Real Life Church

10/29/2026

Have you ever had the thought.... "God, I am so disappointed with you right now."

10/29/2026

An Opportunity To Show God’s Love
By: Kaleigh Hoschar

I had a friend recently say that one of her favorite community outreach activities is Halloween night… sitting in her community around a small firepit, passing out candy and looking for an opportunity to share Jesus with passerbys…

I was so blown away by this idea. And I remember what Jesus said in John 13, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Just because it is not a holiday loved by all, we as Christians can use it as an opportunity to open our hearts and hands to minister to our community! Don’t forget that we have so many opportunities daily in the most unlikely places, to love one another…

Challenging you and I to daily find places in this world, in our oikos, where we can be an active participant in growing the kingdom of God and showing others the love of Jesus.

10/28/2026

This Weekend Is For You

10/28/2026

The Power of Vulnerability
By: Pastor Tori Covington

A topic I’ve found interesting in our culture recently is vulnerability. Most of us fear it, yet at the same time, we crave it deeply. Our world seems obsessed with both perfection and authenticity, which can leave us confused about how to let others see our true selves. When it comes to our witness, though, vulnerability is a strength to cultivate, not something to avoid.

It can be tempting to put our “best selves” on display, especially around people who don’t yet know Jesus. We want them to see the good in us, and sometimes we’re afraid that letting them see our struggles might undermine our witness. But when we never let people in, we miss opportunities to connect over the struggles we share - and, more importantly, to tell the stories of how Jesus has met us in those struggles and brought us through them.

One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” When we allow ourselves to be truly seen - the good, the bad, and everything in between - we create space for Jesus’ power to shine through our lives. The goal isn’t to win people over by showing them how great we are, but to point them to how great Jesus is by sharing the ways he is at work in our messy, imperfect lives.

How can you connect with someone this week, not by trying to impress them, but by sharing an authentic struggle and the ways Jesus is at work in the middle of it?

10/27/2026

Love Doesn’t Always Require Words
By: Nicole Goddard

One of the most challenging parts of being a Christian is witnessing to someone who is blatantly or even proudly living in sin. Whether you know them personally or have a perception based on their appearance, we might conclude how the conversation could go before even speaking a word. You may have already been there with that person, and that door seems to be nailed shut for them forever.

Jesus was no stranger to situations like this. While he was in Jericho, Jesus knew the chief tax collector Zacchaeus was despised by the community. Back in that day, one didn’t get to be a chief tax collector by being gracious and giving – no, Zacchaeus was the worst of the worst!

Jesus, knowing his heart could have just ignored him, deeming him a lost cause. He could have engaged him publicly in front of the crowd. No, Jesus paused under the tree Zacchaeus was watching him from and invites himself over for dinner! The story tells us that Zacchaeus ultimately has a heart change over dinner, giving himself to God and promising to right his wrongs.

“Today, salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “Because he too is the son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:9-10

We don’t have a transcript of their conversation leading up to this moment, but knowing Jesus, his very presence and willingness to listen caused Zacchaeus to want something more. Jesus gave his time and saw him as a child of God in need of grace. He provided a bit of light into someone else’s dark.

I recently came across a sentiment that put it this way: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

10/26/2026

No Gift Without A Giver
By: Pastor Steven Covington

Luke 23:42-43
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Grace is one of those words you hear often inside the walls of the church, but that you don’t hear too often in the real world. Sometimes you’ll hear it as a synonym for something precise or elegant, like dancers moving with grace. Or you’ll hear it used in pitiful situations, like when a girl lets a boy down gracefully. You’ll even hear it used as a synonym for something beautiful, like a bride’s wedding dress that drapes gracefully.

The Church’s mission is to help the world grapple with the true meaning of grace. For all the ways our fallen world is still capable of recognizing grace in the things that move us, in moments of mercy, and when beholding something beautiful - grace is not fully understood apart from the cross of Christ.

The word grace literally means “gift,” and for all the gifts ever given, none surpasses the gift of God’s own self for our redemption. If grace is a gift, then it can’t just be something to witness, but something to receive. And there can be no gift without a giver. No grace without personal sacrifice.

When everyone is cheering at the crucifixion, it’s the thief who comes to Jesus’ defense. He said that he deserved his punishment, that Jesus was innocent, and he asked Jesus to remember him when he entered into his kingdom. And Jesus says to the thief, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

In that moment, Jesus’ crucifixion became more than just a spectacle - it was the first time Jesus got to personally deliver the greatest gift the world has ever known: grace.

10/25/2026

10/24/2026

Heart & Hands

10/23/2026

Example
By: Pastor Todd Crofford

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
-Philippians 3:17-18 NIV

These two things can both be true at once- The most important place to live for Jesus is at home and the hardest place to live for Jesus is at home. The people who know you best and see your life unvarnished are those who live with you. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, our Oikos (immediate world)develops their idea of what faith means and whether Christianity is legit in large part by watching us.

Now, lest that last paragraph feels like too much pressure, know this: You don’t have to be as perfect as God. You must pursue God. Let your kids, your spouse, your siblings, your cousins see someone who desires to know and live like Jesus and is chasing that goal.

What would that look like? Probably hundreds of things, but let me give you just three, built around the word RUN:

R - Repent. The ability to say we are sorry is one of the most impactful human habits and harder to live out than we think. It takes humility, and when we live humbly we make a world of difference in our personal world.

U - Upgrade your Habits. Pursue this quietly. You don’t need to flaunt that you read your Bible or pray daily. You won’t have to point out that you serve others around the house. They will see it.

N - Never Stop Growing. Being imperfect is not an excuse for being disinterested in becoming more like Jesus. Eventually your family will be saying to one another “Dad is less angry all the time.” “Mom is more generous than ever before.” “My sister is not just chasing every boy that looks cute.”

Home is the incubator of genuine faith. Don’t expect your family to love Jesus if they only see him at church. Let them see him right in the middle of their home.

10/22/2026

My Home As A Sacred Space
By: Kaleigh Hoschar

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”
Proverbs 24:3-4

Ryan and I have a quiet home… it isn’t yet filled with children running around, constant flow of dishes, the laundry machine going 90 to nothin’.

What it does have though is a lot of laughter, a lot of tears and the occasional argument mixed into a life filled with joy. We began the journey of “building” this home 5 years ago and since then we have learned something invaluable…

We needed the wisdom of God to help build the foundation of our “home”. One of the ways we do that is through studying the Immerse Bible together! Being intentional about the time we spend together with the Lord really makes a difference in our understanding of God and each other. Whether that is reading the Bible, doing a small devotional, worshiping together, or praying over a meal. It all helps build sacred spaces throughout our home.

Through all of this we get to dig into the attributes of God, who He is and what He has done. It reminds us in the darkest of times what He will do.

And it has made every room in our home a sacred space. Every room is filled with memories and joy… like rare and beautiful treasures.