Blue Ridge Community Church (audio)

It's Christmas! All the anticipation and preparation that has led up to this moment is palpable. Come and see our Savior through the eyes of the shepherds. Celebrate His birth, the moment that changed the world.

Having a relationship with Jesus would be so much easier if He could just come down in the flesh like He did when He was born as a baby. In a generation of seeing is believing and immediate gratification, how does a faith-based relationship thrive? Since we are created in His image, how do we honor Jesus with a life that reflects Him?

As Christmas approaches, we prepare for the holiday. For many that includes setting up the Christmas tree, stringing lights along the inside and outside of our homes or purchasing gifts for those we love and wrapping them for Christmas morning. We prepare ourselves for the family and friends that we only see around this holiday. What if we prepared ourselves regularly with the same effort for Jesus, our Savior? What could our time with Him look like if we were ready for Him.

Advent can bring warm holiday feelings for a lot of us. We think of family, friends, and maybe even the Advent Christmas calendars that have a little piece of chocolate for each day in December leading up to Christmas. But Advent is so much more. It is the anticipation of the arrival of Jesus. How can this reshape how we view and practice Advent this season?

No one assumes that they are building their life on something that will come crashing downaround them. And yet we see it again and again. We don't knowingly sow destruction, and yet weare actively doing it with the seemingly unimportant choices, justifications, and momentsthroughout our lives that over time make up the integrity of our life's foundation. How can welive in a way that our life will stand firm?

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.

We are all living out of authentic belief. Our core values have shaped who we are and determine our choices and actions. Have we based those beliefs on biblical truth, or on what the world has taught us to accept? It's time to take a long, hard look at what God has to say about our everyday living. What will God say when we stand before Him on the day of judgment?

We live in a world where it is getting harder and harder to know who to trust. Do we trust the media or the news? Can we trust the government or the justice system? Let's get a little more personal. Should we trust the people we work with or the leaders directly over us? Today we'll talk about how to know what to look for in a spiritual leader you can trust.

Everyone wants to be loved. We want to be seen, understood, valued, and/or taken care of. We long for these things; we wish for them. But we often don't take the first step to making them a reality in our ownlives. What would it look like to give love, to really see, understand, and value those around us first, before they ever think to do the same?

When God doesn't answer our prayers immediately, or in the way we wanted, it stings. It brings up questions about our faith or His faithfulness. It can make us feel like we are doing something wrong, or maybe we question if He is the all-knowing, all-powerful God we believed Him to be. If you have ever thought you were the only one to have these thoughts when your prayers felt unheard or unanswered, be assured you are not. So, what can we, or should we, focus on when this happens? How do our prayer "asks," unanswered or not, impact our Kingdom life?

We often judge people according to preconceived ideas we've developed over time. We have put labels on people based on their outward appearance, momentary encounters with them, or even from watching them from afar. The outgoing extrovert must be shallow, and probably lacks the ability to form deep relationships. Those who are not well put together probably let themselves go a long time ago. Wealthy people are surely the happiest people around—they want for nothing! What if we could see through the outer layer and see their heart? What if we looked at each other the way God looks at people?

Our lives are full of the unknown. Our minds spin with questions like, "What will I do when I graduate?" "What if this medical test comes back with bad results?" "How will I afford my bills, groceries, etc.?" We can only deal with one moment at a time, but the stress, anxiety, and worry of what is coming next can be hard to deal with. Wouldn't it be nice to just tell our minds to STOP? Can we give up trying to be in control, and submit to The One who is really in control?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This week we took a practical look at how God commands us to evaluate our time and money. Does the way we spend our money reflect the heart of God?

The heart behind local missions at Blue Ridge is pulled from Matthew 28. To go into all the world, including our local community, to share and show Jesus to our friends and neighbors. The goal of the Agape Center aligns with this mission in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the low-income community. This is accomplished through providing encouragement, mentorship, and physical needs.

"Forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us." Almost all of us have either read that in the book of Matthew or heard someone recite it aloud. But what is forgiveness really? Blind trust that someone won't wrong us again? A naive sentiment used by people pleasers who can't handle conflict? Let's look at how Jesus forgave us, and the sacrifice behind that forgiveness, and let it shape how we are to forgive others.

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.

If you've never experienced a Baptism Celebration at Blue Ridge—or if you've been to three dozen—you don't want to miss this service! Hear the stories of redemption and life change, and join us as we celebrate the transforming impact of God's grace in the lives of others.