Restoration Church

When you hear the word “worship,” what do you think of? Our American Church culture has often reduced worship to a product to consume, but when we look at the Scriptures, we find something far more compelling: a response to the God who is changing us from the inside out. (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Spirit indwelling and empowering the Church. And while this supernatural event speaks to how we relate to and partner with God, it also speaks to what kind of community we seek – a community where the walls between us fall – and love takes root.

It’s hard to know where you are going if you don’t know where you are. In this message, Justin shares that while our journeys of faith are never identical, there are common stages we often share. We might not be in the same place or be moving at the same pace, but we share the same road – a journey with Jesus towards a life of love. restorationlex.com/groupguide

The word “obedience” means something radically different depending on how you understand the character of God. Is it a transaction to appease a distant diety… or an invitation to joy with a friend? It’s a difference we need to know. (John 15:9-17)

Love is not reduced to shallow sentimentalities in the New Testament. At ground level, the church was grappling with their resurrection reality and learning to love another with the love they now knew in Jesus. Today, our task is the same.

“God told me __________.” When a sentence begins like that, it rightfully can make people… nervous. Do we believe that God still speaks to us today? Yes! But how can learn to discern and follow His voice without veering into unhealthy and unhelpful patterns of faith?

You can know the Bible backwards and forwards – but still completely miss the point. One of Jesus’ first post-resurrection acts was helping his disciples unlearning what they thought they knew about the Bible so they could see it with new eyes. The good news is, He’s still doing the same with us.

Doubt can be a scary, isolating feeling. It touches not only what we believe, but how we belong. So what do we do when we’re wrestling with our questions? In this week’s message, we examine the story of Thomas, a man whose steadfast faith in the midst of his doubt is an example for us all.

Mary Magdalene is lost in her grief – so lost that she fails to recognize Jesus right in the middle of it. This is the hope of the resurrection when we feel lost: the risen Jesus meets us in the ordinary – where he’s making everything new.

Jesus draws a straight line between our experience of forgiveness and our ability to love. This week, we’re giving our attention to one of the quieter events of Holy Week – a story about the freedom we find in forgiveness.

Psalm 51 is a cry of a desperate man. David had run his life and reputation into the ground, and he found himself broken before God. We, too, may find ourselves confronted by the weight of our choices, unable to manage the shame we feel. So what do we do in these moments? Who is the God we find at the end of our rope? (Psalm 51:1-12)

Grace is not just something we receive, but something we participate in. In this message, our Student Pastor Casey shares from Ephesians 2 and the reality of grace in our journey with Jesus. 

What is the role of women in the Church? It’s been hotly debated for centuries in the Church. A few difficult passages in the New Testament seem to support a secondary, diminished role for women… but is that what the Bible truly teaches? In this message, Justin shares how to navigate these difficult verses, why we believing women are empowered for every area of leadership, and interviews a few of our Restoration women about their experience in the Church.

How do we understand the meaning of the cross for this life, and not just our afterlife? In this message, Justin shares about how the cross is not simply the means of our salvation, it's the model for our life with Jesus.

As we come to the first Sunday of #Lent, we begin the wilderness - a place of scarcity and isolation. We all find ourselves lost from time to time in a spiritual desert. But what if this isn’t a detour, but rather the road we were always meant to take with Jesus? 

It's one of the strangest yet most significant stories in the Gospels: a supernatural moment that brings together the past, the present, and the future of Jesus' identity and vocation in the world. And for us, it's a reminder that because He is who He says He is, He is worthy of our trust. 

How do we share our faith? Perhaps it doesn’t start with what we say to people, but with how we listen to them. 1 Corinthians 9 challenges us to a Jesus-shaped mission that enters into the stories and struggles of others.

How do we find and fight for unity when we differ on secondary issues? In a world that disciples us to divide and dismiss, our pursuit of unity *in our differences* is one of our most powerful witnesses we offer the world.

We’re 7 years old! That’s right, this weekend marks the seventh anniversary of Restoration Church. In this special message, Jusin looks back on our story, looks forward to what lies ahead, and shares how God is growing us together.

Let’s face it: in this hyper-connected-yet-isolating world, having friends – and keeping friends – is hard. It’s one thing to make time to be in the same room with others, but growing in friendship? That feels harder than ever before. In this special message, Justin is exploring what community hopes to accomplish: deep, Jesus-shaped friendships to grow and sustain us in the ups and downs of our stories. Join us Sunday!