In this current moment, how can we be comforted by the gospel? How can we comfort others? Is the gospel big enough to account for and reconcile all of the systemic brokenness we see around us? This week, C.J. invites us to remember the sufferings of the Apostle Paul, and to let them encourage us. He also invites us to re-think our understanding of the gospel as is pertains to those in our world who are disproportionately experiencing oppression.
Read MoreOn Pentecost Sunday, we remember how the gift of the Holy Spirit transformed God's people into living temples. Reflecting on the anti-Pentecost events of the past week, Dave asks what it means for us to be temples of God in a broken world.
Read MoreC.J. continues our series on the prayers of Paul, teaching from Ephesians 1. Harold Hoehner calls this "the prayer for someone who has everything." In Christ, we have been given all that we need. That means all we really need is for God to open our eyes to what we have in Him and how we can enjoy it.
Read MoreIn seasons of trial, what should we ask God for? For the next six weeks, we will consider what Paul asks. Today, from Philippians 1, Dave considers prayer in light of God's unchanging faithfulness. If God has always been good, prayer is not asking him to change himself. Prayer is mostly about asking God to change us.
Read MoreOne of the most challenging parts of sheltering-in-place has been finding rest. Whether you're overworked or without work, rest time often leaves us dissatisfied. But as Christians, it is our joyful duty to pursue rest. In Isaiah 55, we find three biblical principles to help us get there.
Read MoreIn crisis, God is looking to test our faith and give us greater life in Christ. But Satan has his own aims, wanting to turn testing into temptation. How do we understand the difference? What do we do? C.J. contrasts our impulse to hide, fight, and blame in the face of sin with gospel's invitation to expose, flee and own our sin.
Read MoreHebrews 11:1 describes faith as confidence in the unseen. This means that faith depends on a robust imagination, which sees God at work and hears his voice and feels his presence in our life. Dave unpacks the importance of imagination for faith, especially during times of crisis. Then, he calls us to exercise our imagination with radical gratitude.
Read MoreThere is a street-level mythology around Jesus and his Resurrection in San Francisco: that it was a late creation of Constantine, that Jesus never really died, that his disciples just wanted it to be true. C.J. tells us why Jesus’ bodily resurrection is the most reasonable explanation for the historical facts.
Read MoreExperts are telling us that many thousands of people are about to die all at once. What does the Bible say about death? How will we offer hope in the face of such tragedy? The Bible teaches us that death is inevitable, tragic, scary, and the result of sin. This is hard news, but it’s also the only explanation for death that we can be saved from. Every other explanation for death leaves us hopeless. Listen how Jesus not only identifies with our experience of death but how he saves us by dying for us!
Read MoreIn light of this experience, we are in a series entitled “As We Wait: Faithfulness in Uncertainty.” What would God have us do in this season? This week, from Exodus 15, C.J. reflects on the Biblical reality of the wilderness and how it applies to this current moment. How might Jesus be inviting you into this wilderness to offer you a freedom far beyond what you can imagine. Are you tempted, as the Israelites were, to return to a yoke of slavery in Egypt because you are not content with these present circumstances?
Read MoreIn light of this unprecedented season, we are beginning a series entitled “As We Wait: Faithfulness in Uncertainty.” What would God have us do in this season of waiting? This week, from 1 Peter 1:3-9, Dave reminded us that we do have purpose; our purpose in trial is found in God’s purpose; and this purpose is the refining of our faith in Him.
Read MoreAcross history and even today, Christians have disagreed a lot about what it means to be a Christian. One slogan that helps us navigate these differences is: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, freedom; in all things, love." But what is essential and non-essential? These two stories from Luke 9 help us with the answer.
Read MoreWhen Jesus finds the disciples arguing about who among them is the greatest, he reminds them that his kingdom is not like anything they're used to. To be great, you must be the least, and you can't get more "least" than receiving a child.
Read MoreWhen the disciples return from preaching the gospel and performing miracles throughout Judea, they want to spend some time resting with Jesus. Jesus' idea of rest, however, was different from theirs. At first, they were frustrated, but in the end, all were satisfied.
Read MoreAfter watching Jesus perform miracles and announce the arrival of God's Kingdom, he sends the twelve disciples out to do the same. Isn't this a little risky, though? Luke 9 reminds us that following Jesus always involves risk. Indeed, we can't follow Jesus without speaking out.
Read MoreEvery January, we take five weeks to walk through the Story of God from beginning to end. Our Sundays are shifted to accommodate more dialogue and reflection from everyone. This is our fifth and final week of the series, where we will hear about Jesus' death and resurrection and all that Christ's work accomplished.
Read MoreEvery January, we take five weeks to walk through the Story of God from beginning to end. Our Sundays are shifted to accommodate more dialogue and reflection from everyone. In Week Four, we look closely at the message and miracles of Jesus, and also his enemies.
Read MoreEvery January, we take five weeks to walk through the Story of God from beginning to end. Our Sundays are shifted to accommodate more dialogue and reflection from everyone. Listen in as we continue God's story, including The Exodus, The Law and Prophets, and The Coming of Jesus.
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