, and a synagogue, the worshippers inside of every one of them see themselves as children of Abraham. Three of the world’s largest religions, the majority of the world’s population, look to Abraham as the father of their faith.Too often, when people study Abraham’s life, they see all these big things and the lasting results and residual of his life. That may be true, but there is something so much more significant that it always gets overlooked.Abraham was responding to the call of God. The call of God is what makes your life unique. It’s what sets you apart and marks you for something unique. Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here. In our circles, when someone here’s the phrase “the call of God,” we immediately assume the Call to pastoral ministry or preaching or missions.Pastoral ministry is not at all what I’m referring to when I speak of the call of God on Abraham’s life. Abraham's call, was a call to a relationship, a call to a profound personal encounter, a call to know God and be known by God. And Abraham’s response to that call is what made him “bigger” than life.God is extending that same call is to every one of us in this room or watching online: It’s The Divine Call to Leave an Eternal Legacy.

God put you on this earth for two reasons: 1. That your life would bring him glory 2. That you would use your life fulfill his mission in the world. His mission is that none would perish but all would come to everlasting life. His driving passion is to be in a life-giving, eternity-altering relationship with as many of us as possible.People who are committed to God’s mission in the world can learn from Moses’ life and leadership. He shows us 8 principles that will keep us on mission.1. The credibility of the mission is not measured by the opinions naysayers.2. The journey is always more difficult than first perceived.3. Focusing on vision (the preferred future) does not devalue previous experiences.4. Attitudes and actions should never be determined by personal disappointment.5. God’s mission is indispensable…I am not.6. Gods assignment is not limited by personal deficiency.7. Failure is never final and victory is rarely instantaneous.8. Spiritual victory is a team sport.

Who’s on your team?Who do you have in your life to help you on this journey to pursue God’s mission in the world an honor him with your life? Who’s on your team?The Apostle Paul speaks about a very real conflict we face as believers. A conflict that has traditionally been called: Spiritual Warfare. I’m hesitant to even use the term, not because spiritual warfare isn’t real, but because a lot of people engaged in a lot of really weird, and even heretical things in the name of spiritual warfare. Which leads me to a point that the great Christian writer and thinker CS Lewis made a long time ago.Lewis said when it comes to Satan, the demonic, and spiritual warfare that believers will most often fall into one of two extremes. One, they will deny their existence. Or Two, they will become fascinated with them. Either one of these extremes misses what the bible has to say about this very real conflict.The bible was written to tell God’s story, not Satan’s. Any view of spiritual warfare that magnifies Satan’s power is not a biblical view of the battle. At the same time, the battle is made very real in scripture, and any view that ignores this spiritual battle is just as unbiblical.

We don't know how this message finds you today. Maybe you're in a doorway and there’s a dormant dream that needs to be taken out of the box; maybe you find yourself in a long hallway that you’ve moved you stuff into and made it a permanent place; but you need to get up and keep moving. Maybe you passed through that season and you're looking back asking, what was that all about?!Be looking for your gateway, an open door.Go on, don't stop. Dream again. Just keep moving because there is a gateway at the end of the hallway that only God himself can orchestrate. God will not waste any season. Keep saying, God, I trust you. Dream again.

Courageous faith sets miracles in motion. It’s comprised of sacrificial obedience, complete trust, and total surrender, boldly displayed through tangible acts of faith.Courageous faith is what makes a church take risk. Courageous faith is what keeps us from settling for the status quo. It keeps us dreaming for what seems impossible…planning for things beyond our capacity…and believing for things that make other people think we’ve lost our minds.You can make a decision today, to be a person who takes bold steps of faith and fail; than somebody who lives their life with regret wondering “what if”. May God help us become a people of courageous faith.

define Culture is “The way we do things here.” It’s the unwritten but understood and agreed upon way things work in a family, an office, a church or your life for that matter. The importance of culture is often overlooked because the things that make up culture are intangible. The things that make up the culture of your life…or of the culture of the organizations you’re a part of…are under the surface. So…we often ignore culture. But here’s what we said last week: Culture is the foundation of vision. If the culture of your life is toxic, unhealthy or undefined, it really doesn’t matter how powerful your vision for your life is, it will never flourish in a toxic culture. One of those key ingredients in our culture is generosity, and we believe that generosity is one of the most important components to the Northplace culture.

ulture is the foundation of vision. The culture of your life is the foundation that your life’s vision will be built on. If you have a weak, toxic, or undefined culture, your vision doesn’t stand a chance. It’s true in an individual life and true for any organization.The culture of an organization is a difficult thing to define in concrete terms because there are so many intangible things that make up a culture. For a church it’s a complex blend of beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and practices that end up defining the congregation. Every church has a set of beliefs, they may even have great vision and value statements beautifully displayed on their website or hanging in the halls of their buildings, but far too often what they say they believe is inconsistent with their actions.This is why Culture is more powerful than vision.Just as soil quality influences the potential outcomes of a field, the culture of a church establishes the environment that often predetermines the effectiveness of God’s work within that body of believers. In other words, a church’s culture influences its impact. That’s why this conversation is so important. You’ll never be able to grasp or understand what God has called us to do, if you’re not a part of or don’t understand the culture we’ve intentionally built in our church.This message is a peak into the culture of Northplace Church.

There’s a big difference between generational patterns and generational curses. While it may sound like a subtle difference in terminology, the end result in our lives is not subtle. The way you label and what you believe about the sins, habits and hang-ups in your life will determine the level of freedom you live in (or don’t live in).Here’s the definition of the word curse:A solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something.Then that would mean that a generational or ancestral curse would be something that previous generations of your family did that assigned a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on you. Something you were destined to live with; something that wasn't your choice.It leads us to this question, "Why are people so ready to buy-in to the concept of a generational curse?" So many people are ready to buy-in to the concept of generational curse, because it’s easier to blame somebody else than take responsibility for our actions.Blame was the first evidence of the sin nature in the human race. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the devil, and the human race has been blaming someone else ever since. The contrived theology of the generational curse is a man-made idea that gives us a convenient scapegoat for our issues.Modern psychological theories have convinced people they are not really sinners, but are instead victims of society in general and more specifically they are victims of the choices of previous generations. People are quick to buy-in to anything shifts the blame off of them.But let's be honest, when you blame others, you surrender your power to change.

Your situation may be difficult. It may be tough. You may deserve to be treated a certain way. Oftentimes, we miss the opportunities that God presents to us to show his glory and show his power because for many of us, that sense of entitlement, that sense of demanding my own way,  gets in the way. We feel like we've got to fight for our rights. We feel like we've got to fight for what we deserve. And yet what the book of Esther teaches us over and over again, is that you and I, don't have to fight for ourselves. We don't have to demand our own way. We don't have to force people to know who we are and what we're all about. The book of Esther teaches us that we serve a God who is big enough that even when the world is against us, even when circumstances are overwhelming, He is fighting for us.A message from Randy  Freeman Northplace Durban, South Africa, Campus Pastor.

Here’s the setting: Jesus is a few hours from his crucifixion and his disciples are still clueless as to what’s about to happen. On the calendar, it was the Jewish celebration of Passover. So, Jesus calls his disciples together to celebrate the Passover meal. This would be His “last supper” and would become the model for us every time we come to the Lord’s Table to take communion. There’s a set order to the Jewish Passover meal. It progresses through certain foods, and certain cups with specific scripture readings and hymns in between each selection of food and drink. Jesus would have been following that protocol as we come to Matthew 26. Let’s look at it.Matthew 26:26-30 NLT26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. When we read this, our focus is usually on the earlier verses and the last one seems like an insignificant detail. It’s not.30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.We will focus our attention on verse 30 today. That's why this message is titled: He Sang a Hymn and Went OutVisit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

This message is titled "Come Home Crippled Prince," because that was the invitation David gave to Mephibosheth and it’s the invitation the King is offering to you today. The title is intentionally worded as an invitation because we believe there are some crippled princes and princesses who are watching this message who need to find the covering of grace at the Father’s table. There are some crippled sons and daughters watching online that need to find their way back to the Father’s table. No matter where you’ve been, no matter what you’ve done…just come home. Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Romans 16 is the last chapter in Paul’s Magnum Opus; his greatest gift to us, his masterpiece. The book of Romans is the book of books in the Bible. More details are given in the book of Romans regarding the transformed Christian life and what living for Christ looks like in the real world, than any other New Testament book.The 16th chapter is easy to overlook because it is a list of greetings to people with hard to pronounce names. After reading through the weightiness of the first 15 chapters, Chapter 16 feels like an insignificant - easy to skip - list of personal salutations. But if you skip it, you miss looking through a window into the soul of the early church. It gives you a glimpse of what life was like when Christianity was in its purest form - before it was stained by institutions, politicians, egos, heresies and religious corruption. Studying Romans 16 - not just skimming it - is like getting in a time machine and traveling back in time. And if we can go back, we can learn what a gospel-centered church is really supposed to be. Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Is it possible to persevere through pain? Follow along on this message from guest speaker Scotty Gibbons, as he shares his story of pain.The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 TLB says: "Three different times I begged God to make me well again. Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.”"  Here are three main takeaways from this message: 1.  Don’t allow what you don’t understand about God to keep you from trusting what you do understand about him.2.  Refuse to waste your pain.3.  Think long term.Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Does the Bible talk about laughter? What does laughter mean to the Christian life? What does laughter mean to life in general? Laughter is a subject that isn't always discussed in church and ministry. Have you ever heard any anybody deliver a sermon on the value of laughter?But as we find in scripture, surprisingly, there’s more information on this topic than we can have time to share in one sermon. There may very well be a part “2” to this message. Most people don’t put humor and church in the same universe. Religious people are often so pious, staunch, and somber that they insinuate that laughing is sacrilegious; and yet one of the evidences that you have genuinely come to Christ is the presence of joy in your life. Listen to what Paul says to the Galatians:Galatians 5:22-2322 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

When the prosperous no longer recognize the source of their prosperity, they become ungrateful. And their ingratitude eventually evolves into greed. By eliminating God from our national conversation, we eliminate our ability to publicly recognize the source of our prosperity. This arrogance will ultimately eat away at our national conscience; our national sense of OUGHT and OUGHT NOT. Why? Because when we eliminate God from the national conversation, we lose our conscience as a nation. Every man will do what is RIGHT in his own eyes. If there is no God.  There’s no one to be grateful toward. There’s no one to be accountable to. If there is no moral accountability, there is no moral consensus regarding right and wrong. When we as a nation believed in God and his word, our laws where established and interpreted from his principles. But when we, as a nation, stopped following his word; we began passing laws that aligned with our whims and pleasures and those laws started replacing our national conscience.Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

How do I know if I’m a citizen of God’s kingdom?What are my responsibilities as a citizen of God’s kingdom?Are there any rights or privileges to being a citizen of God’s kingdom?The best place to answer these questions is by looking at one of my favorite portions the New Testament: Ephesians 2, where Paul defines in detail the nature of the church and what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom. Here's what he says in just few short verses:Ephesians 2:18-22 NIV18 For through him (Jesus), we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.Visit our website for the video of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Years ago we made a decision to challenge men on days like father's day, but also honor them. It’s not that we're ignoring the statistics. It’s been proven over and over again, that passive and absent men have long-lasting, generationally-impacting, devastating consequences on children, on churches, and on nations. And while it seems like every societal problem we face is traced back to some dude not doing his duty, that negative reality points to something incredibly positive for men: influence. That reality speaks to the limitless influence men wield; for the good or the bad, sir, you wield a lot of influence.  It’s an influence most men don’t even realize they possess, or at least they underestimate the power of the influence they possess. Gentlemen, instead of berating you today, I want you to rediscover the unlimited power of your influence over children, families, churches and nations. You have to be aware of it, and then you have to be committed to stewarding that influence.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

We know that many of you come from backgrounds that are unfamiliar with the work of the Holy Spirit or even in some cases you were taught against it. Our hope is that this talk brings fresh insight, recommend resources for further study, and invite you on a journey to experience the active power of the Spirit at work in your life.There’s also a danger for those of you who grew up in an environment that celebrated the work of the Spirit. We often bring a certain paradigm or expectation of what we think it’s supposed to look like when the Holy Spirit is active in our lives and in our church. And we often have a tendency of trying to force God and everybody else into our box of experience. We can’t let nostalgia, culture, tradition, or denominational expectation set the parameters for the work of the Spirit. The word of God must always set those parameters. Here’s what Paul says to the Ephesians:Ephesians 2:22 NIV22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

There is a liberty and freedom found in walking in obedience to Christ that can’t be found any other way. But there are so many competing and conflicting views in our culture that would argue with that. So let’s back way up and have a conversation about truth. Before we can talk about obedience we need to talk about the truth we’re supposed to be obeying. Those of us who are Christ followers believe that God’s Word is something that checks throughout. It’s perfectly consistent. It’s completely trustworthy and cannot let us down. But if you would’ve asked Leonard Bernstein: Do you believe there's a God who has spoken and given us truth? He would have said, “no”. He found consistency and faithfulness in the one area he knew best: music. For Bernstein, music was something that checks throughout. It’s absolutely consistent. You trust it and it will never let you down. The most plausible reason why Bernstein felt the way he did - why we all feel the way we do - is because we’re all longing for something outside of us to provide a truth we can trust, a truth that won’t change; something stable in an unstable world. And that desire is in all of us because we were created by a God who wants to have relationship with us. God wants to have a relationship with us that is based on communication, but not the one-sided communication most of us have now; you know, where we throw up our prayers of desperation but never listen for what he has to say.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Memorial Day began in the years immediately following the Civil War. But until World War II, most people knew it as “Decoration Day.” It was a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags. It was a time to remember those who had given, as Lincoln beautifully said, “the last full measure of devotion” …to defend their nation. It was a day to remember what the honored dead had died to defend.It’s been 154 years since General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox, Virginia… effectively ending America’s Civil War…a national nightmare that filled over 625,000 American graves with dead soldiers. Since then, other international nightmares in Europe, North Africa, the Pacific Rim, Asia, and the Middle East have ravaged the world and put more than 650,000 additional Americans into war graves. Memorial Day weekend is an important national moment. Its significance is far greater than long weekends and barbecues. We would be wise to remember the great price so many have paid to preserve the historically unprecedented civil and religious freedoms we possess and far too many take for granted. This “remembering” on Memorial Day is more about our future than it is our past. It is crucial that we remember the nightmares and why they happened. If we forget them, we will recreate them. The future of this nation depends on how well we collectively remember nightmares of tyranny and cherish what liberty really is. There’s a high cost to forgetting.Visit our website for the video (change link) equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Mat_16:24-25 NKJV"(24)  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.(25)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."What does this mean? How does this work? If what it takes to keep your life is losing it; it is important to understand what it means to lose it.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

While on the surface…a message on the power of forgiveness…may seem better suited for another day…this may just be the perfect day. The majority of the unforgiveness, bitterness, and deepest offenses in our lives come from relationships within our families and those closest to us. With that mind…please understand…the application of this message isn’t just for mom’s or even those struggling with honoring their moms. This is a challenge to all of us…in every area of our lives…and I believe our response to this message will determine whether we find freedom or remain in a prison of bitterness and unforgiveness.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Your sense of self is that durable core that defines who you are regardless of the situation. You wear a lot of hats, you have a lot of roles in life, you find yourself in a lot of different situations, but your “sense of self” is the part of you that is the foundation…the durable of core…of who you are that doesn’t change, regardless of your hat, your role or your situation. On the other hand, your sense of worth comes from the things that make you feel significant, worthy and confident in your value. This combination of your “sense of self” and your “sense of worth” is how you get your identity.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Shame is the painful emotion caused by a consciousness of guilt or shortcoming or impropriety. Shame can be to your soul what pain is to your body. Regardless of the source of you shame - if you shame is curse or cure - there is a remedy in God’s grace.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Traditionally the church has taught the Christmas and Easter stories as if they are two distinct and separate stories. We compartmentalize them. The Christmas story is the story of Jesus robing himself in human flesh. We call it the Incarnation; which simply means “to put on flesh”. In the Incarnation, God took on human skin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became Jesus Christ the Son of Man - He became one of us.On the other hand, Easter is the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And while our celebrations of these events are only separated by a few months, they seem to be miles apart in our minds. But the story of God is one congruent story and when you disconnect the parts from each other, you end up missing something. So, let’s think about them as one complete story. Let’s look at Easter through the lenses of Christmas.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Palm Sunday is the beginning of what is known as Passion Week. It was on Palm Sunday around 2000 years ago, that Jesus was at the height of his popularity. Crowds were thronging to him, and as he rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed colt, the crowd waved palm branches (which is where we get the name Palm Sunday) and declared: “Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”These where not just shouts of affirmation to any other celebrity personality; these were messianic declarations. The people were publicly declaring that they believed he was the Messiah; the long waited One, the one spoken of by the prophets.The religious authorities had not only become jealous of his growing popularity and influence with the people, they thought his claim to be the Son of God was religious blasphemy and punishable by death. It was a loophole in their religious law that allowed them the opportunity to build a case against him; their jealousy and insecurities inspired them to devise murderous plot.A lot happens between that first Palm Sunday and the following Sunday which is famous for the resurrection of Jesus.He had seven days to live, and how he spent those last seven days, tells a lot about who he was as a person and a lot about the mission of God in our world.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.  Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Some people are stuck in the rut of the super-normal. They approach church like it’s their court ordered support group and they check in and check out with no expectations. We wouldn’t waste our life serving the local church or as Christians coming to the church on a regularly basis if we didn’t believe there was supernatural potential for life change every time we get together.Many of the people in your life, your friends, family, neighbors, peers are spiritually paralyzed or incapacitated. They may be paralyzed by fear or shame. They may be paralyzed by ignorance, they have now idea they even need him. For whatever ever reason, they are never going to come on their own, they may never meet Jesus without your loving consistent nudge.1. Everyone will spend eternity somewhere, and one day, someone will thank for not giving up on them.2. Don’t answer “no” for them.Don’t assume and don’t let your silence be the reason they don’t get to Jesus.3. We are accountable for the “ask” but not responsible for the answer.It’s our job to go and give the opportunity. It’s God’s job to convict and save.Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The final 5 psalms, Psalm 146-150, all begin and end with same word in the Hebrew tongue: “Hallelujah,” which literally means “praise to the lord.” These are truly psalms and victorious praise, and they differ from most other psalms; you don’t find any disappointments or discouragement here. Many of the other psalms are open and honest about life's injustices and evils that leave the psalmist confused but determined to trust God in spite of what he doesn’t understand. But these last 5 are an emphatic closure to the whole book declaring to us that the bookend of our life should be defined by trusting praise. They are songs that celebrate victory - and sometimes - it’s a celebration for a victory that has not even happened yet. It’s a praise offered in advance, a praise for victory while the battle is still raging, a praise that is certain God will keep is word, a praise that is anchored in deep trust and surrender, a praise that is founded more on the sovereignty of God than it is on current circumstancesNorthplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. This podcast includes messages from our Sunday services from our Lead Pastor Bryan Jarrett and others. We invite you to listen whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus. Visit our website for the video equivalent of this message.Northplace Church on Facebook Northplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

In 2 Timothy 1:8-9, Paul speaks 4 specific words over the life of Timothy; four words we believe are also applicable to us. He says, God has saved us. He has called us. He has purposed us. And he has graced us. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saved. Called. Purposed. Graced. Sandwiched between God’s salvation and grace is God’s calling and purpose. Calling is what you have in your hand. It’s what you do. Purpose is what you have in your heart. It's what you love.

Imminence, Urgency, Timing, and Opportunity. In life we need to:1. Live with Imminence2. Live with a Sense of Urgency 3. Understand Timing 4. Seize Opportunity

Change can be really hard, and at times we do the opposite of what we hoped we were going to do. The good news is God knew we would struggle with these things.Four Things That Christian Change Is:1 Change Is Gradual 2. Change Is Inevitable 3. Change Is Internal4. Change Is Symmetrical

Hope is more than a motivational thought or a fading daydream. It’s not a wishy-washy, vague, wait-and-see attitude, but an action we choose to take on purpose every day. We choose to trust God’s control and we choose trust in his promises regardless of what it looks like in our current circumstances. Like Jesus, we endure the present because of the “joy set before us.”

All throughout the Scripture, presence is a priority. God’s presence makes the difference.His presence is what sets us apart and presence should be our priority. We should live in a way that invites it. We should honor it, respect it, protect it, pursue it, crave it and long for it. AW Tozer, a pastor and writer from a previous generation, wrote a prayer that I have personalized in my own life. It says: “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed.” This prayer captures the words of a heart with a deep yearning for God’s presence.

Most of have friendships, but to truly do life, walk through trials together, close enough to see blind spots; that takes more intimate relationships.

There is a difference in the general social interaction between people…and the supernatural relationship and community that is supposed to exist in a biblically functioning community. On the surface, they may look the same but one is natural, the other is supernatural; it’s incarnational. And because of that, Incarnational Community is counter-intuitive; it goes against the flow of what comes natural to us. When we understand what scripture says - what God expects for his people - it changes our whole perspective and thinking about relationshipsLiving incarnationally will help us transition:1. From Conversion to Community 2. From Association to Participation3. From Self-Righteousness to Compassion4. From Individualism to Fully Present5. From Drudgery to CelebrationOne another statements:1. Be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50)2.Be of the same mind with one another (Romans 12:16, 15:5)3. Accept one another (Romans 15:7)4. Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ephesians 4:32)5. Bear with and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13)6. Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15)7. Don’t complain against one another (James 4:11, 5:9)8. Confess sins to one another (James 5:16)9. Love one another (John. 13:34, 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9)10. Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)11. Tolerate one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)12. Be devoted to one another in love (Romans 12:10)13. Give preference to one another in honor (Romans 12:10)14. Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)15. Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5)16. Do not judge one another (Romans 14:13)17. Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)18. Speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25)19. Don’t lie to one another (Colossians 3:9)20. Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)21. Encourage and build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)22. Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)23. Pray for one another (James 5:16)24. Be hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)25. Love each other deeply (I Peter 4:8)

This is Week 5 of "The Year of Here"If we start living like Jesus, letting him live his life through us, being Jesus with skin on, living incarnationally; then our world will see the glory of God in and through us just like John’s generation saw it in Christ Jesus.We’ve talked about incarnational worship and incarnational presence. We’ve spent some time talking about living the incarnational life, but today we're talking about Incarnational Compassion.Something pretty incredible as you study church history is that there is an incredible correlation between the church’s emphasis on the incarnation and its compassion. For example, during medieval times, there was a revival of focus on the incarnation; it’s not coincidental that during that same time the church’s influence on medicine and its development of Christ centered hospitals exploded.Beliefs impact behavior; and when you understand the incarnation, it changes they way you approach the Christian life.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

This is Week 4 of "The Year of Here"What is the habitat for the dwelling of God’s presence? Where has God chosen to make his habitation?The church - not the building, but the people - when we come together corporately, collectively to worship, according Paul, we become a dwelling place or habitation for God by the Spirit.The place that God has chosen to dwell, the place that he has chosen to make his unique habitation is the collective worship of his people. When we come together each weekend to sing, lift our hands, exalt the name of Jesus; we are making this place the habitat of God. Our worship is the environment where God has chosen to dwell.This should to be game changer for us. It should change everything about the way we approach weekend worship experience at church.

Part 3 of "The Year of Here"Jesus didn’t just come to show us what God was like. He wasn’t just the Son of God. He was the Son of Man. He was human, He was flesh, and one of the primary reasons he put on skin was to show us how to truly be human. And this is God’s strategy of changing the world. When we are incarnational humans like we are supposed to be - embodying the presence of God like Jesus did - other people will see the glory of God through us. Honestly, that’s God’s strategy for changing the world. One person being transformed by God’s grace in such a way that they actually live it out. They flesh it out in such a way that others see the glory of God through their lives and are drawn to Christ. They are transformed and the whole thing starts over, covering the earth with transformed lives.

We have come out of the Christmas season this year, doing something a little different. Instead of taking our conversations a completely different direction, we decided to dive deeper into the incarnation of Jesus. The message of the incarnation is that God has become a man; that he has come here to be with us. It’s about his presence. We want to know what that looks like in our lives in a practical sense. What does that mean for me Tuesday morning at work, or at soccer practice Thursday night; or at our family’s table when we finally get a chance to sit down and have a meal together. This is a year where we want to learn how to practice the presence of God; to be carriers of the presence of God. We want to learn how to literally “flesh” out our faith.Jesus made the announcement that he had come to establish his kingdom in the world; it is a new and different way of living life. So what does it look like to live as he commanded, now that the kingdom of God is here on earth. Before he left, Jesus made a remarkable statement. Jesus said "I’m going to give you the keys of the kingdom." I’ve taught you, I’ve shown you, but I’m going to go now, so here are the keys. He turned the success of things over to us. And we are not doing so well with those keys, at least not in our part of the world.80 years ago, close to 80% of Americans attended a church. In 1980, only 40 percent were attending. In 2012, it was around 25 percent, and by 2020 some say it could be as little as 10 percent of the population actually going to church (much less following Jesus). If we continue to be Christians like we are, and if we keep doing church like we are, we will be as unchurched as Europe or anywhere else in the west, where people no longer look to Christians or the church for spiritual help. And this is why we need to have a serious look about what it means to follow Jesus. What it really is to establish the kingdom of God.

The word "Here” became a key word in our Christmas conversations and the manger became the central image in explaining the Incarnation - how got God “here”. But as we were praying through the Christmas and Advent theme…we had this sense that it wasn’t the end of the conversation but the beginning of the conversation. That 2019 was supposed to be The Year of “Here”2019 "The Year of Here,” will be a year where Northplace falls in love with the dwelling presence of God in our corporate gatherings. But it will also be a year where we learn what it means to practice the presence of God in every dimension of our personal lives. If God has come - If he is here and he dwells in me - how will that change my professional life, my home life, my everyday life?We desperately need to answer the question: Does the incarnation have any relevance in my life now that Christmas has come and gone? The answer is a resounding YES! 

When we search for change in the wrong places it often makes things worse.‭‭Mark‬ ‭5:24-34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Christmas Eve is the crescendo of the Story of God. The driving passion of his heart from the very beginning of the bible up until now, is to have a close personal relationship us. He wants to be with us. He wants to dwell among us. If you search the scriptures, you will see God compassionately and continually trying to break into the disinterested hearts of sinful people.  He doesn’t give up on us. He just keeps chasing, he keeps pursuing and he keeps arranging circumstances, events, and people in our lives that keep pointing us back to his love. There is nothing he wants more than a close relationship with you. That’s the very reason why there is a Christmas. He couldn’t stand the distance. He had to get close. He was not going to let the distance in our relationship with him be his fault. He was going to do everything in his power to be near to give us every chance to now. So the God of the universe left the splendor of heaven, robed himself in human frailty and broke into our world as a baby in a manger 2000 years ago, so that he might rescue us. He put himself in our condition so that he might identify with us.

What does it mean to live an incarnational life?When God comes to dwell among his people, he comes with a purpose. His presence doesn’t fill our lives and his presence doesn’t fill our corporate worship experiences so that we can sit, soak and sour. This is the mistake a lot of us make that truly value the presence of God. We become so focused on the presence of God; worship in the presence, soak in the presence, celebrate the presence, and all of that’s fine, but if we never understand the purpose of the presence, we end up becoming an inward focused click that’s always coming to the church to “get a blessing” and never doing anything with it. God didn’t fill this place with his glory last weekend so we would get goosebumps and walk out talking about how we “had church.” He filled this place with his presence to mobilize us outside these walls to BE the church, to live it out and be agents of change in our world. 

The Garden of Eden was the fulfillment of the heart of God; a place to give his love to us without restraint, but sin ruined all that. It severed the relationship and brought distance between a sinful man and a holy God. He could have thrown us away. He could have started over. He could have chalked it up as a failed experiment, but he didn’t. He loved us. He pursed us. He came searching for Adam and Eve to restore that severed relationship. There is omnipresence and then there is his tangible, felt, incarnational presence. God is everywhere all the time, but people are not always aware of his presence. Corporate worship is preparing room, preparing our hearts, making us aware. And when the collective conversation is holy holy holy, He comes, Emanuel “God with us”.

On this first weekend of Advent, grasping the rich theology behind the Christmas story, will bring us nearer to God’s presence, reframe our perspective, and infuse our hearts with an otherworldly joy that will undergird the next several weeks of our celebrations. It will literally change the way we do the holidays this year and we hope moving forward throughout our lives.

Most people love receiving invitations. To a party. A meal. A wedding. A celebration. A special event. It’s nice to be included- to feel part of something…because many Americans are truly lonely. We live in a lonely society. That’s why Mother Theresa is right when she famously said: ‘The greatest disease today is not starvation but loneliness.’ Loneliness is one of the greatest ills of 21st Century.Because people have an innate, built in, deep longing to belong. People want to be included. They want to be invited.

Gratitude is the key to a fulfilled life. Every year as we approached the Thanksgiving Holiday it becomes clearer and clearer that learning to foster a grateful heart is THE most crucial piece of what it means to be whole, complete, centered, satisfied, content, and spiritually mature. Here’s what the Apostle Paul said:2 Corinthians 4:15 NLTAs God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving (gratitude), and God will receive more and more glory.It begins with a very clear understanding of God’s grace in our lives. When we clearly see our unworthiness and the depth of grace that God has extended to us, it fosters a deep sense of gratitude in our hearts. We are humbled by his sacrifice for us. We are moved by his unrelenting pursuit of us. We are in awe of his faithfulness in the face of all our failures.

Jesus prayed generational prayers.John 17:20 NIV20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Do you realize the prayers that he prayed over 2000 years ago, are being fulfilled in us? We are living those prayers out now as his disciples. The legacy of prayer is of higher value than stock portfolios, properties, money, or heirlooms. Had it not been for the prayers of my grandmother, I may have continued in my addiction and rebellion. Who knows? I could be in a prison cell today instead of in this pulpit. Her prayers have impacted me and they will impact generations in my family and in this church.

No matter who you are, the Bible will surprise you. No matter what your culture or what your social class, no matter what prejudices or categories you come to the Bible with; it will smash some of them. Most people will say that…you're either inclusive or exclusive, but Christianity is both…radically inclusive and radically exclusive.

What happens when the people of God settle into this world? When they stop resisting the evil of it and start looking and acting more like Babylon than they look and act like the people of God. Daniel stood for his faith. He maintained his identity, his integrity and his commitment to God, but we know there were many who slowly but surely caved to the constant pressure of the culture’s pull. Sadly, they basically became Babylonian and lost their unique identity as God’s people. This kind of thing doesn’t just happen when enemy armies invade your homeland and take you captive like they did Daniel; we face these challenges everyday as the people of God today. We live in a culture that is increasingly antagonistic to our faith. We are facing our own Babylon-like culture and in this environment, it’s easy to spot a “sell out”. It’s easy to spot someone who has outright traded their faith for the momentary pleasures the culture has to offer. The casual observer can see it and the person who has sold out knows it. 

The overarching theme in the book of Daniel is that statement that says: But Daniel resolved not to defile himself…whether it was refusing to eat the king’s food, refusing to stop praying when the king ordered, or many of the other challenges of living out his faith in Babylon…Daniel had a made-up mind…he had resolved in his heart that the headwinds of the Babylonian culture were not going to change him or weaken his faith. Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked about the things that fueled Daniel’s resolve:1. A firm belief in the sovereignty of god2. An eternal hope that gave him courage3. A biblical humility that gave him favor with God and man4. A rare wisdom that balanced grace AND truth and gave him perspectiveThese 4 key elements of Daniel’s life are the foundation of a countercultural faith. But I think we would miss the key ingredient of Daniel’s resolve if we ended this series without talking about Daniel’s prayer life. The wind in the sails of Daniel’s resolve was his prayer life. Trust in God’s sovereignty, hope that births courage, biblical humility and supernatural wisdom are all the results of someone’s life who has intimacy with God…an intimacy born in prayer. 

How did Daniel find this balance in Babylon?It all starts with a foundational belief in the sovereignty of God. Daniel believed that God was in control of who was in control. No matter what it looked like in the moment…Daniel was convinced that God would take current leaders and current situations and ultimately use them for His ultimate purposes. Daniel shared the same perspective as the apostle Paul who wrote in the book of Romans:Romans 8:28 NLT28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.“Everything” …means “all things”. Every possible “thing” …whatever it is…will ultimately be used to glorify God. Daniel knew this and when you believe God is behind everything…it changes everything. This foundational belief in the sovereignty of God birthed an eternal hope in Daniel. Eternal hope enables you to view life from a perspective greater than your current circumstances. When you have a hope that transcends the moment, it gives you courage to face the moment. It gives you courage to stand with conviction in the moment. This kind of hope even births in you the courage to love those who oppose you.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Daniel knew that Nebuchadnezzar was a pawn on God’s eternal chess board that would ultimately be moved around to accomplish God’s ultimate purposes in the world. Daniel saw this first hand. He served at least 3 different kings in Babylon and led spiritual awakenings under each one. There are moments and seasons when finite people judge their current circumstances without faith in God’s sovereign control and the despair, but not Daniel. Daniel knew no matter what it looks like in the present, God is at work. Daniel had an eternal perspective and his eternal hope calibrated his life; and not what was going on at the moment. When you have that kind of hope it gives you a courage and confidence that is unexplainable. The world is falling apart, your life may be falling apart, but there is a joy, a peace, that baffles outsiders and onlookers. Your life doesn’t rest on the outcome of current situations; your life is anchored to an eternal hope that transcends this moment in history.

We have our own version of this cultural Christianity, and it's easy to not sense the conviction anymore about what is right and what it means to walk in the fruit of the spirit. There are more people, as the days progress, and as America and the world becomes more like Babylon, that are practicing a hybrid Christianity. There will always be a church, there will always a dominant religion of the day, and it would be better for us if it was a completely opposite religion than some hybrid of the Christian faith. When you take Christianity and make it a hybrid, it's no longer Christianity; but it's dangerous because it's deceptive. And there is a cultural version of Christianity that is not real Christianity: a counterfeit faith. My hope in this conversation was to make all of us ask the question, is my life driven by good intentions or is my life driven by genuine faith? And the only way to know that is for your faith to be tested. Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

We live in a culture that is looking more and more like the Babylon of Daniel’s day and that’ why we’ve been unpacking his story. We said in the first week of this series that the foundation of Daniel’s strength and courage in Babylon was firm belief in the sovereignty of God. Regardless of what was going on in his world, he still believed that God was in control and would ultimately use it for his glory and his purposes in the world. If you don’t believe that, you’ll never stand strong for your faith in Babylon; and if you don’t believe that, you’re probably not going to grasp what I’m going to say today. We want to equip you with some of the elements that fueled Daniel’s faith in Babylon, but those things will never grow in you if they are not planted in the soil of belief that God is in control of whose in control. We also want to challenge some accepted ways of thinking in church today that threaten our ability to survive and thrive. We need to move away from the coddling of milk and cookies and have a heart to heart conversation about what it’s going to take to live for God in a world that is increasingly antagonistic to our faith.

The truth is not up for negotiation, but your tone is. We believe that when we walk in a tone that is gracious, compassionate, and courteous, that it gives the truth greater power in our lives and greater power in our culture. One of the greatest things that has hurt the truth in our world is that people who believe it are jerks in the process of living it out, that has eroded the truth of its validity in our culture. That's why we love the case of Daniel. He asked for permission to live out his conviction. There was this sense of courtesy in approaching even his enemies and his captors with the level of compassion and grace to walk in his conviction. May we also capture the spirit of Daniel as we walk it out in our world.

One thing we need to understand as we study the book of Daniel is…the books of the OT are not arranged in chronological order. They are grouped together based on a literary category. The first five books are called the Pentateuch…they are the books of Moses. Then you have a historical section. Then you have a poetic section where you get the proverbs and psalms…and then you have a section that's called the prophets. The prophets are broken into two categories…the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. Major and minor doesn’t mean important and less important…it just means some of them where longer than the others. Culture is what changes…God doesn't. It’s a given…culture is going to change. The question is…are we going to change with culture? And even worse are going to expect God to “evolve” with it? You have Christians and churches today saying…God didn’t really mean it that way…or when he said that he wasn’t talking about our culture…he was talking those people way back when…so we need to modify the Bible to fit today's culture.

Hey guys, we decided this semester of small groups at Northplace to record a video, kind of an addendum, an extra to my messages to kind of serve as a starting conversation point for all of our small groups that meet in offices and coffee shops and in homes and while we were recording that some of the media team thought it might be a great resource to those of you who regularly watch or download the podcast. We have people from all around the world, from naval bases to countries all over Europe and even some closed nations to the Gospel that watch. And so, understand the context, we're going to make this available to you. It was originally for our small group leaders here at Northplace, but maybe some of these conversations actually will benefit you as you think more deeply about the messages that I'm preaching throughout this series. Hey guys. Welcome to our first conversation about Daniel. I just wanted to visit with you for a few minutes today. As you discuss this material. You know, how important this conversation is to our church. As a matter of fact, I just finished a service and I'll be coming back each week recording these videos right after a service and a gentleman, older gentleman, came up to me and said, I've been following the Lord for 50 years. And he said, can I ask you one question? I said, sure. He said, you know, this isn't just a sermon, you know, that, right? You know, this is a life-altering, church-changing conversation. He said, but how is it that those of us that had been serving God all this time can hear something like this and we don't let it change us? How can that happen? I didn't know how to answer him and I don't know that I gave him an adequate answer. The question itself, it was an honest question. It wasn't an accusation because he put himself in the category. How can the elders, how can the pastors, how can the seasoned believers, hear a sermon like this and not recognize it for what it is? And I basically said to him, that's why we're doing it the way we are. We have groups that are taking this, going deeper, studying Larry Osborne's book, "Thriving in Babylon," some studying Chris Hodges book the Daniel Dilemma, some studying others, and over the next several weeks I'll be borrowing resources from both Larry and Chris and several others. Tonight I borrowed heavily from some of Larry's stuff, but the question reverberates in me that he asked. And one of the things that gives me some degree of hope is that there are groups like you that are meeting in various places around the Metroplex, taking this conversation deeper, because I do believe one of the reasons we chose this topic as the topic to drive our fall is because of the power, the relevance of the message, but the power of it, if we grasp it, and if it gets seeded into the deep of our hearts, into the depths of our church, it can change not only people, but it can change a whole body. And so I want to challenge you to make these next few moments, dig into it, make them matter. And let them change you. One of the things that I was thinking about at the end of my time after I got through preaching, I didn't even say this after this last service, and I may add it into the ones tomorrow, but proverbs three, verse five, we quote it so often, verse five and six. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. We use those two phrases together. At the first of that, we quote that verse. We know it by memory. We quote it so often we don't stop to think about how far removed trusting in the Lord has to be from our own understanding. Defaulting to our own understanding is the enemy of trusting the Lord, and in this first week my message is centered on the bedrock, the foundation, the soil that's going to grow, every attribute that we need to be able to live in Babylon, to be able to excel in Babylon, and that is this firm foundation of the sovereignty of God.

We launch a conversation this week that we are going to journey through over the next several weeks. We are calling this series: Living with Conviction AND Compassion in a World of Compromise. There is no doubt the culture both inside the church and outside the church…is marked by an erosion of moral conviction and spiritual fervor. And there hasn’t been a balanced response from Christ followers to this dilemma. It seems we too easily fall to one extreme or the other. On the one hand you have those who are dogmatically strong in their convictions. These are the ones in a holy war to bring back the good old days. They claim to be proponents of revival but their social media rants and dogmatic condemnation of everything and everybody (except the ones in their little group) looks more like a version of a modern day Pharisee than the New Testament Jesus. These folks are just out right mad at the world and you can see in their faces and hear it in the tone of their voices. On the other hand you have the group that is strong in their compassion. They focus exclusively on God’s grace without any understanding of his law or righteousness or written word. It’s as if God doesn’t really have any standards…and the standards he established for previous generations don’t apply to us today. There’s no need to address the issue of “sin” because God has been turned into a dotting grandfather who is no longer offended by our choices or behaviors. He just turns the other way and lets it slide. No worries. This group’s favorite verses are… “judge not less you be judged” and “work out your own salvation”…both of which are quoted out of context to justify behavior and lifestyle choices that don’t line up with scripture. The modern day Pharisee’s convictions and those with conviction-less compassion are both misplaced extremes in response to a culture that has gone of the tracks. One side arrogantly and dogmatically berates the culture while the other side blindly embraces it. There has to be a way to live with both conviction AND compassion in a world of compromise. Obviously, Jesus is our ultimate example and he modeled conviction and compromise. But over the next several weeks, we are going to study the life of another biblical figure who shows us to walk compassionately and yet, still be drive by deep conviction in a world that stands opposed to everything he believes.

Dreams and passions are fueled by a healthy dose of discontent with the status quo and a gnawing dissatisfaction with normal. When people get satisfied, they start protecting comfortable and comfortable is the enemy of more. You won’t seek more of God when you’re comfortable, you won’t sacrifice to build the kingdom when your comfortable, you won’t let go of good to lay hold of the best when you’re comfortable. Anyone can tell time—a flick of the wrist, a look at the dials, or a glance at your phone. But only a few can actually build something that actually keeps time. Telling time is simple arithmetic. Clock building is advanced engineering. Time tellers don't care about the details; they just want the time. Theirs is a world of status quo. They live in the moment and follow someone else's cadence. They take life as it comes—minute by minute, hour by hour. They're satisfied to watch time come and go without much thought. Clock builders think differently—they march to the beat of a different chime. They’re not bound by the challenges of the moment…they are willing to ask the “what if” questions about the future. Business as usual is never found in their vocabulary.

Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers…and their contributions to the strength, well-being, prosperity, and well-being of our country. This whole weekend is set aside to celebrate the value of our work. Last September, we walked through a series called Faith at Work and it helped us start viewing our work as a vital part of our spiritual life. We started seeing our work as a legitimate act of worship.

In this teaching, we learn how to walk into successful relationships. human relationships spring from a wish dream, power, influence, control, and attraction. However, spiritual relationship are based solely on Jesus Christ; it is a spiritual reality and not a psychological phenomenon.

Landmarks and boundary stones were big pieces of ancient Jewish life. Most often there were just what their name suggests…similar to our surveying stakes they marked property lines…and the wisdom writer is suggesting that future generations not mess with the clear boundaries that have well been established by their forefathers…it’s a slippery slope that leads to conflict and confusion. Sometimes, those landmarks were memorials that had been set up by previous generations to mark a place that God did something special among his people. They were reminders of a divine visitation or supernatural deliverance…and when future generations would pass by those ancient landmarks, parents could testify to their children of God’s power and faithfulness and pass their faith on to the next generation. Today is one of those days for Northplace Church. As we journey together, we have intentionally journeyed into this conversation to point you to an incredible landmark in Northplace’s history. About 10 years ago, I was given a book by Tim Keller called The Prodigal God. It’s a study of Jesus’ parable that we grew up calling The Parable of the Prodigal Son. This little book has had more impact on my life than any other book outside the bible. It so deeply transformed me that I had to find a way to have a similar conversation with the church. I wanted what God was doing in my to happen in the church. So we launched a small group campaign around the study. I didn’t want to just teach it on the weekend, I want the church to be immersed in a study of this parable throughout the week. This was the basically the beginning of our small group ministry almost a decade. The first time we ever got together in a church wide effort to study scripture together in homes was the study around this parable almost 10 years ago. I knew going into it that it was going to be a strategic moment in the history of our church because I had been shaken to the core…but I don’t think I realized at the time how much it transformed us. Standing from this vantage point…10 years later and looking back…I can clearly see that those 6 weeks in 2009 were the tipping point that formed Northplace Church into what it is today. Our understanding of the grace of God, our belief in the extravagant love of God, our heart for people who don’t know Jesus, our passion for the least, the last and the lost, forgotten people in forgotten places…all has its roots that go back to that original study of this parable. The words we use in our corporate language and the unique culture of this church were forged in that study

The plot of the parable is fairly simple. There was a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the inheritance. He was given what he asked for and left for a distant land where he blew the entire inheritance on partying and sensual pleasures. He returns home broken fully aware of what he’s done and is shocked that his father welcomed him home with open arms. The father’s welcome of the younger son alienates and enrages the elder brother. The story closes with the father pleading with the older son to join the celebration and welcome and forgiven his younger brother. It has become very clear throughout our examination of Luke 15 that God views sin and spiritual lostness very differently than we might have suspected. The younger brother was undeniably lost because of his moral depravity but shockingly the religious elder brother who had always obeyed his father was just as lost. Not because of his badness but due to the motive of his goodness. He didn’t stay at the father’s house and obey because he loved the father but because he believed that being morally pure was a prerequisite to get the Father’s stuff.

We are in the fourth week of a study of the 15th chapter of Luke’s gospel. It all began with Jesus being criticized for continually being seen in public eating with notorious sinners the socially ostracized those on the fringes of respectable society. The religious community (of which Jesus was a part) criticized the company he was keeping. Their criticism revealed how far their religious hearts had drifted from the heart of God. In response to their criticism, Jesus tells them three stories that describe God’s heart those who are “lost”…those who are far from him.

Over the last few weeks we have been unpacking the richness of Luke 15. • The chapter begins with a meal between Jesus, tax collectors and notorious sinners. • The religious leaders dislike Jesus table manners and begin to murmur, • In response to their murmuring, Jesus tells three stories… That really rocks their world. • Then he tells the story of a lost sheep…. • Secondly he tells the story of a lost coin…. • Then he tells a third story of a man that had two sons. Through each of these stories Jesus challenges the relirious categories of Sin, Salvation and the world around them. This week we are diving into the third of Jesus’ three parables, is the longest and most famous. It is a story about a family—a father, an older son, and a younger son. Typically known as the Prodigal Son Parable.

Last week, we began a several week conversation that has the potential to alter the course of your life and this church. It all centers around Jesus’ parable in Luke 15 that has been traditionally called: "The Parable of the Prodigal Son." On the surface, the story line of the parable isn’t all that gripping. There was a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the inheritance. He was given what he asked for and left for a distant land where he blew the entire inheritance on partying and sensual pleasures. He returns home broken fully aware of what he’s done and is shocked that his father welcomed him with open arms. The father’s gracious welcome of the younger son alienated and enraged the elder brother. The story closes with the father appealing to the older son to join the welcome and forgiveness of his younger brother. At first glance, it seems pretty simple, but if you fully grasp what Jesus is actually saying here you learn everything you need to know about the heart of God, the meaning of the gospel, and your place in his story.

Landmarks and boundary stones were big pieces of ancient Jewish life. Most often there were just what their name suggests…similar to our surveying stakes they marked property lines…and the wisdom writer is suggesting that future generations not mess with the clear boundaries that have well been established by their forefathers…it’s a slippery slope that leads to conflict and confusion. Sometimes, those landmarks were memorials that had been set up by previous generations to mark a place that God did something special among his people. They were reminders of a divine visitation or supernatural deliverance…and when future generations would pass by those ancient landmarks, parents could testify to their children of God’s power and faithfulness and pass their faith on to the next generation. Today is one of those days for Northplace Church. As we journey together, we have intentionally journeyed into this conversation to point you to an incredible landmark in Northplace’s history. About 10 years ago, I was given a book by Tim Keller called The Prodigal God. It’s a study of Jesus’ parable that we grew up calling The Parable of the Prodigal Son. This little book has had more impact on my life than any other book outside the bible. It so deeply transformed me that I had to find a way to have a similar conversation with the church. I wanted what God was doing in my to happen in the church. So we launched a small group campaign around the study. I didn’t want to just teach it on the weekend, I want the church to be immersed in a study of this parable throughout the week. This was the basically the beginning of our small group ministry almost a decade. The first time we ever got together in a church wide effort to study scripture together in homes was the study around this parable almost 10 years ago. I knew going into it that it was going to be a strategic moment in the history of our church because I had been shaken to the core…but I don’t think I realized at the time how much it transformed us. Standing from this vantage point…10 years later and looking back…I can clearly see that those 6 weeks in 2009 were the tipping point that formed Northplace Church into what it is today. Our understanding of the grace of God, our belief in the extravagant love of God, our heart for people who don’t know Jesus, our passion for the least, the last and the lost, forgotten people in forgotten places…all has its roots that go back to that original study of this parable. The words we use in our corporate language and the unique culture of this church were forged in that study

Prayer is a habit to be cultivated. It is a discipline to be developed. It is a skill to be practiced. And while we don’t want to reduce praying hard to a certain amount of time logged, if you want to achieve mastery in prayer it might take ten thousand hours. This what we know for sure: the bigger the dream in you heart - the more desperate the need in your life - the more it needs praying through.

How to distinguish the voice of God?

Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The problem of our human nature is that we want: The credibility without the consistency; The harvest season without the planting season; The increase without the investment; The success without the obedience; The rewards without the sacrifice; The fruitful without the faithful. Almost 40 years ago, Eugene Peterson wrote: Long Obedience in the Same Direction. That title is the perfect definition of what it means to be faithful to God; long obedience in the same direction. That journey starts with one prayer... a prayer of surrender.

There is a God placed treasure inside of you but we are very fragile containers for that treasure. We have this treasure in jars of clay. To often, we confuse the treasure with the container. Many of us are not pleased with our personal appearance, our intelligence capacity, our talents or gifts, when compared to others. The treasure has been placed INSIDE us. The treasure is not the clay jar…there external part is the fragile part. The treasure is what’s inside the jar of clay. Don’t confuse the container with the treasure. This treasure in you is his calling and vision for your life. He created you and has written a story for you life so that your life brings glory to His name and makes a significant difference in other peoples lives. God has a desire for your life to have a significant impact and he has designed you so that can happen. It’s in you.

Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The promise of Heaven…if understood biblically…will actually erode our fear of death, comfort our grief, build anticipation and excitement for the life to come…and infuse our present life with worship and wonder.

Over the last several months, our church has faced loss in unimaginable ways. The last few weeks of 2016 until the present have been some of the most challenging in our church's life and ministry. The sheer depth of the struggle and the internal pain of walking through the seasons of trouble has stirred in us a longing for Jesus. A longing for a place - heaven. The problem is we don’t fully understand heaven; and our ability to survive the season of struggle we walk through in the here and now, is directly linked to what we believe about heaven. If we could move past the old wives’ tales and traditional misconceptions to a biblical understanding of heaven it would infuse our journey through the pain. So join us on this journey as we dive deep into the topic of Heaven from a biblical perspective. To watch the video visit northplacechurch.com/watch

Our prayer going into this series is that we could help you see God’s calling on your life and that your role in the market place - wherever God has assigned you - is just as significant as any role inside the church. We’ve addressed the issue of allowing our work to become an idol in our lives and last week we talked about the gift God has given us to destroy that idol in our lives - a true understanding of a biblical Sabbath. Today’s discussion fits well into our conversation about faith and work. This conversation is a challenge to any of us who follow Christ in a world that often stands diametrically opposed to everything we hold dear. How do we honor God with our lives when the values of the culture we live in are so different than those of Christ followers? How can you both follow God and thrive at the same time?

We are in the 4th week of a conversation about the alignment of our faith and our work. We strongly feel that these last three conversations have been revelation for many of us - literally an “unveiling”. We are seeing things about God and about work; things we’ve never seen before. We are seeing how our belief in Jesus should be impacting the way we view our work life. We encourage you to go back to our sermon archives on northplacechurch.com and catch up if you’re new to conversation.

What does it mean to be called? This weekend Pastor John further explores the fact that we're created in God's image and everyone, no matter what your profession is, have been called to our work.

In the context of a spiritual battle…on 4 different occasions, Paul challenges us to stand. In Ephesians 6, Paul is challenging us to persevere. Standing firm. Holding your ground is persevering. But honestly, on more than one occasion over the last few months we’ve asked God the question…How much more can we take? I know you told us to stand firm…but c’mon! Injustice can makes us weak in the knees and erode our will to persevere. God’s delays can makes us weak in the knees and erode our will to persevere. Unmet expectations can make us weak in the knees and erode our will to persevere. Yet the Paul calls us to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Ephesians 6:10

It doesn’t seem fair to us but in God’s economy God used one man’s faith to shut the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, send enemy armies fleeing, women had their children raised to live again. And others, in the perfect will of God, walked in the same faith and they suffered and they died. Their faith lead them into a moment of suffering. Why did God deliver some in faith and allow others to suffer? We don’t know but what we know is what he thinks about the ones who suffer. Join Pastor Bryan, as he process out loud recent events in our church.

This messages concludes our series on the tongue. Each week we have examined what the Bible means when it says…“life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Our attention has been predominantly focused on the “deadly” uses of the tongue. Before we conclude this sermon today and ultimately this series, let's shift our attention away from the destruction our mouths can cause, to the “life” our mouths can create. Let's look at the power in our tongues to build up and edify. It’s been encouraging to see how this biblical study on the power of words has impacted so many in our congregation. The Holy Spirit is truly becoming the antiseptic to the “septic” or infected parts of our hearts and as he changes our hearts, he’s cleaning up our speech.

Over the last several weeks we have looked at the power of the words we speak. We have seen where Jesus warns us that every word we speak is being recorded and we will one day be accountable for our every word our tongues have spoken. Today, we look into an often overlooked or minimized misuse of the tongue. What Adele is describing in her song Rumor Has It, is one dimension of the sin of gossip.

Last week we started a study of the Word that will help us recapture an understanding of the power of our tongues and how the mouth influences our entire lives. We framed the conversation around one word: ANTISEPTIC. Our prayer during this study is that he Holy Spirit and the Word of God would sanctify our hearts and therefore our mouths. In the same way mouthwash cleanses the septic parts of mouths, then may the Spirit of God cleanse the septic part of our hearts; because as we have learned if our hearts change, our mouth will follow.

There is power in our choice of words. Most of us have never stopped to study the scripture intently to see how much our words impact our lives, probably because we grew up hearing things that minimized words like this: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." But this mantra completely overlooks the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of words…and in all reality…what happens to the unseen parts of us, is much slower to heal than what happens to our physical bodies. The words we speak and the words we hear impact the unseen parts of us.

Like Joseph…God didn’t cause your “aloneness” but he will use it. He will set you apart. We challenge them to trust God to unleash his purpose in their lives even if they are the only ones committed to him. He has promised to never leave us alone. If we examine Joseph’s story and how it relates to us, a few key elements of his life stand out the strongest: his devastation, his dormant dream and the prophetic destiny housed in the names of his sons that are born to him in Egypt.

Pride is rooted in the devil, arrogance, self-centeredness, and self-dependence; while humility is rooted in Jesus, a teachable spirit, selflessness and dependence on God. Which one will we choose? The Bible says in Proverbs 22:4 - The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The 12th chapter of Romans is one of the most clear and concise descriptions of the mature Christian life that you will find in Scripture. Over the last several days the Holy Spirit has burned these versed into the heart of our pastor. The battles with cancer, grief, and adversity so many of our Northplace families face have our hearts grasping for something sure, eternal, steadfast and true. This powerful statement of the Apostle Paul’s offer us wisdom on how to live our lives and walk in seasons of adversity. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12 ESV Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

There was a time in this country when a biblically centered worldview was the norm and opposing world views were the exception…this was a Christian nation. That’s not the cause anymore. Not only is a biblically centered worldview not the norm…its under attack from so many different direction. There is a great divide between the authentic follower of Christ and the mainstream culture of our country.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

When you're in front of an impossible mountain, you need: 1. A Word from God 2. Understand that God's Spirit is greater than your effort 3. Your effort is still required 4. Remember that God has given us the promise, that through Him this mountain can become a plain. 5. A small step of faith…a single act of obedience can set this miracle in motion.

Here’s the reality dads...you’re going to influence the generations that come after for the good or the bad...there’s no neutral. Every life leaves ripples...especially the life of a father...You can’t avoid that...it’s up to you to determine the kind of ripples you want to leave The ripples of your influence are so much greater than the original moment of impact. Dad...we are going to influence our kids...whether we plan to or not...we might as well be intentional about it.

The people you choose to associate with, alter your life. That's why you need to be careful of who you hang around and be careful of who you associate with because you must guard who pours into your life. Don’t let just anyone come in and start placing things or speaking things into your life; guard your heart, guard your mind, guard your soul. Pastor John explores how the phrase “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” isn't just a repeated quote by well intentioned parents, but it is actually a Biblical concept that we all need to keep present.

We have this idea that if we all love Jesus, we are going to live in a Utopia where everybody gets along. There is no doubt that our relationship with Christ should increase our patience and we should be willing to sacrifice personal preference and defer to other brothers and sister, and yet there are going to be moments where deeply held convictions are going to clash.

Fear is a reality for a lot of us. Fear often ends up being the driving force behind our decision making. While a life of "no fear" might be impossible, we can learn to look fear in the face and still take that step forward.

The 16th Chapter of Romans is the last chapter in Paul’s Magnum Opus. His greatest gift to us. His masterpiece. The book of Romans is the book of books in the Bible. More details are given in the book of Romans regarding the transformed Christian life and what practically living for Christ looks like in the real world than any other NT book. The 16th chapter is easy to overlook. It’s a list of greetings to people with hard to pronounce names. After reading through the weightiness of the first 15 chapters, Chapter 16, feels like an insignificant, easy to skip list of personal salutations. But if you skip it you miss looking through a window into the soul of the early church. It gives you a glimpse of what life was like when Christianity was in its purest form before it was stained by institutions, politicians, egos, heresies and religious corruption. Studying - not just reading Romans 16 - is like getting in a time machine and traveling back; and if we can go back, we can learn what the church is really supposed to be.

For this Mother’s Day weekend, Pastor Bryan Jarrett helps us look to the last chapter of the book of Romans…Romans 16. Most people who read this chapter rush through it because all they see is a list of hard to pronounce names that seem to have no relevance to rest of the Bible or to their lives. It’s a long list of Paul’s personal greetings…and if that’s all you see…you too…may miss the significance of the last few verses of Romans. These farewell greetings in Roman’s 16 give us a window into the soul of early Christian life. Paul refers to people from every strata of society. Paul greets slaves and aristocrats, business professionals and unskilled laborers, government officials and people he led to the Lord in prison…people who in his culture would have never interacted together in a cordial or mutually beneficial way…and yet…the cross of Christ and the community of their faith transcended their cultural taboos and well defined social lines. Many of these people had nothing in common but their decision to follow Jesus…and that tie bonded them together stronger than any other. This diversity was the life of the early church.

There's a major issue in our culture - an issue that has also horribly infiltrated the church. There's this idea that an individual's mistakes are always someone else’s fault. Everybody seems to have this need to blame someone else. Very few people are willing to take responsibility for their actions or own up to their wrongs. The unwillingness to be real and authentic with ourselves, with God and with people, entered our DNA when the first man and woman fell. It became a part of us, and since then we have been hiding, lying, running, blaming, and covering up simply to protect ourselves, our reputations, and our images. When you blame others you give up the power to change and there lies one of the greatest dangers of the blame game. If you're blinded into thinking it’s always someone else’s fault, you will keep perpetuating the problem and repeating the same mistakes.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

People don’t normally talk about suffering and resurrection in the same breath but they belong together because such is life. The apostle Paul joined these two extremes in his letter to the Philippians. Here’s what he said: Philippians 3:10-11 TLB 10 Now I have given up everything else—I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. 11 So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

There are two ways to wonder…that’s why we’ve called this sermon and the series we'll be preaching the next few weeks…the Paradox of Wonder. One definition of wonder is to stand in awe. Another definition is to speculate…to question. People don’t normally talk about suffering and resurrection in the same breath but they belong together because such is life. The apostle Paul joined these two extremes in his letter to the Philippians. Here’s what he said: Philippians 3:10-11 TLB 10 Now I have given up everything else—I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. 11 So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead

People don’t normally talk about suffering and resurrection in the same breath but they belong together because such is life. The apostle Paul joined these two extremes in his letter to the Philippians. Here’s what he said: Philippians 3:10-11 TLB 10 Now I have given up everything else—I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. 11 So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

If your dream doesn't scare you, it's too small. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

If your dream doesn't scare you, it's too small. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

If your dream doesn't scare you, it's too small. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

If your dream doesn't scare you, it's too small. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

If your dream doesn't scare you, it's too small. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Watch the video at www.42lifprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://42lifeprinciples.com

Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com

Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com

Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com

For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

How can you endure storms of life? Stay anchored to the word of God and remain connected to the family of God. Visit our site for the video: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Are we not constantly being shaped by forces in our culture that make it almost impossible for the world to see any difference in our values? If we are ever going to appear to the world as aliens and exiles on the earth, then we are going to have to go back and renew the declaration of allegiance by which we became Christians and confession was Jesus is Lord! And we are going to have to wake up to the fact that this is a radical declaration of independence from our culture and of absolute allegiance to a foreign king, Jesus. Visit the website to watch the video http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Each day we decide whether or not to live in God's purpose - enter into it or miss out on it. God has a plan and purpose for your life. The question is, how to live in that idea of God for your life. We are trusting God that you would be encouraged and empowered to live in the plan of God for your life after listening to this message delivered by Pastor Jurie Kriel campus pastor of Doxa Deo Church in South Africa. Visit the website for the video http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This is the last weekend in a 5-week conversation where we’ve been trying to “lean in” to hear the voice of God. Last week we started wrapping the conversation up by equipping you with practical tools that help you develop an ear to the voice of God…posture your heart to the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit…or to use a biblical phrase…incline your ears to the words of his mouth. Visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch for the video

While God can reveal His voice however he good and well pleases…historically ad biblically, there are patterns and ways in which that God has revealed himself. Visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch for the video

All of us are going to encounter seasons of silence - times when God is silent. Moments where God does not seemed to be talking. We've all had these moments. There are times where God moves into our lives with power, answers our prayers and wins our trust. And then there are these seasons when chaos and darkness descend. It’s like we're in a spiritual desert where an arid wind blows and leaves our souls cracked and parched. We pray. We cry out to God but he goes silent. He seems absent from our life. Is it just us or has it ever seemed to you that God was playing hard to get? For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This is week 2 in the series and we are going to focus on eliminating the distractions that keep us from hearing God’s voice and shutting out the competing noises that drowned out God’s voice. If we want to hear from God we must discipline our selves to create margin in our schedule and use that margin to position our hearts to hear Him. (more on that in a moment) Life immerses us in a myriad of human interactions, influences, and demands. Our schedules are bloated with work responsibilities, commitments to family, church, and community, and leisure activities—while the noises of civilization envelop us. Media messages by the thousands bombard us through electronic, visual, and print sources. How will we ever hear the whisper of God? Is God calling us but he can’t get through because the line is always busy? Watch the video http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Our conversation will basically revolve around the concept of Voice Recognition. First and foremost, we need to be aware that God is actually still speaking and secondly we need to learn how to recognize his voice when He is speaking us. To say it in biblical terms, we need to learn how to “incline our ears to the words of his mouth.” Isaiah 55:3 ESV 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; Proverbs 4:20-21 ESV 20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. Proverbs 22:17-19 ESV 17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Most of us are aware of the story. Adam and Eve, in a moment of arrogance and rebellion, broke the heart of God. God’s grand vision for relationship was wrecked by the choice of one man. Sometimes the Bible seems very overwhelming to us, but we want to make it extremely simple today. From its opening pages you see the true vision of God. He just wanted to be with us. You see that grand vision destroyed by Adam’s choice. But then you see the Missio Dei begin to unfold. After Adam’s fall, the rest of the of the Bible is a story of God’s commitment to do whatever is necessary to get us back. The mission unfolds page after page, chapter after chapter, that tells us the story of how God gets us back. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Did you ever wonder why so many Christians get spiritually stuck? The Bible’s very, very clear. It says this: 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) And yet, you meet people – sincere, good, people that really love God. They’ve seen transformation in some very significant areas, and they’re even committed to Bible study on a regular basis, and they really want to grow, and yet they hit a ceiling or they stall spiritually. There are simply some areas of their life that don’t seem to ever mature…the temper just never seems to get under the Spirit’s control, they can’t seem to walk in the fruit of the spirit and bridle their tongue, how they say certain things or the way they judge people, or there are private sins and addictions that plague them. They feel terrible inside and they promise God and they recommit their life over and over again. They just feel stuck. That's because the greatest seed in the greatest soil cannot grow in the wrong environment. Environment is the key. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Of all the people you have interacted with in life, who would say has hurt you the most? Whose the first to come to your mind? Who’s wounded you? Who’s lied about you? Who’s walked out on you? Who’s taken your money? Gossiped about you? Who sexually or physically abused you? Who’s been ungrateful and humiliated you in front of a group of people? Who’s said things at a Bible study or at church that produced incredible pain? Who betrayed you? We don’t mean to pull off a scab. We don’t mean to stir up things that you’ve worked to keep locked deep down in your heart. But we want you to follow us today and give the Holy Spirit a chance to do something supernatural. Visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch for the video of this message.

There are some areas to which we're blind. Or maybe we have some sight, but can't see from time to time. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

We’ve been discussing what a truly mature, authentic Christian looks like. Jesus tells us to love the Lord with all our heart, with all of our mind and with all of our strength and to love our neighbor as our selves. Paul takes that simple but profound summation of the Christian life and explains what it looks like when practically lived out in everyday life. We’ve been studying Paul’s explanation in our study of Romans 12. Jesus says we are to love God and love people. When Paul expands on that thought in Romans 12, he answers this question…How do we love God? In vs 1...by giving him all of us…surrender. Then, in verse 2 Paul warns us that this world’s system will seduce us away from our savior if we allow it…so he calls us to live separate and distinct from the behaviors and customs of this world. Then in verse 3-8 Paul comes to the crux of the issue by calling us into a moment of self-examination and forcing us to ask the question, How do you view yourself? Because you will never be able to love God and you will never be able to love people if you don’t have the correct view of yourself. So, How are you supposes to come to terms with the real you? For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Paul uses relationship as the measurement of true spiritual maturity. During this time, many of the believers in Rome had not fully grasped the complete message of the gospel of grace; so they measured a person’s spiritual depth by their morals, their external behavior, and their ability to follow a list of religious rules. Paul was fully aware that there were many rule followers who had successfully changed many of their external behaviors…but had never been transformed in their hearts. Religion is dominated by rules and focuses on the external changes…“behavior modification”…but Jesus is focused on changing you from the inside out. The exterior will take care of itself when the soul of a person is supernaturally transformed. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Spiritual maturity is not measured by how well you keep a certain list of rules but by how you manage 5 key areas of relationship. In Romans 12 Paul shows the 5 relationships and the authentic Christian response in those areas. The Relationships and Responses of Authentic Christianity • Relationship with God = Surrendered • Relationship with the world’s values (culture) = Separate • Relationship with yourself = Serious in Self-Assessment • Relationship with other believers = Serving • Relationship with the “sought” = Supernatural Those 5 relationships and responses are basically an outline of the entire chapter of Romans 12. We quickly went through all of them last week. But today I want us to drill down a little bit but we are not going to get very far. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

The events that are unfolding in our world right now, the events that are unfolding in our country and even in our own city are addressed in the words of Romans 12. It would do all American Christians some good to immerse themselves in Romans 12 right now. This political year and recent racial tensions combined with social media have brought out the worst in people who claim to follow Jesus. Romans 12 is like the Cliff Notes on the entire Bible. It is the executive summary of the most read book on the planet. Diving into an in depth study of what God says in Romans 12 will change your life and spiritually mature us as a church. We encourage you during the week to read the 12th chapter of the book of Romans and become as familiar with it as you can. We even challenge you to commit it to memory. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Introducing Northplace Church in Durban South Africa. Hear the backstory and our vision for this place. This video contains powerful visuals, watch it in its entirety at: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Listen to timely message from Pastor Scotty Gibbons. Do not be conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.watch

In a time of national disunity, God has called us to model unity. In a time of fear, God has called the us to be courageous. Many are fearful that the violence we’ve seen is a sign of a fracturing American social fabric. That may well be the case. Even so, we are part of a social order that transcends and will outlast the American one. As we said last week, we are citizens of another country. To watch the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This weekend’s festivities across the country are the epitome of “Americana”. The corn is almost head-high. Watermelons are juicy. Flags are waving. Fireworks light up the sky. Kids ride their bikes. Families picnic together. Churches gather for worship. People sing patriotic songs. Apple pies bake in ovens. An underdog wins the college baseball world series. These are nostalgic American traditions.I'm humbled and grateful to enjoy the freedoms that have come at such a high cost for thousands of men and women in our military. When you hear the phrase “Freedom isn’t Free”. Be reminded of the costs associated with what we enjoy.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Rodney ‘Gipsy’ Smith never received a formal education, yet he lectured at Harvard. He grew up in a gypsy camp outside London, yet he was invited to the Whitehouse by two different presidents. Gypsy Smith was powerfully used of God preaching to millions as he crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean forty-five times. Everywhere he went, it seemed like revival was on his heels. Gypsy revealed his secret to a delegation of hungry seekers that asked him how they could make a difference with their lives the way he had with his. His answer was simple yet profound—as timely and timeless now as it was a hundred years ago. Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk, draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

In his first public sermon, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah and said that he had come to set the captives free. We tend to think of that statement in judicial terms—we think of salvation setting us free from the penalty of sin. And that is certainly part of the meaning. But salvation is so much more than the elimination of sin. Salvation releases us to become the people God has destined us to be. It sets us on a path toward our God-ordained destiny in our spiritual, relational, and professional lives. And part of that is becoming men of God. Unfortunately, a lot of men feel like half-men. We feel incomplete. We feel unfinished. We feel like captives. We want to be men of God, but we aren’t entirely sure how to get there or what that looks like. John Eldredge, a well known writer to men, captures it well: "What we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial men. Boys, mostly, walking around in men’s bodies, with men’s jobs and families, finances, and responsibilities. The passing on of masculinity was never completed, if it was begun at all. The boy was never taken through the process of masculine initiation. That’s why most of us are unfinished men." Watch the message: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

We want to help you see and understand the importance of the Word 511 challenge. We want you to see the heart behind it. Watch the message: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Nevertheless is one of the most powerful words in the English language when it comes to your walk with God. And when we can learn to mean it...not just say...when we truly surrender to his perfect will...we will learn what it means to be free. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

For many people, the Memorial Day celebration is simply an opportunity to get a 3-day weekend…and for far too many people, the only thing they are celebrating is a day off. Why is Memorial Day so important? From a patriotic or national perspective, Memorial Day is vital to our liberties and freedoms as a people. If we forget the sacrifice that has been made for us, we will take for granted the liberty and prosperity that we enjoy. When we reap where others have sown without sharing in the pain of their sacrifice, we become entitled, spoiled brats…and assume that what we have is simply a birth right. It’s not.

Missions is an invitation to partner with a sovereign and powerful God to bring His kingdom fully to earth. This partnership in missions is not only an obligation and responsibility but also a privilege. We are not a defeated people begrudgingly giving and going on the behalf of a weak God. We are giving to missions and going on mission because our King holds the destiny of the world in the palm of his right hand and he has graciously extended us the opportunity to be involved in the redemption of our fellow man. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

We serve a God who exceeds our expectations. Listen to this powerful message from Robert Madu. For the video go to: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

There is a song that says, “It’s a man’s world”…but any man with any sense would know…if not for the influence of women in our lives and in our world…we wouldn’t be the men we are. It is true that women have been the shapers of destiny in our world and this well-known quote sums it up perfectly: The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Women have shaped the influence and life of the church. We also want to honor those who face a great degree of pain in the face of this weekend’s celebrations. Some of you, both male and female, are grieving the loss of your mom’s and this weekend brings all those emotions back. There are couples here today living through a very real battle with infertility and Mother’s day and Father’s days seem to complicate those emotions...there are still others who have lost a child. It would be superficial for us to go on celebrating today and not acknowledge the courage it took for you to be at Northplace this weekend. We honor you. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Change is inevitable but change is not the issue. Transition is the issue. Change is the difference in an external situation. Transition is internal response to change. Transition is the way you process the change spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. The way you respond to change and navigate transition will determine how much peace you will posses in the face of change. It will determine whether or not you are “whole” in the process. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

The miraculously crossed the Red Sea and were delivered from Egypt. This was their End Zone. It marked the end of being a nation of slaves.  They spent 40 years wandering in a wilderness becoming the people God wanted them to be. This wilderness season is the neutral zone.  They eventually made their way into the promise land...marking their New Beginning.  The middle phase...the neutral zone...is probably the most significant part of transitioning properly. How you manage the neutral zone will determine whether you become bitter or better. This is the confusing, chaotic, in between state. It’s no man’s land. It’s the desert place where most people give up and throw in the towel. In the case of the children of Israel, this wilderness/neutral zone phase takes up most of the story. Their neutral zone was 40 years of desert wandering...BUT...It was in the desert that this population of slaves became a nation strong enough to invade and conquer Canaan.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The thesaurus may say that change and transition are synonyms but they aren’t. Change is the modification of an external situation. It’s meaning is clear. You start a diet. You leave one job for another. You move to a new city. You get married. You have a baby. Each of these is an event. It is a change. But each of these changes will have their own degree of emotional adjustment, personal adapting, and internal reorientation. The internal reorientation to change is the transition. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Over the last several weeks we have been celebrating what is made available to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This has been our reoccurring statement: The resurrection is the KEY to everything! And truly it is… If the resurrection didn’t happen, the entire message of Christianity comes unraveled; but if the resurrection is true, then it validates the word of God, the life of Christ and every promise God has ever made. We’ve been answering the “So what?” question regarding the resurrection. “Jesus is alive “So what? What difference does it make it my life right now?” We answered that questioned by looking in on a conversation between the apostle John and Jesus after the resurrection had taken place. This third and final conversation about Keys and Doors, is a message about God’s sovereignty. This week we are delving into God's ultimate control and authority and how that impacts your ability to live free. For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Today we continue the conversation showing how the resurrection of Jesus impacts our lives in the 21st century, not just in a spiritual way but in a very practical way. To start that conversation Pastor Bryan in depth explores John 20:19-21. 19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side. 20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” John 20:19-21 The Message For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

The Resurrection is the key to everything! Listen to what the Apostle Paul says: I Corinthians 15:14-19 Amplified Bible 14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth]. 15 We are even discovered to be false witnesses [misrepresenting] God, because we testified concerning Him that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised, either; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin]. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. This message has powerful visuals, for the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This Sunday is the beginning of Passion Week, which is the celebration of the last week of Jesus life. This Sunday is known as Palm Sunday, the day the people waived palm branches in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem and sang… “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” It was known as his triumphal entry. But this same crowd who sang his praises on Palm Sunday were shouting “Crucify Him” a few days later. In less than a week, Jesus goes from rising star and crowd favorite to a crucified religious extremist. As you prepare your heart to celebrate resurrection Sunday next weekend, don’t let deep meanings of Palm Sunday evade you: 1. Don’t miss the celebration. He is who he said he was! 2. Don’t overlook the fickleness of the crowd…because too often we are just like them. 3. Don’t miss the Power of Preconceived Ideas. 4. Don’t miss how quickly things can go from good to bad to better than ever. The resurrection changes everything. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Last week we launched a series of messages that will help us approach Easter weekend with a growing sense of momentum. Over these three weekends leading up to Easter, we are going to examine several of our Easter weekend topics from the past decade that made the deepest impact on us as church family and on those who were our guests. These topics focus on the clear message of the gospel, the centrality of the cross of Christ, and the overcoming life in the spirit made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This journey will culminate on Easter weekend and we are praying that what God does this Easter at Northplace will be hope-filled, life changing, and destiny altering for you and your guests…because that’s what the message of the resurrection is…a message of hope. Today, we focus on one of God’s promises in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Listen… Romans 8:11 NLT 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Let begin by asking a real pointed question: What in your life is dead or dying? For the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/watch

How many think sin is bad? (Humor if only a few hands… “wow…this is a real solid upstanding crowd”-14 people here think sin is bad.”) Sin is bad. The biblical definition of sin is to “miss the mark.” The mark is not set by your mom, or your church, or the media, or popular vote. God sets the mark. God is the one who differentiates and delineates between right and wrong. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." None of us have met the standard; every one of us has missed the mark. We have all failed, we have all done wrong, and we have all sinned. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Rewind with us to ancient days, when new kings would kill the remnants of any remaining family members of the previous monarchy. They eliminated any threats to their rule. It was in this setting that Saul and Jonathan’s family and servants heard the horrific news “King Saul and Prince Jonathan are dead and David is now King.” That announcement struck fear in any heart related to Saul and Jonathan or any who had served their kingdom. In this message, pastor Bryan Jarrett reminds us that God's grace can be abundant to us in any circumstance in life. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

The disciples where asking 2 questions almost 2000 years ago that people seem infatuated with asking today...When will Jesus return and Are we near the end of the world? The question of Jesus’ return is a question usually studied and talked about among church believers...church people. But the question about the end of the world is being asked by everybody...Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, Christians...everybody. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This weekend we got to hear some great relationship advice from Pastor Scotty Gibbons. What happens after you've been married for a while. Listen to this talk and apply it. For the video go to http://northplacechurch.com/watch

We are still early in the year, and even if you have already blown your new year’s resolutions, even if you have already messed up your well-intentioned bible-reading plan, it’s important for us to be reminded of the power of God’s word in our lives and get engaged with it again. http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Over the last several weeks we have been in our series called Reset. This weekend we conclude a 21'day season of fasting and prayer...that has been a phenomenal time in many of our personal lives and within our church as whole. We are resetting our lives to restore connectivity with God. Our prayer times have been full of hungry people and full of the presence of God...our services have been life changing. Many of us are growing deeper in our walk with Christ and over 100 people in the last few weekends of committed their lives to Christ for the first time. God is doing something really special at Northplace and because we are in the middle of it, we may not appreciate it until we look back on it...but we ask the Lord to open our eyes and let us see the magnitude of what is happening among us... For the video go to http://northplacechurch.com/watch

In the first couple weeks we looked at how being intentional with our new year’s goals will allow for a reset in our lives. We looked at how prayer and fasting works to restore our intimacy with God. Last week, Sujo showed us how God can take tragedy, devastation and the evil aimed at us and turn it around to reset the direction of our lives for God’s glory. Today is going to be altogether different. Over the last few days, God has placed a heavy burden on our pastor's heart to have a conversation with the church. But two things came to mind: First, It wasn’t what was in the original plan. Second, he had a similar conversation with our church back at the end of May and early June about this very topic. We know what it means to trust God, but if we were to be honest, is worry more natural than true? Has trying to do something to "help God out" become easier than waiting on him to be God? To watch the video and for more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

How can you refocus your life after a tragedy strikes? Listen to this message from Sujo John, a 9/11 survivor, telling how the worst day of his life propelled him ton change his approach to life. Watch the video at http://northplacechurch.com/watch

A hard reset can restore our connectivity issues. That’s the reason why we started this year with a sermon series called Reset. What all of us need at the beginning of 2016 is a Reset. We need a fresh start, a new beginning…a do over. For one reason or another we are having connectivity issues with God…and maybe even with the people in life that we love. The first of the year is a perfect time for us to hit the reset button and recalibrate our lives for connection with God. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

A hard reset, also known as a factory reset or master reset, is the restoration of a device to the state it was in when it left the factory. All settings, applications and data added by the user are removed. 1 I love the reference to a Master Reset because that reveals my intent. When a device has a Master Reset, it returns to its purest form...its original design. All the things I have added to the device over time that may affect its performance are removed. It’s a clean slate to start all over. I think what all of us need at the beginning of 2016 is the Master’s Reset. We need a fresh start, a new beginning...a do over. So much so... many of us have already posted our New Year’s resolutions on social media or written them in our journals. We have evaluated areas of our lives that need more attention and intentionality and we have committed to focus on a few areas for improvement. To watch the video go to http://northplacechurch.com/watch

For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

The “expectant waiting” of Advent is almost over. Like the ancient believers from scripture who ached in longing for their anticipated Messiah, the 4-week season of Advent compresses those feelings and emotions for us. As we march toward Christmas Eve and the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day, we experience similar emotions as those early believers. Long before there were sleepless Christmas Eve nights with children anxiously waiting for what new gadget would be under the tree, there were centuries of anxious waiting by God’s people. They were looking, longing, hoping...waiting in faith for their promised King. The prophet Isaiah was one of those people and in Isaiah 9, he reveals his waiting heart and what this coming king will be like. He says: Isaiah 9:6 NIV 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

We often think… if I just had this, had that, lived in that house, drove that car, married that girl, that guy, landed that job, my instagram account had this many followers, people liked my status on facebook, forget my status, if people just liked me… Don’t let excuses keep you from having Joy. Don’t let people keep you from having Joy. Don’t let your job keep you from having Joy. Don’t let your mind, your insecurities, your disabilities, your hurt, your shame, your current situation keep you from having Joy! The question isn't where did I put my joy; the question is, why did I ever let it go? For the video of this sermon visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

When you go looking for love you find it in the most unexpected places…and if we are talking about finding love in the Christmas story…our minds automatically go to the more obvious and common expressions of love. We could easily and rightly say that Advent is the time John 3:16 became a physical reality. That God expressed his love for us by giving us his only begotten son. He loved us so deeply that he wrapped himself in human flesh and became a baby in a manger. He came to live and die in our place so that we might have relationship with the father. Whoever believes upon him have can have eternal life.

Until a few years ago, Northplace had not focused that much on Advent. Traditionally, Advent has been something celebrated primarily among liturgical churches like the Anglican or Lutheran traditions. But for us Christmas has been commercialized, the word twisted to mean what it shouldn’t, and the season hijacked by materialism. We wanted something that anchored us in rich theology, biblical history, and the real story of God wrapping himself in human flesh. For the video go to http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Several weeks ago the Lord dropped something in my heart to share this weekend that was supposed to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. I started working on what I believed to be a spirit inspired sermon called The Discipline of Celebration. I had no idea the events that have unfolded over the last few days would happen. The Paris attacks where scores lost their lives… and the heightened terrorism risk here and around the rest of the world were not on my radar when I began thinking about this weekend’s sermon. As these events unfolded, I seriously questioned the topic. The mood seems somber not celebratory. I prayerfully asked, “Shouldn’t I be preaching something else this weekend?” But I kept feeling impressed to move forward with this conversation about celebration. The more I prayed, studied and researched the scripture the more I understood wanted God wanted us talking about this today…even with all these things going on. We are not having this conversation in spite of the recent devastation in our world but because of the heartache in our world. For the video visit http://northplacechurch.com/watch

Each week we have focused on one key piece that makes up the underlying elements of our culture. These things are what make us…uniquely us. Today I want to focus on our commitment to The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit…in our lives and in our church. As we said from the beginning of this series, one of the most important things a pastor can do, is create, cultivate, and contend for a gospel centered culture in the local church. Today we are contending for or reaffirming Our commitment to be Spirit empowered people who crave Spirit empowered environments. For the video go to http://northplacechurch.com/watch

This is week 7 in our conversation about the culture of our church. We have committed over the last couple of months to talk about those things that make us… uniquely us. Each week I have focused on one key ingredient that makes up a part of the culture of Northplace. We have talked about our commitment to generosity, courageous faith, biblical balance, missional focus, and doing less better. If you missed any part of this series, each message is available under the “Resources” tab of our website at northplacechurch.com/watch

We are in our sixth week of a very important conversation as a church family. We are reminding some and education others about the unique ingredients that make up the Northplace culture. Every place… whether be a school, a restaurant, a business, a family, or a church, has a unique feel or environment that becomes synonymous with that place. That familiar environment and that familiar experience you have when you go there is all a part of the culture of the place. At Northplace, we have been intentional in crafting our church’s culture. From the hospitality of the parking lot greeters… the size and layout of our expansive lobby… the choices of warm colors throughout the building…to the spirit empowered environment here in the sanctuary…we have been intentional in creating environments and experiences that reflect who we are as a people. Over the least several weeks we have highlighted one key ingredient of our culture that makes us…uniquely us. If you are just joining us and want to catch up on the previous 5 messages, you can do so at our church website http://northplacechurch.com/watch. Every message is made available free to you there. Today, we will look at our commitment to Do Less Better - Simplify.

We’ve been defining the power of a culture and contending for the key ingredients that make Us…Us. We’ve said that the easiest way to define Culture is “the way do things around here.” We’ve also said… An unhealthy culture can suck the life out of vision, plans, and dreams. A healthy culture is the environment that causes all those things to flourish. Over the last ten years we have been intentional about creating culture at Northplace. Our pastors and elders take this culture thing seriously. We’ve addressed our commitment to Generosity, our commitment to living lives of courageous faith, our commitment to having biblical balance in our church in contrast to a world that worships extremes. Today, I want to talk to you about our commitment to Missional Focus. A missionally focused church is more concerned with reaching the outsider than accommodating the insider. People who live missionally focused lives are willing to spend their lives doing whatever is necessary to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. http://northplacechurch.com/watch

After 25 years of serving the local church, I would say that church culture is as bad or worse in its love of the extreme. I have watched what seemed to be steady, well-grounded people get caught up in some new fad that sweeps through the church. Before long they are so certain this “new thing” is the only thing…that they celebrate the new fad more than they celebrate Jesus and often look down with condemnation on those who don’t embrace the fad as passionately as they do. Those of you have been around a while can already start filling in the blanks of what those “fads” and “new things” have been during your church experience and you can probably start naming the people who fit the description I just gave. I could give you a list the names of people I’ve personally known…some ministry leaders… who were swept up in some fad…people who became self-righteous in their new found zeal…people who became critical of other Christians who didn’t share the same zeal for this “new thing”…people who after the fad wore off and the church either split over the fad or returned to “normal”… these people walked away from their faith…completely disenfranchised. Don’t get me wrong. God has always moved by his Spirit throughout human history in ebbs and flows…tides that seem to rise, crescendo, and then subside. Genuine revivals break out among us that emphasize certain truths that the people of that time have neglected. Study church history and you will see…when we get loose in our living, when moral comprise becomes the norm… a revival that emphasizes repentance, holiness, and righteous living will emerge. When we put God in a box and say that this “certain way” is the only way God can move…revivals that emphasize the miraculous and the supernatural breakout and God really will move in a way he never has…simply to blow our finite minds. When we become legalistic, self-righteous and remove the joy of serving Jesus because the focus is all on the rules…a genuine revival of real grace emerges. The danger lies in the extreme.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Courageous faith sets miracles in motion. It’s comprised of sacrificial obedience, complete trust, and total surrender boldly displayed through tangible acts of faith. Courageous faith is what makes our church take risks. Courageous faith is what keeps us from settling for the status quo. It keeps us dreaming for what seems impossible and planning for things we can’t afford and believing for things that make other people think we have lost our minds. We are not sure, and it may cost us everything...but maybe...just maybe... if we risk everything to take this hill...the Lord will act on our behalf. That’s not the mentality of most Christians or most church cultures. We let fear dictate our decisions. We have a better-safe-than- sorry mentality. We live as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Maybe it's time for a paradigm shift. When did we start believing that God wants to take us to safe places, to do easy things? Here's a thought: The will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan. Perhaps God! It's the key to living with holy anticipation. Perhaps the Lord will help us. May God give us the spirit of Jonathan! When we talk about courageous faith, we automatically assume we are talking about faith...and we are...but don’t overlook the emphasis on courage. Courage is an often-overlooked biblical virtue. Courage gives us the capacity to take risks, make sacrifices and to be, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said regarding Christian faith, “dangerously unselfish.” Courage helps us withstand and even grow through ongoing pain, suffering, isolation and difficulty. We cannot live our lives fully pleasing to God without courage. Over 25 times in the Bible, we are commanded to be bold and courageous. God takes courage, or the lack of it, very seriously.

Last week, we spent a great deal of time laying the foundation for a conversation about the culture of our church. Most of our time was spent defining the power of a culture. We said that the easiest way to define Culture is “the way do things around here.” We also said…An unhealthy culture in a church can suck the life of its vision, plans, and dreams. A healthy culture is the environment that causes all those things to flourish. The longer I serve in the local church them more I realize the importance of creating, cultivating, and contending for a gospel centered culture within the church. Our society tries to inject its culture into ours…and if left to us…we are by nature selfish and sinful…we will allow the church culture to become the same as us. We must create, cultivate, and contend for a culture within our church that reflects the heart of God. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com

Today we begin a several week conversation that will attempt to explain what makes Northplace different. Notice, I didn’t say better. Our “different” is better for some and serves them well…but on occasions our “different” is not what is wanted or need in a persons life…and we get that. But those of you are apart of this family or considering making this place your faith family it is important for you to understand what makes the Northplace culture unique.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com

Over the last 4 weeks we have been having a conversation about Life Defining Moments. We are either facing one now or we are between them. Defining moments are as certain as death and taxes. These moments always force us to make decisions that will affect the trajectory of the rest of our lives. That’ why we label these moments as “defining”…the decisions we make or fail to make in these moments define us. Last week, my message was more introspective, informational, and contemplative. But the majority of our conversations over these last few weeks have been raw, honest, and personal. Today will probably be the most raw, honest, and personal. Each week, I’ve referenced a personal moment that defined my own life. So far…each of these moments have defined my life based on my own “right” decision, my own “wrong” decision or my own “indecision”. Today, I want us to look at the life defining moments housed in those experiences where something evil, unfair, or unjust is committed against us.

Two weeks ago we launched this 4-week conversation called Moments. Life is full of defining moments. Right now, you are either facing a defining moment or you are between defining moments. Defining moments are the landmarks on your life’s journey. In week one, I talked in a very raw and open way about my past of sin and addiction and the defining moment that REVERESED the downward spiral of my life. Last week, we talked about the Regret of Missed Opportunity. Today, I want to open up about another personal life defining moment. When I survey the last 41 years of my life, this experience has to rank in my top five life-altering moments. It all started after coming out of a season of great personal sacrifice. Here’s what I learned in that moment: Jesus…is…Enough. In this Life Defining Moment, I learned about the sufficiency of Christ. I heard another pastor say it this way: Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything or think of it as an equation… Jesus + Nothing = Everything. It all starts and ends with Jesus. Think about your start. I want you to think with me about how YOUR faith journey began. Regardless of where you are spiritually today… What defined what you believe about God, church, faith, and the bible? And when did that start happening? For most of us, the starting point of our faith was somewhere in childhood… we had a conversation with a parent, priest, or a pastor or we heard something in church, at a camp, or at a school. Somebody handed you some building blocks that laid the foundation of your faith journey…or maybe you weren’t handed anything about faith…but over time you pieced things together…and based on your own experiences and disappointments…somewhere…way back in childhood… you started putting together your faith journey. Then something happens as we get older and our childlike faith takes a hit. We become adults and our problems mature, but for some reason our faith doesn’t mature with us. The rigors and the pressure of adult life start poking holes in all those neat bible stories that meant so much us when we were kids…and then the foundation that we thought was so firm doesn’t seem to support the challenges of adult life. For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com

Last week, we had a special weekend. We celebrated our one-year anniversary in this new facility. We launched our Saturday night worship experience. We had a record Non-Easter attendance. But the greatest news of all is that over 50 people committed or recommitted their lives to Jesus Christ! Last week, I talked in a very raw and open way about my past of sin and addiction and the defining moment that REVERESED the downward spiral of my life. At one of the lowest points of my life during a season of rebellion and addiction, I was confronted with a truth about life…my own mortality. Dealing with life and death issues made me deal with spiritual matters in a way I had avoided my entire life. In those moments I made a decision to cry out to Jesus. He graciously and compassionately responded. Today, I want us to continue to delve into the power of these seemingly insignificant—brief periods of time…that end up defining our lives. BUT… instead of looking at the positive outcomes of making the right decision in that moment, we need to consider the ramifications of making the wrong decision…or…making no decision…because Indecision in a defining moment is the same as a wrong decision.

Today we launch a 4-week series called Moments. We are going to look back on some moments in our lives…moments that, at the time, seemed unimportant and insignificant. But in hindsight, those little moments actually altered the course of our entire lives. There are moments in business, in relationships, in spiritual matters that seemed small at the time…but the influence of those brief moments have completely changed the trajectory of our lives…some for the good…some for the bad. When it comes to the good…even if we didn’t notice it then…when we look back, we see the fingerprints of God’s grace at work in those strategic little moments. But…I don’t want us to JUST look back in the past to find those moments. We need to start looking for those Defining Moments now. Life is full of defining moments. Right now, you are either facing a defining moment or you are between defining moments. Like landmarks on a map, defining moments are the key points along your life’s journey.

Today the feel of the message is going to be noticeably different. It’s less “prophetic” and more pastoral. I have a shepherd’s heart and feel as directed to share this very practical information from God’s word as I did the strongly prophetic messages of the preceding weeks. I want to talk to you today about the Sabbath. Over the last few months we have been preparing to launch our Saturday night services. Part of that preparation has been researching other churches that have started Saturday nights and we have gathered some really good information. We had several of those churches tell us… “Don’t do it! It will destroy the family lives of your pastors and staff and it will wear out your volunteers.” Of the several churches that we talked too who have sustained a healthy Saturday night service and kept balance in their staff families and health with their volunteer ministry teams…the one key is understanding what God has to say about the Sabbath. Let me say this…our goal for starting Saturday night services is not to grow a big a church. We want a healthy church. Our goal is to increase capacity, create movement, and seize opportunity. Healthy living things grow and reproduce but not all growth is healthy. Growth is a natural byproduct of health but big is not the goal. We said in the beginning we have a culture of “try” and Northplace. We are going to “try” this for a year and if its not working we can always going back to what we were already doing. I’m not worried about whether or not people will come to Saturday…I’m worried about us doing it in a healthy sustainable way. The difference in Saturday services working and not working will not be based on attendance but our ability to get this principle of the Sabbath and understand what God has to say about rest.

In Revelation 21:6 God identifies himself as "Alpha and Omega." Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last letter of the alphabet. In our culture it would be like saying, Jesus is the A and the Z...In other words He is "the beginning and the end." But the emphasis here isn’t on alphabets. He is speaking of reality. God is absolutely the beginning and absolutely the end. Everything that IS originates ultimately in him. And everything that IS will somehow end with him.

Do you face a mountain…a seemingly impossible task? Finding a job. Caring for aging parent. Fighting cancer. Battling depression. Rebuilding a life after death or divorce. Seeking a new career. Starting a ministry. Finishing college. Overcoming an addiction. What mighty mountain looms before you? Some of you have a mountain of rubble in your life…a mountain of your own making due to disobedience or neglect…others of you stare at a mountain caused by the invasion of the enemy into your life or family…regardless of the reason…that mountain serves as a constant reminder of your past defeat and present bondage. It seems impossible and overwhelming and God seems disengaged or disconnected. Every time you step out to do something for God or make progress spiritually, the enemy will take you back to your mountain—and remind you of the past or point to the obstacles in your present trying blur your destiny. The very memory of your mountain is like a leech the sucks the life out of your faith and your future. When you are a slave to something…when you’re held captive by something it literally alters your whole outlook on life and can change your personality. Your captivity steals your identity. Just like the Babylonians and Persians used the “slave mentality” to control the Jews… Satan uses this “slave mentality” to invade and take captive every aspect of our lives and limit, if not destroy, our potential for Christ.

This morning we celebrate Servant leaders from our family of faith have taken the gospel "glocal". We have literally made a global and local impact this summer. We will examine what Jesus had to say about serving others and being compassionate. Take a look at what has transpired over the summer Challenge your thinking in regards to having an impact in your world.

Malachi 3:6 NIV 6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. A lot is said in this short verse. One translation of this verse infers … if God did change the descendants of Jacob would have already been destroyed. They had been disobedient…and even blasphemous…they deserved judgment…but God had made them promises and given them his word. He is saying: “The only thing that is keeping you from being destroyed is the fact that I do not change. Even when you go back on your word…I do not go back on mine. There is a word that is rarely used in our vocabulary today that powerfully explains the nature of our God. That word is: Immutable

Jesus’ parable from Luke today is really not one that is easy to grasp the meaning of. It would be easy to look at this and say it is a lesson in social skills. But it’s not. Jesus is challenging those present to look at their life in a different way. He was subverting social norms. What do I mean? I mean, at that time, there were clear distinctions between classes of people – how food is distributed by Roman soldiers for example. Who and how much depended your social status. You knew who was above you and who was beneath you in the social order. We still have some of this today, it’s not as clearly defined, or maybe it is, but in a Democracy it not supposed to be...nevertheless, it is still with us today. Our emphasis on brands or logos, for example. The car we drive has a way of saying something about us. The logo or brand of a piece of clothing, shoes, accessories says something. It’s not just about the brand, but what the brand means or stands for. Flying first class or coach on an airplane is another example of how we are treated differently depending on a “class”. Some of us may fly coach, but may secretly long to fly first class someday. 1 Jesus is trying to get us to think differently. This parable is not about false humility either – it is calling into question the way we order our world. Let me explain further by using the example of the old stagecoach practiceVisit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Many bible-believing Christians all over this country had an odd mix of emotions this patriotic weekend. Some of them were willing to express those emotions…others were so bothered by what they were feeling they were ashamed to express it. Let me see if I can put into words what some of you are feeling.It’s the 4th of July weekend…it’s the weekend for all that is Americana…the nostalgia…of baseball, fireworks, apple pie, and Norman Rockwell paintings…the childhood memories of chasing fire flies or lightening bugs during a July sunset. And while you may have partaken with family and friends in some of those traditional Fourth of July gatherings and events. Something was missing. It just wasn’t the same. Why? Because the America you remember celebrating doesn’t exist any more. That statement is so hard for me to say. It’s the very reason some of us have not put any words to the emotion we felt this weekend. We don’t want to admit it. We can’t bring ourselves to say it. We don’t want to say it because we don’t want it to be true. We don’t want to say it because it’s heart breaking to see what is becoming of a nation that so many have given their lives to protect. In no way do we want to dishonor their commitment and sacrifice.We’ve known that things have been changing for a while and we have even seen the pace of moral decline pick up speed in the last decade but we have held out hope that some how…some way…it would return back to the way it used to be. But the Supreme Court’s recent decision to federally legalize gay marriage…not only legalized gay marriage…it was the wake up call to those of us in a hopeful daydream…that the concept of this being a Christian nation has long since past.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

"But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself…" Daniel 1:8 ESV The ESV says “resolved” other versions uses similar words: Daniel Resolved...Purposed...Decided...Determined. He made up his mind. There was an abrupt change in his surroundings. Daniel encountered serious external changes. His land had been invaded and he had been taken captive. He no longer lived in Jerusalem but in Babylon. He was no longer able to worshiped in the temple. He was forced to live in a city filled with pagan temples. There was an abrupt change in values. The culture in Babylon did not value the things of God. Everything that Daniel held dear was despised in Babylon and everything he despised was embraced. But in the middle of all the change, Daniel resolved to live his life from the inside out. He did not waste his time trying to control the uncontrollable. He knew the only event, circumstance, or person he could truly control was himself. He did not expend energy trying to change the unchangeable, nor explain the unexplainable. The only thing he could control, change, or explain was his on personal resolved...his decision...his made up mind.

Today, we hope to challenge the men of the church but we also hope to impart life to you…we hope to help you see the potential of your influence to shape families and ultimately nations…we hope to send you with hope… we pray…that regardless of your past…Father’s day 2015 is day of new beginnings. But, here’s the elephant in the room…some of us had bad fathers and its difficult to show honor or be excited about this day…others of us are grieving because our father’s have passed away…some of us as father’s are living with a ton of regret because of our past mistakes and wasted years. I believe there is grace for all of us in these situations. This video features Pastor Bryan Jarrett with his son Cadyn Jarrett on Father's Day.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about trust. When we started, I didn’t intended to preach a series on trust…but each week…it seemed like the Lord was wanting to deposit another nugget in our hearts about his vital piece of what it really means to be a Christ follower. Today I want us to look at what it looks like to trust God in the middle of a storm but before we can do that we need to first ask the question…what’s the source of the storm? Why am I even going through this storm in the first place?

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

"Last week, in a very raw and transparent way, I told you about the remedial course in trust…Trust 101…that God seems to be taking me through. I thought I had proven my trust to him multiple times. There have been moments in my life where I have taken unthinkable, irrational steps of faith…and I thought… “Surely those moments validate my level of trust in God.” But as I mature…as I grow in him…I am learning that A mature trust is not only the willingness to take a single irrational step of faith but also the willingness to trust him consistently in the small daily things." Bryan JarrettFor more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

"Today, I am going to ask you to extend grace to me and allow me to think out loud. The Lord is working on me and in me. The words I share with you today are not the polished words of a man who has mastered these principles. These are the words of a reflective heart trying to grow from the Lords loving rebukes and correction in my life. Today, I am not preaching “at” you…but inviting you into a conversation that has been going on between me and the Lord this week. Every time I tried to “get a sermon” for you…I felt impressed to preach the sermon going in me. I argued with God. This is personal. I really don’t want to admit this. It’s not fully developed yet. My thoughts are polished enough…its too raw.But as I always do…I lost that argument. So…here is a raw and…probably rambling conversation about Worry, Pessimism, Pride, and Prayerlessness…and how these things are the symptoms of hearts that are controlling, have given up hope and stopped trusting. Listen to that again:Worry, Pessimism, Pride, and Prayerlessness are symptoms of hearts that are controlling, have given up hope, and stopped trusting.The last twelve weeks has probably one of the most demanding seasons of my life. You know that Haley and I are trying to launch this ranch that will serve rural pastors and abused children. I originally told the Lord that this was not possible in this season of our lives. We didn’t have the time, them money, the ability or the know-how. So early on, we said NO. But the fact that we lacked the capacity is probably the very reason the Lord ask us to do it. It must be time for him to take us to another level of trust…to learn something new about his character and his power.So after several rebukes from the Lord we said Yes." Bryan JarrettFor more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

There are actually 2 celebrations taking place this weekend: one on the national calendar and one on the church calendar. Today, we want to honor them both. On a national level…this is Memorial Day weekend. Our nation pushes pause to honor the men and women who have given their lives in military service to this country. We honor the fallen.A few years ago, a counter-insurgency consultant was brought in to speak to a group of Army officers. He started his presentation with "Ladies and Gentlemen, America is at War." Immediately a voice comes up from the back "Sir, you are wrong. The US Army is at war, America is at the Mall."That statement by an officer in the US Army is sobering but this weekend will remind us again, how detached we are from the reality of the world around us. For most, Memorial Day is a three-day weekend, filled with bar-b-que’s and picnics, big sales and shopping sprees . . . A time to get away from the normal humdrum of the week. For other’s it’s the beginning of summer and the end of the school year…a time to look towards the long lazy days and a time to plan your summer get-a-ways. But for some, Memorial Day still holds a special significance.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

"As I prepared for our time together today, there were three groups of people strongly on my heart: The battle weary saint, the graduate, the convictionless Christian."The Battle Weary…This is the person who is spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausted. This season of your life has been plagued by battles on every front. You have recently said something similar to this: The Lord promised us he wouldn’t put on us more than we could bear. I don’t want to question him but I don’t know how much more I can handle. You’re tired, you’re fatigued, your fingers are slipping at the end of the rope. You’re Battle Weary. "The Graduate…This is the student who is finishing high school or college. Your so excited that school is over or about over that you are beside yourself. But underneath all that excitement there is this anxiety or even fear of the unknown in your future. "The Convictionless Christian…This is the person who enjoys the very real presence of God. They worship, they love Sunday, they love whole walking with Jesus thing…until walking with Jesus is an inconvenience. When being a Christ follower is going to cost them something they will compromise what it means to walk with Jesus for the sake of their own enjoyment or comfort. "There will relevance to what the Holy Spirit is leading me to say today to everyone listening but if you are battle weary, a graduate, or a convictionless Christian…lean in a little closer today." Pastor Bryan Jarrett.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

Today…on Mother’s Day, the most appropriate day for this topic… Pastor Bryan Jarrett addresses an element of Northplace’s culture that you might not see in a mission statement or printed and framed on the wall anywhere…but it is an integral part of who we are. It’s one thing that sets the culture of this church apart from many other organizations. It’s one of the key ingredients of our organizational DNA.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

There are certain things about our church and our culture…certain things about this environment that drew you here. There is something in the DNA of this faith family that is worth protecting. The danger when we grow so rapidly is…we could lose our identity…we could forget what makes us who we are. It’s important for us to pause and focus on the key ingredients of what makes us who we are. If we forget where we’ve come from…we are in danger of losing our bearings. Today we will pause for a moment and reflect…remember…why we worship the way we worship. Northplace Church is a Spirit-Empowered Church. We believe the Holy Spirit is the active agent of God on planet earth. We believe the Holy Spirit fills and empowers God’s people to expand his kingdom in our world. We believe that the book of Acts is more than a history book. It is a manual or picture of what New Testament Christianity is supposed to look like in the 21st century.Visit our website for the video of this message.Northplace Church on FacebookNorthplace Church on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on FacebookPastor Bryan Jarrett on InstagramPastor Bryan Jarrett on Twitter

The recording for the first week is not available online, but you can download the notes from that study by texting PHILEMON to 31996.Today we conclude what has been a powerful study of how the gospel confronts our culture…and to be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this one. At first glance, you might be asking, “Pastor, what are you going to preach out of these last three verses…it’s simply Paul signing off…it’s the formal closing of a personal letter.” You’re exactly right, and it’s in this formal closing that the Apostle has tucked a tremendous amount of revelation. In this list of Paul’s coworkers, we have briefly talked about Ephapras, we know Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark, we mentioned Aristarchus and we know Dr. Luke, who wrote the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts…but what about Demas. Here, it’s obvious that Demas is a fellow minister of the gospel and ministry partner of the apostle Paul. So respected that he is listed in the company of the two the original 12 disciples, Mark and Luke.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Each week, we have forced ourselves to answer the question…How would our lives change if we started living like we were leaving? How would our lives be different if we knew we only had a few days left to live? Since Easter weekend we have been more intentional in trying to calibrate our lives around eternity. We’ve been trying to live with the full understanding that this life is brief but eternity lasts forever. We’ve been trying to live as if we were leaving. This is the very reason why Jesus’ life was so revolutionary. He didn’t come to stay he came to leave. He didn’t waste a day, a moment, a conversation…because he knew how short his life would be. As we have said, He lived passionately. He loved completely and He left boldly. We have discussed living passionately and last week discussed leaving boldly. Today, I want to look at what it means to love completely. The way Jesus lived his life has taught us many things…but one of the crucial things is the value he placed on relationships.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The recording for the first week is not available online, but you can download the notes from that study by texting PHILEMON to 31996.Paul, being Paul, could have demanded what he wanted from Philemon; but he will only humbly request. A gift must be given freely and with goodwill; if it is forced, it is no gift at all.In verse 9, Paul describes himself. The NIV translates the greek phrase as—as Paul an old man, and a prisoner of Christ. A good number of scholars wish to substitute another translation for old man. It is argued that Paul could not really be described as an old man. He certainly was not sixty years old; he was somewhere between that and fifty-five. But, on this basis, those who object to the translation old man are wrong. The word which Paul uses of himself is presbutēs; and Hippocrates, the great Greek medical writer, says that a man is presbutēs from the age of forty-nine to the age of fifty-six. Between these years, he is what we might call senior; only after that does he become a gerōn, the Greek for an old man.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Over the last couple of weeks, we have intentionally played off of the double meaning of the word “terminal”. Everything has been set up to feel like an airport terminal…to help you understand that this earthly life is temporary…transitory…We are trying to make you aware that you are about to board a flight. In a way, life is like an airport terminal. Based on the decisions you make here, you decide what gate your going to depart from…you decide what journey your going to take in the after you die. In these moments together we are trying to address the reality that nobody wants to talk about. We are all “terminal”. No matter how you slice it, this life is going to end…for all us…every…last…one…of…us. As we said last week… The most significant marking any tombstone is not the dates but the dash. The date you’re born or the date you die is less important than how much life was in your living. The only thing that will really matter after you’re gone is how you used your dash. For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The recording for the first week is not available online, but you can download the notes from that study by texting PHILEMON to 31996.This letter to Philemon is remarkable because we see the extraordinary sight of Paul asking a favor. No one ever asked fewer favors than Paul; but in this letter he is asking a favor, not so much for himself, but for Onesimus, who had taken a wrong turn and whom Paul was helping to find the way back.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

On Easter weekend we launched a brand new series called Terminal: Live Like Your Leaving. I think many of us became more aware of the brevity of life. For the first time and a long time we actually started thinking about how short this life really is compared to the “forever” of eternity. We have intentionally played off of the double meaning of the word “terminal”. Everything has been set up to feel like an airport terminal…to make you aware that you are about to board a flight. In a way, life is like an airport terminal. Based on the decisions you make here, you decide what gate your going to depart from…you decide what journey your going to take in the after you die. In these moments together we are trying to address the reality that nobody wants to talk about. We are all “terminal”. As they say, two things in life are certain…death and taxes. Let’s hope only one of those happens this week…taxes.For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Today we are beginning a brand new series that has the potential to change all of our lives in an incredibly profound way. The series is called Terminal: Live Like Your Leaving. Today and over the next three weeks, we are going to examine how our lives would be different if we recognized this inescapable truth…Our time on this earth very limited. We have intentionally played off of the double meaning of the word “terminal”. From the Easter invites that were designed to look like a boarding pass, to the sights and sounds when you walk in today…everything has been prepared to feel like an airport terminal…to make you aware that you are about to board a flight. In a way, life is like an airport terminal. Based on the decisions you make here, you decide what gate your going to depart from…you decide what journey your going to take in the after life. Over the next few weeks, we want to address this reality that nobody wants to talk about. We are all “terminal”. Every person in this room that has had a beginning is going to have an ending. And when you look at our lives in the big picture of history…the time we have is extremely short. For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

You probably know that the tone of Palm Sunday is celebratory. This is what is now the first day of Passion Week. This is the day the crowds are surrounding Jesus as he rides in to town on the back of a donkey. They are worshipping him singing and lifting their voices declaring “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” But in a few short days, this same crowd that is praising Jesus because they believe him to be their long awaited messiah…will cry “crucify him”. In such a short time, how do people go from praise on Palm Sunday to “crucify him” on Good Friday?The answer to that question is simply… Palm Sunday is day of unmet expectations. For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Believe it or not we are two weeks away from Easter. The staff here at Northplace has been working tirelessly for the last couple months getting ready for this Easter season. First, because it’s the first Easter we will ever celebrate together in this new facility. Second, and most important, the Easter season is the most opportune time in the entire calendar year for people to come into relationship with Jesus Christ. More people will return to a church or visit a church for the first time on Easter weekend than any weekend this year. We are culturally predisposed this time of year to be more spiritually aware. People who would never accept an invitation to church are most likely to come on Easter. People who would never normally have a meaningful religious conversation are more likely to engage in that kind of dialogue this time of year. With all of our scurrying around…planning and preparing to seize the opportunity of Easter weekend the Lord keeps reminding me of something…something I believe he wants me to remind you. We are in a spiritual battle for the eternal destinies of men and women. For more information visit http://northplacechurch.com/

As believers, we at some point in our journey with Christ we tapped into the Spring of living water and it was good.But, somewhere over time we let a root of something, find it’s way through a crack or loose joint in our system, in our prayer time, in our worship, in our family, in our mind, in our heart, in our journey to a great life in Christ, we’ve let something in. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The comparison game is a dangerous game to play. Pastor Robert encourages us to stop looking at others for comparisons, and instead focus on what we were specifically made to do.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

I want to make a statement that may strike you as awkward. It may even offend you for a moment but let it sink in and let’s talk about it.“Sometimes the Lord has to hurt us to heal us.”I don’t mean that He intentionally sets out to cause us harm. But in love he will confront us. He will put is finger on our sin. We have all heard the phrase... “The Truth Hurts.” When we are confronted with truth…even when spoken in love…the truth can be painful…but the pain is necessary for us to grow.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Unless you’ve been living under a rock over the last couple of weeks you are well aware of the 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt who were kidnapped and later brutally beheaded by the extremist group…the Islamic State. If you have been a part of Northplace Church for any length of time you know that God has turned our hearts toward the persecuted church, the suffering believer, and those areas closed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Love is a Promise that Endures….To understand this kind of love, we must look to its source – God. He didn’t wait until we cleaned up to offer us salvation. “While we were yet sinners,” (Romans 5:8) God demonstrated His love for us through Calvary. He didn’t wait until we came crawling back to Him before He reached out to us. Instead, He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

This week Pastor Bryan talked about Prayer…Passion… and Promise and how these three things intersect with each other.There is so much available to us as sons and daughters of the King. If we could only grasp for a minute what we are missing by not prevailing in prayer…it would compel us to pray.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

This is week four in our series entitled The God First Life. Yesterday was the last day of our 21 day God-First fast. It truly has been a rich time of spiritual growth for me personally and for our entire church. It’s been a true joy to watch you grow…to see you passionately attend 6 am prayer and worship nights. It’s been special.Something that is very unspiritual but very special to me…I had a bowl of honey nut cheerios at 4:45 this morning and they were amazing!As I’ve reminded you each week…we are framing conversation around four main thoughts from Stovall Weem’s book titled The God First Life. Today, as I have been over the last several weeks, I’m going to interweave Stovall’s insights from the book with my own thoughts and ideas and attempt to give you some practical biblical insight on structuring your life around God’s ways…God’s priorties…God’s kingdomThis entire series is anchored in this statement of Jesus:"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 NIVWe are learning from four main ideas from that statement:A New Priority… “seek first”A New Family…. “seek first his kingdom”A New Life…….. “seek his righteousness”A New Freedom… “all these things will be given to you”For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The series we started few weeks ago is an excellent resource for those of you who are new to faith or returning to faith. It’s also an excellent reminder to the rest of us of some foundational principles that we tend to forget.We framed the conversation around four main thoughts from Stovall Weem’s book titled The God First Life. Today and over the next couple weeks I’m going to interweave Stovall’s insights from the book with my own thoughts and ideas and attempt to give you some practical biblical insight on structuring your life around God’s ways…God’s priorities…God’s kingdomFor more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The series we started last week is an excellent resource for those of you who are new to faith or returning to faith. It’s also an excellent reminder to the rest of us of some foundational principles that we tend to forget. We framed the conversation around four main thoughts from Stovall Weem’s book titled The God First Life…Uncomplicate Your Life God’s Way. Today and over the next couple weeks we're going to interweave Stovall’s insights from the book with my own thoughts and ideas and attempt to give you some practical biblical insight on structuring your life around God’s ways…God’s priorities…God’s kingdom This entire series is anchored in this statement of Jesus: Matthew 6:33 NIV 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Last week we jumped into the God First Life series by talking about our New Priority. We talk about doing life God’s way. When you live your life structured around God’s order…His priorities…blessing flows. When you align your life around God’s ways…life functions as it was meant to. Today, we talk about the amazing privilege of being adopted into God’s family. Listen to what Paul has to say about it: Ephesians 3:13 and 19 NIV 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

This is message today and this entire series that we are launching today is a great introduction to faith for those of you who are starting or restarting your faith journey. It’s also an excellent reminder for those of us who’ve been doing this so long our relationship with God has grown stale, boring and habitual.At first glance today’s message is a very familiar one at the beginning of the year. Pastor’s all over America are preaching on “priorities” in the first few weeks of this new year. On the surface, this will sound like a familiar message on priorities but it’s deeper than that. This is more than me yelling for 30 minutes telling you to get your priorities straight. This message (and this entire series for that matter) is a message about order…divine order. It’s more that a reminder to check your priorities. It’s a study of the laws and principles of God. It’s a way to organize and live your life. And here is the promise from Scripture…when you live your life structured around God’s order…blessing flows. When you align your life around God’s ways…life functions as it was meant to.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

So we start with guns blazing, reading 10 chapters a day, praying through every need on our prayer list, reading through 3 or 4 different devotionals. The first few days feel amazing. We feel like we are doing what we should have been doing all along. Then life happens and we miss a couple days and reading 40 chapters to catch up seems daunting. We start feeling like failures. Guilt piles on because we don’t measure up...so we quit.But the truth is:It is the little things we continue to do over the course of our lives that make thegreatest difference.For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Even though we walk through the valley of death, we can rest assured that God, our faithful shepherd, will always be there with us. Guest speaker, Pastor Mike Dsane from the Village Church. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

God’s desire since the beginning is to dwell with his people. He created us to have fellowship with us. But sin severed the relationship. It separated us from God. From that moment on the rest of bible is a narrative, a story of how this loving God will do what ever is necessary to be in a relationship we destroyed. We ruined it. And we run from Him…and yet…He chases after us! For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

The “expectant waiting” of Advent is almost over. Like the ancient believers from scripture who ached in longing for their anticipated Messiah, the 4-week season of Advent compresses those feelings and emotions for us. As we march toward Christmas Eve and the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day, we experience similar emotions as those early believers. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

We are 7 days away from Christmas Sunday where we will focus on the name given to Jesus…Prince of Peace. We are 10 days away from some very special Candlelight Christmas Eve services. But today, on this 3rd Sunday of Advent, and our 3rd week in a series of sermons we have called…The Name…we get to immerse ourselves in the “hard to grasp” title Isaiah gave our Lord…Everlasting Father. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

As a short refresher…Advent is basically a season of “expectant waiting.” As we march toward, Christmas…each week…we relive some of the emotions that those who waited for the Messiah must have felt. As we become aware of what Christ’s coming really means for us…we began to feel some of that “longing” that they must have felt. They were longing for fulfillment…the fulfillment of the promise of God for a savior, deliverer…a king. Centuries later…many of us have that same longing for the fulfillment of the promises of God in our own lives. The season of Advent is supposed to reawaken that longing in us…but also serve as reminder…that He came. He kept his promise then and he will keep his promise to us. God broke into human history once and he can break into human history again. Advent is a reminder to us that God is a covenant keeping God. He makes covenants with us and he keeps them. As a matter of fact, one of his names tells us so. Whenever we hear God speaking of Himself in the Bible as ‘God Almighty’ we are hearing the Hebrew name El Shaddai. It is a name for God that speaks of his His sufficiency, His “enough-ness.” El Shaddai- His sufficiency, His “enough-ness.” For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

We begin the traditional 4-week march toward our candle lit Christmas Eve services where we will intimately celebrate the birth of our Savior. Over the next four weeks, we celebrate the spiritual depth of Christmas and Advent by studying a series of messages entitled The Name…where we will focus in on the names of God…especially those names revealed in connection with Christ’s birth. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

What makes us as believers of the Gospel different? What makes us different or set apart from those who don’t follow the Gospel message. As a man, woman, Husband, Wife, Father, Mother, employee, employer, friend, what makes us different? For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

This is not a message for reprobates, pagans, and blasphemers. It’s the cry of the Father to his children…children who may be moral, religious, church goers…but children whose spiritual affection has waned…whose spiritual passion has grown cold…children who have become satisfied, complacent, and comfortable. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

If somebody asked you to describe the Christian life in a few words, what would you say? If somebody asked you, “What does God want from us more than anything else?” What would you say? If you said moral devotion, if you said ethical behavior, if you said faithfulness to religious rituals you’d be wrong. Those can be important things…but not THE most important thing. The essence of the Christian life can be summed up in two words “love relationship”. God wants to have a love relationship with you. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

God designed for us relationship. He meant for us to be in community with each other. Whether you are single or married, you need a spiritual family, a group of three or four or five people that you can walk through life with. This week we explored why it's better when we serve together. God did not put you on earth to live a selfish life. God didn’t put you on earth just to take up space, to breathe, have fun and die. God put you here to make the world a better place. God has a contribution He wants you to make with your life. He wants you to practice serving Him now to get ready for eternity. Remember this life is a dress rehearsal for eternity. When you get to heaven, one of the things you’re going to do there is serve God and God wants you to get some practice here on earth. How do you serve God? There’s only one way. By serving other people. You cannot serve God directly. You can only serve God by serving others. Whenever you use your talents, your time, your energy, your resources, your background, to help anybody else that’s serving them. The Bible calls that ministry. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

This week Pastor Bryan focused on a third component necessary in the life of a Christ follower…Maturity or Discipleship. It’s the concept of spiritual formation…or growing up spiritually. How can I grow spiritually? More than that…this is the Better Together series…how do we help each other grow spiritually. For more info visit http://northplacechurch.com/

Pastor Robert Madu challenged us to, in the frame of community, share the gifts that God has uniquely placed in each of us.

During the window of the next 6 weeks we are focusing on two things. One is deepening the sense of community and relationship within our church family…and the second is reaching out to the community around us. Deepening the sense of love…internally…within our church family…and…Reaching out in love…externally… to the community around our church family. For more information about our church visit http://northplacechurch.com/

God says what matters most in life is not your accomplishments, or your achievements, your title, or your wealth…but your faith that makes you love others. The Scripture says if you miss this you have missed the most important thing in life. Over the next six, weeks we are going to focus on what matters most to God…strengthening our faith that makes us love others. We are going to focus on three primary areas…three communities: 1. The community of our church. 2. The community of our small group. 3. The community of the world around us. Visit http://northplacechurch.com/ for more information.

As we grow in becoming a great church and grow in numbers, how do when ensure we don’t become a crowd but make sure we stay a church? For 1900 years when people went to church they went to church with people who knew them incredibly well Monday through Saturday. There was no mobility. We can make kingdom impact as a church…as we grow and reach critical mass that could have never happened when we were smaller but we must be diligent in finding a way keep some of the things from the old neighborhood…before the days of mobility. This is why small groups matter so much at Northplace Church. This is why the series we are about to enter…starting next Sunday…Better Together… is going to be so transformational to you, your family and our church as a whole.

You may have heard the phrase that “X marks the spot”…but that isn’t really true…it’s not an X it’s a Dot. Atoms, pixels, or points…they are the stuff we are made of…dots. After all, a line is just a series of connected dots and if that line is a timeline of history then those dots mark significant points in history that cannot or should not be ignored. We are each given a moment…a dot…The question is…will our moment vanish as time passes? Or would it possible to make that dot of time, multiply again and again and again… in such a way that it is felt all throughout history. This message contains powerful visuals, to watch the video visit: http://northplacechurch.com/resources/watch/

This week we reconnected to a word that has shaped the culture of this church. It’s…more than a word…it’s a way of responding to God…it’s a way of living life. That word is "Extravagant."

If you want to stay smarter than your critics, choose to learn from them even if they refuse to learn from you.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Every individual believer needs a body to which they're accountable. In this message, Pastor John will share with you what's right with the church. Why he loves the church, and so should you.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Is it possible to have joy in every circumstance? Here is the key to relentless joy: a servant-heart surrendered to the sovereignty of God. Simple but not easy.

Jesus rose from the dead. It’s a 2000 year old story. What could actually be said this Easter that hasn’t already been said 10,000 times before? **Portions of this message are in Spanish. Please visit http://nrthpl.cc/WatchNC for subtitles.**

What difference can one's actions make? Never underestimate the power of one person. None of us can do everything but every one of us can do something.

What difference can one's actions make? Never underestimate the power of one person. None of us can do everything but every one of us can do something.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Answering the questions that your unchurched friends are asking you.

Even if the world around us completely falls apart, we can take joy in the God of our salvation.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Northplace Church is a place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

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Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.

Welcome to Northplace Church, the place where the doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds. Whether you're new on your spiritual journey or a committed Christian who wants to get connected more deeply to Jesus, you have a place at Northplace.