Psalms: Permission to Feel

Permission to Feel: Sadness

What do you do when you lose the one thing your entire life is oriented around? In week five of our summer series, Pastor Kelly walks us through the heavy but necessary emotion of sadness using Psalm 137. Drawing a parallel to the treacherous Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest, Pastor Kelly breaks down why we cannot over, under, or around our grief; we have to go straight through it. We explore the biblical tool of lament, defining it not as a lack of faith, but as a profound act of faith. Whether you are dealing with a clinical diagnosis or the ordinary heartbreaks of life, this episode is an invitation to stop stonewalling God with your silence and instead bring your rawest stories to a loving Savior who sits right beside us in the dark.

Permission to Feel: Disgust

Did you know that disgust is actually a survival tool designed by God to keep you alive? In week four of our series, Pastor Trey tackles one of our most uncomfortable emotions: disgust. Looking at Psalms 119, 38, and 44, this message moves us past simply feeling our feelings into learning how to respond rather than just react. We walk through three heavy realities: being disgusted by the actions of others, facing the festering brokenness within ourselves, and the raw, staggering moments when we feel disgusted by the actions of God. Finally, Pastor Trey connects this ancient practice to our modern landscape, showing why holistic worship requires us to hold space for both celebration and deep lament.

The Mindset of Freedom: Moving from Slaves to Heirs

Drawing powerful parallels between Galatians 4:1-7, the delayed news of Juneteenth, and modern stories of incarceration, Pastor Devon Johnson explores how easily believers can live trapped in a slave mindset despite already being set free. This message challenges us to stop fighting a war that Christ has already won, urging us to step out of spiritual isolation and fully embrace our identity as beloved heirs of the Father.

Permission to Feel: Happiness

Many of us grow up with the underlying belief that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is to be happy all the time. But the truth is, Jesus wasn't always happy; He experienced the full scope of human emotion without ever breaking relationship with the Father. In this week's message, Pastor Brian walks us through Psalm 8 and the permission to feel happiness and joy. Drawing from Walter Brueggemann's framework of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation, this episode explores what to do when life aligns beautifully, how to handle the dark seasons of trauma and panic attacks, and how supernatural joy can ultimately coexist with our deepest grief.

Permission to Feel: Fear

What would you do if you were not afraid? In week two of our summer series, Lead Pastor Kelly tackles the heavy, universal emotion of fear and anxiety. Looking at Psalm 55, we dive into King David's raw cry during a painful season of betrayal by a close friend. We explore our instinctual trauma responses: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, and learn that fear was never meant to be the CEO of our lives, but rather an assistant giving us critical information. Discover the ancient, life-changing shift from trying to self-regulate alone to co-regulating with God and a safe church community.