Freedom to be the Church

I have a confession to make. For at least half of my life, I really didn’t understand why we “went to church.” I had no vision for anything other than simply trying to please God. Consequently, church for me was … boring. Church struck me as a place where my family was obligated to act happier and holier than we actually were. Can you relate?

What I wish I had understood earlier in my life is that the Christian call to be part of a church community is actually an invitation into a powerfully meaningful life. We all know community is essential. But do we know why? The simple truth is that the Church is God’s plan "A" for bringing healing and restoration to our lives and to our world. So join us Sunday as we dive into what it means to be "Free to be the Church!"

Topics: Freedom, The Church, Unity

Law & Grace

This Sunday well finish our series on Ezra with a word on the need for discernment and the discipline of waiting on the Lord. Because like a pendulum, the world seems to  swing from one extreme to another. We desperately need to develop real discernment. Amidst a fast-paced and distracted culture, discernment requires a willingness to wait on the Lord. For most of us, waiting on the Lord sounds passive, and ... boring. However, what if waiting is our best opportunity to bring our most authentic selves before God? What if it also opens the door for us to participate in God’s solutions to the world’s problems? What if God’s ways are worth the wait? Join us Sunday and we'll explore those questions and so much more.

Topics: Discernment, Grace, Law, Presence

Bringing Order Out of Chaos

How often do you feel overwhelmed by the chaos in our world? It's easy to find ourselves living in the tension between order and chaos, healing and brokenness. We want to do something to make it right, don't we? Not only in the world, but our worlds. What if the only thing that will bring order out of chaos is God's presence? What if the only thing we can do is lean in and join God where he is already working? That's what we find in Ezra 7 & 8. Join us this Sunday and to discover your own unique thirst for God's presence, a presence that brings healing into our lives and the lives of those around us.

Topics: Chaos, Grace, Order

Growing in Holiness

As we go deeper into the Art of Holiness, we want to consider our influences. Last week we discussed the unholy trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This week we will look at how God’s character, real Christian community, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit can grow us in dynamic ways. In many ways, these are the three key influencers that mold us more deeply into the love and holiness of God. So join us as we come to know who God is and experience His grace through His people and His Holy Spirit.

Topics: Community, God's Love, Holiness, Holy Spirit

Holiness of Mind

How can we be made perfect in love? In so many ways, this is the question of the Art of Holiness. This week we will look specifically at how to love God with all of our mind. The Church has long taught that the enemies of wholeness and holiness is the unholy trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This week we will learn how to fight the battle for the mind with divine power so that we can walk in peace and freedom. See you Sunday!

Topics: Holiness, Take Every Thought Captive, The Battle in the Mind

Jesus is King

Jesus is King, but what does that mean? I might know that He is King of the universe, but does that translate into Him being the King of my life? Our culture, the systems we live and work in, and even the willfulness of our own souls often seek to challenge Jesus’ place as King. John 19 calls us to stand in front of Jesus and really consider what His Kingship asks of us. Ultimately, it is as we see Jesus as the crucified King that our hearts are made ready to surrender to His love.

Topics: Jesus as King, Lordship

Worship as a Sacrifice

When we worship, are we simply offering a grateful heart to God, or are we stepping intentionally into His heavenly realm? Faith in worship moves us from a church sanctuary into the heavenly realms. Come join us as we learn to take that step in a deeper way.

Topics: Heaven, Sacrifice, worship

Think Missionally

This week, we begin a new series that explores the depths of our call to be a mission church. Because the Kingdom of God is missional in nature, so goes God's church. We'll begin our series with Matthew's call to follow Jesus and be his disciple. In that story, we'll discover the nature and character of the Kingdom and those Jesus chose to call his own.

Topics: Invitation, Missional Church, Missional Life

The Meaning of Marriage

Relationships in a fallen world have never been easy, but it seems like they are more difficult than ever these days. In Scripture, God demonstrates what kingdom-centered relationships look like, and then calls us to imitate Him in covenantal love. Of course, the power for this love only comes from the overflow of the love we have in Christ. Join us as we learn to do relationships from the overflow of God's love and His community.

Topics: Covenant, God's Love, Love, Marriage

Loss Of Dreams

What do we do when faced with difficult the truth that things often don't go the way we hope? How do we pull out of the grief brought on by the loss of our dreams? What are our options? What's more, how do we ensure we are able to stand firm once we do manage to heal from all the disappointments? We'll find answers to those questions and more as we explore Ecclesiastes 3. We'll find a gentle reminder telling us we have been invited into God's dreams. All we need to do is learn to live them faithfully. Christopher is our preacher this week! See you Sunday.

Topics: Dreams, God's Dreams, redemption