Holy Week Day 7 • Sunday, April 5 Good morning, Celebration family! Today, we celebrate,  as we arrive at the most glorious and hope-filled moment in all of history: the resurrection of Jesus. This isn’t just an inspiring story or a tradition we revisit on Easter—it’s the very foundation of our faith and the turning point of the world.I am praying that as you read, the hope and power of the resurr...

Holy Week Day 6 • Saturday, April 4 Scripture: Matthew 27:57–66 Saturday in the Passion Week story is often the forgotten day. We fly past it, don’t we? Good Friday grips our hearts as we reflect on the suffering of our Savior. Easter Sunday fills us with joy as we celebrate His victory over sin and death. But Saturday? Saturday is quiet. It’s still.It’s the day we often rush through because we kn...

Holy Week Day 5 • Friday, April 3 Scripture: John 19:16–30 When it comes to understanding our faith, there’s no greater place to look than the cross of Jesus Christ. It is painful to read about, yes. It’s a scene of agony, injustice, and unimaginable suffering. But it’s also holy to behold. The cross is where we see sin exposed, love displayed, and redemption accomplished.The cross of Jesus is cen...

Holy Week Day 4 • Thursday, April 2 Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:36–46 Church family, as we continue through Holy Week, today we find ourselves in one of the most tender and revealing moments in the life of Jesus—His time in the Garden of Gethsemane. These verses in Matthew 26:36–46 give us a glimpse of Jesus in a way that feels deeply personal and vulnerable.Here, we don’t see Jesus performing s...

Holy Week Day 2 • Tuesday, March 31 One of the most profound moments in the days leading up to the cross is when Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who were buying and selling. It’s a scene we find in Matthew 21:12–17, and it’s one that has always struck me deeply.At first glance, it might seem unexpected. Jesus, who is often portrayed as gentle and compassionate, flips tables and confro...

Holy Week Day 3 • Wednesday, April 1 Scripture Reading: Luke 22:14–20 Jesus knew the cross was near. He knew the betrayal was already in motion. He knew suffering was coming. And yet, in the middle of all of that weight, He took time to draw His disciples close, to share a meal, and to give them a way to remember Him: the bread, the cup, and the covenant they represented.This moment matters.Jesus ...

Holy Week Day 1 • Monday, March 30 As we begin Passion Week together, I want to invite us to slow down and truly reflect on the story we’re entering into. This week is rich with meaning, filled with opportunities to see Jesus for who He truly is—perhaps in ways that surprise us or even challenge us. Scripture: Matthew 21:1–11 Today, we start at the beginning of this sacred journey: Palm Sunday. I...

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen how people encountered Jesus and how it changed their lives.As we move toward Easter, take a moment to look back…and consider what it means for you. In Mark chapter 2, we’re brought into a crowded house in Capernaum so full there’s no room to move. In the middle of it, four friends do whatever it takes to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, lowering him through...

For a lot of us, this is where the hesitation starts. We can begin to overthink what to say, when to say it, or how someone might respond......

I know firsthand the challenge of consistently carrying a burden for others who need Jesus, while also overcoming the fear or hesitation that comes with inviting someone to church... ...

Here are 5 simple, natural ways to invite someone to Easter ...

What particular abilities has God given you? When God wove you together before you were born, and when he made you new in Christ, he chose gifts for you......

One of the most frustrating parts of my life is that I’m not as passionate about God as I should be. I imagine many Christians feel similarly. There are some, however, for whom this feeling goes deep and lasts long.Some of us may find ourselves in the midst of a long stretch of feeling fairly indifferent about the things of God. We know that Bible reading, prayer, church involvement, missions, eva...

Take a moment and imagine a deserted landscape at high noon. Rolling plains stretch before you, perhaps a bit parched and brown. In the distance, mountain ranges frame the horizon. The heat is oppressive—the kind that makes most people seek shelter. At the center of this scene sits an ancient well, and beside it, a solitary figure waits.This isn't just any traveler resting from a journey. This is ...

Most days, we’re commuting, studying, parenting, working, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or paying the bills. Do those activities count in God’s eyes? Does the mund......

We long for encounters with God that are more than routine, more than ritual, more than religion. This ancient story pulses with relevance for our lives today. Like the crowd in that house, we live in a world that emphasizes keeping the right rules......

This man receives sinners and eats with them. Luke 15:2The Pharisees and the scribes were rather grumbly about the characters Jesus chose to eat with. If he had chosen to eat exclusively with upstanding people such as themselves, they might have praised him. But the complaint spread from one man to another in a hushed and derogatory tone: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” As has been...

There's something profoundly misunderstood about grace in our modern Christian culture. We've reduced it to a comfortable catchphrase......

How often do we casually invite our family or friends out to dine at our favorite restaurant, check out some views at our favorite rooftop, or even grab the best desert at the most Instagram-able location we’re sure they’d love? It’s easiest when we’re almost certain of their response, and it’s even easier when it’s a shared common interest.When we truly love and enjoy something we obsess about it...

When life gets hard, our instinct is to run. We want out of the difficulty, away from the pain, free from the struggle. We pray desperate prayers for escape, for rescue, for immediate relief. And if we're honest, we sometimes wonder why God doesn't respond the way we think He should.But what if suffering isn't something to simply escape? What if there's a profound purpose woven into the fabric of ...