What Happens in Our Friday Seminars
Our Friday Seminars are intimate gatherings where participants share deeply and honestly about their spiritual journeys, struggles, and discoveries. Each week explores a different theme that touches the heart - from what breaks us open with compassion, to processing pain, understanding love, recognizing God's presence, and learning about grace versus performance.
Each week, participants courageously share their personal experiences with:
- What breaks their hearts open - God's sacrifice, suffering in the world, and undeserved mercy
- Processing pain through loss, grief, and learning vulnerability with God
- Understanding love in relationships, breaking free from performance-based faith
- The tension between knowing God's presence and living as if He's present
- Living with consequences of sin while accepting God's forgiveness
- Finding God in Scripture's patterns, the Emmaus Road experience, and moment-by-moment presence
"This setting is new to me and helpful. I've never been able to bounce these kinds of things off of people that understand the Spirit. It's comforting to hear others doing the same thing, living the same."
- Mark, regular participant
Real Stories from Our Community
Forgiving Ourselves When Hearts Condemn
"I lived a shameful life with lots of regrets. The fact that God still has mercy and grace - it's hard to accept. I still want to blame myself. But He forgives it, and learning that God is greater than our condemning hearts is changing me."
Finding God in Scripture's Patterns
"Through studying Hebrew word by word in Song of Solomon, I discover patterns within patterns. It's not just intellectual - Christ is right there opening my eyes to things I've never seen before. It gives me joy and hope even through loss and ongoing family drama."
The Tension of Presence and Performance
"I was raised in strict performance orientation - you have to do things exactly right or suffer consequences. I know grace intellectually, but I can't wrap my mind around it. Learning to distinguish righteousness from holiness, striving from love, has been my journey."
How Faith Meets Real Life
Participants discover profound spiritual truths through honest sharing and Scripture study. Weekly themes have explored what breaks our hearts open with compassion, how we process pain rather than hide from it, what we're learning about giving and receiving love, the gap between knowing God's presence and living as if He's present, and the freedom found in being slaves of Christ.
Biblical references emerge organically from discussion - from Christ becoming sin on our behalf, to the Emmaus Road where Jesus opened the Scriptures, to Romans 7's war between knowing and doing, to 1 Corinthians 13's definition of love, to 1 John 3:20 reminding us that God is greater than our condemning hearts. The Hebrew patterns woven through Scripture reveal God's character and emotions in ways that bring healing and joy.
The Power of Shared Experience
What makes these seminars transformative is the courage to share vulnerably about real struggles - not just intellectual discussions but emotional, authentic sharing about pain, sin, forgiveness, love, and the daily challenge of acknowledging God's presence. Participants discover they're not alone in wrestling with performance-based faith, struggling to forgive themselves, or feeling the tension between knowing God is present and living as if He is.
As one participant said, "This setting is new to me and helpful. I've never been able to bounce these kinds of things off of people that understand the Spirit." The seminars create space for honesty without judgment, where mental illness isn't stigmatized, where consequences of sin can be acknowledged alongside God's forgiveness, and where helping others becomes the overflow of receiving God's comfort.
"What brings me the biggest, deepest happiness is helping others. There's nothing better than somebody calling to chat about the scriptures or what's going on in their life, and praying together."
- Charlie, regular participant
Recent Friday Seminar Sessions
Watch previous Friday Seminar sessions where participants share authentically about life's challenges, navigating difficult seasons, and finding God's presence in times of struggle. Each session is recorded and available for those who might benefit from these shared experiences.
What Breaks Your Heart Open?
Exploring what moves us to tears, compassion, and deep feeling. From Christ's sacrifice and God's undeserved love, to suffering in the world, mental illness, and learning to forgive ourselves. Powerful testimonies about God's patience, comfort in Scripture, and helping others through shared pain.
Where You Feel God's Presence or Absence
Exploring the tension between knowing God's presence and living as if He's present. Deep discussions on Romans 7, the Emmaus Road, grace versus performance, and God's provision of both desire and ability.
What Do You Do With Your Pain?
Participants share honestly about processing pain through grief, loss, and life struggles. From hiding behind laughter to learning vulnerability with God, transformative stories about moving through pain rather than around it.
What Are You Learning About Love?
Understanding love through decades of marriage, breaking free from performance-based expectations, forgiving difficult relationships, and discovering authentic community. Heartfelt testimonies about genuine connection and transformation.
What Story Are You Telling Yourself?
Exploring the internal narratives we run and discovering new perspectives on difficult seasons.
Life's Unexpected Turns
Sharing about navigating unexpected changes and finding stability in God during uncertain times.
Finding Purpose in Pain
How our struggles can be repurposed by God to encourage others on similar journeys.
Community in Struggle
The power of shared experience and authentic community during difficult seasons.
Time and Healing
Discussing how our relationship with time changes through significant life events and loss.
Surrendering Control
Learning to trust God's timing and plan when life feels out of control.
Family Crisis and Faith
Navigating family emergencies, medical diagnoses, and maintaining faith through crisis.
Trust and Waiting
Learning to trust God's timing during seasons of waiting and uncertainty.
Hope in Dark Seasons
Finding hope and God's presence during life's darkest and most challenging periods.
Grief and Loss
Processing grief, loss of loved ones, and finding comfort in community understanding.
Contentment in Struggle
Learning contentment with God's daily plan rather than our own expectations.
Extended Community Sharing
Extended session with deep community sharing about life's ongoing challenges and victories.
In-Depth Life Stories
Extended sharing session with participants opening up about major life transitions and healing.
Seasons of Change
Navigating major life transitions and finding God's guidance through change.
Community Support
The power of authentic community and mutual support during difficult times.
Extended Deep Sharing
Longest session with comprehensive sharing about life's deepest struggles and God's faithfulness.
Early Community Building
Building authentic community and learning to share vulnerably about real struggles.
Foundations of Friday Sharing
Early session establishing the foundation for authentic community sharing and mutual encouragement.