Reach Church

Two years ago the people of Reach raised $130,000 to build a safe house with Rescue:Freedom International in Central India. Those dollars built a new house that over 70 women and children now call home. We had the chance to celebrate the opening of the home with Easo and Leela, the founders of the rescue home, on their first trip to America. We also heard the story of how God called them out of comfort, and into mission—and how they’ve experienced more joy than they ever thought possible as a result.

Jesus rose from the grave. Yes, that's crazy. But if it's also true, it changes everything.

Through David the King, we get a glimpse of the King of Kings, who will make good on all of the promises God makes to his people throughout His story. To know peace and joy is to know the King.

In between David the Victor and David the King, we find David the Outlaw. It's in this unexpected, difficult season of his life that we learn what it means to be one "after God's own heart".

Have you ever felt like you were in a battle you just couldn't win? David's fight with Goliath seemed hopeless, yet his victory proved otherwise—foreshadowing Christ as our ultimate victor.

In the book of Ruth, God is hardly even mentioned. Still we see he isn’t intimidated by bad beginnings, is always behind the scenes, and invites the unexpected into a greater story.

This week, Josh Butler joined us and spoke on a different topic at each gathering, taking us through the topics of his book: "The Skeletons in God's Closet". Part 3: We often hear “God can’t stand the presence of sin,” but is it true? Does God back away when we mess up for fear of being tainted? We’ll explore how we get it backwards: our problem in the biblical story is not so much that God can’t stand the presence of sin, as sin that can’t stand the presence of God. We’ll look at what this means for the role of the Law and the centrality of love, in God’s redemptive pursuit of our world.

This week, Josh Butler joined us and spoke on a different topic at each gathering, taking us through the topics of his book: "The Skeletons in God's Closet". Part 2: Many people struggle with the violence of the Old Testament, and particularly the apparent genocide of Canaan. We’ll take a closer look at these passages to confront some popular caricatures, revealing not only that these passages do not depict genocide, but even moreso that they are surprisingly a great source of hope for our world today.

This week, Josh Butler joined us and spoke on a different topic at each gathering, taking us through the topics of his book: "The Skeletons in God's Closet". Part 1: Many struggle to make sense of Israel’s sacrificial system in the Old Testament. It can seem anachronistic and even barbaric today, leaving some wondering whether this is a malevolent God who needs his pound of flesh in order to be satisfied. In this session, we’ll take a closer look at sacrifice, to see how it points us to the goodness of God, the gift of life, and a gratitude that can set us free. We’ll explore how to talk about it with others in a way that ultimately points to Jesus.

God promised for hundreds of years that He would bring His people into the Promised Land, but the one who would lead them there has died. Will God keep His promise and bring them rest in the Promised Land? What about His promise to us? We find the answers to these questions in the life of Joshua.

God isn’t just mighty to save—He’s also faithful to sustain. The second half of Exodus shows how God provides sustenance, protection, victory, and presence as He continues the ongoing rescue of His people.

The story of the Exodus is the clearest picture of the Gospel we will see in the Old Testament. Slaves go free, and God proves himself faithful (yet again).

There are many lessons to be learned from the life of Joseph. God is close in suffering. He is the author with authority over all things. He takes what is meant for evil, and uses it for good. Believe these things and everything changes.

Nearly all of our favorite characters in the Bible, while remembered for their heroism, walk with a tainted past. Can God really use broken, messed up people for His purposes? This week, we explore the life of Jacob—a man whose wrestling with God led him to confront his past and discover a bright new future.

The story of Abraham initiates God's plan of redemption through a promise called a covenant, but it also points the future hope of a Savior. As believers we are called to trust in our Savior in order to know this incredible hope.

After the Fall, the rest of God's story is about two things: God getting His kids back, and the coming of the "He". The story of Noah shows us humanity's downward spiral, the horror of sin, and a flicker of hope right in the middle of the darkness.

There are some common questions that all of humanity asks. How did this all start? Where did it go wrong? Is there any hope to be found? We find the answers at the beginning of God's story.

What exactly is the Bible? Can we trust it? Do we have the right books? What does it mean that the Bible has authority? Gerry Breshears of Western Seminary walks us through these important questions as we prepare to launch our year in the story of God. Includes an extended Q + A.

Every New Year conversations swirl around the ideas of priorities and commitment. Jesus doesn't pull punches when he addresses these things, making it clear that the cost of discipleship is high, but the rewards are beyond anything we can imagine...if we will step into our place in God's story.

Jesus didn’t leave the reason for his coming a mystery. He explicitly declares why he came many times over in the scriptures. Investigating these declarations empowers us to live generously as He did.