Reach Church - Everett

This week, we began a new series, “Counter Culture” looking at perhaps the most famous words recorded from the mouth of Jesus Christ known as “The Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7. Before both spectator and disciple, Jesus sat down to teach what participation in God’s Kingdom actually looks like. The Sermon on the Mount is not just some moral code that can be applied across cultures regardless of religious affiliation. If you want to follow Jesus, what you need to realize is that he’s not interested in you following some legalistic system of morality, rather, recognizing and responding to your need for new life that can only be found in him.

Many of us have things in our rearview mirror, from this last year or even beyond, that have weighed us down. Your past, though part of your story, doesn’t have to define your present nor your future. As we kick off 2022, let’s consider what God might be calling us to leave behind and explore what to go after instead.

We're nearing the end of 2021, can you believe it? The new year is always a great time to evaluate the rhythms of our lives and set some goals for the year ahead. Today's devotional is designed to help you make plans (as you might normally do) with God as the focal point. Join Pastor Sean for 10 or so minutes as he shares his heart and resources you with some questions to build from. Have a great "week off" and we'll see you next Sunday, January 2nd!

The treasure of Christmas isn’t found under the tree or in a tradition, rather in the reality of what happened in a small middle-eastern town to an unassuming family 2,000 years ago.

This week, we wrap up our final week of Advent focusing in on the theme of love. Loving God and loving others as you love yourself is the point of life with God.

Joy cannot be separated from the arrival of Christ and what it means for humanity. If you’ve been lacking joy in your life, perhaps it’s because you’ve lost sight of the God who embodies it. Perhaps it’s time you make room for King Jesus to reintroduce you to the joy that’s found only in him.

Peace is something everyone is fighting for, but few seem to be experiencing. Thankfully, peace is possible because one called “The Prince of Peace” arrived on this earth 2000 years ago.

Advent is a season where we anticipate the arrival of Jesus. As we prepare our hearts and create space for Jesus, this week, we focus on the first theme of Advent: hope. Hope isn’t focused on our circumstances - in fact, it’s often what allows us to thrive in the face of unwelcome circumstances. Biblical hope says “I was a slave to sin, but God set me free. Therefore, rather than trusting in other gods, in other people, or in myself, I will trust in him.”

God isn’t looking for puppets, he’s looking for partners. The good news is that we’re not called to invent the work. God’s already doing it. He’s already got a mission. Our job is to be on God’s team.

Following Jesus isn’t just your ticket to Heaven and means to true change. Knowing him and being known by him is the most satisfying thing in the universe, because his steadfast love is better than life itself.

Can people really change? Your answer to that question has more implications than you think. The very good news is that Jesus brings change into our lives — so we should know how He does it, and how to be all-in with the process.

What if Jesus is more committed to you than you are to him? If he really is a good shepherd who never loses sheep, you can rest in his love for you — regardless of the darkness you're walking through.

Your Gospel is too small. Your understanding and vision of Jesus is too small. Regardless of who you are - be it a spiritual seeker or life-long follower of Jesus, or somewhere in-between -- your current understanding of just how big Jesus really is and just how good the Gospel is pales in comparison to reality. When we say, "Jesus saves," what we need to realize is that he saves COMPLETELY. Everything about us is different. Yes, Heaven is real and the most exciting reality to look forward to, but Jesus saves us for right now too!

Michael Franzese is a former member of the infamous Colombo crime family. At his most affluent, he was generating between $5,000,000.00 to $8,000,000.00 PER WEEK from both legal and illegal business. In 1986, he was named by Vanity fair to be one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since Al Capone. Eventually, his lifestyle caught up to him. He was sentenced for his crimes, put in prison, and spent significant time in solitary confinement. It was a hopeless tale...that is...until a faithful wife and a prison Bible teed him up for a life-changing transformation.

As we look to further live out what it means to be the Church and reach the city, we revisit our values, discuss intentional next steps, and set our sights on the season ahead.

The Lord's Prayer is one of the commonly utilized prayers in the entirety of scripture. Jesus reveals many of Heaven's priorities through this prayer and invites you and I to carry it with us wherever we go.

Your actions, words, lifestyle - it all holds weight. Ultimately, God is looking for faithful people who will steward his name well, who will speak on his behalf and act consistently with those words.