6/21/26 - Spiritual Fitness | 1 Timothy 4:6-10 - Pastor Jason Fritz

6/21/26 - Spiritual Fitness | 1 Timothy 4:6-10 - Pastor Jason Fritz

We live in a culture that places a high value on physical fitness, health, and self-improvement - especially true in Scottsdale! From gym memberships to training programs and nutrition plans, people understand that growth requires intentional effort. In this Sunday's passage, Paul uses that same imagery to teach us an important truth: spiritual maturity does not happen by accident. We'll see that before believers can be trained for Godliness, they must first be nourished by the truth of God's Word. Paul reminds Timothy to reject false teaching and feed himself on sound doctrine. Just as an athlete needs proper nutrition before entering the gym, Christians need the steady nourishment of Scripture if they are going to grow in faith, obedience, and Christlike character. Godliness does not happen by accident. We'll also discover why the pursuit of Godliness is worth the effort. While physical training has some value for this life, godliness holds promise for both the present life and the life to come. God has not left us alone in this pursuit. He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His people to equip us for spiritual growth. I’m looking forward to discovering how we can make use of these gifts and learn what it means to train for a life that bears eternal fruit.

6/14/26 - The Doctrine of Demons | 1 Timothy 4:1-4 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’ll continue our study through 1 Timothy by looking at one of the saddest realities in the Christian life: people who once seemed to walk with Christ eventually drifting away from the faith. Paul tells Timothy that this should not surprise the church, because the Holy Spirit expressly warned that it would happen. Behind false teaching is more than intellectual confusion or changing opinions. There is real spiritual deception at work. We’ll examine how subtle and gradual that deception often is, and why believers must remain grounded in the truth of God’s Word. We’ll also look closely at the nature of false spirituality. In Ephesus, false teachers were forbidding marriage and restricting foods God had created to be received with thanksgiving. Their message sounded spiritual, but Paul exposes it as legalistic and ultimately destructive. This passage reminds us that one of Satan’s oldest strategies is to distort God’s good gifts and replace biblical freedom with man-made religion. We’ll also understand that Christian liberty is not permission for indulgence or compromise. God’s gifts are good when they are received according to His design, with gratitude and purity. Finally, we’ll be reminded of the goodness of God as Creator. Paul says, “everything created by God is good,” and that simple truth changes how we view everyday life. Marriage, food, rest, work, friendship, and beauty are not distractions from God, but gifts meant to point us back to Him in thanksgiving. True godliness is not found in rejecting what God has made, nor in abusing it, but in receiving His gifts rightly, under His Word and with thankful hearts. I’m looking forward to opening this rich and timely passage together!

6/7/26 - What is the Church? | 1 Timothy 3:14-16 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Have you ever wondered what the church is all about? In a world filled with opinions about what the church should be, it’s easy to lose sight of what God Himself says the church is. This Sunday, we’ll be looking at one of the most important descriptions of the church in all of Scripture. In our passage, Paul describes the church as “the household of God,” “the church of the living God,” and “a pillar and buttress of the truth.” These are not casual descriptions. They remind us that the church is not a building or an organization; it is the family Christ purchased with His own blood and the people entrusted with displaying God’s truth to the world. After nearly 35 years in pastoral ministry, I can tell you it’s not just about what a church believes, but also what she emphasizes. What a church treasures eventually shapes the hearts of her people. Paul understood this deeply, which is why he wrote to Timothy about how believers “ought to behave” in God’s household. Everything flows from the truth of God’s Word, so when truth is weakened, confusion enters. But when Christ and His gospel remain central, the church becomes stable, healthy, and spiritually alive. This passage calls us back to the center. We must remember who we are and whose we are. These verses culminate in one of the most beautiful summaries of Jesus Christ in the New Testament: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness…” Paul then unfolds the glory of Christ. He is God manifested in the flesh, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory. The church exists because Jesus revealed God, died for sinners, rose again, and gathered a people to Himself. As we study this passage together, we’ll ask ourselves an important question: If the church is truly the household of God and the pillar of His truth, does the way I live and participate in the church reflect the glory of the Christ we proclaim?

5/31/26 - Leadership Character Over Charisma | 1 Timothy 3:1-13 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’ll continue our study through 1 Timothy as we come to chapter 3 and Paul’s teaching on Elders and Deacons. At first glance, this passage can feel like it’s only about church leadership, but as I’ve been studying it this week, I’ve been reminded that it gives us something much bigger: a picture of what spiritual maturity actually looks like. Paul spends very little time talking about talent, charisma, or personality, and instead focuses almost entirely on character: integrity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, humility, hospitality, and wisdom. In many ways, this passage answers the question every Christian eventually asks: What does a mature follower of Jesus look like? One of the things we’ll explore together is how God’s design for leadership is deeply different from the world's. The New Testament presents church leadership not as status or celebrity, but as sacrificial service. Paul even compares ministry labor to an ox treading grain. This is steady, faithful, often unseen work done for the nourishment of others. It’s a powerful reminder that the church is not built on personalities or platforms, but on spiritually mature people who quietly and faithfully serve Christ and His people. My prayer is that this passage would not only challenge all those in leadership, but encourage every one of us to pursue the kind of character that reflects Jesus. I’m thankful for the many men and women in our church who already serve so faithfully, and I look forward to more gospel fruit as we continue building God’s kingdom side by side.

5/24/26 - When the Gospel Gives Order to Our Gathering | 1 Timothy 2:8-15 - Pastor Jason Fritz

If you like the more challenging and controversial passages of Scripture, then you won’t want to miss this Sunday! (Pray for me!) We’ll be reading from one of the most often debated sections found in the entire Bible. It speaks directly to the roles of men and women in the life of the church, which means it touches on deeply personal and sometimes sensitive matters. As we approach it together, I hope we do so with open Bibles and open hearts. The goal is to understand what God is actually saying and how we can faithfully live it out as His people. In this passage, Paul gives instructions to both men and women in the context of corporate worship. He calls men away from anger and division toward prayer marked by holiness, and he calls women away from external emphasis toward godliness expressed through good works. What becomes clear is that Paul isn’t stereotyping; he’s shepherding. He’s addressing the ways our natural tendencies can become distorted when the gospel isn’t shaping us, and he’s calling the whole church back to a life of humility, order, and maturity in Christ. We’ll also wrestle with some of the harder verses about teaching and authority. Here we want to be careful and thoughtful and, as always, led by a desire to be faithful to all of Scripture. This isn’t about restrictions; it’s about God’s design for a healthy, flourishing church. Each of us has a vital role to play as we become all He wants us to be. The call is to continue in faith, love, holiness, and self-control, trusting that God is always working to shape His people for His glory.