Most of us quietly assume one of two things about God: either we have a head start because of our background, our church history, or our effort — or we are too far behind to matter. Acts 10 dismantles both assumptions in the same story.In this message from Acts 9:32 through 11:18, we follow Peter through one of the most pivotal moments in the New Testament — the moment the gospel crosses into the Gentile world for the first time. Peter receives a strange vision, gets called to the home of a Roman soldier, and watches the Holy Spirit show up before he even finishes talking. What he discovers changes everything: God plays no favorites. No one gets a head start, and no one gets a free pass.This is part of our Scattered and Sent series, working through Acts 8 through 12. If you have been sitting on the fence about Jesus — unsure whether you are ready, whether you qualify, or whether you have time to decide — this message is for you.Creekside Community Church meets in Elizabeth, Colorado. We are a congregation of people trying to follow Jesus together in the middle of ordinary life. You can connect with us at www.creekside.cc

Most people treat the church the way they treat a gym membership. They know they should go. They feel guilty when they don't. But deep down, they see it as optional.Acts 9 says something different.When the risen Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus, he didn't ask why Saul was persecuting his followers. He asked why Saul was persecuting HIM. The church is not an institution Jesus endorses. It is the body He inhabits.In this message, Pastor Luke Heirendt walks through Acts 9:1-31 and the story of how the church's fiercest enemy became its greatest advocate. Along the way, we meet two ordinary people, Ananias and Barnabas, who changed the trajectory of the entire Christian mission not through titles or platforms but through costly, inconvenient obedience to Jesus.If you've ever wondered whether the church really matters, or whether you can follow Jesus without it, this message is for you.This is Week 3 of Scattered and Sent, a series through Acts 8-12.We're glad you're here.Creekside Community Church meets in Elizabeth, Colorado. We are a congregation of people trying to follow Jesus together in the middle of ordinary life. You can connect with us at www.creekside.cc

Have you ever wondered if you really belong? Not just at church, but with God? Most of us carry a private version of that question. And most of us have never asked it out loud.Acts 8:26-40 tells the story of an Ethiopian official on his way home from Jerusalem. He traveled two months to worship at a temple he was not permitted to fully enter. He is reading a passage about rejection. And then a man named Philip shows up, running.What happens next answers the question the official was almost certainly afraid to ask: is there a place for me?In this message from our Scattered and Sent series (Acts 8-12), we look at what a strange detour, a chariot conversation, and an impromptu roadside baptism reveal about who the gospel is actually for. The answer is more open than most of us expect, and more demanding than some of us would like.The point: Repentance is the only barrier to entrance.Creekside Community Church meets in Elizabeth, Colorado. We are a congregation of people trying to follow Jesus together in the middle of ordinary life. You can connect with us at www.creekside.cc

What if more of the Holy Spirit does not simply mean more comfort for us, but more mercy, mission, and surrender through us?In Acts 8:1-25, persecution scatters the early church out of Jerusalem and into Samaria, a place filled with old wounds, suspicion, and division. But what looks like a setback becomes part of Jesus’s mission as Philip proclaims Christ, Samaritans receive the gospel, and the apostles begin to see that the Spirit is forming one family out of former enemies.This message explores how the Spirit’s ministry to us is meant to become the Spirit’s ministry through us. More of the Spirit means more mercy toward people we might exclude, more ministry for the good of others, and more surrender to God rather than more control for ourselves.Join us as we worship together and begin our Scattered & Sent series through Acts 8–12.For more info about our church community, or to connect with us, go to www.creekside.cc

This week at Creekside Community Church, we conclude our series Spirituality for the Curious with a message about pain, grief, and the deeper questions they force us to ask. Suffering is something every person faces, but it does more than interrupt life. It often awakens our longing for something better, exposes how broken this world really is, and raises questions about meaning, hope, and whether pain will ever finally end.In this message, we will look at what Christianity says about suffering and why Jesus becomes especially compelling in the middle of it. The Bible does not ask us to pretend pain is small or meaningless. Instead, it shows us a God who entered our suffering in Jesus, meets us in our grief, and promises a day when sorrow, death, and loss will be no more.Whether you are skeptical, spiritually curious, grieving, or simply carrying pain you have never fully understood, you are welcome here. This message is an invitation to consider whether the ache beneath our pain might actually be pointing us toward God.For more info about our church community, or to connect with us, go to www.creekside.cc

This week at Creekside Community Church, we continue our series Spirituality for the Curious with a message called The Unseen World. Many people today sense that there is more to reality than the physical world we can see, but that raises an important question: what do we do with that spiritual openness? In this message, we explore the difference between counterfeit spirituality that reaches for power, knowledge, or control apart from God, and true spirituality that leads us into surrender, trust, prayer, and communion with Jesus.If you have ever wondered whether the spiritual world is real, why practices like astrology, tarot, or mediumship feel compelling, or why Jesus still matters in a spiritually curious culture, this message is for you. We will look at what Scripture says about the unseen realm, the danger of spiritual deception, and the real authority and freedom found in Christ. Whether you are skeptical, seeking, or simply asking honest questions, we are glad you are here.For more info about our church community, or to connect with us, go to www.creekside.cc

This week at Creekside Community Church, we begin a new series called Spirituality for the Curious. If you have ever felt like there is something more to this world, this message is for you. Together we will explore how the beauty, abundance, and order of creation may be pointing beyond themselves to the reality and character of God.Whether you are skeptical, seeking, spiritually open, or simply asking honest questions, you are welcome here. This message starts with shared human experience and invites us to consider whether the world around us is giving clues not just that God exists, but what He is like. Join us as we look at Scripture and consider how the gift of creation can lead us to the Giver.For more info about our church community, or to connect with us, go to www.creekside.cc

This Easter Sunday, we invite you to behold the risen King. In Matthew 27:62–28:20, we see that the resurrection is not a vague religious symbol or a private spiritual experience, but God’s decisive act in real history. If the tomb is occupied, hope is a hollow promise. If the tomb is empty, hope is bedrock reality.In this message, we will explore how the resurrection publicly vindicates Jesus and proves that he was right about who he is, the kingdom he announced, and the hope he offers. That means Christian hope is not wishful thinking for desperate people, but something sturdy enough for the world as it really is. Because Jesus is alive, darkness does not have the final say in this world, and it does not have to have the final say in your life.And Matthew’s resurrection story ends with a deeply encouraging note: the risen Jesus sends disciples who worship him, though some doubted. Easter hope is not only for people with flawless certainty, but for ordinary people who know enough to trust the risen King. Join us as we celebrate the historical reality, the living hope, and the world-changing authority of Jesus Christ.For more info about our church community, or to connect with us, go to www.creekside.cc