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.
Few chapters are as exciting – or as puzzling – as the second half of the Old Testament book of Daniel. Filled with outlandish and sometimes disturbing visions of the future, it encourages a people facing an antagonistic culture. Seeing God’s faithfulness in the fulfillment of the predictions can help us be more faithful and courageous, as we face an increasingly toxic culture and as we look forward to what is yet to come.
There is a lot of talk in the air about “changing the world,” which most people think of as powerful actions with huge, visible, and immediate results. What if the Kingdom of God works differently than that? What if the way we are thinking about it is exactly the opposite of the way God usually works? That realization could be disappointing, or … it could be a relief. This three-week series looks at how God works through ordinary people and situations to bring about unexpected results. Think of it as … “the gospel for the rest of us”!
WHO WAS JESUS? He has been variously pictured as philosopher and prophet, sage and social activist, charismatic healer and mushroom-ingesting cult leader. Indeed, Jesus often suspiciously resembles the person answering the question. In this series, we are looking at how Jesus described himself. There are 7 “I am” statements in the gospel of John and we are going to look at them this summer. Together, they will help us know, love and follow him- the actual him- even more.
When things go bad in their lives people always ask why God would allow such things to happen in their lives. Not many people had it worse than the Old Testament figure, Joseph. His story is one of the truly epic ones in the Bible. For the next several weeks we are going to explore his life story and plumb the depths of God’s ways and wisdom. You will come away with your vision stretched and your hopes renewed.
The most frequent command in the Bible is to not be afraid, but how do you do that?! Fear and faith seem like perennial enemies who are always competing for dominance in our lives. It is hard sometimes to even tell who is winning, and nothing makes it more challenging than a crisis in our lives. Join us as we learn how to rely on faith and overcome fear in deeper ways than ever before.
During this tumultuous time in which everything is changing, one story does not change. It begins with Jesus’ submission on Palm Sunday, followed by the completion of his task on Good Friday. Then Easter reveals how death is unDONE by the resurrection of Jesus, and the final Sunday shows how the ripples of that event reverse the damage. “Undone” summarizes the unchanging message that changes everything.
The very word is an invitation to stretch to something new and a call to reach beyond ourselves. We are going to explore several ways our congregation can stretch to REACH others. One way we will stretch is by going on a spiritual journey to seek God’s wisdom, strength and resources for our upcoming building project. This is a rare opportunity to experience together a powerful movement of God in our lives. There will be 'spiritual ripples' flowing out for years to come as we experience this journey together. Don’t miss it!
We are visiting various threshold moments in the lives of individuals and in the life of the nation of Israel. It is important to be aware of “liminal moments” when one season of life gives way to another, especially when that moment of decision helps determine what season comes next. How can we know when we are at one of those thresholds? How should we navigate them wisely? Most importantly, what should we do – or not do – when we stand at a threshold?
Is there any more universal message than the “gospel”? Is there any more universal board game than Monopoly?! What a perfect combo for the first series of the new year! We are going “back to basics” of the central message of the Bible by taking a trip around the Monopoly board. You will never see the gospel OR Monopoly the same again! Join us … and bring your friends.
Is there any more wonderful season than Christmas? Just think of your memories of being a child! There is a reason for that … the story truly is wonder-full. This Advent Season we are going to explore the wonder of Christmas by looking at the story in 4 “acts.”
