As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11, our question about whether the tragedy made us stronger as a country raises an even more important question. How does God turn evil that affects our own lives into something good? How do we experience “eucastrophe” (Tolkein’s word for joy breaking forth from tragedy)?
The Apocalypse… It’s a Greek word that combines two roots, 'apo' meaning “away from” and 'calypsos' meaning “veil.” The Apocalypse, therefore, is the revealing of God’s great hope and purpose. All of history is heading toward a fulfillment, a culmination of all God’s promises. Most of our lives are spent thinking about the here-and-now –- paying our mortgage, doing our work, loving our families, enjoying our weekends. When you think about the Great Apocalypse, the return of Christ, does it fill ...
Do you sense the tension between faith and works? We don’t have to prove our worth to God — He proved our worth through Christ. What He wants is our faith, our trust in Him, but as God draws us close and assures us of His acceptance and love, we follow Him doing the good works He created us to do. This tension of assurance is what you’re invited to wrestle with this message.
For what am I destined? Does God have a plan for my life? If so, am I on the right track, or did I screw it up with bad choices? Though if God knows the future and has a plan laid out for me, then what difference do my choices make anyway? If God knows, does that mean all is predestined even evil acts? But if I can choose good or evil, how can God be in control and give me confidence my future is secure? Is your mind blown yet? This week we’re looking at the challenging question: Do we really ha...
The life of the Apostle Paul is one of hardship, pain and uncertainty, and yet his letters to the early churches are filled with expressions of peace and joy! How did this man, who endured so much, encourage so many to have joy in all circumstances? Let’s take a look at his letter to the Philippians and find out.
We were created for community with others, but building and maintaining strong, healthy relationships can be really hard work, especially when other people are involved! And what happens when those people say or do things that offend us or when we offend them? How are we able to still love them?
Jesus didn’t come to add another religion to the many that were already present. He came to bring something different, a relationship with a loving God. Throughout history, people have tried to earn their way to God, but Jesus was coming to rescue us because He knew we couldn’t make it to Him. With this in mind, how can we engage with our neighbors of different religions and demonstrate Jesus’ love for them?
In our broken world, we are raised with prejudices that result in biases. Our views of others may be the result of our family of origin or where we grew up. The true message of the Bible, however, is all people are made in God’s image and should be treated with the dignity that status affords them. So how might we learn to love each other the way He loves all of us?
Moms hold our world together in so many ways, and because of that, it can be a challenge to hold together themselves. For Mother’s day, we’re focusing on some encouragement and guidance that can help moms care well for themselves as they continue to care for those around them.
Last week, we learned that God loves sex because He created it and meant it to be fulfilling. Like a fire though, it can be destructive when not experienced as He intended in a marriage relationship. For most couples, it’s challenging to maintain a thriving, intimate sexual relationship over time. Our misconceptions of sex, differing expectations and the never ceasing challenges that life brings can all get in the way.
Few topics make people feel as awkward and uncomfortable as sex does. Our popular culture has turned sex into a commodity used to define people’s worth and value. Sex can be a source of great pleasure, but for many who have been wounded by the sexual revolution, it’s become a source of great pain or shame. Many have been taught that God frowns on sex, but is that really true?
Despite all the options that are set before us, it can seem that finding our unique fit is quite difficult. This week we’re looking at how God gives every follower of Jesus unique spiritual gifts for the common good.
In a world that’s more populated and connected than ever, many of us still struggle with the ideas of identity and purpose. Our own human nature and the lies that surround us pull us to extremes, telling us that we’re a failure or that we’re better than others. God wants us to have an accurate perception of ourselves and the part we’re meant to play so we can pour out His love into a hurting world by being the body of Christ – the church.
Do you ever wonder what motivates us to do some of the things we do? Or what other people are thinking when they do the things they do? Seemingly inexplicable, we think and do things sometimes without even realizing why. For example, why do we judge others? Why are so quick to criticize others, from politicians, to entertainers, to our friends and neighbors, to our own family members? Rick Shurtz shares the reason why we judge so easily, and how we might begin to develop relationships with other...
We’re drawn to stories and the characters within them, because our lives were placed into an epic narrative. The epic begins with a telling creation story where we learn of God’s great love for all of humanity and his plan to restore all things.
Explore God was a citywide conversation in Austin, a life-changing experience with billboards, discussion groups, and 350+ churches during a sermon series.
The past three weeks were an intellectual dive into the reasons to believe Jesus is who he said he was. We’ve looked at strong evidence to believe God foretold through the prophets exactly what he would do. And we’ve demonstrated through history that Jesus did fulfill these prophecies. Now we move on to the bigger question: "Why does this matter for my life?"
When I was still a skeptic, I would ask, “Well, how do you know God was behind the writing of the Bible?” And they’d say something like, “Because it claims to be from God!” But how do you know it’s telling the truth? “Well…because God can’t lie.” Yeah…but that’s the point, how do you KNOW God inspired its writing?
God does remain hidden, but He also put fingerprints throughout history in the forms of prophecies written down 500 to 1500 years before the birth of Jesus. This week, John Burke discusses how events and prophecies in the Old Testament point directly to Jesus.
When I was young my parents would take us to church, but I’d sit there thinking, “How do you know Jesus is the Son of God? How do you know this isn’t just a myth?" I wanted to believe, but it didn't make any sense at all. When there was no room left to ask tough questions, and no one could explain I left.
