Mission Church: Teaching Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mission Church
Mission Church exists to Help People Find & Follow Christ. We are desperate to experience a movement of Jesus in The 10 in our lifetime.
For the last five weeks of Wait No More we’ve been looking ahead at the new ground God has for us. This week (before we celebrate next week) we wanted to pause and recognize all God is doing, real time, over these last few months!
This weekend hundreds of us chose to STEP IN. Two years from now, when we complete our Wait No More Commitment, we will look back on this river crossing and say: Look what I did, look what WE did, and look what GOD did!
If you weren't able to be with us this weekend, you can make your commitment here: https://www.waitnomore.wearemission.com/commit
We need a guide and God is the perfect one for us! To break camp and advance we will need guts, unity. inspiration, direction, and encouragement.
Every time you commit yourself to a vision of life transformation, get ready for a river! There is new ground that God is inviting all of us into. It's time to pursue His promises!
When it comes to the camps that God has lovingly invited us to break from and advance to, the truth is - we have been here before. But together we have been asking and need to continue to ask: Who is God and what has he done?
God is faithful. God is our provider. God is our leader through His Word and His Spirit.
It's time to break camp and advance. We're all invited into this two-year generosity campaign we're calling Wait No More. What do we need to get in order to get ready to go? Strength, courage, and wisdom.
Darryl Strawberry joined us at 82 Stratford Drive this weekend! Jon and Darryl had an honest conversation about his career in the MLB, the struggles he faced, and the transformation Jesus made in his life.
Over the past few weeks we've talked about how to receive more power and what to do with it, but today we're asking: What's this power for?
If we want access to more power, we've gotta find it in the Holy Spirit! Today, Jon dives into two ways to grow in our dependency on the Spirit: expect waiting and embrace weakness.
We've all got races in our life and we all need power to finish them. When we think of "power" we often think of the flashy, superhero kind of power. But the power of the Holy Spirit isn't loud or flashy. It can be subtle, it can look different than we imagine, but when we humble ourselves to God, he'll give us just enough power to get us through the day.
We've all been asked, "So, where are you from?" But today, our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman dives deeper into our "fromness". It's less about where you are from and more about who you are from. Because when we truly know who we're from, fullness is experienced.
Our relationship with Jesus is our own, but our responsibility to GO is on all of us! Together, when we obey Jesus' command to "go and make disciples", that is when a movement of Jesus happens.
You've probably heard the story about Jonah and the big fish, but do you know what got him there? God said, "Go!" and Jonah said, "No." Today Jon teaches us the importance of our primary job: believing God! Jonah may have lacked trust in the beginning of His story, but He knew who to call to when he was in trouble. Jonah was helpless but Jonah was not hopeless!
God asked Moses to go back to Egypt, a place filled with a lot of hardship for Moses. So often when God calls us to "go" it is filled with doubt, fear, or discomfort. We see in Moses' story that he wasn't uninterested, it was that he felt inadequate. But God still calls us to go! It just requires us to put more faith and trust in Him.
God has been saying "Go!" from the beginning and today we learned about how God said it in Abrams story. We must all go from a life of self to a life that’s sent!
Today, our friend Jeff Brooke teaches us what servanthood is all about: God's heart, our mindset, and the Mission.
Many of us have said this sentence or something like it, "I want to feel closer to God." That's a great thing to desire! And that's where the Holy Spirit comes in. Today, Tommy shows us seven ways we can grow in our dependency on the Spirit.
Confession... not everyone's favorite topic! But an important one in our relationship with Jesus. This message will teach you that confession isn’t rehashing how bad you’ve been, it’s rehearsing how good God is.
Prayer is powerful. But it can often leave us feeling as though our prayers are going unanswered. Today, Shawn Williams reminds us that God sees, cares, and loves us deeply.
Savoring scripture isn’t always easy, but it is simple. Today, Dan gives us three hacks to start and a really helpful example of how to study the bible.
When it comes to slowing down, celebration probably didn't come to your mind. But today, with some help from the infamous griddle, Jon, Tommy, and Dan are going to help us understand the spiritual practice of celebrating.
There's a major problem in our culture: hurry. But we've gotta plan for you! The practice of slowing. Today, Jon breaks down the acronym SLOW for us.
We loved having Coach Swider with us for Father's Day! It was a powerful message that challenged all of us to examine where we place our identity. We fail because we forget who we are!
Loving our neighbor can be complicated. While we are called to love everyone, we are not called to love everyone the same way. Jon gives us a clear distinction on how to love different people well.
Jesus wants us to be a part of the work He is doing! All we have to do is position our heart to be open and available to love our neighbors.
Loving thy neighbor is uncomfortable when we go over to where they are and get involved in what they need. But it's what Jesus has called us to do! What “neighbor” is God calling you to love this week?
In the midst of a wounded world, what is your response? Instead of throwing up our hands, as followers of Jesus, we need to open our hands with love. Love expressing itself in compassion doesn’t turn a blind eye, love sees with eyes wide open.
For Mother's Day this year, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jeanne Stevens back to Mission! She taught us all about the importance of presence from her new book, What's Here Now?
Your giving is relational with God. It's not about a transaction, it's about asking God what He has for you, believing in His promises, and committing to be generous.
Instead of wishing for change, we can create habits that cause change. Are our habits leading us toward a more pure life or just a more productive life?
Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible! One holy habit at a time can make a huge impact in our life.
Closing the gap doesn’t just come from us or just from God, but it comes from all of God AND all of us, all the time. Our habits with God shape who we are.
We all have some misconceptions about habits. Today, Jon shows us that a vision of tomorrow creates habits of discipline for today.
What are the odds that death is the end of the story? We know that death wounds, but death doesn't win!
Every sheep is the same but not every shepherd is. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Luckily for us, we have a good shepherd who came to our rescue.
Jesus is inclusive. He offers to all people the way in which is exclusive; our eternity in Heaven. We know that we will have trouble in this world, but as followers of Jesus, we can count on the promise of eternity with Him.
Jesus is our shepherd. We are all invited to enter through His gate and receive His protection and provision. The Shepherd is calling, will you respond to His voice?
Jesus is the true vine! When we are connected to the true vine of life, we will bear good fruit in our life.
Today, pray, "God I trust you, and God I thank you."
Jesus is the bread you have been hungering for! This message will help you open the door and receive the bread of life.
Our position in the world is dark, but Jesus provides our light! Jesus not only provides light in the darkness but offers it to us. We can be light for others through Jesus! When we allow Jesus to be light in us, we will walk in light. Reject the darkness, receive the light, reflect the light.
Who is Jesus? Well, Jesus answered that Himself! He said, "I am". Today, Jon Peacock helps us understand what that means to prepare us for the next seven weeks of diving into all of the "I am..." statements found in John.
We want to see families following Jesus together throughout the week in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Kaylee Frank and Dan Lovalgia join Jon Peacock today to help us do that! If you want to win at parenting, this message is for you.
If we want to be built to last, we have to depend on the Holy Spirit. If we want to remain in the power of the Spirit, we must constantly be filled with the Spirit!
Today, we had the honor of welcoming Hugh Halter to Mission! He and his wife have been on mission for over 30 years. Him and Dan Ruta share God's larger story for us, the church, and how we can be the church, just not at the church.
When the unexpected test comes, it’s too late to get ready, you’re either ready or not. If you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready!
Your life is telling a story! Are you making sure yours is of transformation? Today's message is all about how you can be "never the same" in Christ.
Today Jon teaches us how to go from a consumer of the church to a contributor to the church. We are better together!
Being a church that is built to last means having a solid foundation. To become a more effective aircraft carrier, we must be a model of the church that’s foundation is built upon the place where God dwells... in you and I. We must build that foundation on the faith of God’s mission!
God shows up regardless of the place or person. He showed up in Bethlehem and to a lowly group of shepherds. God shows up because love is showing up.
Will you be devoted in the dark? When you're having a blue Christmas and it feels like the lights have gone out, we can do what Joseph did in scripture. We can choose to Wait in the dark, Respond in the dark, and Believe in the dark.
As we focus on the color white, we examine the life of the Virgin Mary. We look at how, where, and for whom she lived a pure life in the presence of God. We can avoid being overwhelmed by being overshadowed and drawing near to God.
The Magi showed their attention and affection for the newborn King Jesus by searching, seeing, and worshiping. In this season we can move from consuming Christmas to adoring Christ by giving to God, inviting a friend, and bowing in worship.
What do we do with the new life Jesus has given us? Our purpose is the great life. We can have the great life through expressing the great commandment and experiencing the great commission. Like bike pedals, these produce movement in our lives.
Today, our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman helps us understand the difference between knowing the gospel versus living the gospel. We have been rescued from death by Jesus but often choose to remain stuck living in that death than embracing our new life with Christ. Through Christ we have fullness and we have been crucified. Therefore, we are free from sin and we are made righteous through Jesus.
If you’ve been saved but continue to delay your baptism that means you’re saved, but stuck. You are more ready than you realize! Today we learned what it means to be ready for baptism and celebrate our friends going public with their faith!
We’ve been delivered by Jesus, but the truth is, we’ve drifted from Jesus. So how do we get back? We look to the cross.
All of life is meant to be an offering of praise to God. Our actions, choices, and lifestyle are one big praise song to Him. But today, we're talking about the praise of musical worship. He is so worthy of our praise!
Repentance is a crucial part of our walk with Jesus. Today, Jon walks us through four simple steps of repentance: cry out, fess up, take in, and live out.
If we want to be wise, there are a few steps we need to take: admit, ask, obtain, and obey.
To lament is to have "a passionate expression of grief or sorrow". Contrary to what you may have heard, Tommy shows us today that in our pain, we get to complain. When it comes to lamenting, complaining is a terrific place to start but a tragic place to stay. Staying in complaint leads to worry, but continuing the song of lament that we find in Psalms leads to worship.
We're all carrying something heavy. The world will give us a lot of options as to how to deal with the weight that's burdening us, but we know as Christians we are called to worship.
Today we learn our first song found in Psalms 46, the song of sovereignty.
We're most at risk in the middle. It's in the middle that we need more people, protection, and purpose to keep hammering! Greater things are coming.
We are created to contribute! Contributing fills our hearts in ways consuming never could. The good news is we don't have to do it alone, Jesus calls all Christians to the same thing, to "go and make". We all have a part to play! Ask God today how He can begin using you.
There's a big difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation has an external push, but we need an internal pull. We learn from Nehemiah that his inspiration was not self-generated, it was God-given.
Just like in football, God has a play He wants our team to run and in order to do that we've gotta be ready! But how do we know if we are? Well, Jon shows us today that if we want to be spiritually ready, we've got to be devoted.
We kicked off a new series today called Brick By Brick. More than a series, this is an invitation for you to be a part of the next 5 years of Mission Church.
Brick By Brick begins with brokenness. Brokenness over our sin and situation can come by praying this simple prayer: God, break my heart for what breaks yours.
For our final week of Summer On The Mount Jeff Brooke join us to teach us about what it looks like to be persecuted for our faith today in our context. What if we could look at persecution as a blessing instead of a curse?
Today we heard a timely message about peacemaking. Peacemaking is about declaring good news over debating bad news! How do we do that? Fight fair and keep focus.
Being pure in heart is not about perfection, it's about being men and women after God’s own heart. This week, Jackie Glass shows us the simplicity of being pure through the story of David.
It seems like when we look around in our world today there is either passive compassion or angry action. But followers of Jesus are called to show mercy.
Mercy is God’s character. Mercy is your calling.
It was an exciting day at 82 Stratford Drive! Despite a power outage God still moved in a powerful way through this message on meekness. Jon taught us that meek does not equal weak, meek is power under control!
We've all got giants in our life. Today, Jon Peacock and Blake Williams use the story of David to teach us how to fight these giants. Pulling from their book, Giant Killer, they inspire and equip us to use tools and strategies called "stones" to win the battles that matter most.
Most of us have probably experienced mourning at some point in our life, but have you ever mourned your sin? Today's message and this beatitude of "blessed are those who mourn" is all about repentance and the comfort we receive from Jesus when we repent, or mourn, over our sinful tendencies.
Today we kicked off our series for the summer, Summer On The Mount. We'll be focusing on Jesus' famous Sermon On The Mount, and more specifically, the 8 beatitudes he speaks of. Today we learn about the first of these, "blessed are the poor in Spirit".
We've all got money on our minds. But is your money an idol you are worshiping or an instrument you are using? Generosity is an essential part of our walk with Jesus and today, Jon shows us the ladder of generosity and how we can continue toward the top of the ladder.
One of our favorite Sundays of the year is Project Just Start Sunday. Hear Dan and Tommy share the vision and impact of providing backpacks to schools in The 10.
Sometimes our best intentions keep us from catching the wind. Today, Tommy Bowman shows us three ways that we may be missing the mark as we journey through our Christian life. Learning these three things can help us all catch the wind of the Holy Spirit.
How do we know if we've caught the wind? The wind of God’s Spirit will never lead you in a direction that is contrary to who God is and what God has said in the Bible! Today we'll look at 4 ways to see if you've caught the wind.
Many Christians find themselves exhausted and defeated these days. The early church faced opposition after opposition, yet they sailed through suffering! That's because they understood technique. Today, Jon walks us through 4 key ways that the early church learned to catch God's Spirit.
The grave is empty! Now what? The story is not over! What happens next through the Holy Spirit changes everything for Christians.
There is no power like the power of Jesus! We read time and time again in the Bible of the power that Jesus holds. This power didn't just exist when He was on earth, this power exists inside of all of us today. Reach out to Him today and ask for His power.
Our journey to the cross finishes with the crucifixion of Jesus. This is our most important stop on our journey but one we often want to skip. The pain and suffering that Jesus went through for us is unimaginable. But it is in the darkest moment of guilt on a cross where we are met with the deepest moment of companionship in the Kingdom.
It is finished.
Today we're talking about fear. We all experience it, but what do we do about it? The goal isn't "fear not", the goal is to fear God. Fight fear with fear!
We've all experienced guilt and we most likely will have more moments of guilt in our lives. But today, Jon challenged us and asked: Where are you going with your guilt?
A lonely garden is where we find ourselves in today's teaching in our journey to the cross. This is where we read how Jesus felt, who He followed, and what He found during His time in the garden. Jesus shows us how we can experience the Kingdom of God and live the Christian life.
Today, our journey to the cross brought us to the Last Supper. Jon taught us about the significance of communion. Communion isn't something we earn, but something that we get to receive.
Today our journey to the cross leads us to a sinners table. An unusual group of people gathered together with Jesus and they witness something that Mary did that Jesus described as "a beautiful thing".
Dan teaches us that a beautiful thing requires cost, focus, and risk.
Today we began our journey to the cross. Our prayer over these next 8 weeks is that this series helps you experience Jesus in a whole new way as we study and learn about His journey to the cross.
Our first stop: the crowded street during Passover.
Marriage can be hard. If you're watching this, it probably means you want an answer to the question: How can I have a strong marriage? The answer is oneness.
O = Ongoing Forgiveness N = Never-Ending Growth E = Ever-Increasing Intimacy
Motherhood comes in seasons and we have a unique opportunity to approach each season differently. Donna Peacock joined us this morning to share her wisdom with us through the seasons!
Parenting isn't easy. We don't have a one-size-fits-all guide. This week Jon Peacock and Kelly Byrd have a candid and insightful conversation about fatherhood. Dads, this message is for you!
God wants your hands to do His work, and if we want that to happen, we have to surrender. Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone! What can you surrender to God today?
God has so much in store for us and we have to get ready for it. To do that, we have to do more shaping. More shaping into the image of God. Listen to this message and take some time to reflect on how God might be trying to shape you today.
95% of believers will never share their faith with one person throughout the course of their life. The Bible is clear that as Christians we are meant to boldly share the Word of God. Will you dare to share the good news of Jesus?
God is a sending God. How do we know that? The Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit, and now the Spirit of God sends us, the church.
There is more for you on the other side of your comfort zone. God said "Go.", will you say yes?
God said "Go." and Jonah said "No." Just like many of us, Jonah didn't have a salvation problem, he had a sacrifice problem.
If you feel like you're running from God or not sure what He wants for your life, this message is for you.
God has more in store for you in 2022. Today we learned about the more God had for Jonah. We've all been in Jonah's position: running from God. But the more God desires from you today is surrender.
We all know what it's like to wait. Wait for that job, wait for that person, wait for that moment, and so on.
Waiting is the hardest work of hope. But thankfully, because we know Jesus, we can worship in the waiting.
If you find yourself in a valley this Christmas season, we have some good news and bad news for you.
The Bad News: The valley is dark and wrong paths are abundant. The Good News: Your Shepherd is with you and He knows the way through.
Even in the valley, we can sing a song of victory.
Anxiety is an American mental health epidemic. If we don't have anxiety ourselves we're probably close with someone who struggles with it. But what if we saw anxiety as a signal to sing?
That might sound funny, but as we learn in this message, worship is our weapon and we must use it to fight against our anxious thoughts.
You have a song to be sung. What we are going to ask the next few weeks is this: Has your song been silenced?
Today we started our series by singing a song of love for a season of loneliness. The greatest gift of Christmas is the reminder that God pursued us in the person of Jesus.
As we bring BE. FOR. to a close we want to do everything we can to equip dads here in The 10 to be salt and light to their children. And you can help us do that! Donate at www.befor.love and help us provide new opportunities for connection for dads and their kids.
Louis Dooley joined us today to share his story of transformation and how God is using him and his wife to reach the incarcerated. He has been working hard for almost a decade to help men in prison find Jesus and now, we get to help him launch their newest project, Philemon House.
You don't want to miss this incredible story of God's faithfulness. You can make a difference in his ministry through your generosity! Learn more and give at www.befor.love
Whether we're ready or not, Christmas is right around the corner. A season of joy for so many, but for others, can be a season of pain. Maybe you're in need of some joy this holiday season, joy not for only a moment, but for an eternity.
Learn more about BE. FOR. and give a gift today at https://www.befor.love/
God's faithfulness is what got us here. It's been an incredible 10 years and we are not done.
Are you ready for the return of Christ? Bible-believing Christians know that Jesus is coming back, we just don't know when. So we have to be ready! Our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock taught us about the five ways we will know if we're ready and how to get there.
Today we learned about something we all deal with, temptation. This message isn't about condemnation, but about conviction. Sexual morality is possible and Jon taught us three key practices to resiste it: surft it, confess it, and uproot it.
We’re all standing on something, the question today is, are you standing on the promises of God? We are destined for trials in our life, so we have to be ready for them. Our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock taught us about three truths that we can stand on in the midst of our trials.
The church in Thessalonica experienced a movement of Jesus and today we starting learning about how they made that happen.
A movement of Jesus here like they had in Thessalonica is not about waiting, it’s about working. The way Paul preached about Jesus caused people to change their whole lives. They felt the weight of Pauls words and knew they had to do something to help others find Jesus too.
We want to help you work, labor, and endure to experience all God longs to do in and through you.
Since Mission began in 2011 we have said that we are for the neighborhood. Being a church that doesn’t neighbor with love, isn’t the church. Our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman inspired us today to start living in a way that will make our neighbors question us. (In a good way!)
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with everything we have. What comes after that? To love our neighbors. Tommy gave us some really helpful tools that you can start today to do that: Available. Blessed. Curious.
We could all use a little more training in prayer, so we figured a week two on prayer was necessary! Jesus demonstrated a praying to but also a praying through. We know there is a war but we must use prayer as our weapon.
If there was one thing the disciples knew how to do, it was to pray. But for some reason, they still asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. That's because Jesus' prayer life was so obviously different than there's!
Today's teaching is a great starting or re-starting point for your prayer life. God desires to be in relationship with you and prayer is one of the key ways to do that.
Why drift, tangle, crash, paddle, and capsize in this life when we literally have an anchor for this life? Everyone of us is "anchoring" in something, but nothing holds like the Bible.
When the famous Christian author Dallas Willard was asked how he would describe Jesus in one word, his answer was "unhurried".
If we want to become more godly, we must train to live an unhurried life. Not only is that counter-cultural to our "hustle" mindset society, but it's also really difficult and takes a lot of training to break the habits of busyness that we have created.
Lean in today and ask yourself what steps you can take retreat in solitude this week.
Today we learned all about the importance of training ourselves to be godly. The goal isn't to be God, the goal is to train to be more like God.
We welcomed The Head Of School at Wheaton Christian, Jeff Brooke, to 82 Stratford Drive this weekend! He read through the story of when Jesus healed the paralyzed man and taught us how it is not our job to transform, but to bring people to Jesus who can transform.
We've all asked these two questions: "What's the point?" and "What's my purpose?"
Dan Ruta is breaking down how Jesus answers those two questions for us. Jesus invites all of us into a great life through the Great Commission found in Matthew 28.
Rest is crucial for our mental and physical health. So often we resist rest but Jesus actually invites us into rest! Jackie Glass teaches us how we can find rest for ourselves and for our souls through Jesus by looking at Matthew 11:28-30.
What is God asking you to leave behind so you can follow Jesus to live a sent life, helping people find & follow Christ?
Jesus was on a mission to seek and save the lost. Only He has the power to save sinners, including us.
As we set out on mission to help people find and follow Christ we must remember that Jesus is the way to LIFE and the way to LIVE.
Living life with a kingdom perspective means choosing faith over fear. It's ok to pursue safety, but we must not let it become ultimate.
We're invited into the kingdom of God where Christ rules and reigns. The question is, "will we join Him?"
How often do we search for something that simply satisfies us when we should be searching for what sustains us. Jesus will meet us in our searching and give us what we need - Living Water.
The baptism of Jesus reminds us of who we are. Like Jesus, we are chosen sons and daughters of God with a mission to follow Him.
For most of us, money is on our mind every day. How much we have, how much we make, how much we can spend, etc. Well, this weekend we brought that conversation into 82 Stratford Drive as our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock asked the question, "How do we get better at being generous?"
We invite you to listen to this message today with an open mind and open hands. Ask God openly and honestly how He wants you to respond. We gave everyone the opportunity to respond by signing up for our 90 Day Giving Challenge. This challenge is an opportunity for you to stretch your faith and trust God with your finances over the course of 90 days. Sign up for the challenge here: https://wearemission.churchcenter.com/people/forms/248814
For the final week of our series, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock had us look at the dysfunction of dishonor. When it comes to our relationships we often say, "God where’s the blessing?" and Jon challenged us by asking, "Where’s the honor?"
We used the acronym below to help us understand and remember how to honor the people in our lives:
H - Begins in the home. O - Offered not earned. N - Never stops. O - Obeys first. Understands later. R - Returns back.
On Sunday, our Connections Director Jackie Glass talked to us about commitment. When it comes to family, we can create dysfunction through over-commitment and the fear of commitment. But, Jackie showed us that healthy commitment is the key to leaving our legacy.
Commitments are often tested at a crossroads of unexpected circumstances. But as we read in the Bible from stories like Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, we learn that commitments are a choice for a purpose.
If you ask anyone who has been in a relationship for any length of time, they'd probably tell you that communication is key. But if it's so important in relationships, why do most of us struggle to communicate effectively?
Communication works for those who work at it. So, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock created the three keys to effective communication from Ephesians 4:
- Communicate with connection in mind.
- Communicate beneficially.
- Communicate to God, together.
Most of us would say that we don't enjoy conflict, but it is part of life and something we have to face, especially in our families. On Sunday we welcomed Kelly Byrd to Mission and he taught us all about conflict through the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.
Conflict is challenging, but it's a necessary part of every relationship.
Over the next five weeks, we'll be talking about the common dysfunctions we see in families. This week we focused on trust. Trust is foundational in every relationship, the absence of trust is where we see dysfunction happen.
You won’t have a love that never fails when you have a love that occasionally trusts. Lean into this message today and examine how you can not only learn how to trust again but also gain trust again.
“I will bless you—so that you will be a blessing.” - Genesis 12:2
We have the ability to bless the world around us every day. Our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock taught us how through the acronym BLESS: Begin with prayer. Listen with love. Enjoy Jesus. Serve others. Share the Gospel.
How can you bless the people around you this week?
We all face battles every day. Work, family, money, mental illness, and list goes on. John 16:33 tells us “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We are an Easter people living in a Good Friday world. But thankfully, because of Jesus, the battle involves us but it doesn’t belong to us.
Take heart, He has overcome the world.
Is your body ready to live a sent life? Our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman showed us that in order to live a sent life, we have to have the stamina for a sent life. How do we develop stamina? Well, he shares four ways that we can prepare our bodies to live the life that God has called us to.
The question isn’t, "Is God doing a new thing?" The question is, "Will you notice?"
What causes us to not notice the "new" in our life? Distractions. Our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock talked with us about the three main distractions we have in our life: Positioning, products, and pace. But, more importantly, he shared with us three disciplines that we can all practice to resist these distractions.
We kicked off a brand new series yesterday called, The New I Never Knew. Over the next few weeks we'll get to discover together the new things God is trying to show us, even in the midst of hardships.
Yesterday, our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman talked to us about grief. Not just the grief over loss of life, but also the grief we feel over the loss of jobs, friendships, expectations, and more. We have all experienced some sort of loss over this past year, but Tommy challenged us not to just simply move on from our grief, but to look for the new, beautiful thing that God is trying to show us through our grief.
Paul teaches us in Colossians 4 to devote ourselves to prayer. The question we asked was, "How?"
Our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock pointed us to Matthew 6 where Jesus answers that question for us: Up In Adoration, In In Petition, and Out In Intercession.
Today we learned about the preeminence of Jesus. When we think preeminence, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock taught us to think of power. No one has power like Jesus and no one handles power like Jesus.
But what does that mean for us? Well, in one word: reconciliation. Only Jesus has the power to reconcile us with God and one another.
This week we focused in on Colossians 1:15-20 and learned about Jesus' preexistence. Unlike us, Jesus' birth wasn't His beginning. Because Jesus is God, and He was there, has been there, and will be there.
The question isn't, "Is Jesus God?"; the question is, "Is Jesus your God?"
You were born to bear fruit. The first command in the Bible is to be fruitful and we can see this theme from cover to cover as we study scripture. The fruit of joy, love, patience, and kindness through your life indicates that God’s Spirit is alive in your life.
But you might be wondering, how can we be fruitful? It's simple: remain in Him.
We all have questions, small and big. Maybe you've grown to believe that questions are a bad thing, especially when it comes to our faith. Dan Ruta showed us today that it is quite the opposite; questions reveal your pursuit of faith, not your lack of it.
So, what kind of questions are you asking? If it's something like: Is there more to life than this? Does prayer work? Why is there pain and suffering? Then we want to invite you to join Alpha! Learn more at WhyAlpha.com
We were fortunate enough to welcome Executive Director of Alpha USA, Craig Springer, to 82 Stratford Drive this morning! He taught us the importance of being a coworker of God. If we actively do this, if we let hope be renewed, if we trust in God’s provision and power and believe even when we’ve been knocked down, working alongside Him, we will see that with God all things are possible.
What are you learning in the midst of the storm? That may sound like an odd question. Usually, we’re so ready to be through the storm that we’re not being thoughtful in the storm.
Today, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock showed us how God uses the unusual to accomplish the unexpected. There is something God has called us into and yet so many of us are waiting until we feel worthy, ready, or qualified.
What if the storm we are in right now is preparing us for what we are called for?
Today, Dan Ruta taught us how to navigate the unexpected storms of life. Just because we follow Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t encounter storms. When it comes to unexpected storms, we need courage for the heart, not clarity for the eyes.
If we allow for it to happen, unexpected storms can cause us to take our faith to new depths, having faith as our foundation and trusting God in new and greater ways.
In this series we are learning how to navigate the storms of life. Today, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock hit us with some hard truth: We create the storms of our life.
The unconfessed sin in our life is affecting us more than we know. Today, we learn that by asking God to search our hearts and by listening closely to His voice, we can find our way through the storm.
Storms are an inevitable part of life. But, what we learn from them is invaluable. Today, our Co-Founding Pastor Jon Peacock showed us how true that is through the story of Daniel as he faced the blazing furnace. There was something for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire, and there is something for you in the storm.
Christmas and singing go hand-in-hand. Even Buddy The Elf said, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
We read in Luke 2 and we sing in O Holy Night about the importance of our praise through worship. We are the choir and Jesus is the audience. We hope that even past this Christmas season you would lift up God's name in worship, regardless of how or where you gather.
We have a sin problem. (That's probably not exactly what you'd imagine an Advent series to be about, but stick with us for a minute.) It can be hard to come to the realization that we are all sinners, but it is a critical realization. Jon showed us today that if we minimize sin, we miss the reason for this Christmas season. Jesus is the only sin solution for us.
We all have at least one thing in our life that has value to us. Maybe it's your family, maybe it's the car you saved for, but would you ever put your soul in that category? Today, our Co-Founding Pastor Tommy Bowman showed us just how valuable our soul is.
Just like anything that is valuable, there are things we need to do to safeguard it. Your soul is no exception. Your soul needs your will to be relinquished to Jesus, your mind to be renewed by Jesus, your body to be revived in Jesus, and your relationships to be restored for Jesus.
Over the past four weeks we have learned that love is compassionate, courageous, connects, and finally, love is costly.
In order to love like God, with an agapē kind of love, we have to understand and be willing to love in costly ways. But here's the best part: God would never ask you to give something you don’t have.
Giving and generosity are similar but not the same. Will you be generous today and love the fatherless, the trafficked and the working poor?
www.befor.love
"The gospel is less about how to get into the Kingdom of heaven after you die, and more about how to live in the Kingdom of heaven before you die." - Dallas Willard
God calls us to love, and if we focus on how we are called to live here on Earth, we will embody the love of Christ as much as we can through practical and spiritual ways.
Love connects. Love pulls up a chair. Love extends the table. Love pours out in extravagant, almost reckless ways. That’s what BE. FOR. is all about. Because that’s who Jesus is.
Learn more about BE. FOR. and donate here: https://www.befor.love/
We've all got a comfort zone. But, as we learned today, we can have compassion or we can have comfort, but we can’t have both.
Through our BE. FOR. campaign, we are asking you to be compassionate toward some of the most vulnerable people in our area. The working poor, the fatherless, and the trafficked need our help. It will require courage, but if we look at the life of Jesus, we can find courage through His example. Learn more about BE. FOR. and donate at https://www.befor.love/
In every direction we look, we see difficult, complex, and challenging issues plaguing our world and communities. So, we have a choice: What is our response in the midst of a wounded world?
Jesus taught us that love is not complacent, it's compassionate. That is why we are choosing to help some of the most vulnerable people in our city, the working poor, the fatherless, and the trafficked. We can’t do everything but we can do something. Be compassionate this week and make a difference in the lives that need us most. Learn more and donate at https://www.befor.love/
In 2018 we began our journey of Never The Same. Over the last two years, we experienced transformation like we never could have imagined as we built, funded, and moved into 82 Stratford Drive. We are so grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey and today we celebrated everything that God has done through Never The Same.
Never the Same is done but God’s work in and through this church is not done.
Today we were blessed by a powerful message from author and speaker, Aubrey Sampson. She walked us through Psalm 23 and showed us that our good shepherd, God, is not a shepherd waiting for us to mess up so that He can beat us back into submission. Rather, He is a good shepherd that is nurturing, protective, and does not leave us.
Most of us are probably familiar with the verse, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Well, today Dan Ruta gave us some insight into the verse that actually comes before this one, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Contentment is the key, and contentment comes through Him.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4
Paul mentions joy as a noun or verb 15 times in the Bible. If we want to safeguard what matters most, Paul says, we've gotta understand joy and joy in action, which is to rejoice.
“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. Do you plan to build a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.” - Saint Augustine
Humility is the foundation of all other virtues. Today, as we dive into Philippians 2, we learn that as God’s children, humility is a choice but not an option.
Whether it be in our marriages, relationships, or in churches, putting Jesus first leads toward deep and abiding unity regardless of circumstance. When we stop living our lives aimed at Jesus, we will leave a wake of brokenness and damage in us, around us, and behind us.
Seeking Jesus first together leads to an enduring and resilient unity.
Fear has become a common part of our culture. The only way to combat that fear is to import courage, and thankfully, we can find that courage through Jesus.
No matter who you are and no matter what you did last week or last night, there is a God-given purpose for you.
But, contrary to cultural belief, your purpose is for you but it is not about you. The life Jesus lived and modeled was not an inward-focused, inward-facing kind of life. And ours shouldn't be either.
Your perspective is how you see and interpret the world around you. Simply put, it's what you look most intensely at.
Just like Moses, we need to look back at the faithfulness of God and then move forward in faith. You get to choose what you "most intensely look at". Will you look at the faithfulness of God or the brokenness of this world?
The definition of perseverance is, "a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition."
Moses persevered. In order for you to move forward, you have to do the same. Pain is transmitted into bitterness or transformed into perseverance. The choice is yours, which will you choose?
We are relational beings made in the image of a relational Creator. That's why we believe that the way forward is in with people. We know, you might be saying, "But people are crazy! I'm better off alone." While that might be true, or maybe the "easy" way, it's not how we were created to live.
When Moses was desperate to know the way forward, we read in Exodus that he went up the mountain to God. Now, there aren't any mountains in Illinois, but that doesn't mean that we can't go up. If we want to go forward, we have to first go higher.
How do you move forward when there is neither a path nor precedent? The good news is that there is a way forward. The bad news is that you have to willingly follow the guide.
We are in the middle of a disciple making moment and this message is a challenge to all of us who call ourselves Christians to ask the question: "Am I a disciple?"
Persistence in anything while living in today's instant and on-demand culture should be admired. There's nothing wrong with 'instant' of course, however, it can cloud our perception of so many things that still require, well, time.
The final parable in this series applies this thought on persistence to a simple story about an unjust judge, a feisty widow, and a God who loves us and longs to hear our voices.
You have a purpose; to be salt and light to the world around you.
We lost you at "salt" and "light" didn't we? Well, it's more of an analogy used by Jesus to help us understand our intended function as humans. But HOW? How do we become what we're meant to be? You've got to be in Christ, in community, and on mission.
Tune in as we unpack this crucial parable!
What is love? Sorry, we know that question just dropped Haddaway's 90's tune into your brain, but try to stick with us!
Seriously, how do you define love? The answer to this profound question is, not surprisingly, found in a parable Jesus shared about a father whose son had shattered their family bond beyond repair.
What else can we say? It's up to you... to press play.
Ownership. When you read that word, what comes to mind? The home you own? Your car? That sweet Pokémon trading card collection you still have? The question we're looking at today is, "What do you do with what you've been GIVEN?"
Here's the thing, according to Jesus, EVERYTHING we "own" has been given to us by God. Thankfully we don't have to figure out what to do by ourselves. There's a parable, Jesus uses to shed light on how we are to steward what God has so generously blessed each of us with.
The Parable of the Sower has less to do with dirt and more to do with the condition of our hearts. The master storyteller, Jesus, positions four different types of soil as the competing receptivity levels in our hearts to the Gospel of grace.
So, what kind of heart is beating in your chest? Let's dig around in the dirt and find out!
Stories are approachable. They just are. From bedtime favorites to page-turning bestsellers, everyone can get on board with a story.
Maybe that's why Jesus chose simple stories (or parables) as his preferred method of teaching? And here's the thing; these simple stories are layered with profound meaning. Meaning that can help unlock a way of living you may have only read about in... well, stories.
Dudes, this ones for you! Tune in as Co-Founding Pastors Jon Peacock and Tommy Bowman, along with Dan Ruta sit down for a candid conversation on how “acting like men” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to order all the bacon when you’re at a restaurant. (Although that’s not a horrible idea!)
We've all heard the cliché, "I'll pray for you." at some point in our lives. (If you haven't, don't worry, it won't be long.)
However well-intentioned, we think it's safe to guess the mental response to this simple sentence goes something like this: "No you won't. And if you do, what is that really gonna do for me?" Well, the Book of James comes to a stunning conclusion as we're confronted with two words that most wouldn't associate with prayer: powerful and effective.
Now we're talking! Or, uh... praying?
There's a war within us that is raging. The struggle between what we want, how to get it, and where God is leading us. Like a boxer in a ring, we need to learn the correct stance to experience victory in our lives. Oh, and, it's not the left-hook you're expecting.
Sticks and stones. We'd probably all agree that they can bruise. But when it comes to words "never hurting" we're gonna have to disagree.
Seriously though, words have so much power! In fact, the writer of the book of James (Whose name is... James.) felt compelled to give three different word-pictures in an effort to help us truly grasp their impact.
So, quiet down for just a few minutes, and let's all learn how to speak life into the world around us.
It's time to take a look at one of the most controversial passages in all of the Bible; James 2:14-26.
It's the apparent war between faith and good works. Which one wins? Which is more important? What about Romans 5:1? Is the Bible contradicting itself?
Let's get some answers; shall we?
James may be a short book however, it's packed with application and intensity for a people who needed guidance in the midst of suffering and setbacks. It's to this group of people the author James writes these shocking words...
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." -James 1:2
Wait. What??? Yeah, hold up James. How can you say that? Let's find out as we kick off our time in the book of James!
It's Mother's Day at Mission and we can't wait for you to hear our very own Connections Director, Jackie Glass share her heart on what "One Thing" Jesus has for all of us to focus on.
Watch along with the special lady in your life on this very different, and maybe even extra meaningful Mother's Day.
It's hard to deny that there is a lot coming at us in this season of life. Kinda sounds like this, "Do this. Don't do that. Things are looking great! Things are looking bleak... Wait, never-mind!"
It's like we're in the wilderness with voices shouting at us from all directions vying for our undivided attention.
But what if there was just one voice that God is patiently waiting for us to tune into? The One who knows what we need at all times. The One finds those lost in the wilderness and who whispers to those that are listening.
The writer of Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul, knew a thing or two about present pain. He had been stoned, whipped, and imprisoned for his faith. He also knew first-hand about the promise that Jesus gave those to those that received the free gift of salvation.
Lean in and learn from this ancient expert on how both the crushing weight of pain and the pure joy of promise can exist at the same time in the same situation.
Living through this pandemic has revealed things for all of us. Certain things have been brought to the foreground and are appearing larger than they really are.
But we want to flip our perspective to see things from an accurate and biblical point of view. Starting with Earth and Eternity.
We have a living hope because we have a living God.
That is the heart of Easter. Yes, times have changed and many are in a shelter-in-place situation. But because of His victory over death itself, Jesus has invited each one of us to seek shelter in a hope that cannot be contained.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Good Friday is a time of remembrance; of reflection.
To allow us all some space to seek what God has for our unique stories, we've stitched together three movements covering the journey that Christ took from the garden, the cross, and the tomb.
Join us as we remember what our freedom cost and look to the triumph ahead.
Life as we have known it has been interrupted. Our day-to-day is vastly different and it can feel like we are unheard, unseen, and without hope.
Jesus' ministry tells us a contrasting story. In the Gospel of Mark, we are told about two people who encounter Him for very different reasons and are met with the full presence of true hope.
Life comes with uncertainty built right in, and when you throw a pandemic into the mix, well, you can turn uncertainty up to eleven.
And yet, God calls us to an unshaken life even in the midst of uncertainty.
Thankfully, we find a timely example of this type of living in Psalm 62.
In this season of tremendous loss, it's safe to say that most of us will be wounded by it in some way. That's a hard reality and something that is not unseen by God.
And yet, though we worship the God of all comfort who is present with us in even the darkest of times, His promise is so much more about victory and hope.
Why? Because, well, loss may wound, but love wins.
In uncertain times, fear is all too common. And yet the Gospel points out that fear is actually quite normal, even to be expected.
It's actually where we take our fear that can make all the difference in our reaction to it.
Here's a bothersome truth we see in the life of the Old Testament prophet Elisha; You don't have to understand completely to respond immediately.
This is literally how his own journey of transformation began and for him, there was no turning back to the life of 'same.'
Why? Because he burned the plows. Even without fully understanding the kind of life he was stepping into. A life of being never the same.
Shame is insidious. It's powerful. It can hold us, hostage, for years and sometimes even longer. Yet, Jesus has called us into a life of freedom and fullness.
It's time to talk, and that's why we're so excited to welcome clinical counselors Michelle Lenz and Dennis Humphry into our conversation on shame.
Grief is all too real sometimes. Whether it was ten years ago or one month ago, grief has affected all of us and more than likely is still something we struggle with today. That's why we are really excited to welcome Brandon and Tyler Grissom for a conversation on grief.
Whether you or someone you know is experiencing grief, we know this conversation will help all of us navigate this difficult subject.
How much do you know about surfing? If you're like most of us in the midwest chances are your answer is, "Not much."
Well, here's a crash course. When you're surfing in the wide-open ocean you can't actually produce the wave you'd like to ride, but you CAN prepare for it.
Experiencing a movement of Jesus in The 10 in our lifetime feels a lot like surfing in this regard. It's the difference between the GOOD of right now and the GREAT that God is calling us into.
Are you ready to hang-loose and catch the wave? Surf's up!
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even GREATER things than these, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12
Wait; what? Greater than what Jesus himself did while he was among us in physical form????
Yep, because God the Son went UP, God the Spirit came DOWN.
He was given for many reasons but one reason is for you to experience greatness. But what kind of greatness? The greatness of Jesus.
Great love, great self-control, great kindness, great conviction, great patience, great impact, great generosity, great commitment and great power to serve others.
Greatness in the kingdom of God will always include that kind of greatness. And as we'll learn through the Old-Testament life of Caleb, greatness is a choice we all can make.
Have you ever thought that something you had was good, only to find out that you missed out on something GREAT?
Examples? How about your new phone that became outdated by the time you made your first call? Maybe when your waiter places the herb-roasted chicken on your table and then walks by with the beef tenderloin for the table next to you?
Regardless of the situation, there are two things we need to get clear on. That - What we have is good. And good is the enemy of great.
In part 1 of our discussion on anxiety, we began unpacking the helpful acronym: C.A.L.M. with Celebrate. While celebrating in God is both the foundation and 1st action of finding 'calm' in the storm of anxiety, it's also just 1/4 of what we find the apostle Paul writing to the Philippians about.
In part 2 we find there is a path to peace, regardless of the situation surrounding us! It's time to discover the 'A.L.M.' in C.A.L.M.
It’s well documented that the giant of anxiety is the issue of our time. Anxiety is an American mental health epidemic. It ranks as the #1 issue for women and the #2 issue for men.
With all of this overwhelming evidence, how can we find peace?
Well, the goal isn’t to never have anxiety, the goal is for anxiety to not govern our lives.
How? By placing our contentment and control in much more capable hands.
There are times in all of our lives that we have done things that have caused others pain; whether intentional or unintentional. We'd also hazard a guess that we have also all experienced pain and hurt at the hands of someone else in our lives; again, intentional or not. But nevertheless, there are times that hurt becomes so deep that that hurt can begin to give birth to varying degrees of anger, hate, resentment, and sometimes revenge.
It's time to put these feelings to rest. But how? Is it even possible to experience freedom from past hurts?
Well, Ephesians 4:32 has something to say about this, and the example is Jesus.
The giant of fear is something we are all familiar with.
In fact, there are 2,000 classified fears, but what’s ironic is you and I were born with just two! The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Why does that matter? Here’s why: Most fears are learned which means most fears can be unlearned.
And one of the best ways to unlearn our fears is to learn from those who overcame their fears. To do that, we’re going to spend time in an epic story of the Bible found in 1 Samuel 17.
When it comes to your new year in 2020 what is standing in the way of the new ground God has for your life?
Our guess is that it may look like the giants we face in our everyday existence. Fear, anxiety, grief; to name just a few of these barriers between living life and living life to it's fullest.
It's time to stop fleeing. It's time to face the giant!
Ok, it's Christmas, but we have some bad news... darkness is all around us. (We know, cheerful start; right?)
We all know the many feelings that darkness can bring about; but what about light? Have we experienced what light does to the darkness?
So, here's the good news; LIGHT HAS COME in the person of Jesus!
During the runup to Christmas, there are often two types of experiences we find ourselves in: On the hill or in the valley.
Here's where we're going with this; no matter where you find yourself, God is with you! On the hill celebrating His faithfulness in your life, and of course in the valley where the pain of humanity is felt in full force.
It's in the valley that we find one of the often neglected Christmas stories, the story of Jesus' dad, Joseph. It's time to discover just how close God is, even in the darkest of places.
There are many names used to describe the nature and character of Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, King Of All Kings, Prince Of Peace; but the name Immanuel... for us, might be at the top of the list. Why?
Because it's meaning, in the most simple terms is; God with us for the purpose of us with God.
We're not sure what you think of when you think of God but we believe it is super important for all of us to, at the very least, think of God as the “God of GO.”
2/3rds of the name of God is "Go." after all! It's like a window into the heart and history of God going to us. From creation to the incarnation, to the inception of the Church through the gift of the Holy Spirit; friends we worship the God of Go!
Let's play a little game called: Two Truths And A Lie. (Yes, we know it has the word "lie" in it, and it's ok to play games in church, friends.)
Anyways, when asked, "Is spiritual Growth something God does or is it something I do?" how would you respond?
Are we simply spectators in our spiritual growth? Do life and growth go hand-in-hand? Is there a participation piece that we're missing?
Can you guess what the two truths are?
What's the point of gathering at church on Sundays? Come on, we've all asked that question before; right?
Well, instead of just saying, "Because you're supposed to." (Seriously though, who would want to go anyways with a reason like that?), we thought we could actually talk about the "why" of gathering and how it's a core value here at Mission!
We love secrets, don't we? Like that shortcut in Mario Kart that no one else can find or the recipe for your favorite restaurant's Ceaser Salad dressing. Whatever it is, there is something about secrets that give us a feeling of #Winning.
But what if you had the secret to everything? Well, that is what we're here to talk about.
Quick question: How do you know when you're living your best life? Is it kicking back on a beach somewhere? Maybe it's just being at home on the couch with a bowl of Doritos and the big game on your big screen?
In 1 Timothy 6:19, we're challenged with a path to "living our best life" that takes an unexpected turn.
Most of us could agree that aspiring to be something is a good place to start... but also a bad place to end. If aspiration is the end then it quickly becomes an exercise in futility.
And here's the point, the goal of life is to actually become something, and that something is someone who lives and loves more and more like Jesus lived and loved.
How? Well, Doing something about it would seem like the natural progression; right?
What does it mean to truly BE RICH?
We all know someone who we would consider rich; right? Well, what if we told you that "richness" is overrated and not that rare.
However, according to a verse in 1 Timothy, there is a measurement we can all use to better understand where we're placing our hope and how to live rich lives.
If your life so far was a resume would it be filled with regret, guilt, or maybe even shame?
So often we are defined by what we've done in the past. But when will we refuse to allow our past to hijack our present?
Can our guilt really be outmatched by God's grace? Let's find out.
Have you heard the term: G.O.A.T. when it comes to sports? It stands for "greatest of all time." and the debates are endless. Think Michael Jordan vs Lebron James. (Which we all know the correct answer to that is M.J.)
Here's the interesting part though; who's the best and what makes them better than the rest isn't just a sports thing. It's actually an all-of-life thing. That's why understanding what truly brings about greatness is so crucial to our lives.
So, let the real G.O.A.T. discussion begin!
We’ve all been to parties or functions; and as we’re meeting new people, what is the #1 question we ask: "So… what do you do?"
What is our fixation with occupation? Since when did we let what we do become the most asked about aspect of our lives?
Don't get us wrong; work is good, but work is not God. To say it another way; You were meant to do stuff but you were never meant to have the stuff you do, define who you are.
Right?
Do remember those nursery rhymes you learned as kids? Hickory Dickory Dock, Jack and Jill, The Itsy Bitsy Spider; how about this one: "Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt me." Uh, yeah, not true; right?
We've all experienced the power of what people can say and, though "sticks and stones" bruise a person, words can often break us.
Whose words are we giving power to these days? And more importantly, are we believing them?
We share a lot of differences, but there is certainly one thing we all have in common and that is we all want, in life, positive outcomes. Agreed?
But how can we influence these desired outcomes? Well, let's think about it. No, seriously, thinking is actually the "how" and brain science is now revealing what God has already confirmed: What has your head, has you.
Are you weird? Hold on a minute! Let us explain what we mean by that.
Do you live your life in such a way that demands a gospel explanation? That's the question we're really trying to ask here. If God is sending us out to our neighborhoods and networks with the good news of the gospel, then the next logical question would be; "What do we do when we get there?"
The answer is more normal than you think.
After getting swallowed by a fish and spit back out days later, you'd think that Jonah deserved a little breather; right?
However, the urgency to God's rescue plan for Ninevah remained unchanged. And guess who do you think God still wanted to deliver the news? Yep, you're catching on now; the same guy that still smelled like he spent a few nights in the belly of a fish.
It's time for Jonah to go!
When you think about God providing something to save us, odds are that a huge fish doesn't come to mind.
However, that's exactly what we see happen in the book of Jonah. Needless to say, that had to be distressing to this runaway prophet.
And yet we see what Jonah does as he comes to grips with his situation; he calls out to the only one who could save him.
What does it mean to make room for more in our lives? It starts with asking; "What is the "more" on the mind of God?"
So, that's exactly what we're gonna do as we dive into the first chapter for Jonah and discover where God is leading us as a church!
Author, speaker, and global activist, Danielle Strickland, ups the urgency for all of us with four essential steps to seeing God's Kingdom revealed on earth and in our everyday lives.
Here's the paradox we face today: We have more access to information, podcasts, blogs, and books on how to find rest, how to get rest, and how to rest well. And yet, we are... exhausted.
What does 'real rest' even feel like?
Well, guest teacher, Hannah Gronowski takes us into the book of Matthew to discover the source of rest and perhaps even the reason we're tired of being tired.
Show of hands: Have you read the book of Hosea recently? Yeah, our hand is down too. But that's ok because in this message, guest teacher Kelly Byrd takes us on a journey through the first few chapters of this Old Testament gem!
There's a critical and central theme buried in the text and it's one word: redemption. Lean in and get ready for a deep-dive into God's love for each one of us.
"God is not just concerned with our happiness but our wholeness, and we will never be fully whole until we see Him face to face."
This is what Pastor of New Creation Church in Chicago, Ricky Brown has to say about a string of scripture in the book of Psalms. This is good news people. Very good news indeed.
So... Philemon, (Pronounced: Fi-Lee-Mon.) you've read it; right?
Yeah, we haven't either until now! We're not gonna ruin it for you, but it's pretty much about three dudes that have some issues to work out.
Here's the plot-twist; this tiny letter so clearly demonstrates the transforming power of the grace of God in the lives of these three men that it's almost like God actually didn't need more than one chapter to display His perfect love for us.
Let's get the obligatory "Hey, Jude..." Beatles reference out of the way. Ok, cool.
Now, what is this one chapter book in the Bible called "Jude" all about? Counterfeit Christians. As it turns out, hypocrisy isn't just a present-day problem. It's an issue that culture has always needed to be aware of; while at the same time, contending for the faith that truly gives freedom through Jesus.
Obadiah may have been a Minor Prophet, but God delivered a major message through this 'One-Hit Wonder' that brings into focus a simple, yet profound truth: God is sovereign over all things.
3rd John is the shortest book in the Bible. (Just 219 words in all.)
However, it has so much to say about how our inner "Dio" can direct our focus off-course and away from the race God has clearly directed us to.
Just don't be a Dio; ok?
"I'm Samurai Mike I stop 'em cold. Part of the defense, big and bold. I've been jammin' for quite a while. Doin' what's right and settin' the style. Give me a chance, I'll rock you good. Nobody messin' in my neighborhood. I didn't come here lookin' for trouble. I just came to do the Super Bowl Shuffle."
That's right, Mike Singletary, Hall Of Fame linebacker of the '85 Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears dropped by Mission Church!
We're talking faith, football, and fatherhood with one of the greatest of all-time!
Of all the things the author of 2nd John (His name is, John by-the-way.) could have recounted from his time with Jesus; the storms calmed, the demons cast out, or even the crucifixion... this disciple simply and yet profoundly says; summarized his experience of Christ in 4 words:
Walk. In. The. Truth
John doesn't say study the truth, although we must. He doesn't say argue the truth, although we need to. He doesn’t even say speak the truth, although we’ve got to. Not around it, not just near it, no, we have to walk in the Truth.
To which we ask, "How?"
In 1 Peter 1:13, ones of the founders of the early church, Peter (Yeah, the guy who wrote 1 Peter... ) has something crucial to say about where we're placing our full hope.
Which brings up two interesting questions, 'Can our hope be misplaced?' and if so, 'Is full hope more than partial hope?'
Let's get some answers.
The faith Jesus lived and modeled was not an inward focused, inward-facing kind of faith. On the contrary, it’s outward facing, outward-moving. But why? Because that’s how love works.
Now, don't get all salty on us, internal isn’t bad. In fact, it’s necessary. We need to choose growth and pursue the most healthy versions of ourselves. It’s just not the end. My and me is not the end of Christianity.
What is? Well, now it IS time to get a little salty...
What do you think of when you think of fight songs? Maybe it’s the fight song associated with your favorite Chicago baseball team? (Clearly, that would be “Go Cubs Go!) Or maybe even after a bad breakup which is naturally, “Fight Song;” correct?
Fight songs are powerful melodies because they give us a voice to express who we are: our identity.
Here’s the question we’re asking through this example: When it comes to our true identity found in Jesus, what song do you hear in your head?
Marriage can get a lot of bad press. Divorce rates are sky-rocketing, mutual happiness is at an all-time low, and walls between relationships seem to be getting thicker. How has it come to this?
Maybe it's because we haven't been taught how to fight, or even what we're fighting?
Well, it's time to turn the tide and discover 3 new tactics we can bring into the battle for our marriages.
Everyone says parenting is easy until they become a parent. Can we get an amen?
That's why we've all about partnering with parents! Raising kids is difficult and, in our series Fight, we are encouraging you to start thinking like a prizefighter who steps into the "ring" of parenting with a plan rooted in biblical truth.
When it comes to the fight for personal peace, the question we're asking this Easter is: What would happen if we lived our lives knowing that peace had already been won on our behalf?
Well, we've got good news for you, and it's one word,,, Easter!
Guest teacher Jeanne Stevens brings us some unique perspective on Palm Sunday in the form of... wait for it... a donkey.
What can we learn about blessings and burdens from a burro? Well, though this beast-of-burden may not have the most Facebook friends, it does transport pretty important "blessing" to Jeruselum as our eternal salvation hung in the balance. No big deal; right?
When it comes to transformation of any kind, you are most at risk not at the beginning and or at the end: You are most at risk in the middle.
Why? Because it's when opposition is loudest and fatigue can overwhelm even the most prepared among us.
However, on Commitment Sunday, we're going to look to our left and to our right, because we are not alone. We have each other, and God has the victory.
In this teaching, we have one simple question for you: When it comes to your life becoming Never the Same; What’s your plan?
When we lean into the Old Testament story of Nehemiah we see he was more than a wishful thinker, he was a strategic planner. Nehemiah possessed more than a hope, Nehemiah had a plan!
We can drift into a lot of things, but transformation is not one of them. How do we avoid this dangerous drift? We start talking.
We see in Nehemiah's story two crucial moments in which he says, "Goodbye." and, "Hello." to some very familiar feelings.
What is our collective fascination with stories? We binge on Netflix, pay way too much at the local AMC, and then fill our houses with little plastic cases with blue discs inside. (Unless you've run out of space and went digital.) All to experience life-change in someone else's fictional journey. We are drawn to the story arch of transformation, but why do we so often stop there; content to be bystanders?
We think much of the answer is found in a story (Shocker...) from the Old Testament; Nehemiah. So, buckle-up, our drifting days are over. It's time to transform!
There is a conflict brewing in all of our lives. It's when our timing is our timing, and God's timing is... well, God's.
In a season of trial, hurt, illness, loss, or lost-ness this is absolutely the last thing we want to hear; isn't it?
Guest teacher and author, Aubrey Sampson takes the stage to share her thoughts on this difficult subject with profound depth and care.
Being ready is one thing, but knowing what you're ready for is probably an important thing to figure out; right?
Well, in this final part of Ready, Pastor Tommy Bowman helps us align our "readiness" with a purpose that changes everything.
Who's ready to repent!?
Uh... that may not have been the best way to start this description, but we think it's time to define "repentance" in a way that doesn't freak us out. It's really all about "change" and choosing a new direction or seeing a new perspective.
See, it's not scary, we just need to be open to change, and not for change-sake but for the betterment of our lives.
In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus says "Alright, huddle up. I gotta get you ready to play offense and prayer is how we play offense. But not just any offense, no... I want to teach you the triangle offense of prayer."
Ok, ok, we know that's not a literal translation. Yet, when you pair Jesus' words in Matthew, and the command to pray given in 2 Chronicles chapter 7, it's clear that prayer is the game-changer we've all been looking for.
In 2 Chronicles 7, we're about to find out that "what" God said to King Solomon is, of course, important, but it's also the "when" God said it that rings-a-bell with us today.
Just after the Grand Opening of the first temple in the Old Testament, God's question wasn’t, “Is the place ready?”–His question was “Are the people ready?"
So, how do we get ready? Well, in God's words, "ready" begins with humility.
There is an Old Testament story that parallels so much of our story here at Mission: it’s the story of Jericho. This is a story of a group of people walking together in one direction, seeing before their very eyes something that only God could do.
How did the walls of Jericho fall? The same way the "walls" in our own lives can be overcome; by looking in the right direction.
So, what does a great awakening need?
Watch and discover the 5 critical components shared by Guest Teacher and Lead Pastor of Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado, Shane Farmer.
Needless to say, we couldn't agree more with all 5!
Joseph resisted a lot of things as he rose to power. He resists making it about him and made sure that everyone knew (Including the most powerful man on the planet, Pharaoh!) it was God's power on display.
Then Joseph gets to prove his words true with a redeeming action that can only be explained as, "Only God."
Just another day in the life of a dreamer; right?
God is the dream-giver but you also have an enemy named Satan who wants nothing more than to unravel God’s dream for your life. Satan is the great dream assassin and he begins to come after Joseph in two specific ways that pirate and steal more dreams than we can think of: Sin and Silence.
There is good news though! God is with us in both.
God knew that living life without a dream would be an issue for us. He knew how easy it would be for us to confuse existing with living.
So listen, let's clear something up: no matter what you did last year or last night... God has a dream for your life and he wants you to live it!
It’s true for you, and it was true for Joseph.
It goes without saying that we hope you’re warm and toasty, holding a piping hot beverage, and still in your pajamas for Church Online!
Every year at this time we tell our amazing volunteers to stay home and enjoy a weekend off with their loved ones. It’s a small way we can say ‘Thank you!’ for the countless hours spent making church happen for so many.
So, hit play and get comfy, church awaits!
We've all probably looked at the Christmas story from a few different points of view; right? The shepherds, the wise men, and of course Mary and Joseph. However, what if this year we noticed someone that doesn't have a Christmas song made about them?
Of course, he had always been there, but for some reason, we consistently overlooked him. Him being there in the story points not just to the wonder of Christmas... but to the waiting of Christmas.
His name is Simeon.
What does Jesus, as our Everlasting Father, give us and show us? Because the best Fathers do two things; right? They give good gifts to their children and, by example, show their kids how to live.
Even if your earthly father didn't get this right, your heavenly Father excels at both giving and showing us love in equal, and everlasting measure.
The key question in part 2 of our series 'He Will Be Called' is this: Why does the might of our Mighty God matter? What difference does it make... What impact does the might of God really have on your life and mine?
To answer this question, we’re going to turn from the book of Isaiah to the book of Mark. Mark records so many stories of our Mighty God… Jesus Christ. However, one of those stories in particular really zeroes in on why the might of our Mighty God matters more than you may realize.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah is the 1st of the Major Prophets and is one of the most important books in your Old Testament. And here's the kicker; this prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ was written by Isaiah some 700 years before that 1st Christmas.
It was a time of gloom, despair, and exile. And to a people in that place, due to their hard-heartedness and rebellion against God, God in his kindness writes to them a message of hope. Specifically of who was to come that 1st Christmas morning.
As we arrive at the end of our journey through the book of Acts there are three key observations that encourage each one of us to ask a few very important questions: "Who am I going to Rome with? "Will my impact be limited?" And, "Is there an Acts 29?"
Here's a question you've probably never asked yourself... Have you received the baptism of John or Jesus?
Told you. Now, why are we asking this? Because it's asked in Acts Ch. 19. Maybe even as important is the question, "How do you know which baptism you've received?"
Well, let's get some answers; shall we?
We are about to encounter three people whose lives were strangely connected and completely changed by the gospel of Jesus. (Just so we are all clear, the gospel of Jesus is this: Humans mess things up. Jesus redeems with love and makes all things new.)
And here’s the bottom line about these three people as well as for us: When people are changed by the gospel of Jesus, they are on mission to bring change.
We invite you to identify with one of these three people, in your own gospel story or even in how you want to bring change wherever your two feet take you.
Happy Birthday Mission Church! Phew, turning 7 sure took a while, but we wouldn't trade those memories for anything!
Today, we look back on 7 key turning points in the past 7 years, and we are reminded that it is not by our might or our power, but by God's Spirit.
THANK YOU for being a part of the story God is writing through Mission! The best is truly yet to come!
At Mission we have 3 core values:
Gather Differently
Grow Intentionally
Go Missionally
Why do we have these values? What do they accomplish? They help guide your growth spiritually. They help us move specifically.
You might be thinking, "From what to where?"
Well, let's get that answered!
Because God is Servant, we are Servants; right? But what does it look like for us serve as God the Son, Jesus Christ served? What does it look like for us to serve like Jesus served?
Perhaps it's because our barrier to declaring the love of Jesus isn’t our belief that it would benefit those we are serving as much as it is a barrier of fear that we won’t know what to say to those we are serving?
Maybe?
Since, well, forever, God's mission has been helping people find and follow Him; to bring them back into perfect connection with a Father that loves them unconditionally.
And yet why is it so easy to push God's core attribute of 'Missionary' off to the side? Keeping real busy doing stuff at church and with other Christians to distract God, posting pictures from our devotional times to throw him off - hoping maybe God will forget about His plan.
Except that he won’t because it’s who He is.
A Missional Community is defined as a family of missionary servants helping people find and follow Christ.
As we Go Missionally as family – as we Go and imitate God, we Go and extend to others what's been extended to us.
Because God is family. We are family.
We often think about worship as something we DO or something we GIVE, but today, guest speaker Ted Coniaris takes the mic to teach us how through worship, we can also be posturing our hearts to RECEIVE from God.
He's got what you need! Are you willing to receive it?
At the end of Matthew 28, Jesus gives His disciples their job description. It's called The Great Commission, and Jesus commands us to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... " In the book of Acts this is what we see being carried out time and time again.
One distinctive feature of a disciple is they don't hold in their allegiance to King Jesus. They go public with it so that everyone knows what they believe and who they belong to.
Get those air-horns and cow-bells ready because today, people are going public with their faith in Jesus!!!
The disciples were called "Christians" first at Antioch because what they did and how they lived reminded people of Jesus.
So, what would our city name us today?
Does what we do and the way we live remind people of Jesus?
Get ready to lean into one of the most important stories in the entire Bible and one of the most important stories in the entirety of church history: Acts 10.
The reason this story is one of the most critical stories in church history is that because up until Acts 10, many people within the church thought that peace with God was distributed to just a select few.
However, that thinking was about to be redefined, along with the boundaries of Jesus' love.
Chains... they hold us back and hold us down; keeping us imprisoned when we might not even know it.
As a former prisoner, guest speaker and author Louis Dooley can relate to the idea of chains first hand, but more importantly, he knows who can break them.
It's time to be set free!
What does following Jesus look like? How would you describe it?
Guest speaker Hannah Gronowski, the founder of Generation Distinct, uses words like "exciting", "fulfilling" and "adventurous" when talking about her pursuit and passion of what God has inspired within her.
Oh, by the way, this kind of adventure is accessible to EVERYONE; no matter your age!
Remember the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz? He was a silly, laughably-lovable character, but he was also debilitated by fear.
Can you relate?
Guest teacher, Ricky Brown, takes fear head-on, and he's not fighting fair.
Put 'em up! Put 'em up!
So... what is a movement? How does it begin? What does it even look like?
We know lot's of questions might come to mind here, especially because our vision as a church is to - "Experience a movement of Jesus in The 10 in our lifetime!"
Well, sit back, relax, and let guest teacher Pete Coco demystify the most essential attributes of movements that change the world.
We know metaphors aren't foolproof. However, when we think about riding a bike, it seems an awful lot like living life the way Jesus intended us to live it: To the fullest; uphill climbs and all.
So, pump up those tires and start pedaling, you're in for the ride of your life!
Once Saul got to Antioch, the rest is history. Few have ever lived a more SENT life.
But before his time in Antioch, Saul was hanging out in Tarsus. And by "hanging out", we mean God was preparing him to live his sent life to the fullest.
Listen along and learn that though waiting might not feel needed, it's the only way to earn your wings.
We're taking a look at the other side of Saul's story in this teaching. God gave the disciple Ananias some clear instructions: "Go meet Saul on Straight Street."
Amazingly, Ananias' response wasn't: "Ya know what God...this sure makes a lot of sense. Saul is on his way here to send us all to prison anyway. This will definitely speed up the process. How about not?"
Instead, Ananias responded in obedience.
Noah was obedient long before he saw a rain cloud. Moses was obedient long before the Red Sea parted, and Ananias was obedient long before he knew how things would turn out on Straight Street.
Saul was a bad, bad man. In Acts 9, his resume is recorded as "breathing murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" and "taking them as prisoners."
But on the road to Damascus, Saul encountered the risen Jesus.
What Saul deserved was blindness, what he received was sight. What Saul deserved was death, what he received was life.
"Volunteering? Who me?" Yes, you!
Let's be honest, when it comes to church, it's easy to stay on the sidelines and be a spectator. Even in the early church, thousands watched while a few worked.
But imagine if our response was, "Put me in coach! Where do you need me?" A movement of Jesus in our lifetime would be inevitable!
To fear something and to be afraid of something are not entirely the same thing. The difference is in your relationship to them or their relationship to you.
Why do we bring this up? Here’s why... The question we're then faced with isn’t: do we fear something or someone, the question is: Do we Fear God.
Guest teacher Jackie Glass takes us outside the book of Acts to look at God's strategy for movement.
All throughout scripture, the method to God's plan for our movement is: first prepare... then move. This is evident in the life of Joshua, so let's turn back the pages and dive in.
So, how do we function as sent people when resistance to the name of Jesus occurs? How do we respond when following Jesus begins to cost us something - and it will - when we encounter resistance, fear, pain, as we find and follow Christ and help others do the same?
We think Acts 4:23-31 has the answer. The Apostles Peter and John are shaken, and yet this produces an emotion that may surprise you.
We’re going to leave Acts for just a moment and travel back hundreds of years before the book of Acts, and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit, to the book of Joel. Why? Well, this minor prophet shared a mega promise for ALL people. And by "all people" we mean you.
The question is, are you benching your unfair advantage?
The book of Acts can raise a LOT of really great questions; but perhaps the biggest one is: does God heal today? Well, through two observations in Acts 3:1-10 and a little help from the Alpha Film Series, we're confident there is a solid answer for all of us.
Acts 2:44-45 is where we learn how the early church, having everything in common, had everything to do with their singular mission... The Great Commission. (A.K.A. Helping People Find & Follow Christ!) There was no question as to why they existed and where they were going.
This vision unleashed a conspiracy of kindness and a collusion of compassion that, even today, sets the stage for impact and revival.
On the day of Pentecost, newly filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter took the mic and explained to the crowd exactly what they were witnessing.
His message pointed them to Jesus, "THIS JESUS", whom they had just crucified. And this message is still alive today!
This is a movement message and it's got a movement plan, and now you and I will have lives that demand an explanation because His power is at work.
Don't drop the mic just yet!
We pick up our Unleashed series today in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.
To set the stage, Jesus has ASCENDED to heaven to take His place at the right hand of the Father and now, like He promised, the Spirit will DESCEND to empower and cloth His people with what He himself was empowered and clothed with.
Only God could write a story like this. #MorePower #ComeHolySpirit
We are not aimed in a thousand directions, we are aimed in ONE direction. It's a direction called THE GREAT COMMISSION.
The People of God, asking for a refilling of the Spirit of God to UNLEASH us with POWER to be His beating heart in the world. This is how Jesus did it and this is how Jesus still does it.
Join us right here for the start of our journey through the book of Acts called: Unleashed!
Oh, it's also Celebration Sunday! We reveal the total amount committed to Never The Same!
We could all use a little more peace and a lot less trouble in our lives; right? But what happens when this world wounds us... is peace even possible? YES! Because Christ is risen; and He has overcome! Tune in for Easter At Mission!
Who is the Holy Spirit? We're glad you asked! Guest teacher Aubrey Sampson joins us to illuminate this often forgotten third person of the Trinity.
It's Commitment Sunday!! We're excited, all-in, and maybe even a little bit; um... scared? Well, if God's faithfulness to Abram is any indication of His faithfulness to us... we truly will be NEVER THE SAME!
Several times in Genesis, we see God testing Abraham. Why is that? Perhaps it's because Abraham's faith needed a workout. Let's go...it's time to sweat!
Here's a pretty big question you might not think about every day...How much of life is predicated simply on what direction you are looking? Deep stuff huh?! Week 3 of Never The Same coming at you in 3, 2, 1....
Leaving Ur took guts, but it was not the finish line. And just like Abraham, your Never The Same journey will need encouraging voices and clearer vision when compromising seems easier.
This was a historic moment in the life of Mission Church that truly parallels the story of Abraham and his journey of transformation to where and who God called him to be. And just like old Abe, we're seeking God to learn how His call to "Go From" is linked to His promise of "I Will."
There is a struggle, and the armor of God isn't complete until you take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Let's finish this!
The mind. This is where the fiercest battles are fought and won, and we need protection. Are you taking the helmet of salvation into the fight?
The intensity and urgency of the battle isn't decreasing; it's increasing. Flaming arrows have been released in your direction because you're a threat to the enemy. So we take up the shield of faith. It's go time.
Shoes and armor may not seem like they go together, but for the follower of Jesus, they are crucial. Get ready to lace up the gospel of peace!
The breastplate of righteousness. The 2nd piece of armor from Ephesians 6. It guards the heart from the attacks of the enemy. Are you putting it on? Oh, and who's helping?
If we're supposed to be Battle Ready, we'll need some armor; right? Well, the first piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 is the belt of truth. So... what is truth and why is it a belt?
The battle for 2018 begins. Ephesians 6 clearly states that there is a battle raging; one that puts, your relationships, your marriage, and your quality of life in jeopardy. Who are we fighting? What's the plan? Can we win? There is too much at stake in your life and the life of Mission Church in 2018 for each of us to not prepare for the battle ahead.