We live in the most technologically advanced and socially connected time in the history of humanity. The possibilities of digital relationships are endless, yet one of our day's prevailing crises is loneliness. While it’s tempting to blame it on the pandemic, two years before COVID-19, the global health service company, Cigna, revealed in its research that loneliness was rising to epidemic levels in America. The data showed that 43% of people over 18 said they felt their relationships were not meaningful and the same percentage of people said they felt isolated from other people. The age group most affected was Generation Z, who they determined to be the loneliest generation in history. Before the pandemic of COVID-19, there was an epidemic of loneliness.

The antidote to loneliness is not found in the Research & Development department of the next tech start-up. However, it can be found in soul-level friendships that carry you when you are weary, encourage you when you are disheartened, and weep with you when you are suffering. In John 15:15, Jesus says to his disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” Soul-level friendships stiffen loneliness and draw us near to the heart of Christ, the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

What does it take to cultivate, develop, and sustain deep soul-enriching friendships? How can suffering pull friends closer together rather than further apart? How do you mourn and honor a friend after they’ve passed away? We will answer these questions and many others as we study the relationship between King David and one of his closest friends Jonathan in selected passages from 1st & 2nd Samuel. In our upcoming sermon series, Friends Forever, we will discover why it’s necessary to have deep Christ-centered friendships that carry us through this life and prepare us for life.

March 21 | Written by Pastor Ayo Omopariola

What exactly is Lent? 

Lent is forty days of fasting and repentance on the Christian calendar, beginning on Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter Sunday. In the Bible, the number forty represents a period of trial, testing, and preparation. Traditionally, Sundays are considered feast days and are not included in the forty days of fasting.
 
Fasting reminds us that discipleship, following Jesus, always looks like carrying a cross. We reject our selfish desires by saying “No.” It is like fighting and conquering the sin that continues to plague us.

This time of self-examination, repentance, and penitence may sound grim and glum, but Lent is not a forty-day pity party hosted in a heap of ash. Lent is a darkened path winding its way toward the rising sun. For Christians, self-accusation is the road to restoration. Lent trains us to be people of patience and restraint who rejoice in the meantime. To observe Lent rightly, Christians must be persuaded to stand in favor of a God who exalts those who humble themselves. In Christ, we can mourn the deepest darkness knowing that the light of God has come.
 
Join us as we journey through our 40-day devotional for the season of Lent. Our theme is “Fresh Starts and New Beginnings”. The main idea is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ reminds us that no matter how dark our past has been if we are in him, each day is an opportunity for Fresh Starts and New Beginnings. Our daily devotional consists of Scripture readings, prayers, and questions for reflection. If you only have 10 minutes to spare, not a problem! If you want to ponder the lessons for hours, go for it! Our ultimate aim is to reflect meaningfully upon the death and resurrection of Christ and our union with Him while pursuing holiness.

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March 2 | Written by Pastor Ayo Omopariola