Christian or not, most people recognize that Jesus was an influential figure while He walked on this earth. Two thousand years later, people still recognize His name and remember some of the most prominent details of his life. His influence still reverberates around the world. But who is Jesus of Nazareth, really? How do we know that the Bible recounts His life accurately? This new series investigates the person of Jesus and the implications for us if what we discover is true.

Relationships are complicated. But we do have some “love handles” that will have a positive impact on our relationships and set us up for long-lasting success. No matter what youre relationship status is, we think these tools will impact your relationships for the better.

Have you ever played a video game or made a Facebook avatar? There’s a lot of research that shows that people tend to create avatars and choose characters that they feel represent themselves in some way, shape, or form. Ultimately, this research shows us that we value character and we truly desire to be of good character. In this series, we'll look at how we can develop character, first by watching before we actually do anything.

Hope can be hard to define. Is it an emotion, or a way of being? Where does it come from? This Christmas season, we're talking about where our hope comes from, and how we can look to the past to find a reason to hope in the future.

The holidays are in full swing, and this time of year, it’s not unusual to feel like we’re being pulled in every direction. Depending on what else is going on in your life, it’s also not unusual to wonder why we just aren’t as joyful as we think we ought to be. What if cultivating joy in our lives is the medicine our souls need this holiday season?

Have you wanted to stop or start something to correct a problem in your life? Have you tried what seems like a million different things and yet you still feel stuck? What if the problem you’re trying desperately to fix isn’t the real problem? What if the real problem is simply a symptom of something else that requires an entirely different solution? We’re exploring what it looks like to be set free, even after all our outworking and outsmarting has seemingly failed us.

Did you know that 16 out of 38 of Jesus’ parables revolve around one subject? Would you be surprised to know that subject is money? What’s more astounding is that not one time did Jesus ever actually ask for money. Why then did He talk about it so often? Because He knew that if we see money how God sees money, we will be more inclined to do what God says about money. Why is obedience with money so important? It may have more implications for your heart than your wallet than you might think.

How do you know if something is relevant to your life? Usually, we deem something relevant if it’s interesting, if we connect with it, if we’re drawn back to it time and time again. It can also be something meaningful in our current culture, but it ends up being just a fad. But what about Jesus? Is He relevant to our lives? And why does it matter? Jesus’ relevance to our lives has impacts far beyond us. How we conduct our lives can directly impact the relevance of Jesus to others. As followers of Christ, we are called to be like Christ. The way we interact with others can be a powerful way to present a different representation of Jesus than what people think.

For most of us, interruptions are unavoidable. Knowing this, how we deal with them becomes critical. Jesus was interrupted countless times — someone always wanted something. And yet, He handled these interruptions well because of how He protected his time and how He viewed people.

Have you ever thought about the history of the front porch? Do you notice how most houses now don’t have them? Instead, we tend to build up our back porch with the TV, the comfortable furniture, and pools. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but it does contribute to the loneliness and isolation of our current culture. We do, however, have ways where we can prioritize “front porch living” and experience life-giving connection and community.

Sometimes life is great — you’re moving at a good pace and you feel good. And there are sometimes when our life feels stagnant — there is no wind in our sails. You might feel stuck and hopeless. Our first inclination may be to blame others or our circumstances. But the consequence of continually looking only outside of ourselves keeps the wind out of our sails. Knowing that Jesus wants us to live an abundant life means there can be true freedom and restoration when we own what is ours to own.

Some things in life need to be experienced because they can’t be fully explained. The same is true with Jesus. We can try to explain him, but words don’t seem to do it justice. Things like unconditional love, forgiveness, and peace are so much richer when you have actually experienced them. But once we have experienced Jesus, we can’t keep it to ourselves. What does it look like to change the world? Inviting people to “come and see” what Jesus is all about.

These days, "freedom" has so many different meanings for different people and different circumstances. Freedom from what? And FOR what? But scripture gives us insight into how we can all find true freedom, no matter where you are in your faith journey. Subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things Northpoint! Thank you for giving to support Northpoint: https://www.npaustin.com/give STAY CONNECTED: Website: https://npaustin.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experiencenorthpoint/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northpoint_ch/ #Northpoint #Jesus #2022 #JordanGeist #stories #churchonline #inspiration #faith #savior #freedom #NorthpointAustin

What does it mean to live an extraordinary life? Does it mean that you accomplish the big things, get recognized for the heroic actions, or stand before millions of people to accept an award? Perhaps sometimes, yes, this is true. But it is also equally true that some of the most extraordinary people who have walked this earth are those who operate behind the scenes. They aren’t the ones clamoring for accolades or recognition. Their names are not the ones plastered on the front headlines of the newspaper. Even without all of that, the impact they have on the lives of others is unquantifiable. But this is true of people in our current spheres, but also in biblical times.

Every generation has witnessed events they could not have imagined. While we’ve seen unfathomable progress, we have also seen incredible wounding and division. Sometimes it seems that the mess of life and the chaos in our culture keep us in a constant state of weariness. And this can also wear on our faith. How can we find peace and rest within a world that is constantly stirred up and changing?

Of all the moments in history, none is as significant to our faith as Easter. It's the moment that changed everything. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of everything we believe.

While Jesus was alive, he said and did some things that may seem confusing. Why did he even come into the world in the first place? Why did he make some people so angry? Why did he have to die? What about his life and death makes our life what it is today?

It’s the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, so what better opportunity is there to talk about time? DST was created so we would have the appearance of more time, but does anyone actually feel more productive or rested this week? The irony is the seasons and cyclical rhythm of the earth don’t change because we label it. The concept of cycles and rhythms is part of creation.

Whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not, you probably have questions about prayer. Why should we pray? How should we pray?

Many of us are looking forward to great things happening in 2022. Some of us may be looking back at the past year with regret. It seems regret is something that's unavoidable in life – in our decisions, relationships, faith, and so many other areas. But what if regret was preventable?

It’s human to associate fear with authority figures — most of us don’t like getting in trouble. Somewhere along the way, we end up attaching that same fear to God. And if we are afraid of Him because of what we’ve done wrong, it becomes impossible to experience intimacy with Him. This is what makes the Christmas story such good news — because Jesus came, we no longer have to hide from God because of our sin.

Our life’s experiences and how we are made form our unique story. The same is true for everyone we meet. In order to love and care for others well, we need the humility to remember we are rarely fully aware of others’ stories — there are often parts we don’t know. This is why cultivating empathy for others is so important. Empathy is God’s tool to foster grace for ourselves and others.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a map for our faith journey like there is for hiking trails? What if there were mile markers along the way that help us to know what we could be feeling and experiencing at any given point? What if there were real life warning signs that helped protect us from dangers and death? The good news is there is a map of spiritual growth with mile markers that will help you in developing your relationship with God.

So often we think of generosity in terms of what we are giving away. The idea that generosity gives us something seems incredibly hard to believe. But this is the paradox of generosity — the more we give away, the more we gain all sorts of benefits.

What if we could remodel our life by remodeling our mind? What if we could take our life in a completely different direction just by changing our thought patterns? The good news is there is a simple process that enables us to do just that.

The two times recorded in Scripture where Jesus was amazed was when there was great faith and a great lack of faith. What is faith exactly and how can we level up our faith so that it doesn’t atrophy?

We all strive for the ideal, but this doesn’t mean we can avoid reality. What do we do when our carefully cultivated social media images don’t really reflect the fullness of our real lives? How do we manage that tension? Oftentimes, we try to filter it or change the ideal. But Jesus gives us another way.

How do you define the word “neighbor?” How does Jesus define it? Is it actually possible to love all our neighbors well, despite differences, hurts, and discomforts? This week, we’re talking about the one thing that empowers us to do just that.

Happy Father's Day! Whether you're young or old, whether you're a father or not (or hope to be someday!), the Bible has some great examples of how to step up and lead courageously.

The Twelve Disciples were some of the most influencial people in history, changing the world with their lives and ministry in only a few short years. What's incredible is that they were teenagers at the time. So how can we empower the next generation to be world changers today?

We have never been more connected in this world, while at the same time, we have never been more disconnected. Many of us lack the intimate friendships that we need to bring us joy and real satisfaction in life. Developing truly intimate relationships across the board — within our families and friendships — takes time and effort. How can we unlock the power of relationships in our life?

There is power in a story. The story you write with your life can have a powerful impact on the people around you. But the legacy you leave is profoundly impacted by the decisions you make when the unexpected happens. The good news is that we don’t have to navigate these decisions on our own. We have a God who wants to guide us so our lives will be a story worth telling instead of a story we hope no one remembers.

What happens after we die? What is Heaven really like? Does an after-life give us meaning in this life? Chances are, these are questions you have thought about before. We all do. It can be tough to answer them, but the answers we choose can have enormous implications on how we live our lives each and every day. We are going to be tackling these difficult questions in Welcome Home: A Conversation About Eternity.

Research would suggest that we were perhaps the most anxious generation that has ever lived even before 2020 began. But with so many people struggling with their mental health, why is there such a stigma associated with anxiety, depression, isolation, loneliness, emptiness, and more? Could it be that you are way more normal than you think and relief could be closer than you realize?

What if in 2021, you could look back and say this was a year that you focused more and more on something that really changed your life? What if you discovered something that could make 2021 a year of growth and insight for you? Join us as we launch a new series to find out how shifting our focus can change things for the better.

How do we choose to hope even when our circumstances paint a bleak picture? When God doesn’t act the way we want Him to in the timing we want Him to, how can we continue to pursue faithfulness? If we want to find real hope this Holiday season, we need to start by remembering the past.

The holidays can be stressful during the best of times, and Thanksgiving 2020 is sure to have challenges all its own. So how can we live at peace with those around us and successfully navigate this holiday season?

Leadership is all about influence, which means every single one of us is a leader in some area of our life. In Brick by Brick, we'll take a look at the story of Nehemiah, and find out what his life and leadership can teach us about how we can be wise, sensible leaders.

When times are difficult and we're out of our normal routines, it's easy to feel the pull towards the wrong things. We can let our fears and loss of confidence lead us to a resistible version of our faith. But there's a way to overcome our fears and fulfill the destiny God has for each of us.

Politics and Religion are two topics people tend to avoid because they can be uncomfortable, but Jesus actually had a lot to say about them. In this series, we'll spend a few weeks taking a look at how we can navigate this election season and the role that faith plays in it for each of us.

If someone claimed that we were all made for something specific, how would you determine whether that was true? And if it were true, what would it mean for your life?

Why are we so bad at listening? And how much could we improve our lives, our relationships, and our faith if we could learn to tune out all of the noise that distracts us and really begin to listen – to each other and to God?

We wish making a fresh start was as simple as pushing a button. But it's not that easy. So what does a fresh start look like in our lives — in our relationships, in our parenting, at work, or even as a culture? What are the practical steps we can take to experience something better — a genuine fresh start?

“I can’t believe I said that. Where did that come from?” If we’re not careful, our emotions can shape our actions much more than we want them to. But monitoring our behavior isn't enough. We need to monitor our hearts and tell our emotions, “You’re not the boss of me.” The good news? God's ready and willing to help us with this process.

We all want to write a great story with our lives — to get to the other side of those important and sometimes difficult seasons — and see that our faith has deepened, our relationships strengthened, and lives have been productive. Starting this Sunday, we will learn what steps to take in order to be able to tell the story we want to tell on the other side.

The fear and uncertainty we face today is so similar to what Jesus' followers felt in the hours after his death. But because of His resurrection, we can live differently.

Life today is more uncertain than ever as we're facing unprecedented events. When life is difficult and anxiety is high, who can we turn to? Does God still have the whole world in his hands?

While believing in Jesus gives hope, Christianity is not based on hope or blind faith. It's based on evidence. As an eyewitness to many of Jesus' miracles, the apostle John reminds us that the supernatural feats of Jesus are not just random acts of kindness meant to help and inspire people. They are signs that give evidence for who Jesus is.

Everyone has a story. What’s Northpoint’s? And how can you be part of it?

Whether you’re single, dating, married, or “it’s complicated,” we’re FOR healthy relationships.

Who doesn't want this year to be better than last year? But even though we start off with good intentions and making a commitment to improve, we often end up not following through. There’s got to be a better way, right? A perfect year may be impossible. But a better year is possible.

Is there really such a thing as a solution to everything? There is and we can sum it up in one word — grace. It’s the undeserved, unmerited, unearnable favor that Jesus came to offer us. So why wouldn’t we want Christianity to be true if this is a gift we can both receive and pass onto others?

Around Thanksgiving, we hear a lot of people sharing what they’re grateful for. But is there something that’s greater than grateful?

Two million is a lot of people to be FOR. What if the key to doing that successfully is way more personal than you ever imagined?

Many of us grow up hearing Bible stories, but when we grow up we wonder: Can these really be true? And even if they are, what does this have to do with me now? To find answers to these questions, we can't look at individual stories. Instead, we dig into the story of the Bible.

If your money could talk, what would it say?

So many people spend a third of their life at a job they dislike. In this series, we’ll look at what God says about work, what we can do to discover our purpose, and ultimately answer the question, "Is it possible to find my dream job?"

Whether you’ve been around church for a while or you’re new, you’ve probably heard of baptism. But what is it? What’s the purpose? Should it be something confusing, or perhaps something simple, personal, and beautiful? This one off message brings refreshing clarity to the conversation!

Life is made up of moments – big ones, little ones, happy and sad ones. How can we leverage the power of the moments in our lives to shape our stories and our legacies?

According to Wikipedia, a life hack is "any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency." Would you believe us if we told you that there are life hacks that are thousands of years old that can make your life better and make you better at life?

Whether you're a parent or not, whether your relationship with your parents is amazing or not-so-close, the great news is that we can all receive a blessing from our Heavenly Father that has the power to change everything – for us and for those that come after us.

The pool. The beach. Camping trips. Playdates. Popsicles... What are your great big plans for the summer? What if there was a way to make this summer the best one yet?

Some days, being an adult feels really hard. We’re called to leave our childish ways behind when we grow up, but is this easier said than done?

The life and ministry of Jesus leads up to the most significant event in human history – his death and resurrection. What does that mean for you thousands of years later?

Jesus’ ministry only lasted a few years, but shaped the history of humanity like no one before or after him. In this 6-part series, take a journey through the life of Jesus and look at significant places and events along the way.

We live in an incredible city. How can we as the Church be FOR the people of Austin?

Open mouth, insert foot. Is there anyone who can say they've never been there? (We don't think so!) Our big mouths can get us into big trouble, especially when it comes to our relationships with the people who matter most.

What if we told you it’s possible to predict the future? Your actions today will affect your tomorrow, and the tomorrow of those around you.

For too long, the Church has been known for what it’s against. We want to be known for what we’re FOR.