Local Church GR: Recent Episodes
Toran Scott
True life is found when we lay ours down. Today, pastors Toran and Austin taught together about the difference between decision-making and discernment, reaching a place of holy indifference. This is a deep inner posture of surrender and release of our entire lives to God, being open to whatever He wants to do.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
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Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
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Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
In John 12:24, Jesus explains that a seed must die to give life. He knew this applied to His life directly, but He also expects this to be true of His followers. What are you planting, giving away, or losing for God's Kingdom?
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
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Stay Connected!
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Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
God likes to bring dead things back to life. In Ezekiel 37, there's a vision of a valley of dry bones being breathed back to life. God's heart then was for restoration and it still is today. Where do you need the Spirit to do a work in you so that He can do something through you?
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
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Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Have you ever been around something so long that it becomes familiar and loses its impact? That can sometimes happen to us with church. We need new eyes. This morning, we examined three key parts of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 and how TLC's mission flows from this scripture. We are one small church in Christ's larger Church, and we are committed to making disciples of Jesus.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
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Stay Connected!
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Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
How amazing is it that the God of the universe chooses to dwell with us - within His followers? This weekend our Family Pastor, Adam, looked at God's dwelling places throughout scripture. God wants to be close to His children, and Jesus made that closeness possible.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
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Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
All of the Christian life is a movement toward death; but how do we die well? By practicing dying and surrendering to Jesus. We can do this by practicing letting go of two specific things: our desire to be seen by others, and our desire for control. Pastor Austin asked us - where would we rather not go? And are we willing and able to let Jesus lead us there anyway if he desires it?
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
This week, Pastor Toran expanded on the deeper spiritual maturity he believes God is calling TLC to. We examined three phases of maturity that disciples of Jesus experience, their temptations, and their benefits.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Pastor Toran is back from sabbatical and sharing with us some lessons learned for himself as well as our church.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
In our series Prodigal Prophet we're learning from the book of Jonah - a short, 4-chapter book that's ultimately a prophetic masterpiece about God's love.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
In our series Prodigal Prophet we're learning from the book of Jonah - a short, 4-chapter book that's ultimately a prophetic masterpiece about God's love.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Jonah's prayer recorded in chapter 2 demonstrates his sincere gratitude for God's rescue, but also a continued defiant protest of God's plans. It serves as a mirror for us to ask - how often do we find ourselves either disobedient or blinded to how God wants to move in, through and around us? Do we recognize that God does unexpected things in unexpected ways with unexpected people?
In our series Prodigal Prophet we're learning from the book of Jonah - a short, 4-chapter book that's ultimately a prophetic masterpiece about God's love.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
When God instructs Jonah, a righteous man, to prophesy to Nineveh and give them the opportunity to be saved from destruction, he disobeys. Jonah is afraid that God may be limitless in His love - love even for His enemies. Many of us today find ourselves wanting to put limits on God's love, but it is essential that we name our "enemies" and extend radical love to them.
In our series Prodigal Prophet we're learning from the book of Jonah - a short, 4-chapter book that's ultimately a prophetic masterpiece about God's love.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Today, Pastor AJ Gillespie from Berkley Hills Church helps us understand how our everyday relationships have the potential to be radically impactful. If we follow what Hebrews 10:25-26 says, being people who encourage and challenge one another, this can bring about about protection from sin and expose blind spots so that we can become more like Christ.
Through the “PB & J" series, we're exploring how to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our very ordinary lives.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Meals offer an opportunity to make space daily to remember who God is and what He's done for us.
The Passover meal recorded in Mark 14 was a life-changing meal for the disciples. Jesus not only washed their feet, modeling the posture of serving they should have, but He also asked them to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. As he set up His new covenant He framed the most ordinary thing - eating a meal - as an opportunity to be changed daily through remembrance.
Through the “PB & J" series, we'll explore how to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our very ordinary lives.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
How can we live as people who watch and wait for the Kingdom of Heaven when we can barely wait for the small things in our lives?
Waiting is uncomfortable. But as Paul outlines in Romans 8:18-25, we can wait in hope because we have the Holy Spirit within us. We can have hope that there is more: more than our present suffering, and more than the world's empty promises of fulfillment. As Christians, our lives are lived in the waiting room; it's a room filled with true hope. His name is Jesus.
Through the “PB & J" series, we'll explore how to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our very ordinary lives.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
How do you handle the small annoyances and struggles of your every day life?
When our schedules are interrupted or we feel out of control, our reactions can reveal what we prefer to keep hidden: anger, anxiety, self-berating, our idolatry of ease. But practicing confession of our shortcomings offers a valuable way to connect with the Father daily.
It requires trust in His mercy; it recognizes our need for and desire to align ourselves with Him; and it reminds us that we're loved by a forgiving God.
Through the “PB & J" series, we'll explore how to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our very ordinary lives.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
This weekend, we looked at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:13-17, when He enters the waters to symbolize bringing order to the chaos of the world. The Father in Heaven then declares His love and delight in Jesus - all before Jesus's ministry even begins. Jesus began beloved simply based on His identity as God's son; if we're in Him, so do we.
If we begin beloved, how does the way we begin our days help us to learn and embrace that?
Through the “PB & J" series, we'll explore how to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our very ordinary lives.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Research shows that the majority of Americans don't enjoy and aren't satisfied by our jobs. Dr. Conrad of the GLR challenges us - what would happen if we allowed God to move us into the other camp? To do this we must understand that all ethical work is sacred and deeply matters to God; and that we are ambassadors of Jesus in the workplace.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
This weekend we're learning from Moses - specifically, from the end of his life in Deuteronomy 34. This text brings up a scary possibility that we could work long and hard toward a dream, and at the end, God might say we won't see it finished. But notice that Moses didn't plead with God to allow him into the Promised Land. Might it be that after his long life with God, he realized that the presence of God was the real thing worth chasing after?
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday! Through the summer at 9AM and 10:45AM.
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
In John 14:6-7, Jesus makes what is perhaps his most counter-cultural "I Am" statement. As "the way, the truth and the life", Jesus doesn't just show us the way to the Father - He IS the way to the Father. As His followers, we must be obedient to His way and connected to His truth in order to bring about His life. And as we share this with others, we have the privilege to use God's living and active words from scripture.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM (EST).
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
=============
Stay Connected!
=============
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Have you ever felt like your life isn't producing the fruit you thought it would? In John 15, we see Jesus describe himself to his disciples as the "true vine". He says that remaining in Him - abiding with Him - is the key to living a fruitful life that glorifies the Father. How do you sense He wants you to draw closer to Him in this season?
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM (EST).
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
Stay Connected!
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
There is a strange and compelling power of Jesus's sacrificial and all-encompassing love. This beauty is what Jesus is referring to when, in John 10, he calls himself "the good shepherd". As His sheep, we should emulate Him in laying down our lives for others.
Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM (EST).
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
Stay Connected!
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
Might pursuing a life of safety on our own hold us back from experiencing the life God has for us?
Many of us think that we can create a life of safety and security through our own means. With enough planning and smart decisions, we will be safe. But in John 10, Jesus tells us that He is the shepherd who we go through for refuge and protection in the world. In week 4 of our "I Am" series, we learn that recognizing Jesus's voice and following Him is what give us life to the fullest. Other things that promise safety are illusions - it is only found in Him.
Scripture References: John 10, Psalm 23
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Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM (EST).
Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided
Stay Connected!
Website: http://localchurchgr.org
Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr
Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr
Weekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLC
Visit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expect
Events: http://my.localchurchgr.org/events
If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give
Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care
We continue our i am series by looking at another one of Jesus’ statements and the story that it is embedded in. Jesus is the light of the world. His proclamation of this and the response that followed offers us the chance to reassess our source(s) of light and invites us to surrender to Jesus for true fulfillment.
While we wrestle with the disappointment of a different offer being accepted on a building we continue to feel like God has for us, the Bible encourages us to bring those to God and remember God’s mighty works. Our birthday presented the perfect opportunity for that.
Together, we focus on Jesus’ proclamation, "I am the bread of life". This statement from Jesus draws parallels to the Old Testament story of the Israelites' exodus and invites anyone who hears it to go beyond seeking material or political gains and instead receive Jesus as the true source of eternal life and fulfillment.
Kicking off our series I AM, we're examining 7 of Jesus's "I am" statements found through scripture. On Easter Sunday, we see the truth that Jesus IS the resurrection and the life as we read the story of Lazarus being raised from death.
We conclude our Victories & Valleys series by looking at the last written words of David. Who is suitable to serve as a king? David’s final words focus on righteousness, justice, and the fear of God while emphasizing David's acknowledgement of needing transformation.
The story of David and Absalom is a story which highlights the need to heed God's warnings and avoid taking matters into our own hands. It highlights the importance of accountability, resisting temptation, and establishing checks and balances in our lives. We need to seek God's help, genuine community, and accountability to prevent falling into the traps of sin and rebellion.
Mephibosheth highlights David's countercultural act of grace, emphasizing God's pursuit of us and the importance of extending grace to others. We read about David's restoration of Mephibosheth and God's promise to make all things new.
In 2 Samuel 11 we read the deepest darkest moment in the life of David. It’s a moment that, if we let it, can serve as a mirror to our brokenness and desperate need for God’s grace.
God’s covenant with David speaks volumes about who David was, but even more so about who God is. In David’s response, we see a model of response that should be reflected in our own lives.
As the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, David makes a fool of himself and dances before it and the Lord. Instead of being ashamed of it, David, and the Lord, is proud of his declaration and boldness. It causes us to pause and ask the question, how are we willing to look foolish to honor God?
Two moments conclude the feud between David and Saul. The difference between them was closely connected to who they were listening to. David was listening to the voice of the Lord; Saul was listening to the voice of others. This causes us to ponder a pretty pointed and obvious question: whose voice are we listening to?
Have you ever wanted something that others seemed to be getting but you weren’t? The story of Saul and his envy is an odd one. For three chapters there is no mention of God. The evil and envious spirit of Saul infects and destroys Saul and everything around him. For David, what God wanted and God’s timing was more important than any position.
1 Samuel 17 holds the familiar story of David and Goliath. The young shepherd boy, David, heard and saw the same things that terrified the Israelite king and soldiers, but he responded with confidence in God's victory.
When we trust what God has said about our future, we can be unafraid in the present; when we know God's heart through the Spirit, we can see with eyes of faith - just like David.
In 1 Samuel 8, we get a glimpse of what's to come in the story of David's life - of a human king who will fall short. But if we get distracted by his shortcomings, we will miss the point: that King Jesus is a king who doesn't take, but gives, and refuses to give up on His people.
At the start of the year, it's good to examine our priorities. How do we align these priorities with those of Jesus. Priorities of justice, mercy, and faithfulness?
As we move into 2024, how do we continue to "strengthen our roots" in Jesus? Following the outline in Colossians 2:6-7, consider memorizing scripture, writing a daily note of gratitude, and getting involved in biblical community.
The third gift from the magi, myrrh, is full of both hope and sorrow throughout scripture. This is reflected by the reality that Jesus is the ultimate prophet - He IS God's steadfast love, faithfulness and hope brought to life in the midst of sorrow. None of these gifts from the magi make something true about Jesus. They represent the truth of who He is: a king who reigns, a priest who redeems, and a prophet who reveals.
The second gift the magi brought King Jesus was frankincense. In Exodus, we learn that the scent was used in the tabernacle and was presented to God by the high priest with an animal sacrifice, representing prayers of repentance rising to heaven. The magi presenting this gift to Jesus foreshadowed that he would become our ultimate high priest and stand in the gap for our atonement.
The magi in Matthew 2 recognized that as King, Jesus deserved their first and best - that was their gold. Many of us attempt to use our "gold" - the wonderful gifts God has given us - to buy a sense of satisfaction; but everything else we try to put out hope and faith in can never satisfy what we're truly longing for. What's holding you back from giving your first and best to the king today?
As we wrap up our Vaux|cation series, we dive into how our work matters right now, and is just as important in the future. You can love or hate what you do, but do it all for God's glory and the Kingdom.
God cursed the field and the family. Our work is hard and frustrating at times because it is cursed—God’s protection and blessing has been removed from these areas as a result of the fall.
God is a worker and God cares about our work. Throughout the Bible, the portrait of work that we are offered is not divided by sacred and secular, but good/right and bad/evil work. We have the opportunity and privilege to discover the kind of work that God is calling us into and partner with Him to take the world someplace.
There is an intimate connection between who we are and what we do. The prefix “vaux” just means to be worthy of; it’s where we get the word ‘valor’. God makes us worthy of work—an opportunity to partner with Him to take the world somewhere.
The Holy Spirit points the spotlight on Jesus, reveals who he is, guides us to Jesus and glorifies him (makes him beautiful). We must recognize our limits if we are to experience the potential that Jesus has for us.
The school of suffering is one that none of us can avoid and one that God uses to change and mature us. We have a choice: to trust in the darkness, to trust that God, that God is present in our suffering, and that God will make all things new.
If we don't do the painful, humiliating, and liberating work of cheerfully bringing our failures out from the darkness, we're limiting our growth! We must bring our sins into the light acknowledgement before a Christian brother or sister.
The life, death and resurrection of Christ makes acquittal possible for us. In Christ, we are justified and have right standing before God. Sanctification is our growth in holiness. Justification is the not one-time vaccination that spares us from hell but food to nourish us all the way to heaven. It’s not the spark plug to the Christian life; it’s the engine.
You cannot overestimate God's love. You can only underestimate it. In fact, we do it all the time. Nothing that we can do could ever slow the overwhelming, never-ending, infinite love that Jesus has for us. To grow in Christ is to yada - to know - that love that he has for us.
God desires union with us. Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ. If you take your eyes off of Jesus Christ and direct your gaze to your own growth, you will prevent the very growth you desire.
God's word tells us that despair is simply a gateway to joy. If you want to grow in Christ, you must first sink to the solid ground of self-despair. To the degree that we minimize the evil within, we lower the ceiling on how deeply we can grow.
In order to grow Deeper in our relationship with Jesus, and become more mature disciples of Him, we need to understand His nature and what Jesus truly wants for and from us. Jesus is bigger than you can imagine, and Jesus is closer than you dare believe. He is more committed to your growth in Him than you are.
Paul ends his letter to the Colossians with some acknowledgements. These acknowledgements tell us that not only should the church be made up a wide and diverse group of individuals, but that people are imperfect and in need of God's grace. God is not looking for perfection, but faithfulness.
When we read and reflect on scripture, we can come across components of it that do not sit well with us. To us and the culture we find ourselves in, these parts of scripture can taste "off" and wrong to us. It's important that we understand the context on which scripture is written so that we can comprehend and appreciate what the author is really saying about us, God, and our relationships with one another.
Like Eustace & Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, God wants to rip off our old clothes and dress us in new clothes. All of this starts with us dropping our fig leaves at the feet of the King who rescues us back into relationship: our God who is our father, and we his beloved children.
In Colossians 3:5-11, Paul reminds us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the salvation that Christ has given us. When we consciously and continually choose sin instead of God, we become less and less human. Because we are alive in Christ, we must seek to be more like Him. Because we died with Christ, we cannot wear the clothes of the new creation if we are still wearing the clothes of the past. God wants to renew us and make us into the image of his son, Jesus!
In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul reminds us that we cannot earn our way into Heaven. Many highly religious people will argue that obeying man-made laws is necessary for salvation, but Paul says that's not the case. Strict discipline and adherence to rules can represent an increasing reliance on the self, which will always fall short in comparison to resting in Jesus' finished work.
It's easy to be deceived by the world and convinced that we can decide for ourselves what is good and evil. But in Colossians 2:6-15, Paul reminds the church that Christ is sovereign. We can joyfully leave behind our old selves that struggle for control and trust in Him above all.
According to Colossians 1:24-2:5, Christ is in us and He is the hope of glory. If we truly believe this, it changes everything: we have the responsibility and privilege to share it.
A perfect gift awakens a response that realizes the value of the gift and brings transformation. In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul explains that Jesus's physical death offers the gift of rescue and reconciliation. Our continued faith and choice to make Him our foundation bring about the fullness of life that God wants for us.
Are you intentional about becoming something wonderful, or are you ambivalent? An outline of the Colossians 1:9-14's "ask" and outcomes helps us understand the power of setting intentions targets and praying for certain characteristics in our lives.
In just the first few verses of Colossians, Paul reminds the church of the "already, but not yet" reality that we are God's, already declared holy, but not yet seeing its fruition. He also outlines three key anchor points of the Christian life: faith, love, and hope. Which do you need to grow in your life?
Ephesians urges the people of the church to “bear with one another in love” because the thing is, relationships are hard and people can be annoying! Examining the original translation of the text gives us a rich understanding of what it looks like for us - and for God - to truly bear with people in love, even when it's difficult.
We're constantly trying to prove that we're no longer children - we're self-sufficient. But the stance of being children dependent on God is integral to our relationship with Him. 1 John outlines four key characteristics of being God's children: we're lavishly loved, majorly misunderstood, future focused, and presently purifying. Are these characteristics of your life today?
Whether you're a parent or not, you have family relationships of some type. We're often committed to pouring our time and energy into these, but is it with the goal of helping our families form their view of God? Deuteronomy 6:5-9 demonstrates that the ordinary, everyday moments of life can point our families back to the Father.
Culture can often make it seem like being single is a curse or an unnatural way of being, but scripture tells us that it is a valid and valuable calling! Guest speaker Pieter Valk dove into vocational singleness: a lifetime calling to singleness for the sake of kingdom work with undivided attention.
No matter what your romantic "relationship status" is, there is something to gain from learning about the purpose of marriage. Pastor Toran is joined by local Christian counselor, Mario, to discuss the psychology and theology behind scripture's instructions to husbands and wives. They explore selfishness, submission, the definition of love, and why tension can be a good thing in our relationships.
t TLC we want everyone to have an owner's versus renter's mentality in their involvement as they step into roles and responsibilities to serve our church. A part of how we invest as owners is through our financial giving. In order to do this we need to look at where our treasure is because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). When we give our money we get the opportunity to see what God has for us as we learn to put more of our trust in Him.
We believe that the church is stronger, better and more beautiful when we are different. When two or more different things come together, there can be unity! This value was not created bc of some cultural trend. It was created because of our discipleship to Jesus; He is passionate about it, and so we are as well.
When we look at TLC's value Healthy Things Grow, the focus is really on the word "health". John 15:1-8 gives us a way to visualize how regular connection with Jesus is what grows healthy fruit in our lives.
When Jesus was crucified and buried, many of His followers felt empty and lost. We, too, feel this emptiness and try to fill it with things of this world. But the reality is that Jesus is the only one who can fill the void. He never forces himself into a life - but once He's invited, Jesus turns into the host. So will you go through life with an empty YOU, or believing in the empty TOMB?
Looking at the story of Palm Sunday reminds us of three truths about Jesus: He is humble; He is King; and He is the victor. We meditate on these truths as we enter Holy Week to remind us that while we live in a broken "Good Friday" world, we ARE victorious "Easter" people.
A foundational value at TLC is Awe & Wonder. We believe that when we gather together as a church, the power and presence of Christ is uniquely present. When we're in the assembly, we experience awe and wonder.
TLC believes that our response to the weak and vulnerable is our response to Jesus. Our acts of justice and mercy as a church are the outflow of a heart that has been redeemed, restored, and rejuvenated by Jesus. This belief is what shaped our value "Would She Weep?".
You have an individual calling, and our church has a calling. As we develop disciples, multiply churches, and extend the reach of the gospel, we see our value "We Create the Future" coming to life.
The Bible is our guide, but it can be hard to know how to engage with it. A good method is to envision yourself sitting down with God and going through a cycle: read, reflect, respond, review. Visit our website Teaching Archive to download the worksheet referenced.
Can the Bible be trusted? It's an oral history, coped over 3,500 years, in multiple languages, and in multiple cultures. As we dig into this, we see that the Bible is, in fact, one of the most trustworthy ancient texts available today.
The Christian Canon is made up of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. But where did it come from and how was it decided on?
Have you ever asked - or been asked - “Do you really believe this?” about the Bible? As Christians strive to answer this question, we need to first understand what the Bible is and its intention. It's not about us; it's all about Jesus.
The prophetic calling recorded in Jeremiah 1 reminds us that everyone is designed with intention by God, is known intimately by Him, and has been set apart for a purpose.
Today we often see the words of Jeremiah 29:11 on coffee mugs and journals. But they were originally meant as an encouragement for the Jewish people who God disciplined by sending into exile in a wildly different culture. This short verse reminded them - and us - that He meets us even when we're in a hard place, and His intention is for us to prosper.
Jeremiah is in prison, the Babylonians are invading Jerusalem, and all hope seems lost. This is the setting of Jeremiah 32:1-15. Even then, Jeremiah does something unexpected: he buys a field in the land occupied by the enemy. This prophetic act of hope declares God's presence in the midst of chaos, and His promises for the future. That’s the same hope that God wants to speak into our lives today.
Our faithfulness to God can be compared to the kind of faithfulness required in the high and low seasons of marriage. In Jeremiah 7:1-15, Jeremiah gave a sermon challenging the Israelite people about their faithfulness to God beyond the temple gatherings, similarly to the faithfulness needed beyond the wedding day to the actual marriage. We can come with this same mindset of faithfulness on a Sunday morning while living in sin the rest of the week. But God invites us to live a life with him and for him, even when things get hard.
Few people lived life with God and for God better than the prophet Jeremiah. This life did not come easily for him though. There were plenty of times when Jeremiah was frustrated and angry at the hardship that he faced. He complained to God in Jeremiah 12:1-5 and God responded....” if you have raced with men on foot and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?” The question was an invitation to not settle for average and a challenge to hold onto hope even when it’s difficult.
In Luke 7, we follow John the Baptist as he waits in prison and begins to wonder - is Jesus the King he's been waiting for? Jesus isn't saving John the way he desired or expected to be saved. What do you do when your faith and hope crashes into suffering? Unmet expectations? Disappointment?
In Part 2, we looked at Luke 3:3-6 again as John the Baptist announced that Jesus was coming, he urged his audience to clear a path for a road in their hearts to make way for the king. One of the ways the road is prepared in our hearts is by raising up the valleys. Valleys are raised up when you relax in Jesus and understand you are more loved and accepted than you could ever dare hope. This opens us up to expect more from God and what He is able to do.
John the Baptist is the hype man for Jesus. His message in Luke 3:1-18 serves to make way for Jesus the coming King by smoothing and straightening the path, similarly to how roads would be prepared for kings of their day. For us to be prepared for the arrival of the King today, we need to treat Jesus as King in our hearts through reliance and obedience.
Instead of James going for his typical punch in the gut approach, James ends his letter with a push—a push to pray. In James 5:13-20, James lists out a variety of scenarios in that we should labor in prayer: when we are suffering, sick, and in sin. We should labor in prayer in a similar way to a woman in labor so that we can birth whatever it is that God has for us in the same way Elijah did.
James 4:13-5:6 contains some of the harshest words in the book, addressing wealth, pride, greed, and self-interest. As Americans - the generally wealthy in today's world - we must keep our pride in check and acknowledge that we do not control our financial futures. We should use our positions to advocate for fair payment of others, and pay attention to how we engage with our money and systems that oppress people.
We all have a choice to make. James 4:1-10 points out that you can choose to be a friend of the world or a friend of God. Both options talk a good game, but one is empty and one is full of life. Friendship with God requires us to turn away from friendship with the world toward humility and repentance, trusting that God will lift us up.
What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? James 2:14-26 asked this question and others like it to make sure we look under the hood and search the engine of our faith because faith without works is dead. As we search for what drives our faith, it is critical to find that it is fueled by our head, heart, and hands. All three of these create the synergy to make our faith complete.
"Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me?" No. James 3:1-12 carefully spells out that the tongue is dangerous and can be used by evil to corrupt. The words that Christians say should be wholly aligned with the values and beliefs of Jesus. If they're not, we must address what's in our hearts so that we can be trusted to consistently speak words of life to others.
In James 2:1-13, James gets all up in our business again instructing us that the church is to be different from the world by not having favorites. There are many scenarios to consider to help us assess where we tend to show favoritism based on class, appearance, and power. We must be different from the world by seeing the value in the people that are often cast out.
In James 1:19-27, James tells us to look into the Word of God to see ourselves honestly, and to walk away changed:
- Take time to stop, look, and listen as you address patterns of anger and controlling your tongue.
- Care about the the oppressed and changing the systems that perpetuate injustice, because this is at the heart of who God is.
- Do not become stained by the world we live in.
The key to understanding James 1:5-8 is to avoid our understanding of wisdom.
James helps us see that wisdom is not knowledge; it's the right heart and mind needed in order to live like Jesus. It's the ability to see things from God's perspective and live accordingly.
10.2 Summary:
We kicked off our new series, James: All up in your business. James wrote a letter to
share his wisdom with the scattered believers of the first century. In his letter, James didn’t set out to share something new with his audience, but rather attempted to challenge how they lived. James starts off his entire letter by addressing that when we face trials of many kinds, it will test our faith; but if we persevere, our faith will be matured.
Faith is an action: believing something based on evidence and living your life as if it was true. Mark 9:14-29 - where a father brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus and demonstrates a faith of desperation - gives us a starting point to examine the three levels of faith. Crises force us to acknowledge who or what our faith is really in, and provide the opportunity to “level up”, surrendering our lives fully to God as we put all our trust in Him.
In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus' disciples (of then and now) are sent out with a specific task. Examining the impact this mission made shows us that it takes many people performing several different jobs in different places to fulfill one commission.
When asking "What is MY mission?", we must remember that: 1) we were created to know and enjoy Jesus, and 2) God then created a specific mission as a gift for each of us.
What we believe about God's character affects how we invest what we have. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 was a message to the Pharisees of the day, who were supposed to be the light of the world but we're hiding it away. What has God entrusted to you and how are you using it?
What is the faith of the next generation worth? Everything. In Judges 2, we see what happens when just one generation fails to teach the next about the power of God and their passion for Him. But Deuteronomy 6 provides hope and instruction to pass on what we know of God "...when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up".
Bonfires, brokenness and the stench of regret. It’s the story of Peter and Johnny and Amanda. It’s the question of every human heart. Can I still be loved once I’ve blown it?Can I still be used after I’ve failed? Is Gods grace available to even me? Once we’ve experienced this love and grace, this restoration and redemption, this freedom and forgiveness, we can’t help but want to share it with others.
Are you laying stones or building a cathedral? In the early church, there was a woman named Tabitha who lived an extraordinary life. It's a life that reveals something for us today: we don't usually bear future fruit by doing great things with uncommon gifts or abilities. We bear future fruit by doing a good thing with uncommon faithfulness. If we are going to bear future fruit, it's going to be the Tabitha Way. Acts 9:36-40.
The trees we plant, the golden rule and the silver rule. Join us as we look at the turning point in Johns gospel and explain why some Greeks wanting to see Jesus was such a big deal. This is the silver rule, the desire for future fruit. John 12:20-26
In the final chapter of Peter's letter, we get his "yearbook message": Humble yourselves towards God and one another, and cast your anxieties on him. In these instructions, Peter provides the command and the comfort of the entire letter and we are met by a God who will never let go. A God who wants to protect and care for us.
1 Peter 5:6-7.
Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him." This is The Message's version of 1 Peter 4:1, and it helps us see three truths about recognizing God's voice, serving others, and using time wisely in this "4th quarter.
Learning to drive a new vehicle, the power of harmony and what to do when your three year old tells you that "you no come to my birfday party!" If we live a life of unified love with our Family and return blessing for evil we will have the opportunity to share the reason for the hope we have in Christ. 1 Peter 3:8-16
1 Peter 3:1-7: Context makes a world of difference in understanding so what do we do when our worlds are two millennia apart? We do the hard work. To understand Peter’s comments to wives and husbands we have to understand the context if we have any hope of applying the truth of scripture to our lives today. And there is truth to apply…
One of the tougher sections of Peter's letter the fledgling Christian church is found in the verses we explore today. We have to come to the text with humility and a desire to understand and obey. God wants to transform society by transforming individuals, while we we in the West often want to transform individuals by transforming society. This is messier, harder, certainly more painful but ultimately the path that leads to life (even when the path leads through death first). There is no resurrection without death...
The Wimbledon Championships, building projects gone wrong, and living stones being built into a spiritual temple. In 1 Peter 2:4-10, it is made clear that when we come to Jesus, we become like him: a living stone that God is building into a temple, a place where heaven and earth meet. We participate in this reality not as individuals, but together as the family of God with all the blessings that carries.
In 1 Peter 1 and 2, we find four key words that can really help us picture the scripture's application: Conformed, Holy, Redeemed and Crave. Which one might God want you to examine to help you find truth and growth?
A primer in fighting lions, the Battle at Kruger and the Lake Ann Camp diving team. Peter tells us to be alert and resist the devil, God told Cain to watch out for crouching sin that wants to destroy us, Jesus said we should take sin very seriously. Why? Because sin robs us of the very thing that Jesus died to give us. Life. The very thing sin promises is the what it steals. We can't stop fighting and as a church we can't give up on one another. The church is the herd and the herd doesn't give up on it's own...
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus delivers what is often titled, "The Sermon on the Mount." This sermon could more appropriately be titled, "The Sermon on the Monarchy." Here, Jesus paints a picture of what life under his rule and reign looks like and delivers a challenge to his disciples that was wrapped in cultural significance; a challenge to "Go Two". Matthew 5:38-42.
Before a house is built the architect determines the width and height and depth of the structure. This is what Peter gives us in the opening paragraphs of his first letter to the churches scattered throughout Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Peter's first letter is a beautiful letter to Christians everywhere at anytime who are experiencing suffering and need a dose of encouragement to Never Let Go.
Shaquille O'Neal undercover Lyft, the Road(s) to Emmaus, and how Jesus quickly becomes the host when invited as the guest. Eating a meal is one of the last things that Jesus does with his disciples before his death and it's the first thing he does after he is resurrected. It's at the table where Jesus breaks bread, blesses it, eyes are opened and lives our changed. Luke 24:13-35
Evangelize...just the word alone makes most modern Christians cringe, but should it? Jesus thought we would share the gospel wherever we went, and he certainly did. He just often did it in ways that we don't expect. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking." Jesus often shared the gospel by his invitations to eat and drink, he met people in their place of pain with love. It was the power of hospitality and inclusion, his words and actions that brought others to faith.
Apple's commercial during the '84 Super Bowl has gone down as one of the best and most provocative commercials in the past 50 years. It asked people to think differently and was intended to make us a little uncomfortable. Today's look at the gospels we've grown up with in protestant America (the Evangelical gospel, Reformed gospel, Prosperity gospel and Social gospel) will probably do the same thing for you. These gospel summations are often not wrong but incomplete when we compare them to gospel of Jesus and scripture. Buckle up.
Fake 20$ bills, the gospel and why calling people who are far from God “lost” may not be as demeaning as it sounds. Today we dive into the calling of Jesus for every Christian to “preach the gospel” in an era where the American Gospels are leaving us with, as David Foster Wallace once said, a collective sense of “lostness”.
What it means to be thirsty and why the gospel is for anyone and everyone, and for all of the time. At the Feast of Tabernacles in John's gospel, Jesus makes a bold claim that he is the source of new life and salvation, and the only thing required to receive this is simple: thirst.
John 7:37-38.
There is an old adage that we often overestimate what can be accomplished in one year and underestimate what can be accomplished in five. God has done so much in our midst these past five years that we have to celebrate. Yet, while it's good to celebrate for a moment, there are five really important things we can't do if we want to celebrate five years from now. God comes where he is wanted...
Leon was taken from his mother at the age of two due to her illness, had a mental breakdown at the age of 12 and lost his father a few years later. Well on his way to becoming "just another statistic", the risen Jesus began to resurrect Leon's life. This is the hope of Easter, that no one is too far gone, that death no longer gets to have the last word and that sin no longer needs to determine the shape of our lives.
"The Shalane Effect", buying a house, and the good news of Jesus' arrival. Palm Sunday and Jesus' arrival is a critical moment in God's story from start to finish. Jesus' presence brings some promises along with it: the Kingdom of God is here. Yet at times, through the pages of scripture and the world around us, we are left asking like John the Baptist, "Jesus, are you the one, or shall we look for another?"
The Gospel is a narrative with four key points. At Creation, God created a good world. At the Fall, creation (and humanity with it) became disordered. Just look at the reality of our world! It is broken and it is dark. We must take the time to understand just how DARK the darkness is, so that we can appreciate the goodness of the Gospel. Next week we'll talk about the last two points in the story.
Have you ever been so excited to tell the world something special has happened in your life? God enjoys making good news announcements as well. In fact that's what the Gospel is all about and the good news of Jesus was directly opposed to the good news of Caesar. Makes for a tension filled experience... which one will we believe?
Renewing your wedding vows after 10, 15, 25 years is often powerful because the couple renewing them intimately understands the cost of the vows. They also intimately understand the blessing and beauty that is bought with that cost. The same is true for Israel in Joshua 24 and true for us today as well.
Have you ever played in the waves of Lake Michigan only to suddenly realize that where you started is no where near where you have drifted to? In chapter 23 Joshua pulls together all the leaders of Israel to give both a warning and an encouragement. He reminds them what God has done and what will happen if they decide to align themselves with the gods of the culture around them.
The easiest way to drift spiritually is the same way we drift in Lake Michigan, this is why having some markers helps us evaluate where we truly are. The only thing you need to do to drift is...nothing.
In Joshua 10, the Israelites entered a battle against the joined forces of the Amorites, but it was God fighting on their behalf. YOU are the land being battled over today, just like that land. God has already said he's going to transform you and he's already given you His own son. How will he not do whatever you need to be transformed? The fight isn't yours—it's God's.
Forgotten birthdays, Shrek, and the Master of Disguise. The Gibeonite deception in Joshua 9 and the failures involved speak into our lives today and point us to the powerful reality of God's grace to receive and accept.
Have you ever done something you know you shouldn't so you tried to hide the evidence? When I was a paper boy for the Flint Journal I thought I could occasionally hide some ad's that I didn't want to take the time to deliver. It worked for a few years, until the day it didn't... The story of Achan and Ai reminds us that our sin never stays hidden and that it always affects those around us, especially those we love most.
It can be hard to reconcile the violence recorded in Joshua 5 and 6 with the God of love that we know today. Here, we see that the defining question is "Are you on Yahweh's side or everyone else's?". Because of our heart transformation following Jesus' teachings and today's cultural differences, we may not ever be comfortable with the violence we see, but the text holds several lessons that point to God's goodness.
Memory is one of the most important spiritual tools Christians can use in times of trouble. When crossing the Jordan into a new and marvelous (but equally intimidating) land, Joshua and the Israelites built memorials that would remind people of God's faithfulness for generations to come. Are you keeping a record of the ways God has been faithful? You will encounter something one day that seems BIG and you'll need a reminder of His faithfulness to give you the courage to move forward.
Have you ever felt like an outsider? Like everyone knew the rules and the language and the handshakes and you just didn’t? The story of the foreign born prostitute hero of Joshua 2 is both awkwardly cringeworthy and beautifully instructive. This unexpected story teaches us about what God is like and why that should change how we treat the outsider.
When you hear the question "Who helped you find and follow Jesus" what faces pop into your mind? These people invariably sacrificed their time, energy and resources so you could experience what they had. This is what three of the tribes did in Joshua 1:10-19 and there is a lesson in this seemingly insignificant story for us. Who are the people that your face will pop up in their mind when they hear the question "Who helped you find and follow Jesus"?
Are you on the cusp of something new, a job transition, relationship, a move or new phase of life? This is where Israel found itself as Moses has dies and Joshua is asked to lead the fledgling nation into the Promised Land. There's three lessons we can learn from Joshua's commissioning as we start our study of the book named after him. Promises have consequences, even for God.
Entitlement may be the ugliest thing on planet earth and yet most of us in the West struggle with it. As our world and lives continually speed up we need to learn how to how to keep our joy, peace and love even when we don't get what we want when we want it. Jesus practiced slowness or the discipline of humble patience as an antidote to entitlement and when we choose to practice slowing ourselves we build the muscle memory required to pick up our cross as He did.
We are bombarded with noise, both external and internal so much so that we can rarely remember that last time we were silent. The enemy of your soul knows that the best way to keep you from experiencing God's presence and voice is to keep the actual and figurative noise level our lives constantly humming. Jesus modeled a resistance practice for us often going into the wilderness (eremos) as a place for silence and solitude with His Father. The eremos (wherever that is for you) is a place to find strength and intimacy so like Jesus you may find strength for the work ahead.
Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers, Moby Dick, and Jesus healing a bleeding woman and the dead daughter of Jairus. Love is patient, which makes it incompatible with hurry. Jesus was full of patient love that challenges our hurried lives and invites us into something better (Luke 8:40-56).
We're both made in God's image and made from dirt... bursting with potential, yet absolutely limited. The myth of living life without being yoked together with some type of master is an illusion. The only question is what does your master promise and what do they deliver? Jesus wasn't the first teacher to say that he had a yoke, he was just the first to say that His was light and easy. If our lives don't seem to have much love, joy or peace, we're probably more yoked to the things of this world than we are to Him. The way to experience the life of Jesus is to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.
Ever since the sundial allowed us to measure time we've felt the need to fit more into the hours we're given. Nothing has made such a drastic impact on the pace of our lives and our attention like a few inventions that debuted in 2007. If the entire Bible hangs on two commands, love God and love others, then we are doomed if we can't re-learn how to travel at the speed of love. Love is neither distracted nor fast and that is the problem.
Most people say they want to be generous with their income and yet Americans only donate approximately 2.1% and Christian American’s are similar at 2.3%. Why does God ask his people to give and why is it in our best interest to do so? Spoiler alert: it’s not so we can feel good about ourselves. God doesn’t want something from you, he wants something for you. This is a tutorial on how to give away your first $100K.
Covid has stolen something from us that is central to the human experience, the ability to look forward, dream and plan. We have found ourselves (rightfully) trying to make it through the next day or week, especially as so much changed and the future was hard to imagine. Join us as we begin to look up, look ahead and re-envision a preferred future. We believe God has given us a vision to reach the next generation through church planting. Listen to find out why.
What's the difference between a collector of baking recipes and a baker? It's in the doing. Join us as Dr. Gary Burge gives us a biblical formula for how to hear God's voice in a way that not only transforms our lives but the lives around us.
Have you ever struggled with trying to listen to God and wondering if it's God's voice or your voice that you're hearing? There's a number of ways to go about understanding someone with a radically different accent than you're used to. Find a translator, spend more time with the person, and adding subtitles are just a few options. God has an accent, a unique way of speaking to us today and when we immerse ourselves in His Word we begin to discern His voice among others and understand the things He is saying. God's voice can be understood because He uses similar patterns in speech that we can learn and recognize.
"Sometimes I just feel like God's guidance is confusing!" Have you ever felt this way? God does not speak in confusion, but God is mysterious. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts, higher than our thoughts. Although God is mysterious, He is also consistent. The ways He has spoken in the past are often the ways He wishes to speak to us today. Join us as we look at six of those ways and hear stories of how God is still speaking like this to us today.
Does God still speak to people the way He did in the Bible... and even if he does, would He actually speak to me like that? Join us as we dive into scripture to answer these questions and learn through some personal stories of how God speaks and why it's always in our best interest to listen.
Movie Trailers, Arrival, and how God is retelling our stories and rebuilding our lives--and wants to use us to do the same in others' lives. We wrap up our series by considering a shared identity that we all possess: we are sent ones. John 20:19-23
The Schnitz Deli, Tony Hawk and the bridge between experience and obedience. What John wants to teach about discipleship and how to shock to the world (and why it's easy to miss). We need to move from consumers of Jesus to connoisseurs of Jesus. John 1:35-51
Coronavirus Pandemic dreams, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and vine and fig trees from the visions of Zechariah's. When we invite others into our church community, we participate in God's kingdom and shock the world with the love of Jesus. Zechariah 3:1-10
The middle school lunch room, restaurant racism and why who you eat with says a lot about who you are. Jesus constantly shared a table with people that others would not because to share the table is to share your life. You'll never shock the world if you wont share your table. Luke 19:1-10
Communication theory, hair cuts after one week, and how Christians are meant to live lives that shock the world with the generous love of Jesus. If one of the primary ways that we share about Jesus is by answering questions about Jesus (Colossians 4, 1 Peter 3:15), our lives should be worth questioning. This week we explore how blessing others can help us do that.
Working at Chick-fil-A, the Lion King, and why addition and multiplication are the results of a life transformed by the fullness of Jesus. As we continually transition into post-pandemic life we have an opportunity to lean into one another and rehabit our lives around Jesus and the Church. The same things that God did with the early church in Acts 2, God wants to do with us today.
Where habits come from, why elevators are actually rocket ships, and how familiarity is the enemy of the awe & wonder of God. When we rehabit our lives around the Church, cool things happen. This is the pattern we see in the life of the early church in Acts 2.
The power of sharing a meal, learning to dive and how we stay devoted to the big rocks of our faith. Join us as we ReHabit our lives around the things that matter most just as followers of Jesus have been doing since the beginning.
We've all lost some habits and gained some habits over the past year, but as we all know, not all habits are created equal. If you are trying to follow Jesus there are no habits more important than the ones we find Acts 2. Join us as we empty out our jars to make sure we get the big rocks in first.
Join as we close our series on Song of Songs with Dr. Erin Clifford as she explains how the poems help us understand what God's love is like. God's love is not like ours, but ours can become like His.
Join us as we close our series on Song of Songs with Dr. Erin Clifford as she explains how the poems help us understand what God's love is like. God's love is not like ours, but ours can become like His.
Poetry, balloon roses and why you great love requires great intention. Join us as we learn three aspects that true love requires and some of the relational needs that men and women have. If you want to taste the fruit of the garden you need to know how to cultivate the trees.
Body insecurity, standards of beauty, and why good things happen in the bedroom when greater things are happening outside of it. Sex is not just physical, it is an act of the soul. Join us as we move through chapter one of the Song of Songs.
Derek Zoolander, disturbing trophies, and learning about sex on a car ride from Grandma's. Does God care about our physical lives? The Song of Songs reminds us that God cares about our sexuality and wants to redeem, heal, and help us to enjoy it. In the Song of Songs, the effects of sin and disconnection described in Genesis are reversed and restored.
How we intend to disrupt people’s disastrously wonderful American lives. Where Paul was headed, where we are too and why it matters. Buckle up, this a ride on a vehicle with no passenger seats.
Schwarzenegger, Devito, vaccines, and masks. How do we engage with one another when we disagree on “disputable matters”. Join us as we dive into Romans 14 and seek to apply it to a hot button topic. Freedom is wonderful, but love is even greater.
Racist real estate covenants, abhorrent laws and submitting to the government. Join us as we discuss Romans 13 and what it teaches us about the Pinnacle Principle and the Purge Principle.
*Special bonus interview regarding our church's movement into more intentional foster, adoption and refugee care.
How to get your older brother in trouble, being excited for your friends wedding when you don't even have a boyfriend and what sincere love looks like. Join us as we look at Romans 12 to discover how completely different people learn to treat one another with an otherworldly love.
Tom Brady, Simone Biles, Adele and why the most important part of your body is not a part. The church is intended to be a place that functions like a body, the whole is greater than the parts. Join us as we walk through Romans 12:3-8 and learn what it means to belong to one another.
Bacon and eggs, watermelon and mercy, conforming vs. transforming. Join as we learn the power and meaning of Romans 12:1-2 and the kind of sacrificial commitment that God desires and why it's worth going full send.
Knock knock jokes, the resurrection and what it teaches us about the past, the present and the future. Join us as Dr. Burge explains how your death day can become your birthday.
E.T., going away to college and how the resurrection opens the door to home. Join us we look at one of the most famous stories in the Bible that help us understand the kind of God that resurrects us and welcomes us home.
Tearing the roof off, farmers in Southern Illinois ask why faith requires risk. One of the greatest stories in the New Testament and modern day story that both end with a twist. The first invite is for you! Luke 5:17-26
Fishing with Jesus, Trivial Pursuit pie-pieces, and why obedience to Christ matters. Christ calls us to be instruments of obedience and use whatever blessings we have been given for the sake of others. (Luke 5:1-11)
Undocumented immigrants, unexpected generosity, and why many people that encounter Jesus want to throw him off a cliff. Jesus is dangerous and being his disciple is will take you to places you never thought you'd go (but are so glad you did). Join us as Dr. Burge teaches us the "curtain raiser on Jesus ministry" from Luke 4.
Nintendo 64's for Christmas, temptations and why God brings us into the wilderness. There is great clarity when our self made salvations no longer save and we are stripped to the core. We find that there is only Savior and He knows what we need even better than we do. Luke 4, Exodus 17, Hebrews 3.
Caesar Salad, the Harvard Test of Inflected Acquisition, and the kingly rule of God. Join us as we look at Luke 4:5-8 and the temptation for Jesus to receive and rule all of the kingdoms of the earth. This temptation forces Jesus to answer two questions that all of us must answer nearly every day. Who does God say that I am? And who or what are you worshipping?
Chocolate chip cookies, temptation and the hardest thing you'll ever need to do (trust God's love). Join us as we look at Luke 4 and the temptation for Jesus to turn stones into bread. The temptation may not be what we think and it's still very much in play for us today.
Does God still speak today and if so, how do we know it's him? Join us as we discuss how God speaks and how to begin to discern what His voice sounds like. The Holy Spirit is a person, who has a voice that you can learn to recognize. There is nothing God wants more than to have a lifelong relationship with you and the best relationships always have the best conversations.
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and should we seek it today? Join as we work through the most controversial topic in our series on the Holy Spirit. Some things we die for, some we divide for but this is neither. This is something in the debate for category, we can disagree but should still love one another and worship together. Let's do our best to gain some context and then engage in scripture to understand a little more clearly the kind of church we believe God is calling TLC to continue to grow into.
For the last 60 years the church has talked about things the Spirit does and gifts He gives in a way that may not be as helpful as we'd like to believe. Join us as we ask if there is such a thing as spiritual gifts and try to understand what the Holy Spirit wants to do among us today as we dig into 1 Corinthians 12 as we continue our Holy Spirit series.
Talking and not talking, Brother Lawrence and the great lengths God has gone to be with His people. The Holy Spirit is Gods empowering presence in us, with us, for us. Join us as we trace the arch of Gods presence throughout the Bible to understand what an amazing gift the Holy Spirit is to anyone who believes in Jesus.
Mechanical abilities, jet skis and the equation for power. Jesus said his followers would do what he did and even greater things... is that even possible? Join us as we dive deeper into the Holy Spirit as Gods empowering presence.
Is the Holy Spirit a force to learn how to wield in our lives or a person to get to know? Join us as we walk through the Atacama desert, a not so amazing first kiss and the biblical history of the Holy Spirit. Are you thirsty?
Well water, plumbing issues, and water tests. You can't choose what water sources are close to your house, but you can choose which ones to hook up to and how you'll filter them. God has three spiritual "water tests" He'd like us to take as we head into this new year. The Headphones Test, The Stream or Swamp Test, and the Sunday Brunch Test. Join us as we give space for the Spirit to help us identify better ways to hook up to God's living water.
The Nintendo Gamecube, a little town in southern Indiana, and Elijah the prophet. Sometimes it's right after moments of intense joy and relief that we are confronted with our own weariness and exhaustion. Join us as we unpack the ways that God provided comfort and rest for Elijah, and discern the ways that God wants to do the same for us today. (1 Kings 19:1-8)
The Sewelo Diamond, sweaters from JC Penny and ruining your American nativity. When it comes to gifts, bigger isn’t always better, better is always better. Jesus arrived in the world with little fanfare and with a surprisingly humble birth. Why celebrating Christs birth on the wrong day every year is a needed reminder to not miss the best gift ever given.
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Early Christmas decorations, the Appalachian Trail, and how a poem from Isaiah written many years ago still speaks to us today. In the season of Advent, we have the opportunity to retell and reimagine the story of our year, and the story of our lives in light of the hope of the coming Jesus. (Isaiah 40:1-5; Mark 1:1-3)
Taking my wife for granted, gratitude, and why Israel is a cautionary tale of faith vs. works. We have the greatest news ever announced, we want to proclaim it with excitement! Join us as we look at Romans 9-11 and listen for what God wants to say to us today.
Bad days, Stephen Fry, and the reality of suffering in our world. We tackle the hot topic of suffering and the problem of evil, how we approach it as followers of Jesus and what Scripture has to say about HOPE.
Monty Python, missing the mark and why being "in Christ" brings three dramatic changes that rescue us from shame. Romans 6-7 teaches us that we move from slavery to freedom, from defeated to victorious, and from alone to accompanied.
How to get bragging rights, what you should do if you could go back in time and why hope in the bible is not wishful thinking but a promise based on a revealed future. Faith that saves comes with three powerful benefits, join us as we discuss Romans 5 and why you should bet your life on this hope... especially during the week of an election.
The Great Blondin, the little blue pill and why Abraham's faith is the template to change your life. Faith is not an option for anyone, what we choose to put our faith in though is. Whose back are you clinging to?
An honest conversation about a polarizing topic. LGBTQ+ is not an issue to be solved, they are friends and neighbors and family to be loved. We will honor God and love each other when we hold grace and truth firmly together as Jesus modeled for us. Join Pastor Toran and Author Laurie Krieg as they dive deeply into this important conversation.
Lord of the Flies, catastrophes, and why the solution to the world's problems will never be found from below. This introduction to Romans from Dr. Gary Burge helps us understand Paul's radical solution to transform catastrophe into celebration. It is the power of God, and it must come from above.
8th grade math, doing hard things and why Jesus took his disciples to gates of hell for an important revelation. Jesus is a church planter and he wants us to take the jump with him. Join us we talk about what We Will do with Jesus as we learn some interesting history in Matthew 16.
River Monsters, Amy Winehouse, and how Jesus invites us to love our enemies. As followers of Jesus, we love people who are different from us, people that we don't get along with, and not just because it's beautiful, but because that's what God's kingdom is like.
Pontoon boats, aircraft carriers and why the church is the key ingredient to shape your loves. Today we discuss four new habits every believer needs to consider as we move into the fall, especially in the age of Covid.
David Foster Wallace, shopping as worship, and how to shape your loves by reforming your habits. The call to imitate and practice allows us to have new loves, better loves. Whether we recognize it or not, we are all being sold a vision of the good life, but if we don't pay attention to the water we swim in we will easily fall prey to the counterfeits.
Life is worth dying for (like literally), which automatically means it's worth living for. Death in our favorite art, poppyseed chicken casserole, and why Ecclesiastes urges us to embrace and accept death so that we can fully embrace life.
The secret to slowing down time, the Byrds and why carpe diem is an expression of faith. You can neither change the past nor control the future so enjoy the present.
"What doesn't belong" worksheets, fake laws enforced by our parents, and the movie, About Time. Why Ecclesiastes gives us a responsibility to be present and enjoy life. Ecclesiastes 1:1-4
Cedar Point, skinny cuts of Prime Rib and overflowing cups. Why God is lavish and you can be too. A truth to learn, a truth to live. Psalm 23:5
The bombing of MLK’s home, paella and why feeding your enemies requires hard choices. God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, but what does he expect us to do once we are there? Join us as we look at this powerful verse in Psalm 23.
Putting spiders in your sons bed, Jesus Walks, and the only way to fight injustice. Even though we walk through the valley of shadows, we fear no evil, because God is with us.
To my surprise, telling my wife to relax during a heated argument has never been helpful. Did you know sheep can’t lie down until they are free from 4 things? We too can learn to be free from worry and fear if we have the right shepherd… a shepherd that will meet our needs. Jesus is relaxed.
Painful and confusing things happen to people all the time, just rarely to all of us at the same time. Jesus shares a glimpse of the Fathers' heart which can give those willing to believe a powerful antidote to fear and anxiety.
The 5 Rules of Fight Club, why conflict is the cost of intimacy and why God cares about how you learn to fight with your significant other. Join us as we learn how to fight fairly as we journey through scripture and psychology to grow our relationships.
Torcedor’s, debt, and why money is one of the most fought over topics in relationships. Today we discuss the “B Word”- budgets. Why they bring freedom and why God cares that you would experience that in both your finances and your relationships.
The Notebook, the 80’s gameshow Press Your Luck and a foolproof way to know if you have the gift of singleness. Singleness is far too often seen as something to escape in American Christianity. This is not the teaching of scripture though. Join us as we journey through the cultural soup we live in, and answer the questions, should you get married and what and who should you pursue. The answers may surprise you.
Advice for oldlyweds, how God can still change your marriage when two broken people understand the power of covenant.
Maguire’s disease, the 3D Rule, why marriage is getting harder and what to do about it. Great marriages are not built on compromise but on sacrifice. Join us as we dive into one of the most misunderstood and misused passages of the Bible, Ephesians 5:15-33.
Friday Night Lights, why Doctors won’t let us lay in hospital beds for very long and the importance of paying attention to your eyes (because the eye always drains into the heart). Join us as we look at one of Jesus's famous teachings in the gospel of Matthew chapter 6.
Andy Warhol, jello molds, shooting lasers into your eyeball and the reason God wants to prune your life to be more fruitful and beautiful.
Spiritual salsa, why oil lamps can save your life and the importance of engaging with God in His Word. It’s a new year, and if you want a new you, nothing will make a bigger and longer lasting impact than spending time with God. God’s Word is more cowbell for your life.
The Genealogy of Jesus in Matthew is often ignored and treated as a meaningless text to skip over to get to the “real stuff”. However, Matthew's Genealogy has much to offer. It looks back and looks forward all at the same time and reminds us of who God is. As we transition into the new year, it is important to do the same: look back, look forward, and be reminded of who God is.
2 stories, guitar building and blowing up a motorcycle. Christmas ties these things together because when God put on human flesh at the birth of Jesus it was His promise to never give up us. He is still at work.
When you meet a messenger of God the normal reaction is fear, but the coming of Jesus was an announcement of peace. Peace is more than the absence of war or mere tranquility. The peace of God is shalom, complete wholeness and well being. Join us as we learn what it means to find peace in the midst of our fear.
What does it really mean to “Be still and know that I am God”? Why God says “Enough! I am enough” and why it’s especially important during the season of Advent. Joins us as we explore Psalm 46 and some stories in the gospel of John.
This Sunday we moved forward with our series You Can’t Go Until You Leave by walking through the story of the Israelites and the golden calf in Exodus 32. In this story, the Israelites mess up. But God doesn’t abandon them. Exodus is a story about us too though. Through Jesus, our response to all of this must be, like Moses, to worship.
Smoke and fire, cheesecake and Sleeping at Last. What Exodus 19 teaches us about Gods desire for Israel and more importantly how God wants us to experience him today.
Sydney’s story, the parting of the Red Sea and how shame can be drowned in the sea. Jesus died to erase your guilt and rose again to give you a new identity. Part the Waters, Drown the Shame!
Kanye, excuses and why God loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Join us in Exodus 3 and 4 as we look at the call of Moses to help God rescue his people.
Work produces money and money produces one of two things: greed or generosity. From the front of the Bible to the back the generosity of God is constantly displayed with an invitation to mimic. Though we swim in a world often filled with entitlement resulting in greed, we are called into a life of gratitude that spills out generosity. Don’t believe the lie of just one more thing, believe in the generous life (besides, the generous life has better perks).
What Napoleon Dynamite and a man born blind from birth teach us about how to invite others onto the spiritual dance floor. Chicken Little was mistaken, Jesus is still compelling.
First crushes, Brussels Sprouts, Lamborghini’s and why falling in love with Jesus is what we want to be about.
Our lives are dictated by the things and the people that we love, what we have fallen for. And we always fall for what we find beautiful. In Acts 16:11-34, we see the impact of this in the life of Paul as Jesus transforms his heart and relationships with others to show us that Different is beautiful. When we fall in love with Jesus, we fall for beauty, and we fall for different.
Did you know that in some cultures the appropriate way to greet a person is to ask if they’ve eaten yet? Today we explore Boodle Fights, why laying on the floor at an amusement park may be the most beautiful thing on earth, and the everyday radical hospitality that makes those who feel they don’t belong, belong.
Nurses, 5th grade trauma, illegal immigrants and why mercy matters. We’re all half dead hoping for a Good Samaritan; why we need one, how to be one.
What to do when God asks you to tie a grown man's shoes in Starbucks. John 13 and the greatest leadership lesson Jesus ever taught.
Politics, money, contentment and the secret recipe for the worlds best chocolate chip cookies. Join us as we close out our series in Philippians chapter 4.
Jesus calls us to live into the pattern of leaving our past behind, focusing on Him, and experiencing our future today.
Paul knew that there was nothing as valuable as knowing Christ. He couldn’t brag about his own accomplishments (although his were impressive) instead he considered them garbage. Strong words, but so necessary for those of us who want to live amazing lives.
Have you ever felt like you needed to work harder, do more, be better? That God’s grace is still something to be earned? We shine like stars when we hold on to the word of life, but by grace is how we do it.
Have you ever loved ants enough to seriously consider becoming one? God did. Today we consider The Pattern Jesus set out for us... it’s a rough beginning, a hard middle, but an amazing ending. Check it out.
In Phil. 1:12-30, Paul explained his situation to the church in Philippi and gave his reaction to it. Jesus changes everything, even the way that we endure hardships and suffering. This portion of Paul’s letter puts this on full display as the hope of the Jesus pattern in suffering shines through. While Paul may be in chains, the Gospel is not.
Today we start a journey through the letter written to the church in Philippi. The Apostle Paul opens this letter of encouragement by sharing why they bring him so much joy and what his prayer is for them.
Why does communion matter? Because communion belongs to the weak, because the Lord’s Supper is for those who don’t have it all together but do have Jesus.
Baptism is public proclamation, physical representation, mystical unification, symbolic identification and good ole fashioned obedience.
Telling others about Jesus is hard. In Acts 8, through the life of Phillip, we see some patterns that can help anyone share their faith in a personal and conversational way. When we do so, we join in God’s mission being realized in beautiful and powerful ways.
Great lives have the same elements as all great stories. A character that wants something worth wanting and overcomes great conflict to get it. If no one would want to read a book about your life then start editing today. When we live for the future, we experience heaven on earth. What do you want... because if you can afford it, you probably haven’t found it.
Have you ever wondered if change is really possible? The Bible teaches us that it’s less about what you do than Who you know. Eyes up.
Have you ever made such a big mistake in life that you’re not sure how you’ll ever recover? The apostle Peter and our friend Celia show us how to “Recover from Failure” in our first installment of Moments That Make Us.
Easter is the story of hope, the story of things once thought impossible now found true. Easter is death in reverse; it is The Possibility.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and journeying with Jesus through this time helps us in three important ways.
What someone has to say in some of their final moments of their life reveal the type of person they are and what they care about. Jesus’ prayer in some of his final days is no exception. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a prayer for those who’ve not yet seen his heart.
Jesus promises us five gifts that the Spirit will give his followers. We unwrap those gifts as we love and obey Jesus and those gifts enhance our lives in countless, unbelievable ways. John chapters 14-16.
Have you felt abandoned? The disciples were certainly afraid that Jesus was going to do that so Jesus went out of his way to remind them that he will not leave them as orphans. Dr. Gary Burge unpacks John 14 to help us understand that these promises are for us today as well. Series: For Those Who've Not Yet Seen Teacher: Dr. Gary Burge Date: March 24, 2019
Series: Ancient Mind Modern Heart, Water's Edge Sunday Teacher: Toran Scott Date: July 29, 2018
Series: Flourish: Teacher: Dr. Phillip Bustrum, Bonnie Bustrum & Toran Scott Date: February 11, 2018