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Based out of southeast Wisconsin, Great Lakes Church is a community of people helping people find and follow Jesus. Find out more at GreatLakesChurch.com
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We avoid things we don’t like. But some things in life are unavoidable. The pressure of pain, suffering, or sickness can cause us to feel lost or confused, but there is a way forward!
Our decisions determine the direction and quality of our life. And while nobody plans to complicate their life with bad decisions, far too many people have no plan to make good decisions. So how do we make decisions that aren’t just fueled by knowledge, but also by wisdom?
Our culture today is overrun with fake products — they look like the real thing, but they’re cheap imitations. Fake may work fine in some areas of life, but not with our faith. So how can we know if our faith is real or counterfeit?
Join us for an Espresso Shot– a one week talk intended to be a boost of energy and encouragement! This week, we'll explore honor, what it means, and why it matters in our pursuit of Jesus.
We all grew up being told stories. Some were from bedtime books to help us fall asleep. Others were fables created to help us know good from bad. More often than not, these stories taught us to behave in a particular way and become good citizens as adults. When we grew up though, we learned those stories were just that: stories. We know now they’re not real and sometimes they’re not even ideal in the real world. Is the Bible any different? Why shouldn’t we just mature past it like all the other stories we were told? Because they’re not just stories.
Where did all of this come from? That’s a loaded question, right? You might talk to 100 people and get 100 different answers to that question. One of the trickiest parts to answering, “God made everything” is the follow-up question: how? What if that’s the wrong question though?
Not many people argue that Jesus didn’t exist, but there’s still a lot of debate about what difference he actually made. Did he make things better? What did he come for in the first place? Did his death and resurrection change things?
So much of what we’re told as kids is expected to be accepted. The problem is that as we become adults, we start to explore the expected and end up with more questions than answers. Generations have done just that with the resurrection of Jesus. Just like they did the day it happened, we’re all asking… is it real?
Romans 8:14-16The Church is a family...The story of the church begins with Jesus picking 12 followers and inviting them into family. He committed himself to them because Jesus understood that the greatest healing comes through relationships. The biggest questions in life revolve around relationships, where do I belong? Who do I belong to? Where do I fit in?
Loving people is hard – especially with difficult people. We just don’t feel loving all the time. But if we’re going to be like Jesus, we have to figure out a way to love everyone always, not sometimes. And that’s the key: we can’t do what comes naturally… we’re gonna need something supernatural.
84% of Americans believe the current generation is more angry than the generation prior. After all, there seems to be more to be angry about than ever. How do we navigate a world where we’re a little less irritated all the time. And why should we?
Part of following Jesus means NOT doing some things. Even more, it means not BEING a few things. Jealous, boastful, rude and proud are a few of those things. Why? Because we should never be more about us than them.
Wild guess: the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word Christian, is not patience or kindness. But it should be and if we understand what it means to love people the way Jesus loves us, we’ll change it. God doesn’t just love… He is love.
How many Christians have you met in your life? And how many of them did you like? Odds are those individuals made you think twice about the God they claim to serve and love. That’s totally reasonable and fair. The truth is though, that Christians shouldn’t be defining Jesus… He should be defining them.
From the time we are really young, we are faced with the question of "what do you want to be when you grow up?". As children we think about this in terms of having a job that's fun or cool; but as adults, it's more common to connect that question to our identity and sense of purpose. What if the answer to that question is easier than we might think, and found in the teachings of Jesus?
People spend so much time trying to figure out where to invest their money. The goal? Make a difference. Sometimes that’s a difference in our bank account, but there’s a bigger one if we’re willing to entrust it to a bigger God. May not be more money, but the impact lasts forever.
Sometimes getting alone is a good thing. But if that alone lasts too long, it starts to do just the opposite. Life is just not meant to be done alone – community is vital to thriving. It’s vital in following Jesus too.
Let’s say this out loud: It’s not easy to follow Jesus. And church’s have created all kinds of classes and programs to help us feel like we’re making at least a little progress. But we spend a lot of time frustrated. Good news: it’s not that complicated. Grab a towel, bend a knee and serve someone else.
Having a gym in your neighborhood doesn’t get you in shape. Sitting in the parking lot of the gym doesn’t either. You have to engage to see change. Church is kinda like that too.
We spend the better part of closing out a year and starting the next one thinking about what goals we should have for ourselves. Sometimes we even turn to God and ask what He thinks we should do. His answer? Maybe not what you expect.
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