--

This is what I wanted for Christmas. But what does God want? Instead of "fake community" God wants authentic community. We want "all the things". God wants to give you what you need. I want "significance". God invites us to give ourselves away. I want "to provide (financially)". God wants to show you your truth worth/ID. I want to "win" Christmas. How do I look at this from society, family, self?

Family. No matter what yours looks like, it's probably a crazy-beautiful mess. Meanwhile, we're inclined to show and interact with the filtered versions of our family life--working to appear happy and connected. But what would happen if we dared to choose life unfiltered? Join us throughout this series as we find the healing, purpose, and adventure our families were made for.

Jesus said he came so that we "may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10b, AMP). What if we could experience this fullness of life every day in body, mind, spirit, and community with one another? Join us as we dive deeper in exploring each of these aspects and the challenges that can present themselves as we become FIT FOR LIFE.

After his Resurrection, Jesus appeared to many. Those encounters were met with surprise, wonder, and, yes, even doubt. Each time, those moments with Jesus in the power of his Resurrection changed the perspectives and futures of those present. Join us as we seek to have our own close encounters with Jesus and live anew in the power of his Spirit.

The journey toward Easter is one of seeming contradiction: Jesus, the King of the Ages, lays down his crown and chooses the cross. We see him simultaneously as the King of Kings and as the one willing to empty himself of every privilege toward the supreme act of sacrificial obedience...for us. He invites us there to embrace both the cross and the crown--to receive him as King even as we follow him in the way of sacrifice.

It's the stuff that gives traction and allows us to move. It's the irritation that, when encircled becomes a pearl. It's the steadfast spirit that overcomes obstacles and hardships in pursuit of something greater. Grit is one of God's great gifts to us. Join in as we discover what it means to thrive in every circumstance.

We all have spaces and places in need of resolution...and so often we find ourselves waiting for something beyond our control. The season of Advent--the journey toward Christmas--is a time of hopeful waiting. In a place of darkness, God sent the rightest light; in a space of silence, he spoke with the greatest name: Jesus. Join us as we wait in hope--confident Christ has come...and is coming again.

"Worship" may not be a term we use all that often, but it touches everything we do and who we are. At its core, our draw to worship--to live devoted to someone or something--is God's invitation to bring all that we know of ourselves to all that we know of God. Join us in exploring what it means to live every day with a heart of worship; along the way, we'll discover more of what we are made for and who we are meant to be...together.

To season something is to draw out its flavor; a season is a span of time or period of life. What if God positioned you to experience a richness in every season of life—savoring and receiving what he is doing rather than trying to move on to what’s next (or hold on to what was)? We believe this is exactly what God desires for us in every circumstance—whatever season you’re in, join us as we seek to encounter God’s goodness together.

It's a familiar but surprising tale: a man running from his purpose, a community pursued by the love of God, and a people finding hope. The story of the book of Jonah is more than just a fish story—it’s an invitation for us to discover what it means to encounter God in unexpected places and trust him as he leads us to new possibilities.

God’s love is at once generous, overwhelming, transforming, and invitational. We find it on full display in Jesus; and as we encounter Jesus, we experience this love in incredible ways. Join us in a journey through 1 John as we discover again the love we all need and what it means to live it out together.

Life happens in circles—the circles of relationship with God, self, and others. Jesus has made a new and living way and invited us into it; we’re committed to chasing him within the expanding circles of life we all have. Individually and corporately, we believe these circles are proof of God’s favor for each of us—places to thrive and gifts to release in the new and living way of Jesus.

Someone once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Jesus put this kind of selflessness on full display and invites each of us to walk the same path—one where we look not only to out own interests, but to the interests of others so we can all thrive together.

When circumstances are overwhelming, we can feel like it’s impossible to think about anything else. But the invitation we’re given is to fix our eyes on Jesus. Join us as we explore what it means to look up and hold onto the never-changing, always-active promises of God.

A Sunday that changed everything as Jesus declared the better word of LIFE in the shadow of the Cross. Even in the midst of uncertainty, we know Jesus has a better word for each of us.

We all know words have power, but none have the same power for life and hope as those of Jesus—by his word, Jesus calmed storms, healed the sick, and brought peace. Join us in the journey to the Cross, and find a better word for you, whatever your circumstance.

God has more—more for our cities, more for our families, and more for each of us. It is MORE than all we ask or imagine! As we pursue Jesus together, we’re convinced he will lead us into new spaces where we can love, restore, and imagine more…together.

We don’t have to look very far to find places of brokenness, abandonment, and struggle. But because of Jesus, there is hope— hope for the world, for our neighborhoods, and for us.

Watch Pastor Shawn talk about our vision for the next year as we move into all God has for us in 2020!

Christmas is at once magical and hectic. Shopping and parties and recitals and services and wrapping and baking and…and…and…can all make what is supposed to be a space of joy and opportunity feel overfilled and very noisy. Join us in this series as we step back from the noise and enter into the Joy Unspeakable of the season.

As one church family across locations, languages, and generations, we’re more committed than ever before to living out God’s heart for each of us to thrive. Join us throughout this series in connecting belief and practice—sharing in what we value, where we’re headed, and how we’re all in this together. This is our heritage.

There are many labels we use to define people: ethnicity, circumstance, location, relationship to us, status… the list goes on and on and on. But no matter how we might define someone else, Jesus had one label he used most often: Neighbor. Join with us as we reach back into the golden age of television and rediscover how to live out the great invitation, Won’t you be my neighbor?

Sometimes, we bump into a truth so deep or a hope so profound we need a special way to share it with others. Jesus often taught using parables—his unique way of sharing the deep truth and hope of the Kingdom of God with his first followers. Join us as we focus on a few of these Kingdom stories and discover even more of the heart God has for us and our world.

“…in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Really? In a world filled with brokenness, pain and tragedy, does God really work for our good? What about the times when we are the ones who are making the mistakes and messing things up? Does he still make good out of that? If you have ever struggled with understanding how God can work good out of all things, get ready for the Not So Average Joes series. The reality is that God does work to redeem every part of our lives for His glory…the good and the bad.

We celebrate that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. We Are...Resurrection People! We are empowered by Holy Spirit to live lives of Spirit-filled power, Spirit-fueled love, and Spirit-led obedience.

With two words, Jesus radically transformed the way people viewed him and the power of God's Kingdom. With two words, Jesus speaks powerfully for us and our world today - inviting all of us into the hope, life, authority, and activity of Heaven. Simple and profound, revealing and mysterious, experience the wonder of Jesus as "I Am…"

For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have expressed worship and been reminded of God’s past, present, and future faithfulness by stepping into sacred moments together. These moments—marked by the people of God uniting with the Spirit of God for the purposes of God—have both anchored and propelled the Church.

A penny saved is a penny earned… but you have to spend money to make money. The best things in life are free… but you get what you pay for. The messages we receive about money and how we should interact with it can be confusing; finances can be stressful, and knowing how to live within our means can be hard. But God’s teachings throughout Scripture about our treasure is consistent and hopeful; join us as we dig into practical truth about how we interact with money”.

With the coming of a new year can come our “what if…” questions—What if things stay as they are? What if the worst happens? What if things turn out even better than we planned? But God invites us into a place where our “what if…” is met by the “even if…” of his faithfulness—Even if life is hard, he is working; even if our hopes are not met, he is active. Join us as we discover how to experience an “Even if...” faith in the midst of life’s “what if...” moments.

This time of year can feel like it's about activity, spending, and searching for the perfect present. But the season leading up to Christmas has been called Advent by followers of Jesus for centuries. At once, Advent means both "arrival" and "waiting;" a time of active hope when we celebrate that God's Greatest Gift--the person of Jesus--has already come. Journey with us as we celebrate and share in The Gift...and along the way experience peace, hope, faith, and joy together.

Soon we’ll find ourselves in a time of year where there’s great pressure to buy more and give more in pursuit of the perfect present. But we believe the greatest Gift has already come in the person of Jesus, and our high calling is to offer the, justice, freedom, hope, and compassion of Christ to others. Join in as we explore The Gift and what it means as we Go.Be.Love. together.

So much in our closest relationships can feel as though it’s a knock-down-drag-out struggle against the stuff of life trying to tear us apart... and even a fight to the finish with those we love. But God designed us for relationships marked by joy, perseverance, and authenticity; get in the ring as we discover how to fight for what matters most.

Have you ever wondered why? Why things happen the way they do? Why Scripture records what it does? Why we can sense God being especially near one moment and feeling so distant the next? Maybe you have questions about God, church, the Bible you're not sure you can -- or how to -- ask. Dig in with us as we wrestle with some of life's difficult questions.

The Psalms -- the ancient expressions of joy, sorrow, praise, and heartfelt honesty in the Bible -- contain some of the most famous poetry of all time. These prayers from the heart still speak to and for us today.

Doo’-na-mis — inherent power, power residing in a thing by its nature… Throughout our lives, we encounter impossible moments where only great power or authority can change the course we’re on. God, by very nature of who he is, has power to change us and the world around us. Join in discovering what it means to experience the inherent power of God in every aspect of life.

Work. School. Meetings. Homework. Errands. Events. Practice. Family. Friends. Projects. We wonder how to live a life of purpose and meaning in the midst of all the busyness. Jesus modeled what it is to have space for the interruptions in life that allow us to see God at work and build what matters most, join us in cultivating an interruptible life.

Join us as we explore how to live in healthy community. When we better understand our value and that of others, it reminds us that we’re all in this together.

Words matter--Scripture declares they hold the power of life and death, healing and injury, peace and strife. The words of Jesus from the cross hold special significance as he declared life, healing, peace, and Heaven even as he was dying. Join us in our journey to Easter as we explore these powerful statements and what they mean for how we live today.

At Heritage we endeavor to live LOVED, LINKED and SENT as a church. Each year we gather for our Go.Be.Love series during which we celebrate all that God has done over the last year in our SENT expressions as well as unpack the the scriptural basis for what we do. Finally, we also look to the future of where we sense God calling us to LIVE SENT and pray for him to guide us into our individual engagement of those opportunities. Check out these examples of those sermons for a better understanding.