In this message, we find Jesus asking his disciples a fairly simple question. The answer, however, will have profound implications for them and their lives going forward. Join us as we ask come face to face with this question - and probe the implications for our own lives.
Chances are if you look back on seasons of spiritual flourishing and growth, you will see a direct connection to people and community. That is because spiritual maturity does not happen in a vacuum - it happens in relationship with others. So how can we help to shepherd others towards spiritual growth? That is what we will discover in this week's message.
As humans, we often like to think that we are exceptions to some of the rules of God's created order. And while it is true that things like our ability to innovate and adapt allow us to overcome many obstacles, there are certain things that these abilities will never overcome. Join us this week as we discover these truths and the implications for the life of a disciple.
All kinds of plants and animals require certain environments and conditions to thrive. In the right environments and conditions, they thrive. Outside of that, they manage to barely survive or even fail to survive. We are no exception. When it comes to our spiritual and relational health, finding and remaining in healthy environments are key to our ability to not only survive, but thrive as God intended.
The heart of Jesus for lost people is one of the fundamental themes of the Gospels. That is why Reaching the Lost is an essential principle and practice for disciple making churches. Today we witness a camel passing through the eye of a needle kind of moment as Jesus stops everything to show that nothing is impossible with God. And to remind us that He came to seek and save the lost.
This message is the first in a new series called Stay the Course. Based on a book by Brandon Guindon, this series will focus on seven practices that are absolutely essential for any church that is committed to making disciples. If we commit ourselves to these practices, we will Stay the Course and resist temptations and distractions that come along the way. The first of these practices and the one that gives rise to all of the others is the call to Abide in Christ.
There is one final element of Spiritual Health and Kingdom Living and it is something that both Jesus and Paul completely agree on. Join us as we discover why loving God with our whole self and loving our neighbor as ourself is not just a thing, but is the thing!
Last week we discovered the importance of Loving God Completely – with our whole self, all the time. This week we examine the important place of Loving Ourselves Correctly. Because the truth is that if we fail to see ourselves as God sees us, we will never be able to love Him as we should or love our neighbors as ourselves.
Who is someone you would describe as spiritually healthy? Why did you choose them? The spiritual health of disciples is critical. When we are healthy spiritually we live out loving God and loving others in a way that best fulfills God’s desire for us and puts the Kingdom on display for others. In this series, we examine important themes including: Loving God Completely, Loving Ourselves Correctly, and Loving Others Compassionately. Join us as we pursue spiritual health from a biblical perspectiv...
Advent is a season of rejoicing. Rejoicing in a God who keeps His promises. Rejoicing in God's presence with us. And rejoicing in His unfolding plan of redemption in this world. Join us this week as Brian Bell walks us through reflections on Mary's song of rejoicing in the Gospel of Luke.
Have you ever read the story of Gabriel's announcement to Mary and wondered, "What was it about Mary? How did she come to be called 'O favored one'?" It's a great question for anyone who wants to be assured that "the Lord is with you." This week we zero in on the answer from the Gospel of Luke.
In our smallness, we struggle to orchestrate the days and years of our lives. Too many variables beyond our control. Too shortsighted in our vision to predict what will happen just days from now. But God in His greatness, brings to pass the promises He has made across hundreds and thousands of years. Across generations of His people. Bringing them to fruition in Jesus, who was truly God with us.
We didn't want to end our Abide series without providing pathways for abiding to move from the theoretical to the practical. To that end, we put together a panel of friends and neighbors to share what God has been teaching them about abiding and some practices they use to maintain a consistent, life-giving connection to Jesus, the True Vine.
The call is to abide. The question is, "How? How do I abide? And how do I abide in Jesus in the way that He intends." This is what we will discover this week as we discover the keys to abiding in Christ.
Jesus' use of vine and vineyard imagery would have struck a familiar chord with the disciples. And that chord would have reverberated into a clear understanding of what Jesus meant when he appealed to them to, "Abide in me." Join us today as we listen in with the disciples and learn to heed the call of Jesus to abide.
Jesus often used metaphors and parables to help us connect spiritual truths in ways that would impact our every day lives. The images of Jesus as the True Vine and the Father as the Vinedresser are foundational truths for a living faith that goes far below the surface and into the deep places of our lives. Join us this week for some thoughts and reflections on these words and a time of guided prayer to process them.
In order for Jesus' mission of making disciples to be successful, the methods He used would have to be reproducible. They would have to be something every disciple could understand and do in their own lives. This is where the Reproducible Process of a Disciple Making Culture comes into play. We must lead others and raise up others in a way that is clear enough for others to follow. And simple enough for them to live out. Join us today as we explore the Reproducible Process that Jesus used.
Jesus created a culture that was ripe for disciple making. How can we follow His lead and create the types of environments that lead to personal growth and the multiplication of disciples? That's what we'll discover in this week's message!
Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always creating culture. By what we do. And how we do it. If we want to make disciples the way Jesus did, we must understand the specific things Jesus did to establish a culture of disciple making.
We are always creating culture - either intentionally or unintentionally. In this message, we examine the powerful influence of culture in shaping both individuals and communities and explore a principle that Jesus knew well - that the culture you create determines the disciples you make.
We have been looking at the story of the Exodus and the process that God uses to form and shape us into His people. This week we discover the third and final piece of that process: Celebration.
The call to "follow me" is a call to dedicate oneself to the purposes. of God. Without the element of dedication, we cannot go with God and we cannot become the people of God He calls us to become.
The Old Testament plays a key role in understanding the unfolding story and mystery of God. In this series, we take a look at the Exodus and Passover to discover principles and practices to deepen our walk with the Lord and enable us to play a part in the story He is writing. In this message, we discover that we are Set Apart to Play a Part. Old Testament stories offer unique perspective on God's ways and purposes. of As Paul reminds us in Romans, "what was written in former times was written fo...
Have you ever wondered why love is elevated so highly in the Scriptures? In this the final message in our series, we take a look at this crown of Christian virtues. What is the nature of this love? And why is it such a necessary element of our faith and walk with God? Join us as we discover the answer to these questions and much, much more.
As we approach the end of the series, it becomes clear that the remaining virtues are indispensable in our pursuit of a faith that is genuine and that will stand up in times of trial. This week we look at a virtue that characterizes everything Jesus envisions for His Church. Join us as we examine the virtue of brotherly affection and how it plays out in a life -- and in Christ's Church.
We don't spend a lot of time talking about godliness in church these days. Is it because the word is out of style? Or because we've lost sight of its importance? Either way, the virtue of godliness is something Scripture calls all of us to. What is it exactly? And how can we grow in it? That's what we'll discover in this week's message.
In his final letter to the church, Peter exhorts believers to build upon the foundation of their faith with a number of essential virtues. This week we take a look at a pair of these virtues and what they contribute to a Faith that is Fall Proof.
In his final letter to the church, Peter exhorts believers to build onto the foundation of their faith with a number of Christian virtues. This week we take a look at the importance of the first of these virtues and what it contributes to a Fall Proof Faith.
This message kicks off a new sermon series in the book of Second Peter. Looking back on his life, Peter writes to the church to encourage them to add certain virtues to their faith. If they do so, Peter says, they will never fall. Over the next several weeks we'll take a deep dive into these virtues and see how they culminate in a life characterized by love.
What is success? What does a life well-lived look like? At the end of the day, what really matters? These are questions we answer as we look at Paul's concluding prayer for the church. This is the final message in our series in First Thessalonians. [1Thess 5:11-24]
