Church in the Valley Alhambra

We need to talk about purity. I bet your heart started to race, just reading that to yourself. Sadly, purity is often a taboo topic in church life. But, when we start with God's definition of purity, we clearly see that it's a heart issue, not just ignoring it or trying to manage it. "Whatever is pure" is God's design for how we pursue holiness, based on Christ's work on our behalf. Join us on Sunday at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

How do we think and act upon "whatever is just" when we live in a world dominated by injustice? Nothing seems fair and it can often feel like the deck is stacked against us. Join us Sunday at 9am or 11am as we explore how Jesus is both the Just One and Justifier of our faith, giving us hope, even when injustice seems to reign!

What does it look like to make an honorable decision? Do we even think that way? Do our decisions seek out inherent value, weight and significance or do they reflect image crafting and performance-based effort? Join us on Sunday at 9am or 11am as we continue to think wisely and practice biblical decision making each week!

Have you ever been faced with a decision and you don't know which path to take? Have you ever opened up your heart in prayer, but it doesn't seem like there's a clear response? God's Word teaches us how to develop discernment so that we can have a framework for making good decisions as we follow Jesus. Join us on Sunday at 9am or 11am as we explore this much needed topic in the believer's life!

We often struggle, even as Christians, to have peace in our heart. We are anxious, worried, stressed, regretful and often afraid of what the future holds. Yet, Jesus promises us peace in the midst of everything. In our last sermon studying the Holy Spirit, we'll examine how the Spirit gives us peace so that we can follow Jesus confidently each day. Join us at 9am or 11am!

On Sunday we'll explore the help that the Spirit brings, both to convict people about Jesus, but also to aid us in our ongoing work of sanctification. We can be assured that the work to bring people to Jesus is guided by the Spirit and we can be confident that He continues to apply what Jesus accomplished for each believer. Join us at 9am or 11am!

Could you imagine being given all of the answers to the test before you take it? It would be a guaranteed 100% wouldn't it? This week as we continue to explore the Holy Spirit, we discover that Jesus' plan is to help us ace the tests of life. How? The Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us to remember everything Jesus said. Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

The least talked about member of the Trinity, by far, is the Holy Spirit. We struggle to understand who the Holy Spirit is and what He does. Yet, Scripture clearly shows us how the Helper is sent specifically to be our advocate, comforter and counselor. We need that kind of help, don't we? Join us as we learn more about the Holy Spirit and how we can have God's power to fight sin and walk by faith. Services are at 9am and 11am.

Today we wrap up 4 months studying the letter of Ephesians. We'll do one last overview and we'll be challenged to come up with 2-3 top takeaways from the study. What did God teach you over these past weeks and months? How will you continue to walk worthy of the calling each day as you follow Jesus? Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

Today we continue to explore Spiritual Warfare by looking at strongholds. The enemy loves to build up twisted lies in our minds that eventually become huge fortifications that dominate our thinking. Yet, God's Word tells us that we have power to tear them down and to bring every thought captive to Christ. Do you have strongholds that need to be destroyed? Join us at 9am or 11am as we look at 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.

Christians often feel powerless in the fight against evil and the enemy. But, within spiritual warfare, did you know that we have access to the most powerful weapon on earth? Today we'll look at how prayer must be part of the believer's arsenal as we put on the armor, stand firm and boldly proclaim the gospel! Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend.

The enemy has a desire and plan to devour your life. However, God has provided all you need to win the battle. Join us as we look at the armor of God.

This week we look at the dark truth of spiritual warfare. It is not a fight against fellow humans, but against the spiritual forces of evil. How does that change our perspective and how we engage in the fight? Join us on Sunday as we wrestle through these implications from Ephesians 6:10-12. Services are 9am and 11am.

Have you ever wondered what spiritual warfare is and what we are to do about it?  Join us this week as we begin a series in which we will examine these topics and learn how we can prepare ourselves to stand strong in the midst of spiritual warfare.

This week we'll take a look at instructions for work and home. The gospel invades every part of our lives, including the most intimate (home) and those outside in our day to day (work). We can either glorify God in these areas or cause disruption to the relationships around us. Is your walk with Jesus consistent in both areas? Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

In our text for today, we'll look at God's plan and purpose for marriage. God's great design for marriage rests on the very foundation of the gospel and points to Jesus' relationship with the church. When marriage is understood through that perspective, it sets us up for a covenant that is strong, durable, and long-lasting! Join us at 9am or 11am.

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Today we tackle Ephesians 5, seeing how it perfectly aligns with the resurrection of Jesus. That earth shattering, life-changing event calls us from death to life, from darkness to light. We are to live fully awake to that new reality, following Jesus every day. Join us for a special Easter service at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

This week in Ephesians we see tangible ways that we can walk worthy of the calling. The apostle Paul contrasts our old life with our new life and calls us to a new pattern of relating with one another. Is your life held together by these "nuts and bolts" of the calling? Join us as we explore the details of what makes our faith move forward! Services are at 9am and 11am.

Today we dive deeper into church unity and how to maintain it. One of the important connections in the text is going to be the relationship between unity and maturity. It's difficult to grow in maturity if there isn't unity. It's difficult to be united if we are immature. Yet, for the body to work together, we must maintain unity and grow in maturity. Are you ready to "grow up" in the faith as we pursue unity? Join us at 9am or 11am!

The message for Sunday is a turning point in the letter of Ephesians. After deep theology in chapters 1-3, we see how that now gets worked out in our day to day, as God's Word urges us towards unity in Christ Jesus. Unity will help us pursue God's mission and disunity will destroy it. Will you help to "maintain the unity" of our church as we move forward in faith? Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

Ephesians encourages us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. But when we drift away from the foundation of Christ's love, we can struggle to live out that calling. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul prays that God would spiritually strengthen His church in the love of Christ so that we can persevere in our calling and enjoy Him forever.

Have you ever felt discouraged by suffering - either in your own life or in the world around you? Have you wondered if God is really in control? In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul gives us a new perspective on the things that can discourage: lift your eyes upward and trust in God's steadfast, unshakable, eternal purposes as He builds His church.

Have you ever looked at the church and thought, "wow, what a dysfunctional household!" Well, it's not supposed to be that way! What Paul describes in Ephesians 2 is a new household that functions together because God has brought us together in peace, demolishing any existing hostility. In this new household we live as fellow citizens with the saints, enjoying right relationship with God and others. Join us at 9am and 11am as we see how church should be and how we can practically live that out in our day to day.

Join us on Sunday as we explore the greatest phrase ever uttered to mankind: by grace you have been saved. It is a simple declaration, yet simple it is not. It speaks to the mighty power of God, our desperate need for a Savior, and the incredible gift that believers receive when they follow Jesus. Know a friend or family member who needs to hear? Services are at 9am and 11am!

Paul starts out the letter of Ephesians with some of the richest descriptions of God's love and mercy, poured out to us in Christ Jesus. He makes it perfectly clear that God is the originator of all of these blessings. Yet, often times we feel isolated, alone, and unable to move forward. We'll explore how we can live out God's great blessings as we walk worthy of the calling. Join us and bring a friend!

The letter of Ephesians helps us to understand our calling to salvation and service. Yet, we often get sidetracked or blindsided by sin and the pressures of life. How can we walk worthy of the calling? Join us as we explore how we are to live as followers of Jesus as we move forward in faith. Services at 9am and 11am. Bring a friend!

Have you ever gone from bad to worse? In Jonah chapter 4 we'll see the proverbial wheels come off in Jonah's life. We might be tempted to watch this story from the sidelines, but we'll see how we act just like Jonah. Instead of trusting God's mercy, we become bitter and even antagonistic towards it. The remedy? Join us as we see how God reorients our sinful hearts towards Jesus. Join us at 9am or 11am!

After the miraculous exit from the great fish, Jonah is now sent to Nineveh, to preach a message of repentance. The city is exceedingly evil, but it is no match for God's mercy. We often believe that for us, but what about "those" people out there? Do you believe God's mercy can conquer even the most evil of hearts? Join us Sunday at 9am or 11am!

In chapter 2, we find Jonah hanging out in the great fish. God has caught up to him and Jonah is confronted with his runaway rebellion. Yet, despite the running, Jonah now recognizes God's salvation as he is brought back into God's presence, now with a heart of worship. How do we respond when God catches up to us? Join us as we discuss the source of our salvation and the only appropriate response to such a loving and gracious God! Services are at 9am and 11am. Bring a friend!

Our tendency is to run from God's call or begrudgingly accept it. We don't like to admit it, but we act like Jonah, even as we follow God. Thankfully, Jesus didn't run from God's mission, nor did he complain about it. We can trust what Jesus calls us to do, even if it means giving up on our preconceived ideas about what the mission might look like as we follow in faith. Join us at 9am or 11am each Sunday and bring a friend!

In our final Christmas sermon, we'll look at how Jesus steps into his role as King, fulfilling God's promise to David. This Christmas season, is Jesus the true king of your heart? Or do you fight to wrestle back control? Join us at 9am or 11am to discover how Jesus as King changes everything in our lives; our allegiance, our mind, our action and everything in-between!

This week at our Family Christmas Service, we'll look at what Jesus accomplishes for us as our high priest. Not only as a substitutionary atonement on our behalf, but one that makes it possible for us to draw near to the throne of grace in our time of need. This Christmas season, we need that confidence and we need mercy and grace. Find out how that declaration can be your reality in Christ Jesus. Join us at 10:30am and invite a friend!

Christmas brings a lot of expectations. Often, there are high expectations for giving and receiving, or even peace at the dinner table during the holiday season. The coming of Jesus also brings high expectations. But do we fully understand what His birth means? Join us as we look at how Jesus comes to save us by taking on three key roles; a prophet, a priest and a King. Services are 9am and 11am — invite a friend as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas!

In our final message in this sermon series, we'll look at the last section in Jude. We'll be encouraged to see what authentic Christianity looks like, which will be a major contrast to the false teachers and how they twisted grace. Is your relationship with Jesus authentic? How can you tell? Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

We'll continue to look at the main section of Jude and the warnings against the false teachers. It's tempting to think that the majority of this section doesn't apply to us, but Jude calls out grumblers, malcontents, loudmouth boasters and those who show favoritism. Does that hit closer to home? Come find out how God's Word exposes us, but how Jesus provides redemption, forgiveness and authentic faith! Services at 9am and 11am.

This week we'll take a look at the main charges against the false teachers. Jude is certainly helping us to contend for the faith by being aware of the dangers of heresy and apostasy. But also, his warnings hit close to home as we examine our own hearts and minds. Join us as we dive deep into the main section of Jude! Services are at 9am and 11am.

This week we'll look at what contending for the faith means. But it's not just any expression of faith, it's one that was "once for all delivered to the saints." That means that we can't change or manipulate God's Word. In what ways are we tempted to change it to suit our needs? Join us at 9am or 11am as we explore Jude together!

We know that we should fight for the faith, but we get confused at how we should be going about it. Is it a fight against people? Is it all-out war against culture? How do we maintain strong belief in an ever-changing environment? Join us as we study the letter of Jude, an oft missed gem in the New Testament. We'll be encouraged to step out in love and compassion while never sacrificing our convictions. First service is at 9am and the second is at 11am. Bring a friend!

Today we welcome Pastor Tiago from Lisbon, Portugal as he preaches from 2 Corinthians 5:7. The message will talk about walking by faith, not by sight. Why is this so important? For as long as churches have existed, there is a temptation to show Jesus in the most attractive way. But Christianity isn't about showing off divine presence, but a faith that goes beyond what is visible. Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

On Sunday we'll finish up our sermon series in Joshua by highlighting God's enduring faithfulness. At the very end of Joshua's life he looks back and affirms that God never failed with any of his promises. God was faithful from start to finish. Do you see that in your life too? What are some of the ways God has been faithful to you? Join us at 9am or 11am as we celebrate God's faithfulness together!

We are forgetful people! Our tendency is to go our own way and forget what God has commanded in Scripture. In Joshua 8, we'll see how the people stop and remember all that God had instructed them. Joshua leads them to covenant renewal, which helps them to remember as they move forward in faith to accomplish the mission. Do you need help remembering, too? Join us at 9am or 11am as we remember, together!

On Sunday we'll continue our study in Joshua by looking at an unfortunate event. Fresh off the win over Jericho, the people are stopped dead in their tracks as the sin of one man affects the entire nation. Thankfully, that's not the end of the story. Join us at 9am or 11am and see how God restores the people and points them, and us, to His ultimate restoration in Christ Jesus!

In Joshua 6, the Lord tells Joshua to employ a strange war strategy; marching, trumpets and a final shout to bring down the walls of Jericho. Often, we try to tell God how things should go and because of that, His plans look strange to us. But, as Joshua 6 teaches us, God's ways are better and designed to give Him all the glory. Join us Sunday as we train our minds and hearts to see God's plan for what it is: a declaration of God's victory even before we begin!

Belonging is one of our greatest human needs. When it breaks or becomes compromised, we get hurt and often carry that pain with us through life. Join us as we look at Joshua 5 and two ways God initiated a means of belonging for His people. We'll also consider Jesus' death and resurrection and examine what belonging means for us on this side of the New Covenant. Join us at 9am or 11am and bring a friend!

Are you quick to give God glory for the events of your life? Do you see God working in your life or is it a hazy mess that is uncertain? Join us on Sunday as we look at Joshua 3 and 4 and be encouraged to trust in God who is perfectly faithful. Not only that, He provides a way to cut through our uncertainty, so that we remember His goodness and praises Him for His glory!

This week in Joshua chapter 2 we find something surprising. God uses an unexpected twist to show His grace and saving power through a woman named Rahab. Join us at 9am or 11am as we discover the importance of faith and how it changes everything.

Joshua has been commissioned and now it's time to move forward. Two major concepts are introduced as the people respond in faith; remembering God's Word and a place of rest that will be provided as they take the land. Join us at 9am or 11am as we continue to explore God's enduring faithfulness and why remembering and rest are essential as you move forward in your walk with Christ. 

We live in a volatile world that constantly shakes our stability. We can easily feel out of control, wondering what the future will hold. The people of Israel experienced a lot of the same issues, especially after being rescued from slavery in Egypt. There were a lot of unknowns and fear had derailed the plans to get into the Promised Land. Now, on the eve of going in and taking the land, they are reminded to be strong and courageous. But, the task of taking the land isn't based on fear, but on God's enduring faithfulness. Join us as we study the book of Joshua and see how we can trust God as He takes us from fear to faith. New service times are 9am and 11am. Join us and bring a friend! 

Prayer is one of the main ways in which we learn to live and labor with God. Cultivating a consistent prayer life involves actively engaging with God in conversation, building a relationship, and experiencing the transformative power of His presence in our lives.

People don't memorize things unless they have to or it means something to them. In this message we will unpack a variety of helpful benefits to memorizing and meditating on God's Word and how to practically build the habit into your life for the long haul.