Liquid Church

Is God conservative or liberal? Republican or Democrat? Left wing or right wing? A lot of people like to put God in a box-- held captive to their views, personal opinions, political agendas, or lifestyle choices. It's comforting when God conforms to our agenda. But it's also tragic. Backwards. Because, like it or not, we were made in God's image-- not the other way around. What's your view of God? Is it based on divine revelation... or your own reflection? Listen in as Pastors Tim & Tom challenge us to think a new thought about God. www.LiquidChurch.com

Would you dare to test God with your money? In Malachi 3, God issues an incredible challenge: inviting us to "test Him" in this most personal area of our lives and see if He won't pour out so much blessing that we'll lack the room to contain it! There are all sorts of reasons for declining this financial challenge ("I can't afford to... I have debt... I don't trust the church..."). But then again: What if? What if... you offered God your financial firstfruits (instead of leftovers)? What if... you prioritized God's Kingdom (instead of your own)? What if... you shared your M&Ms (instead of eating them all yourself)? What might God do? If you honored Him first in your finances, could He really be trusted to lead you into a life of money margin? Listen in as Pastor Tim describes this incredible challenge and dares to ask "What if?"

Can God be trusted if we put Him first in our finances? For a lot of people, God & money don't go together. But the truth is: God owns everything. From cash in the bank to candy in our pocket. Yet, it's one thing to acknowledge God's ownership... and another to trust Him with the firstfruits of all we have. Do you offer God more than your leftovers? Listen in as Pastor Tim invites us to take God at His Word and "test Him" to see if He can be trusted with our finances. www.liquidchurch.com

Money is a touchy subject. The only thing more troubling than people knowing how much we earn... is knowing how much we owe. As Americans, we live in a voracious consumer culture that encourages us to acquire, spend, buy & consume the majority of our income. In it comes... and out it goes. The problem is that as Money Margin shrinks, our stress levels skyrocket. A "take it to the max" approach to finances is a constant source of tension & anxiety for couples, families, and even students. No one is immune. The American Dream can be a nightmare for those stretched to the max. But God has a different dream for your life. And it includes Financial Freedom. What would it be like to live with money margin-- where your needs are met... and you even have some left over? (gasp!) Listen in as Pastor Tim invites us to curb our appetite for more... and discover God's secret plan for financial freedom.

If God had a message for you, would you be able to hear Him above the noise of your daily life? In our bang-and-clatter world of iPods, email, cellphones, texting, Tivo, and more... we're constantly in contact & bombarded by noise. It's no easy task to quiet ourselves, grab some precious alone time, and listen patiently for God's voice. Yet, learning to be still is one of the disciplines of the deeper spiritual life. Learning to slow down-- to make room for Solitude & Silence in our 9-5 lives-- is essential if we're not just to survive... but to thrive spiritually. How busy & noisy is your life? What vital messages might you be missing? Listen in as Pastor Tim dives deep into the heart of margined living. www.liquidchurch.com

Everyone knows: life can wear you down. Work for 6 days in this broken world, and your spirit can be stretched, drained, depleted-- and sometimes-- broken. That's why God gave us the Sabbath... as a gift. A 24-hour period of re-creation every week to rest & be replenished. To play and pray. The Sabbath is God's "spa for the soul"-- where our Creator reaches in to restore & repair what's been broken or depleted inside of us during the week. Do you need a day at God's Spa? Listen in as Pastor Tim invites us into the life-giving rhythms of Sabbath living. www.liquidchurch.com

People push themselves to the breaking point for all sorts of reasons: Some fear not keeping up. Others feel guilty for saying no. Still others suffer from "Superman Syndrome"-- believing that human limits don't apply. (This includes pastors) That's why God gave the Sabbath in the Old Testament-- literally mandating margin to break our bondage to overwork. Time to rest. To reflect. To remember who really runs the Universe. (Hint: it ain't us.) Listen in as Pastor Tim discusses how our culture rewards people who push beyond their limits... and how God counters by inviting us all into the rest & freedom only He can offer. www.LiquidChurch.com www.BigHairPreacher.com

Many of us live life in overdrive. Pedal to the metal, foot on the accelerator, Mach 5, take it to the limit, stretched to the outer edge in all areas of life. 80-hour workweeks, endless bills, emails, To-Do lists, activities, sports, classes, and commitments. Our time, our money, our relationships... all pushed to the breaking point. With no margin for error. Life in overdrive can be exhilarating... at least for awhile. Because when we live without margin-- or breathing room between our LOAD (what we take on) and our LIMITS (what we can sanely handle)-- bad things happen. To our relationships. To our finances. More importantly: to our souls. Are you pushed to the breaking point? Stressed out? Listen in as Pastor Tim discusses God's invitation to slow down, stop the insanity, and enter into the divine rhythms of rest, renewal, and life-giving margin. www.LiquidChurch.com

You have a gift. You may not feel like anything special... but each of us has a unique, God-given ability planted in us by the Creator Himself. But here's the catch: it's not just for your benefit. So you can earn a living. Rather, your gift is meant to be linked to a larger purpose than your 9-5 job. You gift is meant to be used in the context of the local church-- to glorify God and serve the world. Finding a place to serve-- a role to play in God's story-- is how the world changes... and we do too.

Life is best experienced in community-- there's nothing like a close circle of friends where "everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came." But that's a challenge in a crowd our size. We lead busy lives and connecting well with others can be a challenge. That's why we have Life Groups-- a place to find friends in your season of life & grow spiritually together. Listen in as Pastor Tim describes the Life Groups environment and explains why "The bigger we grow, the smaller we become."

Everyone has questions for God. Some of them are theological ("If you knew we'd eat the fruit, why'd you plant the tree?"). Some are personal ("What the heck am I doing in NJ?"). And some are historical ("Why 9/11?"). We all need a place to explore these questions and discover how our lives intersect with the story God's telling in the world around us. Starting Point is a perfect "first step" for those exploring the Christian faith (or re-starting their spiritual journey after some time away). Listen in as Pastor Tim shares some of our questions and describes the Starting Point environment at Liquid. www.liquidchurch.com

Got friends? God God? Genesis 2 reveals three primal impulses that were hard-wired into every man & woman at the beginning of Creation. Each of us grows best when we have core relationships and a role to play. Connected Living is the name of our strategy for helping folks grow spiritually and connect with friends at Liquid. Whether you're brand-new to our church or have been coming for years, everyone is encouraged to take 3 steps: Find God. Find a Friend. Find a Job. Listen in as Pastor Tim discusses God's primal design for Connected Living. Part 1 of the message series "Connected." www.LiquidChurch.com

"How to Save a Life" by the Fray is a powerful song about one man's failure to rescue his friend whose life was in a tailspin. If only there were a "how to" manual for reaching people in our lives who are lost or struggling. But there's not. And yet, we're invited by God to partner with Him in making a difference in the lives of family & friends. Sometimes we can be heroic... and sometimes we're focused on all the wrong things. Listen in as Pastor Tim invites us to see the life-saving opportunities in the world all around us. Part 5 of the series "Rock God: Discovering God in the Music." www.LiquidChurch.com

U2's music is a source of faith & hope for all sorts of people-- from those turned off by "organized" religion to lifelong Christians hungry to change our world for good. "Walk On" is a powerful song about the stuff of true faith-- putting one's trust in what can't be seen and walking on in the face of adversity. Listen in as Pastor Tim describes how U2's music can serve as the soundtrack for a life of living faith. Part 4 of the series "Rock God: Discovering God in the Music."

When life bottoms out-- a relationship blows up, our finances tank, or things just go sour-- most folks finally turn to a last resort: prayer. But does God hear the prayers of those who've intentionally run from Him... or blatantly ignored His call on their life? Listen in as Pastor Tim discusses God's character via the 80s anthem "Livin' on a Prayer" by NJ's own Bon Jovi. Prepare to smile as big hair meets a big God! Part 3 of the series "Rock God: Discovering God in the Music."

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen is the quintessential road song-- an epic anthem capturing the desire to escape, to run, to flee everything in the world that closes us in. Many people spend their lives running from a lot of things... including God. The Bible tells an incredible tale about a "man who ran"-- just an ordinary guy named Jonah who learned one of life's most important lessons: you can run from God... but you can't outrun God. Listen in as Pastor Tim shares some lessons from a man who ran and get ready to run in a new direction. Part 2 of “Rock God: Discovering God in the Music.”

"My Generation" by the Who is a signature song of the Sixties-- an angry anthem that perfectly captured a generation's discontent with the status quo. Discontent is not a bad thing-- in fact, God often plants a "holy discontent" within a generation to change the world for good. What’s the one aspect of this broken world that-- when you see it, touch it, or get near it-- you just can’t stand? Extreme poverty? AIDS? War? Addiction? Abused children? Homelessness? Listen in as Pastor Tim shares an adaptation of a message by Bill Hybels entitled “Holy Discontent”-- and prepare to feed the fire that can change a generation for good. Part 1 of “Rock God: Discovering God in the Music.” www.liquidchurch.com

Huge thanks to everyone who invested countless hours serving our neighbors in Morristown this month! The results of Liquid's Outflow outreaches to the Poor, the Professionals, and the Partygoers were amazing! All told, Liquid volunteers served: • 4,789 bottles of water to Day Laborers, Commuters, and people on the street • 913 pairs of work gloves to immigrant workers (as well as breakfast bags) • 1,240 slices of pizza to late-night bar hoppers & partyers Beyond the numbers were the faces of REAL PEOPLE who were deeply touched by these simple acts of kindness offered “no strings attached.” We’re astounded how God continues to use little things done with GREAT love to impact lives. Thanks for investing your time & passion letting our neighbors know that they matter deeply to God... and to our church!

From his cell in the Flossenburg concentration camp, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: "The church is only the church when it exists for others." Unfortunately, many well-meaning Christians fail to see the deep needs of others around them because they suffer from "Roof Tile Syndrome" (Mark 2). Listen in as Pastor Tim invites everyone to "wreck the roof" in order to bring those around us into the presence of Jesus. www.liquidchurch.com

Every generation sounds its own unique rebel cry-- a spiritual cry found in the music we love. You might be surprised to know that God embraces the spirit of rock anthems-- using ordinary people to change the world. Join us on Sundays this summer as we explore the lyrics of some of the most popular rock-&-roll songs of each decade... and discover God in the music. PRESS PLAY to watch the "Rock God" message series teaser starting July 29th! www.liquidchurch.com