How do we know Jesus was real? Even more so, how can we know that he actually rose from the dead and came back to life? The resurrection was something that has never happened before, yet it is the very thing that Christianity's faith, hope, and eternity hinges on. Today, on this Easter Sunday, we dive into the credibility of the resurrection and look at the implications in the case of it being true and see how it changes everything.
Have you ever had someone give you something that you were so sure it would come through that you based other things around it? Today in 2 Samuel, we are going to get to see David operate in this way and observe how he responds when it seems like all the walls are falling in around him. Our challenge is to see our circumstances in light of who God is, what He's done, and what that means for our future.
Listen in on a panel discussion with Amy Foster, Ben Fuqua, and Kendall Reed as they discuss and unpack the events of 2 Samuel 13, and what Hope & Healing look like for those who have been affected by other people’s sin.
Today we take an intentional and appropriate detour from our 2 Samuel series to jump into Psalm 51. Last week, we saw some pretty bad moral failings on David's part and Nathan rebuking him. This week, we take a peak behind the curtain of David's personal relationship with God and see how he considers God's grace and power in light of his sin. From this we get a true model of repentance that we should align our hearts and lives to everyday.
We hear stories of renowned people that many look up to or maybe have had a personal impact on our lives, have deep and secret sin that are hidden until it all ends in disaster. While in the shock of the moment we think to ourselves, "How could they do that?" However, if we're honest with ourselves, the more appropriate question we should be asking is, "How do I know that's not going to be me?" As we continue in our 2 Samuel series, we look at the moral failings of a beloved king in light of the...
Why is it important to be a part of a local church? Why should I read my Bible? How do we walk out of a sin pattern or a habitual sin? Why is sexual sin harmful? These are all questions that we as a ministry are often asked or are brought up in conversations with others. With that, We wanted to take the time this Sunday to press pause on our 2 Samuel series to get into the weeds on some of these topics with a couple of our most trusted and loved staff members from Christ Chapel.
Today in 2 Samuel 9 we read about Mephibosheth being called to eat at the table of King David. In this story we not only see an unworthy man called up to sit and reside alongside the king from long ago, but an invitation to ourselves from God himself today. Listen in as this story drops us in the very same seat of Mephiboseth and we wrestle with the question of "How do I know that I have a relationship with Jesus?"
Today in 2 Samuel 7, we see that God has designed a biblical reaction and given us a template by which is appropriate on how we ought to respond to his blessings–namely His grace for our salvation. When we come in contact with God by way of personal relationship with Him, we recognize the magnitude of His sovereign character as well as the immensity of His kindness to us that should illicit a correct response from us... Humility.
As we continue in our study of 2 Samuel we look at King David's response to a hard moment that puts God in right view of his true holiness. A truth we further unpack today is that until we see the holiness of God, rightly and accurately, and understand the relationship between God's perfect being and our imperfect lives, we will never be free of shame. Queue in with us today as we unpack this story and better understand our own brokenness in light of a loving God.
As we continue the story of the kingdom of Israel into our new 2 Samuel sermon series, we look back at the kingdom and it's division between two kings in a civil war. This turmoil that we see in the beginnings of 2 Samuel are maybe resemble some of the pain stake that we feel within ourselves.
How do we live a life that when we grow up that we don't look back and regretfully ask ourselves, "How did we get here?" As we finish studying 1 Samuel, we'll look at the whole scope of Saul's life as a long string of sowing bad thoughts, ideas, choices and him reaping further and further foolishness. Looking at Saul's life we can note some practical wisdom in everyday life, but even more so, have confidence in the faith we have in the Gospel of Jesus.
Although common and given to each of us and shared by a wide array of people that are both common and uncommon - names are significant. They hold a deeper meaning by describing not only who we are, but where we've come from. If what our name says a thing or two about us, then what does God's name (or rather names*) say about him? Listen in today as we continue to look at 1 Samuel.
Hard times in life happen. And more times than not the suffering we feel makes us ask the question of, "What did I do to deserve this?" But what if the suffering we feel isn't always to just break us down but rather to mold us into something more? What if our desert experiences are the holders to the lessons God knows we need. Today listen in as Ryan walks us through the seven chapters of David's desert experience in 1 Samuel.
There's almost no other word that has been more hijacked and devalued than the word, 'love'. The same word we use to tell others about our favorite restaurant is the same word we use to tell someone just how much they mean to us which can lead to major misunderstanding. Very seamlessly, this bleeds into what we believe the Gospel to be and our relationship to it. Today we cover 1 Samuel 18-20 and dial into better understanding what God's word says about 'love' and just how Jesus has loved us....
As we continue through our 1 Samuel series, today we look at a more commonly known story of David and Goliath. When we hear this and see it as an underdog story where we depict ourselves as 'David' and we battle the "Goliaths" of our lives. However, the truth of this passage is so much bigger than that because the battle ultimately belongs to the Lord and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our responsibility is to trust Him. Listen in as Micah Dettmer unpacks this passage with faithful intentionalit...
"Am I worthy enough?" This a question we probably ask ourselves more often than we realize. And most certainly, we ask it when it comes to God. Today as we look at 1 Samuel chapter 16, we'll take a peek behind the curtain and see God's heart in how he chooses the next king to lead Israel. In this we bring to a head in our own lives as we understand and take into consideration how God sees us and what he's chosen to do for us through the Gospel.
When the rubber of our desires and anxieties meet the road of our lives, how do we respond? The reality is that when God isn't first in our lives, He rarely remains second, or third, or even remotely comes to mind. Today we look at three different scenes of Saul's kingship in 1 Samuel and draw out truth that helps us better understand for ourselves what true obedience is and in what ways are we partially obedient.
The reality of our human condition is this: we are all prone to wander. Today we see in 1 Samuel 12 the Israelites becoming aware of their unfaithfulness to God, yet God's faithfulness to them. Based on our proneness to wander and taking truth from this passage we ultimately come to the question of, "How do I come back from this?" Listen today as we hear more about this from Zach and God's word.
Just because something starts off well does not mean it will end well. And often times it's in retrospect that we see everything clearer. But what are those traps to avoid with great starts? How do we avoid them? What does the God's word say about it all? Queue in this week as we look at 1 Samuel with Ryan and take note of Saul's introduction to his reign as Israel's first king.
This week we look at 1 Samuel 8:1-22 and make sense of what this passage looks like for us in a modern context. For us to want things besides God and Him graciously letting us have those things, even if it's to our own detriment. How does the Gospel meet us in these moments? What does actual saving faith look like? What are some of the hurdles of today in this? Let's listen in to Ben as he unpacks this for us!
So often we try to manipulate God’s power for our own selfish desire, and we often turn to things like success and status to be our gods, and before you know it we’ve strayed from Him. Nathan unpacks 1 Samuel 4-7 and encourages with how we return to the Lord.
This week we look at 1 Samuel 2:12-3:21 and take example from Samuel as he is personally called by God in the comparison to Eli's disobedient sons. In this we find ourselves with the personal challenge of laying a foundation that leads to blessing and not destruction.
We start off our new series as we dive into the Old Testament by going through 1 Samuel 1-2:11. Listen in and see how God uses a woman's greatest disappointments as an opportunity for growth in her faith as she looks forward to a future perspective with hope. A timeless gospel that changes lives back then and can change yours too!
Join us as we close out the book of James. The final eight verses mirror the last several chapters that show us what “faith in action” looks like. A call to community and personal devotion in a life that more often then not, drifts away from Jesus. Be encouraged as we look at actions steps that lead us to more community and more of our Heavenly Father.
James begins his final chapter with some challenging actions steps that come from our identity as God’s kids. Join us as we study the “what” and “how” of Generosity, Patience and Integrity. And remind ourselves of the relationship at the foundation for all our behavior.
There are two paths that we can take at any given moment of our lives. The 'Hollow Path' or the 'Full Path'. One of utter ruin and the other of eternal rewards. But which path are we walking on? How can we know? Today, Zach walks us through James 4:13-17 and further explains what these two paths are in helping us identify which one we might be walking on.
Have you ever had an inner conflict where you feel pulled in two different directions? It's almost as if there are two feelings at odds with one another having a tug-of-war within our own hearts. As we pick up in our sermon series, Nathan walks us through James 4:1-10 and how the Gospel helps us makes sense of this.
Was Jesus a real person? And if he was, did he really die on a cross at the hands of the Roman Empire and rise from that death thousands of years ago? On this Easter Sunday, we look at the validity of Jesus' resurrection and how it practically impacts our lives everyday!
If we were to take inventory, we would see that there are a lot of voices and influences speaking into our lives. But the tension is that all of them seem to claim to be the path experiential freedom, joy, and peace. So, then how can we tell the difference between each of them? What is true wisdom and what isn't? We see the answer reveal itself today as we look at James 3:13-18.
Sometimes the words we say can cause the most irreparable damage to others, even if it's unintentional. In James chapter 3 we see a warning and caution of how the tongue and it's inability to be tamed can be dangerous. That one of the smallest and seemingly harmless parts of ourselves can actually bring destruction through the words we say. But what else does the Bible say about the tongue and what do we do about it? That's what Robert unpacks for us as we look at this subject in the book of Jam...
