Messiah St. Charles Weekly Messages Messiah St. Charles

It's time for a class in Grace 101. We talk a lot about grace around here. It's such an important part of being a follower of Jesus. But what is grace? And what is it not? This message takes a close look at this concept that is so foundational to our faith. Watch and see if your understanding lines up with what the Bible teaches—and how it relates to this U2 song about relationships, "With or Without You."

This message addresses some weighty topics through the song “Pride (In the Name of Love).” Did you know it was inspired by civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.? It deals with issues of loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you. Dr. King had a lot of first-hand experience in that area. We can learn a lot from how he lived out Jesus’s words in his own words and actions.

Do you ever find yourself asking questions you have no answer to or longing for an answer to the question, "Why am I here?" Existential questioning is a universal experience, and U2 has captured that feeling in the very aptly named song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." The good news, though, is that while you chase the things of this world that lead you far from God, God is actively searching for you to welcome you back with open arms!

The Faith of the Next Generation Matters Now. It's one of Messiah's five core values, and in this teaching Hannah Lang, our Director of Kid's Ministry, joins Pastor Jim to issue a challenge. It's not enough to learn about our faith, we must also put our beliefs into action if we're serious about passing them on to our kids, grandkids—and all the generations after them.

Heard the news today? War is all around us. Even though we live in nation at (relative) peace, we cannot escape the conflict that defines our lives—the internal struggle to do what is right when it's so easy to do what it wrong. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song about a particular place and time, but Bono sings of an issue that we all can recognize.

Could you use some encouragement and hope right about now? U2’s songs have maintained their relevancy decade after decade because they speak to our longings and needs. Whether its the words or just the melody, there is something timeless about them. This Sunday, their 1987 classic “Where the Streets Have No Name” is the song we’ll be looking at more closely to address the universal desire to make a earth a bit more like heaven.