Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 3 of Gravity

Teacher: Megan StibrichA space station orbiting earth is less exciting than a rocket launch, but orbit is a delicate balance. You are constantly falling down to earth, but you are also moving parallel to earth so fast that you keep missing it. An object in orbit cannot stay still. It is not enough just to break free of gravity, but it takes energy to stay there. Faith also requires constant momentum. We weren’t meant to be idle. Sin is constantly trying to pull us back down to earth. What does it mean to stay active in our faith? What are the dangers of idleness? How do we stay in orbit with God?

Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 2 of Gravity

Teacher: Brad MillerIt takes more than a few pilots and astronauts to get off the ground. It takes a whole team. Mission Control offers the support and guidance necessary for getting into space. Faith is also not a solo journey, but one that requires community. In community we can find support when gravity is weighing us down, encouragement when our struggles are pulling us back, and love when we fall back down to earth. How can we support and celebrate one another as a community of faith? Who can we turn to when we have a problem? Who is our mission control?

Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 1 of Gravity

Teacher: Tyler StibrichIt takes a tremendous amount of force to break free of gravity. Escape velocity describes the speed we need to go to escape from a planet’s gravity and make it into space. On earth, the escape velocity is over 25,000 mph. It can also be incredibly difficult to break free from the gravity of sin – our patterns of selfishness, fear, addiction and all that separates us from God and others – even as we respond to Jesus with faith. Newton’s laws tell us that if we want to go forward, we have to leave something behind. How do we leave behind these old lives for a new life with Christ? How do we hit escape velocity?

The new year is the start of a fresh page, a chance to be made new. Normally we take this chance to make resolutions about our waistlines, budgets, and habits, but what if we let this new year be about a fresh change on the inside instead? The Holy Spirit is the great transformer, and he wants to enable and empower us to not just look different on the outside but actually be different on the inside. How can we be made fresh by the Holy Spirit this new year?Week 5 of Fresh Fruit

Teacher: Derrick LyonsWe live in a world that says, "Do what feels right," “The heart wants what the heart wants” and "Put yourself first." From spending to scrolling, reacting to indulging, everything around us pushes us to satisfy our desires. But the fruit of the Spirit calls us to a different kind of freedom; not the freedom to do whatever we want, but the strength to master our desires rather than be mastered by them. This week, we’ll explore how true self-control isn’t about willpower alone but surrender. It’s about living under the Spirit’s guidance instead of our impulses. In a world ruled by instant gratification, self-control is a radical act of counter-culture. It allows us to say no to what’s easy in order to say yes to what’s lasting. Discover how the Spirit leads us into freedom, not from limits, but through them.

The new year is the start of a fresh page, a chance to be made new. Normally we take this chance to make resolutions about our waistlines, budgets, and habits, but what if we let this new year be about a fresh change on the inside instead? The Holy Spirit is the great transformer, and he wants to enable and empower us to not just look different on the outside but actually be different on the inside. How can we be made fresh by the Holy Spirit this new year?Week 4 of Fresh Fruit

Teacher: Megan MillerDominance, control, and self-assertion are often celebrated in our culture, and gentleness is often dismissed as weakness. But biblical gentleness is not the absence of strength, it’s the presence of mercy. It’s power willingly restrained, strength submitted to the Spirit, and love expressed through humility. This week, we’ll explore what happens when power meets mercy in our lives.The Spirit forms gentleness in us not just for quiet moments, but for tense conversations, power dynamics, and relationships where we’re tempted to assert control. Choosing gentleness doesn’t mean being passive; it means being rooted in the character of Christ, who had all authority yet chose the path of mercy. Discover how gentleness can witness to a world starved for compassion.

The new year is the start of a fresh page, a chance to be made new. Normally we take this chance to make resolutions about our waistlines, budgets, and habits, but what if we let this new year be about a fresh change on the inside instead? The Holy Spirit is the great transformer, and he wants to enable and empower us to not just look different on the outside but actually be different on the inside. How can we be made fresh by the Holy Spirit this new year?Week 3 of Fresh Fruit

Teacher: Jacob HeinzWhen we are tempted by quick decisions, fleeting commitments, and easy exits, faithfulness can feel like a lost art. Many avoid being tied down, often ready to switch jobs, move, end relationships, or find a new church. Beneath it all is a belief that the grass is greener somewhere else. Few are willing to stay rooted - to endure boredom, push through discomfort, or remain committed when things get hard. But the Spirit calls us to a different way, a steadfast, enduring faithfulness rooted not in convenience, emotion, or keeping our options open, but in the unchanging character of God. This week we will explore what it means to live with unwavering commitment to God, to others, and to the call He has placed on our lives, even when the world around us gives up or drifts away. We’ll discover how the Spirit empowers us to be faithful when it’s hard, to hold steady when it’s tempting to quit, and to reflect God’s dependable love in a world that so often fails to commit. Join us as we learn to live faithfully in a flaky world.

The new year is the start of a fresh page, a chance to be made new. Normally we take this chance to make resolutions about our waistlines, budgets, and habits, but what if we let this new year be about a fresh change on the inside instead? The Holy Spirit is the great transformer, and he wants to enable and empower us to not just look different on the outside but actually be different on the inside. How can we be made fresh by the Holy Spirit this new year?Week 2 of Fresh Fruit

Teacher: Ryan MillerIt’s easy to fall into the trap of orthodoxy without orthopraxy - holding tightly to correct beliefs or moral standards, yet lacking the compassion that truly reflects God’s heart. Today, the pharisaical spirit is alive and well—it just wears different clothes. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees elevated their appearances, guarded their moral superiority, and used religious language to control and criticize. In our culture, that same spirit often shows up as our own harsh criticisms, ideological purity, virtue signaling, and cancel culture. These behaviors may look different on the outside, but they flow from the same root: a desire to appear right rather than to live rightly, and to protect our image rather than reflect God’s heart. When we use our to elevate ourselves by tearing others down, or perform morality for applause, we’re not walking in the Spirit; we're playing out the same pride and self-righteousness Jesus constantly confronted. This week, we’ll confront the danger of a faith that is only about thinking or saying the right things, but failing to do the good God calls us to through His kindness. True kindness and goodness are active, tangible expressions of God’s love. This moves us from judgment to mercy, from theory to practice, and from words to compassionate acts.

The new year is the start of a fresh page, a chance to be made new. Normally we take this chance to make resolutions about our waistlines, budgets, and habits, but what if we let this new year be about a fresh change on the inside instead? The Holy Spirit is the great transformer, and he wants to enable and empower us to not just look different on the outside but actually be different on the inside. How can we be made fresh by the Holy Spirit this new year?Week 1 of Fresh Fruit

Teacher: Tyler StibrichWe live in a society built on now. In our consumer-driven world, nearly everything - information, entertainment, food, even relationships - is available at the click of a button. We’ve grown so accustomed to now that algorithms anticipate and fulfill our desires before we can even articulate them. At first glance, this convenience feels like magic. But over time, it trains us to expect life to move at the pace of our preferences. Our addiction to immediacy slowly erodes our capacity for patience. We become reactive rather than reflective, drawn to quick fixes over slow formation. When we find ourselves in seasons that require deep waiting - uncertainty, unanswered prayers, or prolonged suffering - we often discover that we are unprepared. Our inner lives, shaped by urgency, struggle to trust a God who moves at the pace of eternity rather than the speed of our preferences. This week, we will explore how Spirit-filled patience transforms our waiting, and teaches us to trust that even in silence or slowness, God is at work.