Missio Dei Community - SLC: Recent Episodes
Missio Dei Community - SLC
Matthew 7v24-27 with Phil Hughes
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Luke 18v9-14 with Zach Lehr
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Matthew 18v21-35 with Erin Drum
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Matthew 20v1-6 with Zach Lehr
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Luke 10:25-37 with Abby Ampil
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Luke 15v11-32 with Heather Thomas
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Matthew 13v31-33 with Phil Hughes
Jesus rarely responded to questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Matthew 13v1-23 with Jonny Morrison
Jesus rarely answered questions with straightforward answers. Instead, he told stories—stories about farmers and feasts, lost coins and generous employers, unexpected neighbors and extravagant grace. In this series, we'll explore some of Jesus' most memorable parables and discover how these ancient stories continue to challenge, comfort, and transform us today. Together, we'll learn what the Kingdom of God is like and what it means to follow Jesus in the ordinary moments of everyday life
Genesis 11v1-9 with Jonny Morrison
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Genesis 6v1-6, 12v20 with Jonny Morrison
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Genesis 2v25-3v7with Jonny Morrison
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
A panel discussion on image bearing as part of our Genesis series with 3 members of the Missio community - Becker Bullard, Lauren Cole, and Jordan Moss.
In this community night we introduce our community initiative. We hear from two members of the community, Kait Garcia and Josh Craner about the nonprofits that they are doing important work with.
Note: The first 5 minutes were missed due to technical difficulties.
Genesis 2v18-25 with Jonny Morrison
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Genesis 2v1-3 with Heather Thomas
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Genesis 1v26-28 with Jordan Moss
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Genesis 1v1-5 with Jonny Morrison
From creation to chaos, the early chapters of Genesis reveal a God who consistently resists domination, limits violence, and works toward healing through relationship, not force. In these opening pages, we are given a vision of God’s intention for the world — a life of image-bearing, shalom, and mutuality, where humanity lives in right relationship with God, one another, and all creation. Even when humanity fractures the world, God responds not with annihilation, but with covenant and grace — a story that reaches its climax in Jesus, where what began at a tree is healed on the cross, and in the resurrection, we taste the first fruits of the renewal of all creation.
Reflections on the seven last words of Jesus from seven different people in our community.
Jordan Moss - "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Amanda Lingle - "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Zach Lehr - "Woman, here is your son." "Here is your mother."
Nancy Hughes - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Becker Bullard - "I thirst"
Julian Garcia - "It is finished."
Phil Hughes - Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
John 18v33-38 with Phil Hughes
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
Hebrews 10v35 - 11v6 with Jonny Morrison
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
*The first few seconds of the scripture reading are cut off due to technical difficulties.
Luke 4v14-22 with Heather Thomas
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
2 Corinthians 5v17-21 with Jonny Morrison
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
Isaiah 6v1-8 with Jonny Morrison
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
Psalm 130v1-4 with Jonny Morrison
Christians often inherit words before they inherit meaning. Over time, essential gospel language becomes distorted, weaponized, moralized, or flattened. In our Lenten series, we're taking time to to slow down, return to Scripture, and recover the life-giving, Jesus-centered meaning of the words we use to describe God, ourselves, and the work of salvation.
Matthew 28v16-20 with Heather Thomas
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation.
Matthew 6v9-13 and Acts 1v12-14 with Phil Hughes
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation.
1 Corinthians 12v12-14 with Jonny Morrison
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation.
Acts 2v42-47 with Jonny Morrison
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation.
1 Corinthians 11:17-36 with Heather Thomas
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation.
Colossians 1v15-18 with Jonny Morrison
The church is not a building or an event—it is a people called together around Jesus. This series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters and how we are formed through shared life, practice, and participation
Matthew 16v13-20 with Jonny Morrison
Assembly Required explores what it means to be the Church—not a building or an event, but an assembly of people called together around Jesus. Drawing on the biblical vision of ekklesia, this series invites us to rediscover why the local church matters, why participation is essential, and how faith is formed through shared life and practice. Our 2026 prayer series, Assembly Required, invites us to become a Jesus-centered people who actively join God’s work of renewal in our community and beyond
Psalm 130 with Jonny Morrison
Spiritual growth often feels like walking backwards—moving toward the future while facing our past. We can’t see exactly where we’re going, yet faith invites us to trust that Christ walks with us in it all. This series explores how looking back with compassion and forward with hope can shape a deeper, truer, more grounded faith.
Acts 1v6-11 with Jonny Morrison
Spiritual growth often feels like walking backwards—moving toward the future while facing our past. We can’t see exactly where we’re going, yet faith invites us to trust that Christ walks with us in it all. This series explores how looking back with compassion and forward with hope can shape a deeper, truer, more grounded faith.
Exodus 12v1-14 with Phil Hughes
Spiritual growth often feels like walking backwards—moving toward the future while facing our past. We can’t see exactly where we’re going, yet faith invites us to trust that Christ walks with us in it all. This series explores how looking back with compassion and forward with hope can shape a deeper, truer, more grounded faith.
John 3v1-10 with Jonny Morrison
Spiritual growth often feels like walking backwards—moving toward the future while facing our past. We can’t see exactly where we’re going, yet faith invites us to trust that Christ walks with us in it all. This series explores how looking back with compassion and forward with hope can shape a deeper, truer, more grounded faith.
Luke 19v1-10 with Jonny Morrison
We are in a sermon series called “The Trouble With Strangers.” We live in a world where belonging is both deeply longed for and painfully difficult. Political divides, cultural differences, personal wounds, and busy schedules all work against community. And yet, research and Scripture agree: we flourish when we belong. This Sunday Jonny preached on restoration.
2 Corinthians 7v5-16 with Heather Thomas
We are in a sermon series called “The Trouble With Strangers.” We live in a world where belonging is both deeply longed for and painfully difficult. Political divides, cultural differences, personal wounds, and busy schedules all work against community. And yet, research and scripture agree: we flourish when we belong. This Sunday Heather preached on the practice of trust.
Matthew 18v15-22 with Jonny Morrison
We are in a sermon series called “The Trouble With Strangers.” We live in a world where belonging is both deeply longed for and painfully difficult. Political divides, cultural differences, personal wounds, and busy schedules all work against community. And yet, research and Scripture agree: we flourish when we belong. This Sunday Jonny preached on the practice of forgiveness.
Matthew 5:9 and Ephesians 4:2-6 with Heather Thomas
We are in a sermon series called “The Trouble With Strangers.” We live in a world where belonging is both deeply longed for and painfully difficult. Political divides, cultural differences, personal wounds, and busy schedules all work against community. And yet, research and Scripture agree: we flourish when we belong. This Sunday Heather preached on the practice of peacemaking.
Luke 7:36-50 with Jordan Moss
We were made for connection, but forming a meaningful community is harder than we expected. We long for belonging but often feel like outsiders. In this series, we’ll explore the tensions of loneliness and the good news of a Jesus-centered community. Together, we’ll learn the everyday practices that help strangers become friends and form a household of faith marked by peace, forgiveness, and trust.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 with Jonny Morrison
The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a body to describe the church. In the Roman world, this metaphor reinforced hierarchy—some parts were “more important” than others. Paul flips this: every member is indispensable, and the “weaker” members are given special honor.
The church, Bonhoeffer reminds us, is “Christ existing as community.” We represent Christ to one another (through forgiveness, prayer, burden-bearing) and to the world (as Yoder said, the church is the “hermeneutic of the gospel”).
We are not called to unhealthy codependence (“I can’t be okay unless you are okay”) or counterdependence (“I don’t need anyone”), but to godly interdependence: “I need you, and you need me.”
Ephesians 2:13-22 with Jonny Morrison
We live in a world where belonging is both deeply longed for and painfully difficult. Political divides, cultural differences, personal wounds, and busy schedules all work against community. And yet, research and Scripture agree: we flourish when we belong.
Paul writes to the Ephesian church, a community divided by culture, tradition, and class, to remind them that God’s story has always been about creating a family of blessing. Through Christ, Jew and Gentile are united into one household of faith—a place where rhythms, resources, and responsibilities are shared.
Households of faith are not perfect, but they are where we practice belonging, learn forgiveness, and display God’s wisdom to the world.
Colossians 4:2-18 with Heather Thomas
In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul gives us a cosmic vision of Christ—Creator, Sustainer, and Reconciler of everything. Colossians is filled with big ideas and wondrous descriptions. But Paul’s theology isn’t just big ideas or idle theories, it's also deeply practical, both cosmic and grounded––expanding our imaginations and at the same time offering practical direction for our daily life. How can it be both? Because for Paul, Christ is at the center of it all holding the universe and everything within it, even our daily lives, together.
Colossians 3:1-4:1 with Jonny Morrison
Paul and Timothy’s letter to the Colossians moves between the biggest, boldest thoughts about God and the very ordinary realities of daily life. This week, we explore how cosmic truths—Christ’s victory, reconciliation, and kingdom—crash into everyday spaces like relationships, households, and work.
The theme for this week is tension:
- The tension of the already and not yet kingdom.
- The tension of cultural codes vs. kingdom ethics.
- The tension of difficult passages (slavery, submission, authority).
Rather than resolving all tensions, Paul invites us to live faithfully within them, letting the future kingdom of Jesus shape our present lives.
Colossians 1:24-2:23 with Jonny Morrison
In this part of Colossians, Paul moves between the cosmic and the everyday—from grand visions of Christ as the center of all things to the ordinary details of life. He reminds the Colossians that everything we believe about God shapes how we live. But Paul also warns that there are competing stories, powers, and philosophies that try to pull us away from Jesus as our true center.
Modern voices, like David Foster Wallace, echo Paul’s concern: “Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” Paul insists that Christ—not empty religion, cultural pressures, or worldly powers—must be at the center, because only Christ offers real belonging, forgiveness, and freedom.
For Paul, this freedom isn’t just about independence—it’s about living rooted in Christ, participating in his life, and giving ourselves for the sake of others.
Colossians 1:1-23 with Jonny Morrison
This week begins our new series, Cosmic Thoughts for Everyday Life, where we explore how the vast, sweeping truths about Christ connect directly to the smallest details of our daily living.
Paul’s letter to the Colossians moves between cosmic-scale theology—Christ as the center of creation, redemption, and the future—and very practical issues like family relationships, work, and community life. For Paul, you can’t separate theology from everyday ethics.
The book of Jonah is a strange tale that you probably remember from Sunday School. It’s got a big whale, a rebellious prophet, a tree eating worm, and a repentant Nineveh. These features make Jonah perfect for the screen but a bit hard to understand as scripture. Should we read Jonah like any other prophet or is it a parable? That strange ambiguity takes some work to understand but it’s also what makes the book of Jonah so powerful. At the heart of the story of Jonah is a reluctant prophet frustrated by the mercy of God. As we read this strange little story, we’re invited to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, do we really want God to love our enemies? Do we really want God to be merciful?
The book of Jonah is a strange tale that you probably remember from Sunday School. It’s got a big whale, a rebellious prophet, a tree eating worm, and a repentant Nineveh. These features make Jonah perfect for the screen but a bit hard to understand as scripture. Should we read Jonah like any other prophet or is it a parable? That strange ambiguity takes some work to understand but it’s also what makes the book of Jonah so powerful. At the heart of the story of Jonah is a reluctant prophet frustrated by the mercy of God. As we read this strange little story, we’re invited to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, do we really want God to love our enemies? Do we really want God to be merciful?
The book of Jonah is a strange tale that you probably remember from Sunday School. It’s got a big whale, a rebellious prophet, a tree eating worm, and a repentant Nineveh. These features make Jonah perfect for the screen but a bit hard to understand as scripture. Should we read Jonah like any other prophet or is it a parable? That strange ambiguity takes some work to understand but it’s also what makes the book of Jonah so powerful. At the heart of the story of Jonah is a reluctant prophet frustrated by the mercy of God. As we read this strange little story, we’re invited to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, do we really want God to love our enemies? Do we really want God to be merciful?
The book of Jonah is more than a story about a reluctant prophet and a big fish—it’s a literary masterpiece rich with irony, symbolism, personification, and foreshadowing. In this week’s message, Abby invited us to read Jonah not just for its literal details, but for the deeper truths it conveys about the heart of God.
Through the storm narrative in Jonah 1, we meet a prophet who runs from God, a group of pagan sailors who respond with surprising faith, and a God who responds not with punishment but with compassion. Jonah descends—literally and symbolically—as far from God as one can go, yet God meets him there. Abby reminds us that God’s love is not performance-based. It’s present in the mess. It pursues us in our failure. And yes, it's scandalously extended even to our enemies.
The book of Jonah is a strange tale that you probably remember from Sunday School. It’s got a big whale, a rebellious prophet, a tree eating worm, and a repentant Nineveh. These features make Jonah perfect for the screen but a bit hard to understand as scripture. Should we read Jonah like any other prophet or is it a parable? That strange ambiguity takes some work to understand but it’s also what makes the book of Jonah so powerful. At the heart of the story of Jonah is a reluctant prophet frustrated by the mercy of God. As we read this strange little story, we’re invited to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, do we really want God to love our enemies? Do we really want God to be merciful?
This week we conclude our series Reckless?, exploring the bold, relational, and non-coercive love of God. Today’s focus is the tension between suffering and hope, control and trust, certainty and identity.
Romans 8 reminds us that even in the groaning of creation, the ache of uncertainty, and the absence of easy answers, God is with us. Not through domination or certainty, but through loving presence, secure attachment, and patient hope.
This passage invites us to live as co-laborers with God—not by escaping the tension, but by rooting our identity in God’s love and letting that shape how we wait, pray, and participate in the healing of the world.
This week in our Reckless? series, we explore a powerful and surprising truth: God's love is vulnerable. While vulnerability might seem weak or unsafe, the story of Jesus reveals a God who does not grasp at power or rule from a distance, but who gives, descends, and draws near—even to the point of suffering. Paul’s hymn in Philippians 2 invites us to take on the same posture: to live not from control or coercion, but from the strength of sacrificial love.
To love is to be vulnerable. And to be vulnerable is to share in the very heart of who God is.
On Trinity Sunday—and Father’s Day—we reflect on what it means to say “God is love.” This week, we explored the idea of God’s love being “reckless”—not in a careless way, but in a bold, self-giving, audacious way that risks for the sake of relationship. The Trinity shows us that God is not an isolated being but a community—Father, Son, and Spirit—defined by mutual love and inclusion.
This loving community doesn’t just exist within God’s self but extends outward to us. God invites us to be part of the divine family—not based on biology, merit, or obligation—but through the freedom of love. This is the kind of love we call “chosen family.” And it’s the kind of love God shows us—risky, vulnerable, self-giving—and ultimately, transformational.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
On this Easter Sunday, we reflect on the story of two disciples walking the road to Emmaus—grieving, confused, and unsure if hope has truly come. Through their journey, we discover that Jesus meets us in our unraveling, walks with us at the speed of love, and reveals himself not through quick fixes or perfect answers, but through presence, patience, and a shared meal. No matter where you find yourself today, Easter is a reminder: Jesus walks with you—and at his table, you always belong.
On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem—a moment of celebration, hope, and political tension. The crowd celebrates, expecting victory. The Pharisees fear conflict. But Jesus weeps, knowing that neither group fully understands the kind of King he is—or the kind of peace he brings. His kingdom is not won through force but through self-giving love, leading to the cross and ultimately to resurrection. As we reflect on this story, we are challenged to ask: What kind of king do we want? What kind of peace do we pursue? And are we willing to follow the way of Jesus—who invites us into the hard but holy work of shalom—the wholeness, healing, and restoration of all things?
As we continue our Lenten journey toward Easter, we turn our attention to a striking portrait of Jesus in John 13—kneeling, apron-clad, and washing the feet of his disciples. This is no ordinary act of hospitality. It’s a profound disruption of social norms, a voluntary reversal of power and status, and a love-soaked redefinition of leadership and community. Jesus, fully aware of his authority and origin, chooses to serve in a way that would have shocked his contemporaries. In doing so, he not only reveals the heart of God but offers a pattern for us to live by: a love that is voluntary, communal, and embodied. This kind of love doesn’t just inform our beliefs; it forms our identity.
After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he observes the temple but does nothing—yet. The next day, he curses a fig tree that has no fruit, even though it is not the season for figs. Then, he enters the temple and overturns tables, condemning it as a "den of thieves." The following morning, the disciples find the fig tree withered, and Jesus teaches them about faith that moves mountains. These stories work together to highlight how religious systems can become fruitless, and Jesus’ call to a faith that is active and transformative.
The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus, revealing his divine identity to his disciples in a dramatic way. Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, is transfigured on a mountain, shining with glory as he stands alongside Moses and Elijah. This moment marks a turning point in his journey toward the cross and challenges the disciples’ expectations of who Jesus is. Like Peter, we often try to fit Jesus into our own understanding, but the Transfiguration reminds us that Jesus is not just another character in the story—he is the story. The invitation is to follow Jesus not on our terms, but on his, even when it challenges our assumptions.
Stories reveal who someone truly is. If we want to know what Jesus is like, we don’t just rely on facts—we look at the stories about him. This Lent, we are exploring six stories that reveal what kind of king Jesus is. Our first story, the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, shows us how he chooses to rule—not through power, performance, or control, but through trust, faithfulness, and sacrificial love.
Throughout this series, we've explored the vision of extending our table—how God calls us into unexpected places and welcomes unexpected people. As we conclude, we focus on how we’re not just invited to sit at the table but to contribute to the meal. Like a potluck, God calls each of us to bring our unique gifts to share.
Hope is not passive optimism—it’s an act of trust and courage. In this teaching, Heather explores what it means to cultivate hope and extend belonging, even when circumstances make it difficult. Through Jesus’ teaching and example, we’re invited into a bigger, more generous way of seeing and loving others.
As we journey through this series, we are exploring the vision and calling we believe God has placed on our community for 2025: Extending Our Table. This phrase is more than just an image; it is a posture, an invitation to expand our hospitality, embrace discomfort, and welcome the unexpected. In this guide, we will reflect on how Jesus models table fellowship in Luke 7 and consider what it means to extend our own tables in tangible ways.
At Missio Dei, we believe God is always calling us to something new while rooting us in His mission of renewal. This year, we sense an invitation to extend our table—to practice radical belonging, break down barriers, and witness to the hospitality of Jesus. But in a divided world, how do we gather and stay together? Join us as we explore what it means to build a community centered on Christ, not uniformity.
Our final installment in our series, Every Moment Holy explores how friendship is a holy practice that shapes us in profound ways—inviting us into renewal, connection, and love.
This week we explore how an obsession with efficiency can hinder wholeness and following the way of Jesus. While efficiency—the ability to maximize outputs with minimal inputs—can be a valuable tool, it becomes problematic when applied to every aspect of life. Instead of alleviating anxiety and creating space, an obsession with efficiency often magnifies stress and reduces life to measurable outputs. The Bible offers an alternative: patience. Biblical patience is not merely about waiting but about creating spaciousness—towards God, others, and ourselves—to cultivate trust, intimacy, and room to breathe. Holy Inefficiency invites us to resist productivity-driven habits and embrace rhythms that nurture our spiritual flourishing as God’s image-bearers.
Part 3 in our series, Every Moment Holy exploring how to live the way of Jesus with technology.
The first 5 minutes of this sermon (introduction) were not recorded.
In part 2 of our series, Every Moment Holy, Jordan explores the formative power of money and economics, contrasting the story of mammon—a system of exploitation and bondage—with the biblical vision of Jubilee, where debts are forgiven, communities are restored, and human flourishing takes center stage. Jesus invites us to reimagine our participation in economic systems, embracing his way of forgiveness, justice, and holistic freedom in our lives and communities.
Advent reminds us of the arrival of God in human form—Jesus—and invites us to consider what His incarnation means for our lives, our communities, and the world. In our final teaching of this series we explore how Jesus’ embodied life and resurrection point to a future reality of rest and restoration where heaven and earth are united.
In our Embodied series, we explore the mystery of God taking on flesh and dwelling among us. In this teaching, we reflect on what it means to be the body of Christ—united in diversity, breaking down divisions, and embodying Jesus’ presence in the world. Together, we are called to practice wholeness, belonging, and renewal, offering a tangible sign of hope and healing.
This second Sunday of Advent, we continue our series, Embodied, exploring the profound implications of God taking on flesh. The incarnation—the arrival of Jesus as a vulnerable child—reveals not only the nature of God but also the beauty and complexity of our humanity. Through three moments from Jesus' life, we see the power of presence, the process of growth, and the tension of living in human bodies. Jesus' embodiment shows us the significance of physical connection, the permission to embrace change, and the hope we hold in the midst of limitation and loss. Advent invites us to follow our "older brother" Jesus with compassion and hope, embracing our lives as deeply human and sacred.
As we begin the Advent season, we enter the story of Jesus’ birth with a new sermon series, Embodied. This week, we explore the profound mystery of the incarnation: God taking on a human body. Through John 1:1-18, we see how Jesus, the divine Word, reveals who God is, what God cares about, and where God is leading us. The arrival of God in flesh reminds us that every part of creation matters and calls us to live incarnational lives, joining in God’s work here and now.
There are certain characters in the Bible with bigger than life stories. People like Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, or David who became king, or Elijah who was a wild and honestly very strange prophet. These stories are captivating and inspiring, but they are also marked by seasons of mundanity, isolation, & wilderness and it’s in these regular moments that God meets us, shapes us, and prepares us for the road ahead.
In In Unseen Spaces – Ezekiel, we explore Ezekiel’s story as a prophet in exile, encountering God’s presence in a profoundly unexpected way. Ezekiel’s vision by the Kebar River, amidst personal and national dislocation, challenges his understanding of where and how God operates. This experience redefines his faith, shifting from temple-bound rituals to a boundless vision of God’s presence, even in Babylon. Through beauty and imagination, Ezekiel learns to see anew, embracing the call to share a renewed vision of God’s work among his people. His journey invites us to ask difficult questions, unravel our limitations of God, and embrace a faith that expands in unseen spaces.
there was a bit of technical difficulties at the beginning of the audio that cut part of the the introduction but the rest of the teaching is there
In our series "In Unseen Spaces" series, we are exploring how God meets people in unseen, quiet places to do deep, formative work. Following Jesus’ wilderness experience and Moses’ time in the desert, we now look at the prophet Elijah, whose story unfolds in a tense period of Israel’s history. Facing the corrupt rule of Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah tirelessly contends for justice and faithfulness. After a powerful showdown against the prophets of Baal, Elijah finds himself fleeing for his life, exhausted and despairing. Here, God meets him with tenderness, not rebuke, tending to his immediate needs and inviting him to listen. In a moment of intimacy, God whispers instead of wielding force, showing that rest and nearness can heal where power cannot. This journey teaches us that times of exhaustion and anxiety often call for rest, not action, as God uses unseen spaces to draw us close, helping us return to our lives whole and renewed.
In this teaching, we explore the often-overlooked years Moses spent in the wilderness, away from his dramatic encounters with Pharaoh and the Exodus. These forty years, filled with the quiet work of shepherding, were crucial as God transformed Moses, helping him shed Egypt’s influence and learn patience. In these unseen spaces, Moses found that true faithfulness is less about dramatic moments and more about showing up in the everyday, letting God work in the quiet. Join us as we consider how God forms us in similar ways today.
In our new series "In Unseen Spaces," we explore moments where life unexpectedly slows down, leading us into hidden, quieter places—just as it did for biblical figures like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Beginning with Jesus' time in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we delve into the tests of identity, anxiety, and control he faced, revealing a deeper purpose behind these trials. These unseen spaces, though challenging, offer us the opportunity to be formed by God's love in ways that prepare us for what comes next. Join us as we discover how Jesus invites us to walk through the wilderness at the unhurried pace of love.
Guest Speaker Christie Penner Worden shares on hope, faith, and wonder from her new book The Me I was Made to Be.
Humans are created in the imago dei, which is not simply a state of being, but a vocation. Being an image-bearer is a calling to create and cultivate in ways that resemble God and benefit others. We participate in making real Jesus’s kingdom when our everyday actions are inspired by a kingdom's imagination. When we create families, art, ministries, and safe workplaces that reflect Jesus and his kingdom, we are joining with God in extending the kingdom on earth.
In our current series, we’ve been talking about our practices as a church: gathering, welcoming, and inviting. Today, we focus on the practice of exploring – paying attention to where God is already at work around us, remaining curious and open to surprise. Paul’s journey teaches us that when we slow down, embrace uncertainty, and stay curious, God can lead us to new and beautiful encounters, just like His surprising meeting with Lydia by the river. We’re invited to trust, pay attention, and take risks, following God wherever He leads.
In this teaching of The Missio Dei series, we explore the ancient and essential practices of welcoming and inviting, rooted in biblical hospitality. Jesus modeled a radical hospitality that crossed boundaries, inviting the unexpected into His presence. Drawing from stories in Luke 4 and Matthew 25, we see that in welcoming others, we are not just offering kindness but encountering Christ Himself. As we reflect on what it means to create space for people who think, live, and believe differently, we are reminded that God invites us all to the table—and in doing so, we become both the welcomed and the welcomers.
In this teaching of the Missio Dei series, we explore the practice of gathering as a central act of faith. Building on last week’s message from Jordan Moss, we dive into how gathering tells a story of who we are, where we come from, and what God is doing in our midst. Whether around a table or in worship, gathering allows us to celebrate, remember, and proclaim God’s work. It's where we practice belonging, experience the presence of Jesus, and are shaped for mission in the world. Join us as we reflect on the deeper significance of gathering in our journey of faith.
In this series, we revisit our community’s vision and identity, exploring how the presence of God shapes who we are and how we live. Drawing from the Gospel of John, Jordan discusses how our life with God begins in belovedness and intimacy, and how that foundation calls us to embody Jesus’ presence in the world. As loneliness and disconnection grow, Jordan reflect's on what it means to be fully present with God and others, creating spaces of connection, renewal, and belonging. Join us as we unpack how we can be a people who mirror God’s love and presence in every area of life.
In our final teaching in our "Make Good Choices" series, we dive into Paul's teachings from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, where he addresses the Corinthian church's misunderstandings about sexual ethics and freedom. We explore how Paul's ancient wisdom on the value of the body and the importance of love and responsibility in our choices can guide us in developing a healthy, God-centered sexual ethic today.
In part 3 of our series, Make Good Choices, Heather explores how a Christ-centered community can navigate differences through love, as highlighted in 1 Corinthians. Drawing on Paul's teachings, we discuss the challenges faced by the Corinthians, who, despite their spiritual knowledge, struggled with division and discord. The apostle Paul emphasizes that true spiritual maturity isn't about asserting our knowledge or freedoms but about building each other up in love. In a world full of differences, this episode invites us to make choices that reflect the inclusive and generous spirit of Jesus, fostering unity and care within our communities.
In "Make Good Choices Pt. 2 - See You in Court," we explore how the Corinthian church's approach to conflict—taking disputes to corrupt Roman courts—contradicts the gospel's call for restoration and unity. Throughout this letter, Paul challenges us to handle disagreements within the church by embodying the future kingdom of God now, choosing love and mutuality over self-interest. Paul urges us to expect more from ourselves and each other, engaging in conflict with a spirit of restoration, as we strive to live out the messy, yet beautiful reality of being a community shaped by Jesus.
In this teaching from Make Good Choices, Jonny explores the divisions that plagued the early church in Corinth and how they still resonate with us today. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 1:1, 10-18, we’ll discuss how Christians often align themselves with different leaders, ideologies, or interpretations, and the impact this has on our unity. Jonny unpacks Paul’s advice to the Corinthians, encouraging us to prioritize our shared purpose in Christ over our differences. Whether you're struggling with division in your own community or simply curious about how to navigate disagreements with grace, this episode offers valuable insights on how to stay united in a divided world.
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Is the gospel good news for us today? For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small--it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. The good news about is good news is that it looks and sounds like Jesus.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring the book of Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be exploring the book of Philippians. This short letter, written while Paul was in prison, is a beautiful invitation to participate in the story, life, and people of Jesus. The story of Jesus is transformative and as we encounter Him, we cannot help become a people who love more like Him.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
In our series Heart, we will be exploring 5 spiritual practices that help us curate hearts of God-shaped love. These are practices that begin internally and then move us toward humble participation in community. These practices are ancient and have been helping Christians for 2,000 years practice humility and open themselves up to receiving and extending love.
Advent is a season of presence in which we celebrate and remember the way in which God entered the world to be present with us. Our Good Shepherd came to earth to lead us towards green pastures. He entered into hostility and laid a table before us. Our God moved into the neighborhood to pursue us in love and faithfulness.
Also, during service we provided a bit of a 2023 in review which you'll hear before the sermon.
Advent is a season of presence in which we celebrate and remember the way in which God entered the world to be present with us. Our Good Shepherd came to earth to lead us towards green pastures. He entered into hostility and laid a table before us. Our God moved into the neighborhood to pursue us in love and faithfulness.
Advent is a season of presence in which we celebrate and remember the way in which God entered the world to be present with us. Our Good Shepherd came to earth to lead us towards green pastures. He entered into hostility and laid a table before us. Our God moved into the neighborhood to pursue us in love and faithfulness.
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Party Crasher pt 8
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Party Crasher pt 7
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Luke 14:1-4
Party Crasher part 6 - Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Luke 11:37-53
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Luke 10:38-42 - Dinner with Mary and Martha
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Throughout our series, Party Crasher, we’re going to explore the 10 parties in the Gospel Luke. Sometimes Jesus is hosting, other times he’s attending and yet in each of them, Jesus is crashing expectations, cultural norms, and religion to show us what the gospel looks like.
Final installment in our series I am Not, featuring a curated conversation with members of the Missio community!
I am not - becoming
In our series, I am not, we will be looking at common identity stories. Then we will counter those false, small, or reduced stories with the good news of God’s story. We are not our hustle, our production, or our image. We are not how responsible we are nor are we our mistakes. We are image bearers, created in goodness and named loved. Nothing, not anything, can change that.
I am not - becoming
In our series, I am not, we will be looking at common identity stories. Then we will counter those false, small, or reduced stories with the good news of God’s story. We are not our hustle, our production, or our image. We are not how responsible we are nor are we our mistakes. We are image bearers, created in goodness and named loved. Nothing, not anything, can change that.
I am not - Image with special guest, Michelle Jones
In our series, I am not, we will be looking at common identity stories. Then we will counter those false, small, or reduced stories with the good news of God’s story. We are not our hustle, our production, or our image. We are not how responsible we are nor are we our mistakes. We are image bearers, created in goodness and named loved. Nothing, not anything, can change that.
In our series, I am not, we will be looking at common identity stories. Then we will counter those false, small, or reduced stories with the good news of God’s story. We are not our hustle, our production, or our image. We are not how responsible we are nor are we our mistakes. We are image bearers, created in goodness and named loved. Nothing, not anything, can change that.
In our series, I am not, we will be looking at common identity stories. Then we will counter those false, small, or reduced stories with the good news of God’s story. We are not our hustle, our production, or our image. We are not how responsible we are nor are we our mistakes. We are image bearers, created in goodness and named loved. Nothing, not anything, can change that.
Ruth 4
The book of Ruth is often read like a love story but Ruth is no rom-com. It is a story of real suffering and genuine courage as characters experience famine, death, and poverty. In this short Old Testament book we read the story of real people who are trying to trust God in their everyday. It isn’t easy. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t a rom-com with a meet-cute, but a story of hard fought faithfulness and hope.
Ruth 3
The book of Ruth is often read like a love story but Ruth is no rom-com. It is a story of real suffering and genuine courage as characters experience famine, death, and poverty. In this short Old Testament book we read the story of real people who are trying to trust God in their everyday. It isn’t easy. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t a rom-com with a meet-cute, but a story of hard fought faithfulness and hope.
Ruth 2
The book of Ruth is often read like a love story but Ruth is no rom-com. It is a story of real suffering and genuine courage as characters experience famine, death, and poverty. In this short Old Testament book we read the story of real people who are trying to trust God in their everyday. It isn’t easy. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t a rom-com with a meet-cute, but a story of hard fought faithfulness and hope.
The book of Ruth is often read like a love story but Ruth is no rom-com. It is a story of real suffering and genuine courage as characters experience famine, death, and poverty. In this short Old Testament book we read the story of real people who are trying to trust God in their everyday. It isn’t easy. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t a rom-com with a meet-cute, but a story of hard fought faithfulness and hope.
Ruth 1:1-15
The book of Ruth is often read like a love story but Ruth is no rom-com. It is a story of real suffering and genuine courage as characters experience famine, death, and poverty. In this short Old Testament book we read the story of real people who are trying to trust God in their everyday. It isn’t easy. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t a rom-com with a meet-cute, but a story of hard fought faithfulness and hope.
1 John 4:7-21 - Christ's death on the cross is the perfect snap shot of God. Every other metaphor, story, image we are looking at is an expression of love that transforms us and makes us a people.
Anxiety, Judgement, and Trust
During this service, we had some technical difficulties, so the audio is a bit choppy and pieced together for about the first quarter. Thanks for your patience and understanding!
During this service, we did the practice of Lectio Divina, or "Divine Reading."
Heather takes us through the passages of Micah 5:2-5 and Luke 1:26-56. Feel free to participate as you listen, alone or in groups, pausing the audio as you need!
In this sermon, pastor Jonny explores Revelation 15-16. In this section of Revelation, the narrative shifts to the end of Babylon and the destruction of evil. Here we see that God is on a restorative mission. God wants to end evil, heal the world, and restore us as image bearers.
This week, Jonny continues our series, We See Ghosts, by preaching through Luke 19:41-48.
For three years Jesus had been preparing his disciples for the moment of his return following the resurrection but when it finally happened, they couldn’t comprehend it. For the disciples it was easier to believe Jesus was a ghost than to believe he was alive in the flesh. This same feeling is always a struggle for followers of Jesus. In order to comprehend, we reduce, we see ghosts instead of a living, resurrected King. As he did for the disciples, Jesus is inviting us to “touch and see” that he has “flesh and bones.” He is inviting us to see and to experience the reality of Jesus’ work, words, and promises.
This week, Heather starts our new series, We See Ghosts, by preaching through Luke 19.
For three years Jesus had been preparing his disciples for the moment of his return following the resurrection but when it finally happened, they couldn’t comprehend it. For the disciples it was easier to believe Jesus was a ghost than to believe he was alive in the flesh. This same feeling is always a struggle for followers of Jesus. In order to comprehend, we reduce, we see ghosts instead of a living, resurrected King.
As he did for the disciples, Jesus is inviting us to “touch and see” that he has “flesh and bones.” He is inviting us to see and to experience the reality of Jesus’ work, words, and promises.
Jonny continues our series with Joel 3:17-21 Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Heather continues our series with Joel 3:1-16 Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Jonny continues our series with Joel 2:28-32 Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Heather continues our series with Joel 2:18-27. Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Jonny continues our series with Joel 2:1-17. Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Jonny begins our new series in Joel 1. Joel is an often overlooked prophet, but within this tiny book is a big message about the movement of God in, through, and for his people.
Luke Goodrich, one of Missio's elders, facilitates a discussion with four members of Missio's community.
This year for Advent we will be walking through the Psalms of Ascent. This week, Heather walks us through Psalm 132. The Psalms of Ascent were prayers the people of Israel would say and sing, together, as they marched upwards towards the temple in Jerusalem, seeking God and asking him to meet them; to be present. Like the Psalms of Ascent, Advent is about both our need and our preparation for God’s presence. But while the Psalms of Ascent were prayed in ascent, in the people’s slow climb upwards towards the temple and the presence of God, Advent, on the other hand, turns our attempts at ascent upside down. We don’t climb to him, he descends to us. Like gravity, God’s presence is experienced in the decent, in his downward movement towards us and in our reception of his gift: himself.
This year for Advent we will be walking through the Psalms of Ascent. This week, Heather walks us through Psalm 130. The Psalms of Ascent were prayers the people of Israel would say and sing, together, as they marched upwards towards the temple in Jerusalem, seeking God and asking him to meet them; to be present. Like the Psalms of Ascent, Advent is about both our need and our preparation for God’s presence. But while the Psalms of Ascent were prayed in ascent, in the people’s slow climb upwards towards the temple and the presence of God, Advent, on the other hand, turns our attempts at ascent upside down. We don’t climb to him, he descends to us. Like gravity, God’s presence is experienced in the decent, in his downward movement towards us and in our reception of his gift: himself.
This year for Advent we will be walking through the Psalms of Ascent. This week, Heather walks us through Psalm 126. The Psalms of Ascent were prayers the people of Israel would say and sing, together, as they marched upwards towards the temple in Jerusalem, seeking God and asking him to meet them; to be present. Like the Psalms of Ascent, Advent is about both our need and our preparation for God’s presence. But while the Psalms of Ascent were prayed in ascent, in the people’s slow climb upwards towards the temple and the presence of God, Advent, on the other hand, turns our attempts at ascent upside down. We don’t climb to him, he descends to us. Like gravity, God’s presence is experienced in the decent, in his downward movement towards us and in our reception of his gift: himself.
This year for Advent we will be walking through the Psalms of Ascent. This week, Heather walks us through Psalm 121.
The Psalms of Ascent were prayers the people of Israel would say and sing, together, as they marched upwards towards the temple in Jerusalem, seeking God and asking him to meet them; to be present.
Like the Psalms of Ascent, Advent is about both our need and our preparation for God’s presence. But while the Psalms of Ascent were prayed in ascent, in the people’s slow climb upwards towards the temple and the presence of God, Advent, on the other hand, turns our attempts at ascent upside down. We don’t climb to him, he descends to us. Like gravity, God’s presence is experienced in the decent, in his downward movement towards us and in our reception of his gift: himself.
This week, Jonny continues our series: Practicing the Way. The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear? In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit's work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Self-Control).
This week, Heather continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit's work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Gentleness).
This week, Jonny continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit's work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Heather continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit's work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Jonny continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit's work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Jonny continues our series: Practicing the Way. The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear? In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit’s work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Tony Simoncini continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit’s work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Jonny continues our series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit’s work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
This week, Heather starts our new series: Practicing the Way.
The book of Mark ends by posing a question; how do we respond to the mysterious victory of Jesus? Do we go and tell or freeze in fear?
In this series, we will be exploring the fruit of the Spirit, not simply as values or virtues but as a way of participating, keeping in step with, the Spirit’s work in us and the world. Each fruit will be partnered with a passage and a historic Church practice. These practices are not absolutist, but they are traditional ways the people of Jesus have embodied their belief together (aka Faith).
Jonny continues our series in Mark 15. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather continues our series in Mark 14. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 13. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather continues our series in Mark 12. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 11. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 10. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Zach Medlin continues our series in Mark 9. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather continues our series in Mark 8. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 7. After Pentecost, we enter "Ordinary" season. This doesn't mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 6. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather continues our series in Mark 5. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Jonny continues our series in Mark 4. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather continues our series in Mark 3. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Pastor Jonny continues our series in Mark. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
Heather begins our series in Mark. After Pentecost, we enter “Ordinary” season. This doesn’t mean we are in a boring season but a time to ask questions about our day-to-day lives in light of who Jesus is. What better way to enter this season than with the gospel of Mark, where we hear again who Jesus is and what it means to be his people.
This week Howie Smith continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week Jonny Morrison continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week Jonny Morrison continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week Tony Simoncini continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week Jonny Morrison continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week Heather continued our series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection, but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get us into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
This week we started a new series, Good Trouble, exploring the way of life that comes in the aftermath of Easter. We are a people of the resurrection but what does it mean to live that reality out in our everyday? We don't have all the answers but we can guarantee it'll get you into a little trouble, and that's a good thing.
Jonny finishes our series, Holy Words with Psalm 85. During this season of Lent we are exploring the Psalms of Lament. Most of us don’t have tools to worship and pray through the fullness of human life. The Psalms of Lament give us freedom and tools to live in all the complexity of human life. Like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent challenges our sentimentality by drawing us into the temptation, suffering, and death of Jesus––and in turn our own. And like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent shows that even the hard of our lives are Holy Words and that God, in Jesus, literally entered into it with us, to be present––body to body.
Heather continues our series Holy Words with Psalm 80. During this season of Lent we are exploring the Psalms of Lament. Most of us don’t have tools to worship and pray through the fullness of human life. The Psalms of Lament give us freedom and tools to live in all the complexity of human life. Like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent challenges our sentimentality by drawing us into the temptation, suffering, and death of Jesus––and in turn our own. And like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent shows that even the hard of our lives are Holy Words and that God, in Jesus, literally entered into it with us, to be present––body to body.
Heather continues our series Holy Words with Psalm 79. During this season of Lent we are exploring the Psalms of Lament. Most of us don’t have tools to worship and pray through the fullness of human life. The Psalms of Lament give us freedom and tools to live in all the complexity of human life. Like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent challenges our sentimentality by drawing us into the temptation, suffering, and death of Jesus––and in turn our own. And like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent shows that even the hard of our lives are Holy Words and that God, in Jesus, literally entered into it with us, to be present––body to body.
Jonny continues a series exploring the Psalms of Lament. Most of us don’t have tools to worship and pray through the fullness of human life. The Psalms of Lament give us freedom and tools to live in all the complexity of human life. Like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent challenges our sentimentality by drawing us into the temptation, suffering, and death of Jesus––and in turn our own. And like the Psalms of Lament, the season of Lent shows that even the hard of our lives are Holy Words and that God, in Jesus, literally entered into it with us, to be present––body to body.
Heather Thomas continues our series this week looking at Psalm 60, another community lament Psalm. The Psalm reveals a people holding onto both fear and faith in the midst of uncertainty and pain. We can relate to this in our own lives as situations we find ourselves in often have more questions in them than they have certainty or resolution.
As we read the Psalm of lament we realize that we are not asked to be dismissive nor defeatist in the midst of our circumstances. Lament means we don’t have to avoid, or silence pain or confusion or uncertainty. But lament is also not about being cynical or defiant, critical nor cruel or bitter. Lament is an honest and truthful expression of sorrow, grief, fear and pain. It is an honest protest that not all is right.
Lament language isn’t language that lacks faith and trust. In fact, we actually need faith and trust to use this kind of language. It requires faith because it requires a true understanding of who we are: a people who will never be separated from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8). It requires faith because is requires a trust in who God is and that he is capable and willing to relate to us at the deepest level. Rather than fearing that our faith is weak, or under false guilt that our rawness might somehow be wrong, or hiding in the shame that what we are going through is unseeable, lament gives us permission to come to him insistent that his presence be known.
Psalm 60 ends with an air of uncertainty with eyes on God. That is what is so uncomfortable about the lament Psalms since we so naturally strive to solve and fix things. Here, in the space of lament, we sit in hard places. We show before God, which takes courage and faith in our uncertain circumstances trusting his presence with us.
Jonny Morrison begins a new series for the season of Lent, walking through the Psalms of Lament, entitled "Holy Words." This is going to be an interesting work for us because the American Church is not all that good at Lament. We don’t have tools to lead us into unknown and hard places. Instead of practicing Lament we tend towards:
• Easy answers – trite, cliché, or superficial explanations for our experiences. • Quick Fixes – what we often call coping mechanism. Ways to deal and manage but not heal. • Ignore – which is how we tend to approach pain in other people’s lives. We don’t want to make it worse, so we ignore it all together.
We do all three of these things with good intention, but untended pain doesn’t heal. That is why we need the practice of Lament instead of shortcutting around the difficult space, Lament helps us enter in. On Sunday we named 5 ways Lament is a better way of first dealing with the hard parts of life:
• Lament names pain that our quick fixes tends to hide. • Lament gives voice to people who suffer the most • Lament joins the body together in solidarity. • Lament reveals to the world a different way of engaging. • Lament leads us into the deep places of our faith where we are challenged to trust.
Lament is a practice of trust: will we trust God in the unknown? Will we trust God even when we feel abandoned by him? This is the same question being asked of Jesus during the season of Lent. Will Jesus trust all the way to and through the cross, where he, like Israel in Psalm 44, will ask, “Why have you abandoned me?” The good news of Lent is that Jesus choose to trust, and because He does, our Lament always gets to be different.
Pastors Jonny Morrison and Heather Thomas talk about the reality of fear and trust; about listening to who God is and then risking when we hear him. To be invited into trust, they invited Missio to rehearse the Psalms we’ve been looking at over the last few weeks. They ended on a blessing Psalm, one that helps define who we are as a people.
A major part of moving out of fear is knowing and believing who God is and listening to him. Our response, or action, which often feels like a risk, comes out of security that no matter what, God goes with us.
There is an intuition in almost all of us to hide where we have fallen short or where others have hurt us. We think it protects us and keeps us from further hurt. But followers of Jesus are asked to live a different way. We are asked to trust God with those things we keep hidden. We are asked to believe that he will be attentive to our pain and struggle and in Jesus proves he is worthy of that trust
Kyle Costello continues our current sermon series by teaching from Psalm 23. For some, it's difficult to ever conceive of God as interested in our daily lives. The picture many have been invited to know about God is that He is unapproachable, distant, and uncaring. Jesus shows us that picture is false. Jesus and Psalm 23 reveal that God is intimately linked with His people. It shows that He provides in the daily mundane and in the extraordinary. He may do it in ways that at first challenge our ego and our pride, but as He reveals His ways and His faithfulness, we find comfort and love.
Ministry resident Nate Ray teaches on Romans 12 and invites us to look at the call to become a living sacrifice with fresh eyes.
Before the sermon, and included in this podcast, the elders and pastors of Missio share a major announcement for the Missio Dei Community: Kyle and Joy Costello have taken a position with a church in California and will be moving at the end of February. Their final Sunday will be February 24.
Following the announcement, Kyle continues our new sermon series, God is the Gospel, and shares how these are his prayers for Missio Dei, and have been prayers for himself. He shares from Psalm 121, tells the story of God speaking clearly to him and his family, and also invites us to consider how God may be speaking to us.
Kyle Costello begins our "God is the Gospel" sermon series by sharing from Psalm 1.
Depending on your personality you can look at the new year in a whole variety of ways. Maybe the new year excites you as you ponder possibilities? Maybe it overwhelms you? Or maybe you don’t even care? Regardless of your thoughts on the new year, God is always calling us into new and deeper ways of knowing Him. In the beginning of a book in the Bible called the Psalms, God does just that. God asks us to not just read about Him in the Bible, but to meditate on Him and then to even delight in Him. How does this happen? Why is this a good thing? As we kick off our new series this week, God is the Gospel, we will dig into the reality the the best news is that our God is so worth delighting in.
How do you attempt to manage fear and anxiety? What are the ways you cope with it? We all have different ways of trying to mitigate, manage, and control our fear but the truth is, we can’t. The only way to truly confront fear is to risk in trust and practice rest. Which is exactly what God invites his people to do when they feel the pressure and reality of fear. To risk in trust and practice rest. It’s not easy and it doesn’t manage or deal with the fear in our life. Rest doesn’t offer strategies, solutions, or easy answers to our problems. Instead, rest gets at something deeper by revealing to us more of who God is and more of who we are. As we tend to the presence of God in rest we also tend to our identity, and the result is we become a more distinct people who live and offer the world something different––better. Jonny Morrison preaches on the risk of rest.
Kyle Costello wraps up our Advent sermon series Blessed Intervention during our Christmas Eve service.
Heather Thomas shares from Philippians 2, which helps us understand the significance of Jesus' coming. With the season of Christmas it can be all too easy to forget the significance behind all of our celebrations. It can also be challenging if this season is hard for us to engage with. As we look to the text, it grounds and reorients us to what Jesus is revealing through His arrival. The coming of Jesus reveals what is means to be God and gives a vivid picture of who God is. Jesus' coming also reveals who we’ll become as we live in relation to who He is.
Jesus sets aside his status and Jesus takes the form of a servant and enters into humanity. This is a loud declaration of what it means to be God and who God is. He is self-giving and that self-giving nature always moves towards us in love.
Kyle Costello continues our Advent sermon series, Blessed Intervention.
When stories become familiar they can become tame or easily dismissed. Maybe no time of year is that temptation greater for the Jesus follower then at Christmas. We sings songs of hope, but is there any? This baby Jesus is supposed to mean something, but does he? During Advent this year we are going to look at the story of Jesus coming to earth and let the Bible tell us why its so profound. This week we begin by looking at Philippians 2 and asking God to make real to us again the profound act of his son coming to earth.
Jonny Morrison finishes up our series Age of Rage with Galatians 6. The book of Galatians is a letter to a church about how to be Church in a divided time. For 8 weeks we’ve explored how the gospel unifies hows, how the cross free us, and how the Spirit empowers us to love. In his final word to the Galatians Paul applies all that he’s said to real everyday life. What does it look like to love like Jesus? Carrying the burdens of others especially those who hurt us.
In our series, Age of Rage, Kyle Costello takes a look at Galatians 4:8-9.
At some point in our life we have to be willing to assess how we follow Jesus and in what areas we don’t. Throughout this series we have discussed many ways we can buy into false gospels rather than God’s Gospel, and today it gets more personal. Today we look closely at ways we are still choosing to be enslaved rather than to be free in Christ. Today we look to the Bible not for rules to get us free from slavery, but for the depth of Christ to compel us to leave our enslavement.
In out series, Age of Rage, Jonny Morrison looked at Galatians 3:10-29. Throughout the series we’ve been exploring the feelings of our cultural moment by asking, "Why does our world feel the way that it does?" Yesterday we specifically asked why our world seems so divided and tribal? Tribalism and division are fundamental concerns for Paul in the book of Galatians because he is watching the young church dived along theological and racial lines. In Galatians 3 Paul pinpoints the false gospel underneath our tribalism and calls us, by our death in Christ, to put on Christ and be united in Him. We are to become a cruciform people.
It's not popular to confess that you have been fooled, but has there ever been a time in your life where you have been? What did that feel like? When Paul writes to the Galatians, he says that they have been fooled or bewitched into believing a message other than the message of Jesus.
Do we do that? How?
This week Kyle Costello teaches through Galatians 3 and looks specifically at the questions Paul asks the Galatians to help them see how they have trusted in a message other than that of Jesus.
How tempted were you to judge someone today? Even if it was just a dialogue in your head, how tempted were you or how did you give in to a desire to shame, judge, mock, or blame someone? Where does that come from in us? How do we address issues when people hurt us or as Christ Followers when people in our community live outside of the Gospel? These are important questions and thankfully Jesus and his followers not only dealt with them but gave us a way to follow as we seek to be people who offer Grace and Truth to the world rather than shame, blame, and judgement.
Take a closer look at Galatians 2:11-20, and how Paul's rebuke gives us insight into healthy confrontation within the context of being the church in our current cultural moment.
Kyle Costello takes us through the passage.
We are currently in a series entitled, Age of Rage, exploring the feelings, emotions, and tensions of our current cultural moment. The goal is to diagnose and address feelings of dissonance, resentment, anger, loneliness, and anxiety––diagnose and address with the gospel and ask how the Church can respond. We’ve been rooted in the book of Galatians and the Apostle Paul doesn’t mince words in his diagnoses of our deepest problems he says we’ve trusted in false gospels, rival “good news” stories.
What are these rival good news stories about? If you peel back all the layers and get to the very bottom of it all the rival stories are the “gospel of self;” stories that put the weight of salvation, fulfillment, and flourishing on our shoulders. On the one hand that is appealing because it smells like freedom, but the truth is a ““gospel of self”” leads to reduction, exploitation, and anxiety.
Jonny Morrison preaches week 3 of our Age of Rage sermon series.
In week 2 of our series Age of Rage, Kyle Costello continues walking through Galatians 1 and exploring the feelings of our current cultural moment.
The world doesn’t politely suggest ways to fulfillment; rather it intensely confronts you with them. The world says wealth and importance is paramount. It says the powerful are the real valuable people. If we choose a different way the world mocks us.
So where does that leave the Christ follower? Can we mix the gospel of the world with the Gospel of Jesus? And what happens if we do? The story of Jesus, like the claims of the world, is no different in asserting its path to fulfillment powerfully. Jesus doesn’t live, die on the cross, and be raised from the dead to politely suggest his way is a good one. Jesus' life and words tell us that his Gospel is an objective truth that is to be believed above and beyond the ways of the world.
So how do we decide? Are the invitations of the world where we will find our peace and thriving? What if we feel like we have tried both and both have left us empty? Can we really trust the message of Jesus? What and how can we uncover the lies or the truth behind these competing claims? This week we dig deep into Galatians to listen to Jesus, see what he is doing in the midst of his people, and ask the questions above.
Kyle Costello opens the new sermon series, Age of Rage.
We all trust a “gospel” in our lives. Whether we claim to follow Jesus or not, we all have “good news” that we run to for hope, meaning, and healing. In the book of Galatians the author suggests that just because you are a Christian does not mean that you always trust Jesus as your true gospel. In this series we begin to look at the Gospel of Jesus and compare it to the gospels that the world offers us. We will look closely at our own words, time spent, etc... to discern whether we trust in the true Gospel of Jesus or whether we have traded it in for a false gospel offered by our world.
Heather Thomas walks the community through Isaiah 61.
Last week Kyle talked about the vision for who we are at Misiso based out of Jeremiah 29. In Jeremiah 29 the people are in exile. Exile happens throughout the OT as a result of humanity failing; not honoring their relationship with Yahweh. Adam and Eve are sent away from the garden: exiled. Israel is sent away from Jerusalem: exiled.
The broader textual meaning is that exile creates in humanity a feeling of being dislocated and lacking a sense of true belonging. Tim Mackie describes it this way: “(A) feeling of alienation and longing for something more no matter where you live.” In that place we need comfort, hope, vision for who we are and a renewed sense of purpose and vocation.
The book of Isaiah provides poetic imagery describing a person, a human agent who is sanctioned and empowered to do a deeply transformative work in the community of Gods’ people. What emerges is a picture of transformative, radical reversal and exchange; where people are brought out of exile, drawn out of sadness, loneliness, grief and are offered presence, vitality and joy. They become people with energy, vision and resolve. People whose strength and vitality is restored. Earlier in Isaiah it is clear how these people emerge. They emerge though the self-sacrificing servant of Isaiah 52-53 and their subsequent response to him.
When Jesus begins his ministry he reads Isaiah 61. He is about to do a deeply transformative work in humanity. Through an act of self-giving love he brings humanity out of the exile of sin and death. His life proves more powerful than human failure and exile. The picture in Isaiah 61 then becomes a picture of who we can be when we respond to the transformative power of God in our lives.
As a church sometimes we have to step out of our rhythms to reflect on what God has done and is doing. The first Sunday of every month is our opportunity to do that. This month we ask the question, "What is the Missio Dei?". Sure its our name, but what does it mean or more specifically what does it look like to join God on his mission.
Kyle Costello interviews several members of the church community within the context of Jeremiah 29:4-7.
Kyle Costello preaches from John 18:33-38 and John 19:9-11.
To end our series we close with one of the most fascinating conversations in the life of Jesus. As he is set to be crucified Jesus comes face to face with Pilate. Jesus represents the Kingdom of God and Pilate represents the most powerful nation on earth. In their exchange Jesus teaches Pilate and anyone who reads of their account that he is a God who is extremely personal and all powerful, but not even close to the way the world would expect. This week we look at how we have a choice as people whether or not to embrace Jesus and how our own addiction to power often keeps us from fully knowing him.
Kyle Costello preaches on joy.
Joy is anything but an emotion of happiness. Joy propelled Jesus to the cross and the invitation of Joy compels sinners to trusting in Christ. Today we look to the scriptures to get at the heart of Joy and what it means to be people who don’t just fake happiness, but rather immerse ourselves in Joy.
Jonny Morrison preaches from Luke 19.
We are currently in our series entitled, Exclusion & Embrace, which focuses on stories of Jesus with people. We spend a lot of time talking about the theology of Jesus or the doctrines of Jesus but in his time with people we see a lived theology of presence that shapes our vision for who God is and what it means to be his people.
This week we looked at the, flannel graph favorite, story of Zacchaeus. Interestingly only Luke records the story of Zacchaeus. It’s especially interesting that Luke includes this story when you look at the stories coming directly after: Parable of the Ten Minas, Triumphal Entry, and the Cleansing of the Temple. At first glance it feels like Zacchaeus is a strange little tag along but, what if Zacchaeus’ story is actually key to understanding what comes next? And not just to understanding the narrative of Luke but to understanding the work of Jesus?
The story of Zacchaeus isn’t an isolated incident or a fun but inconsequential addition. No, the story of Zacchaeus is essential to chapter 19. The parable of the Ten Minas doesn’t make sense outside of Zacchaeus story––they are essentially connected pairs. But that’s also true of the cleaning of the temple. Jesus condemn the temple for not doing what Zacchaeus does. Jesus is rejected from his rightful home (temple) but welcomed into Zacchaeus’ home. But, that’s what happens when we follow Jesus and live out his way, we become living a temple.
Kyle Costello speaks about Mark 5.
Throughout the series we have been looking at the way Jesus embraces and invites people to know him, his love, and his mission. Today, we continue down that path but with a tweak. Today we ask, how do we live his embrace? What does it look like when we accept him for who he is and then actually live out the grace and mercy he has given us. To put it more clearly, how do we live as people who are practicing their faith?
The story of Jairus that is linked with the bleeding woman in the Bible is a remarkable picture of what it means to live faith. From the beginning to the end the author shows us how to not just know about Jesus, but know Jesus; not just to like him but trust him; and not just be a fan of him but devote our everything to him.
Kyle Costello speaks from Matthew 19.
Whether you study people who believe in a God or gods or people who don’t, one thing you find is that we are always asking some fundamental questions. How do I belong? How do I qualify for love? What things do I need to do in my life to “get right.” People of Jesus' day were no different. What’s remarkable about Jesus is the way he engages these questions. He challenges the questions and seems to assert that we are asking the wrong questions.
This week, in our series that takes a look at ways people exclude and embrace one another, we will look to the Bible to see how Jesus addresses the fundamental questions that humans ask about love, belonging, and acceptance.
Luke's writing in Acts is showing us God’s presence isn’t gone in Jesus' absence, but instead, that the Holy Spirit is God’s personal presence come to take up residence in the new dwelling place: His people. As His presence shows up in His people they begin to look differently. This week we looked at how they embodied both gratitude in worshipful feasting together and generosity in openhanded sharing of what they had.
As the Christian Church began to grow up in the Book of Acts they needed teaching and correction. As we grow up and mature in our desire to follow Jesus we need teaching and correction. When we first hear that it can challenge us. There seems to be nothing good or attractive to being corrected. But, what if we are seeing teaching and correction through the lens of shame or control rather than what Jesus is inviting us into. As we look to Acts this week we see that Teaching and Correction are 100% a part of the life of a Christ follower but instead of being there to control or shame its there to invite people into hope and grace. As a church we can’t abstain from teaching and correcting one another, rather we need to look to the ways of Jesus in order to honor one another as we teach and correct so that we can truly understand the fullness of Christ.
When you hear "repent" what do you think? Bullhorn guy on the corner? Angry preacher on television? Would you ever picture Jesus saying that? The reality is he said it and he said it a lot. But why? What was he inviting us into? This week we are asking anyone and everyone in our community to set aside what they think about when they think about repentance and to give an ear to the book of Acts, and other texts, that invite us into one of the most beautiful gifts God has given us: Repentance!