Keystone Habits + Sunday Morning Resources

TCC • January 7, 2022

We began a new series on Sunday on HABITS: Small steps, big change. I’ve been anticipating this series since I picked up a copy of a great book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. I get to unpack some of the theory behind habits in my message this Sunday. One of the key ideas behind habits is that there are habits that we engage in, without thinking about what we’re doing, like brushing our teeth or shaving. That’s how our brain functions to keep us from being overwhelmed by all the decisions we would be making each day if everything we did was new and untried. At the same time, there are certain “keystone” habits that we must purposefully choose to add to our lives if we are going to reap the fantastic benefits they offer.


The top keystone habit based upon surveys done by thousands of Followers of Jesus is Bible Engagement. Specifically engaging with the Bible at least four days per week. Mark Hadley, our Spiritual Growth Pastor, laid a great foundation for us on Sunday with his practical message on developing a habit of Bible Engagement. His own personal work in spiritual formation that was visible inspires us all to grow.


The fruit and results of this habit are staggering. Bible Engagement draws us more deeply into relationship with God and others, grows our confidence in God’s promises, and empowers us to make steps with God and fulfill His Kingdom purposes in our lives. Honestly, you can’t know God without knowing His Word.


But Bible Engagement also helps us in areas that aren’t necessarily spiritual. Surveys show that Bible Engagement improves marriages, relationships, mental health, careers, finances, character, and decision making. The Center for Biblical Engagement released the results of their survey of over 400,000 people, and they discovered that people who engage with the Bible regularly are less lonely, have fewer destructive thoughts, have reduced anxiety, abuse alcohol and substances less, and were less likely to struggle with issues of self-worth and value.


You can see the great benefits of this habit. Do you want to have these things be true for you? Let me encourage you to watch Mark’s message from Sunday. Here’s a link to watch it. After that, log on to our website and look for our Bible Reading plans section or just click here. Once you’ve decided to engage with the Bible consider joining a Life Group, where you can be with others like yourself who are seeking to engage with the Bible. Also, make sure to be at church (or watch online when you can’t be here in person) and make sure to listen intently and seek to hear what God is saying to you in His Word. When we sing, listen for the references to Biblical concepts and quotes and engage in a new way. Finally, learn to pray God’s Word back to Him and ask Him to help you develop this keystone habit. As Mark said on Sunday, “When you engage with God’s Word, you align with God’s heart.”

 

Here are some upcoming opportunities to SHARE LIFE and SPREAD HOPE to our family and community. 

 

FAMILY SNOW DAY – Saturday, January 8. A few weeks ago, it didn’t look like this even could happen because of a lack of snow. Well, now after our snowpocalypse, we have an abundance. Join our families for a fun day. Please follow all safety signs as you enjoy the snow.


LIFE GROUPS are open NOW for the winter/spring semester. Make sure to stop by the SHARE LIFE table in the lobby and let us help you find a group that fits you! You can also find out more on our website. 

 

THRIVE UNLEASHED – January 14-15. This is an amazing winter retreat for junior high and high school students. See the website to register. 


BABES WHO BRUNCH – January 15, 11:00am-12:30pm. This is for young women to gather for relationship, a potluck-style brunch, a speaker who focuses on a specific topic that will help you grow, or a fun activity or craft. Please bring a brunch dish to share with everyone. Free childcare will also be available. Get ready to eat some brunch, have some fun, learn, grow spiritually, and make new friends!

 

THIS SUNDAY, we continue our series HABITS: Small steps, big change. Folks, I’m excited to walk through some of the core ideas behind the power of habits this week. If you want to make changes in your life, please make sure to be with us in person this week as we talk about Healthy Habits.

 

Here are the links you’ll need to prepare for Sunday’s Service: 


   

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

New Paragraph

Is It Okay to Deconstruct Your Faith? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • April 25, 2025
Last weekend, we kicked off our Beyond Doubt series by voicing something many of us feel, but rarely say out loud: we have questions that can feel at odds with our faith. But as we’re exploring in this series, doubt isn’t the enemy of belief — it can actually be the doorway to a stronger, more resilient faith. This Sunday, we’re taking on a topic that’s increasingly common, yet often misunderstood: deconstruction . What do you do when the version of Christianity you inherited begins to crack under the weight of hard questions, disappointment, or pain? Is it possible to examine and pull apart your faith without walking away from it completely? We believe it is. This weekend’s message is for anyone who’s ever wrestled with their spiritual worldview — or walked alongside someone who is. We’ll talk about what it means to ask honest questions, seek real truth, and reconstruct a faith that’s stronger on the other side. Join us this Sunday as we move beyond doubt — together. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry With hope,

Easter Weekend at Twin Cities – You’re Invited! + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • April 18, 2025
Easter is almost here — and we’ve got a full weekend planned to connect and celebrate as a church family! Here’s everything coming up: Good Friday Community Service – 12pm @ TCC Join us Friday at Noon at Twin Cities Church as we gather with churches from across Nevada County to remember the triumph of the cross. It will be a wonderful time of worship, unity, and gratitude for the grace Jesus purchased for us. Egg Hunt & Pancake Breakfast – Saturday at 9am Bring the whole family out for a fun morning filled with pancakes, eggs (the plastic kind), and connection with our local community. It’s a great way to build memories and share the joy of Easter with our neighbors. Easter Sunday – He Is Risen! Celebrate the resurrection with us on Sunday at one of our three Easter services: 8:15, 9:45, & 11:30am . This is the perfect opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or coworker to come experience hope and new life in Jesus. The 8:15am service is typically the lightest attended, so if you’re flexible, join us early and help make space for guests later in the morning. We can’t wait to see you this weekend! Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry With anticipation,

Great Expectations + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • April 11, 2025
This weekend, we’ll prepare our hearts for Easter by reflecting on Palm Sunday. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, crowds lined the road shouting, “Hosanna!” — a cry of praise and hope. They had big expectations for what He had come to do. But just days later, their cries would turn to “Crucify Him!” We’ll explore how quickly expectations can turn to disappointment — and how dangerous it can be when we carry those same kinds of expectations into our relationship with God. Join us as we walk with Jesus into Holy Week and open our hearts to the kind of King He really is — not always the one we expect, but always the one we need. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry Looking forward to seeing you Sunday,

Welcome to the Resistance + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • April 4, 2025
This weekend, we wrap up our study through Ephesians with a powerful call to stand firm in our God-given identity. Throughout this letter, Paul has reminded us that we are not meant to be shaped by the world around us. Just as the Ephesian believers faced immense pressure to conform — socially, politically, ethically, and spiritually — we, too, are constantly tempted to fit into the mold of our culture. But Paul’s message is clear: Don’t give in. Don’t be shaped by the world. Stand firm IN CHRIST. Join us this Sunday as we embrace our role in God’s quiet, subversive revolution. We’re also in a special season of investing in the future — both here at Twin Cities and in Uganda. This is a unique opportunity to strengthen our church home while helping build a new church for our partners in Uganda. Click here to learn how you can help make a lasting impact. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

Power Play + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • March 28, 2025
Last weekend, it was such a joy watching Ron and Kim unpack Paul’s exhortations to husbands and wives. But marriage is only one of the relationships that Paul addresses in Ephesians. He also speaks about the dynamics between parents and children as well as the first century version of employers and employees. However, rather than just providing some tips on how to be a better parent, employer, or spouse , we are going to dig beneath the surface to the underlying power dynamics that often make relationships so contentious. And we will discover that what Paul is offering us is far more than some tips for a better marriage. He’s actually offering a radically different vision for how to approach every relationship. I can’t wait to explore this incredibly rich and relevant topic with you this Sunday. We’re also in a special season of investing in the future — both here at Twin Cities and in Uganda. This is a unique opportunity to strengthen our church home while helping build a new church for our partners in Uganda. Click here to learn how you can help make a lasting impact. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

The Spirit of Marriage + An Exciting Opportunity! + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • March 21, 2025
This Sunday is going to be an exciting one. Our founding couple, Ron and Kim Thompson, will be unpacking Paul’s words about how to honor Christ and support one another in marriage. Whether you’re married, single, or somewhere in between, this message will be deeply relevant and will help us grapple with what it means to live as Children of God within relationship with other imperfect image bearers. You won’t want to miss it! Investing in Our Future We’re in an exciting season of growth — both here at Twin Cities and in Uganda. As I shared last weekend, our church home needs a few critical updates, and we also have the opportunity to help build a new home for a sister church in Uganda. We’d love for you to be part of this lasting impact. Click here to learn how you can invest in the future. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry In His grip,

Appetite for Destruction + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • March 7, 2025
Have you ever felt the pull of old habits, the struggle between who you were and who God is calling you to be? As we continue our study through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he will challenge us to leave behind our former way of life and embrace our true identity in Christ. This weekend, we will explore the destructive nature of sin – the way it deadens our sensitivity and hinders us from ever finding true satisfaction. Thankfully, there’s hope! True transformation and freedom are possible if we will allow the Holy Spirit to help us clean house. Our lives depend on it. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry In His grip,

Gifted and Equipped — What’s Your Role? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • February 28, 2025
As we step into the second half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the focus shifts from who we are in Christ to how we are called to live in light of that truth. This Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to be gifted and equipped by the Holy Spirit — not just for our own benefit, but for the strengthening of the Church. Each of us has been entrusted with spiritual gifts, uniquely intended to build up the body of Christ. But if we don’t recognize or use them, we miss out on the part God has called us to play in being the body of Christ. What are spiritual gifts really for? How do we discover them? And what does it look like when we fully embrace them as a church? Join us as we dig into Ephesians 4 and uncover how we can step into the fullness of God’s calling. Also, a quick reminder — Grow University begins next week! If you're looking for a way to get more connected and discover how God has uniquely shaped you, this is your next step. Click here to learn more or to sign up. Looking forward to diving into this together! Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry In His grip,

Embodying the Fullness of God + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • February 21, 2025
As we reach the midpoint of our journey through Ephesians, we come to a pivotal transition. Paul has reminded us that we are deeply rooted in God’s love — but what does that mean for how we live ? This Sunday, we’ll explore what it truly means to embody the fullness of God — not just as individuals, but as a church. We are called to be more than attendees; we are the dwelling place of His Spirit, sent to reflect His heart in the world. This conversation will challenge the way we define success as a church. If we truly are the body of Christ, how do we measure whether we’re living out that calling? Hint: it’s not about counting attendance or the quality of our programs. Below, you’ll find resources to help you prepare your heart and mind for this weekend. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry In His grip,
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