Verve City Church: Weekly Messages

Sticks & Stones | One-Star Reviews

The way we see and experience others reveals less about them than it does about us. And when we “call it like we see it,” what we say is a reflection of our soul. We can laugh at ridiculous one-star reviews, but don’t we all fall into the trap of spreading negative gossip sometimes? How can adjusting our mindset change the words we say and restore a sense of calm and peace in the midst of our chaotic lives? Series overview: Remember the time that person said that thing to you and that was t...

Sticks & Stones | Words Create Worlds

Our words hold surprising power to shape our identity, our environment, and our friends. We get to decide whether to wield that power well or to wield it haphazardly. The words we choose, the tone we use, and even our body language can intentionally or inadvertently build up or tear down. So, how do we become people who are filled with words of grace, truth, and gratitude in a world that's so often cynical and despairing? Series overview: Remember the time that person said that thing to yo...

Easter 2024

Celebrated at Easter, Jesus’ resurrection is a central event for Christianity… which means Jesus’ death is also at the center of our faith. But why did Jesus have to die? And what does the answer reveal about God?

Savage Jesus: Jesus Wasn't Religious

Jesus was compassionate toward the outcasts of society and brutal toward highly respected religious leaders. He disrupted their religious festivals, called them snakes, and warned their followers to avoid modeling their lives after them. Why does Jesus seem outraged by the most revered of religious leaders rather than the greatest of sinners? Series overview: When we think of Jesus, we often think of his kindness, gentleness, and tenderness. We think of his graciousness toward sinners, his ...

Savage Jesus: Jesus Wasn't Playing Around

Jesus invites a man to follow him and then seemingly refuses to let him bury his own father. Is Jesus being unreasonable? Does he lack compassion for this man's family? What do we learn about the mission of Jesus as we discover the mindset of Jesus? Series Overview: When we think of Jesus, we often think of his kindness, gentleness, and tenderness. We think of his graciousness toward sinners, his generosity toward the poor, and his healing of the sick. So what do we do about the stories of ...

Savage Jesus: Jesus Wasn't Fair

Jesus wasn't fair. How does His radical unfairness offer a surprising example of how we should act toward others? Could unfairness be a model for how we can make the world better? Series Overview: When we think of Jesus, we often think of his kindness, gentleness, and tenderness. We think of his graciousness toward sinners, his generosity toward the poor, and his healing of the sick. So what do we do about the stories of Jesus that come crashing into all our Jesus stereotypes – stories wher...

Savage Jesus: Jesus Wasn't Polite

A Gentile woman asks Jesus for help. He first ignores her, and then seems to insult her. What's going on here? Why does Jesus seem so...un-Jesusy in this story? Series overview: When we think of Jesus, we often think of his kindness, gentleness, and tenderness. We think of his graciousness toward sinners, his generosity toward the poor, and his healing of the sick. So what do we do about the stories of Jesus that come crashing into all our Jesus stereotypes – stories where He seems wild, an...

Isn't She Lovely | A Future-Looking Community

The church is called to step boldly into the future, working toward the renewal and reconciliation of all things. This must never devolve into an end-times-oriented, doom-and-gloom, ejection theology, but should rather be a hope-filled vision of what could be if more people chose to attach themselves to the Kingdom of God. Series overview: Throughout history, the Christian church has occasionally lost its way, becoming distracted or obsessed with money, political power, or cultural relevanc...

Isn't She Lovely | A Generous Community

As we grapple with the call of the church to live out the great commission and the great commandment, how are individual Christians - and the Church as a whole - uniquely positioned to unleash radical generosity as a blessing in our communities and around the world? Series Overview: Throughout history, the Christian church has occasionally lost its way, becoming distracted or obsessed with money, political power, or cultural relevancy. But at its best, the church has been a beacon of grace...

Isn't She Lovely | A Missional Community

In the second week of our series about the Church as the Bride of Christ, we'll explore how churches serve as missional communities. What do we mean by "mission," and how do we differentiate the good things a church CAN do the missional things a church MUST do?  Series Overview: Throughout history, the Christian church has occasionally lost its way, becoming distracted or obsessed with money, political power, or cultural relevancy. But at its best, the church has been a beacon of grace, acc...

Isn't She Lovely | A Spiritual Community

Throughout history, the Christian church has occasionally lost its way, becoming distracted or obsessed with money, political power, or cultural relevancy. But at its best, the church has been a beacon of grace, acceptance, and holiness — a spiritual refuge for the broken-hearted and a light illuminating the way to God for those far from Him. How can the Church, the Bride of Christ, stay true to the purpose and assignment that Jesus gave her? Because when the Church looks like Jesus, the chu...

The Good Life | The Second Mountain

This week: Many Christian leaders and spiritualists have written about the two halves of life available to us. The first half is largely about identity and personal security while the second half becomes more about contributing and shedding your ego. So how do people scale this second mountain? How do we follow the pattern of Jesus in giving our lives away? Series Overview:  Your life can dramatically change for the better, but there is no silver bullet. It’s a pathway to walk rather than a...

The Good Life | Rebuilding in the Wreckage

Our worldview, values, and religious beliefs don't typically change until our current paradigms don't work for us anymore. We encounter suffering, grief, or cognitive dissonance and we realize that our way of understanding the world doesn't hold explanatory power for our experiences. How do we make sense of the world when the world stops making sense? Series Overview:  Your life can dramatically change for the better, but there is no silver bullet. It’s a pathway to walk rather than a habit...

The Good Life | The Way Down Is the Way Up

The human ego prefers just about anything to suffering, changing, or dying. In fact, many people adopt a religious tradition in hopes of avoiding such painful experiences. But the way of Jesus has always understood this terrifying and liberating truth: resurrection can only come after death. Jesus told us we would experience trouble in this world (John 16:33). How do we leverage our suffering to grow and transform? Series Overview:  Your life can dramatically change for the better, but ther...

The Good Life | Don't Be Peter Pan

Some older people inspire the young people who know them, and some serve as a cautionary tale. How do we become more kind, generous, and patient as we age? How do we avoid becoming cynical, embittered, or resentful? Series Overview: Your life can dramatically change for the better, but there is no silver bullet. It’s a pathway to walk rather than a habit to implement. It’s a whole-life pursuit rather than a life hack to learn. In this series, we’ll look at how Jesus modeled and enabled a sp...

Who Needs Christmas? | Everyone

Most things aren’t for everyone. But Christmas reminds us that Jesus IS for all of us! His birth represents the reality of God’s love. Through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus justifies our joy; reminds us that we’re not alone; and gives our lives hope and purpose. 

Who Needs Christmas? | Angels, Shepherds, and Wise Men

This week: The shepherds were near the bottom of the socio-economic ladder of first-century Jewish society. The wise men were likely wealthy gentiles, perhaps astrologers or kings. These two groups of men could not have been much more different than they were. And yet both groups needed Christmas so much that the angels themselves proclaimed the arrival of Jesus in spectacular fashion.  

Who Needs Christmas? | Optimists, Pessimists, and Realists

Whether you’re a “glass is half-full” or “glass is half-empty” kind of person, Christmas comes every year just the same. And underneath the shiny trappings of another holiday season, we can find ourselves feeling oddly empty, unfulfilled, and even disappointed. But what if the birth of Jesus was actually world-changing for optimists, pessimists, and realists alike? What if all of us could experience a better version of Christmas this year?

Who Needs Christmas? | Boomers, Xers, Gen Zers

Every generation thinks that the generation behind it is the worst generation ever. There are significant psychographic and value-driven differences between different generations that lead them to listen to different music, vote differently, watch different television shows, and purchase different products. But Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha all have at least this in common: they all need Christmas.

Jesusy Life | Become like Jesus

This week: As disciples, we choose to be with Jesus, learn from Jesus, and ultimately - become like Jesus. The final message of our Jesusy Life series explores the power and beauty of a life lived like Jesus. Series overview: The way of Jesus isn’t primarily something you believe but someone you become. So how do we become the people Jesus invited us to be? How do we become Jesusy?

Jesusy Life | Learn from Jesus

This week: Most of us have a favorite life hack (or two!) because we're all looking for easy ways to make our lives better. Following Jesus seems harder than most of those hacks... But what would it actually look like for Jesus' teachings to totally transform our lives? What if we could learn from Jesus how to have true rest, peace, and joy? Series overview: The way of Jesus isn’t primarily something you believe but someone you become. So how do we become the people Jesus invited us to be?...

Jesusy Life | Be with Jesus

This week: From free overnight shipping to on-demand entertainment, we’re immersed in an age of seemingly inescapable expectations of speed and efficiency. As followers of Christ, how can we adopt a set of low-tech, ages-old spiritual practices that hold the key to a more productive relationship with God and others? Series overview: The way of Jesus isn’t primarily something you believe but someone you become. So how do we become the people Jesus invited us to be? How do we become Jesusy?

Jesusy Life | Rule of Life

Week 1: We make plans for all kinds of things: working out, saving for our kids' college tuition, accomplishing work goals, binge-watching Netflix shows. But while many of us would like to develop our spiritual lives, few of us make a plan to do so. What if there were a proven way to become more shaped by Jesus? Series overview: The way of Jesus isn’t primarily something you believe but someone you become. So how do we become the people Jesus invited us to be? How do we become Jesusy?

Halloweekend 2023

Supernatural | Does God Heal Today?

Week 4 The Gospels are full of stories where Jesus heals people: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed. These miraculous healings continue in the book of Acts and throughout the ministries of the Apostles. Are these stories credible? And if so, does God still heal today? Series Overview Dragons, sea monsters, fairies, gods, and… Jesus. How can our modern sensibilities reconcile myths and mystery, fantasy and faith? What if the world is more mystical than it seems? And what i...

Supernatural | The Church's Spiritual Gifts

Week 3 The New Testament speaks of spiritual gifts that God has given to his Church: evangelism, teaching, serving, leadership, wisdom, administration, healing, and many more. How are these spiritual gifts different from our natural talents? What is the expectation of individuals and churches to use these gifts? And what are some of the dangers and potential pitfalls of using your spiritual gifts as a Christian leader? Series Overview Dragons, sea monsters, fairies, gods, and… Jesus. How ca...

Supernatural | Understanding the Holy Spirit

Week 2 Christians believe in one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But what does that mean? And how are we to understand the Holy Spirit? Who is he, and what does he do? And what does it mean to be "filled with" the Spirit? Series Overview Dragons, sea monsters, fairies, gods, and… Jesus. How can our modern sensibilities reconcile myths and mystery, fantasy and faith? What if the world is more mystical than it seems? And what if that reality could change our li...

Supernatural | Our Disenchanted World

Week 1 Not long ago, much of the world believed in dragons, sea monsters, fairies, and gods. The earth was filled with mystery: dark forests, endless oceans, unexplored lands. Today, these notions feel foreign to our modern sensibilities and endearing in their naivety. We have explored the globe, we have unlocked the human genome, and we have launched into outer space. So what are we to do with the worldview of Jesus — a worldview that included unseen spiritual realms, angelic and demonic be...

After At the Movies | The Dark Knight Part 2

This is part 2 of 2 of a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 17: The Dark Knight. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through September we’ll share discussions like this about the movies and messages. Perhaps the most thought-provoking superhero film ever made, The Dark Knight was released in the aftermath of September 11 and the global war on terror. The questions it poses are as old as the biblical texts themselves: are people inherently ...

After At the Movies | The Dark Knight Part 1

This is part 1 of 2 of a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 17: The Dark Knight. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through September we’ll share discussions like this about the movies and messages. Perhaps the most thought-provoking superhero film ever made, The Dark Knight was released in the aftermath of September 11 and the global war on terror. The questions it poses are as old as the biblical texts themselves: are people inherently ...

After At the Movies | Ferris Bueller's Day Off

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 10: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share discussions like this about the movies and messages. Weirdly enough, Ferris Bueller's Day Off mostly isn't about Ferris Bueller, but about his friend Cameron. Cameron has been swimming in so much fear and anxiety that he's become incapable of truly living his life. By the end of the film, the old Camero...

After At the Movies | Ford v Ferrari

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, September 3, which highlighted Ford v Ferrari as part of the At the Movies series. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share  discussions like this about the movies and messages. At its core, Ford v Ferrari is the story of how friendship can help us learn the value of acting while thinking of the consequences to others. We are each on a journey from selfishness to increasing selfless...

After At the Movies | Cars

This is a discussion of the message from Sunday, August 27, which highlighted Cars (2006) as part of the At the Movies series. For copyright reasons, we cannot livestream or publish these services, so through October we’ll share  discussions like this about the movies and messages. Released in 2006, Pixar’s Cars gives us insight into our egos: how they can be puffed up, painful, busy, and fragile. Reading from 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, we’ll discover that as long as we are seeking validation ...

The Untold Story of the Bible | Questioning the Bible

This week: At some point in your life, you likely encountered the Bible. You took a literature class in college and were assigned a few chapters to study. Or you grew up going to church and often heard passages read from its pages. Or a parent or relative gave you a copy of the Bible as a gift. Or you saw a shirtless man at a football game who had emblazoned his chest and belly with "John 3:16." But whatever your encounter, it's likely you had questions. When approaching Scripture, the goal ...

The Untold Story of the Bible | How We Got the Bible

This week: The Bible is a library of books. But how did we get it? Who wrote these things down? How was it assembled? And what does any of that have to do with the way we live and practice our faith? Series overview: Though the Bible is perhaps the most influential religious text in human history, even Christians often know very little of its origins. How did we get the Bible as we know it today? How has it been interpreted over the hundreds of years of its existence? And what questions sh...

The Untold Story of the Bible | A History of Bible Interpretation

This week: Maybe you were taught every verse in the Bible has one clear meaning. Or maybe you were taught nothing in the Bible is literal and every story finds its meaning in allegory. No matter what, to engage with the Bible at all is to interpret the Bible, and for the past two thousand years, people have had diverse views on Biblical interpretation.  Series overview: Though the Bible is perhaps the most influential religious text in human history, even Christians often know very little o...

When Life Gives You Lemons | Focus on the Fruit

This week: Jesus called us to “bear much fruit,” but in the face of our modern, fast-paced, complicated lives, how do we live that out? It turns out the secret to cultivating more good fruit in our lives is simple and sweet. Series overview: Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easier said than done! As Jesus followers, how can we maintain a positive outlook when things aren’t going our way? Can trials or setbacks ac...

When Life Gives You Lemons | Pucker Up

This week: Most people seem wired to resist change, and yet from ancient times, people have grappled with the irony that “change is the only constant in life.” Why is that? When God doesn't change our circumstances in the way we might want, how can Jesus' example help us see our lemons as an opportunity to embrace the new thing God’s trying to do or show us?  Series overview: Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is easie...

When Life Gives You Lemons | Expect Extra

This week: When life gives us lemons, is "making lemonade" really the best solution? How can faith help us respond in a better way? The Bible is filled with amazing examples of how God loves being extra – more loving, more powerful, more merciful than we could possibly imagine. Here are five helpful tips for how you can respond when you face unexpected or unwanted circumstances in life. Series overview: Any of us who have walked through a difficult season know that “When life gives you lemo...

When Life Gives You Lemons | Grumble or Grow

This week: Mindset matters. When circumstances aren’t in our favor, we can still control our outlook and take responsibility for our actions/reactions. Do we grumble about the conditions we face, or do we see obstacles as an opportunity to grow in our faith or our relationship with God? Guest speaker David Crain considers the Bible story of three men who defied expectations and took a courageous stand, choosing to worship God even when it appeared that choice might cost them everything. Ser...

Frientimacy | When Angels Descend

This week: A few weeks ago (June 18) we spent time talking about the idea of blessing: we will typically bless people to the extent that we feel blessed in our inner being. In this online-only message, Josh further explores the story of Jacob, discusses the four reasons we often don’t feel blessed, and reminds us that God is often present where we least expect to find Him. Series overview: Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering...

Frientimacy | Why Are We So Lonely?

This week: Jesus said in Mark 10 that anyone who gives up a house or their family for his sake would receive 100 times more houses and family members. And not in some distant future: he said we would receive that now. The key to discerning what Jesus intended by this saying seems to be understanding the kind of community he was inviting us into.  Series overview: Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering the question: "What makes...

Frientimacy | Blessing and Cursing

This week: You were young and impressionable and still figuring your life out. And someone said an unkind thing to you. And it was years ago, and it was really no big deal, and you’ve totally moved on. Except that you kind of haven’t. Because all these years later: you still remember the thing they said. We have the power to curse people in ways they will remember forever. How do we choose instead to live a life of blessing? Series overview: Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been condu...

Frientimacy | Jesus and Grindstones

This week: The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over the course of their life time. That’s 90,000 hours of labor, projects, meetings, TPS reports, KPI reports, strategy sessions, and hard conversations. So how does a follower of Jesus think about their relationships at work and their relationship to work? If we’re not thoughtful, our relationship to work can overcrowd our lives and leave us very little room for the friendships we so desperately need. Series overview: Since 193...

Frientimacy | How to Have Friends

This week: Great Britain recently appointed a “Loneliness Minister.” The U.S. Surgeon General released a warning in May of 2023 that loneliness poses risks as deadly as smoking. It feels like we’re more connected and more isolated than we’ve ever been before. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. Series overview: Since 1938, Harvard Medical School has been conducting a long-term study of 724 men aimed at answering the question: "What makes a good life?" They tracked how people lived, ...

MasterClass | The. End.

This week: Where and how you start the story determine the kind of story you are telling. But they don’t determine how that story will conclude. What did Jesus say about the end of our lives and the end of the world? Where is all of this leading and how do we determine our purpose in the midst of it? Series overview: One of the most unchallenged beliefs in Western culture is that life is about finding happiness. There is an ancient alternative to living for happiness, however: to live for ...

MasterClass | The Church

This week: Why does the Christian church exist? What is its purpose? Why belong to one? Wouldn’t it be easier and less mess to simply invest in a more individualistic faith? It turns out that Jesus had a bold, beautiful plan for the church that we’re invited to execute. Series Overview: One of the most unchallenged beliefs in Western culture is that life is about finding happiness. There is an ancient alternative to living for happiness, however: to live for meaning. To “live for meaning”...

Mother's Day | Jesus Didn't Have Kids

The Bible is not a guide to parenting. While it contains principles for raising children, it never attempts to give step-by-step instructions for how we should pour into the next generation. There is, however, much to be learned about parenting from the examples of Jesus and countless other Christian leaders who have spent their lives raising up future generations.

MasterClass | Grace

This Week: Understanding the grace of Jesus requires us to acknowledge our faults and our sin. As Donald Miller once wrote, “Grace only sticks to our imperfections.” Thankfully, those imperfections are not the end of our story. Series Overview: One of the most unchallenged beliefs in Western culture is that life is about finding happiness. There is an ancient alternative to living for happiness, however: to live for meaning. To “live for meaning” means not that you try to get something out ...

MasterClass | God At War

This Week: Is it crazy to believe in angels, demons, or some kind of “devil” figure? What did Jesus seem to believe about the existence of a spiritual realm? And even if any of those things are real, what implications does that have for us? Series Overview: One of the most unchallenged beliefs in Western culture is that life is about finding happiness. There is an ancient alternative to living for happiness, however: to live for meaning. To “live for meaning” means not that you try to get s...