Messages

Why does joy feel so hard to hold onto when life feels heavy? In week three of Christmas in Our Hearts, we’ll revisit the story of the shepherds—everyday people who found lasting joy when they heard that a Savior had come. Their story reminds us that true joy begins with experiencing God’s forgiveness and grows as we share that good news with others. This Christmas, discover the strength of joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances but on the presence of Jesus.

Why does peace feel so out of reach—even when things seem okay on the surface? In week two of Christmas in Us, we’ll hear the story of Joseph, who found peace not in perfect circumstances, but in trusting that God was doing something bigger. His story reveals the secret to lasting peace: letting Jesus rule our hearts, even when life feels uncertain. This Christmas, discover how peace can begin with one relationship—your relationship with Him.

In a world full of disappointment and uncertainty, is it still possible to have real hope? In the first week of our series Christmas in Us, we’ll look at the surprising moment when a young woman named Mary was told by an angel that God’s presence would live within her. Her story reveals the secret of Christmas: even when life feels hopeless, God is working in us and through us.

Christians are sometimes seen as dour and gloomy as we attempt to live righteously. But Jesus was known as connectable and personable. How can we grow the same quality of truly enjoying life? What impact would it have on the people around us if we approached the world and relationships with positivity and thankfulness? This week we’ll explore what it would look like to enjoy life the way Jesus did and prep to practice joy over the Thanksgiving holiday.

In our image-centric culture, it’s often easier to be concerned about how we look than who we really are on the inside. But the further our image of ourselves is away from reality, the more disconnect from real relationships we’ll experience. This week in our You 2.0 series, we’ll explore how the challenging task of being self-reflective can open us back up to the growth and vision God has for our lives – and the huge benefits self-awareness can have in our relationship.

When people think of Christians, they sometimes picture us as cranky, pious, or stuck in our ways. But that’s nothing like Jesus. So how do we break through those misconceptions and genuinely connect with the people in our lives?

In this series, we’ll discover three underrated character traits that can reshape how we live and love. Growing in these qualities will draw us closer to God’s presence, deepen our relationships, and help us reflect his love more clearly to the world around us.

What if God’s love wasn’t meant to stay the same? So many of us treat love like a one-time truth or an obligation to uphold. As we finish our BeLoved series, we’ll see how Jesus’ closest disciple John, envisioned God’s love as dynamic—growing in us as we grow in Him. We be reminded that a vibrant faith is one where Jesus keeps deepening, stretching, and transforming our lives.

What does it really mean to live as someone deeply loved by God? Many of us try to build our lives on identities that are constantly shifting. As we continue exploring a powerful spiritual letter from Jesus’ beloved disciple John, we’ll be invited to root our identity in being God’s children—so that His love can shape how we see ourselves and how we love others.

What if the very things we try to hide are the ones God most wants to heal? We all carry parts of ourselves we’d rather keep in the dark, but real transformation begins when we step into the light. This week in our BeLoved series, we’ll be invited to experience the freedom, forgiveness, and clarity that come when we stop pretending and start walking in truth Jesus provides!

What if your faith could be more than just a feeling—real, grounded, and lasting? Many of us wrestle with doubt, especially when faith feels invisible or unclear. As we begin our BeLoved series, we’ll see how Jesus’ closest disciple, John, discovered a faith in Jesus that was both deeply emotional and historically anchored. We’ll be challenged to make that kind of faith our own.

As we’ve started the Fall, we’ve been exploring the many ways that we’ll pursue God together this year at Journey of Faith: through our services, our commitment to personal spiritual growth, and through our focus on sharing God’s love with the community.  But what might this look like, practically, for our church?  What changes or initiatives can we work on together that will help us pursue God’s plans for our church?  This week we’ll look forward at the year ahead and discover ways that we can follow God deeper into his vision for us. 

There is a deep well of spiritual connection that is available to us, but we often overlook the chance to spend personal time with God.  How could dedicated time that we share only between us and God shape the rest of our daily lives?  What could our lives be like if we had a more intimate and vital personal relationship with God?  This week we’ll explore several important ways that we can experience God beyond Sunday mornings, learning how to feel and rely more on the presence of God in our lives. 

For many of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of “church” is our Sunday morning gatherings for worship and a message. But real spiritual growth can’t possibly be contained to one hour a week! Instead, God has a plan for our lives and spiritual growth that can be refreshing to every hour of our week.

At Journey, we believe that spiritual truth comes from God’s Word, the Bible. But reading and learning from the Bible can be challenging; it’s likely the only 2000-year-old document that any of us has ever read. So how do we develop a pattern of studying and applying God’s truth consistently in our lives? This week, we’ll talk through practical ways that we can grow through our interaction with the Bible and see how that commitment is reflected in the way we teach the Bible at Journey.

Understandable. Jesus-centered. Invitational. Those are some of the ways that people in our community describe Journey of Faith. But what, exactly, are we inviting people into at Journey? During this first 5-week series of the Fall, we’ll explore the unique blend of values, mission, and programs that define us as a church. Along the way we’ll find new ways to grow closer to God together and share his love with the South Bay.

We live in a world that is broken by death and pain and evil. Sometimes we can catch ourselves longing for the next life, expecting that God will finally be rid of this earth. But we read in the Bible that God has a much different plan – rather than moving on from Earth, his ultimate plan is to redeem and recreate all that is currently lost and corrupt. In this final week of The Story Project, we’ll read the very last verses of the Bible and learn how we can join in the invitation for Jesus to arrive and make everything new.

There are many perspectives on the prophetic nature of the book of Revelation. From tackling the strange and vivid imagery to parsing out the curious timelines presented, Christians have worked to unpack John’s vision for the past 2000 years. But does this type of debate about Revelation obscure what Jesus is trying to teach us through the last book of the Bible? Or is it possible to still learn important lessons that can impact our current (and eternal) life? This week we’ll look at a few key passages from Revelation and discover how we can hear Jesus clearly together.

The book of Revelation is often considered to be a confusing and complicated book of future prophecy. But the truth is that the opening chapters of Revelation feature the risen Jesus himself giving practical insight to his followers. And his direction in those early chapters is clear: we need to stay alert and focused on following him, despite the increasing challenges we face. In this first week of our three-week walk through Revelation, we’ll hear what Jesus has to say to his Church, take his message to heart, and move toward a closer and more fulfilling relationship with him.

What kind of faith endures—and how do we pass it on? In two personal letters from the Apostle Paul to a young church leader named Timothy, we discover the key to leaving a legacy of faith: a life anchored in truth, shaped by character, and strengthened through perseverance. Real faith doesn’t just last—it multiplies. It changes us from the inside out and impacts the people we care about most. When we live with purpose and stay rooted in God’s truth, our faith can outlive us.

What does it look like to be the Church in a world that’s constantly pulling us in opposite directions? This week, we’ll look at two letters in the New Testament written to churches in an ancient city called Corinth – a city with a lot of similarities to Los Angeles! We’ll see how we can move from being to divided and distracted Christians, to a people known for their unity, holiness, and purpose. Let’s not just go to church—let’s be the Church.