Joy in Discipleship

Yes & Amen: Christ Sets Us Free

What does it mean to be free? For most of us, freedom means having choices. No one holding us back. No one telling us what to do. The ability to shape our own lives, follow our own desires, and become whoever we want to be. It’s a powerful promise. But is it true? Because sometimes the things we freely choose begin to control us. The phone we pick up for a few minutes becomes an hour of scrolling. The ambition that drives us forward becomes a schedule we can no longer escape. The desire for comfort, success, approval, or control quietly begins making decisions for us. And before long, what felt like freedom starts to look a lot like a cage. In Romans chapter 6, the Apostle Paul makes a startling claim: there is no such thing as completely neutral freedom. Whatever we continually give ourselves to begins to shape us, command us, and ultimately master us. So perhaps the real question isn’t whether we serve something. It’s whether what we serve is giving us life. Today, as we continue our series Yes & Amen, we’re exploring the promise that Christ sets us free—not into a life without boundaries, but into a life where sin no longer gets the final word. Because true freedom may not be the absence of every restraint. It may be finally belonging to the One who leads us into life. Romans 6:15-23

Yes & Amen: God Is Our Safe Place

When you hear the words safe place, what comes to mind? Maybe it's a childhood home. A favorite chair. A person you trust. Somewhere you can finally let your guard down. Most of us think of safety as the absence of trouble. If life is calm, we're safe. If life is difficult, something must be wrong. But the Bible paints a different picture. King David wrote one of his most beautiful psalms while hiding in a cave, running for his life. He wasn't safe because his circumstances had changed. He was safe because he knew where to take his fear. Again and again throughout Scripture, God doesn't promise a life without storms. He promises his presence in the middle of them. Today, as we continue our series Yes & Amen, we're exploring one of God's most comforting promises: that no matter where life finds us—even in the darkest cave, even in our deepest loneliness—God remains our refuge, our shelter, and our safe place. Psalm 142

Yes & Amen: God Makes It Grow

Most of us like to see results. We like finished projects. Completed goals. Problems solved. We like knowing that our efforts made a difference. But some of the most important work we do in life doesn't work that way. A teacher may never know how a lesson shaped a student's future. A parent may not see the fruit of a conversation for years. A simple act of kindness may ripple outward in ways we'll never fully understand. The Apostle Paul understood that reality. Writing to the church in Corinth, he said, "The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose." Some people plant. Some people water. But ultimately, God is the one who gives the growth. Today, as we continue our series Yes & Amen, we're exploring a promise that frees us from carrying burdens we were never meant to bear. We are called to be faithful. We are called to serve. We are called to plant and water. But the growth belongs to God. And that's very good news. 1 Corinthians 3:8-9

Yes & Amen: God Will Make Your Paths Straight

Every spring, graduates across the country receive the same gift. A copy of Oh, the Places You'll Go. It's become almost a cultural ritual. The message is simple: you've got what it takes. Trust yourself. Choose your direction. Go make your future happen. It's a wonderful sentiment. Until life gets complicated. Until you're standing at a crossroads wondering whether to take the job, move to a new city, start a family, change careers, retire, stay, leave, risk, or wait. Suddenly "trust yourself" doesn't feel quite so reassuring. Because deep down, most of us know we don't always know what we're doing. And that's why the Bible offers a different promise. A better promise. A promise that doesn't depend on having all the answers yourself. Today, we're exploring Proverbs 3 and God's promise to guide those who trust Him—because sometimes the most important step in life isn't knowing exactly where you're going. It's knowing who you're following. Proverbs 3:5-6

Yes & Amen: You Will Be My Witnesses

Have you ever noticed how often we turn God's promises into assignments? We read Scripture and immediately start making lists of things we need to do, ways we need to improve, responsibilities we need to shoulder. And before long, following Jesus can start to feel like carrying a backpack full of obligations. But what if one of the most famous statements about Christian witness isn't actually a command at all? In Acts chapter 1, Jesus looks at a group of flawed, fearful, unreliable disciples and says, "You will be my witnesses." Not you should be. Not you must be. Not you'd better become. You will be. Today we're beginning a brand-new series called Yes & Amen, exploring God's promises and how they find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And we start with a promise that might change the way you think about evangelism, discipleship, and even your own faith journey. Acts1:1-8