Jesus loved to celebrate! So as we continue to train ourselves in the ways of Jesus, we can't ignore the practice of celebration! Celebration is paying attention and calling attention to the goodness of God. In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us that there is always more goodness of God than there is brokenness of the world. Have we trained ourselves to see it? Or are we training ourselves to grumble? Celebration isn't looking at how good we are, or how good a certain situation or circumstance is, it's paying attention and calling attention to how good God is all the time! The goodness of God is everywhere. Are you looking for it?

People of God's kingdom are supposed to have totally different mindsets from the people of this world, because we were created to think like God! In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us that meditation is spiritual warfare. Whoever has a stronghold on our mindset has a stronghold on our life, which means we can't afford to think a thought that is not full of faith, hope, and love. The primary battlefield of spiritual warfare is in the mind. When we fill our minds with the thoughts of God by meditating on His Word, there will be no room left for anything else. How are you arranging or rearrange your life to fill your mind with God’s Word?

Jesus, have it all – our days, our life, our church – it's only for You. In this experience, Pastor John Stickl invited us to ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we need to confess, repent, surrender, and live differently. Acts 3:19 tells us, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Confession and repentance brings cleansing, renewal, and refreshment. Are you holding onto something that is weighing you down? What would it look like for you to release it to Jesus, and let Him carry you to new places of freedom and breakthrough? The old is gone, the new has come!

Whoever influences our thoughts determines what we see, and when God's Word influences our thoughts, all we see is His kingdom! In this message, Pastor John Stickl reminds us that only a mind that has been renewed by the Word of God can see God's will, and meditating on God's Word is how we renew our minds. When the Word of God defines truth in our lives, the world and it's lies can't get in. Through His Word, God wants to ignite a passion within you as He breaks down every hardened part of your heart. Do you have the courage to let Him?

Jesus spent His life arranging and rearranging His life to memorize and meditate on the Word of God. Meditating isn't just thinking; it's thinking with the Holy Spirit. It's having a vision for our thought life! In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us that our thoughts lead our life. Whatever we fill our mind with is what our lives will be full of. Remember, we are not a victim of our mindset; we are a product of it! God has given us the freedom to choose what we set our minds on. Are you fixing your thoughts on His Word, or on the world? When was the last time you stopped to think about what you're thinking about? May our hearts and minds hunger and thirst for God's Word!

The deepest question in the heart of every human – the deepest question in each of us – is, "Am I loved?" At Easter, we get to look to Jesus for the answer to that question. In this special Easter experience, Pastor John Stickl reminds us that, when we were lost in sin and shame, Jesus came to show us our worth and invite us to live a life of love. When we know we're loved, it changes everything.

God comes whenever we cry out to Him. In this experience, Pastor John Stickl walked us through specific ways we can pray for our cities to encounter God's presence at Easter! Jeremiah 29:7 says, "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you... Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Prayer is both intimacy and authority. When we spend time praying for God's people, it connects our hearts to what God is doing and reminds us that we're on mission with Him.

Jesus wants us to both rest in and remain in Him. In this special Selah Experience, Pastor Jason Hillier reminds us that the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) is produced in us through the work of the Holy Spirit when we remain in Jesus. Jesus is doing a deep work among us. What's He doing in you, and what's your training plan to live differently?

In Jesus, we find freedom, peace, mercy, joy, and rest. In this special Selah experience, Pastor Jason Hillier walks us through a time of rest as we worship together, reflect on God's peace, and have Scripture read over us. In the Book of Psalms, "selah" was written as a break, pause, or rest. Selah allows us to slow down, take a breath, and reflect on the true rest we have in Jesus. Selah doesn't require anything of us except to be present and receive from the Father.

God's Word is His voice preparing us for the things He's created us to do. God is speaking to those who are listening, and we will hear from Him if our hearts truly desire what He has to say. In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us to engage God's Word from a Jesus-focused perspective, as a disciple, with God, and with a plan. The point of reading the Bible isn't reading the Bible. The point is meeting with God. How different would our experience with God's Word be if we engaged first with a heart that intends to listen and obey. "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." Jesus, may we have a heart to engage Your Word, and ears to hear Your voice.

Jesus is the living Word of God, the Scriptures are the written Word of God, and God's Word is God speaking. Which means the Bible is not a book; it's a voice. In this message, Pastor John Stickl sets the foundation for the spiritual practice of Scripture as he teaches us that the Bible is not contained by leather and pages; it is Spirit and it is life. If we want to see God's kingdom come, we have to surrender our lives to His will, and His will is communicated to us by His Word. No matter what Jesus was experiencing, He dwelt in the kingdom of God, because He loved God's Word and valued God's voice. He knew what God was saying, so He knew how to live in alignment with God's plan for His life. God's Word shows us that living a different way is not only possible, it's normal. If we want to dwell deeply in God's kingdom, God's Word has to dwell deeply in us.

We can't be disciples if we're always in a hurry. In this experience, Pastor John Stickl helped us slow down and reflect on what we've been hearing from the Holy Spirit so far through the A Different Way series. God created us to think deeply about deep things, but the world wants to train us to be shallow. When we take time to pause, listen to God's voice, and open our hearts to Him, we're choosing to live a different way. What has God been speaking to you in this season?

Once we believe that we can actually change, the next question becomes, "How do I change?" In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us that we don't actually change ourselves; the Holy Spirit changes us. Through God's Word, godly relationships, trials, spiritual practices, and time, the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives, forming us into the image and likeness of Christ to become a person of love. This is spiritual formation! The grace of Jesus both saves us and empowers us to do what we could never do on our own – change. Jesus, help us be open to your changing grace!

Is it even possible to live a different way, and do the things that Jesus did? Can I really change? Our bodies have been trained in the ways of the world. When we spend our lives doing what the world does behind-the-scenes, we naturally and effortlessly do what the world does on-the-spot. But in Jesus, we can be trained to live a different way! In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us that change is not only possible, it's normative as a follower of Jesus! Our will is not stronger than our training. In order to train ourselves to be godly, we have to first decide that we want to be godly, and that we want to be disciples of Jesus. In other words, if we actually want to change, we have to first decide that we actually want to change! Do you have a vision to become the kind of person God created you to be? Do you believe that you can change? Jesus, help us have the intent to change.

Are you trusting Jesus for eternal life, but not for daily life? Jesus invites to live a different way in every area of our lives – not just for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation. He invites us to be His disciples! In this message, Pastor John Stickl teaches us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is a learner, a student, a follower; one who becomes like the one they're following. Disciples of Jesus arrange their entire life around Him, no matter the cost. We're all a disciple of something or someone, and that thing or person defines what is good, true, and right in our lives. So are you a disciple of Jesus or of something else? Jesus, give us a desire to be Your disciples!

If we want to do the things that Jesus did on-the-spot, we first have to do the things Jesus did behind-the-scenes. In this message, Pastor John starts a new series by asking us this question – who are you becoming, and who do you want to become? We are all being molded and shaped into the image and likeness of someone. Is it Jesus? In order to do the things that Jesus did, we need to do the things that Jesus did. This doesn't happen on it's own or simply by "trying" – it happens through training and practicing. Jesus, help us be open to a different way!

We believe that 2024 is a year that God is going to crown with His goodness! In this message, Pastor Jason Hillier kicked off the new year by asking, how can we have the best life here at Valley Creek in 2024? Through resources like Circles and Join the Movement, we can continue to learn more about God while growing as a spiritual family. Through our 2024 Reading Plan, truth from God's Word can take root in our hearts and reveal more of Him to us. When we are planted in the house of the Lord, we flourish in life! Where is God inviting you to take a next step? Obedience is always celebrated in the kingdom of God!

How different would your life be this year if you really believed you were right with God? On the first day of RE 2024, Pastor John Stickl walked us through an interlude or "selah" – an intentional pause to stop, breathe, and remind ourselves that we are right with God. God's kingdom is not religious activities, duties, or obligations. God's kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy – in that order! When we know we've been made right with God through the finished work of Jesus, we will have peace. And when we have peace, we will be full of joy. Because of Jesus, God is good with you, and you are good with God! Zephaniah 3:17 says that He rejoices over you with singing. Can you hear the song of your interlude?

Christmas is often full of tradition, routine, expected plans, activities, and things we do year after year. The same can be said of many of the people who were part of the first Christmas. They were each doing their own thing and going their own way. But then Jesus came, and He interrupted everything. In this special Christmas experience, Pastor John Stickl reminds us that Jesus doesn't always come the way we expect or want Him to, but He comes the way we need Him to. Christmas is the story of an interruption, and divine interruptions are divine invitations. When we least expected it and least deserved it, Jesus came to interrupt our lives. How will we respond?

Why are kids so good at inviting others to play or hang out with them? Because they know whatever they're inviting people to... is awesome! In this message, Pastor Justin Nall invited us to bring that same childlike joy and excitement to our Someone Else Challenge for this week - inviting someone to a Christmas service! The greatest invitation we could ever give someone is the invitation to come to Jesus. As we invite others to come and see, they can decide to come and follow. Never forget that a simple invitation could change everything for someone else this Christmas!