The lie for this week is “I NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING OF MYSELF.” Hold onto this thought – if Jesus died for the sins of the world, the thing that now separates humans from God is not sin as much as it is the false-righteousness that we turn to in place of Jesus. One of the great Tim Keller revelations of my life is that even non-believers/other religious repent of “bad deeds,” but only Christians repent of finding their hope and identity in false, performance-based righteousness. Paul speaks about...
Jul 22, 2018•31 min
The lie for this week is “YOU’VE EARNED EVERYTHING YOU HAVE.” The Bible’s clear teaching is that the sin beneath every other sin, the quintessential sin, is PRIDE. And yet, it’s so powerful, so blinding, that none of us even realizes we’re guilty of it. In fact, the most humble people you know are the only ones truly aware of pride. This week we’re going to do a bit of a character study of arguably the guy in the Bible who most embodies the ugliness of PRIDE. His name is Haman, and we’ll meet hi...
Jul 15, 2018•29 min
The lie for this week is “YOUR FAITH IS JUST BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.” Researcher Robert Bellah wrote in Habits of the Heart that 81% of Americans believe that you should come to religious conclusions APART from any religious organization. In other words, the majority of people believe you don’t find God in community. They think you find God on your own. The reality is that Americans today, including many Christians, have never reported that they’ve been lonelier. Gen Z 18-22 year-olds are the lonel...
Jul 08, 2018•29 min
On this weekend ahead of the July Fourth Holiday, we reflect on the words in 1 Peter 2:13-17. While our country is far from a perfect and united nation, it is best to celebrate the platform which God has given us to be His leaders; leaders to create a fairer and more just world.
Jul 01, 2018•25 min
This week’s lie is “WOMEN AND MEN ARE BASICALLY THE SAME.” Whether you’re considering chromosomal pairs in a nucleus, sexual organs, or even brain chemistry , or behavior psychology , there are OBVIOUS differences between women and men and logical implications attached to those differences. The problem arises, however, when those differences are abused for selfish gain. In other words, the problem is not in God’s design, but in humanity’s poor execution. As a result, society has adopted more of ...
Jul 01, 2018•31 min
Just as Jesus calmed the stormy wind and waves while on a boat with his frightened disciples, Jesus is able to still the storms that occur in our daily lives, as well as in our faith.
Jun 24, 2018•29 min
This week’s lie is “MORE MONEY, MORE HAPPINESS.” Most philosophers and religious leaders throughout history have suggested that contentment is the secret to happiness. And yet, modern research also seems to suggest that $34k/year income is a threshold, and $75k/year is another income threshold for happiness. So which is it? Can we be content without X amount of dollars? Should we be content where we’re at and never pursue more money? What can we do with the money we have that will bring greatest...
Jun 24, 2018•34 min
E Pluribus Unum is printed on our money, inscribed on government buildings, and serves as the motto of the United States of America. The Latin phrase translates to "out of many, one." It was, and still stands for a goal - that despite the diversity of people, there will be a unity, to stand as one. E Pluribus Unum could also be a descriptor for the Christian Church as well. We look to Ephesians 4, where we stand in unity for our God, even amongst diversity.
Jun 17, 2018•23 min
This week’s lie is “IF YOU FEEL DEPRESSED, YOU’RE A BAD CHRISTIAN.” Of anything that I might be experientially qualified to speak on, this is probably it It’s an unfortunate thing to be able to call your wheelhouse. Nonetheless, it’s something I’ve certainly wrestled with over the years, and a topic on which I’ve continuously found God’s Word to be unbelievably insightful. This week we’ll examine depression and happiness through the lens of Psalm 143:1-12.
Jun 17, 2018•34 min
There are definite patterns in behavior that change from one generation to the next. Oftentimes, these behaviors and new norms can cause distress and resentment between age groups. In this lesson, we learn to enjoy the diversity of different ages. The day after Palm Sunday, children in the temple courts shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David,” to Jesus, which aggravated the Pharisees and teachers of the law. We know that worshipful praise has no generational bounds when it comes to Our God and Kin...
Jun 12, 2018•28 min
In the first week of a new series, "Satan's Sleight of Hand: The Mostly Untrue Things We Really Need to Stop Believing," we’re going to address one as volatile in relationships as any – divorce. This week’s lie is “IF YOUR MARRIAGE ISN’T HAPPY, YOU SHOULD LEAVE.” It’s much bigger than a right/wrong issue in most circumstances. It’s a “lies we believe” issue. We’ll look at what Jesus teaches in Matthew 19:1-12 and discuss what God permits, what God commands, and what Jesus vows to us about marria...
Jun 06, 2018•37 min
The doctrine of the Trinity is a teaching that causes non-believers to perceive Christianity as non-sensical, but is a teaching that compels believers to appreciate a mysterious God who is infinitely greater than we are.
May 27, 2018•24 min
The account of the first Pentecost gives us an incredible example of the gathering of all of God's people and where they come from. We celebrate the diversity of place and acknowledge that God used this festival day to disperse his believers and the Message into different corners of the world.
May 20, 2018•29 min
This is our 6th and final week of O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . Much of the talk in the series has been our Christian witness, in both our words and actions. This week we see the pinnacle of a Christian witness in Stephen, the first Christian martyr (the Greek word for “witness” is actually martyrion ). Fascinatingly, we seek the example of what angry, scared religious people look like in our lesson, as well as how to turn into a gracious believer,...
May 14, 2018•28 min
Today, our cities are full of diverse people from different ethnic backgrounds. Cities in Biblical times, namely Rome, had more diversity than we might have originally expected. In Colossians 4, the apostle Paul encourages us to be wise in the way that we act towards people different from ourselves. Early Jewish Christians were able to form relationships with people not like them and they set an example for us to follow today.
May 09, 2018•27 min
Week 5 of O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . In prior weeks, we’ve seen some of the hostility that the Early Church faced from outsiders. But Satan’s attack on Christianity also often comes from within the Church. This week we’ll look at the fascinating account of Ananias & Sapphira, an account in which at first glance, we might be inclined to wonder if the punishment fits the crime. The subtlety of it makes Ananias & Sapphira’s sins equally dea...
May 06, 2018•33 min
Inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostle John tells us that we are believers by looking at what God has done for us. We know we are Christians by the love that is motivated by Christ and by faith that can be only be worked by the Holy Spirit.
May 02, 2018•28 min
Week 4 of O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . Without question, Scripture makes it clear that one of the factors of the explosive growth of the Early Church was the beauty of early Christian Community. The early believers actually lived like all of their possessions belonged to God, and they were simply managers here on earth for a while. This led them to show radical generosity to one another. We’re going to take a look at how generosity like that becom...
Apr 30, 2018•32 min
The apostle John gives us two tests before we trust that a spiritual message is actually a Christian message. The first test is "What is the message?" and the second test is "Who is the audience?"
Apr 24, 2018•27 min
Week 3 of O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . Last week, we saw a snapshot of what the Early Christian Church, filled with the Spirit, was doing . This week, we’re looking at the types of things the Early Christian Church was saying – what specifically was the message of their witnessing. We find that Peter and John were sharing their faith in a pluralistic world, much like Christians in the city today. What does it sound like to be a courageous witness?...
Apr 22, 2018•27 min
Apr 21, 2018•27 min
Week 2 of O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . This week we’ll be looking at Acts 2:40-47, the implications of Pentecost. Dr. Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, gives us an amazing portrait of the Early Christian Church. It doesn’t look exactly like the American Church today. Should it? What fueled it to be so different? This week we’ll worship under the theme of “ Pentecost and Its Meaning .”
Apr 16, 2018•28 min
We’re starting a new series this week called O Church Arise: Modern Lessons from the Story of the Early Christian Church . This week we’ll be looking at Acts 1:1-11, the story of The Ascension. The Ascension, along with Pentecost, are actually the events which give Christians (and the Church) their life’s purpose. Put differently, if you don’t understand Ascension and Pentecost, it’s going to be impossible for you, as a Christian, to ever understand the purpose and meaning of your life on earth....
Apr 11, 2018•27 min
This is our final week in the Gospel of Mark series. Our theme will be the Anointing of Jesus , as we watch Mary of Bethany worship Jesus in an extravagant, offensive (to the onlookers) way. Worship, by definition, is supposed to be inordinate. It’s supposed to be excessive from the world’s perspective. Mary has some amazing things to teach to an American Christianity that sometimes wants to worship in moderation. We’ll study Mark 14:1-11.
Mar 27, 2018•32 min
This week, in the Gospel of Mark, we’re looking at the theme of HUMILITY. The Greeks and Romans never saw humility as a virtue. I would argue America doesn’t either. In fact, I don’t even think we define it correctly. But Jesus says humble service is the road to glory in the Kingdom. We’ll investigate Mark 10:35-45.
Mar 12, 2018•30 min
This week as we look at Jesus’ “backwards” approach to glory. Not through thrones but through crosses. Received not by the wise and talented, but by the childlike. What does it mean that the Kingdom belongs to “such as these”? We’ll figure it out as we look through Mark 10:13-16.
Mar 05, 2018•29 min
This week in our series The Gospel of Mark: From Throne to Cross and Back , we’ll look at Jesus’ CROSS. That could be a little misleading though. Our focus this week is actually a bit more on figuring out what it means that to be Christ’s disciple, you must pick up YOUR CROSS to follow him? We’re going to discover that the cross is actually the foundation for the Christian’s identity as we look at Mark 8:34-38.
Feb 21, 2018•30 min
This week in our series The Gospel of Mark: From Throne to Cross and Back , we’ll look at Jesus’ SYMPATHY. The word “sympathy” literally means to “suffer with.” Jesus doesn’t promise to end all the storms of life, because a bunch of good stuff comes to us through them. But, he does promise he’ll 1) face the storms with us , 2) he’ll face the ultimate storm for us , and 3) one day these storms will come to an end. We’ll study another story of Jesus at Sea as we look at Mark 6:45-52....
Feb 11, 2018•31 min
This week in our series The Gospel of Mark: From Throne to Cross and Back , we’ll look at Jesus’ REJECTION. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt. And it turns out Jesus’ hometown was really offended by him. Why? What could make Jesus so offensive? What could potentially make his followers so offensive? And what does Jesus rejection from this world do for us? We’ll get to the bottom of all of it Saturday evening as we dig into Mark 6:1-6.
Feb 06, 2018•29 min
We’re in our fourth week in the series The Gospel of Mark: From Throne to Cross and Back , working our way through the entire Gospel of Mark to do a character study of Jesus and his grace. This week, we gain insight into Jesus’ AUTHORITY. Wow. Occasionally God gives me a text to wrestle with in which his voice becomes so incredibly clear. Jesus demonstrating his authority over the storms of life couldn’t be more perfect for me right now. This week we’ll study Mark 4:35-41.
Jan 29, 2018•28 min
