The Refuge Church

This very special day is set apart to honor and celebrate the women that have cared for us, nurtured us, and magnified God’s love in our lives. We invited three women, all in different seasons of life and experience, to share wisdom and perspective. The result was timeless and beautiful.

Culture holds gravity. It governs the decisions and behaviors of entire societies. God has specifically defined a culture for His people. We have a choice in whether we will be pulled by the gravity of a culture of ‘my best life now’, or centered in the standard God has set for the inhabitants of His kingdom. One leads to compromise and the other abundant life.

What we do in the wilderness will impact our legacy. Just because you can’t change the outcome doesn’t mean you’re excused from obedience. Moses repeatedly interceded on behalf of the people of Israel. He remained faithful to his assignment, even when he knew he would not see the dream of crossing into the promised land fulfilled. Faithfulness is proven most when the outcome no longer benefits you. We may not personally reach all of our dreams, but we can help prepare others to reach theirs. Our greatest legacy is not what we build—it’s who we build.

When God gives us a promise, He also gives us a plan of preparation for receiving all of the potential for that promise. He is a God of order and He requires purity from us, both individually and corporately, so that we can remain in His covering, receive His blessings abundantly, and avoid the traps of our enemy. Not only are His promises perfect, but so is His plan.

Much of life has ups and downs, But when we fully commit our lives to God, he will fill us with his peace. It is not by our might or by our power but by His spirit. We should not be easily swayed by our fleeting feelings but should stand firm in Gods character that never changes.

Everything in the book of Leviticus points to the work that Jesus has done to allow us to now have personal relationship with God. It also reveals the posture our hearts should hold in worship, consecration, and gratitude as we approach Him. In an extensive list of do’s and don’ts given to Israel, we find an invitation to community with our holy God through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Holy order brings heavenly outpourings. God has a plan and it’s so important that we follow his directions and lead. Our lives consist of chaos without alignment with him. Everything we need is found in his presence, and his instructions are an invitation to greater intimacy with him.

In their season of wandering in the desert, God provided every need for the Israelites. This taught a generation that they could rely on the Lord. Despite God’s faithfulness, they often allowed their flesh to cause them to complain. This should challenge us to recognize where we have allowed ourselves to lack in thankfulness towards the Lord.

What does true redemption look like? In true redemption, God provides what we cannot produce on our own. We do not deserve His mercy and we can never earn it, but He gives it to us freely and engraves His character into our hearts. He removes the anchors of our past, makes us new, and positions us to bless others through the gift of our own redemption.

God always keeps his word and keeps His promises moving forward throughout time. A delay does not mean a denial or defeat. Fulfillment is not on our timing, but on His, based on his sovereignty and wisdom, and they are not subject to our consistency, or to the laws of logic and nature. God’s promises are fully based on His character.

Our faith journey requires us to trust God even when He’s asking us to do things that don’t make sense. In the story of Abraham, we are shown the difference between belief and trust, which demonstrates truly walking out real faith.

Faithful living values integrity over outcome. It means even if we suffer, or even if God is silent, we will not sin to survive. We choose to trust his character when we don’t understand his plan. It’s okay to lose rewards the on earth in order to keep the reward He will give you for living faithfully. The prize of suffering is not answers, but transformation.

The book of Job addresses the problem of pain and contains deep insights into the nature of God. It does not answer why God allows suffering, but reveals to us that God can be trusted with our pain and suffering, because He has experienced it with us.

We begin this new year by inviting the Holy Spirit to move over that which is unformed or lacks order in our lives, as He demonstrated in the opening of Genesis. In chapters 1 through 11 we unfold the formation of creation, the fall of man, and we are introduced to the faithfulness of God. 

We were built to have the tangible glory of God touch us. It is not our prayers, our discipline, or knowing the right scripture that heals and delivers. It is the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit alone that brings the realities of heaven to earth, which is why reaching for the presence of God should be our greatest desire if we want to witness change in the lives around us.

Throughout the bible, God gives us examples of times when he has called his people to be creative in their strategies. In 2026 God is calling us into a closer following through new strategies.

The number of prophecies foretelling the coming of Jesus - his life, death, resurrection, and return - is astounding. For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, which were all fulfilled, there are eight on his second coming. At Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior, we also look with hope, certainty, and anticipation to His return.

Isaiah 9:6-7 - “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Roughly 700-800 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah tells us exactly who our savior will be and the power His name will hold.This Christmas season let us rediscover the wonder of who He is. 

Grief is universal. We will all face loss on our journey in many forms: the end of friendships, job transitions, or moving to a new community. These losses shape us and influence our future. How do we seek support and trust God through these painful seasons in our lives?

Our bodies are physical and spiritual. When we struggle with mental health issues, it is wisdom to seek professional help. We wouldn't continue to drive our car if it is out of alignment, so why do we ignore our negative thoughts. Christian Counseling can help align your thought life back to the Word of God.

A lie believed as truth will affect your life as if it were true. You cannot defeat what you cannot define. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul calls us to take captive those thoughts that would erode the truth and authority of God in our minds. We must be proactive in identifying and removing the lies, so that we can replace them with His truth.

How you feel matters to Jesus. Emotions themselves are not sinful, but they cannot be allowed to lead our lives. They are meant to be indicators that invite the word of God and the Holy Spirit to lead our actions. We are not meant to suppress them, but to filter our emotions through God’s truth, which is where we find emotional health.

Are your thoughts building you up or tearing you down? What we think will determine who we will become tomorrow. We all have an inner thought war in which the battle for our lives is won or lost. God has given us truth as strategy. Our thoughts will control us, so we have to learn, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to anchor our thoughts in truth.

The mark of a spiritually mature believer is one that has a life that honors God. It is choosing faithfulness every day, every moment to His word, to His house, and to His people.

The mark of a spiritually mature believer is one that has a life that honors God. It is choosing faithfulness every day, every moment to His word, to His house, and to His people.

Generosity begins with God’s grace, not material wealth. It is not about how much you have — it’s about how much of you God has. Do you view giving as a burden or a blessing, as something you have to do or something you get to do?

Our highest calling is to make disciples. Jesus makes it unmistakably clear that following him comes with a cost and we must choose to walk in His authority, be willing to overcome our doubts, and deny ourselves. To be a disciple maker means that you are willing to surrender your life daily.

Learning to love others well the way Jesus does is a lifelong journey. Proverbs gives us a guide of steps we must take to make this possible, calling us to wear love and faithfulness at all times, and reminding us that it’s not our job to figure everything out. 

Hearing the word of God does not make us spiritually mature. It not only matters that we hear, but it’s important how we respond to what we hear.