"It shouldn't have to happen to you for it to matter to you." Too often the reality is that it doesn't matter to us until it happens to us. We don't show mercy, and we're not interested in doing justice, unless we're the ones who need it. But what if God took that same approach? Humanity would still be lost, with no hope of salvation. But the good news is that God moves toward humanity with compassion. God shows mercy by doing justice.

Psalm 10:12-18

We let the world define our identity. And it’s not just the world’s fault because we allow it. We eat it up because racism makes us feel better about ourselves, political division makes us feel smarter, aligning with perceived superior groups makes us feel more powerful, boasting about achievements makes us feel more successful.

But having our identity found and formed in a family of faith, humbles the prideful and lifts up the lowly. And when we have truly believed the gospel and experienced the unconditional love and acceptance of God through his family, those lesser identities we let the world define us by, can’t stay on the throne of our hearts. Because God says your identity is found and formed in a family of faith.

1 Peter 2:9

The world presses you to sacrifice everything for yourself. Christianity says sacrifice yourself.

Romans 12:1-2

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is of supreme importance. As we reflect on the life and work of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we look at how the gospel drove his struggle to make our world look a little bit more like heaven. In the same way, Refuge seeks to be a gospel-centered church, as we work for the flourishing of all people!

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Happy New Year!

It's hard to see reality for what it truly is. So often our small story crowds out God's bigger work in the world. Our limited perspectives lie to us. We feel our lives so deeply, it makes it so hard to see it from another perspective.

With God, there’s always a bigger picture. We’re always missing something. And if we would humble ourselves, we would begin to see reality in light of that bigger picture.

Psalm 73

Our world says you need money, status, connections, and influence to “get in," to truly be somebody. Jesus says you need to be like a child to enter the kingdom. But what does that mean? Find out this morning!

Mark 10:13-16

It's hard for us to be content in God alone. It's hard to believe that worship is its own reward. We so often fall in love with the gifts more than the gift giver. But what the stories of Simeon and Ana show us is that the Giver is the Greatest Gift.

Luke 2:25-38

We love to be in control. We love to control our future, we love to control how much pain enters into our lives, we love to control how people perceive us. But what we see in our text this morning is that God’s protection is found in God’s direction. What God is going to show us is that he will direct his people through miraculous events in order to protect and preserve his Son for the plan that he has orchestrated long ago. So ultimately, our lack of control is a good thing!

Matthew 2:1-12

Because Jesus is our forever Priest and King, our past is redeemed and our future is secure.

Psalm 110

We crave honor and fear humility. But God humbles the exalted and exalts the humble.

Luke 14:1-11

Our desires are hopelessly divided. When we are afraid we look for security in refuge in so many other things besides God. But Jesus shows compassion, longing to gather us together as a hen gathers her chicks. God desires to be our deepest desire.

Luke 13:31-35

At our worst, we don't believe we deserve to be loved. Who is gracious to someone who continually wrongs them? The answer is God! God moves towards us and adopts us into his family for all of eternity. And as his people, we should see the orphan in their distress and move towards them.

Ephesians 1:3-6

Jesus has some hard words for us this morning: Those who enter the kingdom of God do so with unwavering devotion and urgency, or not at all!

Luke 13:22-30

Legalism is humanity’s default setting. But God’s kingdom spreads through humility and compassion...so, pretty much the opposite of legalism!

Luke 13:10-21

In tragedy, we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness. We ask questions like, God are you even there? How are we to make sense of this? Do you even hear our prayers? How could God be good and allow this? We think maybe God is weak and doesn’t have power to stop this. Maybe there is no God. We can become angry at God, lose faith in his promises, and wonder if it is even worth it.

Luke 13:1-9

Most of us don't really fear hell. Maybe it's because we think a good God simply wouldn't send people to hell. Or maybe we believe we've done enough good to outweigh our bad. We're pretty good people, right?

Well, Jesus warns us that there's a coming judgment, and either we are going to bear the judgment for our sin or he is. Which will it be?

Luke 12:49-59

The American Dream has no category for suffering and trials. In the pursuit of happiness, we consider trials as setbacks. But God graciously sends us trials to grow our faith. And so, followers of Jesus choose joy in trial. Because trials are not setbacks; it’s an opportunity from a loving God curated purposefully for your good and his glory.

James 1:2-4

The American Dream says freedom is found in doing whatever we want whenever we want. But that constant pursuit will always leave our souls weary. True freedom is found in being bound to Christ.

Matthew 11:28-30

The American Dream tells us life is found in getting what we want and keeping what we’ve got. The right to possess and to keep. What I get is mine and no one else’s, and I can do with it what I want, and no one else can tell me what I’m supposed to do with it.

The only problem is, this is profoundly self-centered, and it is not what God has called us to. True life is found in having one, greater possession. Jesus is the greater possession.

Hebrews 10:32-34

What is your ambition? Will it outlive you? As Paul closes his letter to the Romans, he stresses the central ambition of his life: to make Christ known where he is not, to reach the unreached. Is that your ambition, too?

Romans 15:18-24