April 27 - June 9
March 2 - April 13
January 12 - February 23
December 1 - 29
November 10 - 17
September 8 - September 22
July 28 - September 1, 2024
June 9 - July 21
April 7 - May 26
February 18 - March 31
January 7 - February 11
December 10 - 17
December 3, 2023
"Saints"
November 5 - 26
"Paul"
August 13 - October 29
There are so many rich themes found in the letters that are attributed to the Apostle Paul. It is clear from the tone of each text: Paul certainly lacks no sense of urgency or conviction! This man is someone to whom we can look as we strive to follow Christ, while also recognizing the realities of life. Paul was no stranger to suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Amid the temptations of divisions, shallow contentment, or misled teachers, Paul boldly reminds his flocks what a life in God’s economy entails: unity, boldness, and defense of the one true Gospel. These themes are the bedrock for not only Paul’s mission as a devoted follower of Christ and leader of early Christians, but serve as the foundation for us still today. Overall, each of these three themes leads to real transformation.
Everybody loves a story, so we need to tell the story of Paul, weaving into where he was in his writing and his ministry. The chronology makes the story so much more authentic, even shocking. So we will connect the dots of Paul’s life and ministry, dropping down regularly to hear Paul in his letters addressed to the churches in his care.
We will use NT Wright’s chronology of Paul’s ministry. It is as good as any and better than most. It can be found in the back of Wright’s book, Paul.
Everybody loves a story, so we need to tell the story of Paul, weaving into where he was in his writing and his ministry. The chronology makes the story so much more authentic, even shocking. So we will connect the dots of Paul’s life and ministry, dropping down regularly to hear Paul in his letters addressed to the churches in his care.
We will use NT Wright’s chronology of Paul’s ministry. It is as good as any and better than most. It can be found in the back of Wright’s book, Paul.
"Better Together"
June 25 - August 6
The Old and New Testaments: two pieces of one whole that tell us who we are and who God is.Yet as Christians we often neglect to realize these are two crucial pieces of the same story. Instead, we see them as separate pieces and neglect to see the threads stretching from Genesis to Revelation that are all telling the same story: the loving, merciful God is in our midst. This summer we will take time to pull at those threads of God’s story and come to find a deeper understanding of these two testaments to God’s gracious actions throughout history.
"More Than Conquerors"
May 14 - June 18
In the early first century, culturally speaking, everything was positioned around the idea that a nation ought to expand and conquer to accumulate power and influence. In this way, the movement that began with Jesus was positioned well to be a religion that was focused on going out in the world, spreading its message to new nations, and converting others to this system of beliefs. The world was primed for a religious movement that would respond to the great commission, and in effect, go forth and conquer. Yet, the church was not about conquering. It did not hope to extinguish and assimilate every other person and culture. Instead, the early church grew on the basis that it had the ability to universally speak to the human condition of brokenness and offer hope and promise in the wake of that very condition. The church would be more than the conquerors.
Everyone was coming to believe in the promise of God. The Gospel reached into different cultures, differently idioms and languages altogether. In this message, they preached and believed that Jesus would return again, and would return again sooner rather than later. Nobody could have fathomed the idea that 2000 years into the future, we would still be waiting on this return. They were teaching each other lessons and lifting each other up in the hopes that they would be alive to see the grand return. However, those lessons taught have a practicality that transcends any time period.
In growing over this time, the church moved beyond the disciples. What was once an effort of individuals and leaders who had all had direct connections to, and conversations with, the risen Lord now transitioned to a movement of different ages, nations, and races of converted believers who had simply heard the Good News of the Gospel. They would lean on their own spiritual experiences of the divine rather than tangible interactions with God Incarnate. What will leadership look like in this new Church? Who can be a part of this faith movement? What will be required to participate? Most importantly, how do those messages speak to us today?
Everyone was coming to believe in the promise of God. The Gospel reached into different cultures, differently idioms and languages altogether. In this message, they preached and believed that Jesus would return again, and would return again sooner rather than later. Nobody could have fathomed the idea that 2000 years into the future, we would still be waiting on this return. They were teaching each other lessons and lifting each other up in the hopes that they would be alive to see the grand return. However, those lessons taught have a practicality that transcends any time period.
In growing over this time, the church moved beyond the disciples. What was once an effort of individuals and leaders who had all had direct connections to, and conversations with, the risen Lord now transitioned to a movement of different ages, nations, and races of converted believers who had simply heard the Good News of the Gospel. They would lean on their own spiritual experiences of the divine rather than tangible interactions with God Incarnate. What will leadership look like in this new Church? Who can be a part of this faith movement? What will be required to participate? Most importantly, how do those messages speak to us today?
"Appeared"
April 16 - 30
Easter has come, Christ has been resurrected. We have enjoyed the big celebrations, the Easter egg hunts, and the family meals, but we forget that there was more than an empty tomb after Christ was resurrected. There were more visits than the brief encounter of the women in the garden.
A fully resurrected Christ is a free Christ. Jesus could have gone anywhere and done anything after the resurrection, and yet he chose to search for the disciples. Jesus sought out the ones who abandoned and failed him more than anyone else. The ones who swore loyalty disappeared. The ones who followed in his footsteps for three years turned their backs on the suffering Savior. The ones who pledged to help transform the world abandoned the mission in fear and shame. Yet the story of the cross and resurrection is true for each of us through the power of God’s grace: we are more than our worst moments. The worst thing is never the last thing.
What might those disciples have been feeling after the cross? Can you imagine the deep silence between them? The shared knowledge of their failures? The unrelenting question: “What now?” Brene Brown defines shame as “an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection.” It is not hard to imagine the deep shame of these disciples, one that each of them knew intimately and yet did not want to name. Shame assigns identity based on our worst moments. It thrives on secrecy. It is “the fear that something we’ve done or failed to do, an ideal we’ve not lived up to, or a goal we’ve not accomplished makes us unworthy of connection” (Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart, 137).
We see over and over again in the Gospels and Acts scenes of redemption and healing through God’s grace. Jesus could have chosen to abandon the ones who left him at the cross, who pretended they did not even know him, to start from scratch with better disciples. Yet in God’s infinite grace and unrelenting love, the disciples were chosen for connection, relationship, and entrusted with the mission of Christ. Jesus confronts their failures head on. This is the Christian story: our deepest shame is redeemed and we are transformed into world-changing disciples
A fully resurrected Christ is a free Christ. Jesus could have gone anywhere and done anything after the resurrection, and yet he chose to search for the disciples. Jesus sought out the ones who abandoned and failed him more than anyone else. The ones who swore loyalty disappeared. The ones who followed in his footsteps for three years turned their backs on the suffering Savior. The ones who pledged to help transform the world abandoned the mission in fear and shame. Yet the story of the cross and resurrection is true for each of us through the power of God’s grace: we are more than our worst moments. The worst thing is never the last thing.
What might those disciples have been feeling after the cross? Can you imagine the deep silence between them? The shared knowledge of their failures? The unrelenting question: “What now?” Brene Brown defines shame as “an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection.” It is not hard to imagine the deep shame of these disciples, one that each of them knew intimately and yet did not want to name. Shame assigns identity based on our worst moments. It thrives on secrecy. It is “the fear that something we’ve done or failed to do, an ideal we’ve not lived up to, or a goal we’ve not accomplished makes us unworthy of connection” (Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart, 137).
We see over and over again in the Gospels and Acts scenes of redemption and healing through God’s grace. Jesus could have chosen to abandon the ones who left him at the cross, who pretended they did not even know him, to start from scratch with better disciples. Yet in God’s infinite grace and unrelenting love, the disciples were chosen for connection, relationship, and entrusted with the mission of Christ. Jesus confronts their failures head on. This is the Christian story: our deepest shame is redeemed and we are transformed into world-changing disciples
"Inevitable"
|
|
"Three Short Years"
|
|
"Breakthrough"
|
|
"The Thrill of Hope"
|
|
"Leading People"
|
|
"God in Motion"
|
|
Where did it all begin? God’s covenant promise is where we discover our roots and begin to understand the source of all our being: God is.
|
|
Philosophers from Plato to Pixar all assume we have a soul. But what does that actually mean, and why does it matter? We will weave together Scripture, history, theology, and pop culture to reclaim the ancient concept of a soul. A soul is not afterlife vapor but something very real and very specific: the resurrection of the body. Jesus’ message is that the kingdom of heaven is here now. Some think the state of our soul only comes down to one big spiritual decision in life. However, while we depend on the grace of God, our soul is shaped by life’s little everyday decisions, not just a few big ones. These small decisions in our relationships, in our work, and for ourselves put us on a trajectory towards a more solid soul, or a more shriveled soul, one that is isolated from others and God. The choices that we make in every moment lead us toward heaven or away from it. Learn to see your life and the lives of others with eternal eyes, and learn how to live life in such a way that you find yourself on a trajectory toward fulfillment and flourishing.
"More Than the Twelve"
|
|
The Disciples were WAY more than just twelve guys Jesus met along the way...!
"A Worthy Life"
|
|
Ephesians has long held a lofty place in the New Testament canon. It is concise, well- structured, and tightly argued. John Stott noted that “It was John Calvin’s favorite letter. . . .”
William Barclay quotes Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s assessment of it as “the divinest composition of man” and adds his own dictum that it is “the Queen of the epistles.” John Mackay, former President of Princeton Theological Seminary, writing in 1948 called Ephesians “the most contemporary book in the Bible” since it promises community in a world of disunity, reconciliation in place of alienation and peace instead of war.
Seventy years later, Ephesians is as contemporary as ever. Truly, Ephesians is “doctrine set to music” as Mackay said. Thus, in this series, we will strive to hear this music well, even as we consider how we can play the music in our lives. Ephesians is all about learning to think and live theologically.
William Barclay quotes Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s assessment of it as “the divinest composition of man” and adds his own dictum that it is “the Queen of the epistles.” John Mackay, former President of Princeton Theological Seminary, writing in 1948 called Ephesians “the most contemporary book in the Bible” since it promises community in a world of disunity, reconciliation in place of alienation and peace instead of war.
Seventy years later, Ephesians is as contemporary as ever. Truly, Ephesians is “doctrine set to music” as Mackay said. Thus, in this series, we will strive to hear this music well, even as we consider how we can play the music in our lives. Ephesians is all about learning to think and live theologically.
"Proving Jesus"
|
|
"Yes, He Is Risen!"
|
|
"Every Moment Holy"
|
|
Noise, by definition, is unwanted sound. Can anyone deny that our lives are too noisy today? Social media, divisive opinions, television, podcasts, and other distractions have never been more prevalent in our world than in our current moment in history. In the midst of all this, are we truly hearing the clear signal of God? In the narrative of scripture God chooses to be present in every moment, both big and small. Our response is to turn down the noise and tune in to God, allowing every moment to be holy.
"Seeds"
|
|
While growth is good, it isn’t an end to itself, but the result of a life spent in the dirt, seeding and sowing. The biblical story begins in the dirt of Eden’s garden and ends in the garden city of God’s kingdom. God has designed us to live and work in the garden, tending and tilling. We’re made of dirt and for dirt. This combination of keeping and creating is a right way of understanding Creation and our work within it. Just as the purpose of fruit Is both joyous feasting and regenerative planting, our purpose is to both enjoy God’s gifts and nurture the presence of Jesus in the world.
"Already One: Baptised in Christ"
|
|
“…for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is not only a future promise from Galatians 3, but it is a current reality. Christ has already made us one: one body, one family, unified in purpose. In the sacraments of baptism and communion, God creates bonds of the Holy Spirit that cannot be easily broken. If this is true, why don’t we act like it? Throughout this series, we will answer the call to live out the truth of our lives: We are already one.
"Everything Is Gonna Be Alright"
|
|
"A Bigger Story"
|
|
"Habits"
|
|
"You Can't Always Get What You Want"
|
|
"The Good News Of Matthew"
|
|
"Pentecost for the People"
|
|
"Easter Isn't Easy"
|
|
Crux
|
|
Expectaions
|
|
Heavenly Virtues
|
|
Comfort and Joy
|
|
Everyday Saints
|
|
Grace
|
|
Believing Without Seeing
|
|
Daughters & Sons
|
|
Community, Cross, and New Creation
|
|
A Life of Prayer
|
|
Forge
|
|
EQUIP
|
|