What does it mean to be citizens of God's kingdom AND of a nation on earth, at the same time? Few issues are more fraught, challenging or divisive today than political ones; we have an obligation to exercise wisdom in our civic responsibility. For “election season” we will briefly explore what it means to live at the intersection of two worlds.
This summer we return to the mount where Jesus delivered his famous sermon and complete the series we began last year. The Sermon on the Mount may be the most famous sermon in history, but it is also the least obeyed and understood. It would be tragic to miss Jesus’ wisdom because he addresses the deepest and most profound questions about how to live life to the fullest.
If we want a picture of our deepest longings and stirrings, there is no greater resource than the Psalms. These 150 “sung poems” lie at the very heart of the Bible and come in all varieties and flavors. There is not a human experience which is not, in one way or another, captured in these intimate conversations with the Almighty. In this series entitled Soul Music, we are going to discover how the richness found in the Psalms can move us from sighing to singing like nothing else.
What is it like to meet God up close? The biblical stories are as varied and unpredictable as the people involved, and never short of amazing. Common to them all is a sense of wonder and a life-changing experience that transforms. In this series we explore Close Encounters with the living God.
If you were going to begin a movement that would change the world, how would you go about it? What plan would you follow? If you were not going to be present to lead it, how would you prepare your followers for your departure? Somehow, despite having only three years to do it, Jesus prepared followers who began a movement that spread throughout the world and continues today. Join us during Lent for a series of messages examining what Jesus did to prepare for his departure.
Elijah is the first proper “prophet” in the Old Testament and one of its most colorful characters. He did more miracles and is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other prophet. The backdrop of his ministry was one of the darkest times in the history of Israel, precisely the kind of time that God raises up extraordinary figures of courage and zeal to lead the people back to God. Join us for a brief snapshot of Elijah’s ministry and what it means to be courageous and steadfast.
As the calendar flips over to a new year, believers are called to more than just marking time or coasting with the current. As a church, we are to be “on mission” and moving in a particular direction in a particular way. How do we tell where we are headed and if we are making progress? Join us for a fresh look at our church’s Mission and Core Values that will motivate and inspire for the new year.
There are whispers of Christmas all throughout the Bible. The story begins long before the appearance of shepherds, magi, or a young woman giving birth far from home. It turns out that the Bible is one big book of Advent, anticipating and whispering about this great Messiah King who brings hope to a dark and dying world. Join us as we listen together for the whispers of his coming.
We know temptation is of daily importance and a constant challenge because in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus tells us to pray about temptation “whenever we pray.” We are all familiar with what it is like to be tempted, but do we really understand it? Do we grasp the dynamics of temptation, and are we well-armed to deal with it in our lives? There are seductive pitfalls and traps that sabotage our efforts to live a life rooted in the Spirit of Christ. This series will help us see through the Beautiful Lies that are all around us.
These are nothing if not exciting times in which we live. Our situation could be compared to swimming in the midst of cross-currents which (a) are not easy to spot, and (b) threaten to pull you further and further away from shore and from safety. Furthermore, trying to swim against riptides only puts you in greater danger of wearing yourself out and being even more vulnerable. What is the secret to surviving cultural riptides and crosscurrents? There is no better model than the Old Testament figure, Daniel, who lived as an alien in the very heart of Babylon and not only managed to survive for decades, but to thrive and impact the culture around him.
The Most Influential Sermon in History was anything but a comforting, sleep-inducing homily. It was more like a radical “call to arms” to live a life so different that it would reflect the reality of God’s kingdom. It is a moral portrait of God’s people that requires everything of us. This summer we will devote ourselves to the first part of this best known, least understood and least obeyed of Jesus’ teachings so that we can hear it the way his first hearers would have heard it. Because if we really “hear” it, we will be forever changed. Just like Jesus intended.
