STUDIO

This past Sunday, we had Steven Gilliam bring part 3 to our Generosity series. He and his family are apart of Studio. He is an entrepreneur, business owner and he also has a degree of Master of Arts in Biblical & Theological Studies. Steven taught from 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. In verse 6 and 7: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Generosity is designed to be fun and it’s something we can attach our faith to. He shared how he is dreaming of ways to increase his generosity and was deeply marked by acts of generosity he’s experienced through his life. He encouraged us to live with a reality that there is more than enough. It is in this place we recognize we follow a God who always has more than enough and we get to participate in sowing and distributing. We also should be aware there is a reaping component to our generosity and this is how God designed it. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

We are in the second week of our four week “Generosity” series. Our hope is to grow as followers of Jesus; in His ways, words and values. We also long to grow in the heart and spirit of generosity as this will impact our ability to steward well and walk in faith. Pastor Candace shared from Matthew 10 that Jesus sends out the 12 disciples and He instructs them in verse 7-8: "As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." What if blessing and freedom didn't stop with us, but flowed through us and from us? As we grow in freedom and in intentionally giving away what God has given us, here are some questions to ask ourselves: Thank you Lord for what you have given us, have done in us, and thank you for what you are doing in us now. (take time to thank God, you might not have everything, but you have…). Lord, give us a generous and willing heart and fill us with your spirit. Open our eyes to see what we have to offer, invest and sacrifice. We choose to live open handed with the things you give us. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

We kicked off our “Generosity” series this Sunday. Pastor Eric posed the question “What is your relationship with money?” Knowing that each of us have our own upbringings and life experiences which essentially shape and form our relationship with money. Here are some questions we went over on Sunday to help you move towards a clear idea of your relationship with money: Our goal in week 1 was to identify and to be able to articulate our relationship with money so that we can bring it to light and allow God to come in and disciple us in this area of our lives according to a Kingdom Perspective. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

Just as we see in nature through each season, we, as people and followers of Jesus also aim to continue to grow and become all that God created us for. As humans we recognize our design to be in relationship and connection. One thing that we can do to grow and expand ourselves is to become better communicators and better listeners. James 1:19-20 encourages us as we navigate trials: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." ‭‭‬‬ Communication greatly impacts our relationships and the better communicators we can become, the better relationships we can have. Let’s continue to grow, be better humans, neighbors/friends/family, and better communicators. We ask that the Lord will continue to grow us, open our ears and give us a heart to listen. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

Pastor Eric took us on a journey involving two people in the story of Jesus and his journey to his death and resurrection: Nicodemus and Mary. Two very different people and yet they both had these moments with Jesus that essentially changed their entire lives. One was apart of the religious establishment which made the decision to crucify him and the other sold her body for a living. Here we see how Jesus was able to touch two very different people and because he rose from the dead he created pathways for people to move from being dead to alive. On this Easter Sunday we celebrated that Jesus had the answer to death and he addressed all the internal longings of the human soul. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday. As we kicked off Holy Week and started our journey towards Good Friday and Easter, we wanted to take a moment to immerse ourselves into the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem riding on a donkey while palm branches were being waved. One of the dynamics of this moment is the people gathered for the Passover, organized a parade, a party, a celebration for the Messiah. For them they were expecting him to become their King. They had no idea he was about to experience Good Friday, which was an unimaginable and incomprehensible day. Pastor Eric wrestled with the paradox of a Victory parade taking place before the war. It was the calm before the storm, it was the day before the “day”. In this there is a glimpse of how Jesus operates and functions in this world. You see, for most of us we wait for the war to be over before we celebrate a victory. As he rode the donkey, which is symbolic for peace, humility and it was what a new King would ride on to introduce himself as the new ruler. Jesus declares he is victorious before the war. Listen to this week's talk to hear more about the significance of Palm Sunday as it relates to death and resurrection of Jesus. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

A Echo Chamber is an enclosed space where sound reverberates / an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered. We create these places as they are comfortable and are re-assuring. However if we want to truly mature as humans we must exit the echo chambers and commit to a life of building something that is very hard to build - Personal Character. Pastor Eric took us through Luke 9 and we learned about the journey of the disciples who have been given power and authority and by the end of the chapter we see some significant character flaws get revealed: pride, arrogance, and the desire to wipe out a city with fire. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power,” It’s so much easier to talk and dream about spiritual gifts and it is so much harder to talk and dream about building character. The development of your character is something you are in control of while calling and destiny is something that was a gift to you from God. Listen to this week's talk to learn the 3 ways you can begin to build and develop your character. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

Pastor Eric took us on a journey that was raw, provoking and invited us into something bigger than all of us combined. He shared his own personal journey of being in the church and reminded us that “church” was God’s idea and not man’s idea. History has proven that all the forces of humanity have still not been able to hinder the message of Jesus, in fact the more persecution it faces has only caused the message of Jesus to expand and grow. He spent some time talking about the reality that many have been hurt or wounded by the church in some capacity and to realize God uses imperfect people to build his church. He uses people to help you grow in areas in your life that can only happen if you are around people. He uses your imperfections to help others grow in areas they need to grow in. This talk was an invitation to be a part of what Jesus is doing on the earth with his body and to participate in seeing the bride of Christ became all she is designed to be. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

This past Sunday, Pastor Candace shared out of the book of Proverbs. One of the key words in the book of proverbs is wisdom: “the ability to live life skillfully.” in Proverbs chapter 2:1-6 NKJV it reads: "My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;" These words are active and not passive. In our pursuit of knowing God let us posture ourselves to receive, to value, listen to, cry out, seek and search for Him. Let us not be okay with just knowing about God, but let us draw near to know Him intimately and to know His ways. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

Pastor Rheva talked to us about the Power of the Word. In Hebrews 4:12 it reads: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. She shared how the word can Change Us, Cure Us, and Comfort Us. It also is living, its active and its always moving. Nothing can pierce us to the core of who we are more than the Word of God. At the end of her talk she gave a link for more bible study resources to help us in our desire to become people who are devoted to studying the scriptures [Study Resources] For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

In the final week of the Life of Daniel series we recognized we are chosen by God. We are a people who are a part of the Kingdom that was promised to Daniel in chapter 7. This talk was to help us all realize who we are and as well to help us mitigate the shadow sides of being chosen. Pastor Eric uses a framework from Erwin McManus: Design, Calling and Character. Design pushes you you forward, Calling pulls you and Character is up to you to develop. If you don't have the character necessary to match your design and calling, things get out of place and you will begin to experience a design flaw. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

This past Sunday we continued our Life of Daniel series. In part 4, Eric spent some time unpacking Daniel 6 and the famous story of Daniel and the Lions Den. Even though it is a familiar story for some it is also a gold mine for us as humans living in the culture we live in. We learn that Daniel at this point has now been in Babylonian captivity for just over 60 years. He has risen to be one of the top three leaders in the empire. He is serving King Darius and it was his faithfulness to God that unveils the corruption and jealousy of the culture. As things transpire, we see this beautiful friendship get revealed between a pagan king and a godly man. This right here is inspiring and is a great example of what is possible as we live in culture and to have deep meaningful friendships with others that don’t follow Jesus. Listen to this week's talk to learn more about the characteristics of Daniel that set him apart in his day and what example he sets for us to be the kind of humans God wants us to be. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

This week we continued our LIfe of Daniel series. Our goal in this series is to do a study on the Life of Daniel to gain understanding of God’s view of humanity and his invitation to participate in his mission on earth. To also be able to walk away understanding how Daniel was able to be and to lead in a culture that did not have a Christian worldview and remain devoted to God. Pastor Eric took us through Daniel 3 and the moment between King Nebuchadnezzer and Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego. We took our time to go over a few key things we can learn to help us in this journey. Culture wants you to bow down to it: We took some time to recognize the parallels of bowing down to idols in ancient times to bowing down in modern times. Being devoted to God even if he doesn’t come through like we expect: Not letting our experience shape our beliefs and theology. How and why they didn’t bow down: In the midst of a tense cultural moment let’s learn how and why they stood while everyone bowed. Get together with friends to change the world: If you want to change the world, then find some friends and go change the world. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

This week Pastor Candace called us to a place to recognize God is drawing near to us and our response to him is one of great importance. God is calling us to a place of purity. In Ephesians 4:27 it reads "and give no opportunity to the devil." Our encouragement to each one of us is to walk in humility and allow God to purify our hearts and minds. There are places God wants to take us which requires us to shed things that will hold us back. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

In part 2, Pastor Eric walked us through Daniel 2. and we began to see Daniel walk in his gifting and skills with dreams and interpretation. We also see God's love for humanity in placing Daniel alongside a pagan king who has a troubling dream. We see God's love for humanity in saving the lives of magicians and sorcerers. We see the importance of being in culture by the timing of Daniel being in close proximity to the King. We also learned there are spiritual skills and gifts that God gives to reveal he is the King of Kings, god of gods, revealer of secrets….in this case it caused Daniel to rise to a prominent place and now sits in the Kings court. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

He was alive over 2500 years ago. He was the leader of Magicians and Sorcerers, an advisor to foreign kings, a governor in a pagan society....and all the while he worshipped and followed one God. Pastor Eric kicks off a study of looking into the life of Daniel. We learn he was involuntarily deported into a polytheistic culture to learn the language, custom and the ways of life in Babylon. He quickly rose to becoming governor and eventually stood in the King's Court. Our goal is to learn how Daniel lived in this culture and yet remained devoted to God. We also aim to gain a broader perspective on God's view of humanity and how he cares deeply for humanity. Get your notepads and devices out and get ready to start taking notes as we are diving into a study! For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

As we wrap up 2023, Pastor Eric shared about how we long for new beginnings and fresh starts. There are times in our life we need a "reset". He challenged us to not dismiss or move on from what happened in our lives this past year but rather acknowledge and recognize what took place so we can embrace the idea that nothing goes to waste. If we choose this approach then all of our experiences and moments become building blocks for the future. They become a foundation for 2024. In Eccl. 3:11 it reads "he has made everything beautiful in its time...". Another way to read this is "if it's not beautiful its not over". Listen to today's talk about how nothing in your life goes to waste. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

As we move through life, each environment we create or step into shapes and forms us. Each of these spaces often has unwritten limitations or boundaries. You learn where the lines are and where they exist. Whether it be your work, school, home, or your third place. If you choose to exist, whether you want to or not, in these environments you have to in many ways accept these limitations or boundaries in order to be able to function and get along in it. Limitations and boundaries can be really beautiful and play a vital role in the success of relationships, environments, purpose and what it seeks to be. However, when you start talking about creating a future and when these limitations become self-imposed limitations you won't create a future but instead you will recreate your past. Start making decisions that break off limitations and boundaries that are no longer for you. They no longer need to exist in your life and you want to create a future without todays limitations. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

In this week’s talk Pastor Eric shared about how the birth of Jesus is a moment in the larger story of what God is writing. What’s really remarkable is to see all the hints and clues that pointed to the birth of Jesus and what we would do for humanity, but did you know he would live in exile the first two years of his life? In Matthew 2:13 we read, Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” We often talk about the humble beginnings of Jesus but let’s not forget he lived in exile as well. From the very beginning he was on the outside of society and he lived as a foreigner. This experience shaped and formed him and it is also what enabled him to be the one who understood the plight of ones that were the outcast, rejected, shamed, alone and unaccepted. So remember that Jesus understands firsthand the human experience of being alone and on the outside. Our prayer for this Christmas as we celebrate his birth you would experience Jesus coming not only to earth but to you and your life and meeting where you are at right now in our life. For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!

"If everything is beautiful in its own time then there is a purpose in what is happening today". Pastor Joezel shared from Eccl. 3:10-12 and encouraged us to realize when we get lost in trying to comprehend what life is or what life is not, to not lose sight of what life can be. God is the one who gives you the capacity to dream and we also have not seen everything with our own eyes and in this lies the beauty and mystery of eternity being placed in our hearts> For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!