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Transformed Community: Living Out the Gospel Together Deep within each of us is a longing for genuine connection, a sense of belonging, and a purpose that transcends the routines of daily life. Acts chapter 2 offers a glimpse into a community that embodied these very desires—a people marked by unity, devotion, and a faith that
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Living in the Spirit: Cultivating Christlike Character In this season, we are intentionally journeying through the Scriptures together as a church family, aligning our studies across all ages so that parents and children alike can engage in meaningful discipleship conversations at home. We’ve been tracing the story from Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples—his call
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Embracing the Spirit: Power, Unity, and Dependence Acts chapter 2 marks a pivotal moment in the story of God’s people: the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The disciples, gathered together in obedience and expectation, experienced a sudden, overwhelming move of God—a violent wind, tongues of fire, and the miraculous ability to speak in
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Faithfulness in the In-Between: Embracing Community and Prayer Life is rarely a straight line. Often, we find ourselves in the “in between”—those seasons where the past is behind us, but the future hasn’t yet arrived. The disciples experienced this after Jesus’ ascension and before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In that uncertain
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Empowered by the Spirit: Living Out Our Mission Acts chapter 1 opens with a powerful reminder that the foundation of our faith is not what we do for God, but what God has already accomplished in Jesus. Jesus suffered, died, rose from the dead, taught about the kingdom of God, and ascended to heaven—these four
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Embracing Our Identity: The Great Commission’s Invitation In this season, our church is journeying together through the same passages of Scripture, from the youngest in Sunday school to the oldest among us. This shared focus is more than a curriculum choice—it’s an invitation to unity, to spiritual conversations across generations, and to a deeper sense
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Peter Preached in Jerusalem (Acts 2) The latter portions of Acts 2 relay the Holy Spirit’s transformational work within not only the apostle Peter’s life but also in the lives of thousands of new believers in Jerusalem. In what could have been a somber retelling of herd mentality gone wrong, we instead read of the
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The Holy Spirit Changes Us (Galatians 5) Today’s passage from Galatians illustrates the Holy Spirit’s power in Christ followers’ lives. Written by the apostle Paul to the non-Jewish congregation in Galatia, this letter outlines the importance of pursuing righteousness by faith as opposed to the works of the flesh. How are believers today at risk
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The Holy Spirit Came (Acts 3) In Acts 2, we find the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise from Acts 1:8. Jesus’ followers devoted themselves to one another and to His mission, and we can observe their unity in the first verse of this passage. They experienced the power of the Holy Spirit together as a church
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The Disciples Replaced Judas (Acts 1) In the latter half of Acts 1, Jesus’ eleven disciples were at a turning point in their ministry. Jesus had ascended to heaven, and His followers recognized the gap Judas left. They came together, united in mission and motive as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit. How did
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Jesus Gave His Followers a Mission (Acts 1) Today’s passage is found in the first chapter of the book of Acts. Although Jesus’ time on earth was coming to an end, He promised to leave for His followers a special Helper and Guide. God fulfilled His promise to remain with us, and through the gift
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God Wants Us to Know Him (Matthew 28) Today’s passage from Matthew 28 is referred to as “The Great Commission.” We see here that the resurrected Jesus purposely brought His eleven disciples together to receive the invitation and instruction they would need to fulfill the Father’s will. God’s overall plan for His creation has always
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Jesus Forgave Peter (John 21) In the beginning of John 21, we read of the resurrected Christ’s third appearance to His disciples. Although Peter had seen Jesus, perhaps he had not yet come to terms with his three-fold denial of Jesus. Through a series of three questions and commands, Jesus demonstrated His mercy and forgiveness
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Restoration and Grace: Jesus Meets Us in Failure Have you ever found yourself saying or doing something out of fear, only to wish you could take it back? Or maybe you’ve disappointed someone you love, or failed so publicly or personally that you wondered if your story with God was over. In John 21, we
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Rebuilding Faith on the Rock of Christ Many of us have built our lives on foundations that seemed solid but ultimately failed us—whether it was prosperity teaching, legalism, simplistic answers to suffering, or even confusing faith with politics or shame-based ethics. These foundations often over-promise and under-deliver, leaving us disillusioned when life’s storms inevitably come.
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Finding Faith in the Wilderness of Doubt Today’s journey took us into the wilderness with the Israelites in Exodus 16, exploring what it means to feel abandoned by God and how to walk with others through seasons of doubt, church hurt, and spiritual disorientation. The wilderness is that in-between place—no longer where we were, not
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Embracing Doubt: The Journey to Resurrection Faith On this Resurrection Sunday, we gather to reflect on the profound reality of Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for us today. While Easter is often surrounded by traditions that may seem disconnected from its true meaning, at its core, it is about the greatest miracle in history:
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Asking For A Friend Week 4 Devotional Day 1: Building on the Rock: Obedience to Jesus’ Words A life that endures the storms is not built merely on hearing Jesus’ words, but on acting upon them—submitting every part of life to His teaching. Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders reminds us that both
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Healing from Church Hurt: Finding Hope in Community Church hurt is a real and painful experience that many have faced, and it’s not something God ignores or minimizes. When wounds happen in the context of church, it can feel like a betrayal not just by people, but by God Himself. The pain is deep because
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Fun family-friendly activities in the Twin Cities Are you looking for fun places to take your kids in the Twin Cities area? We have been, too, so we wanted to share some fun ideas we’ve tried as well as some that we’re hoping to try in the future! Libraries We love libraries! Many of the
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A Weary World Rejoices-Part 1 “Finding Rest in Jesus” (Matthew 11:28-30) In our increasingly fast-paced world, it’s no surprise that many people are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Recent trends like quiet quitting and the Great Resignation highlight a growing sense of weariness among individuals. Pastor Phil offered a message of hope and renewal, drawing inspiration
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The Book of Matthew: Matthew 10:5-42 A Mission of Love and Sacrifice Last week, we dove into Matthew 10:5-42, where Jesus sends out His twelve disciples on a pretty intense mission. It’s like He’s equipping them for a real-life adventure, but with a twist: it’s not about treasure or fame, it’s about sharing God’s love
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The Book of Matthew: Matthew 9:35–10:4 “Living on Mission with Jesus” In this sermon, Pastor Phil unpacks the mission of Jesus as seen in Matthew 9:35–10:4. It begins with Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing, and highlights His deep compassion for people who were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. From this,
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The Book of Matthew: A Call to Mercy and Transformation (Matthew 9:9-34) A true love for Jesus means a desire to know Him deeply, to understand His teachings, and to let them transform our lives. In our study of Matthew’s Gospel, we see that knowing Jesus means more than just admiration; it’s about allowing His
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The True Foundation of Faith Last Sunday, we delved into the powerful narrative of Matthew 8:22-34, a passage that unveils the multifaceted nature of faith and the transformative power of Jesus Christ. While awe-inspiring miracles often captivate our attention, it’s crucial to recognize that true faith is rooted in something deeper. The Illusion of Awe
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How to: Portable Church Rolling Storage Carts (part 1) When Clarity Church launched, we were very scarce on capital for some of the things that some church plants have. We were definitely scarce in capital compared to multi sites and extended campuses. Despite this reality we knew we needed to create a mobile church system
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The Wise Men About This Bible Story: At the time of this story, Jesus was likely one or two years old and living with his family in a house in Bethlehem. This contradicts accounts of the Christmas story that place the wise men in the stable with the shepherds, the manger, and newborn Jesus. With
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The Christmas Story Summary About These Bible Stories: In the Frolic Preschool Bible, the story of Christmas begins with Mary’s story. She received amazing news from the angel Gabriel, who greeted her, assured her of the Lord’s presence, and told her, “Do not be afraid.” When Mary learned she would have a child, she was
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Family Devotional: Elisha and the Army Dear Parents, After Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, his successor Elisha continued Elijah’s work as a prophet to Israel. God used him, like Elijah, to perform miracles—multiplying the oil of a poor widow, raising a Shunammite woman’s son from the dead, purifying a poisoned pot of
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Bible Story of Jonah About This Bible Story: The story of Jonah may be one of the most exciting and dramatic stories in the Bible. Jonah knew the right thing to do, but rejected God’s request to go to Nineveh. To run away, he boarded a boat and fell asleep as a mighty storm created
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Elijah and Elisha Devotional Following God’s great display of power at Mount Carmel, Elijah fled for his life and traveled to Mount Horeb where he encountered God in a soft whisper. God instructed Elijah to anoint a man named Elisha as his successor. Elijah found Elisha plowing a field. Elijah put his cloak over Elisha
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Elijah at Mt. Carmel Devotional King Ahab was an evil king. In fact, “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33). God wanted His people to be faithful to Him, but King Ahab led them away from God. God chose
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Daniel in the Den of Lions Bible Story The book of Daniel describes a time when the Jewish people were captives in Babylon. The story of Daniel, like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego a few chapters earlier, is about a faithful Israelite who defied the rules of Babylon. Instead of worshipping idols or King
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Family Devotional: Elijah and the Widow Dear Parents, After King Solomon died, the tribes of Israel split into two kingdoms—the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam was the king of Israel, and Solomon’s son Rehoboam was the king of Judah. These two kingdoms were frequently at war with each other,
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Family Devotional: The Kingdom Divided Dear Parents, King Solomon loved God. He received wisdom from the Lord and was dedicated to building His temple. But early on, we see hints that Solomon’s heart was not completely devoted to God. He married foreign wives who turned Solomon’s heart away from God. (1 Kings 11:4) Solomon gradually
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The Fiery Furnace This story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego This story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego happens a few chapters earlier than the well- known story of Daniel in the lions’ den. It provides another dramatic example of God’s protection. The people of Judah had been taken captive in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of
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Deborah – About This Bible Story As a judge, military commander, and prophet, Deborah was a formidable person. As a woman living in the ancient world, she was a game changer with a brilliant mind. This story tells of decisive and deadly military action that comes from Deborah’s command to Barak that they battle the
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David Sinned And Was Restored Devotional The Ammonites were no strangers to the Israelites. They often fought over the region of Gilead, which stretched east of the Jordan River. David had tried showing kindness to the Ammonites, but they humiliated the Israelite ambassadors. (See 2 Sam. 10:1-5.) Thus began a war between the Israelites and
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David’s Kindness Devotional Though King Saul was an adversary to David, Saul’s son Jonathan loved him as much as he loved himself. (See 1 Sam. 18:1.) Before David fled from King Saul and journeyed toward Moab, Jonathan appealed to his friend David, “If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if
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Joseph & His Brothers Joseph’s life began in a favored position. He was the first son of Jacob’s second (and favorite) wife, Rachel, and his favorite child. But Joseph’s ten older brothers felt differently about him. They saw the robe their father gave to him, and they heard him tell about his dreams. Their jealousy