Views from The Ridge 11.12.25
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
Worship
Sunday
9 AM, Chapel, Acapella
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
This Week’s Verse: Matthew 22:37-40
We are going through the Ten Commandments this fall.
Watch previous sermons here.
Discipleship
Sundays, 10:15 AM, Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Fellowship Hall
Adult Bible Class: Open to all
BEMA Podcast Discussion group
Chapel Classroom, new study: The Practice of Compassion, open to women and men of all ages
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: Jonah the Backward Prophet
Key Verse: Jonah 4:2
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Sundays 10:15-10:45 AM, Room 220, BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
Sundays 10:15-10:45 AM, Room 220, GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Wednesdays, 5:15 - 5:45 PM, High School Girls’ Sermon Study Group
Room 220, Contact Den to join this group, open to 9th-12th Grade
Wednesdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PM, Teen Alpha Course
Room 220, Contact Den to join this group, open to 9th-12th Grade
Community Connections
Camelot Christmas Toy Drive
We’re preparing for our fourth year partnering with Camelot Elementary to make the Christmas season brighter for families in our community. On December 5, Camelot Christmas will bring families together for a meaningful shopping experience where parents can choose quality gifts at affordable prices, while children enjoy crafts, games, and holiday fun.
Toys are already beginning to trickle in—thank you to everyone who has donated so far! This year, we’re aiming to serve 170 children, and your continued support makes that possible.
You can help by purchasing toys from our Amazon or Target wish lists—items are shipped directly to the church—or by donating funds to help stock the store and support families. All donations must be received by November 30.
Together, we’re creating a celebration of generosity, dignity, and community for our Camelot neighbors.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Wednesday, 11 AM - 1:30 PM, Open Studio Painting
Every Saturday, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Wednesday, November 26th - Friday, November 28th, Church office closed for Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 30th, 3 - 4:30 PM, Healing Holidays Service, Church Chapel
Beyond Sunday
An Antidote to Comparison
Taylor Bates, Deputy Director, Sunset Ridge Church & Collective
This past weekend, my husband Hunter (our 11 AM worship leader and keyboardist) and I attended a conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, called The Guild, which describes itself as “soul care for the Christian creative.” We spent two days surrounded by like-minded people who feel called to use their creative gifts in faith-based spaces. As you can imagine, there were many worship leaders and musicians in attendance—along with visual artists, writers, poets, dancers, and even chefs.
We came away inspired, challenged, and nourished. Naturally, though, I also found myself a bit intimidated—and even slipping into comparison—being among so many incredibly talented people. Some had multiple published books, tens of thousands of online followers, and a level of ease on stage that I sometimes wish I had.
One of the main speakers said something that spoke directly to that struggle in a way I’d never heard before. He suggested that when you notice someone who stirs up that feeling of comparison or longing—whether it’s their perfectly curated life, an amazing singing voice, or a thriving career—you should say a silent prayer for it to increase. Not for you to have it, but for them to have even more of it.
How radical—and how countercultural—is that?
In a society that constantly tempts us to compare and compete, this small act of prayer can reorient our hearts toward peace, gratitude, and genuine joy for others.
Though Hunter and I missed worship this past Sunday, I know Scott preached on the tenth commandment—or, rather, proclamation:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
The Hebrew word for “covet” means “to desire” or “to delight in.” So what if, instead of coveting our neighbor’s goodness, we chose to truly delight in it—and even pray for it to increase? Maybe that’s the antidote to our ego’s instinct to compare.
Try this prayer out for yourself this week. When you find yourself admiring something someone else has, pray for it to increase for them—and see what changes in your heart and mind.
May our community be one that delights in one another’s goodness, trusting that when one of us flourishes, we all do.
