NCC Daily

Empty

Fasting is a regular reminder that we depend on God and best come to God when we are empty.

Waiting Amidst Contending

A contending season is waiting on God so much so that we wait on Him for the sake of others. It’s saying, “I know who God is, and I will keep meeting Him again and pour out my requests before Him.” Contending is a wrestle in the prayer closet. It’s saying, “I won’t stop praying on behalf of my sister or my brother until they know the depth of the love you have for them, God.”

Christ's Weakness

The focus of Lent is journeying with Christ toward the cross. Part of that journey was Jesus being tempted, specifically tempted in His areas of weakness, according to Hebrews 4:15.

Psalm 103/Matthew 6

Today, Pastor Jimeka reads through Psalm 103 and Matthew 6:16-21.

Intro: Our Lent Rhythm

Lent simply means “springtime.” It is the season in the Christian year when followers of Jesus walk with him to his death and burial so that we can participate fully with him in his resurrection. Lent is the forty days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter.

For The Next Generation

As a community, will you commit to helping our NCC families lead their children to recognize the Imago Dei in every individual? Would you pray for families as they disciple the children in their homes?

The Poetic Community

I just really believe that this world would be mundane and actually kind of boring if we didn’t have creatives. I think creatives in so many capacities are messengers from God in the way that God gives them the vision to create, and in particular, the poetic arts.

Making Room

We need to make room for others in our lives, just like we have made room in our lives for God. Every person in the world has something that they can share with others, to form connections that can lead to a community.

Seeing A New Reflection

What do we all have in common? We all bear His image. Let’s see the image of God in each other and reflect that in our actions, in our thoughts, in our words. Let us treat each other equitably, regardless of class, race and ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Beloved Community - A Poem

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal If I give all my possessions to the poor and give my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

A History of Peace

Peacemaking in Community

How do we create a space where a person feels safe? Willing to be vulnerable? To take that risk in sharing of themselves with you in such a way that invites a reconciling to God, then to others?

Homes Not Borders

True solidarity goes both ways. We see you but you also see us. It’s standing side by side, not one in front of the other.

Between Christmas and Easter

These two very significant moments occupy a great deal of our attention as Christians and I’ve found they occupy a significant portion of our theological reflection as well.

Instrument of Peace

Today we hear and view a video of Pastor Josh Coad singing Instrument of Peace.

Serve The World

I want to challenge us to expand our thinking beyond just the things we do outwardly and commit to the transformative work of our soul because the world is waiting to be served with mature love.

The Desire to Serve

It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become more like Jesus who calls us to serve others.

Do Justice. Love Kindness.

What comes to mind when you think of justice? My personal idea of justice has shifted over the years, some seasons for the better and some seasons less so. But over these years I have seen that the best model of justice is Jesus.

Biblical Justice

As disciples of Jesus, we step into restorative justice by offering ourselves as living instruments of peace into the world.

Lavish Life

If you want a lavish life, find a person who looks nothing like you, grew up nothing like you, lived a life nothing like yours, and love them so well that they call you their favorite person. That’s a lavish life.

All Things in Common

You can have all things in common when you truly understand that nothing is yours. If we truly know that everything is given to us by God, we stop hoarding, we stop having a scarcity mindset. We know he will provide, and we know that what he provides is given to be shared.

Celebrate our Differences

I'm proud to be different. The things that make me different make me who I am. Also, it's important to note that “we are all made in God's image” and that in heaven our differences are celebrated and so we should be able to do that on earth as well.

Unity Yet Diversity

When we all come together as the Body of Christ it is something beautiful to witness. Realizing that we are all different in many ways, but that is exactly how God intended it to be, and because of that we should celebrate our differences!

Intro - Beloved Community

We see the formation of the beloved community in the pouring out of the Spirit in Acts 2. As the Spirit pours out as promised by Jesus, the ekklesia — that is the church, the group of called out people, are transformed through belovedness, spilling out into the world to be love.

Practice of Choosing Joy

One of the disciplines that we need to have is this idea of choosing joy, particularly when things are hard. Joy is something that we need to choose more than we feel.

Destined to Win

I want you to know today that once you have trusted your life to Christ, the Bible says that God’s rightness and goodness and holiness are destined to win in your life.

Fighting For Your Dreams

Here's the truth, as we go after the dream that God has put on our hearts, things won't work out perfectly. In fact, we will likely have all kinds of opposition and issues as the enemy works to discourage and distract us from what God has placed on our hearts! But if this is a dream that God has given us, it's worth fighting for.

Lessons From Habakkuk

The implications for you and I that have had dreams from God only to see them crushed by the weight of our failure is tremendous. When we come to those moments, like Habakkuk who was witnessing the destruction of Judah, we ought to run to God – changing our position and posture and listen for His voice. Then we record, remember, and relay His Word of hope to others, and then worship.

People of His Presence

Here’s what I know, when you’re constantly being filled, you’ll never run out of something to pour out. One thing I know is that in worship, is the place where the people of God encounter the presence of God, and that’s what I try to make the focus of my life.

What is God Saying?

I’m going to read a few Scriptures to help us set the tone and intentions of what we need and desire. After I read the Scripture, take a beat and listen to what God is saying.