New Roads Messages

Made For Mondays (Week 2): Beloved Before You Begin

Before Jesus heals a person or preaches a sermon, he hears these words from his Father: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” This message explores how our identity as God’s beloved comes before our work–and how living from that identity can change how we show up on Mondays, not trying to prove ourselves but grounded in who we already are.

Made for Monday (Week 1): God at Work

In this message, we look at the story of the Magi and how God meets them through their ordinary work. As we begin this series, we’re invited to pay attention to where God may already be present in the work of our everyday lives.

Christmas 2025

Christmas 2025 at New Roads

The Thrill of Hope (Week 4): Hope Isn’t Lost

When life turns out differently than we hoped, hope can feel fragile or even lost. This week, we look at Joseph’s story and discover that hope isn’t about getting the life we planned, but trusting that God is still present and at work in the life we didn’t. Even in disappointment, the thrill of hope is this: Emmanuel—God is with us.

The Thrill of Hope (Week 3): When Hope Feels Hard

Even the strongest believers (including John the Baptist) experience doubt and discouragement. This week we explore how God meets us in the struggle, and how patience, honesty, and bringing our questions into the light can steady our hearts. Hope doesn’t eliminate the waiting; it transforms it.

The Thrill of Hope (Week 2): Hope Starts Small

God’s renewal often begins not with dramatic change but with something small–like a shoot growing from a stump. Isaiah invites us to look for those tiny signs of new life, and John the Baptist calls us to “repent,” not in shame, but by waking up to God’s nearness and turning toward what God is already growing in us. This week, discover the small beginning God may be planting in you, and take one simple step to turn toward it.

The Thrill of Hope (Week 1): Fight for Hope

Hope isn’t wishful thinking or optimism; hope is trusting that God is at work even when we can’t see how. This week we explore Isaiah’s call to “climb” toward hope and Paul’s reminder to wake up to God’s presence. We end with a simple Advent challenge: identify where you need hope and ask God each day to awaken hope there.

What Are You Building? Week 6: Whose Kingdom Are You Building?

On the Feast of Christ the King, we remember what kind of King Jesus is: merciful, self-giving, and still inviting us to build with him. In a world obsessed with building our own brand and comfort, we’ll ask the bigger question: What if your life could help bring God’s Kingdom to earth right now?

What Are You Building? Week 5: When the Building Gets Tough

Building anything that matters–faith, family, or purpose–always gets messy. When life feels shaky, Jesus reminds us that these are the very moments our faith can speak the loudest. This week we look at how to build a faith that bears witness, even when life gets hard.

What Are You Building? Week 4: The Church God Is Building

God isn’t just helping us build our own lives–he’s building his Church. In today’s Gospel, Jesus clears out the clutter to make space for what’s sacred. He’s inviting us to do the same: to put him back at the center and to invest in what lasts. When we give, serve, and invest in our local church, we’re not just “keeping the lights on.” We’re joining God in creating a place where people can encounter hope and light for generations to come.