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In Silicon Valley, we live under immense financial pressure with the ever-elusive goal of financial freedom always just beyond our  grasp.  We tend to believe that if we could only make more then we would finally be financially free, retire young, own a nice house, drive new cars, and travel the world whenever we desire. The problem is in our pursuit of more we find ourselves with less of what matters most. How do you truly experience financial peace?  Join us for our 3-part series Keep It Simple as we discover God’s design for experiencing financial peace.

We are seeing a lot of attention being paid to the scary and disturbing things in the Bible. How do we make sense of some of the violent passages about God commanding the killing of people, commands not to get tattoos or to eat shrimp or there will be punishment and stories of bears mauling youth. Do we have a scary God? Is the Bible a scary book? Join us this Halloween as special guest, pastor and author Dan Kimball joins us!

No one prepared you for a global pandemic. And chances are no one has taught you how to live or emotionally process the world we find ourselves in. We have come to believe our present moment in history is “unprecedented.”  This could not be further from the truth. These are not “unprecedented times. They may be new to us, however, history is replete with moments that left many anxious, troubled, and confused. And God’s Word gives us incredible guidance and direction. Join us for a new 5-part series as we look at the life of the prophet Elijah and learn how to navigate the normal we find ourselves in.

As the fog of the pandemic slowly lifts we are finding ourselves wrestling with a new pandemic of sorts; mental and emotional health.  The effect of the last 18 months has taken its toll on us. For many, as a result, there is an underlying feeling of “Blah.”   Anxiety and depression have become unwelcome housemates.  What do we do when the fog of depression begins to settle over our souls?  Is there really hope when everything feels so hopeless?  And where is God when we enter the dark cave of the soul?

It feels like life went from 0 to 100 overnight.  The world went from a global standstill to returning to the office, schools back in session, kids' sports in full gear, and social calendars filling up, and yet there's a sense of weariness and feeling drained amidst it all. On top of that, Silicon Valley already runs at a breakneck pace.  No wonder so many feel tired and overwhelmed.  Perhaps you feel like you’re running on empty spiritually, emotionally, relationally or physically.  What do we do when we are on empty?  How do we respond when depression knocks out our door?  And how does God meet us in our weariness?

No one prepared you for a global pandemic. And chances are no one has taught you how to live or emotionally process the world we find ourselves in. We have come to believe our present moment in history is “unprecedented.”  This could not be further from the truth. These are not “unprecedented times. They may be new to us, however, history is replete with moments that left many anxious, troubled, and confused. And God’s Word gives us incredible guidance and direction. Join us for a new 5-part series as we look at the life of the prophet Elijah and learn how to navigate the normal we find ourselves in.

We live in a day and age where friendships are often built transactionally -- off of what we think we can gain from one other. But when we look at the life of Paul and two of his closest friends, we see an important model of friendship based on righteous character and godly fruit that's being produced. Have you ever thought about the importance of the people we surround ourselves with? One of the ways we live out our faith is in the context of community -- it actually helps shape and form us as disciples of Jesus. Join us for More Than Sunday Part 2: Fervent and Fruitful

If church is more than Sunday, then what kind of life we lead together Monday—Saturday really, really matters. What does it look like for us to be a strong, welcoming community of small groups? How do we practice hospitality with one another and why does that matter? We cannot begin the discipleship process if we do not welcome one another with a culture that feels like Jesus’ grace and truth. We will look closely at Romans 15:1-7 as we discuss what it looks like to “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.”

Until we get celebration right we miss a significant part of the character of God.  There is a misbelief in the church that to be serious about your faith you must be solemn and unfun.  The reality is celebration and joy are at the very heart of Jesus. Join us for the conclusion of our series NOT YOUR ORDINARY CHURCH SERVICE and as we celebrate 9 years of God's faithfulness to Awakening Church.

There are two ordinances Jesus left for the church that are both memorial and mysterious in nature -- baptism and communion. If you grew up in and around the church, these practices can feel mundane or rote. And if you are new to church they can feel like old traditions that have lost their significance. What is baptism and communion all about? Who should take part in these sacred practices? And how do they play a vital role in your faith and in following Jesus?

The church is the family of God to bring the hope and love of Jesus to a hurting and broken world. But sometimes when we gather together it can feel like a family reunion gone wrong. Let’s be honest, the church is messy because we, people, are messy.  And it is the mess that has turned some of us off or caused us to search for a new church. We need a new vision for how to embrace the mess and carry one another to Jesus.  Join us for part 4 of our series, Not Your Ordinary Church Service.

Often we hear a sermon. Perhaps feel a little convicted, encouraged, or inspired. Then we go on with our day or week. Truthfully, it makes little difference in our everyday lives. In fact, the next week we can barely remember what the sermon was even on. The Sunday sermon goes in one ear and out the other. Why do we gather together to sit under the preaching of God’s Word? And how can we get the most of our time and be more deeply formed into the people God longs for us to become?

Worship is the natural activity of the soul.  We can’t help but adore, praise, and idolize that which captures our hearts.  You were created to worship God. Our true home, our greatest desires, what our hearts are made for is to bring glory to God.  How do we return to that which we were created for? How do we worship God?  Join us for part 2 of our installment of Not Your Ordinary Church Service: Afterglow.

In the church today we are enamored with cool.  We are obsessed with new and the next thing.  Pastors need to dress uber hip, wear cool glasses and have a poppin Instagram and Twitter game.  The Worship band needs to look like they’re a part of an Indie band and be slightly Emo.  And at church they better serve Verve coffee because I can’t worship Jesus with Kirkland Brand.

We are often asking God for closure and looking for it as we end seasons. The book of Acts does not end in a neat fashion. No bow is tied and not much of the plot is resolved. Instead, it ends with Paul faithfully awaiting a trial and continuing to serve people and preach the gospel. Here, in this story at the end of the book of Acts, we are invited to receive God’s strange gift of perseverance: as Eugene Peterson said, we are invited to "a long obedience in the same direction," no matter the results.

Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will. Evil exists and suffering comes not always as the action of God, but often as the action of his enemy. Nevertheless, Scripture constantly views trials and sufferings as something to rejoice in. How can that be true? As we look at Paul’s rough journey to Rome and a shipwreck, we see the Bible’s profound teaching that suffering is both under God’s sovereign care and also connected to our free will and responsibility. This story from Acts will show us how suffering can be a strange gift of God.

We often think about Paul as a lone wolf, a rogue apostle on missionary journeys and planting churches. But Paul committed himself to community and submitted his leadership to leaders above him. He was accountable. How is God’s invitation of accountability a good thing for us today?

Looking at one of the Apostle Paul’s final addresses to a church he loved, we will see the the gift laying our life down can be. Paul tells the church that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give rather than receive.” This means that our life will be more full, more beautiful, when we are giving than when we are getting. But a life of sacrifice can definitely lead to burnout. How do we sacrifice in the right way and for the right reasons that leads to life?