Verve City Church: Weekly Messages

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 10: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share discussions like this about the movies and messages.Weirdly enough, Ferris Bueller's Day Off mostly isn't about Ferris Bueller, but about his friend Cameron. Cameron has been swimming in so much fear and anxiety that he's become incapable of truly living his life. By the end of the film, the old Cameron dies, and a new one rises up out of the water, ready to own his choices and face his biggest fears. It's as he takes responsibility for his life that he realizes he has the power to change his life. Cameron's journey acts as a stand-in for the one Jesus invites us to take: seeing where our life is heading without him, and choosing to follow him instead. "Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."SERIES OVERVIEW:Movies often reflect our common struggles, hopes, and dreams. Join us for At the Movies, as we discover how these powerful stories intersect with profound truth for our everyday lives.Each week, our message will feature clips from a particular movie and draw parallels to stories and principles found in the Bible. We’ll also have a themed lobby experience each weekend, complete with free popcorn and other concessions, photo ops, and interactive surprises the whole family will enjoy.

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 3, which highlighted Ford v Ferrari as part of the At the Movies series. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share  discussions like this about the movies and messages.At its core, Ford v Ferrari is the story of how friendship can help us learn the value of acting while thinking of the consequences to others. We are each on a journey from selfishness to increasing selflessness, and Jesus perhaps encapsulated that best with his teaching that self-sacrificial love should be the norm for his followers.SERIES OVERVIEW:Movies often reflect our common struggles, hopes, and dreams. Join us for At the Movies, as we discover how these powerful stories intersect with profound truth for our everyday lives.Each week, our message will feature clips from a particular movie and draw parallels to stories and principles found in the Bible. We’ll also have a themed lobby experience each weekend, complete with free popcorn and other concessions, photo ops, and interactive surprises the whole family will enjoy.

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, August 27, which highlighted Cars (2006) as part of the At the Movies series. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share  discussions like this about the movies and messages.Released in 2006, Pixar’s Cars gives us insight into our egos: how they can be puffed up, painful, busy, and fragile. Reading from 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, we’ll discover that as long as we are seeking validation from our accomplishments or the cheers of others, we’ll never be fully satisfied with the life we’re living.SERIES OVERVIEW:Movies often reflect our common struggles, hopes, and dreams. Join us for At the Movies, as we discover how these powerful stories intersect with profound truth for our everyday lives.Each week, our message will feature clips from a particular movie and draw parallels to stories and principles found in the Bible. We’ll also have a themed lobby experience each weekend, complete with free popcorn and other concessions, photo ops, and interactive surprises the whole family will enjoy.

This week:At some point in your life, you likely encountered the Bible. You took a literature class in college and were assigned a few chapters to study. Or you grew up going to church and often heard passages read from its pages. Or a parent or relative gave you a copy of the Bible as a gift. Or you saw a shirtless man at a football game who had emblazoned his chest and belly with "John 3:16." But whatever your encounter, it's likely you had questions. When approaching Scripture, the goal isn't to do away with our questions, but to ask interesting ones. What can we ask of the Bible in order to get something helpful out of it?Series overview:Though the Bible is perhaps the most influential religious text in human history, even Christians often know very little of its origins. How did we get the Bible as we know it today? How has it been interpreted over the hundreds of years of its existence? And what questions should we bring to this ancient text if we're interested in the power it may still have to transform us today?

This week:The Bible is a library of books. But how did we get it? Who wrote these things down? How was it assembled? And what does any of that have to do with the way we live and practice our faith? Series overview:Though the Bible is perhaps the most influential religious text in human history, even Christians often know very little of its origins. How did we get the Bible as we know it today? How has it been interpreted over the hundreds of years of its existence? And what questions should we bring to this ancient text if we're interested in the power it may still have to transform us today?

This week:Maybe you were taught every verse in the Bible has one clear meaning. Or maybe you were taught nothing in the Bible is literal and every story finds its meaning in allegory. No matter what, to engage with the Bible at all is to interpret the Bible, and for the past two thousand years, people have had diverse views on Biblical interpretation. Series overview:Though the Bible is perhaps the most influential religious text in human history, even Christians often know very little of its origins. How did we get the Bible as we know it today? How has it been interpreted over the hundreds of years of its existence? And what questions should we bring to this ancient text if we're interested in the power it may still have to transform us today?

This week: Jesus called us to “bear much fruit,” but in the face of our modern, fast-paced, complicated lives, how do we live that out? It turns out the secret to cultivating more good fruit in our lives is simple and sweet.Series overview: Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easier said than done! As Jesus followers, how can we maintain a positive outlook when things aren’t going our way? Can trials or setbacks actually reinvigorate our faith? Join us for a refreshing reminder that life’s unexpected circumstances might just be a way God leads us to discover fresh blessings, new opportunities, and even better outcomes than we had hoped.

This week: Most people seem wired to resist change, and yet from ancient times, people have grappled with the irony that “change is the only constant in life.” Why is that? When God doesn't change our circumstances in the way we might want, how can Jesus' example help us see our lemons as an opportunity to embrace the new thing God’s trying to do or show us? Series overview:Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easier said than done! As Jesus followers, how can we maintain a positive outlook when things aren’t going our way? Can trials or setbacks actually reinvigorate our faith? Join us for a refreshing reminder that life’s unexpected circumstances might just be a way God leads us to discover fresh blessings, new opportunities, and even better outcomes than we had hoped.

This week:When life gives us lemons, is "making lemonade" really the best solution? How can faith help us respond in a better way? The Bible is filled with amazing examples of how God loves being extra – more loving, more powerful, more merciful than we could possibly imagine. Here are five helpful tips for how you can respond when you face unexpected or unwanted circumstances in life.Series overview:Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easier said than done! As Jesus followers, how can we maintain a positive outlook when things aren’t going our way? Can trials or setbacks actually reinvigorate our faith? Join us for a refreshing reminder that life’s unexpected circumstances might just be a way God leads us to discover fresh blessings, new opportunities, and even better outcomes than we had hoped.

This week:Mindset matters. When circumstances aren’t in our favor, we can still control our outlook and take responsibility for our actions/reactions. Do we grumble about the conditions we face, or do we see obstacles as an opportunity to grow in our faith or our relationship with God? Guest speaker David Crain considers the Bible story of three men who defied expectations and took a courageous stand, choosing to worship God even when it appeared that choice might cost them everything.Series overview:Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easier said than done! As Jesus followers, how can we maintain a positive outlook when things aren’t going our way? Can trials or setbacks actually reinvigorate our faith? Join us for a refreshing reminder that life’s unexpected circumstances might just be a way God leads us to discover fresh blessings, new opportunities, and even better outcomes than we had hoped.