New Life Irvine

The heart of Jesus for the lost is beautifully demonstrated in the story of the woman at the well. From heaven to Jerusalem to Samaria, Jesus leaves the 99 to go after the 1. This is Jesus, love in its purest and most compelling form. 

This Sunday, we turn to one of the most familiar—and unsettling—teachings of Jesus: the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It’s a story many of us think we know well. But beneath its simplicity lies a piercing question: what does real mercy actually look like? We’ll explore how mercy interrupts our routines, challenges our assumptions, and calls us to love beyond comfort and convenience. Join us as we discover what it means to live a life marked by mercy.

We’ve all seen the "Welcome" mats. They sit at our front doors, looking charming and inviting. But let’s be honest. Do we really have a heart that"welcomes" the stranger, the lonely, and the hurting? Hospitality these days is more about impressing and entertaining rather than connecting and engaging. The Gospel however shapes a very different posture and practice that is crucial to the health of a flourishing faith. Join us this Sunday as we learn how the Gospel makes room at the table for us which then empowers us to make room at the table for others.

This Sunday, we continue our Pillars of a Flourishing Faith series as we unpack what it looks like to "Bless." Specifically, we will show how a life that beholds, belongs, and becomes, will inevitably produce a life that loves. Love is the acid test of spiritual formation. It is the barometer that gauges whether or not we are truly growing or just faking. Join us as we discover how and why a life that embodies and exudes love is a goal for every Christian.

This Sunday we return to our series Pillars of a Flourishing Faith. We will begin to look at the final pillar: Bless. God has called each of us to be a "living sacrifice." We will see how this calling is to be done with our gifts, not out of guilt.

This Easter, we’re not settling for clichés about hope—we’re facing the reality we spend most of our lives avoiding: death. In a culture obsessed with staying young and living longer, we rarely stop to ask what happens when we can’t outrun the inevitable. But Scripture doesn’t tell us to ignore death or to simply embrace it. Scriptures tells us how Jesus defeated it. Join us as we explore why the resurrection changes everything and gives us more than comfort. It grants us victory.

This Sunday, we cover the opening ceremony of the most important week in human history: Jesus' triumphal entry. Thousands of followers welcome him into Jerusalem with a parade fit for a king. With palm branches wildly waving and triumphal hymns being sung, the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Yet, in the midst of the jubilant hoopla, there is one whose countenance is solemn. There is one who weeps. Join us this Sunday as we explore the beautiful grief of Palm Sunday.

We live in an age of “duty-free relationships.” As social psychologist Shigehiro Oishi has observed, our modern, transient culture encourages us to flee relationships that require work and instead pursue friction-less friendships that offer the most "personal peace." Scripture, however, endorses friendships that comfort and confront, that offer grace and truth. Join us this Sunday as we continue our Pillars series by seeing how our belonging fuels our becoming. Becoming like Jesus is not a solitary exercise but best pursued in the context of community.

When a paralyzed man is lowered through a roof by his friends before Jesus, everyone expects one thing: physical healing. But Jesus goes deeper by forgiving the man’s sins. Christ’s authority flows not from power or position, but from His intimate dependence on the Father and His sacrificial love for the broken. He offers more than surface restoration; He brings true wholeness. As His people, we are called to carry that same healing into the world: meeting tangible needs while pointing hearts to the deeper restoration only the gospel can bring.

Is it biblical to be a believer but not a follower of Jesus Christ? Is it biblical to call yourself a Christian but not a disciple? Unfortunately, many today have a truncated understanding of the Gospel and reduce salvation to nothing more than the forgiveness of sins. Peter, thankfully, reminders us that the Gospel is so much more. Join us this Sunday as we explore our pillars series and take a deep dive into the power that is unleashed in us to become more like Christ. 

This Sunday we look at the third pillar in our series: become. We’ll explore how a future-anchored hope reshapes the way we think, live, and grow into a holy people.

Loneliness isn’t about physical absence. It's about emotional distance. This is why many feel alone though they're married, have many friends, and are in a church small group. Where does this desire for intimate connection come from? Why is soul friendship so difficult to come by? Join us this Sunday, as we see how the Gospel invites us out of isolation and gives us the courage to pursue deep, life-giving community.

We live in an age of radical individualism. We curate our own feeds and build our own platforms. It’s easy to imagine that spiritual growth is a private project — just me, my Bible, and God.But Scripture tells a very different story. It tells us that we were created from community and for community. It tells us that we were redeemed into a body, a family, or a temple made of living stones. In other words, you don’t just grow near other believers. You grow with them and grow because of them. This Sunday we’ll explore the second pillar of a flourishing faith: Belong.

Who are you becoming? Whether you recognize it or not, you are becoming someone. The question is who that someone looks like. Our culture with its idols, values, and scripts, is constantly shaping us and forming us every day. If we do nothing, we will be "conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). What amplifies our deformation is the fact that our hearts are idol factories and bow down to the false gods of this world. Psalm 115 teaches us that we become what we behold--whether for good or for evil. If you give your affections to lifeless idols, then you will become less human. If you give your affections to the one true living God, you will become more alive. Join us this Sunday as we see the power of beholding and learn how to turn our gaze towards the only One who will make us who we were meant to be.

A life with God requires actively engaging in four callings: beholding, belonging, becoming, and blessing. These four callings are the pillars of a flourishing faith. Over the next several weeks we will examine how we can be engaged in each, starting this Sunday with the call to behold.

We all know the moment—when patience is gone, strength is spent, and we want to give up. We push, we persevere, and we pray… until one day we realize we have nothing left to give.This Sunday, we close out our series by looking at Nehemiah's breaking point. Frustrated by the continued disobedience of God's people, he snaps and takes matters into his own hands (literally). Far from being a failure of faith, reaching our limit can become the place where God meets us most clearly. When our resources run dry, His grace does not. This sermon will give hope to the overwhelmed and the frustrated by reminding us that reaching your limit may not be the end—but the beginning of a deeper trust and renewed relationship with the Lord.

In a world that prizes speed, busyness, and constant achievement, the idea of stopping can feel impossible—if not irresponsible. Yet God calls us to a radically different rhythm: a rhythm of Sabbath rest.This Sunday we will explore the various factors that led to Israel's resistance to the Sabbath much to the detriment of their own souls. Together, we’ll discover practical ways to reclaim rest in a world of hurry and consider how we can thrive when so many are struggling to survive.

Spiritual decline rarely happens overnight. More often, it comes quietly—through small compromises, neglected responsibilities, and misplaced priorities. In Nehemiah 13, we discover that the people who once wept over God’s Word and pledged wholehearted obedience have returned to their old ways.Join us this Sunday as we see how easy it is to drift from the Lord and how small compromises often lead to damaging results. The good news is that the same God who exposes us also restores us.

If you made any new year's resolutions, was one of them to sing more in 2026? Singing is an incredibly frequent command in the scripture, yet it is such an ordinary part of christianity it can easily be overlooked. In Nehemiah chapter 12 we will look at why singing is so important to our walk with God that it's one of the most commanded practices in the scriptures.

As the dawn of new year approaches, many of us are thinking about goals and resolutions. How can I live a more faithful and fruitful life in the year to come? The people of Israel ask the very same question as they attempt to make a new start with a reset of their agricultural calendar. In Nehemiah 10, Israel makes a solemn covenant with the Lord, pledging to come back to God with reordered loves and reordered lives. Join us this Sunday as we see the importance of putting first things first.

Most of the world missed the moment when the Messiah arrived. There were no trumpets in the temple courts. No crowds celebrating him. And yet, there was one woman who saw exactly what God was doing. Anna—an elderly widow who spent decades waiting on the Lord. Her example exemplifies what it means to wait during this Advent season. Join us this Sunday, as we consider how God often does His greatest work in us while we wait on Him.

Isaiah 49 gives us one of the Bible’s most sweeping visions of God's plan of redemption: the salvation of the entire world . Through His Servant, He will gather the scattered, liberate the prisoner, and strengthen the weary. At the same time, as grand as our salvation is, Isaiah 49 also leaves room for lament. It gives us permission to grieve and confess our confusion. Join us this Sunday as we behold the glory of the long-awaited king and see how Christ's arrival intersects with the brokenness of life.

This Sunday we continue our Advent series, examining the prophecies of Isaiah as we prepare our hearts to welcome the true King—a King unlike any this world has ever seen, a King that this world and our hearts desperately need. We will learn how Jesus' kingship reshapes our identity, reorders our loves, and reorients our hope.

This Advent season, we will survey various passages from the book of Isaiah as we prepare our hearts to welcome the true King—a King unlike any this world has ever seen, a King that this world and our hearts desperately need. We will learn how Jesus' kingship reshapes our identity, reorders our loves, and reorients our hope. This coming Sunday, we take a look at one of Isaiah's most well-known passages, made famous by Handel's Messiah: "For unto us a child is given."

Giving thanks does not come naturally to us. Giving complaints does. When life doesn't go the way we want, we're left frustrated, jilted, and disappointed. How then can we move from giving complaints to giving thanks? Join us this Sunday as we celebrate Thanksgiving by studying an alternative way to live. Jesus shows us how to move away from joy-sucking entitlement and towards the life-giving power of gratitude.

How do we face the failures of our past and the challenges of the future? In Nehemiah 9 we see the path we're called to follow is one of confession. A deep connection with the Lord will always involve a deep confession. It's an easily misunderstood spiritual practice, but one that if we engage in properly can lead us into greater joy.

Last Sunday, Nehemiah 8:1-12 taught us that the ultimate reason why walls were rebuilt was so that worship would be restored. Walls were necessary. Worship was the goal. We saw the people of Jerusalem rediscover God's Word, repent of their sins, and rejoice in the Gospel. This Sunday, Nehemiah 8:13-18 reveals one additional step they take in their journey from ruins to revival: the step of obedience. We hope you join us this Sunday to discover how obedience to God completes our joy.

After months of sweat, struggle, and opposition, the walls of Jerusalem finally stand tall again. The gates are hung, the guards are stationed, and for the first time in decades, God’s people feel safe. But Nehemiah knows the wall isn’t the end goal—it’s just the beginning.This Sunday, we'll explore how God moves His people from walls to worship--from mere survival to spiritual revival. Join us as we see how the Spirit of God can turn our lives upside down.

We live in an age where lies are weaponized, emotions overrule facts, and our algorithms shape us more than Scripture. From “alternative facts” to echo chambers, from conspiracy theories to rage-bait headlines, our world is saturated with misinformation. But this isn’t new. Nehemiah faced his own “post-truth” world. In Nehemiah 6, he is bombarded with lies, threats, and gossip. Their goal? To derail God's work. Yet Nehemiah stood firm—discerning truth from lies, courage from fear, and God’s voice amid the noise. This week, we’ll explore how Nehemiah’s wisdom and perseverance speak directly to our modern crisis of discernment. We'll learn how we can remain wise in a world full of noise.

Our lives are filled with more and more information, but less and less wisdom. More data, less clarity. More opinions, less truth. More speaking, less listening. The average church member spends around 20-25 hours a week consuming media, news, and opinion pieces, significantly more than a generation before. We are bombarded with information while we are driving, while we are jogging, wherever we can find access the internet and our phones. Compare this to the amount of time we spend reading God's Word and it's easy to see how we can be discipled by our algorithms rather than our church. Though Nehemiah lived thousands of years ago, he too was bombarded with partial truths and outright lies. Yet, he did not waver or succumb to these lies but stood firm on God's Word. Join us this Sunday as we study Nehemiah 6:1-14 and learn to discern wisdom in the age of clickbait.

This Sunday we examine Nehemiah 5. Here we see Nehemiah confronting injustice, choosing generosity, rebuilding trust. It's a story on how the fear of the Lord turns power into service.

Fear is powerful. It can paralyze our decisions, cloud our vision, and steal our joy. In Nehemiah 4, God's people face ridicule and the threat of attacks from enemies who do not want them to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. Yet while fear closes in, they do not give in. Through prayer, careful preparation, and courageous action, they move forward. This Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to have faith that rises when fear closes in.

You are invited to a very special service as we celebrate Vision Sunday. We will step aside from our normal liturgy in order to trace God's faithfulness and give thanks for the many ways God has been at work in us this past year. We will hear multiple grace stories, hear God's Word through Nehemiah 3, sing songs of praise and unveil our Discipleship Pathway. Afterwards, we will continue our celebration with lunch, a Matcha bar for missions, New Life merch and a raffle. We hope to see you this Sunday.

This Sunday we continue our series in Nehemiah, looking at chapter two, where we see how faith meets bold action — discovering how God empowers ordinary people to rebuild what seems irreparably broken. When the walls are still in ruins and the waiting feels endless, Nehemiah steps out in faith on the promise that God is not done.

This Sunday marks the launch of a new teaching series on the book of Nehemiah called, "God is Not Done". The Babylonian invasion and total destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC marked the lowest point in Israel's history. For the next 70 years, Israel lived in exile, displaced from home, while the temple laid in ruins. It was during this time where many began to doubt and question God's faithfulness. "Has He forgotten us? Is He finished with us?" Through Nehemiah, we are reminded that though life may look bleak at times, God is not done with us. Join us this Sunday as we collectively gaze at the One who is not finished with us yet.

We arrive at the final installment of our three part series on forgiveness where we will discuss the how of forgiveness. How do we forgive when the offender refuses to repent? How do we forgive when the offender is no longer alive? Does forgiveness always lead to reconciliation? What if I don't want to forgive? These are some of the important questions that we'll be answering.

We live in a cultural moment that hungers for justice and struggles with forgiveness. In recent years, voices from the #MeToo movement and other abuse survivors have raised poignant questions: Does forgiveness only perpetuate harm? Is it just a way to silence victims? Does it minimize justice? These are real concerns—and show how forgiveness is often misunderstood, misapplied, and even weaponized. Yet, in the parable of the unforgiving servant, we see that forgiveness does not abandon justice or enable abuse. Join us this Sunday as we look at the nuts and bolts of forgiveness and understand how forgiveness is a friend of justice.

Forgiveness. It’s one of the core teachings of Jesus, and yet one of the hardest commands to obey. When someone wounds us deeply—whether it’s a single life-shaping event or years of accumulated hurt—forgiving feels impossible. In fact, it feels doubly cruel as we must process the attack of our offender and the guilt of withholding forgiveness.Yet the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant teaches us that forgiveness is not designed to punish us but to free and empower us. It is not a path towards great oppression but deeper joy. Join us this Sunday as we explore how forgiveness transforms us into forgivers.

Joy is a defining characteristic of following Jesus. The difficulty with this though, is joy isn't something we can just produce on our own. This Sunday we will see how despite being out of our power to produce, joy can be uncovered.

This Sunday, we’ll explore one of Jesus’ most challenging parables — the story of a master, his servants, and what they did with what was entrusted to them. In a world where it’s easy to play it safe or bury our potential, Jesus calls us to live boldly and faithfully with what we’ve been given. Whether it's our time, talents, or treasures, how we steward our lives matters to God. Join us as we discover what it means to live for the Master and hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Few thoughts are more terrifying than to be on your death bed and come to the realization that "I have wasted my life." We only have one life, one chance to live in this world. What a pity it would be to realize that we wasted it. In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus shares about a man who thought he had it all—bigger barns, early retirement, and a future full of ease. Unfortunately for him, God calls him a fool. Join us this Sunday so that we don't make the same mistake and instead understand what the good life truly looks like.

In a world that often values the crowd over the individual, Jesus tells a story that flips the script, one of Jesus' most beloved parables, the Parable of the Lost Sheep. This Sunday we’ll examine the scandalous grace that seeks out the wayward and throws a party when they are found. Whether you've wandered far or stayed near, this parable invites all of us to meditate on the radical, pursuing love of the Good Shepherd.

This Sunday, we continue our series Sacred Stories as we examine some of the parables Jesus used in his teaching ministry.Luke 18:9–14, at first glance, appears to be a simple story about prayer—but it’s really about something deeper: our craving for approval, our need to be accepted, and the quiet calculations we make to prove we belong.In this short parable, Jesus exposes the games we play—and offers something better.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we encounter a fascinating story about a rich man who suffers in hell. Through the rich man's folly, Jesus reshapes our understanding of sin. We see how sin doesn't just break God's rules, it ultimately breaks us. More specifically, sin disintegrates our souls. Join us this Sunday as we come face to face with the wonder of our sin and the greater wonder of God's love.

This Sunday, we look at one of Jesus’ most pointed parables — the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. It’s a gripping parable of a vineyard owner, rebellious tenants, and a beloved son sent into hostile territory. Through this story, we come face to face with the darkness of the human heart and confounding nature of God's love. Come ready to be challenged and comforted because the Lord of the vineyard continues to speak today. 

We work for what we cherish. Therefore, discovering the real identity of our treasure can lead us to either praise or repentance or both. In our relationship with God who gave us His very best (Christ), the only reasonable currency is to cherish Christ back, our heavenly treasure. The affection associated with our treasure serves as a conduit for deeper empathy and connection with God that enriches our daily existence.

In this week’s passage, Jesus tells a story that flips our sense of justice on its head: a landowner hires workers throughout the day, from early morning to late afternoon—and then pays them all the same. Those who worked all day are outraged. Wouldn’t you be?Matthew 20:1–16 isn’t just a lesson about the nature of God's kingdom; it’s a confrontation with our hearts. This parable reveals the self-righteousness that lurks in our hearts and sabotages our capacity for joy. Jesus, however, offers another way--to live with glasses of grace.

People tend to be hopeful about their future yet often their present circumstances are far from ideal. Why is life in this world so challenging? And why do we maintain such hope for the future despite difficult circumstances? We'll look at Genesis 3 in order to get a glimpse at what our future will be and what it could be. 

Throughout this sermon series on Abide, we talked extensively about why we need to abide and how we can abide in Jesus. Yet, one thing we haven't covered yet is the goal and purpose of our abiding. To answer that question, we will go back to where this series started and unpack Jesus' words in John 15 where He identifies Himself as the vine and us as the branches.

Don't invite your friends or family?! How do we make sense of what Jesus says in Luke 14 in light of the scripture's teaching on the importance community? This Sunday we will delve into the tension of engaging in community with one another and extending hospitality to those outside our community is a practice that helps us "Abide" in the Lord.