“The kingdom of God isn't about building our own influence and asking God to bless it. It's about surrendering to the reign and rule of Jesus. He's king, I'm not. His will matters. His word matters. His mission matters. And when we say we're a kingdom minded church, what we're saying is we want Jesus to be in control of this thing, not us.”
“Just because something has been a part of your story doesn't mean it needs to come with you to the next chapter. It could be hurt. It could be disappointment. It could be that you failed, and I'm not pretending or telling you to pretend that those things didn't happen. But what I'm telling you is that through the grace of god, those things don't have to determine where you go from here.”
“maybe today the question isn't whether God is able, maybe today the question is whether we're willing to respond, and are we willing to surrender. Are you willing to forgive? Are you willing to obey? Are you willing to rearrange your priorities? Are we willing to make room? Because making room isn't about adding one more religious activity to the calendar. It's about allowing Jesus to become the center around which everything else finds its proper place in our lives. Expectation says, Lord, I believe you're able, but preparation says, Lord, I want to be ready to follow wherever you lead.”
“The miracle, listen to me, was not in Peter. The miracle was not because the man had enough positive thoughts. The miracle was not because somebody created the right atmosphere. The miracle and power was in the name of Jesus. Why do you think I kept telling us to sing that one part of the song over and over this morning when we were talking about the name of Jesus? Because that's where the power and the miracle lies is in the name of Jesus.”
“The Christian life is not try harder, behave better, look more Christian. It's abide. Walk with the spirit. Be transformed from the inside out. Bear fruit. Bear fruit. Then the evidence of fruit in your life is the spirit alive within us, not merely the effort of our religious efforts. Listen. What comes out of your life does matter. It does matter. But not every individual behavior gives us a complete diagnosis of what's going on under the surface.”
“And that's where Joseph's story becomes powerful. Right? After the pit, after the betrayal, after everything he went through, is Joseph free? Not as Joseph out of prison, but is Joseph really free in his life? And we've talked about this. You can leave the place and still carry the place with you. can leave the place that hurt you and still carry the place. We've been talking about that for three weeks. You can spend twenty years away from the place, and this place will still control and dictate your life today. And so the question is is when we leave the place, are we carrying the place with us?”
“What am I leaving in them, not to them? What am I leaving in them? Am I leaving chaos and destruction or am I leaving God? Do they see faith? Do they see integrity? Do they know how to pray because they've heard you pray? Do they understand generosity because they've watched you give? Do they know what forgiveness looks like because they watched you forgive? Do they know how a marriage survives hard seasons because they watched mom and dad choose covenant?”
“But covenant, listen to this, doesn't ask, is my spouse doing their part? Covenant asks, am I doing mine? Because covenant is stronger than what we carried in. Now here's the order. Men, god designed us to be the head of the house, not be the domineering one over the house, but the head of the house. We will stand before god one day for what happens in our home. But sometimes being the head of the house knows means we know when to shut up and listen to wisdom.”
“What had wounded Jacob became the thing that Jacob reproduced. And I wanna tell you this morning, some of us are sitting in here with wounds, reproducing those wounds on the next generation because we don't wanna deal with it. What you don't let god heal, you will reproduce. You can hate the way your father talked to your mother and one day still find yourself talking to your spouse the same way. You can remember how it felt when your parents didn't show up, but one day find yourself so focused on work that you don't show up for your own kids. You can remember being terrified when somebody lost their temper, and then realize that your own family's scared of you because of yours.”
“The enemy does not need to have authority over you. He can only convince you that he does. Stop giving the devil credit for what god has already given you, the authority to overcome. So say say this with me. I know who I am. I know whose I am. I know whose I am. Know what I've been given. I know what I've been given. And I know what God's word said. What God's word said. I'm not fighting for victory. I'm not fighting for victory. I'm standing in the victory of Christ has already won. Christ has already won.”
“Anybody can be thankful when everything's going right. Anybody can be thankful and praise god when the prayer gets answered the way they wanted. Anybody can celebrate when the doors open, the money comes in, the report's good, the relationship works out, and life falls into place. But real gratitude says, even when everything around me is not good, God, you're still good. It's a posture. That's the difference. Gratitude does not require a perfect season. It requires the right perspective of who God is.”
“And what he is showing us is that forgiveness has a direction. Did you know forgiveness has a direction? Forgiveness comes from God. It comes to me, and then there's a third direction. It should go through me. I cannot continually celebrate God and what he's done in my life while while refusing to extend grace to others. That's forgiveness. Forgiveness isn't just for me. It is for others. Isn't that what the scripture says? Forgive us as we, what, forgive.”
“``Wanna leave one last thought with you. What if the answer to the prayer you've been praying is you? What if the prayer you've been praying, the answer is you living a different life? What if God wants to bring bring peace into your family through you? Bring peace into your workplace through you? What if he wants to bring hope to your neighborhood through you? What if he wants to bring healing to someone you know through you? What if he wants to bring reconciliation to your family through you? The kingdom has always advanced through ordinary people willing to let an extraordinary king rule in their lives.”
“``I want you to hear something. Slaves beg for acceptance. People who don't know who they are beg for acceptance, but sons and daughters live from acceptance. Religion says, maybe God will listen if I perform well enough, but the gospel says, come boldly because Jesus has already made the way. My kids don't ask to go get something out of the pantry because they know they have access. Now if one of their little friends comes over, they'll be like, can we get a cupcake? Yeah. Go get you a cupcake. You ain't gotta ask, but they do. Why? Because it's different access when you know who you are and who you belong to.”
“``It says a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice costs something. Anybody can praise when the answer comes, but faith praises while it's still midnight. Faith says, I don't understand this season. I sure don't like this season. no, my God hasn't changed. Don't miss this. The miracle didn't begin with the earthquake. The miracle began when two men decided that God was still worthy in the middle of midnight. And maybe that's the word somebody needs to hear today. Your midnight is not the end of your story.”
“``And everything in our life is about control. Can I just be honest with you for a minute? We wanna be in control of this. We wanna be in control of that. And we don't like surrendering our control because control makes us powerful or so we think. But Proverbs three five through six says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Right? I need you to understand something this morning. Surrender is not losing control. Surrender is giving up the control you were never intended to have to begin with. We took control when Adam and Eve sinned, and God never intended for us to have control. That's why most of us, when we are in control, it's chaotic and life is a mess because we were never supposed to have control to begin with. Never.”
“``As a matter of fact, when you read scripture, the first altar wasn't built in a church. It was built in a field. Abraham worshiped on a mountain. Moses worshiped in front of a burning bush. David worshiped in the wilderness. Heck, David stripped down naked and worshiped in the street one time. Paul and Silas worshiped in a prison. John worshiped in exile on the island of Patmos, and heaven itself is filled with worship around the throne of God twenty four seven scripture tells us. Yet I want you to understand that none of those moments had a worship band. None of those moments had stage lights. None of those moments had a sound system. None of those moments had anything more important than but they had an encounter with God.”
“Drifting doesn't feel like danger until you're in danger. It always starts with we'll be back next week. I'm still good with god, but here's the thing about drifting. You're always moving. question is, where are you moving? you go out in a lake in a boat and you don't drop your anchor, you will go somewhere. Even if you got your anchor down, your boat will still move around. It'll just keep you anchored. That's the church. That's the body of Christ. We're the anchor that even if you get a little squirrelly, you still get stayed put. You still are stuck. Right? Amen. But pull up that anchor and just drift.”
“John says, watch this, if we're living in the light as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another. Right? God said that if we have fellowship with him, then we have fellowship with each other. Amen. That's right. If I have fellowship with him, I have fellowship with you. Right? There's no place in the Bible or in the kingdom of God for you and God to have your own thing. There's not. Well, I don't I don't go to church. Me and Jesus got our own thing. That ain't biblical. That ain't biblical. I'm just being real with you. Right? You need to go back and read this book. Yeah. It's not biblical.”
“But what we have done so many times as the church is we've taken chapter 14 and we've treated it like a cease and desist order. Oh, Paul said you can't do it. Look, let me let me show you. Paul never said, don't do the things. Paul said, do em correctly. Do em in order. Use them like they were supposed to be used and the problem has been for centuries that we have still not heeded Paul's instructions and we have still used the gifts wrong.”
“Right? Accessorize with the socks. You gotta get the right socks on. Right? It it's just not you you gotta get it but here, the the holy spirit is not the accessories. Alright. that's what I want us to understand. They are necessary. They are expressions of the spirit working in our lives, ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and when we begin to understand them correctly, they stop being something mysterious or reserved for the select few and become a normal part of the Christian life. Amen.”
“``God didn't give you your gift for you. God gave you your gift for the person sitting next to you. He gave it for the broken person that walks through the doors. He gave it for the addict on the street. He gave it for the person that's lost and without hope and doesn't know where to turn. He gave the gift for all of us. Right? He gave it to you so that when you walk out of these doors and you go back into the world and you go back to your job tomorrow and you go back to your family that's broken, he gave it to you so that you can take it back to them.”
“The early church didn't just preach a message. They demonstrated the power of god in that message. And I believe that us as the church would not struggle nearly as much if we allowed signs and wonders to work in our lives rather than just relying on words. Words will not save you without the authority behind the words. I know some of you were not taught this. I get it, but I need you to understand it because in Acts three one through 10, Peter and John heal a lame man and the miracle there causes the crowd to gather and Peter preaches and the result is is that the church grew because of the miracle. Amen.”
“Twenty five years, think about it, saved but uninformed, committed but incomplete. How many of us walk through our own lives the same way today? We love God. We believe his word. We believe what he did for us, but we're not fully informed about who god really is. Right? They've been in the church, but they don't know who the holy ghost is. That tells me something. You can be walking in the light and still be not walking in all the light.”
“If I take you to lunch and I tell the waitress to give me your bill, I don't expect you to give me anything toward it. Because if I'm taking care of the bill, I'm taking care of all of it. I'm not gonna say, okay. I'll I'll get you fish, but you gotta get your tea. You get the appetizer like a third of it. I'll get the two other two thirds. That's not how it works. And salvation doesn't but we treat salvation like, oh, I can only get some of it or I gotta take care of some things. I gotta do this. I gotta do that. And the reality is that when he hung on the cross, he took care of the whole bill.”
“If I buy the expensive shoes and they sit in my closet, they're just expensive shoes. How many of us show up to church every Sunday, and we have tools at our disposal to live in power and freedom, and we don't use the tools at our at our disposal, and therefore, we still walk around weak and defeated when the tools are there? Did you know even at Planet Fitness that they give you Tootsie Rolls at the counter, they still have personal trainers that if you go ask them, they will help you.”
“An anchor doesn't stop the storm. An anchor doesn't prevent the storm. But what an anchor does is it makes it where you are not as movable in the storm. Right? Your boat might drift around in a circle, but it's not gonna leave the place where you're anchored in the storm. An anchor is not for calm seas. An anchor is for the storm.”
“``We're not saved by works, but we are saved for works. We are saved to do good. We are saved to be different. Grace is the starting line. It's not the finish line. Salvation is free, but it's not cheap. It costs Jesus everything. So we don't live to earn God's love, but because we love him, we work on behalf of him. We do the things we do because of our love for him.”
“I want you to catch this. Paul's goal was not loss. It was relationship. Paul wasn't leaving things behind because he wanted to lose stuff or he felt like he needed to leave stuff. He wanted relationship with the father. He wanted to know Christ, not just know about him. He wanted faith over self right eousness, power over position, resurrection life over religious routine. Out with the old is not about what you lose, it's about what we gain in the middle of it.”
“That Jesus took our death and gave us life. He took what I deserved. He took my punishment, and He gave me life. And it is life that breathes hope into dead places. It's life that overcomes darkness. And it's life that doesn't end at the grave. Because Christmas isn't about a baby born. It's about death defeated and life delivered.”
Sunday Bible Study is at 9:00 a.m., and Sunday Worship is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study is at 6:30 p.m. Services meet at 1411 W Main St, Suite E, Lebanon, TN 37087. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/)
Can someone attend while exploring Christianity or questioning their beliefs?
Yes. True North welcomes people who are exploring faith: its website says, “Whether you’re exploring faith, returning to church, or looking for a place to call home, you belong here.” It also describes the church as a community where no one has to pretend and everyone has a place. Sunday worship is at 10:30 a.m. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/)
- **God:** One God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. - **Jesus Christ:** Fully God and fully human; he lived without sin, died for our sins, and rose again. Forgiveness, freedom, and purpose come through him alone. - **The Holy Spirit:** Lives in believers, guiding, empowering, comforting, and transforming them, and equipping them for ministry. - **The Bible:** God’s inspired, trustworthy Word and the ultimate source for teaching and spiritual direction. - **Salvation:** A gift of grace received through trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection and turning one’s life toward him—not something earned. - **The Church:** The body of Christ, a community that worships, grows, serves, and encourages one another. - **Baptism and Communion:** Baptism publicly declares faith and symbolizes new life in Jesus; Communion remembers his sacrifice and keeps the gospel central. - **Christian living:** A journey of growth marked by love, humility, integrity, generosity, and compassion. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
The sources don’t provide a full list of leadership positions or a formal policy, but they do show women serving in ministry and sharing pastoral leadership. In one message, we describe a pastor and his wife as pastoring the church together, with each contributing different strengths, and say husbands should sometimes make room for their wives to lead and shine. ([27:55 from September 21, 2026])
The church website also identifies Woven Women’s Ministry, which encourages women to grow in faith and live out their purpose together. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/card/46)
What are its stated policies concerning LGBTQ people?
True North Church does not state a specific policy concerning LGBTQ people in the provided website material. It says “Everyone is invited,” that “no one is too broken” or “too far gone,” and describes its vision as a community where “everyone has a place at the table.” The material does not specify policies on LGBTQ membership, marriage, leadership, or gender identity. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
Who leads the church, and how are leaders accountable?
**Jesus is the church’s ultimate head.** The sermon cites Colossians 1:18, describing Christ as “the head of the church.” Locally, the sermons refer to a pastor and church leadership, but the materials provided don’t identify all leaders or spell out the church’s governance structure. ([40:07 from October 25, 2026])
**The sources don’t describe a formal process for holding leaders accountable.** They do emphasize leading by example, with a model of training that includes a leader observing someone’s work and offering help when needed. They also teach that people should confess when they’ve done wrong and pray for one another—principles of mutual accountability. ([30:50 from September 28, 2026]) ([37:50 from September 28, 2026]) The church’s stated belief is that the Bible is its ultimate source for teaching and correction. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
Which recent sermons would help someone understand the teaching?
For a broad introduction to our teaching, these recent sermons are good starting points:
- **A message on the basics of faith:** We present the gospel as Jesus’ invitation to trust him and follow him—not as something people must earn or make themselves worthy of. ([05:14 from September 07, 2026]) - **A message on the Lord’s Prayer:** We teach that prayer involves depending on God, receiving forgiveness, extending grace to others, and asking for help through life’s struggles. ([04:40 from August 24, 2026]) ([07:22 from August 24, 2026]) - **A message on change through the gospel:** We teach that Jesus not only forgives, but can help people confront harmful patterns and live a new life. ([39:34 from September 14, 2026]) ([42:28 from September 14, 2026]) - **A message on discipleship:** We emphasize living out faith in ways others can learn from, and helping the next generation grow through everyday example. ([30:50 from September 28, 2026]) ([35:28 from September 28, 2026])
How does the church talk about sin, confession and forgiveness?
True North talks about sin as something that needs forgiveness and ongoing change: it teaches that Jesus died for our sins, and that salvation comes by grace through trusting in him and turning our lives toward him. The church describes the Holy Spirit as convicting and transforming believers. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
Confession is presented as honestly recognizing one’s need for God and asking Jesus for forgiveness. In one sermon, the church offers a sample prayer that acknowledges being a sinner, asks God to forgive, and commits to following Jesus. The church also teaches that forgiveness removes guilt, while the Holy Spirit continues to help change harmful patterns. ([08:33 from September 07, 2026]) ([39:34 from September 14, 2026])
Forgiveness received from God should also shape how people treat others: “I forgive because I’ve experienced” God’s grace, and that grace should be extended to others. Forgiving someone does not mean excusing the harm, automatically trusting them, reconciling, or removing consequences; boundaries and justice may still be appropriate. ([07:22 from August 24, 2026]) ([13:01 from August 24, 2026]) ([14:05 from August 24, 2026])
How does the teaching approach community and honesty with others?
We approach community as a place of belonging where people can build authentic relationships and don’t have to pretend; the church describes itself as a community of grace, authenticity, and spiritual growth where every story matters. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/)
We also teach that honesty with others means bringing struggles into the open with someone trustworthy—not hiding them, and not using “keeping it real” as an excuse to avoid accountability. We encourage people to share without shame or condemnation so they can grow and seek healing. ([01:08 from October 12, 2026]) The teaching also calls us to confess when we’ve done wrong, apologize, and pray for one another. ([37:50 from September 28, 2026]) ([39:24 from September 28, 2026])
True North’s starting point is that faith does not mean having every answer: it means following Jesus step by step. The church also describes itself as a community of imperfect people where no one has to pretend, making room for people who are exploring faith or returning to church. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe) (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/)
We teach that confidence can rest in Jesus even when someone’s faith feels weak or the outcome is uncertain. That doesn’t mean knowing how a difficult situation will turn out; it means trusting that Jesus is present through it. ([01:10:24 from October 18, 2026]) ([01:12:58 from October 18, 2026])
In suffering, we encourage bringing pain and unmet hopes honestly before God, and sharing struggles with a trusted person rather than hiding them. We also acknowledge that difficult seasons can involve loss and pain, and encourage trust in God through them. ([01:07:11 from October 12, 2026]) ([01:09:40 from October 12, 2026]) For practical support, the church’s Community Resource Center connects people with local help, including counseling and assistance with essentials. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/card/53)
True North encourages people to live out their faith in everyday life, including at work. The church’s men’s ministry aims to equip men to lead with integrity and become godly leaders in their workplaces, homes, and communities. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/card/46)
We teach that faithfulness in ordinary responsibilities matters: be present to the work and people in front of you, and serve without needing recognition. Spiritual maturity, we emphasize, grows through everyday choices such as serving quietly and trusting God amid uncertainty. ([01:05:41 from October 25, 2026]) The church also describes Christian living as reflecting Jesus through love, humility, integrity, generosity, and compassion in everyday life. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
Is an answer based on an official statement or an interpretation of sermons?
An answer drawn from the **“What We Believe”** page is based on an official statement of True North Church. For example, the page states the church’s beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, and salvation. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/what-we-believe)
An answer that draws conclusions from sermon themes is an **interpretation of those sermons**, rather than an official statement—unless the church also states the same point on its website. For instance, a sermon emphasizes that expectation should be rooted in Jesus, and another teaches gratitude as a posture of recognizing God’s goodness. ([01:10:24 from October 18, 2026]) ([04:38 from August 31, 2026])
The calendar also lists a **Men’s Bible Study** on **Tuesday, November 17, 6:30–8:00 p.m.**, and a **Women’s Bible Study** on **Sunday, November 22, 6:30–8:00 p.m.** (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/upcoming_events)
Are there groups or introductory gatherings open to newcomers?
Yes. True North welcomes people who are new to church, exploring faith, or looking for a church community. Newcomers can join Sunday Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. or worship at 10:30 a.m.; there’s also Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study at 6:30 p.m. The events calendar lists other gatherings, including men’s and women’s Bible studies. I didn’t find a dedicated newcomer orientation listed. (https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/; https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/upcoming_events; https://www.truenorthchurchtn.com/card/46)
