In chapter 2 verse 12 of his gospel, Luke writes a classic part of the Christmas story: “This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”  This is a SIGN for you, that is, we’re supposed to notice!  This is how we know that the angel’s words are true.  This is how we know that God is fulfilling his promises.  The Savior of the world will be laid in a manger, that is, an animal feed trough.  No wonder Jesus called himself the Bread of Life.  He is the spiritual food sent by God the Father to feed us such that we will never be hungry again.  Therefore, Christmas is a feast… a Christ-centered celebration of the gift God has given us, and an opportunity for us to feed each other and our neighbors with the good news of the gospel.  Let’s eat!

A journey through scripture focusing on prayer and mission. Discover what it means to go beyond our comfort zones and answer God’s call to impact our community, our city, and the world.

Have you ever been in a car going really fast?  It’s exciting, fun, and a little risky.  So is following Jesus.  When God moves with grace and power, sometimes the best we can do is just hold on.  Join us as we study the explosive growth of the Christian community in the book of Acts, and discover some habits of rapidly growing disciples.  Buckle Up!

Some Christians contend that politics do not belong in the pulpit.  To be sure, some preachers and churches have often used pulpits to push particular candidates or generate support for their party of choice.  But this is not a reason to neglect political talk in the church.  After all, the ministry of Jesus was highly political – he challenged worldly powers and proclaimed the gospel in the public square.  We are bombarded with political messages from every place, which shape our thinking and decisions.  Surely we are at least as concerned with what the Bible has to say about these things.
 
Truly, this is NOT a series on politics.  This is a series on theology.  This is a series on faith.  This is a series on how to be a disciple of Jesus in the midst of political polarization of our world, and how to let our faith shape our politics, rather than the other way around.

As the end of summer fast approaches and fall is on the horizon, as a new school year is about to begin, and as we pause to consider that we are now one year older than we were last summer – thank God! – we are reminded that some things are always changing.
 
Seasons change.  Schedules change.  High school gives way to college or career.  Work gives way to retirement.  People change…  we grow up, we embrace new things.
 
It can be a bit distressing, if we’re honest.  Change often produces stress and anxiety.  And when we are stressed, and life is uncertain, the temptation is to cling to that which is familiar.  To look for comfort.  To hold on to things for consistency and stability. 
 
But what exactly are we holding on to?  Are we clinging to essentials or non-essentials?  Are we holding on to temporary things, or that which is eternal?
 
Join us on August 18 and 25, for a two part series, Some Things Never Change, as we explore the good news of the Bible that in the midst of our changing lives, God has given us a few things that are forever.

In his wildly successful 7 Habits series, Stephen Covey famously quipped, “Begin with the end in mind.”  It’s good advice!  Perhaps Mr. Covey was reading the words of Jesus who said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).
 
We are wise to plan ahead.  To begin with the end in mind.  Imagine if we did this not only with projects, but with life itself… to let the later stages of life – which are yet to come – shape how we live right now.
 
On Sunday we begin a new sermon series called Living Backwards: Wisdom for the Good Life from Ecclesiastes.  Inspired by the David Gibson book, Living Life Backward, and with some wonderful testimonies from our Timberlake senior adults, we will dive into the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes to see what wisdom we can discover for living the good life.  Join us!

During June we are studying Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  Paul wrote to encourage the Christians at Ephesus to grow in their faith and become more like Jesus.  Our key verse is Ephesians 4:17, “You must no longer live as the Gentiles live….”  When we are in Christ, we have a high calling: to live not like the world, or like our former selves, but like Jesus.  A Christ-centered life is not one of our own making, though.  We are raised to new life in the power of the Spirit.  And having been raised, we are free to live a life pleasing to God!

Our mission is to reach, feed, and RELEASE people to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Timberlake Church is RELEASED by the Holy Spirit, set free and sent in mission to the world in the name of Jesus.  Kicking things off with The Church Has Left the Building, during this series we will talk about what it means for us to be sent to serve others, and we will cap it all off with a celebration of the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost.

How many of us have ever done something we’re ashamed of?  All of us, right?  Or we’ve had something done to us that makes us feel ashamed.  And whether we know it or not, a significant part of who we are and what we do is driven by this sense of shame.  It drives us to perfectionism, to criticize ourselves and others, and to be anxious.  But life doesn’t have to be this way!  The resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate during the season of Easter, has the power not only to forgive our guilt, but also to set us free from our shame.  Join us for our Easter series, and come experience the freedom that only Christ can offer!

You know how to make Christians feel bad?  Ask them, “How’s your prayer life?”  Oof.  We have a sense of prayer’s importance, yet if we are honest, we might say that we are not praying as much or as deeply as we ought.  Now we come to the perfect time of year to consider these things.  The 40 days of Lent are for us a season to reflect on our brokenness, and on the awesome grace of God to forgive us and to save us and to show us a new way of being in the world.  This Lent, join us at Timberlake as we ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

We all feel it. Some of us are experiencing it right now: Financial struggles. Physical illness. Time crunch. Emotional drainage. All of these things put pressure on us and the result is that we feel… Squeezed.  You know what? Even the heroes of the Bible had bad days and bad moments. The good news is, when we are at our worst, God offers us his best.