The Tree Church Non denominational church service the community of Lancaster, OH https://thetree.church Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com Eat With Hope https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/09/eat-with-hope Fri, 09 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/09/eat-with-hope
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: 1 Corinthians 11

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Communion looks backward and forward at the same time. We remember what Jesus has done, but we also anticipate the day when He will return and complete His work of salvation. We live in the “in-between”—Jesus has saved us, but we are still waiting for everything to be made right. When we take communion, we proclaim His death until He comes. It is a meal of remembrance, but it is also a meal of hope.

What part of Jesus’ promised return and restoration gives you the most hope?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, help me live with hope as I wait for Your return. Keep my heart focused on the day when You will make all things right. Help me live faithfully in the meantime, remembering what You have done and trusting what You will do.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Spend a few minutes today imagining the hope of Jesus making all things right, and let that hope shape one decision you make today.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/09/eat-with-hope#comments 0 We Are Still Part of the Story https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/08/we-are-still-part-of-the-story Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/08/we-are-still-part-of-the-story
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: 1 Corinthians 10

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Communion is not only about remembering something Jesus did in the past. When we take communion together, we recognize that God is still at work among His people. We participate in the ongoing story of His salvation, and we do it together—not alone. Our relationship with God is alive, and He continues to work in us and through us as His people.

Where do you see God still working in your life and in the lives of the people around you?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Holy Spirit, help me recognize that You are still at work. Open my eyes to the ways You are moving in my life, my church, and the people around me. Show me how I can participate in what You are doing.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Look for one opportunity today to participate in God’s work by encouraging, serving, forgiving, or helping someone else.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/08/we-are-still-part-of-the-story#comments 0 1 John 2:7-14 | Dear friends | The Branch https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/1-john-2-7-14-dear-friends-the-branch Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/1-john-2-7-14-dear-friends-the-branch
"It's not how much they know about theology. The maturity is measured by their love." – Pastor Chris Reed
In this episode of The Tree Church Bible Study, host Pastor Stacey Crawford is joined again by Pastor Matthew Johnson and Pastor Chris Reed. The group continues in 1 John 2, picking up in verse 7. Their focus is walking in the light of Christ through the way we love others.

Things We Would Love to Learn

The conversation opens with a fun question. What is something you haven't done yet but would love to learn? All three answer piano. Pastor Chris would also love to learn stone carving after seeing ancient statues on a trip to Greece this year. Pastor Matthew would like to play piano for his private times of worship. He would also love to learn another language and get better at cooking.

Pastor Stacey admits her husband is the better cook in their house. He once tried to teach her guitar and drums, but she gets frustrated when she can't pick things up quickly. She jokes that she loves him too much to keep trying. Her mother-in-law plays piano, so that may be her next step. Or YouTube.

Pastor Stacey then recaps the previous episode. The group talked about Jesus as our advocate and how a relationship with Him leads us to walk in obedience.

An Old and New Commandment

Pastor Stacey reads 1 John 2:7–8 from the NLT.

"Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you. Rather, it is an old one you have heard from the very beginning. This old commandment to love one another is the same message you heard before. Yet, it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining."

She laughs that the passage seems to ask whether the command is old or new. She sees John building on the commands of Jesus.

Pastor Matthew explains that it has always been God's heart for us to love our neighbor. Yet people did not fully understand that. He remembers a sermon Pastor Chris preached years ago in their old building. Pastor Chris taught that the Jewish culture of that day believed they only had to love other Jews. That created tension over who counted as a neighbor.

Pastor Matthew points to the story of the Good Samaritan. A man asked Jesus who his neighbor was. Jesus told a story with an unlikely hero and showed that a neighbor is anyone around us. Pastor Matthew says that teaching opened his eyes. He had been reading Scripture through an American mindset without seeing the tension in their culture.

He also points to John 13:34, where Jesus says, "A new commandment I give you, love one another." John is now helping the church live this out. Jews and Gentiles, men and women, and slave and free were all coming together for the first time. With that many people and personalities, tension was bound to happen.

Light Entering a Dark Room

Pastor Chris focuses on the end of verse 8. Jesus, the light, has entered the world. He describes a dark room with a single light shining across it. There are still shadows, but the room is no longer completely dark. Now that Jesus has come, loving others is how we walk in the light and help it spread.

What Christlike Love Looks Like

Pastor Stacey notes that John says Jesus lived out this command. So the group looks at what Christlike love looks like.

Pastor Chris explains that Greek has four words for love. Philia is friendship. Storge is family love. Eros is romantic love. Agape is unique because it starts with affection and always produces action. Pastor Chris says Scripture always uses agape to describe God's love for us.

He adds that Jesus loved people even when they were His enemies. His love was not based on being loved back. By returning hate with love, we might gain a brother or sister and help stop the hatred. Pastor Chris admits that is a hard love to follow.

Loving Beyond Our Tribe

Pastor Matthew adds that it feels natural to love people in our own tribe. That includes the people who think, look, and act like us. But Jesus was perfectly righteous, and every person He met fell short. Even the people He invested in most let Him down. He could have rejected them without sinning. Instead, He kept loving them.

Pastor Matthew points to Peter. At the Last Supper, Jesus told Peter he would deny Him. Jesus also said He had already prayed for Peter and wanted him to lead the others once he recovered. Peter's failure did not change his calling.

Pastor Matthew believes our culture is becoming so tribal that people feel free to break relationships in ways Jesus never modeled. He uses politics as an example. People from both sides of the aisle attend The Tree Church, and some would be shocked by that. Some might even think it justifies walking away from each other. Pastor Matthew says Jesus' kind of love goes beyond that. We can disagree and push back, but love remains.
"When we think a behavior disqualifies, we have to take a step back and go, would this behavior have disqualified Jesus' love for them? Would he have given up on them?" – Pastor Matthew Johnson

Hate Is the Failure to Love

Pastor Stacey continues with verses 9–11.

"If anyone claims, I am living in the light but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness."

Pastor Chris explains that for John, hate is not only doing bad things to others. It is failing to love the way Jesus loves.
"For John, hate is simply just failing to live up to agape." – Pastor Chris Reed
He calls it a sin of omission. When we fail to do the good we know someone needs, that complacency is just as serious as gossip or slander. Pastor Chris admits this is sobering. It means caring for people even when we don't feel like it or when they will ask more of us than we want to give.

Pastor Matthew encourages listeners to pause and rewind to hear that point again. He says it is easy to feel successful by loving the easy people, like family, friends, and coworkers. The harder question is who we have pushed aside because they annoy us or think differently. That is who God is calling us to love.

Where Has God Placed Your Feet?

Pastor Chris adds that we cannot meet every need in the world. We hear about needs in Africa and other countries. God brings us into a community that should keep growing, but we need to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. He will show us the need in front of us or the kind word we should say, even when it costs us time, energy, or money.

Pastor Matthew agrees. When people ask how to know which needs to meet, he always asks where God has placed their feet. He believes God orders our steps. So we look around our family, marriage, work, and community, including the neighbors and coworkers we like and dislike. Through that lens, clear ministry opportunities appear.

Stacey mentions one of her favorite truths, that Jesus came to serve and not to be served. She asks what we do for the person who can't do anything for us or who drives us bonkers. She admits there are days when she has no energy, yet she chooses to love because God is calling her to.

Pastor Matthew says it is okay to be honest with God. We can tell Him we know what He is asking and ask for help when we feel drained. He shares that some Sundays leave him with zero emotional bandwidth, and he goes straight to his office to sit for a while. Recognizing that and asking God for help is not the same as excusing sin.

Love Brings Light

Pastor Matthew reflects on the picture of God's word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Light brings direction and protection. Hate puts us in a dark and dangerous place.
"You cannot genuinely hate one person without it affecting every other relationship in your life." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
Love softens our hearts and helps us hear God's voice more clearly. Hate brings darkness, where we stumble, hurt relationships, and make poor decisions. Pastor Matthew connects this to verse 5 from last week. Loving like Jesus lets His ways change our hearts. He says God gives this in love, as if saying, just trust me, this is the better way to live.

Pastor Stacey adds that when we choose to be like Christ, we receive the light and it shines into others too. Pastor Matthew agrees. We have all been around people who drain a room and people who bring light wherever they go. Our world needs people who love in a radical way.

Pastor Chris reflects on how Jesus could have come to judge His enemies and stop evil with violence. That would have only continued the cycle. Instead, Jesus absorbed violence and answered our hostility toward God with grace and mercy. When we love like Jesus, we help stop the cycle of hatred. The world says to get even. God did vindicate Jesus, but through overcoming death. Sacrificial love may look weak, but it is the path that truly changes the world.

Encouragement for Every Season of Faith

Pastor Stacey reads verses 12–14, where John writes to God's children, to those mature in the faith, and to those young in the faith. She senses John is speaking to the whole church while also addressing individuals.

Pastor Chris admits it is hard to tell exactly how John breaks this up. But in light of the difficult call to love, John pauses to encourage believers at every level. Anyone can find themselves in any of these groups at different times. Next week's passage will repeat the call to love one another as Christ loved us, and encouragement helps people do hard things.

Stacey shares that as pastors, they think about every person in the room when shaping a message. There are mature believers who need to keep growing and newer believers who may be hearing about Jesus for the first time. No matter where someone is, the call is to keep pursuing Jesus.

Pastor Matthew says this is encouraging because people often compare themselves to others at church and feel like failures. Even the three of them, as longtime Christians and pastors, each have areas where they still need to grow. He also shares that he intentionally cracks jokes during the most intense parts of a message. He wants people to know the message is serious without feeling overwhelmed. He sees John doing something similar with his affectionate language. It feels very pastoral to him.

Maturity Is Measured by Love

Pastor Chris admits there are many times each day when he falls short of loving like Jesus. He is thankful we are not alone. We can rely on people who are further along. He is also reinspired by the zeal of young people like his son and Cole.

He shares that it bristles him a little when people say they just want to go deeper in Scripture or theology. Those things matter, and John would agree. But John measures maturity by love.

Pastor Matthew connects this to the greatest commandment to love God with everything and love people. Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples if we love one another. He could have named any standard, like mastering Scripture, but He chose love. Pastor Matthew says there is no mature Christian who is not loving people.

Pastor Stacey brings it together. Our love for God leads us to obey. As we obey, we walk in the light and share that light with others.

Closing Prayer

Pastor Matthew closes in prayer. He thanks Jesus for His extravagant love, which is the only reason we understand love at all. He prays that everyone listening would understand God's great affection for them and His commitment to their good. He asks God to soften hearts so people can give grace at a higher level and be His shining light to the world. He thanks God that His Spirit empowers us to walk in love.

Pastor Stacey thanks Pastor Matthew and Pastor Chris and invites listeners to like, subscribe, share, and check out the show notes.
This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/1-john-2-7-14-dear-friends-the-branch#comments 0 You Are Invited Into Relationship https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/you-are-invited-into-relationship Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/you-are-invited-into-relationship
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Jeremiah 31

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

The final cup of the Passover meal pointed toward God’s desire to restore His relationship with His people. Jesus gives the cup new meaning when He calls it the new covenant in His blood. His death does more than forgive our sins; it makes relationship with God possible. We are not simply people who have been rescued from punishment. Through Jesus, we are invited into a restored relationship with God.

Do you tend to think of your salvation more as being forgiven or as being brought into relationship with God?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, thank You for making relationship with God possible through Your sacrifice. Help me live today not simply as someone who has been forgiven, but as someone who is deeply loved and welcomed into relationship with You.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Spend time with Jesus today without asking Him for anything. Simply thank Him for inviting you into relationship with Him.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/07/you-are-invited-into-relationship#comments 1 Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Walking in Faith Over Fear | The Branch https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/empowered-by-the-holy-spirit-walking-in-faith-over-fear-the-branch Tue, 06 Oct 2026 01:14:18 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/empowered-by-the-holy-spirit-walking-in-faith-over-fear-the-branch
"True faith is obedience even in the place of fear, even while fear is going on." - Pastor Matthew Johnson
What do you do when you feel afraid but you know God is calling you to do something? That question sits at the center of this episode of The Branch podcast from The Tree Church. Pastor Matthew Johnson is joined by Pastor Chris Reed and Pastor Anthony Lombardi for an honest conversation about what it means to be truly empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The three pastors talk about willpower and the Spirit's power, past failures, fear, and how to know when God is calling. They share personal stories along the way. Pastor Matthew opens by saying he knows the discussion will be an encouragement to everyone listening.

Starting With What Comes Easy and Hard

The conversation opens with a lighthearted icebreaker. Pastor Matthew chooses it because the episode is about how the Holy Spirit empowers us. Each pastor names something most people find easy that is hard for them. Then they flip the question.

Pastor Chris admits he does not like being on a ladder, even though high places do not bother him. Pastor Anthony says picking a place to eat is hard for him, maybe because he likes most food. Pastor Matthew says small talk is his struggle. He can engage a serious or controversial question right away, but small talk leaves him uncomfortable.

On the other side, Pastor Chris says technical things come together easily for him. Pastor Anthony says he retains information quickly, something he noticed in the Bible and theology department in college. Pastor Matthew says public speaking has never been a problem for him.

The Holy Spirit Fills the Gap

Pastor Matthew then sets up the main topic. On Sunday the church ended its series on the Holy Spirit with the idea that the Holy Spirit fills the gap. God calls us to do things, and He gives us our own talents and abilities. Wherever there is a gap between what He has called us to do and our ability to fulfill that calling, the Holy Spirit steps in and does the supernatural.

Willpower or the Spirit's Power

Pastor Matthew begins with Peter's story, which was the basis of Sunday's message. Peter went from denying Jesus to preaching to thousands on the day of Pentecost. Pastor Matthew is quick to say he is a big fan of Peter. Still, Peter loved Jesus and could not simply pull courage from deep inside himself. So what does his story teach about willpower and the Holy Spirit's power?

God Uses Our Natural Gifts

Pastor Chris believes God uses our natural gifts, even in His supernatural moves. Peter likely had good communication skills before Pentecost. What changed was an augmentation. His gifting was given boldness and funneled in the right direction.

For Pastor Chris, willpower is the attitude that says I can do this on my own. A person might even pull it off. But it would lack the power, effectiveness, and thrust that come from being empowered by the Holy Spirit. He works with the interns on calling, and he explains that calling often lives where our gifts, our opportunities, and our passions meet. None of it is effective without the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit. He adds that much of Peter's change came through character more than skill.

Pastor Matthew agrees. He has seen people, even in Christian settings, who operate only on their skills. They are dynamic enough to get things done. But it is never at the level of health or power it would have been with the Holy Spirit.

When Pressure Comes

Pastor Anthony points out that one miracle of salvation is that Jesus changes our affections and desires. Peter genuinely loved Jesus. He even claimed he would be willing to die for Him. Yet in the moment of pressure, right after Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Him three times and wept bitterly.

After Pentecost, the same man was arrested, threatened, and beaten, and he kept walking in the power of the Spirit. Pastor Anthony says the difference is not whether someone loves God. Sometimes we try to do God's will our way instead of God's way. We try to white knuckle it with our own strength and wisdom.

He points to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray because "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Human willpower will only get us so far. Because we are human and prone to weakness, the Holy Spirit's power enables us to do what is not natural to us.

The Right Thing in the Wrong Way

Pastor Matthew adds that even when we do accomplish something in our own strength, it is often not done the way God wants. He shares that there have been times he felt spiritually dry because he was not taking intentional time in God's presence. He fell back on his own skills and experience. He could get the leadership work done, but he might run over people to do it. That has become a warning sign for him to step back and ask if he is doing the right thing in the wrong way.

Pastor Chris connects this to Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The church was lifting up certain leaders against others. Paul told them they were doing right things in the wrong way and missing the heart of Christ. The power comes from doing what God asks, in the way God asks.

When Past Failures Feel Disqualifying

Pastor Chris asks the next question. What would you say to someone who feels their past failures have disqualified them from being used by God?

Pastor Matthew answers with good news. Nearly every character in the Bible failed in some way. Samuel seems to have had no character failure, yet his sons were a wreck. Jonah delivered God's message while hating the people of Nineveh. The list goes on with murderers, adulterers, and cowards. His practical advice is simple. Read the Scriptures and you will see that every single person was disqualified by human standards. It was the calling of God that began the process of qualification.

Failure Can Become a Connection Point

Pastor Matthew also says the blood of Jesus covers everything and is more powerful than the past. God knows exactly who He is calling, in our successes and our failures. Sometimes the very thing that looks like a disqualification becomes an opportunity for ministry once it is covered by His blood. A past failure can connect you with someone walking through the same thing. It can also create humility and sensitivity that help you relate to people at a deeper level.

Pastor Anthony agrees that every person ever used by God did not deserve it. Jesus is the main hero of the story, and all of Scripture points to our need for a Savior. He explains that other world religions focus on what a person can do. Christianity says no one is saved apart from Jesus entering the picture. Even our brokenness, once redeemed, is meant to point to the goodness and glory of God.

He points to Paul, who once persecuted Christians. Paul himself wrote that God saved him and used him as an example to everyone else. Pastor Anthony says God loves to glorify Himself in the most unlikely characters. If you feel like the most unlikely person, God can certainly use your life as long as you are willing to surrender.

God Has Not Given Up

Pastor Chris shares that this is what surprises him most about God. He has failed to obey and has walked through seasons of rebellion. Yet every time he wants to disqualify himself, the Spirit reminds him that God has not given up on him. God knew all of it before he started. That drives him toward deeper dependence on God.

He also finds freedom in knowing he is not the most important piece. God is already at work in the world, and we are called to partner with Him.

"We can take the pressure off of ourselves because God is already at work doing it." - Pastor Chris Reed

Pastor Matthew brings it back to Pastor Anthony's point that Jesus is the hero of the story. He has been reading through Nehemiah. When the wall was finished in 52 days, the surrounding nations were afraid because they saw that God had worked for Israel. The enemies had said it could never happen. Then God did the miracle, and attention turned to Him. Pastor Matthew encourages anyone who feels like a failure. You are not the hero of the story, but God can do something supernatural through you that draws people to Him.

Following Jesus While Still Afraid

Pastor Anthony asks a question many listeners wrestle with. How can we follow Jesus and trust Him while still feeling afraid? We love Him, we want to obey Him, and we are surrendering our lives to Him. Yet we still feel scared.

Fear Is Not the Opposite of Faith

Pastor Matthew says one phrase he actually dislikes is that fear is the opposite of faith. He believes disobedience is the opposite of faith. Fear is an emotion, and it naturally happens. Our past experiences tell us to be afraid, and our bodies respond before we even think. Like fight or flight, the adrenaline kicks in and the heart rate climbs.

True faith is choosing to obey even while fear is still present. Pastor Matthew explains that if you walk through this consistently with God, you can retrain your mind, your heart, and even your body. You will keep facing new things where God has not yet shown His power in your life. Each time, your past tells you God will be faithful, and it also tells you things could go badly. You can feel the fear and still obey in faith. Then the next time, you may not fear the same way.

What Is Driving Your Decisions

Pastor Anthony agrees. Many people assume that feeling afraid means they do not really trust Jesus. He says the practical question is what you allow to drive your decisions. Fear becomes sinful when it turns into disobedience. Faith says that even in the middle of fear and unknowns, you can choose to do what God is asking.

He goes a step further. In some ways, faith in the middle of fear glorifies God even more. If there were no fear and everything were logical and safe, there would be no supernatural element. Stepping forward when you normally would not, simply to honor and follow Him, is one of the evidences that God is working in you.

A Different Spirit

Pastor Chris thinks of Caleb and Joshua and the twelve spies. They all saw the same land and the same information. Caleb and Joshua likely felt the same feelings as the others. Yet they responded differently because they had a different spirit within them.

Pastor Chris says the Spirit can short circuit the fear process. When fear comes, give it space so the Spirit can speak. Bring other people in and tell them what you feel God has called you to do and that you are terrified of it. The Spirit will use those people to speak into it. Caleb and Joshua tried to be that voice for the other ten spies. When we make room for the Spirit to speak, we can walk out in faith the way Caleb and Joshua did.

How to Know God Is Calling You

Pastor Matthew steps back to ask a question that comes before the scary step. How does someone know God is calling them to take a step of faith? Many people wonder if it is them or if it is really God.

Reluctance and Alignment

Pastor Anthony admits there is no clear-cut, easy answer. One sign for him is reluctance. Sometimes he feels God stirring something in him, and his first response is hesitation. He knows it could honor God or bless someone, but something in him holds back. The chance that he came up with it on his own is small.

He explains that when we are in pursuit of God, reading the Scriptures, plugged into church and Christian community, and praying, our desires begin to look more like God's. He mentions Romans 8, where Paul says God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit. It is often not an audible voice. It is an impression on our spirit that grows as we mature in faith.

Pastor Anthony suggests a few honest questions. Is this for God's glory? Is it for the benefit of other people? Or does it just happen to line up perfectly with everything I already want, and now I am slapping a "God's will" bumper sticker on it? He also says God does not always call us to things that go against our desires. Many times our gifts and passions line up with His leading.

Bring In Other Voices

Pastor Chris says that when it comes to simple things, like doing something good for someone, the answer is almost always that the Spirit is leading you. But if it is controversial or sensitive, he recommends getting outside counsel. Bring in other people, and even spiritual authority, to help discern what the Spirit is doing.

He is careful to say this should not turn into gossip. Picking the right people keeps it healthy. As they confirm, question, or challenge you, it builds confidence in hearing from God. It also helps you humbly recognize when you did not hear right. That is safety for you and for the person you feel called to speak to.

"For the glory of God, for the good of other people, it's a safe bet. Like, go for it." - Pastor Chris Reed

The Spirit's Power in Everyday Life

Pastor Chris asks what the Holy Spirit's power looks like in everyday situations. Some people think it was great in Bible times when Peter or Paul did miracles. Does it still happen today?

Fruit and Transformation

Pastor Matthew says the most consistent way the Spirit works in a person is by producing fruit. You become more like Jesus in your character, your responses, your thinking, and even your desires. The Spirit places you in situations where love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness are not easy, so those things can become normal in your life.

He notes that Paul describes a battle between the flesh and the Spirit. The Spirit is fighting for you, leading you, and guiding you. It is easier to follow the flesh, so being transformed into the image of Christ really is miraculous.

Wherever He Places Your Feet

The Spirit also empowers us for ministry. On Sunday Pastor Matthew said that God places our feet and then He empowers us. He shared the same idea with the youth team, who are also in a Holy Spirit series.

"Wherever God places your feet, he now has ministry for you." - Pastor Matthew Johnson

That can be as simple as pausing at work and asking the Holy Spirit for an opportunity to minister that day. Ask for sensitive eyes to see someone who is hurting. It may be a kind word or an invitation to lunch. Pastor Matthew also encourages an openness to bigger things, like praying for a struggling marriage, for someone who is sick, or for a miracle. We might be the instrument God uses in that moment.

More Than the Spectacular

Pastor Anthony says the Spirit helps us do what we could not or would not do on our own. That happens where we live and work, and even at our kids' sports games with other parents. He notes that Christians often love the sensational. We should not be closed off to miracles, because God can do them. But the Spirit's role is to bring us back to Jesus and make us more like Him, and that touches every part of life.

That includes the less spectacular things God cares about deeply. Our character. Who we are when no one is watching. The ability to forgive more quickly. He points to Acts 4, where the Holy Spirit gave the believers boldness to keep preaching in the face of fear and pressure.

Pastor Chris adds that when Peter, John, and James stood before the religious leaders, the encouragement was that the Spirit would provide what they needed in that moment. Everyone feels ill-equipped when relying on themselves. But even without the right education or all the answers, the Spirit gives what we need. Those moments become a powerful testimony and fuel our excitement to follow the Lord.

Philip and the Ordinary Moments

Pastor Matthew shares the story of Philip from the book of Acts. God gave Philip a clear call to go to a specific place but did not tell him what would happen there. When he arrived, he heard an Ethiopian eunuch reading from what we call Isaiah 53. Philip asked if he understood it and then explained it, leading him to the Lord. Then, as the pastors point out with a laugh, Philip teleports.

Pastor Matthew says the person who stays open every day, even in the mundane, will eventually experience the supernatural. Most of it may feel ordinary. What God does through that person's life is what makes it extraordinary.

Saying Yes Before You Know the Details

Pastor Anthony notes that walking with the Lord each day brings both excitement and some fear of the unknown. He asks a two-part question. What does it mean to say yes to Jesus before knowing all the details? And how can we tell the difference between using wisdom and simply making excuses?

A Posture of Yes

Pastor Chris shares that this question hits right where the Spirit convicted him during Sunday's message. He is very good at working things through in his mind. Sometimes that skill helps him talk himself out of something God is actually asking him to do. He realized his heart posture is not always an automatic yes. When he feels nervous or scared, he can use wisdom to disqualify the step.

His answer is to start with trust. God loves him, and whatever God asks will be good for others and for him. God has never led him somewhere for his harm. So he can say yes while still using the mind God gave him to discern whether it is really God speaking. He is not laying out a fleece. He brings other people in, asks for wisdom, and asks others to pray. If the answer is that God is calling, his heart wants to say absolutely.

Yes to the Next Step

Pastor Matthew frames it a little differently. Saying yes does not mean knowing the outcome. It means resolving in your heart to say yes to whatever step God puts in front of you first. He used to feel he needed clarity on everything before he could fully say yes.

He returns to Peter. Jesus told Peter that when he was young he dressed himself, but one day someone else would dress him and lead him where he did not want to go. Scripture explains this showed the kind of death Peter would die. Then Jesus said, "follow me." Peter did not know the details between that moment and the end, but he said yes.

Pastor Matthew says the most important thing he wants to be sure of is whether God is calling him. Many things God calls people to do look unwise by human standards. God called people to face larger armies and to leave what was comfortable. So the question he brings to others is whether they can confirm the calling. If the answer is yes, it does not matter if it seems wise by earthly standards.

God Is More Dynamic Than a Misstep

Pastor Anthony describes God's general will and His specific will. The general will is already revealed in how Jesus calls us to live, like the Sermon on the Mount and the teachings of the New Testament. Much of what we are supposed to do is already clear. The harder questions are more specific, like a job, a call to ministry, or the mission field.

He contrasts this with the world's idea of destiny, where one wrong turn ruins everything. God is far more dynamic than that. When our hearts are pure and we are pursuing Him, He will honor that. If we make a misstep, His grace shows up and His provision is still abundant. Pastor Anthony says many people live paralyzed by analysis, afraid one mistake will derail their lives. When we stay surrendered and open-handed, God is gracious to open and close doors, and He is with us even in the unknown.

When You Obey and Don't See Results

Pastor Matthew asks Pastor Anthony a follow-up. How does someone know the difference between a misstep and obeying God without seeing immediate results? He recalls a story Pastor Chris once told about Brett. God prompted Brett to help an older man with his groceries, and the man basically told him to get lost. So was that rejection, a lack of results, or a misheard prompting?

Check Your Motives and Your Pursuit

Pastor Anthony says the first step is to filter our motivations. If we are honest, we can usually tell if we are trying to inflate our ego, prove ourselves, or look super spiritual. He also asks whether we are actually pursuing God. We should not expect to be led by God if we are not seeking Him in prayer and in the Word.

He believes Western culture has taught us that we must see fruit immediately for something to be effective. But in ministry, you do not always see the fruit. Brett may never have seen that man again. No one knows what seed was planted or what the man thought about that night. Part of the journey is simply learning to hear and respond to God. Even if a ministry we started does not take off, seeking to follow God and bless others is always commendable, and God can use it.

Looking Back With Perspective

Pastor Chris agrees that we often cannot judge whether something was right, wrong, or simply delayed until afterward. He has started ministries he felt God led him to begin, and later stopped them when they were not working. Looking back, it is hard to say whether it was God or not. Maybe it was simply part of the process. Often we can look back and see how God was in it.

Pastor Matthew adds that we cannot see from an eternal perspective. Those ministries may have been successful for their season. God may also have been training Pastor Chris for something later. If our faith depends on seeing results, we will often be let down.
Sometimes God lets us see it, but often He does not. That is when faith trusts that God is doing something. If not, He will show us, we will learn and grow, God will redeem it, and we will be okay.

A Practical Step for This Week

Pastor Matthew closes with one final question. Many listeners genuinely want to honor God, and they sense He is calling them to one specific thing. Yet they feel the tension of fear. What practical step would the pastors give them this week?

Say It Out Loud

Pastor Chris says to speak it to somebody, or write it down in a journal. When you get it out of your head, it stops being a thought you can easily dismiss. It becomes something tangible. Whether it is God calling or not can still be determined. But now you have accountability to find out and to take the step if it is God.

Resolve to Take the First Step

Pastor Anthony agrees and adds that you should ask someone for prayer, challenge, and encouragement. Then make the resolve to take an initial step. Tell God you are taking this step and ask Him for the strength, confidence, and boldness to do what He has been leading you to do. Until you make that resolve, nothing will change.

He encourages listeners to bring that step to God as an offering. It can be an act of worship that says you are afraid and there are many unknowns, but you want to honor Him. Ask Him to help you trust Him in the middle of it.

Pastor Matthew thanks both pastors and shares that the conversation encouraged him as he thinks through the things he is facing. If this episode encouraged you, pass it on and share it with your family and friends so they can be encouraged too.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/empowered-by-the-holy-spirit-walking-in-faith-over-fear-the-branch#comments 0 Communion https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/communion Tue, 06 Oct 2026 01:12:17 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/communion
"He invites us to a table and he sets before us a meal so that we can taste so that we can touch the realities of his salvation in our lives." - Pastor Chris Reed
Why does the church take communion together, and what does it really mean? In this message, Pastor Chris Reed, associate pastor and director of biblical education at The Tree Church, teaches on the heart of communion. He traces it from Israel's Passover to Luke 22, where Jesus places Himself at the center of the meal. Along the way, he explains why God chose a simple meal to make His salvation real in our lives.

A Funny Story and the Heart of Communion

Pastor Chris opens with a story from breakfast with his daughter Hannah, a freshman at Mount Vernon. She was learning about the belief that the bread and wine physically become the body and blood of Christ, which is called transubstantiation. She tried to say the word six or seven times and kept getting it wrong. Pastor Chris, a self-described nerd, then invites the whole church to try saying it together.

But the message is not about those technical aspects, which he says might come up on The Branch podcast. The focus is the heart of communion and why the church takes it together on a regular basis.

A Meal That Makes Salvation Real

Pastor Chris gives the church a simple saying to remember, and he even made it rhyme.

"Communion is a meal that makes salvation real." - Pastor Chris Reed

Communion is not a magic trick that takes our sins away. It is not a transaction, like taking medicine to feel better. It is also more than a symbol or a mental exercise. When we turn our hearts and minds to God, His Spirit is with us, moving and transforming us. So we take the bread and the juice believing the Spirit is making the realities of salvation real in our lives.

Why God Gives Us a Meal

Many parts of salvation are things we can only think about. A meal lets us taste, touch, and experience them, so we know deep in our being that God loves us, came for us, and rescued us. Pastor Chris compares it to Thanksgiving dinner. The special foods, the smell of turkey and pies, and the family gathered around make the whole day an experience.

He also remembers a meal from a 2013 mission trip to China. In a small mountain village, believers slaughtered a pig worth a month of food so their guests could eat. Thirty or forty believers filled the table with the Himalayas behind them. They shared about the missionaries who first brought the message of Jesus to them and were buried on a hill across the valley. Pastor Chris once memorized the periodic table, and today he might recall ten or fifteen elements.

"I memorized those facts, but I remember that meal." - Pastor Chris Reed

This is why God does not just ask us to think about His salvation. He invites us to a table.

Rooted in the Passover

Communion is not the first meal God gave His people. It is rooted in the Passover, which celebrates how God rescued Israel from Egypt. After Joseph's time, later Pharaohs enslaved and oppressed the Israelites for 430 years. But God heard their cries. Through Moses, He sent ten plagues against the gods and powers of Egypt.

Before the tenth plague, God told the Israelites to spread the blood of a spotless lamb on their doorposts so death would pass over their homes. They ate the lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, because God would rescue them too swiftly for bread to rise. In Exodus 12:14, God told them to keep this day as a feast throughout their generations. Every year they would relive it, so each generation would know He is the God who rescued and redeemed them.

The Lamb, the Bread, and the Four Cups

Over the years, the core of the Passover meal stayed the same. Spotless lambs were sacrificed and eaten so families could taste and know that the blood of the lamb saved them from judgment.

The unleavened bread became known as the bread of affliction. Pastor Chris jokes that some people feel the same way when they open the communion wafer, and they are right. Some meals carry a little blandness to remind us that salvation is often mixed with suffering and that rescue has a cost. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, families removed all leaven from their homes, because leaven represented sin working its way through their lives.

Four ceremonial cups of wine represented the four promises God made in Exodus 6:6–7. I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. I will take you to be My people. Passover was never only about one night in Egypt. It was about how God was still saving His people, and it set the stage for communion.

Jesus Our Passover Lamb

In Luke 22, Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the Passover. Pastor Chris explains that Jesus was not starting something brand new. He was renewing the Passover and revealing its fuller meaning. Reclining at table for this significant meal, Jesus told His apostles He had earnestly desired to eat this Passover with them before He suffered. He was excited for them to see what Passover meant in light of Him.

Luke places Jesus' death at the time the Passover lambs were being sacrificed. Jesus is the Passover lamb, and putting our faith and trust in Him is how His blood is applied to our lives. When He broke the bread and said, "This is my body, which is given for you," He was taking up the bread of affliction. We are afflicted by sin and its consequences, and Jesus bears that affliction and the judgment we deserve.

The Cups and the New Covenant

In verse 17, Jesus passes a cup and says He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. Pastor Chris explains that the kingdom is God's reign and rule in our lives, and it is about restoring our relationship with Him. We were enemies against God, and it is hard to obey when we do not trust that He is for us. Jesus shed His blood so we would stop resisting and learn to love and trust Him.

In verse 20, Jesus says, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Pastor Chris puts it simply. "Covenant language is relationship language." - Pastor Chris Reed

Matthew's account says Jesus' blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins. But forgiveness is not the end of the story. It happens so we can walk in relationship with God and have His presence with us all the time.

When We Eat

Pastor Chris names three things that happen when we take communion. First, we remember. Communion brings to mind our sin, His sacrifice, and the dear price He paid to accept us and give us life.

Second, we participate in His ongoing work of salvation. We take communion alongside brothers and sisters who believe Jesus is Messiah, and we see that God is still saving and still rescuing.

Third, we anticipate His return. In Corinthians 11:26, Paul says that when we eat this, we proclaim His death until He comes. We still struggle with sin and brokenness, but Jesus has promised to return and make all things right. Communion is the meal that makes salvation real.

Coming to the Table

Before taking communion, Pastor Chris invites the church to reflect. Paul says to approach the table with sobriety, which can include reflecting on how sin still impacts our lives. Pastor Chris also encourages coming with thankfulness for all Christ did to make us right with Him.

For anyone who feels too broken to believe God still loves them, he offers a reminder. Christ promises to come and fulfill what He started, and He will not abandon us. He closes by asking the church to turn their hearts and minds to Jesus and prepare to take communion together.

Gather Around the Table With Us

Looking for a church in Lancaster or a church in Logan where you can grow in your relationship with Jesus? The Tree Church is one church with two campuses, and we would love for you to join us. Our Lancaster campus meets at 721 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130. Our Logan campus meets at 36 Hocking Mall, Logan, OH 43138. Both campuses gather every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Come as you are and find a seat at the table.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/communion#comments 0 Salvation Came at a Cost https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/salvation-came-at-a-cost Tue, 06 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/salvation-came-at-a-cost
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Isaiah 53

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

The Passover meal reminded Israel that their rescue came through sacrifice. The lamb was sacrificed, the bread reminded them of affliction, and the meal told the story of a costly rescue. Jesus takes this story and places Himself at the center of it. He becomes the One who bears our affliction and gives His body for our freedom. Communion reminds us that our salvation was not cheap—it was purchased through the sacrificial love of Jesus.

How does remembering the cost of your salvation change the way you think about Jesus’ love for you?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, thank You for willingly giving Your life for me. Help me never become casual about the sacrifice You made. Give me a deeper gratitude for the freedom and forgiveness You have given me.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Spend five minutes today thanking Jesus specifically for what His sacrifice has made possible in your life.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/06/salvation-came-at-a-cost#comments 0 1 John 2:1-6 | My little children | The Branch https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/1-john-2-1-6-my-little-children-the-branch Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:38:20 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/1-john-2-1-6-my-little-children-the-branch
"He's the one who was sinless, but he's the one who wants to save you and wants to plead your case because it's about his righteousness, not your righteousness." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
In this episode of The Tree Church Bible Study, host Pastor Stacey Crawford is joined by Pastor Matthew Johnson and Pastor Chris Reed. Together they open 1 John 2 and look at two big ideas. The first is Jesus as our advocate. The second is how a real relationship with God leads us to walk in obedience.

A Fun Start and a Quick Recap

The conversation opens with a lighthearted question. If a sign next to a button said "do not press," what are the chances you would press it anyway? Pastor Chris guesses about 50 percent on a day he feels ornery. Pastor Matthew says he is not pressing it. He explains that people sometimes mistake him for a rule breaker because he challenges the status quo. In truth, he follows the rules. He adds that Pastor Chris and Stacey are the two people on staff most likely to follow the rules too.

Pastor Stacey then recaps the previous episode on 1 John 1 with Pastor Jonathan. That study focused on God as light and the importance of recognizing sin, repenting, and continuing to walk toward Jesus. She shares that she and Pastor Chris are working to unpack more context this season. It has even helped her in her own study of Scripture.

My Dear Children

Pastor Stacey reads 1 John 2:1–2 from the NLT.

"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins, and not only our sins, but the sins of the world."

The first thing that stands out to Pastor Stacey is how John addresses his readers. He calls them dear children. She notes that this reflects the heart all three of them have as pastors for their church. John writes with deep love and care.

Pastor Chris adds that John has addressed different groups and problems in his church. Here he turns toward the people who are staying faithful. He wants to encourage them to keep going.

Jesus our Advocate

Pastor Stacey asks what it means that Jesus is our advocate. Pastor Matthew connects it to week seven of the Holy Spirit series. In that message he talked about Jesus promising to send the Paraclete. That word is translated counselor, comforter, advocate, or helper, depending on the Bible version.

Pastor Matthew says the best picture in our culture is a defense attorney. When someone is accused, a defense attorney comes alongside to plead their case and support them.
He points out that John begins with the goal. John writes so that his readers will not sin. Not sinning honors God and shows that we truly trust Him. Yet John also admits that we will sin. Pastor Matthew calls this one of the most dynamic ideas in God's instruction. God gives the standard, and He also gives grace. Even when God gave the law, He also gave the sacrificial system to atone for sin.

Pastor Matthew is clear that this is not permission to sin or a claim that sin is no big deal. It is simply the reality. And the most touching part is who the advocate is. The advocate is the one who died for us.

Expiation and Propitiation

Pastor Chris adds that the one who can save is the one who did it right. He explains that the phrase "sacrifice that atones" is one word in the Greek. John uses it as a noun here. It also appears in Romans and Hebrews.

He explains that the word holds two technical ideas. Propitiation means Jesus removes God's wrath and soothes the tension in the relationship. Expiation means Jesus cancels the offense against God. Pastor Chris says this matters because we still struggle with sin even when we don't want to. We don't have to hide our sin. It is better to admit it and live knowing someone stands in our place and makes us right before God.

The Father Sees the Son

Pastor Matthew explains that when Jesus represents us, the Father does not see our righteousness or unrighteousness. He sees the righteousness of His Son. Jesus' blood covers our sins.

He points to Isaiah, who describes our righteousness as filthy rags before God. Even at our best, we fall short. But because we have an advocate and high priest, we are covered. Our focus can be on grace. We pursue obedience, and when we fall short, we run to Jesus.

Pastor Chris addresses a common tension. Some people hear this language and think Jesus is standing against the Father, as if God wants to strike us down. But it was the Father's idea. God's heart is that we would run to Him and surrender our sin so He can make us clean. Pastor Chris notes that some today want to remove the language of expiation and propitiation. He says it is clearly in Scripture and matters to our faith.

Pastor Matthew agrees. Some people think the God of the Old Testament was angry and the God of the New Testament is kind. He says a careful study of the Old Testament shows grace throughout. The Father started the plan of redemption. He also reminds listeners that the Holy Spirit is our advocate too. When we fail, the Spirit does not push us away in shame. He points us to Jesus.

For the Whole World

Pastor Chris highlights the last part of verse 2. John makes a point to say Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just the church. He connects this to John's reminder that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son. Jesus' death is big enough to cover every sin for anyone who puts their faith in Him.

Obedience Proves the Relationship

Pastor Stacey reads verses 3–6.

"And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, 'I know God,' but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. This is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."

She laughs that John could not be any clearer. Pastor Matthew says this passage answers an important question. How do we know if we are following Jesus?

He speaks bluntly. Many people think a fondness for God makes them a Christian. He notes that at nearly every funeral, people say the person is in a better place, no matter how they lived. John cuts through that.
"Obedience proves the relationship. Obedience proves your faith. Obedience proves your love because if you love him, you're going to do what he said." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
Pastor Matthew points to the Great Commission, where Jesus told His disciples to teach others to obey everything He commanded. He shares that while preparing a January series, he almost used the phrase "total obedience." Then he realized it was redundant. There is no partial obedience or limited obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience. He adds that this is not legalism. It simply means any area where we are not following Jesus is an area of disobedience.

Pastor Chris adds a word of grace. Some people wonder about the things they don't know yet or are still learning. He says the evidence John wants his church to see is a constant pursuit of obedience. That includes doing the work to hear from God, confessing what still stands against Him, and seeking help and accountability. It starts with affection for God and grows into practice.

What Marriage Teaches Us

Pastor Matthew often uses marriage to describe our relationship with God. Early in marriage, some things are obvious. Over time, spouses must be intentional to discover each other's hearts by asking, observing, and listening. Our relationship with God works the same way.

He believes there is grace for honest ignorance. But he points to James, who says that anyone who knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it is sinning. A person who refuses to learn God's heart is not in a true relationship. A person who loves God follows what they know and keeps going deeper. God's word becomes the authority in their life, not just an influence.

Stacey shares that the deeper she goes with God, the more she sees that He knows better than she does. He has never failed her. She has seen His grace, blessing, and faithfulness in every step of obedience.

Love Made Complete

Pastor Matthew notes that verse 5 speaks of God's love being perfected in us. Scholars are not sure if it means our love for God or God's love for us. He believes either way, obedience transforms us. God's commands are based on His design so we can experience life at its fullest.
"It's not that God's love is not complete for us. It's that we are discovering how complete his love is." – Pastor Chris Reed
Pastor Chris shares that he and his wife, Cass, were recently talking about their 23 years together. Cass has always loved him. Yet through years of struggle, learning, and growing, he understands her love more fully. He says the same is true with God, and that understanding fuels our love for Him.

Walking Away From Legalism

Stacey shares something personal. She used to have a very legalistic view of faith. As a checkbox person, she often felt she wasn't doing everything God wanted. She sensed God reminding her that He has atoned for her sins and shown her grace. She doesn't have to be perfect. She just needs to keep listening, keep building her relationship with Him, and keep walking with Him.
"Grace was never given to us so that we would remain in sin." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
Pastor Matthew explains how the passage builds. Verse 1 gives the goal of not sinning. Verse 2 admits we will sin and offers atonement. Verses 3–4 call us to be honest with ourselves. Verse 5 shows that as we walk this out, God's love is perfected in us.

He notes that John writes in a way that is both affectionate and demanding. John calls his readers dear children and then says plainly that anyone who claims to know God but doesn't obey is a liar. Pastor Matthew says this is relevant today. Our culture often says love means celebrating any behavior. John would say that is not love. His challenge is not legalism. It is an invitation to be honest about whether we love, trust, and follow God. We need the Holy Spirit to help us walk that out.

Pastor Chris sums up the main theme of 1 John. Right theology always equals right living. Knowing that Jesus is fully God and fully man and that He is our advocate should transform how we live. He says John will never be content with anything less than his church becoming like Jesus.

Closing Prayer

Pastor Chris closes in prayer. He thanks God for giving His Son so we can be reconciled and stand righteous before Him. He thanks God that Jesus still advocates for us as we struggle to become more like Him. He asks that God's forgiveness would fill hearts and minds and give encouragement, motivation, and direction to keep saying yes to God and taking steps of obedience.

Pastor Stacey thanks Pastor Matthew and Pastor Chris and invites listeners to like, subscribe, share the episode, and check out the show notes.
This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/1-john-2-1-6-my-little-children-the-branch#comments 0 Remember What God Has Done https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/remember-what-god-has-done Mon, 05 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/remember-what-god-has-done
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Exodus 12

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

God gave Israel the Passover meal as a way to continually remember how He rescued them from slavery. They were not simply told to think about their salvation; they were given a meal that engaged their whole selves. Every year, they would eat, remember, and retell the story of what God had done. Communion carries this same purpose for us. It brings the story of Jesus’ sacrifice into our hands and minds so that we don’t forget what He has done to save us.

What part of Jesus’ work of salvation do you most need to remember today?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Father, help me remember Your faithfulness and the ways You have rescued and provided for me. Keep the story of Your salvation from becoming something I simply know about. Help it become something that shapes how I live.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Take a few minutes today to remember a specific way God has worked in your life and thank Him for it.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/05/remember-what-god-has-done#comments 1 Ready for the Moment https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/02/ready-for-the-moment Fri, 02 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/02/ready-for-the-moment
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Acts 3, 4

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

The disciples’ boldness wasn’t a one-time experience. They developed a new rhythm of obedience, responsiveness, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. In Acts 3, Peter and John were ready when an unexpected opportunity came, and in Acts 4, after being threatened, they gathered with their friends and prayed for greater boldness. The Holy Spirit continued to fill them and empower them to speak about Jesus with courage.

What might God want to do through you if you lived each day ready and responsive to His leading?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Father, make me attentive to the moments You place in front of me. Help me recognize opportunities to love, serve, speak, and act in obedience. Give me boldness to respond when You invite me to participate in what You are doing.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Pray before you begin your day, “God, make me ready for whatever You put in front of me today,” and then pay attention to the opportunities that come.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/02/ready-for-the-moment#comments 0 The Spirit Changes Us https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/01/the-spirit-changes-us Thu, 01 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/01/the-spirit-changes-us
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Acts 2:14-47

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Peter was not the same man who had denied Jesus just weeks earlier. The Holy Spirit gave him power and clarity, transforming his fear into confidence as he stood before thousands and proclaimed Jesus. Peter didn’t become bold because he suddenly became naturally fearless. He became bold because he was empowered by the Holy Spirit and found himself in the place God had called him to be.

Where do you most need the Holy Spirit to replace fear with confidence?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Holy Spirit, transform the places where fear keeps me from following Jesus. Give me confidence that comes from Your presence and power rather than from believing in myself.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Have one conversation today that you have been avoiding because of fear, asking the Holy Spirit to give you courage before you begin.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/10/01/the-spirit-changes-us#comments 1 Take the Next Step https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/30/take-the-next-step Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/30/take-the-next-step
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Acts 2:1-13

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

The disciples waited, but when the Holy Spirit finally came, Peter and the others began to obey. The Holy Spirit moves through us in ways we could never accomplish on our own. We may not feel ready or sufficient, but we can take the next step knowing that where we lack, God can fill the gaps.

What is the next small step of obedience God may be asking you to take?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Father, give me courage to take the next step even when I don’t feel ready. Help me trust that You can provide what I lack and use even my small acts of obedience for something greater.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Do one small thing today that you have been putting off because you didn’t feel qualified, ready, or capable.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/30/take-the-next-step#comments 0 Wait for His Power https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/29/wait-for-his-power Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/29/wait-for-his-power
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Acts 1

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Jesus gave His disciples a seemingly impossible assignment, but He didn’t ask them to accomplish it in their own strength. He told them to wait for the promise of the Father and the coming power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes our greatest act of faith is not doing more but learning to wait for God to empower what He has called us to do. We don’t have to manufacture the power to follow Jesus because He provides what we need.

Where might you be trying to accomplish something in your own strength that God is inviting you to surrender to the Holy Spirit?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Holy Spirit, I need Your power. Teach me to wait for You instead of rushing ahead in my own strength. Fill me and empower me to live out what Jesus has called me to do.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Before beginning the next thing you have to do, stop and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you rather than relying only on your own strength.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/29/wait-for-his-power#comments 0 Power and Boldness https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/power-and-boldness Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/power-and-boldness
"The calling of Jesus is impossible without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
Pastor Matthew Johnson closed the series on the Holy Spirit with a message from the book of Acts. Throughout the series, the church explored what it means to be in a real relationship with God and His Spirit. In this final message, Pastor Matthew focused on how the Holy Spirit empowers us to do things we never thought we could do.

Following Jesus Is Difficult and Scary

Pastor Matthew began with an honest admission. Following Jesus can be both difficult and scary. The reason is simple. Our relationship with Jesus is built on faith. We are saved by trusting in Him, and we keep walking in obedience by trusting in Him.

That means Jesus will keep calling us to places that require trust.

"Jesus is never, hear me now, never going to call you to a place of comfort because comfort doesn't require faith." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

Pastor Matthew named some of the ways this shows up. Jesus calls us to share our faith or invite someone to church when it feels awkward. He calls us to love people we would rather avoid and to forgive when we would rather hold on to hurt. He calls us to give when we fear we won't have enough and to serve when we would rather rest. He asks us to take the next step before we can see the whole path.

The Calling of Jesus Is Impossible

Then Pastor Matthew made a bold statement. The calling of Jesus is impossible. He paused to let people wonder about his theology, then finished the sentence. The calling of Jesus is impossible without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

He pointed to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20. Jesus told His followers to go and make disciples of all nations. At that point, Jesus was speaking to 11 average men from Galilee. Spreading His message to the whole world was an impossible task for them alone.

That is why Jesus told them to wait. In Acts 1, Jesus ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. The disciples still did not fully understand. They asked if Jesus was about to restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus answered in Acts 1:8.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Pastor Matthew invited the church to reflect. Is it possible that we struggle to live out God's calling because we are not inviting the Holy Spirit's power into our lives? Maybe we are trying to do it alone.

Peter Before the Holy Spirit

To show what the Spirit can do, Pastor Matthew turned to Peter. He shared how much he relates to Peter, a man who went from being a coward to a person of great courage.
Peter started as an average fisherman. Jesus called him and his brother, along with two friends, to follow Him. Over three years of ministry, Peter became part of Jesus' inner circle.

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples they would all abandon Him. Peter stood up and insisted he would stay loyal to the end. Jesus told him that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny Him three times. Jesus also told Peter that Satan had asked to sift him like wheat. Yet Jesus had prayed that after Peter fell and recovered, he would lead.

Later that night, Jesus was arrested. Peter followed from a distance and slipped into a courtyard. One man asked if he was a follower of Jesus, and Peter denied it. A servant girl recognized him, and he denied it again. When a third person asked, Peter denied Jesus once more. The rooster crowed, and Jesus turned and looked at Peter.

Peter went into hiding. After the resurrection, he went back to fishing. That is where Jesus found him. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. It gave Peter the chance to confess Jesus three times after denying Him three times. Each time, Jesus reaffirmed Peter's calling to care for His people.

Then Jesus told Peter in John 21:18 that his life would end in martyrdom. Right after that, Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

Pastor Matthew explained that this was the calling Jesus gave all His disciples. They did not know the path or where their story would end. Jesus simply asked them to commit to follow Him. From there, Pastor Matthew shared five truths from Peter's story.

Five Truths From Peter's Story

Peter Resolved to Obey Jesus

Even though Jesus told Peter it would cost him his life, Peter resolved to say yes. Pastor Matthew explained that living out the calling of Jesus begins in the mind, the heart, and the spirit. We decide to say yes before we know the details.

He shared a story from his son's soccer game. His family was talking about a woman who joined a connect group. When his wife asked how long she had attended The Tree, she said the previous Sunday was her first. She had no church background, but she heard about connect groups and wanted to connect to God. That group changed her life.

Then Pastor Matthew spoke bluntly. Most people decide they will evaluate the calling first. They hear the call to serve and check their schedule. They hear the call to join a connect group and think about what makes them comfortable. They hear the call to put God first in their finances and look at their budget. He warned that this is a dangerous place to be.

Peter Began to Obey

Jesus told the disciples to wait, so they waited. Acts 2:1 says they were all together in one place on the day of Pentecost. They did not know the third, fourth, or fifth step. They only knew the next step.

Pastor Matthew described the 10 days of waiting. They prayed day after day while nothing seemed to happen. They likely grew impatient or wondered if they had missed it. Still, they obeyed.

"You can commit to obey without knowing all the next steps." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

Pastor Matthew said he cannot think of a story where power comes before obedience. David said he would fight the giant, and then the power showed up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said no to the king, and then the power showed up. The same was true for Daniel, Moses, Peter, the apostles, and Paul. He encouraged anyone who is afraid to take the first step of obedience as an invitation for God's power.

Peter Was Empowered and Shaped by the Holy Spirit

Pastor Matthew read Acts 2:2–4. A sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the house. Tongues as of fire rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This was the moment Jesus had promised.

He asked how many people feel more comfortable doing something scary when a friend comes along. Most of the room raised their hands. He shared that as a high school freshman, he did not approach the girl he liked directly. He had his friends talk to her friends instead. That girl later became his wife.

At 47, Pastor Matthew said he is still wired that way. He is shy by nature, so he often brings his wife or Pastor Tim from X Church to conferences. Then he asked the church to imagine having God with them. That is what changed Peter from a coward into a man of courage.

Peter Was Ready and Responsive for God-Ordained Moments

At that moment, Jerusalem was full for the Feast of Pentecost. It was one of three annual feasts that required Jewish men to travel to the temple. Tens of thousands of people were there.

Peter's eyes were open. He asked God what He wanted him to do, and God opened a door. In Acts 2:14, Peter stood with the 11 and lifted up his voice. He explained that the prophecy of Joel was being fulfilled and that God was pouring out His Spirit on everyone.
Pastor Matthew reminded the church that this was the same Peter who denied Jesus to a servant girl about a month and a half earlier. Now he boldly preached to the same crowds that had cried out for the crucifixion. He said Peter did not suddenly get tough. Peter became a vessel for the Holy Spirit.

When the crowd heard Peter's message, they were cut to the heart and asked what they should do. Peter answered in Acts 2:38.

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."

He told them they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that the promise was for them, their children, and all who are far off. About 3,000 people were added that day.

Peter Was Amazed by the Holy Spirit

The man who denied Jesus now confessed Him, and 3,000 people were saved. The church began that day.

A New Rhythm

Pastor Matthew explained that being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time event. It is a new rhythm. After big moments of obedience, fear may come again. So we resolve to follow Jesus again, begin to obey, let the Spirit empower us, look for opportunities, and stop to be amazed at what He has done.

Peter lived this rhythm. In Acts 3, Peter and John healed a man who could not walk at the temple steps. Many more people were saved. Then the religious leaders arrested them and threatened them. Peter and John spoke so well that the leaders were amazed, because they were ordinary fishermen. Peter told them he would keep lifting up the name of Jesus.

Afterward, Peter and John felt afraid. They did not let fear win. They gathered with other believers and prayed. Acts 4:31 says that when they prayed, the place was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Pastor Matthew shared that when Peter later faced crucifixion, he asked to be crucified upside down. He did not feel worthy to die the same way as his Lord. The coward Peter ended his life in total courage because the Spirit of God was working through him.

What Is God Calling You To?

Pastor Matthew closed by naming what makes following Jesus scary. It is scary to witness and to forgive people who hurt you. It is scary to honor God in your finances and to join a connect group with people you don't know. Serving means saying no to other things, and starting something new can make you feel unqualified. But each of these is an opportunity to see the Holy Spirit's power lead you further than you imagined.

He asked the church to think about what God is calling them to do that they have said no to. What would happen if they said yes today? How would it change their lives and the people around them?

"The Holy Spirit wants to do something in you, but he wants to do something through you." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

He ended in prayer for everyone in Lancaster, Logan, and online. He thanked the Holy Spirit for filling the gap between our capabilities and His calling. He prayed that people would commit in their hearts to say yes and take steps of obedience. He also prayed that as they see God move, their faith would grow and lead them to even greater steps of faith.

Visit The Tree Church

If you are looking for a church in Lancaster or a church in Logan, The Tree Church would love to welcome you this Sunday. We are one church with two campuses in Ohio. Both gather for services at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM every Sunday.

Lancaster Campus
 721 N Memorial Dr, Lancaster, OH 43130

Logan Campus
36 Hocking Mall, Logan, OH 43138

Come as you are. We would love to meet you and grow together as we follow Jesus.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/power-and-boldness#comments 0 Perfect Prayers https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/perfect-prayers Mon, 28 Sep 2026 06:10:07 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/perfect-prayers
"The Holy Spirit's prayers are always answered. Always. He has never once had a prayer that has not been answered because he's praying perfect prayers for you." — Pastor Matthew

When You Don't Know What To Pray

Pastor Matthew opened this message by pointing back to Psalm 23, one of the most familiar passages in scripture. He explained that when David wrote, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," he was not saying every desire would be met. Instead, he was making a statement of deep trust, that because God is his shepherd, David could believe he had exactly what he needed in that moment, even if it did not look the way he expected.

Pastor Matthew explained that this kind of trust becomes possible when believers understand what the Holy Spirit does for them, especially in seasons of suffering and confusion.

Present Suffering And Future Glory

Turning to Romans 8, Pastor Matthew explained that Paul spends the first part of the chapter reminding believers that they are adopted children of God with no condemnation against them. But starting in verse 18, Paul addresses a real tension. Being a child of God does not mean life will be free of pain.

Paul writes that he considers present suffering not worth comparing to the future glory that is coming. Pastor Matthew was careful to explain that Paul is not minimizing pain or telling believers to simply push through. Instead, Paul's confidence rests entirely in how great that future glory will be, a place with no more sin, sickness, anxiety, or separation from God.

Creation Groaning For Redemption

Pastor Matthew walked through Paul's description of creation itself waiting for redemption. Because of sin, not just humanity but the entire created world was affected, and it longs to be set free. Paul compares this to a woman in labor, using the image of pain that comes with the promise of a payoff.

Pastor Matthew shared a personal story about his wife giving birth to their four children without medication. In the middle of one particularly difficult labor, she told him through the pain that she did not think she could do it again. Moments after the baby was born, she told him the opposite. Pastor Matthew used this to illustrate Paul's point that in the moment of pain, things feel unbearable, but in the moment of payoff, it becomes clear it was worth it.

What It Means To Groan

Paul uses the word groaning three times in this passage, and Pastor Matthew defined it as the deep, sometimes wordless expression of pain over what is broken, paired with a longing for it to be made right. He explained that this groaning is not limited to unbelievers or those who lack faith. Paul is talking directly to Christians who carry the Holy Spirit and still hurt deeply.

Pastor Matthew shared a personal story about a time he fell off a ladder while building a shed, describing the involuntary sound of pain that came out of him in that moment. He connected this to the deeper, more guttural sounds of grief he has heard from behind hospital doors, the kind of pain too big for words. He defined groaning in this fuller sense as the aching response to life as it is, paired with longing for life as God has promised it will one day be.

The Spirit Intercedes For Us

Pastor Matthew then turned to Romans 8:26 and 27, where Paul explains what the Holy Spirit does in response to that groaning. Rather than rebuking, shaming, or growing distant from believers in their pain, the Spirit intercedes for them with groanings too deep for words.

Pastor Matthew explained that the Spirit does not groan out of helplessness but out of deep, personal love and connection. He compared this to the way a parent feels a child's pain even while knowing the future will be good. He shared how he has sat with his own children through rejection, failure, and disappointment, fully confident their future would be brighter, yet still feeling their pain alongside them. He explained that this is the picture Paul gives of the Holy Spirit, who already knows the redemptive plan but still meets believers in their pain and cares deeply.

The Spirit Prays Perfect Prayers

Pastor Matthew connected this to Psalm 139, where the psalmist declares that God searches him and knows him completely. He explained that the Holy Spirit knows every believer's heart, mind, pain, and joy, while also perfectly knowing God's will and plan for their life.

Because of this, Pastor Matthew explained that the Holy Spirit prays prayers that are perfectly aligned with both where a person is and where God is leading them. He emphasized that these prayers are always answered, since the Spirit is praying exactly what aligns with God's will. This truth, he said, is meant to bring deep comfort in moments when someone does not even know what to pray for.

All Things Working Together For Good

Pastor Matthew moved into Romans 8:28, reminding listeners that God's promise is not that everything experienced will be good, but that God can take even painful and difficult things and work them together for good. He explained the progression Paul describes, that those God foreknew, he predestined, called, justified, and will ultimately glorify, a process that moves every believer toward being made new.

He encouraged listeners that even in seasons of confusion or struggle, it is enough to bring that honesty to God, even without the right words. Sometimes, he said, it is enough to simply groan in God's presence and trust that the Spirit is praying on your behalf.

Nothing Can Separate Us From God's Love

Pastor Matthew closed by reading Romans 8:31-39, one of the most well known passages in scripture. He emphasized that if God did not spare His own Son for us, there is no reason to believe He would ever reject us over something we have done. Paul lists trouble, distress, and hardship of every kind, declaring that none of it can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Matthew reminded listeners that the same God who is all-knowing and all-powerful is also completely loving, and is committed to using every part of a believer's story for good.

Closing In Prayer

Pastor Matthew closed the message in prayer, thanking the Holy Spirit for being a friend, helper, comforter, and advocate. He prayed for everyone listening who feels distracted by pain to be reminded that God has not given up on them, that He is not distant or indifferent, and that He is working every difficulty toward a redemptive purpose. He prayed for supernatural peace and a renewed sense that God is on their side, even while waiting for full redemption.

Visit The Tree Church

Whether you are looking for a church in Lancaster or a church in Logan, The Tree Church would love to have you join us this weekend. We gather at two campuses, each with services every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. If you are searching for a place to grow in your faith and find real community, we would love to meet you.

Lancaster Campus: 721 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130
Logan Campus: Logan, OH Campus Address

We would love to see you this Sunday.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/perfect-prayers#comments 0 The Holy Spirit, Suffering, and the Prayers We Cannot Pray | The Branch https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/the-holy-spirit-suffering-and-the-prayers-we-cannot-pray-the-branch Mon, 28 Sep 2026 06:08:44 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/the-holy-spirit-suffering-and-the-prayers-we-cannot-pray-the-branch
"It's not about us being perfect. It's not about us doing the right thing. It's about his perfect prayers." – Pastor Matthew Johnson
Some seasons leave us without words. We sit down to pray and nothing comes out, or we repeat the same prayer again and again. In this episode of The Branch podcast, Pastor Chris Reed and Pastor Matthew Johnson revisit Sunday's message from Romans 8. They talk about suffering, God's plan for our lives, and the Holy Spirit who prays for us when we don't know how.

Pastor Chris sets up the conversation by describing the tension believers live in. God's plan is to make us whole. Pastor Chris points to the Hebrew word shalom to describe that wholeness. Yet right now we still live in a world where that is not our full reality. In those moments, we need the Spirit to pray for us.

When the Spirit Prays for Us

Seasons Without Words

Pastor Matthew shares a few seasons from his own life. As a high school student, he did not understand the grace of God. At church camp he felt God drawing him and softening his heart. At the same time he carried deep guilt and shame. He did not know what to pray, yet he still felt connected to God. He did not have the words then to explain that the Spirit was praying for him.

He also describes seasons in life and ministry when things did not go the way he expected. He started with the prayers he knew to pray, including prayers of repentance. He asked God if he was the reason things were not working out. When those prayers ran out, he did not feel the need to repeat them. Jesus is clear that we are not heard because of our many words. So Pastor Matthew simply told God that He had searched his heart and knew his desire to honor Him and lead well. Then he asked God to sustain him. He shares that this has happened even in the past year.

The Place of Tongues

Pastor Chris asks if praying in tongues connects to this idea. Pastor Matthew says he sees them as connected. He did not mention tongues on Sunday because he does not believe tongues are the only way the Spirit prays for us. He also did not want to add to the confusion that ties being filled with the Spirit only to speaking in tongues. Still, he believes that when Paul talks about praying in the Spirit in 1 Corinthians, he is talking about tongues.

Every Saturday, Pastor Matthew prays over the auditorium in Lancaster, and Zach does the same in Logan. He walks through the room and touches each seat. He prays for the marriages in crisis, the people who have suffered loss, the sick, and those fading in their faith. When he runs out of English words, he turns to praying in tongues.

Pastor Chris shares that tongues help him when he feels like he keeps repeating himself or when his thoughts will not come together. It helps him connect to God without feeling like he has to perform. Before he speaks to the church, he often prays in tongues and asks God to use his mouth.

Pastor Matthew encourages listeners not to treat tongues as a last resort. He sees it as part of the generosity of God. When we run out of our own ability, God fills the gaps. He describes Paul praying with his mind while praying in tongues, thinking about a situation while trusting the Spirit to engage it.

"If it matters to me it matters to God. There's nothing too big. There's nothing too small. There's nothing that's off-putting." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

For those who have not experienced tongues, Pastor Matthew says it is okay to sit quietly and say, "Holy Spirit, pray for me." We can take deep breaths, relax, and trust His perfect prayers.

Why Paul Is Honest About Suffering

Pastor Matthew shares that Romans 8 felt fresh to him while he studied for Sunday. He noticed how much of the chapter focuses on suffering, creation groaning, and the Spirit meeting us there. He asks Pastor Chris why it matters that Paul admits we suffer.

Pastor Chris answers simply. It is the reality we live in. If Paul said Christians should float above all pain, it would not match our experience. Instead, Paul normalizes what we already face. Jesus stepped into our suffering and endured it Himself. Pastor Chris adds that the churches Paul wrote to often faced persecution. Following Jesus can cost us, and preparing people for that is the loving thing to do.

Pastor Matthew agrees. Without that honesty, he says, people tend to become either jaded or fake. Some decide God's promises do not matter because life is hard. Others feel they must wear a happy face to be good Christians. Paul's words give us permission to be real. Pastor Matthew points to Paul's thorn in the flesh and his long list of hardships. Because Paul was honest about his pain, his words about faith carry more weight.

Creation Groans Too

Pastor Chris notes that Paul widens the view to all of creation. Pastor Matthew explains that he sees this as figurative language. Paul is showing that everything in our world is broken in some way. We see it in natural disasters, in sickness and death, and even in the trees that fall on his property each year.

Pastor Matthew says this helps us understand how great our hope is. When God restores us, He will restore everything around us too. There will be no sin, no sickness, no stress, and no relational tension. That is a glimpse of the new heaven and new earth.

Pastor Chris adds that the end of Romans 8 points to God making us more like Christ. Earlier in Romans, Paul compares Adam and Jesus. Pastor Chris says the thing we long for is the thing we were always meant to be.

Finding God in the Fog

Pastor Matthew notes that Paul ends Romans 8 by saying nothing can separate us from God's love. Pain often makes us feel the opposite. He asks Pastor Chris if he has ever been in so much pain that he did not know how to relate to God.

Pastor Chris shares that his hardest seasons come when God seems quiet. He starts to believe he has done something wrong and pushed God away. Something as small as not wanting to do his devotion one morning can send him into that cycle.

"When I walk outside in the morning I know my car is still there cuz I haven't got in and I drove away but it's foggy so I can't see it." – Pastor Chris Reed

His way through the fog is bringing other people in. He meets weekly with Pastor Brandon, who helps him see what he cannot see. Others remind him of God's promises in Romans 8 and pray for him.

Pastor Matthew loves the analogy. We can know God is good and loves us, yet pain clouds that truth. He values people who have come through the fog and can describe what they see. He also reminds listeners that fog lifts as the sun comes up. Over 47 years of walking in faith, he has moved from fear and hopelessness toward trust that God will carry him through.

Trusting When You Cannot Feel

Pastor Chris admits that trusting God when he cannot feel Him is still hard. Pastor Matthew shares that some seasons call for leaning on what we know and others call for being stirred emotionally, often in worship. He says we navigate this relationally with the Holy Spirit. We can tell Him, "I don't feel it. Help me feel it."

He also encourages Pastor Chris that God uses our struggles to reach people. Paul prayed three times for his thorn to be removed. God said no, and generations have found their story in Paul's words.

All Things Work Toward Good

Pastor Chris asks how to share God's promises without turning them into easy phrases. Pastor Matthew recalls first hearing Pastor Chris say that Romans 8:28 does not mean everything is good. It means all things work toward good. Pastor Chris laughs and credits Tim Keller for the idea.

Meeting People in Their Pain

Pastor Matthew says the worst thing we can do is tell someone that something bad is not bad. Even the crucifixion was a real injustice. When someone is hurting, the loving response is to meet them in the pain without minimizing it. Then we can gently point them toward redemption.

"What God's promise was is not that we would be pain-free, but that in our pain he would be present and that in our pain there would be a purpose." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

That purpose may be for us, or it may be through us for someone else. Pastor Chris adds that God is more powerful and more lasting than our pain. Paul calls his troubles light and momentary because he knows how great the glory will be.

God Knows Where You Are Going

Pastor Matthew points to Psalm 139, where the psalmist says God has searched him and knows him. He asks what it means that the Spirit knows exactly where we are.

Pastor Chris shares a phrase from his counseling intensives this summer. God often saves us from ourselves. We may want a certain role at work and not get it. Later we may see that God kept it from us because it would not bring us life. Pastor Chris also says one wrong choice does not derail God's plan. God is shaping us to become more like Christ.

A GPS That Reroutes

Pastor Matthew adds that a loving God sometimes has to say no. He compares God to a GPS that reroutes us after a wrong turn. In his devotions in Isaiah, he sees God warning His people while also offering a better path if they repent. Pastor Chris notes that the exile was a correction, not a condemnation. Both agree we still have to be willing to follow the new route.

What to Do When You Are Hurting

Pastor Matthew offers a few layers of help. First, spend time in the presence of God through honest prayer. Journaling can help if prayer feels like a wish list. Be real and raw with God. Even Jeremiah told God how he truly felt.

"God has already searched your heart and knows your heart. So nothing you're going to say is going to offend God." – Pastor Matthew Johnson

He also encourages getting quiet and listening, because good communication is both speaking and listening. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in a private place. Finally, bring in mature believers who can speak truth through the fog.

Pastor Chris adds that he fills his time with sermons, worship music, and good books. He encourages people who struggle to pray to let the Psalms guide their prayers.

Trusting God or Resigning Yourself

Pastor Matthew asks how trusting God differs from resigning ourselves to whatever happens. Scripture shows times when God calls His people to rise up and times when He says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Pastor Chris wants to redeem the word resignation. He sees obedience as resigning our own will. Sometimes that means going when we would rather not. Sometimes it means waiting when we want to act. The key is discerning what the Spirit is doing.

Pastor Matthew connects this to his message on nudges and checks. He believes we can tell the difference between our own insecurity and a real check from the Holy Spirit. Each situation is unique, so staying connected to the Spirit matters. Pastor Chris agrees and says we need to slow down and give God time to speak.

The conversation closes with thanks and a reminder that one more week remains in the series on the Holy Spirit, the person of God we need every single day.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/the-holy-spirit-suffering-and-the-prayers-we-cannot-pray-the-branch#comments 0 Say Yes Before You Know https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/say-yes-before-you-know Mon, 28 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/say-yes-before-you-know
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: John 21

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Peter had no idea what following Jesus would look like after the resurrection. He had failed Jesus, been restored by Him, and was now simply told, “Follow me.” Jesus didn’t give Peter a complete plan for his future. He gave him an invitation to trust and obey. Following Jesus often means saying yes before we know exactly where that yes will lead.

What is one area where you know Jesus is asking you to follow Him, even though you don’t know what comes next?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, help me resolve in my heart to say yes to You before I know all the details. Give me faith to trust Your wisdom and love more than my need for certainty.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Identify one thing you already know Jesus is asking you to do and take one concrete step of obedience today.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/28/say-yes-before-you-know#comments 0 Nothing Can Separate Us https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/25/nothing-can-separate-us Fri, 25 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/25/nothing-can-separate-us
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Romans 8:31–39

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Paul ends this passage with one of the strongest declarations of hope in Scripture: nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Trouble, suffering, danger, loss, uncertainty, and even death do not have the final word. God is for us, Jesus has given Himself for us, and the Holy Spirit is with us. We may walk through difficult seasons, but we never walk through them separated from the love of God.

What would change in the way you face today if you truly believed that nothing could separate you from God’s love?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, help me live with confidence in Your love. When circumstances make me afraid or discouraged, remind me that nothing can separate me from You. Help me walk through every season knowing that I am held by Your love.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Whenever you feel anxious or discouraged today, pause and say, “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.”
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/25/nothing-can-separate-us#comments 0 God Is Working for Good https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/24/god-is-working-for-good Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/24/god-is-working-for-good
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Genesis 50

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is able to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This doesn’t mean everything that happens to us is good. Some things are painful, broken, and deeply unfair. But God is not finished with our stories. He can take what is difficult and work through it toward His greater purpose—ultimately conforming us to the image of Jesus.

Where do you need to trust that God is still working, even though you cannot yet see what He is doing?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Father, help me trust Your purposes when I cannot understand my circumstances. Give me patience while You work. Shape me through every season and make me more like Jesus.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Identify one difficult circumstance you have been trying to control and intentionally surrender its outcome to God today.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/24/god-is-working-for-good#comments 0 1 John 1:5-10 | Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness | TCBS https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/1-john-1-5-10-light-and-darkness-sin-and-forgiveness-tcbs Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/1-john-1-5-10-light-and-darkness-sin-and-forgiveness-tcbs
"The safest place for you, the sinner, is in the light. That's the safest place that you can be. There is no safer place than with him, in fellowship with him, and in his light." — Pastor Chris

Walking In The Light Instead Of The Dark

Pastor Stacey opened this episode of the Tree Church Bible Study with a lighthearted question for her guests, Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Chris. If their personality was a type of light, what would it be. Pastor Chris said he would be a candle burning at both ends. Pastor Jonathan landed somewhere between a laser and the cat that chases the laser once his energy runs out.

That playful opener led into the heart of the episode. The group continued their study of First John, moving into 1 John 1:5-10, where the apostle John writes about God being light and what it means for believers to walk in that light instead of in darkness.

God Is Light And There Is No Darkness In Him

Pastor Stacey read the passage from 1 John 1:5. This is the message John heard from Jesus and now declares. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

Pastor Jonathan explained that John phrases this in the negative on purpose. There is no darkness in God. No moral contradiction. No hidden imperfection. Pastor Chris connected this to the Old Testament idea of God's glory, a Hebrew word that carries the sense of weightiness and brightness. When the Hebrew people thought of God's fullness, they pictured Him emanating brightness because He is pure goodness.

Pastor Stacey brought in a passage from the beginning of John's Gospel, where the Word gives life to everyone and the light shines in the darkness. The darkness can never put it out.

What It Looks Like To Walk In Darkness

The group turned to a practical question. How would someone know they are still walking in darkness instead of the light. Pastor Chris explained that anything Jesus commands represents moral light. If someone embraces the opposite of what Jesus calls right, good, and true, they are still walking in darkness.

Pastor Stacey gave real examples, like choosing to move in with a boyfriend or girlfriend despite knowing better, or holding onto bitterness toward someone who hurt you. Pastor Chris clarified that walking in darkness does not mean a single stumble or a momentary lapse. It means living apart from fellowship with Jesus and refusing to trust that His work on the cross is enough to cover those moments. Walking in the light, by contrast, is simply the ongoing direction of a person's life. If the direction of someone's steps is toward Jesus, that is what it means to walk in the light, even while still growing.

Confession Restores Fellowship

The conversation moved into verses seven and eight, where John explains that walking in the light brings fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus cleanses believers from all sin. Claiming to have no sin, John says, is simply fooling ourselves.

Pastor Chris explained that this cleansing is not a one-time event but an ongoing reality. Every sin, past and future, is met by the blood of Jesus. He compared this to the Old Testament sacrifices, which had to be repeated again and again, and contrasted it with the final sacrifice of Jesus described throughout the New Testament. That sacrifice cleanses believers so that fellowship with God can continue even when they fail.

Pastor Chris also connected this to human relationships. Sin breaks fellowship, whether with God or with the people around us. If someone hurts a spouse or a friend and never admits it, bitterness sets in and walls go up. Confession is what restores that fellowship, both with God and with others.

The Light Exposes What Was Already There

One illustration shared during the episode compared this idea to a ride at Dollywood called Mystery Mine. Riders travel through what feels like a dark, mysterious cave, but one time the lights came on inside the ride. Instead of a mysterious mine, it was just a plain, ordinary looking room. The light did not put anything into the room. It simply exposed what was already there.

The group agreed that the same is true for believers. The light of God does not create sin in us. It exposes what does not look like Him so that it can be dealt with. One helpful practice mentioned was keeping a short list when it comes to confession. As soon as something comes up, take it straight to God rather than running from Him.

The conversation also connected this to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, noting that the very first of Luther's 95 Theses states that the life of a believer is one of repentance. Believers wake up each day striving to live out of the forgiveness Christ has already provided, and when they fail, they bring that failure into the light rather than hiding it.

Bringing Things Into The Light Is Safe

Pastor Stacey shared a personal reflection from a season of working through anxiety with a counselor. She was taught that keeping struggles hidden only allows them to grow worse, and that speaking them out loud, whether to God or to a trusted friend, is what allows healing to begin.

Pastor Chris spoke directly to anyone who feels like their struggles are too dark to bring into the light. He said the safest place for a sinner is in the light, in fellowship with Jesus, because sin leads to death but light brings refinement and healing. Pastor Jonathan added that Jesus never meets confession with shame or condemnation. He meets people with compassion and grace, because that is why He came in the first place.

Light Also Exposes What Is Not Confessed

Pastor Jonathan noted that while light is life giving for the believer, it also has an exposing effect for anyone who refuses to confess and remains in darkness. He referenced Isaiah's vision of God's holiness in Isaiah 6, where Isaiah is overwhelmed by his own sinfulness in God's presence. Pastor Chris acknowledged this can be a difficult truth, but explained that pure goodness cannot coexist with sin, and that refusing to confess does not remove that reality.

The group discussed how easy it is to assume that since no one is perfect, everyone is simply fine. Pastor Chris pushed back gently on this idea, explaining that grace does not come from comparing ourselves to others. It comes from Christ making a way for people to be brought into the light, where sin is exposed not to bring fear, but freedom and hope.

Closing in Prayer

Pastor Jonathan closed the episode in prayer, thanking God for not leaving people in the dark, and for the way Jesus showed what it looks like to walk in complete fellowship with the Father. He prayed for anyone listening who has been afraid to confess and bring something into the light, asking that they would find the courage to do so and experience God's forgiveness. He prayed that believers would reflect God's light in the way they think, speak, and treat others, and that true confession and community would take root in the church.
This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/1-john-1-5-10-light-and-darkness-sin-and-forgiveness-tcbs#comments 0 God Knows Where We Are https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/god-knows-where-we-are Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/god-knows-where-we-are
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Psalm 139

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

One of the most comforting truths about God is that He knows us completely. He knows where we are emotionally, mentally, spiritually, physically, and relationally. Nothing about our current situation is hidden from Him. And the Holy Spirit doesn’t pray for some generic version of us—He knows exactly where we are and knows exactly where God is leading us. We can trust Him because He knows us perfectly and knows what is ultimately best for us.

What changes in your life if you remember that God knows you and is guiding your life?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Jesus, thank You that I never have to pretend with You. You know me completely and still love me completely. Help me rest in the truth that I am fully known and never alone.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Tell Jesus honestly about one area of your life where you have been tempted to hide, pretend, or carry the burden by yourself.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/23/god-knows-where-we-are#comments 0 When We Don’t Know What to Pray https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/22/when-we-don-t-know-what-to-pray Tue, 22 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/22/when-we-don-t-know-what-to-pray
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Romans 8:18–27

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Sometimes our pain is so deep that we don’t even know how to put it into words. We may feel overwhelmed, confused, or simply exhausted. Paul gives us an incredible picture of the Holy Spirit meeting us in those moments. When we are weak and don’t know what to pray, the Spirit helps us and intercedes for us according to God’s will. We don’t have to find the perfect words because the Holy Spirit already knows exactly what we need.

Where in your life do you feel like you don’t even know how to pray right now?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for meeting me in my weakness. When I don’t know what to say, remind me that You know my heart completely. Help me trust You to pray what I cannot put into words.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Spend five quiet minutes with God today without trying to find the right words. Simply sit with Him and allow your heart to be honest.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/22/when-we-don-t-know-what-to-pray#comments 0 Finding Peace When the Storm Continues | The Branch https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/finding-peace-when-the-storm-continues-the-branch Mon, 21 Sep 2026 03:02:56 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/finding-peace-when-the-storm-continues-the-branch
"Sometimes we are about the result, and God is about the process." — Pastor Anthony

A Season That Does Not Make Sense

Pastor Matthew opened this episode of The Branch by admitting something most pastors rarely say out loud. He shared that his Sunday message on comfort and peace felt so personal that he probably should have preached it to himself in the mirror. For about a year, he has felt unsettled in his mind and heart, and he still has not figured out how to feel the peace he knows is available to him as a believer.

Pastor Chris and Pastor Anthony, joining remotely for this episode, sat with that honesty instead of rushing past it. What followed was a conversation about what it actually looks like to trust God when the storm keeps going longer than expected.

Knowing The Promises Versus Feeling Them

Pastor Anthony asked a question that shaped much of the episode. What is the difference between knowing God's promises intellectually and actually relying on them in the middle of hard seasons. Pastor Matthew admitted that he tends to find peace only after the fact, once he can look back and see what God was doing. He said he trusts the outcome, but the process itself is often difficult to grasp because it does not always make logical sense.

Pastor Anthony wondered aloud whether this tension is something that can only be learned through actually going through hard seasons, rather than simply studying scripture well enough to skip the struggle. Pastor Matthew connected this to the story of Jesus calming the storm, admitting that in this season of his life, he feels less like a disciple with unshakable faith and more like the one waking Jesus up in fear.

Faith That Looks Different In Every Season

The three pastors talked through examples from scripture where believers responded to hard circumstances in very different ways. Caleb and Joshua moved forward with confidence even when the rest of Israel was overwhelmed by fear. The psalmists, on the other hand, often poured out raw grief and confusion before landing on trust. Pastor Anthony pointed out that both responses show up in scripture, and both are part of what it means to be human.

Pastor Matthew related this to the stories of Elijah and David, two men who experienced incredible spiritual highs followed by deep despair. He said his own emotions do not usually stop him from being obedient, but they do get in the way of experiencing real joy. Pastor Chris brought up Peter walking on water as another picture of this same tension, showing both the triumph of stepping out in faith and the fear of beginning to sink, with Jesus meeting Peter in both moments.

The Holy Spirit As Helper And Comforter

Much of the conversation centered on the Greek word behind the Holy Spirit's role in John's Gospel, often translated as Comforter, Helper, or Advocate. Pastor Matthew shared that while preparing his message, he noticed how many different English words are used to translate the same term. Rather than being confusing, he found this encouraging, because it showed him the Holy Spirit is not limited to one kind of help. Whatever a person needs in a season of difficulty, the Holy Spirit is able to provide it.

Pastor Anthony added historical context, explaining that in the first century, a similar word described a patron, someone with resources and status who cared for those in need. That picture helped reframe the Holy Spirit's role as something much bigger than simply making someone feel better in the moment.

Giving Thanks While Still Struggling

Pastor Matthew asked a hard question drawn from Philippians, which teaches believers to bring their anxiety to God through prayer with thanksgiving. He wondered how someone can offer authentic thanksgiving while also feeling frustrated or unsettled, without it feeling fake.

Pastor Anthony responded that being human means sometimes feeling pulled in two directions at once, holding both deep belief in God's promises and real emotional struggle. Pastor Chris shared a personal story about driving to a wedding and telling his wife that he felt both deeply thankful and confused about why peace still felt so hard to reach. He said that leading with gratitude, even when emotions do not immediately follow, helps bring a person back to a place of trust.

What To Say When Anxiety Does Not Go Away

Pastor Anthony asked what advice they would give to someone who has prayed about a struggle again and again, and still feels anxious. Pastor Chris was honest that he does not have a clean answer, since he experiences the same thing. He explained that when something keeps coming back, it does not mean someone lacks faith or is failing to trust God. It simply means the concern is real and sometimes takes longer to resolve than anyone would like.

Pastor Matthew shared that during this season, he has had to be intentional about healthy rhythms like time with God, good sleep, and not isolating himself. He also talked about the difficulty of being vulnerable with the church and with the elders about how he was really feeling, and how that honesty led to real support rather than the isolation he feared.

Trusting The Process, Not Just The Outcome

Pastor Anthony pointed out that people often want a specific result, while God is more focused on a longer process happening underneath the surface. He explained that sometimes a difficult season is not something God is rushing to end, but something God is using to shape a person or a relationship in ways that only become clear with time.

The group also discussed how surrendering something to God does not mean sitting back and doing nothing. Pastor Chris noted that resistance is not always a sign that a door is closed, and sometimes obedience means continuing to push forward even when the process feels slow or difficult.

Sympathy, Empathy, And Showing Up For Others

Toward the end of the episode, Pastor Anthony explained the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy feels sorry for someone from a distance, while empathy enters into the difficulty alongside them. He encouraged listeners to move beyond vague offers like telling someone to reach out if they need anything, and instead to proactively check in, pray specifically, and simply show up.

Pastor Chris agreed, sharing that trite answers or quick solutions rarely help. What actually ministers to him during hard seasons is having someone who will listen without rushing to fix things. Pastor Matthew added that support should match the depth of a relationship, and that even small gestures, like a kind note or a listening ear, can mean far more than an attempt to have all the answers.

Personal Stories Of Anxiety And Faithfulness

Each pastor closed the episode by sharing a personal testimony. Pastor Anthony recalled a season years ago when a home building project fell apart, teaching him that his own desires were not in conflict with God's, and that some things worth having require patience and persistence. Pastor Chris shared about a difficult season in his marriage, describing it as being pushed into deeper waters that felt intimidating but also led to deeper intimacy and understanding.

Pastor Matthew shared about a past season he described as a kind of mental break, when confusion and disappointment left him not wanting to be at church or in meetings. He said that season gave him more compassion for people who struggle with anxiety and depression, and it continues to shape how he walks through his current unsettled season with hope, even when he cannot yet feel the peace he knows is available to him.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/finding-peace-when-the-storm-continues-the-branch#comments 0 1 John 1:1-4 | The Incarnation of the Word of Life | TCBS https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/1-john-1-1-4-the-incarnation-of-the-word-of-life-tcbs Mon, 21 Sep 2026 03:02:26 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/1-john-1-1-4-the-incarnation-of-the-word-of-life-tcbs
"I'm going to open heaven. I'm just going to crack it open. I'm going to let them get a picture of who I am." — Pastor Jonathan

How Do We Know Who Jesus Really Is

Pastor Stacey opened this episode of the Tree Church Bible Study with a fun question for her guests. If they could host a dinner party for any three people, who would they invite. Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Chris both landed on an interesting answer. They both said they would want Jesus at the table.

That small moment set up the heart of the episode. The group was about to spend their time together looking closely at how the apostle John introduces Jesus in the opening verses of his first letter. Pastor Stacey, Pastor Chris, and first-time guest Pastor Jonathan turned to 1 John 1:1-4 to begin walking through the passage together.

What John Actually Says

The group started by reading the passage in the New Living Translation. John opens his letter by proclaiming the one who existed from the beginning, the one his community heard, saw, and touched with their own hands. He calls Jesus the Word of life and says this life was revealed to them.

Pastor Chris pointed out something interesting about the Greek behind this passage. He read a different translation, one from Howard Marshall's commentary, that stays closer to the original wording. In that version, John does not name his subject right away. He simply says that which was from the beginning, which we heard, which we saw, which we touched. The subject only becomes clear a few lines later.

Pastor Chris explained why this matters. The ambiguity in the Greek actually strengthens the connection between this passage and the opening of John's Gospel. In John 1, the language is almost identical. The Word already existed. The Word was with God. The Word was God. Reading the two passages side by side helps clarify that John is talking about Jesus all along, even before he says His name directly.

Fully God and Fully Human

Pastor Jonathan brought up something the group had touched on earlier in their study. John's opening declaration pushes back against ideas that were beginning to circulate in his day, ideas that would later develop into full Gnosticism. Some believed Jesus could not have truly been human, since matter itself was considered bad and only spirit was good. Others believed He could not truly have been God, since God was too holy and unknowable to take on flesh.

John responds to both ideas at once. He insists that his community heard Jesus, saw Him, and touched Him with their own hands. This was not a spiritual idea or a distant legend. It was a real, physical, historical encounter.

Pastor Jonathan asked why this distinction matters so much. If no human mind can fully understand God and no human eye can see Him and survive, how could anyone truly know who He is. His answer was that God did not leave people without an answer. He came down. He took on a form people could understand. Pastor Jonathan described it as God cracking heaven open just enough to give humanity a real picture of who He is, while still remaining more than anyone could fully grasp.

Pastor Chris added that this moment in history matters because it roots the Christian faith in real testimony rather than just an idea. Scripture is not a theory about God. It is the account of people who actually walked with Jesus, heard Him, and saw what He did.

Why Eyewitness Testimony Still Matters

The group spent time talking about why eyewitness testimony carries so much weight, even generations removed from the original event. Pastor Jonathan pointed out that this is the same principle our legal system relies on today. Someone who was physically present carries more weight than someone repeating a story secondhand.

Pastor Chris noted that even the differences between the four Gospels support their reliability rather than undermine it. People who witness the same event will naturally highlight different details depending on what stood out to them. That is simply how real memory and real testimony work.

This eyewitness foundation is exactly what John leans on as he opens his letter. He was there. He saw Jesus with his own eyes. And because of that, he can say with confidence that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.

What Fellowship Really Means

The conversation moved into verses three and four, where John explains his purpose for writing. He wants his readers to have fellowship with him, and that fellowship flows out of a shared relationship with the Father and the Son.

Pastor Stacey highlighted the Greek word behind this idea, koinonia. She explained that koinonia describes a shared life, a shared bond, and real communion with one another. When believers experience that kind of fellowship with each other, they are also experiencing fellowship with God.

Pastor Jonathan added an important layer to this. For John, there is no such thing as a Christian who exists in isolation from community. Faith and fellowship are tied together. He connected this to other passages in John's Gospel, including John 6 and John 15, where Jesus describes Himself as the vine and His followers as the branches. Being connected to Christ means being connected to the rest of the body as well.

What Fellowship Looks Like in Practice

Pastor Jonathan brought the conversation into practical territory. He asked what fellowship actually looks like day to day. His answer centered on honesty, openness, and confession.

He talked about how easy it is to wall off parts of ourselves out of fear, especially the parts we think others might use against us. But real fellowship requires letting some of those walls down with the people we trust. Pastor Jonathan shared that he has personally seen breakthrough happen in his own group when people are honest about their struggles, their doubts, their fears, and their sin.

Pastor Chris added that fellowship also requires actual presence. He talked about his daughter being away at college and how technology helps them stay connected, but he was honest that it is not a full substitute for being physically present with someone. He connected this to a broader challenge in the church today. It is possible to watch a service online and feel informed without ever truly becoming part of a community. Pastor Chris encouraged listeners to find a local church, get involved, and stay committed to real, in-person fellowship.

Closing in Prayer

As the episode came to a close, Pastor Chris prayed over the group and the audience. He thanked God for coming down to make Himself known, for giving up His glory to become human, and for showing His people what it looks like to be fully human. He prayed for courage to be known by others in community, even when fear makes that difficult, and for the Holy Spirit to help the reality of who God is come alive in the hearts of everyone listening.

Pastor Stacey closed the episode by thanking Pastor Chris and Pastor Jonathan for their insight and encouraging listeners to check the show notes for more ways to stay connected.
This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/1-john-1-1-4-the-incarnation-of-the-word-of-life-tcbs#comments 0 When Life Hurts https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/when-life-hurts Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/when-life-hurts
Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.  

Reading: Romans 8

Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.  
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.

Suffering is a reality of following Jesus. Paul doesn’t minimize our pain or pretend that difficult seasons aren’t difficult. Instead, he reminds us that our present suffering is not the end of the story. God has promised a future glory where sin, brokenness, and death will be fully overcome. Our hope isn’t simply that we can survive what we’re facing today. Our hope is that God is making all things new.

What situation in your life do you need to remember is not the end of the story?
        
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…  
  1. Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).  
  2. Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Father, help me trust You when life hurts. Give me the perspective to remember that what I am experiencing today is not all there is. Help me hold onto the hope of what You have promised.
  3. Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.  

Faith Step:
Write down one difficult situation you are facing and beside it write, “This is not the end of the story.”
]]> https://thetree.church/blog/2026/09/21/when-life-hurts#comments 0