--- title: "The Tree Church — Lancaster & Logan, Ohio" url: https://thetree.church/blog/archive/2026/04 description: "The Tree Church — Lancaster & Logan, Ohio. Experience the life-changing presence of a loving God. Sundays 9:00 & 11:00am." lang: en --- 721 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130✦ Main Service: Sunday 9 & 11am✦ Movement Youth Sunday 5:30pm✦ Lancaster & Logan, Ohio✦ 721 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130✦ Main Service: Sunday 9 & 11am✦ Movement Youth Sunday 5:30pm✦ Lancaster & Logan, Ohio✦ All posts (https://thetree.church/blog) Archive # April 2026. Take 20 ## Suffering with Purpose April 30th, 2026 Paul declares that present sufferings aren't worth comparing to coming glory. He's not minimizing pain but providing eternal context. God wastes nothing. Your suffering can bring preparation, reliance on Him, ministry to others, or serve as a reminder of what truly matters. Paul's imprisonment led to a jailer's salvation. His thorn brought humility. Joseph's betrayal positioned him to save nations. God's perspective is eternal while ours is temporal. What feels unbearable today may be the very thing God uses for breakthrough tomorrow. The worker who knows his wages will endure hard labor differently than one who doesn't. Your wages are purpose, presence, and eternal life. Trust that God is working all things—even painful things—together for good. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/30/suffering-with-purpose The Branch Podcast · April 29th, 2026 ### The Spiritual Realm | The Branch The spiritual realm is real - and it affects your everyday life. Pastor Anthony, Pastor Matthew, and Pastor Chris unpack what Scripture actually says. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/29/the-spiritual-realm-the-branch Sermons · April 29th, 2026 ### WHEN GOD DOESN’T MAKE SENSE | Pastor Matthew Johnson What do we do when God doesn't meet our expectations? Pastor Matthew Johnson shows us how the cross changes the lens on suffering and trust. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/29/when-god-doesn-t-make-sense-pastor-matthew-johnson Take 20 · April 29th, 2026 ### Running with Endurance We're called to run a race, not a sprint. Endurance requires intentionally removing weights and sins that hinder our trust in God. What's weighing you down? Perhaps it's toxic relationships, consuming negative content, or nursing unmet expectations that God never promised. The cloud of witnesses surrounds us—people who finished well despite hardship. But our ultimate example is Jesus, who endured the cross https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/29/running-with-endurance Tree Church Bible Study · April 29th, 2026 ### Ruth 1: 19-22 | The Two Women Went On | TCBS Naomi returns to Bethlehem bitter, broken, and empty. Pastor Stacey and Pastor Chris unpack why her raw grief is a picture of genuine faith. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/29/ruth-1-19-22-the-two-women-went-on-tcbs The Branch Podcast · April 28th, 2026 ### Humble Faith: Holding Truth, Questions, and Trust Together | The Branch Humble Faith: Holding Truth, Questions, and Trust Together - The Branch Podcast with Pastor Chris Reed, Pastor Matthew Johnson, and Pastor Anthony Lombardi of The Tree Church in Lancaster and Logan, Ohio. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/28/humble-faith-holding-truth-questions-and-trust-together-the-branch Take 20 · April 28th, 2026 ### The Cross Proves Love The cross is God's ultimate answer to our doubts about His love. When we question whether God truly cares, we must return to Calvary. Jesus didn't suffer because the Father was absent or powerless, but because love required sacrifice for our redemption. God said https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/28/the-cross-proves-love Take 20 · April 27th, 2026 ### The Lens of Trust The heroes of faith experienced both miracles and suffering. Some conquered kingdoms while others were tortured, yet all trusted God through their circumstances. The difference wasn't in their outcomes but in their lens. When we view God through our suffering, everything becomes dark. When we view suffering through God's faithfulness, we find endurance. Today, identify what lens you're using. Are you judging God's character by your current pain, or are you trusting His proven faithfulness despite your circumstances? The saints who suffered didn't receive immediate promises, yet they persevered because they believed God's purpose extended beyond their present moment. Choose today to shift your perspective from disappointment to trust. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/27/the-lens-of-trust Take 20 · April 24th, 2026 ### Reconstruct With Truth Transformation happens through the renewal of your mind—testing and discerning God's good, acceptable, and perfect will. You've examined the blocks; now it's time to rebuild intentionally. Not every teaching you received was false. Not every experience was harmful. Don't throw out truth with error. As you reconstruct, focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. Build with Jesus' words, practiced in relationship with Him. Invite Him into every area—your relationships, sexuality, finances, anxiety, purpose. He doesn't just give rules; He offers Himself. The strongest life isn't built on having perfect theology—it's built on knowing the Person of Jesus. Today, choose one https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/24/reconstruct-with-truth Take 20 · April 23rd, 2026 ### Presence Over Answers Sometimes God gives answers. Often, He gives something better—His presence. In your valley of questions, you may be demanding explanations when God is offering companionship. The psalmist didn't say, https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/23/presence-over-answers Sermons · April 22nd, 2026 ### Deconstruct with Purpose | Pastor Matthew Johnson What if deconstruction doesn't have to destroy your faith? Pastor Matthew Johnson shows how to strip away what's false and rebuild on what's true. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/22/deconstruct-with-purpose-pastor-matthew-johnson Take 20 · April 22nd, 2026 ### Storms Will Come Jesus doesn't promise a storm-free life—He promises a foundation that holds when storms hit. Rain falls on both houses; the difference is what they're built upon. Your deconstruction may feel like a storm, but perhaps it's revealing whether your faith was built on religious performance, others' expectations, or cultural Christianity rather than on Christ Himself. The wise builder doesn't just hear Jesus' words; they do them. They experience Him. Knowledge alone won't sustain you when questions rage and doubts flood in. Relationship will. Today, identify one teaching of Jesus you've heard but haven't truly practiced. Choose to obey it—not from duty, but as an experiment in trust. Let experience deepen what knowledge alone cannot. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/22/storms-will-come Tree Church Bible Study · April 22nd, 2026 ### Ruth 1: 6-18 | Naomi & Ruth Return To Bethlehem | TCBS A Moabite widow makes an unexpected vow, and everything changes. Pastor Stacey and Pastor Chris unpack Ruth's radical loyalty in Ruth 1:6-18. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/22/ruth-1-6-18-naomi-ruth-return-to-bethlehem-tcbs The Branch Podcast · April 22nd, 2026 ### Faith That Saves… or Faith That Moves? | The Branch Has the church made saving faith too easy? Pastor Matthew, Pastor Anthony, and Pastor Chris unpack what genuine faith actually looks like. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/22/faith-that-saves-or-faith-that-moves-the-branch Take 20 · April 21st, 2026 ### Examining With Purpose The Bereans didn't blindly accept Paul's teaching—they examined the Scriptures daily to test what they heard. This is biblical deconstruction: careful evaluation with the goal of finding truth, not just tearing down. God invites your honest questions. He's not threatened by your doubts. But examination requires intention. Are you deconstructing to discover what's true, or simply to justify walking away? There's a profound difference. Today, bring your hardest question to God. Write it down. Then commit to genuinely seeking His answer through Scripture, prayer, and trusted community. Don't pull blocks randomly from your faith—examine them carefully, remove what's false, and intentionally replace it with truth that makes you stronger. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/21/examining-with-purpose Take 20 · April 20th, 2026 ### The Foundation of Love Before you deconstruct anything in your life, remember what stands at the foundation: God's love for you. Jesus simplified everything to this core truth—love God who first loved you, then love others. When questions arise and doubts surface, return to this bedrock. God didn't wait for you to understand everything before loving you. He loved you first. Your faith journey isn't about having all the answers before believing; it's about experiencing relationship with the One who is the Answer. Today, instead of demanding God make sense intellectually, ask Him to reveal His love personally. Spend time simply receiving His affection. Let love be the first block you examine—and the one you keep. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/20/the-foundation-of-love Sermons · April 17th, 2026 ### Not Coming Down Celebration | Pastor Matthew Johnson A church pauses to celebrate 15 years of God's faithfulness - and receives an honest challenge about what comes next. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/17/not-coming-down-celebration-pastor-matthew-johnson Take 20 · April 17th, 2026 ### Covenant Renewal When Israel committed to serve God, Joshua erected a stone witness—a permanent reminder of their covenant. Spiritual growth requires tangible commitments, not just emotional moments. What stone of remembrance will mark this season of renewal? Perhaps it's a financial commitment that demonstrates trust, a service role that displays availability, or a relational connection that reflects community. Joshua knew human hearts drift, so he created accountability. The stone https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/17/covenant-renewal Take 20 · April 16th, 2026 ### Choose This Day https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/16/choose-this-day Take 20 · April 15th, 2026 ### The Warning of Divided Loyalty Joshua's warning cuts deep: the same God who blesses obedience will discipline disobedience. This isn't about earning God's love—that's already secured—but about experiencing His best. Divided loyalty always leads to diminished life. What competes for God's place in your heart? Career success? Financial security? Others' approval? These aren't inherently evil, but when they command the obedience that belongs to God alone, they become functional gods. Joshua witnessed an entire generation miss the Promised Land because they trusted their fears more than God's faithfulness. What are you missing by serving lesser things? Today, identify one area where you've given another voice authority over God's. Repentance isn't condemnation; it's the pathway back to blessing. https://thetree.church/blog/2026/04/15/the-warning-of-divided-loyalty