Fountain City KC: Recent Episodes
Fountain City Church
Weekly sermons from Pastor James Cottier at Fountain City Church. Check us out at FountainCityKC.org!
Promises are made to us all the time. Direct and indirect. Promises of what will make us happy, successful, safe. Promises from advertisements, influencers, politicians. God is also a promise maker. Do you know his promises? And more importantly, how can you know you've his promises yours? How can you have confidence – live with confidence – that you now and always will possess what God has promised? This Sunday we will press into what God's promises are and how you can walk in them everyday.
No matter the century we live in, we all experience challenges in life. We all experience life as a kind of journey that we can't control or foresee. One of the recurring themes of journeys is the suspense of how are we going to make it? What God showed the ancient Israelites in the book of Joshua, He also wants to show us. The way through this life, the way to where we want to go, can be reached by following only one way: trusting and remembering that Jesus alone is our deliverer.
There is one God at the center of the entire Bible and in our passage this week He reveals the expanse of his grace. While we may know of God's redemption, a question that can bother us, is who is welcome to His grace; who does God invite to receive His love and salvation? Through this amazing story of a woman named Rahab, we'll see the answer is anyone who responds to Him with faith.
A reality that all of us face as we follow Jesus is that faith and obedience are incredibly hard. One of the most powerful reasons for that is fear. When Jesus calls us to follow him in the day-to-day details of our lives we don't know how things will turn out. Faithful obedience calls for surrendering our will to God's. This Sunday, we will see that as we follow after Jesus with faith-filled obedience, courage will rise as we set our hearts on his never-ending promises, protection, and presence.
From time to time, a question we all ask about our lives is, why are we here? Why do we exist? As we pull out of the summer months and head back toward more regular rhythms, this time presents us with as good a time as any to reflect on these questions and seek the Lord's direction. In Ephesians 4, we'll see that our meaning and existence are grounded in a new life, a new way of living, and a purpose that transcends anything we can see today.
One of the more loaded or charged topics in our cultural moment is children. How should we view children, think about children, what should be our aim for the children we have? It can feel like there is an ever-widening set of extremes to answer our questions. As we close our time in the book of Proverbs, God will not only give us wisdom regarding children, but also draw us nearer to His heart as His own children.
In the early 2000's, Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone sparked a conversation about the growing sense of loneliness and isolation in America. We feel the longing for deeper relationships, for community, for friendship. This week, the writers of the book of Proverbs will show us where this longing comes from and why it's good. The wisdom of the sages won't surprise us: the good news is that not only is friendship possible, but in Christ, it's already ours.
There's an underlying angst we all feel, Christian or not, wondering if we will be ok. As Christians, we often experience an additional kind of angst, driven more from insecurities in our faith. Do you ever find yourself worrying if you are ok with God, or worrying if one day you're going to do something that causes him to reject you? As Paul closes this amazing chapter, he gives us one of the most powerful assurances: that in Christ, everything will be ok and we have nothing to fear.
These verses in Romans 8 can feel like standing on a mountain summit overlooking a vista that leaves you at a loss for words. At the center of this passage are two truths: God's sovereignty and our assurance in Christ. When they are put together, the promise God makes is one that will change how we both see our lives and live our lives. No matter you current circumstances, no matter your failures, no matter your limitations, in Christ, God has given you life as good as it gets.
There are many claims in our Christian faith that are mysterious. We know they're true, but we can't understand how they "work". One of these involves the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Another might be the topic of prayer. As the Apostle Paul continues to list all the ways the Holy Spirit impacts our lives, he'll show us that not only does the Holy Spirit help us and empower our prayers, the Holy Spirit also prays for us in ways we could never pray for ourselves.
We live in perhaps the most affluent, comfortable, and free society in history. And yet, it is demonstrably clear that people are more hopeless than ever before. Why is that? And more to the point, what is hope, and where does it come from? As we continue our study, the Apostle Paul will not only answer our questions, but will again connect our hearts to the indescribably good news of Jesus and the hope we have in him.
One of the greatest struggles we experience in life is figuring out who we are. What's our identity? To answer this question we might look at our born qualities: our family of origin, our abilities, our physical traits. Or we might look to our earned qualities: our education, profession, relationships. How often do we first look to what God says? In Christ, God gives us an identity that should come before any other and He wants us to take hold of our identity as His child.
In this passage, the Apostle Paul lays out a description of life that can resemble Charles Dickens' famous opening line in A Tale of Two Cities, only in Romans 8:1-11, Paul might say, "It was the best of lives, it was the worst of lives." Paul will show us there is one of two ways, one of two types of Existence we can choose to live. What we'll see this week is that Jesus wants us to take hold of the freedom He's given us through His Spirit.
If you could ask Jesus to do one thing what would you ask Him to do? Most of us would ask Jesus to bring some kind of peace or healing in our lives. Part of the good news of the gospel is that Jesus can and will bring His renewing power to us. What can be lost on us is how He does that. Through this passage we will see that Jesus renews things not primarily through other-worldly signs and wonders, but by working in and through His disciples as we live a new kind of life: a cross-shaped life.
One of the most glorious and yet most difficult relationships in life is marriage. Some people, because of the difficulty, have grown jaded and view marriage as a mistake to be avoided. As a disciple of Jesus, how does following him make any difference in marriage? The answer, even though it's hard to believe, is that it makes all the difference. That's because discipleship to Jesus develops a cross-shaped life which transforms marriage from a power struggle to a relationship of sacrificial love.
One of the challenges of understanding the Bible comes from translating ancient customs into modern life. But a reality that transcends time and culture is one that Peter introduced to us last week: life under authority. That theme continues this week but with a more everyday focus, and a more life-shaping outcome. How does being a disciple of Jesus shape how we live under authority, even under unjust authority? Peter will show us that our discipleship to Jesus will develop a cross-shaped life.
Politics and government might be the most heated and charged topic of our shared life today. It’s one of the most important, it's one of the most difficult, and it’s definitely one we as Christians need to understand in the context and teaching of God’s Word. Of all that Scripture says, there isn't much that directly or explicitly speaks to government and our life as Christians under it. This passage in 1 Peter is one of the clearest and most direct teachings.
A hallmark of the Christian life is joy; a contented, happy, exuberant sense of being. Usually when we think of joy, we think of momentous occasions or experiences that call for celebration. But the unique and hard-to-believe thing about Christian joy is that it is also found in somber, distressing, and even sad moments. The big question is, why? How? As Peter will show us, it has everything to do with the future that comes after those times, as well as the one who has secured that future for us.
It’s become cliché to say that we are living in a unique time in history nationally and globally, but that’s because it’s true. We live in confusing, changing, and tense times. With so much change and uncertainty, how do we live into our Christian life faithfully? Answering this question is one of Peter's highest aims with his letter and from the beginning, we see that it all starts with our identity: understanding and owning who we are in Christ.
Guest Speaker Julien de Leiris.
These two brief verses are some of the most powerful in all the Bible. They have not only changed lives, but have literally sparked a world-changing movement. Their focus is the gospel, a message we hear and celebrate often. And that's because in the gospel, there is power, there is the righteousness of God, and there is life of faith.
Water is one of the Bible's dominant themes and images. Water cleanses, renews, wipes away. It also quenches. In the middle of his ministry, Jesus said something about water that helps us understand who he is and what he wants to do in our lives. It also helps us understand how Jesus wants us to see his vision for us as disciples. As his disciples, we are sent into the world with living water that only Jesus can give.
Have you ever asked yourself, what’s the point of following Jesus? What is the point of discipleship? Very smart people have said that in any great endeavor we should start with the end in mind. This week we'll look into the end, the goal, the telos of discipleship. As we do, we'll see that Jesus has a very clear goal in mind, and that goal not only shapes our day-to-day faith but how we, as his disciples, go about our calling of making disciples like he did.
The final words that someone speaks carry a special kind of importance. In this passage, we'll hear afresh Jesus's final words to us: Go and make disciples. As we consider these words, two questions will rise to the top: Who is a disciple, and how do we make one? What Jesus wants us to see is something intensely personal that involves us all: a disciple is someone who has bound their life to Jesus and helps others do the same.
Any talk of discipleship must always begin in one place, with Jesus. The only reason we talk about being and making believers, followers and learners of Jesus, is because of who Jesus is. And if we don’t know who Jesus is, then we’ll never properly understand what it means for us to be his disciples. This week, from John's gospel, one brief statement from the mouth of Jesus will help us see him with utmost clarity, and with that vision, see that he is worthy of our entire life.
Our church's vision is that we would be a Christ centered church making and sending disciples in this generation and the next. At the heart of that calling is a truth that is found in the heart of God, something that Jesus makes very plain and powerful in the parables of this passage, and something that will refresh and energize us: no matter how far from God we might be, he seeks us, saves us, and celebrates our relationship with him.
When we talk about Christianity or Jesus or the mission of the church, what should be our leading edge, our top priority, what we see as most important? Our passage is going to help us see there's one thing that rises to the top: who do we say Jesus is?
Christian leaders and pastors from several denominations recently have gathered to discern answers to difficult questions about how we, as Christians, should navigate the time and culture in which we live; and they'll all tell you: it’s hard. As a Christian, how do you faithfully and authentically be who you have been called to be in Christ, particularly in a time and place where you may not easily fit? This passage will help us see the two key elements to every answer: Truth & Grace.
A frightening reality of life is that at any moment we could find ourselves in the midst of a tragic event and that thought can leading us to wonder if we'd make it through. As a Christian we might ask, could I still hold fast to Jesus? If you faced the worst, what would give you hope, strength, help in the midst of it? Our passage is going to lead us to the answer we all want to hear: YES, you will. Because nothing can overcome God’s promise and his grace.
As a Christian, negativity toward our faith can be intimidating and it can create confusion or doubt. That’s understandable, but through this passage God wants us to see the truth of the matter; to be reminded of the reason why we’re called to be a Christ centered church making and sending disciples in the generation and the next. That’s because the gospel is not a problem but the power of God for salvation for all who will believe.
All of us have difficult seasons in our lives and when we do, our natural reaction is to look to God and ask for his help. There are many reasons we do that, one of them is because God has made promises to us that we turn to in hard times. But what do we do when we feel like God has forgotten about us or his promises? How are we supposed to handle that? This passage will show us that we can wait on God with confidence because we know God will always fulfill his promises.
Guest Speaker Adam Jones. Whether at school or the workplace, we've probably experienced cliques, polarizing perspectives, and favoritism. But what happens when these are present within our faith community? Writing to a church crippled by divisions, open sin issues, and theological confusion, Paul addresses the heart of the matter while teaching important principles for our life together.
When you take inventory of the world today, our nation today, maybe your family today, how confident are you in our leadership's ability, your boss’s ability, or your ability to lead things to a good end? How confident are you that they or you will identify what is best, choose to pursue it, and have the capability to achieve it? The passage this week will remind us that when we ask these questions of God, everything changes. And that's good news.
For many of us, a nightmare situation we dread is that we'll wake up one day, when our life is coming to an end, and realize we’ve wasted our whole life. How can we have any confidence that our lives will have any real meaning or lasting impact? This week's passage will show us that a life that follows Jesus is a life full of meaning. So, we can live confidently and with courage because we know that in Christ, none our life will be a waste.
When I ask people what's the one thing they'd want to ask Jesus to do in and around their life, the most popular answer is make peace. This passage will ask us to consider if there is ever anything we should put ahead of peace and the answer will be, "Yes''. As much as we want peace, and as much as Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, Jesus also wants us to pursue truth; to be truth-tellers. That's because it's more loving to give people the truth of Jesus than a false peace.
A question I've been asking people for months is, "If you could ask Jesus to do one thing in your life, your family, your neighborhood, what would it be?" The one thing I've heard the most is the desire for peace; the desire for wholeness, rest, health, rightness. In a time like ours, that can feel pretty far-fetched, but it's not. Our passage this week will affirm our desire for peace, show us where we can find it, and also show us we each are the ones Jesus might use to make it.
Fear is on the rise in our time. Report after report shows that people in the United States are far more afraid than they used to be. One of Fountain City's core values is courageous faith; choosing to trust and follow God even when it's risky. Why would we value that? How can we actually pursue it? We'll see from the Apostle Paul's life it has everything to do with resting in God's will.
Words are powerful things. They shape nations, companies, and lives. We consume an unending stream of slogans and campaigns that want to influence and shape us. Last week we celebrated Easter, the good news that Jesus is alive, and we talked about how because He’s risen, our lives have real hope and purpose. This week, we’re going to look at what we do with the gospel of Jesus while we live in a culture flooded with competing claims of good news.
Every year, Easter Sunday serves as a hallmark of our Christian faith; a day when billions of people around the world will gather to hear afresh the centerpiece our faith: that Jesus Christ is risen, that he's alive! Our brief passage from Acts will lead us to consider this question: what difference does Jesus's resurrection really make in your life? The answer will be loud and clear: because Jesus is alive, your life can have real hope and real purpose with no illusions.
In one of his greatest books, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis helps show us a struggle we all have in recognizing the true source of our security and significance. What is it in life that assures me that I'll be secure? And what assures me that I'm significant? These are two of our most essential needs as human beings. Our passage this week will call us to find joy and peace in putting our trust in the only true source that will satisfy our need: Jesus Christ.
A good but difficult question we are often asked is, why? Why do we do certain things, believe certain things, or go to certain places? It's a good question because "why" forces us to think and answer truthfully. This week, one of the questions that arises is why do Christians share the gospel and why do they persist in sharing the gospel even in hard, challenging places? The answer we'll see is because He wants us to, and because it will be believed.
If you could ask Jesus to do one thing in your life, your community, someone close to you, what would you ask him? Our answers give us a picture that grounds our church's vision: gospel renewal. Jesus is moving all things from the failure of the garden to the glory of new creation and he's working through us, his church, to do it. What kind of expectations does Jesus want us to have for what he's doing in us and through us? The answer we'll see is probably more than we think.
One of the realities of being human is that everyone believes something to make sense of the world and their life in it. Most people don't have too hard a time explaining what they believe. However, many people do have a hard time answering because they don't know why. That missing "why" is one of the worst in the world. The good news this week is that God wants to replace that angst and apathy with joy and courage by calling us to live an honest life in the gospel.
In our passage, we will come up against perhaps God's great concern for us; the question, "what does God want from us?" As you go about each day, your tasks, your decisions, your conversations, your relationships, does God want anything from you? We see that yes, he does. And what he wants has everything to do with two things: his Word and Belief.
We return this week to our study of the book of Acts. In this passage, as we come across a pivotal moment in the history of the Christian Church, the moment taking place in this passage shows us that a life that puts faith in Jesus Christ is a life that has been given a role, a part to play, in God's greater story for this world. And that role is driven by two verbs: in Christ we are SENT, because in Christ we are SAVED.
As we close up this amazing little book, God will continue to demonstrate his limitless grace and goodness. Even in tragedy, God is at work for good. With God in our lives, we are never without hope. Because of our security in Christ, we can take on any risk with courage. And now, as we'll see, whether it takes four years or four generations, God's will will be done, and in his grace he will bless anyone who takes refuge in him.
One of the many reasons the book of Ruth is so loved is because it gives us a window into what life with God looks like in real life. When there's no miracles and no angels, how can we know what God is doing, and what God wants us to do? Sometimes the answer to those questions calls for risk, and situations with risk calls for courage. Through this week's amazing story, we'll see that while life God calls for courage, life with God also produces courage.
The majority of our lives are boring, ordinary, and mundane: we go to work, take care of our home, spend time with family. Occasionally we experience pain and loss: lost dreams, lost friends, lost loved ones. Where is God in the midst of that? Through this little book, God will show us that throughout all our life He is there and He is at work. In Christ He has committed Himself to our good, and He works for that. In response, God wants us to commit ourselves to Him.
As we close out this short but powerful book of Jonah, the purpose and point will all come together with this final passage in chapter 4. While the prophet Jonah has been the central figure of the story, the story isn't really about him, it's about God. Through Jonah's actions, attitudes, and responses, God reveals to him and to us a great insight into who he is, what he's like. God is a God of mercy, and he's a God of mercy for everyone.
As we begin a brief new series through Jonah, one of realities we'll experience is that Jonah is kind of like a mirror. From the start this can be uncomfortable because Jonah, like all of us, has some "worst moments". Moments in his life he would like to forget because of what he did or the choice he made. What Jonah's story will show us is that these moments are not the end of things for us; that's because of one life-changing reality: God's mercy and grace.
The Christian Church is made up of over 2.3 billion people from every continent, pushing into nearly every culture and city center. How did Christian belief and worship and discipleship grow and spread at such an amazing scope? And not only that, but as we look at discouraging days for the Christian faith in our Western society, how might the church grow now? The answers we find in this passage will provide us with vision and hope: that God builds his church through us as his gospel transforms us.
It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this passage to the growth and development of the Christian church and Christian theology. One question hangs over all that happens in these 66 verses: who is and who isn't welcome to receive salvation in Jesus Christ. And the answer God gives created an "earthquake moment" for the earliest Christians, and it still has power to rock us today. The answer is that God wants anyone who will trust Christ to be saved in Christ - no exceptions.
How many times in your life have you encountered a situation, need, or crisis and you’ve thought “This is impossible!”? At one time or another we all will have things in our lives that seem impossible. This week, we'll dig into the reality of God's power: that nothing in our lives is impossible for Him to handle. God wants us to know that, believe that, find hope in that: to trust that God can do the impossible in your life, even if you have to wait for it.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. What does it mean to know God? And how is that different from knowing about God? Sometimes it can feel hard to know the difference. But God wants us to! This week, from this awesome story with Philip and an Ethiopian Eunuch, we'll see that God wants us to know him, not just know about him.
Sometimes you come across certain passages in the Bible and you wonder, why is this in here? On a first pass, the passage this week can seem obscure, misfitting. But, on a closer look, what we see is that it actually has something very important to teach us about faith - the nature of faith, and what kind of faith God wants from us. Through the sad story of one man, we'll learn that the faith God wants - sincere, saving faith - is a faith that sees God as our prize, not as a means to our prize.
As we live and experience our lives with God, we make interpretations of what's going on, only realize later that something else was the case. When times are hard, it's easy to think God's promises have failed, that we've been duped. But, as we'll see this week, there is always another side to things. In fact, we'll see that difficult times never defeat God's promise to bless, instead they serve it.
It's not uncommon to wonder why God chose the followers of Jesus, the Christian church, to be his spokespeople to the world. But Jesus made it clear that that's exactly who his followers are: his spokespeople. Another way to say it is that his people are his witnesses. This week, learning from one of the most powerful Christian witnesses ever, we'll see that being a witness to Jesus is as much about a way as it is about certain words: that we witness to Christ by following the way of Christ.
Why do you have hope in life? Ask a few people that question and you'll likely get a diverse set of answers. When you peel those answers back and look deeply into them, the truth is that all of them will fall short. All except one. There is one reason why we can and should have hope in life - outrageous hope in life. And it has everything to do with Easter and the fresh start we find in it: we can and should have great hope because in Jesus there is a new beginning.
Guest Speaker Adam Jones. Ask anyone who has tried and they'll tell you, living the Christian life can be a challenge. In fact, if left to ourselves, it wouldn't be possible. So, to ensure we can live the new life Jesus brings us into, God gives us what we need to do it: himself.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. We all have priorities; things we give a higher importance than others. Why is that? Usually because of our values or goals or convictions. This week, we'll see that God has priorities as well. And that he wants his priorities to shape ours. One phrase will lay this out for us: the Word of God. This is God's priority. That God's Word would flourish in us and through us.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Do you ever struggle with making choices? Making the right choice? Most of us do. Why is that? Because we all want to make the right choice, but it seems there's no way to guarantee we will. There's one choice, however, where we can be absolutely certain we're making not only the right choice, but the best choice. And it's all about one word: obedience.
Guest Speaker Doug Karts. When God's power is at work among his people, it's clear and unstoppable! And not only does his power and grace bring healing and blessing, but it brings faith.
When two of God's definitive attributes collide with one of our downfalls as humans, the outcome can be frightening to consider. In our passage this week, God's power and his holiness will come head-on with our human tendency to do something terrible and then hide it from him. How can we find the courage to not hide our wrongdoing but to confess it to God, while knowing full well about his power and his holiness? The answer lies in his desire for our best.
This past week certain situations have presented us with the question of what we should make of negative attention, pushback, opposition to the Christian faith and gospel? The reality is that the Christian gospel has faced opposition from the very beginning, and yet, even when resistance has been at its strongest, the Christian church has grown even faster. Why is that? We'll see Sunday that ultimately because the spread of the gospel of Jesus is not a human thing but a divine thing.
In our day and age, how do we gain confidence about how we think about an issue, event or claim someone makes? There is no shortage of people who want us to listen to them for feeling confident in our views and stances and beliefs. But how do you know that who you're listening to is right? As we'll see this week, there is only one voice who always knows, who is always right and there is one way you can know you're listening to him: by entrusting your life to Jesus Christ.
A question that many people have is why is church necessary? What is the whole "church thing" about? This week, we come to a passage that is a favorite for many; a go-to passage when thinking about church. And that's for good reason; it is a clear and compelling picture of church! But there's more. In this passage we see how the God at the center of this church is working in them and through to build his kingdom -- and how he continues to do that today.
This week's passage is one of the most sensational and miraculous we'll come across, and in the midst of it is one quiet question and one loud question: what have I done and what shall I do? These questions will bring us to the heart of the matter of Pentecost, as well as the heart of the matter of our Christian faith: calling on the name of the Lord to be saved.
We live in a time in which our confidence of knowing the past is constantly challenged. Can we have any sense of certainty regarding what happened 300 years ago, let alone 2,000 years ago? This week, we'll see from Acts that we can have great confidence in knowing that our faith in Jesus Christ comes from faithful and reliable witness; that yes, what the Bible says happened, actually happened: Jesus Christ lived, died and resurrected.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. This week, we'll see that even though Jesus is no longer with us in person, he is still at work in this world. The amazing reality will be how he's working: through us.
Guest Speaker Doug Karst, Fountain City Church. Together we'll see the power of our amazing and present savior who, no matter how fearful our circumstances, is worthy of our faith.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. In the Advent season, there's one truth about the baby in the manger that proves difficult to keep in view; but as we consider the message of Advent what becomes clear is that our ultimate hope, what we most long and wait for, isn't what we have now, but what we are yet to receive. What we long for is the reality of who this baby IS: the Resurrection and the Life.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. More than any other reality of who Jesus is, more than any other reason for joy at Christmas, the one that most powerfully and poignantly intersects with you and me is this: Jesus is our Redeemer. It is this truth that most humbles us before the baby Jesus in the manger: that not only is he the King, but he is the King who frees us -- saves us -- from our sins by giving up his life for ours.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Every Christmas season, as we celebrate and sing carols, there is one theme that seems to stand out among all the reasons for our Christmas joy: the King has come. What does it mean that the baby we see in Mary's arms is a King? And not just any king, but the long awaited King God promised centuries ago? But even more to the point, why would this king be a source of joy for the whole world?
As joyous as the Advent season is, it is also full of mystery. And no passage brings us into that mystery like John chapter 1. Who, exactly, did Mary hold as she held her baby? Who, exactly, did the 12 disciples eat with and learn from? Who, exactly, do you and I encounter when we come face to face with Jesus in the Scriptures? This Sunday, we'll see that the answer to those questions is the Word -- the Word made flesh. And that in the Word, God himself.
Guest Speaker Adam Jones, Fountain City Church. This week we conclude our Origins series by looking at the great hope of the ancient Israelites and of ours as modern people today: God working graciously and powerfully to overcome everything wrong with ourselves and with our world.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. A feeling we all experience, a longing people from every culture in every century have had, is to find God: to know God; to be in God's presence. Where is He? Can he be found? Feeling distant from God is normal, but it's not God's desire; he never intended we would ever be far from him. This week, through the theme of the temple, we'll explore the reason for feeling far from God in the first place, and how God's temple helps shrink the distance.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Not many things focus our attention on the topic of leadership like a national election. Elections remind us of the importance of good leadership. This week we'll explore why God's promise for a certain King gives us such great news about leadership. That's because one leader, the Son of David, will not only lead us well, but will lead us to abundant and eternal blessing in his own kingdom.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. It's hard to overstate the importance of Genesis 12:1-3 to the whole story of the Bible and what it shows us about God's heart. Many people can feel like God is mean, egotistical, or vindictive. But this passage will counter any doubt or skepticism by showing us that God is gracious, kind, and good. It will show us that God is very much for us; by showing us that even into a fallen world, God promises blessing.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. It doesn't take a long look to see that our world has significant problems. From war to hurricanes to limitless social divisions, we face difficulties and threats that make life feel unstable, maybe even doomed. This week, from the great story of Noah and the Flood, we'll see God's promise that life is not futile and hopeless... and that even in a challenging and fallen world like this one, life is still good, and life is still redeemable.
Guest Speaker Doug Karst, Fountain City Church. God created all we see, and he created it for good. God also created us, human beings, in his image to enjoy abundant life in his good world. It only takes one day, maybe one hour to see that experience in life doesn't line up with how God created things. Why is that? This week we'll see why God's good world and our life in it isn't exactly the way God intended it to be.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. One of the great questions we all ask ourselves is “Who am I”? What makes me, me? It's a question of identity. And while we often wonder about the answer for ourselves individually, we may also ask it for ourselves as part of humanity. Who are WE? This week we will be looking to the clearest answer either of these questions finds in the bible. And the key? God's image.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. This week we will be going to the very beginning, the origin of all things. The foundation of this life, the foundation of our faith, is that God created the world, -- and He created it for good. What difference does that truth make in your life? How does that truth impact how we face each day? How does it correct how our culture -- and we ourselves -- view our future?
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Our lives are filled with moments, seasons, decisions. Sometimes big, sometimes small. In the busyness of life, it can be easy to go through these moments, these times, without much purpose or thought or attention. But life in Christ calls for the opposite. The life we live in Christ is life lived in active and intentional dependence on Christ, in every moment, in every season, in every season. How do we do this? Through Prayer.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. For a lot of people, the idea of growing in knowledge of God seems stuffy, boring. But what if in reality, knowing God, who He is and what He is like, is actually one of the greatest sources of joy and happiness in life? This week we'll peer into one of the richest, most robust passages in all of Scripture; one of the most encouraging and compelling. And the clear focal point? Who God is and He's like. And the takeaway? Abundant joy.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. We want a life full of joy, contentment, meaning, peace, hope. But for many of us, all of that is elusive. Where can you find such happiness? How can you acquire it? And, bring our faith into the mix, is this something God even cares about let alone smiles upon? This Sunday, we'll see that God absolutely cares about our happiness, and that he even guarantees a way to find it: the fear of the LORD.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Times of crisis call for capable help and strength. What can you do when a situation overwhelms you? Where can you go when circumstances overmatch your abilities or resources? Is there anywhere or anyone trustworthy and genuinely concerned for you? This week, through this Psalm we'll see that in times of trouble, our greatest hope, our greatest refuge and strength is for God to be God.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Looking at the world around us, it's easy to wonder if we've chosen the right way in life. When so many seem to flourish by taking ways we believe are wrong, ways we know are dishonest and selfish and mean, we can be tempted to doubt ourselves, and to doubt God. This week we'll see that no matter appearances, there is a right way that alone leads to a good end and the only access onto that road is righteousness.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Where can we find the courage to follow Christ in this world – even into situations that frighten us? How can we stand faithfully resolute in this world when opposition assails us? When we’re maligned? Misrepresented? Misunderstood for our faith in Christ? The Psalms will lead us this Sunday into a vision of courageous faith that flows from knowing God, our light, our salvation and our stronghold.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. These days, the world is a scary place for anyone, and we all contend with various fears: recessions, riots, betrayals, job losses, diseases. How can you and I navigate this life with any confidence and hope? How can we engage each day not in fear, but with abiding restfulness? We'll see Sunday it has everything to do with who we name as our Shepherd.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. One of the great struggles we share as human beings is wondering whether or not life would be better if we had all authority to do whatever we want however we want. Would we be happier if God wasn't there to tell us what to do? This week the Psalmist will show us that true happiness doesn't come from our authority, but from God's: find real happiness by taking refuge in God's authority.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. A challenge that every follower of Jesus will deal with at one time or another is living out this faith in the mundane, "everyday" of life. How do you do it? And how or where do I experience the good news of the gospel in it? This Sunday, Paul will show us that the key is in our relationships, and in God's promises.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. In this passage, the Apostle Paul will help us drive us to look at something nearly we all think about: THE END. The reality of an End is central to the biblical narrative, and even central to our faith: Jesus will return to the earth bringing a great end to history, as well as a new beginning. The question Paul will force us to ask is, "how should we feel about this?" and the answer he'll help us give is, "we're looking forward to it with gladness."
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. With the finality and mystery of death constantly looming, how can we live with any real hope for our lives? With hope for our loved ones who have died? How can we engage each day with joy and confidence knowing it could be our last? This week, Paul will fix our attention and hearts on the vision that answers all these questions and more. As he does, we see that if we truly know God, then we have true hope.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. What should you expect to happen in your life if you know God? What does God want for us? Want from us? Want to do in us? This week we will be looking at some timely and challenging subject matter and while it could be easy to make what Paul says apply only to cultural issues or select moral issues, the broader point goes beyond all that. What we'll see is that if we truly know God, he will truly change our lives.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. What do you find yourself most striving after? Most contending for, fighting for? This week, the Apostle Paul will lead us in seeing what most deserves our every effort is our faith; that we should fight for our faith and the faith of others. But we don't do this on our own or by ourselves. The good news is that as we fight for our faith, we do it knowing that Jesus fights for us.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. There can be many challenges in following Jesus, but one of the strongest for us today is surely the fact that being a Christian will likely cause you to stand out. To be different. And not usually in desirable ways! But we'll see this week that being different is actually a great blessing -- for us and for others!
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. The gospel promises us many things, one of the clearest being a changed life. But if we're honest, sometimes our lives don't feel very changed; especially when we compare them to others. Paul wants us to see this week that through our faith in him, Jesus really has changed our lives. But he wants more than for us to see that; he wants us to believe it!
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. When you look around at the world, when you look at the circumstances of your life, are you hopeful? Or is it difficult to see any real reasons for hope for you and those around you? This Sunday, the apostle Paul will show us that regardless of any circumstance, any situation, any struggle, we can have hope that never fails. Why? Because God's promise to raise us with Jesus defines our future, not our circumstances.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. We close our series this week by looking at Psalm 100 and the practice of Celebration. In a day like ours, in a time of history like ours, is there anything we can truly celebrate? Bad news persists, Conflict is everywhere. On Sunday, we'll see that we can celebrate, and we should celebrate regularly, for one big reason: because of who he is and because of his grace for us.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. It has been shown that gratitude is a primary indicator for wellbeing. It is good for us to be grateful in life. So, where does true gratitude come from? How can we be grateful and content with our lives? We'll see this week that a life full of gratitude flows from seeing and believing God for who he is and that he does all he does out of love.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. An amazing truth this passage will set before us is how once we've encountered the love of God in Jesus, our lives will not, they cannot, remain the same. God's love turns our lives into channels of that same love; it begins to pour out from us.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. It can feel like busyness in our lives is a given, but does your busyness ever turn into a constant sense of hurried, frantic, and exhausted? Do you ever long for rest, but rarely find it? By exploring the Sabbath, we'll see that busy and tired and stressed is not how God wants us to live out our days. God wants us to experience genuine and lasting rest, and he wants us to find it in his finished work.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. In this passage, Jesus tells a pretty profound thing: when we connect our life with his, he floods us with the source of true, abundant life. How many of us would love to find the answer to what will satisfy our longings? Or what will give me purpose and meaning? Or what will provide real help for living my life well? What Jesus wants us to believe is that He wants to do all that and in prayer, we meet with him and receive his help.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. In the pages of the Bible, we hear from and meet with the God who alone can tell us who we are, why we're here, where we're going, and why we can have hope. But more than that, when we engage with the Scriptures, we engage God himself and encounter his abundant grace to us in Jesus.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Do you ever wonder why God made us and what he wants for us? That is one of the most important questions we'll ever ask because how we answer it will shape our entire life. What if God told you that what he most wanted was for you to know him and enjoy him? How would that sound to you? On Sunday, we'll see that God wants you to hear that as the best news you can imagine.
Have you ever felt entirely alone? That your wellbeing, your future, your meaning in life was entirely up to you? There might not be a more frightening feeling than believing we're alone in this world. The apostle Paul will show us that through the gospel, we can know we're never alone, but that Jesus is always with us and that Jesus is stronger than any situation we face. And Jesus will replace our fears with abundant joy.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Have you ever found yourself wanting to be more generous in a certain situation but just found it impossible? Do you ever feel like the stuff you own demands more of your life than it actually improves your life?This week the Apostle Paul will show us that through the gospel Jesus frees us to become truly generous people in any situation.
Guest speaker Nathan Edwards at Fountain City Church. This week we pick up with Philippians 4:10-13. Do you ever worry about how you will respond to adversity or bad news? In this passage Paul wants us to know that we have everything we need in the gospel to face whatever may come to us in this world. Join us Sunday to learn how the gospel gives us grit.
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Every morning we wake up, and every day we are presented with new challenges, new opportunities, new decisions. Some days seem easy, some days seem overwhelming. What difference does faith in Jesus make in any of these days? Does being a Christian really make any impact on life's details, day-in and day-out? How can I experience, every day, the life that Jesus promises through the gospel?
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Life can seem like an endless string of choices. Even after we make a choice, there are always new options that work to change our mind. The Christian life is a choice to trust Jesus Christ, now and forever. but it can be hard to make that choice, and it can be hard to hold to that choice. Where do we find the resources and the vision to press on when faith is its hardest?
Pastor James Cottier at Fountain City Church. There are countless voices and influences today promising to lead you to your best life, your most fulfilling life. The hope and promise of our Christian faith in Jesus is the same -- abundant life. With so many options to choose from, how do we select who to follow, who to listen to? Why do we even need to follow anyone to begin with? And where can find the right examples to follow?
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. As we near the climax of Advent in Christmas Eve, the Magi bring us toward the heart of what responding to the coming Christ, the baby in the manger, is all about. And with a deeper look at the Magi, we might be surprised of all they have to teach us. Who all does Jesus come for as the King of the Jews? How do those far from God ever know where to find him? What's the right response to seeing the King of Kings?
Pastor James Cottier, Fountain City Church. Traditionally, the season of Advent has been a time of helping us all prepare. It is a season of preparation. Christ has come to us, and Christ will come to us, and Advent is a time of preparing to meet him. What does it mean to be ready to meet Christ? Is there something required of me for when I do meet Christ? How should I prepare so that I am ready?