The Well Church of the Nazarene

James reminds us that our lives, our plans, and our stuff are temporary gifts that should be surrendered to God's purposes rather than used for our own security. A faith that leaves evidence holds everything with open hands. Living proof trusts God's provision enough to obey even it doesn’t make sense, to plan with humility, and to live generously.

According to James, there are two types of wisdom: earthly wisdom and wisdom from above. How do we know which type we have? James 3:13-4:10 suggests that the evidence is in the way we live our lives. Perhaps it's time for an honest evaluation of the type of wisdom we have?

Our words have immense power--for evil or good--based on their source. Do they come from ourselves and our own efforts? Or from the Holy Spirit and His power? Our daily response reflects in eternity.

James reminds us that we are the hands and feet of Jesus, branches that bear fruit, saved for Christ. Actions that others can see, can witness. This compliments Paul’s teaching that we are saved by grace through the blood of Jesus. He is the root, and we are saved in Christ. Root, branches, fruit--grace producing living proof for others to follow.

The good news leaves no room for favoritism, because every person bears God's image. Living proof faith believes there are no lost causes and every believer reflects the heart of Jesus by showing mercy, honoring the overlooked, and making room at the table for everyone.

God's Word was never intended to stop at our ears; it was meant to take root in our hearts. A life that bears fruit moves beyond listening to Jesus and lives like Jesus through obedience, compassion, and purity, leaving behind living proof of a life transformed by grace and truth. 

Life has no shortage of trials and struggles. We are often under pressure as we navigate the unexpected and the heavy moments of life. James reminds us that faith is our response to God’s greatest opportunities, revealing who we truly trust. God uses every challenge as an opportunity to mature our faith and make us living proof of His transforming grace.

Jesus promised power through the Holy Spirit to help us become witnesses--stewards of His story of grace. The Holy Spirit gives us power to live a shared life, taking our personal faith public!

Holiness is not self-produced behavorial perfection—it is the transforming work of God’s grace through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity reveals three expressions of grace that call, redeem, and empower believers to live intentionally, purposefully, and on mission!

Celebrating those beginning new chapters as well as the call we all have to live a spirit-empowered life. Featured Music:  "Deliberate Thought" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Purpose is not something we create for ourselves—it's something we discover as we respond to God’s calling and live as sent people. God has uniquely gifted and positioned each of us to serve, showing the world the love and mission of Christ through our everyday lives.

Stewardship is not about ownership but trusting in covenant. A generous life gives evidence to a heart that is devoted to God. God provides not just for consumption, but for participation in His mission

Devoted believers share truth, life, and disciplines centered on Christ. As we move from simply attending to truly belonging to a covenant community, God shapes us together into a people who reflect His love and mission.

Jesus teaches his disciples that prayer is not a vending machine or a checklist of requests, but rather a response to our covenantal relationship with God, rooted in identity, trust, and alignment with His will. The Lord’s Prayer is an invitation to live as God’s people, shaped by our dependence on his leading, provision, and grace. 

Guest speaker, Dr. David Mabry from Encompass Ministries, explores the biblical framework for building healthy, Christ-centered relationships by focusing on the New Testament's "one another" commands. By breaking down our relational calling into five actionable steps, we can move beyond simply existing near people and into intentional engagement, bringing Jesus' heart into our daily interactions.

On the first Easter morning in Luke 24, the women arrive at the tomb expecting death--but in the Upside Down Kingdom, graves give birth to life! The stone is rolled away, He is not there, and the greatest flip in history is revealed--Jesus is ALIVE! What looked like the end was actually just the beginning, and God is still turning our stories right-side up today.

In this message, we look at Jesus' "cleansing" of the temple through a different lens. Rather than just an act of anger, we see Jesus clearing out the "business as usual" to make room for those on the margins. We often think the way of Christ is "upside down," but when we see that life comes through death--just like pruning a tree for new growth--we realize it's actually the only way to live right-side up. What needs to be cleared out of your life to make room for what God wants to do?

In the Upside Down Kingdom of Jesus, humility and confidence find common ground in the light of God’s mercy. Luke 18:9-14 will help us check our posture, revealing whether we are performing for OR relating to God. 

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. But the stories are less about lost things and more about the heart of God who searches for those who are far from Him. The Upside Down Kingdom reminds us that while people may focus on the what or who went wrong, heaven celebrates those who are found.

In Luke 10:25–37, Jesus never calls the Samaritan “good,” yet his compassion crosses cultural and religious boundaries and reveals what true goodness looks like in the Upside Down Kingdom. In a story filled with questions, we are left with one that matters most to Jesus; “Will I become a neighbor who shows mercy?”

In Luke 8, a storm reveals the disciples’ fear, but it also shows the power of Jesus’ presence. In the Upside Down Kingdom, faith is not the absence of fear—it is learning to trust the One who is in the boat with us.

In the upside-down Jesus notices and restores people the world overlooks—a sick servant, a grieving widow. He crosses boundaries of power, purity, and social status to show us that in God’s kingdom no one is invisible, and faith is revealed in our response to the unnamed. 

Jesus confronts an upside-down view of Sabbath by showing that God’s rest is meant to restore life, not restrict it. True Sabbath invites us to trust God enough to stop and be made whole, creating space for God to work IN and THROUGH us. 

In our culture today, we often see those who resist God’s voice find security in their circumstances, while those who follow do so out of humility, obedience, and trust. In Luke 4 and 5, Jesus reveals that being called is not about being ready or feeling qualified, but about responding to His mission--even when it challenges our comfort and expectations. This is the upside-down kingdom of Jesus. 

Jesus reveals an upside-down kingdom by seeking out Zacchaeus, a man written off by society, and offering grace before demanding change. Luke 19:10 captures the heart of Jesus’ mission—to seek and to save the lost, even when it creates tension with our religious expectations and what cultural considers normal.

From three, wise, gift-bearing kings to a power-mongering king, to a tiny baby born a King, the final days of the Christmas season may seem filled with drama. But, is it really a tale of We Three Kings? Is it a clash of two kings? Or will it be a promise fulfilled by the King of Kings?

The promises spoken by the prophets don’t end with a baby in a manger; they continue in the life Jesus lived. In Hebrews 2, we see Jesus as the pioneer of true humanity, revealing not only who he is, but who humans were always meant to be. This sermon invites us to look beyond Christmas morning and consider how God’s promise continues through a way of life marked by humility, service, and self-giving love.

The prophets promised that love would compel God come near —Immanuel, God with us. In Jesus, that promise is fulfilled, revealing a love that is not earned and is more than a feeling. Revealing a sacrificial, steadfast, and personal love. Advent invites us to receive this gift and allow this love to shape how we live as we prepare for Christ’s coming.

The prophets promised a joy that would not depend on circumstances but on the coming of God Himself--a joy that restores, strengthens, and transforms. That promise is fulfilled in Jesus as presence, salvation, and purpose, giving us a joy the world cannot create or take away. 

The prophets remind us that God’s promise of peace was spoken long before Jesus was born. In a world filled with noise, conflict, and restlessness, the person of Christ offers the deep, restoring shalom our hearts were created to discover in the birth of the Prince of Peace.  

Advent invites us to hear again the prophetic voices that pointed to Christ, reminding us that every promise of God finds its “Yes” in Him. While our human hopes begin with basic needs and grow toward deeper longings for meaning, belonging, and restoration, true fulfillment is found only in the promised Savior. 

In Thanks and Giving, we celebrate how blessing leads to gratitude, and gratitude overflows into generosity expressed through faithful stewardship. As we steward our relationships, gifts, resources, and the gospel itself, we witness God’s faithfulness, join His mission, and offer our next “yes” to the work of His Kingdom.

Gratitude starts when we see our lives not through the lens of what we lack, but through the abundance of what God has already given. Thanks & Giving reveals to us the  spiritual connection and natural expression between blessing, gratitude, and generosity. 

We finish our journey UpStream at a holy confluence—where individual lives transformed by grace flow together in God’s purposes. As the Spirit breathes life into us, we are lifted out of the current of this world—and our stories are joined into a movement of mission, sharing the good news of the Gospel that flows through us. 

The world's pattern of "me first" will always lead to more questions and confusion. God's pattern of "others first" will always reveal His will and the benefits of His comfort and peace. Paul challenges us to offer ourselves to others, daily, and in doing so, to be transformed in the goodness of the will of God.

In Romans 11, Paul reminds us that our identity in Christ isn’t something we’ve earned—it’s something we’ve been graciously grafted into. We are not replacements in God’s story, but recipients of an ever-widening invitation. Grace grafts us in, and humility is our only proper response.

In a world where it is easy to feel underwater, gasping for control, the Spirit invites us to breathe deep. In Romans 8 we discover life is found in letting the Spirit replace what once was drowning us. We stop fighting for air only when we allow God to breathe on us and in us.

Freedom in Christ isn’t the absence of struggle—it’s grace in the middle of it. Paul reminds us that the battle within doesn’t mean we’ve failed; the battle is evidence that we’re still alive in Christ. Real freedom begins when we stop fighting in our own strength and surrender daily to the Jesus who has already won.

We understand the Gospel to address our need for the forgiveness of sins, but the Gospel does not stop there. Following Christ means choosing the opposite of what culture says: dying to self-rule, living under God's reign, and being bound to Christ. What needs to die in you so that Christ can bring new life? 

The Gospel is more than forgiveness—it’s the restoration of broken relationships and the invitation into God’s family. In Romans 5, we see that while we were still powerless and separated from Him, Christ moved first in love to restore what our sin had broken. True reconciliation with God transforms our lives and overflows into our relationships with others.

While sin exposes our desperate need and the bad news of separation from God, Christ’s atonement restores us into right relationship with Him. To live UpStream means embracing this countercultural truth: salvation is not earned, but freely given—and in it, we rediscover the joy of God’s salvation.

We often talk about sin as if it's about them, but in Romans 1-2, Paul makes it clear--it's about us. Sin is not just bad behavior, it's exchanging the truth of God for a lie. Let us reflect upon, lament, and confront our own brokenness. 

"Evangelism" can be an uncomfortable word, but at the heart of our purpose is recognizing the transformative power of saving grace. We are called to scatter seeds. And sometimes that means redefining the way we do church and rediscovering the church God wants us to be so we can answer the questions of our culture today.

Serving "Babylon" means showing up faithfully in a place that may not cheer for us, because our loyalty is not to the crowd, but the Kingdom. We plant gardens, love our neighbors, and do good--not because Babylon deserves it, but because God has called us to it.

The heart of God, his intent and instruction, is the essence of what the prophet Jeremiah told his people in exile, and it's the essence of what we see God do through Creation and the formation of His people! When we are fruitful and increase, when we work for the "good," for peace and prosperity of the people with whom we live--especially in exile--we wade into the confluence of the sacred and secular. The physical and spiritual. And this has always been God's purpose for his people. 

When we live in exile, one of our tasks is to raise "resident aliens” - to teach the next generation how to remain faithful to God in  a land that is not our own. One of the most powerful tools that we have to do this effectively is our story. Consistently telling the story of God at work in and through us 1) Roots our identity, 2) Explains our rhythms, and 3) Gives hope in exile. 

Faith is confident trust in what God has said, even when it's not visible. Exile sharpens our dependency on God's promises, not culture's affirmation. When we feel displaced or pressured to conform with competing stories, our roots must go deeper into God's story, not ours. 

We are part of a real-life story that is going on around us, but many of us haven't yet realized our role in God's story. To be a holy people is to be an intentional, loving people, with a purpose--to bring others to Him. We are now the place where heaven and earth intersect and from which the glory of God radiates out into the world. We are the people of God.

We may not be strangers in a strange land, but we are strangers in a strange time. As Christian influence wanes, exile helps us evaluate our lives, and, like Jonah, discover that God is up to something powerful among us. There is hope even in the belly of a fish--and God wants to use us to bless our Babylon.