Verve City Church: Weekly Messages

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.

This week:A few weeks ago (June 18) we spent time talking about the idea of blessing: we will typically bless people to the extent that we feel blessed in our inner being. In this online-only message, Josh further explores the story of Jacob, discusses the four reasons we often don’t feel blessed, and reminds us that God is often present where we least expect to find Him.Series overview:Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering the question: "What makes a good life?" They tracked how people lived, loved, and worked in their twenties and thirties, and then studied how their lives turned out over the following decades. These researchers have determined the single most important trait of “Happy-Well” elders is healthy relationships. As one researcher puts it, “Happiness is love. Full stop.” For anyone who is interested in beginning, maintaining, and deepening the relationships they have with others, we will find much wisdom in the teachings of Jesus and in the Scriptures he believed in. 

This week: Jesus said in Mark 10 that anyone who gives up a house or their family for his sake would receive 100 times more houses and family members. And not in some distant future: he said we would receive that now. The key to discerning what Jesus intended by this saying seems to be understanding the kind of community he was inviting us into. Series overview:Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering the question: "What makes a good life?" They tracked how people lived, loved, and worked in their twenties and thirties, and then studied how their lives turned out over the following decades. These researchers have determined the single most important trait of “Happy-Well” elders is healthy relationships. As one researcher puts it, “Happiness is love. Full stop.” For anyone who is interested in beginning, maintaining, and deepening the relationships they have with others, we will find much wisdom in the teachings of Jesus and in the Scriptures he believed in. 

This week:You were young and impressionable and still figuring your life out. And someone said an unkind thing to you. And it was years ago, and it was really no big deal, and you’ve totally moved on. Except that you kind of haven’t. Because all these years later: you still remember the thing they said. We have the power to curse people in ways they will remember forever. How do we choose instead to live a life of blessing?Series overview:Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering the question: "What makes a good life?" They tracked how people lived, loved, and worked in their twenties and thirties, and then studied how their lives turned out over the following decades. These researchers have determined the single most important trait of “Happy-Well” elders is healthy relationships. As one researcher puts it, “Happiness is love. Full stop.” For anyone who is interested in beginning, maintaining, and deepening the relationships they have with others, we will find much wisdom in the teachings of Jesus and in the Scriptures he believed in.