Azle Christian Church: Recent Episodes
Azle Christian Church
Azle Christian Church — a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — is a church community in Azle, Texas. We invite everyone to be who you are with us: the doubting, the believing, the wondering, and everything in between. Our pastor — Rev. Ashley Dargai — preaches on how the expansive and generative love of God seen through Jesus, the prophets, the early church, and the faith forbearers help us love our neighbor and the world more deeply and faithfully. Sometimes it’s messy and tough, but it’s good news, and it is for you.
Elemental: Connecting to Creation "Earth" (Psalms 24:1)
Rev Russell Clark
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Elemental: Connecting to Creation
Sermon: "Water" - Rev. Russell Clark
A service for healing and renewal. Jesus is the Living Water. We have to continually return to the water to be renewed & refreshed. Water nourishes us, cleans us, but it can also be dangerous in a storm. We know the One who calms the waters. The ocean reminds us of its beauty, while also marveling in reverence of the power of this water.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Growing Pains: Facing Flawed Faith
Sermon: "Jacob" - Joey Garcia
“God gave Jacob the new name Israel just like Jesus gave Simon and Saul new names.This is a theme not just with the biblical characters we read about but with us as well. God tends to take us and give us a new name, separating our old deceptive, sinful selves and make us new. This doesn’t mean we will be perfect and not struggle with our old nature but God calls us to identify with something higher.”
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon: "Simon/Peter" Rev. Russell Clark
Series: Growing Pains: Facing Flawed Faith, Rev. Russell Clark
Peter is the one who denied Jesus three times. And yet Peter is the rock upon which Jesus will build his church. As the saying goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified. God qualifies the called.”
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Growing Pains: Facing Flawed Faith
Sermon: "Job's Friends" Rev Russell Clark
Job’s friends try to justify why Job is suffering, claiming they know what God is doing and Job is being punished for some wrong doing. But in the end, God says they have no right to claim to know what God is doing. He asks Job to pray for them, basically saying that Job has the power to be a better friend in their time of shame than they were for him.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Youth Sunday: Learning and Growing, Kennedy Clark
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David is known for slaying Goliath, becoming king, and for his faith in Psalms. David was also an adulterer and a murderer. He was far from perfect. But God chose him to be on the throne and for his lineage to lead to Jesus, God’s son. He became a man of faith used by God despite his flaws.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
"Wrestling With God" - Joey Garcia
Genesis 32:28
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon: Dr. Strange & Time; Rev. Russell Clark
Series: Superheroes & Scripture
Our time on earth is short. How do we make best use of our time? Dr. Strange has the ability to control and manipulate space and time. If he uses this power to change events in time, it could have lasting consequences that are hard to reconcile.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon Series: Superheroes and Scripture
Sermon: "X-Men & Diversity" Galatians 3:23-29
What prejudices and stereotypes do I hold of one person or a group of people that has kept me from becoming more Christ-like and loving them like Jesus would? How can we be more like Christ and appreciate our differences and diversity?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Superheroes & Scripture
Sermon: "The Hulk & Anger" Proverbs 15:18
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch). Proverbs 15:18
Anger is a universal issue we all deal with which is why The Hulk has become such a popular superhero. How do we control our anger? How does anger hurt us? How does anger help us? How can we use our anger for good?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Superheroes & Scripture
Sermon: “Black Panther & Power” – Rev. Russell Clark
Matthew 5:7
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Series: Superheroes & Scripture
Sermon: “Spider-man & Responsibility” – Rev. Russell Clark
Spider-man was a superhero that almost didn’t get created. Stan Lee was told (1) you can’t name a superhero spider-man because people hate spiders, (2) a superhero can’t be a teenager, (3) readers won’t think he is heroic if you give him so many problems, (4) you can’t have a hero who is nerdy, and (5) you can’t have a hero who is always babied by his aunt. What spider-man gave us was a superhero we can relate to. We all have problems. We don’t all look like superheroes, but we all have God-given power within us. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Series: Superheroes and Scripture: Rev Russell Clark
Superheroes, Villains, and Humanity; Romans 12: 17-18
What is a superhero? What do superheroes have to do with scripture and faith? What do superhero stories teach us about our lives in the real world?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
"New Birth" (John 3:3)
Youth Minister Joey Garcia
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon: "Known" Rev. Russell Clark
Easter Sunday
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The Longest Prayer: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane "Not of This World" (John 17:14-16)
Rev Russell Clark
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The Longest Prayer:"Complete Joy" Rev. Russell Clark
What is Jesus’ joy? How do we receive this complete joy?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Longest Prayer: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
"Giving All for Glory" - Rev Russell Clark
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Series – The Longest Prayer: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane; John 17:1-3
In Jesus’ longest prayer, he prays for his disciples, knowing his impending death is looming. The hour has come. Eternal life starts now for all of us.
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There are many ways to serve the church. Let us explore all of these ways today as we seek to BE the future of this church. How can you commit to serving God and this church in new ways?
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Series: Commit: Stewardship as a Spiritual Journey
Sermon: "Presence" Youth Minister, Joey Garcia
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Sermon by: Rev Russell Clark
Table Meditation by: Diane Weger
MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was his most famous speech. He planned out his speech on this day, then completely threw it out. What is his “I Have a Dream” speech as we know it was completely improvised. What “dreams” do you have for our church, community, and world today?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Faith and Teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.: Nonviolent Resistance
MLK Jr. preached about nonviolent resistance in many of his messages – the idea to force an oppressor to see you and the injustice done upon you or others without striking back with violence. This was a method MLK Jr. took from Jesus and Gandhi. He focused on agape love – an unconditional love that saw everyone as brothers and sisters. How can we stand up for others through nonviolent resistance today?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Faith & Teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.; "The Time is Now" (Amos 5:24) - Rev Russell Clark
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Songs for the Messiah (Luke 1: 68-79)
Zechariah's Song: Prepare the Way, Rev. Russell Clark
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, couldn’t talk until John was born because he didn’t believe the angel foretelling his son’s birth. His song prepares the way for the birth of Jesus and the prophesy of who he will be and the joy that comes with this hope, as well as how John will be the one to prepare the way for Jesus. The end of Zechariah’s song really focuses on the dawn of a new day.
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Songs for the Messiah
Mary's Songs: The Great Reversal
Mary’s song is about liberation and the great reversal (changing value systems). The hope of the Messiah was very much an idea of someone who would transform the lives of the poor and oppressed. Did Jesus accomplish what Mary hoped the Messiah would be?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristian.faith. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Imagine a World With More Gratitude (Psalms 107:1)
Youth Minister Joey Garcia
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Hope in the Christian context is not wishful thinking; it is confident expectation rooted in the promises of God. Hope is an act of imagination. How might our church be a space of active hope? How can we walk with those who are going through a season where hope is difficult to find?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Imagine A World With More Justice (Isaiah 58:6-7,9)
Rev Russell Clark
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Series: Imagine a World With More...
Sermon: Imagine a World With More Community
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Baggage Skit. Original Tommy Woodard and Eddie James, adapted by Russell Clark
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Where Science and Religion Meet
Living as Faithful Stewards in the Information Age, Philippians 1:9-10
Questions Jesus Asked. Do You Want to Get Well? (John 5:6) Rev Russell Clark
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Rev. Russell Clark, Luke 5:16
When God appeared to Elijah, it wasn’t in the earthquakes or fire or wind, it was in the silence. Jesus often withdrew to deserted places to be silent. We have to turn the world off sometimes to focus on what God is trying to tell us in the stillness and silence.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon Series: Mosaic Faith: Deconstructing What We Think About God To See Something More Beautiful.
Sermon: Deconstructing Towards Faith (Matthew 14:29-31) - Joey Garcia, Youth Minister
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Salvation is not a one-time, conversion event; it is a life-long process. Salvation is not on our own accord, but through the cross & resurrection (the love) of God in Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Salvation is more than saving us from our personal sins, but a return to the wholeness of being with the body of Christ (transformed lives). God’s desire is for all of us to come to know of this love and life; not just some of us, but “God so loved the WORLD.”
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@AzleChristianChurch).
Mosaic Faith: Deconstructing What We Think About God to See Something More Beautiful. Rev Russell Clark
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Questions Jesus Asked
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Questions Jesus Asked: Do You Love Me? (John 21:15-17)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Questions Jesus Asked: Mary Magdalene was at the foot of the cross. Mary is now crying at the tomb of Jesus. She is the first to see the resurrected Jesus and to bear witness to this. She is the first to share the good news: “I have seen the Lord!” Jesus wipes away our tears. Jesus restores the garden. Jesus is who we are looking for. The questions Jesus asked revealed more of who he is.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you cangive on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Seven Sayings On The Cross: It Is Finished (John 19:30)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Seven Sayings on the Cross: My God, My God Why Have You Forsaken Me (Matthew 27:45-46)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Seven Sayings on the Cross: Father, Forgive Them (Luke 23:32-34)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Seven Sayings on the Cross: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Rev. Russell Clark
Hell (NO!): Psalm 30:1, 3; Philippians 3:10-11
Rev. Russell Clark
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1/7/24 Sermon
God Made You To Be OWESOME (Mark 1:7-8, Acts 4:31)
Rev. Russell Clark
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The Christ Child: Seeing Christ in the World Today
Christ the Joy
Rev. Russell Clark
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The Christ Child: Seeing Christ in the World Today: Exploring the journey to Bethlehem through Joseph’s eyes. Allowing ourselves to see Christmas like a child again. Owning our “adoption” as children of God.
Bridging the Generational Gap (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Rev. Russell Clark
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you cangive on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Creativity Stage (2 Cor. 6:11-13)
Rev. Russell Clark
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A Beautiful Mess (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Sometimes life is messy, even for Christians. Especially for Christians. But, you are not alone in the mud.
Beauty and the Beast (Matt 5:43-48)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Poor Unfortunate Souls (Matt. 5:29-30)
Rev. Russell Clark
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How can you be the salt of the earth, and shine your light into the world?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you cangive on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you cangive on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
You've Got A Friend In Me (Matt. 5:5-9)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Series: Why We Do What We do:
Reflecting on the Meaning of worship
Better is one day in this house with the Lord.
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Why Are Questions Important? (Matthew 7:7-8)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Why Should We Be Ecumenical and Inclusive? (1 Cor 12:24-27)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Why do we read scripture?
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What We Do What We Do: Reflecting on the Meaning of Worship
Why Do We Sing? (Psalm 32:11)
Rev. Russell Clark
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Wear the garments of Christ.
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Why We Do What We Do: Why We Worship (Matt. 6:21)
Rev. Russell Clark
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
We all desire to be touched. Jesus shows us how.
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Theology of the 5 Senses: Hearing (James 1:19)
Rev. Russell Clark
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch)
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Theology of the Five Senses: Sight (1 Cor. 13:12)
Rev. Russell Clark
The sermon for this Sunday is about how we often only see a part of where we are going and we must “walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) And how when we walk by faith, God will show us a more complete picture of how to love one another with grace and a commitment to one another to look past our problems and walk on the path God has for us.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Fear grows fear. Hate grows hate. Hope grows hope. Love grows love. What is growing these days in your life? What is growing in our world? What we grow comes from where we are connected. Let's listen in as Jesus guides the disciples and us to know how to grow good fruit.
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"Pause" (Philippians 4:4-9)
Guest Minister: Rev. Russell Clark
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Early Christians are called people of the way. Jesus showed a way towards life and life abundant for all people. We often think about this as the way towards eternal life. But how does Jesus show us the way to life in this life? How can we, as Easter people, show the way towards hope, life, and love to a world that is hurting?
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The earliest church gives us a roadmap of how to be the church today. Yet the modern world presents unique challenges to our ability to be the church with members devoted to daily practices of prayer, fellowship, and charity.
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Guest Minister: Rev. Thomas McCracken
Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, now finds himself leading and preaching just a few short weeks after the crucifixion. His transformation provides a roadmap for any of us who seek our own transformation in this Easter season.
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All are invited to a resurrection with Christ, no matter the pain and hardships in our lives.
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Seeking: Where are you headed? (Matthew 21:1-11)
Guest minister: Rev. Thomas McCracken
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Life sometimes brings tears—illness, grief, career, love, etc. The sisters—and even Jesus—wept at the death of Lazarus. Life brings change, change brings tears, and tears leave us hopeful for the resurrection.
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Seeking: Who Sinned? (John 9:1-41)
Guest Minister Rev. Allison Lanza
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Can we flip the script on how Jesus address the woman at the well, and would the bible be better with emojis?
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Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Seeking: Who Will You Listen To? (Matthew 4:1-11)
Rev. Allison Lanza
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Strange things happen on mountains in scripture. Moses receives the law of God and his face becomes too dazzling to look at. Elijah hears the voice of God in a surprising way. And in this instance, too, Jesus and his disciples have an encounter that defies understanding. What does it mean? What is it all for? Is it so wrong to want to stay on top of the mountain?
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“You have heard that it was said…but I say to you.” These are iconic words from Jesus that help us to adjust the way we see the changing world. How can we let the words of scripture ebb and flow and adapt to our circumstances now?
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This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is all about boldness. Be like salt! Let your light shine! Dig deep into the heart of what scripture tells us rather than staying on a superficial level. When it comes to interpreting the words of Jesus, sometimes less is more.
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How do we hear this text of the Beatitudes fresh? Blessed are the meek, the poor in spirit, those who mourn. But what will they gain, really? Something in some ethereal future? Perhaps recalling old stories of blessings might help us hear the promise of a world coming not one day in the by-and-by, but a world that is already here and happening now.
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It’s a call story we’ve heard a hundred times: Jesus calls some fishermen to follow him, and they drop their nets and go. But what made them leave their jobs, their homes, their lives that day? What in them was restless for a new life, a new adventure? How might we cultivate the restlessness in us to sprout forth a new life, an adventure of mystery and miracle in Christ?
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We follow in Jesus’ footsteps in baptism. John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, and we, too, join in this community of faith through our own baptism. But baptism is not the end of a journey, but the beginning, and often, that journey is long and difficult. May we have the courage to be the first in line for repentance and confession, just as Jesus, who stood in solidarity with sinners, joined the line of those who wished to repent and confess and be baptized.
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The Magi set out on an incredible journey, following a star all the to Jesus. In a dream, they’re warned to go home another way. Sometimes our encounters with Christ lead us to change direction, to go down an unfamiliar path in order to find our way home. How might our encounter with Christ change our direction today?
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In this sermon, ACC's Minister to Youth and Children, Emerson Braun, preaches on what it means to have a chosen home - a place of authentic belonging. How do we make space for and uphold the wisdom of our young people?
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Don’t let the growing belly fool you! Mary, Mother of God, means business with her song. Her lullaby is anything but quaint, and we know this because the things she sings about are the very things that Jesus will talk about and live out when he is born. And the question for us is how we will receive her song?
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When you think of John the Baptist, what do you picture? Perhaps, you see a wilderness-dwelling, locust-eating weirdo with a penchant for religious rants. This text from Luke certainly does not help with that image. But allegedly, John is preaching the gospel—he is preaching good news. How do we, religious folks, receive what he has to say to the religious folks of his day, as good news for all? And what do we do when good news doesn’t feel, well, good?
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With the birth of their son, Elizabeth and Zechariah imagine the world that John (the Baptist) will grow into. Their hopes are the hopes of many parents: peace, justice, worship of God. But just as they knew then, we know that our world is not one of peace and justice, where all are free to worship the Holy One in their own way. How do we reconcile this dream of peace with the world we live in now?
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Before we get to sweet baby Jesus, we have to deal with apocalyptic Jesus. Even as we put up our Christmas trees and turn on Frank Sinatra, Advent won’t let us get away with skipping right to the merry and bright. No, we are reminded—urged—to bear witness to the way that Christ coming into the world completely upends it.
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It’s the last Sunday of Ordinary Time! Ecclesiastes may seem like a weird place to end Ordinary Time, but as the writer says, “For everything there is a season.” This text helps us to discern what our role is in making meaning of the time we are in now, as the world changes every day, as we change every day. How will we let the stories and songs that are so familiar to us speak something fresh to us in the coming months?
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The feeding of the five thousand is one of the more familiar stories of scripture. We know the details—the disciples have just returned from their mission and are faced with a big hungry crowd. They only have a few loaves and fishes, and somehow it becomes more than enough. But perhaps the details we don’t have can inform how we approach stewardship. What did the disciples do on their mission specifically? And what does it mean that there are leftovers, that giving away seems to multiply rather than subtract, in the reign of God? We get to answer those questions today in our context.
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On the first Monday of each month, we will be offering a Lectio Divina podcast.
Lectio Divina is a practice of reading scripture not for learning something practical or theological, but rather to allow the Living Spirit of Christ to speak to us through a word, a phrase, a pause. It lets the text be the text as it speaks to our own hearts.
You’ll hear the same scripture from a couple of different voices. We invite you to close your eyes or find a quiet place to listen. During each reading, consider what God is bringing to your awareness.
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We began our stewardship series, A Future with Hope, on Sunday! We’re drawing from the story of exile in Jeremiah, the promise of return, and the call to root down right where we are in hope.
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Be careful that you don’t fall into the trap laid for you in this parable!If we walk away from this parable praying, “Thank God, I’m not like the Pharisee!” then we have indeed fallen into the trap. To understand the landslide of grace in this parable, we have to understand our characters as they were to Jesus’s audience and resist making caricatures of them.
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Parables are meant to disturb and unsettle, and this one surely does. What should we make of a widow who pounds on a door and a judge who couldn’t care less until he does? And how is this parable about prayer?
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The story of the ten lepers seems like a simple lesson in gratitude. Didn’t our grandmothers always tell us to say thank you? But there’s something more going on here—especially if we consider that the one who turns back is not your typical religious person.
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We join back up with Jesus in the gospel of Luke for our new series: Let Me Tell You a Story: Jesus Stories from Luke. In today’s text, we wonder what it means that Jesus responds to a request for more faith with a metaphor and a terrible parable.
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On the first Monday of each month, we will be offering a Lectio Divina podcast.
Lectio Divina is a practice of reading scripture not for learning something practical or theological, but rather to allow the Living Spirit of Christ to speak to us through a word, a phrase, a pause. It lets the text be the text as it speaks to our own hearts.
You’ll hear the same scripture from a couple of different voices. We invite you to close your eyes or find a quiet place to listen. During each reading, consider what God is bringing to your awareness.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Colossians wraps up with a long list of church people. Who are these people anyway? We know a few from other letters, but we don’t know much, and it’s easy to skip over this section. But this is perhaps the most important part!
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What do we do with this part of the letter? The writer begins by talking about a resurrection ethic: “Since you have been raised with Christ…” The vision is beautiful, the instructions are clear. And then they lay out some imperial, patriarchal household codes that seem to contradict everything they just said! How do we reconcile these two? I promise it’s not what you think.
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The writer to the Colossians is very concerned about some teachings that have infiltrated the church: namely, that faith is merely spiritual and that the body has nothing to tell us of God. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth! What if our bodies are spiritual, too? What if the embodiment of the Divine in Jesus has something to say about our own embodiment being conduits of Divine love?
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The writer to the Colossians has some news, some very good news for the people of God: the good news is for the Gentiles! And the way to spiritual maturity for the Colossians is to let this news change them.
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On the first Monday of each month, we will be offering a Lectio Divina podcast.
Lectio Divina is a practice of reading scripture not for learning something practical or theological, but rather to allow the Living Spirit of Christ to speak to us through a word, a phrase, a pause. It lets the text be the text as it speaks to our own hearts.
You’ll hear the same scripture from a couple of different voices. We invite you to close your eyes or find a quiet place to listen. During each reading, consider what God is bringing to your awareness.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In true First Day fashion, we do an overview of our subject and test. Who are the Colossians? How do we read somebody’s mail from thousands of years ago responsibly and imaginatively? This is our assignment for the next few weeks.
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Today, we engage in a lectio divina practice with the scripture from Matthew 13:31-35; 44-50. You will hear from a few of our congregants as well as the congregation itself in this guided spiritual meditation. Our orienting question for this practice is: “What is the one thing God is telling you?”
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Guest preacher Sally Gary.
Sally Gary is founder and director of CenterPeace, a 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry dedicated to creating space for conversation about faith and sexuality. CenterPeace hosts workshops and retreats for church leaders and their congregations to better understand and welcome the LGBTQ+ community. CenterPeace also hosts retreats for parents of LGBTQ+ individuals and spiritual formation retreats for LGBTQ+ Christians.
Sally holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from Abilene Christian University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. A former high school speech and debate coach, trial lawyer and communication professor at Abilene Christian University, Sally is a teacher at heart.
Learn more about Sally and her work with CenterPeace HERE.
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Guest Preacher Mollie Donihe Wilkerson.
Mollie Donihe Wilkerson grew up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia and loves them dearly. She studied Social Work in college then followed a pull toward theological education all the way to Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she received her Master of Divinity in 2020. Marrying her academic interests with a near lifelong love of sewing, Mollie is now a craftswoman by trade, making textile art and accompanying folks through creative expression as a spiritual practice. Mollie lives in Fort Worth with her beloved.
Learn more about Mollie by visiting her website: https://www.molliedonihe.com/
We tag along with Jacob in this sermon as he is on the run from a mess he has made. And though his story has been full of action up until this point, it comes to a screeching halt. He needs to rest. And when he closes his eyes, he finds that God has something to say that can only be said when he stops hustling, stops running, and truly rests.
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Throughout the series, the members of Azle Christian Church have been writing a letter to itself. An epistle, if you will. Today, we read that letter together!
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The end of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi may seem like a collection of odds and ends, but they all have the same thread running through them—they are like concentric circles of mutuality. In places of radical sharing—within a congregation, among churches, and even among faiths, we can see God’s movement.
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Though we don’t know the full extent of what Paul was contending with in his letter, we do know that Paul was caught in the in-between—counting what he had left behind and looking forward to what was ahead. It’s not hard for us to imagine that we, too, live in an ever-changing world. What does Paul have to say about living in a world whose ground is shifting underneath our feet?
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Paul addresses a cultural phenomenon with the church in Philippi by sharing a hymn with them. As we participate in our own liturgy, we are reminded that these pieces speak to us in a different way than mere words. Sharing songs, communion, prayers, and doxologies remind us of the cruciform life we are called on a deep, visceral level.
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Do you have a special place in your heart for the CCM world of the 90s and early aughts? Are you raptured by nostalgia at the mention of Steven Curtis Chapman, Nicole C. Mullin, DC Talk, Avalon, Sixpence, and David Crowder? This Music Monday episode is for you! Listen as ACC's Rev. Ashley Dargai, worship minister Nicole Hendley, and special guest Emily Harden host July’s Music Monday podcast.
"Youth Group Bops" Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0aRNwhzgZqi4ooCDVaBrxl?si=b6b60b9a97f0400b
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Paul gets real about his time in prison and his mental state under Roman guard. But his vulnerability gives us insight to how to live in Christ, and how to die.
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We begin our new worship series on Philippians with the salutations and introduction. This may seem like an innocuous piece of the letter, but it actually tells us a lot about who Paul is, who the church is to Paul, and what their shared concerns are. As we consider our own context, we plunge ourselves into a different world for a love-filled, liberating vision.
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Trinity Sunday Communion Meditation - Rev. Ashley Dargai
"My daughter Annie is a dual citizen of the United States and Hungary. Even though she has never been to Hungary, she has a Hungarian passport and birth certificate. She speaks Hungarian. She sings songs that I don’t understand.
My husband, JD, and I will sometimes make Hungarian dishes, but we’re always substituting spices or vegetables. While he grew up in Hungary, he didn’t grow up making dinner, and while I’m a more seasoned cook, some of the meals I make, I have never had before because I grew up here in Texas.
All of the dishes that he and I make are at best, approximations, built on shadow flavors, memories, guesses. That doesn’t stop us from lapping it all up.
But when Annie’s Hungarian Nagyi, her grandmother, came over, and she spent hours in the kitchen making dough and stirring pots of magic, Annie learned what some of these dishes were supposed to taste like. Each bite was like coming into a birthright, everything her Hungarian blood wanted and deserved and craved but didn’t know how to ask for.
When she ate the food of her Hungarian heritage, she was learning who she is. She was literally ingesting her identity, making it a part of her.
There is something about food, entering our body, becoming our blood and our energy, our very breath. It’s a truth we practice when we come to this table. We eat this bread and drink this cup in the name of Jesus, saying “this is his body, this is his blood, this is his promise, this is his love,” and we come into our birthright as children of God. Everything we’ve been craving, but don’t know how to ask for.
When we come to this table, when we gather around tables in the name of Jesus, we are literally ingesting who we are, making it a part of us, slowly and methodically and carefully becoming like the One we love and follow. It gets into our bloodstream, it animates our bodies, it becomes our very breath.
In just a moment, I will recite the Words of Institution and we will begin our communion with the bread and cup, but it is only a beginning. Once we finish, Nicole will lead us in the doxology, a very Trinitarian song, and we will continue our communion in the Fellowship Hall as we dine together in community, living our identity of a loving, covenantal body, that is the image of the One we love.
Join me in prayer now.
Gracious Host of this Table, Generous God who gave us life, Living Spirit who fills us now, we ask that you bless this bread and this cup and all that it represents between us. Bless the food we will eat together today, and the love we share. Amen.
And so the story goes that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus broke the bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And then he took the cup also and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Drink it in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” All are welcome at the Table of Christ."
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Here’s the story of the beginning of the church: The Holy Spirit blows in and everything gets turned upside down. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s still the story of the church today.
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Guest preacher - Rev. Diane Clark
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ACC's June Music Monday podcast is available a week early! We are releasing this episode now to prepare you for Pentecost this Sunday, June 5th. On this episode, Pastor Ashley and Nicole talk about their Pentecost playlist by walking through the story verse by verse.
Pentecost Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4O3iv5gy3gxiiquaQGZF6Y?si=01cff6600aaf496f
Pastor Ashleys 5/31/2020 Sermon: www.azlechristianchurch.org/blog/8kw3nzppabrmllhb4gtb77xczcse5k
Urban Doxology: http://www.urbandoxology.com/#urban-doxology
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We remember our baptism this week with this story of Lydia’s baptism by the river. How do unexpected events reveal the Spirit’s work? What do our convictions about baptism as Disciples have to say about how Jesus is and how God moves among us?
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What a gift it was to have Remi Shores preach at Azle Christian Church again! Remi is pursuing their Masters of Divinity at Brite Divinity School as they move through the ordination process. They also serve as the Apprentice Evangelist at Galileo Church where they are on the frontier of online worship and community building through Galileo’s Inside Out ministry.
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“In all things, charity.” What does it mean that we called to love one another as Christ loves us? Jesus gives his disciples this charge right after washing their feet and breaking bread with his betrayer, and this literary detail gives us a lot of context for what that love is asking of us.
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Unity seems like an easy word, but it’s a tough call. In John 17, Jesus prays for his followers to be one as a witness to the love of God in the world. As we continue to work together to realize this unity, we discover the deep love that we are baptized into.
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On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. On this episode, Ashley and Nicole talk about their dream celebrity worship service! A prelude by Jon Batiste and Stay Human? Communion meditation by Adele? An Encanto sermon? Listen to what might be the most creative Music Monday to date!
Episode playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/32bd1ceIhN48dxPELK5x43?si=Ef9c7NlDSnqP0kO-ZLDh4w
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In the presence of the Crucified Christ, there’s room for a whole spectrum of belief. Thomas needed a minute before he could decide that it really was Jesus, and Jesus was happy to oblige by offering the most important evidence of all: his broken body. Today, we look at one of the contours of our denomination: liberty in belief.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
If you’re not quite ready to run to the empty tomb in amazement, this is a resurrection story for you. There’s a place for many responses: grief, disbelief, fear, and perhaps, hope.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Jesus assures the religious leaders that even if the people quieted down on that parade into Jerusalem, the rocks would cry out. What in the world do rocks have to do with Holy Week? With the journey Jesus is making to the cross? Might this absurd claim by Jesus be inviting us into the great paradox of our faith?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
If we take away the fact that it’s Judas making his point, we can see that he DOES make a good point. Is it so bad to be practical? To be useful? Perhaps not. But Mary offers another wisdom to consider: an embodied, visceral wisdom.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. This is our Easter episode! These songs were chosen with resurrection in mind. From Dolly Parton to Leslie Odom Jr., this playlist is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful to listen to! To find all the songs mentioned, follow the Easter Playlist link below. Listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!
Easter Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gk2LsYs8UExG9PMnEjK6R?si=f4ca6cbaf0ad4af0
We know the story of the prodigal son well. Is there anything new to be said on a story so well-worn? Maybe it’s not a new word we need, but a fresh one for us today: grace.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Why do bad things happen? We’ve been asking this question for a really long time, and it doesn’t seem like we’ve gotten any closer to an answer. But what we do get is a story from Jesus about tender care, and that might be what we need most.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the surface, this text seems so sad. Jesus, a bereft mother hen, wishing he could protect his little chicks but unable to, resolves to continue on to Jerusalem, where he knows he will die. And yet, there is a love and a promise that runs deeper than even death.
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Look, the devil makes a lot of good points out in the desert. How is anyone supposed to make a life out here anyway? But what if our wilderness journey is not about getting out of the wilderness as swiftly as possible? What if we are called to figure out how to make a home here?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. On this episode, we’re talking about all things Lent! Click HERE to listen to the songs we mention. Thank you for supporting our podcast!
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
With all the people in this story of transfiguration, it’s only right to hear some of them out. Everyone knows interviewing multiple eyewitnesses can be tricky—it’s like they’re all telling a different version of what happened. But maybe if we cobble together a few different accounts, we might get a fuller picture of what happened up on that mountain with Jesus.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
We participated in a spiritual practice of lectio divina this week in worship, reading Luke 6:27-38 multiple times in different translations as a form of meditation.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Luke does what he can to communicate the gospel of Jesus in a palatable manner to the powers that be, but Jesus has other ideas. Always one to slip out of our grasp of him, Jesus finds a way to set the gospel free.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
What happens when Simon Peter looks up from a weary night and sees Jesus on the horizon? What does it mean to cast our nets one more time, this time in the deep water? What will we find in these depths?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. This month, we’re in the middle of Epiphany in the church calendar - the brief stint of Ordinary time in-between Advent and Lent. February is also Black History Month! For this episode, we’ve each chosen a Black musical artist who has impacted our spirituality.
Previously, on Days of our Epiphany…Long-lost beloved, Jesus, returns home after making a name for himself out on the open road. Was this the Jesus they remembered? Or had he become an enigma, a miracle worker and prophetic teacher? After a dramatic reading in the synagogue, he had the whole room captivated. Could the town be revived again with the hometown hero’s return? Or are things not as they seem? Will his return be full of emotional twists and turns, severing familial ties and resulting in his death? Will this story end on a cliffhanger? Find out on today’s episode of Days of Our Epiphany.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
When Jesus returns home to Nazareth, he reads from old words to imagine his ministry. He takes this ancient vision for God’s world and makes it his own. How will we make it our own today?
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To be sure, Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, is a sign of abundance and God’s commitment to celebration. But it’s also a sign of naming when there is a need and acting to fill it, even when we don’t feel ready. As we reflect on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., we consider how this miracle of Christ’s coincides with our commitment to justice.
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Why does it matter to us that Jesus was baptized? It seems strange, doesn’t it? John the Baptizer preached a baptism of repentance and renewal, but what did Jesus need that for? But it seems that there is more going on here about the belovedness of all God’s children than we realized.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In the midst of a religious squabble, Jesus engages in the truth of Sabbath: that we are God’s alone. Healing work is worthy work that we are called to in this difficult season—to administer and to receive.
Azle Christian Church is a Disciples of Christ church community in Azle, Texas. We invite everyone to be who you are with us: the doubting, the believing, the wondering, and everything in between. On this podcast you will hear our pastor — Reverend Ashley Dargai — preach on how the expansive and generative love of God is seen through Jesus, the prophets, the early church, and the faith forbearers and how this love helps us care for the world more deeply and faithfully. Sometimes it’s messy and tough, but it’s good news, and it is for you.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. On this episode, Nicole and Ashley make a playlist for 2022! To listen to this collection of songs for the New Year, click HERE. Ranging from Nina Simone to Josh Garrels to Hall & Oates, these songs inspire joy and remind us of our commitment to goodness, to faith, to play and to rest. Thanks for listening!
To learn more about Azle Christian Church, visit our website - www.azlechristianchurch.org
Guest Preacher Remi Shores
Remi (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is a graduate from TCU (B.A., Religion) and working on their Masters of Divinity at Brite Divinity School. Galileo Church is sponsoring them on a track towards ordination for ministry with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Called to Next Church ministry, they are excited to be on the frontier of online worship and community building through Galileo’s Inside Out ministry. Their passions for justice, kindness, and beauty are all rooted in what they have learned in relationship with others.
Find Azle Christian Church on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Mary’s song is probably so familiar that we forget how revolutionary it is. Her lullaby is a song about God changing the world: the absurd and dangerous event of God’s reign coming to earth through her tiny little baby boy. It is dangerous, but we needn’t be afraid.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
John the Baptist is an abrasive, affronting presence, but his words of judgment are not mere condemnation. John actually has the gift of seeing clearly, and he asks us, “What is worth preserving?” The answer might just fill us with joy.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Malachi has some tough questions for us. Who can endure the day of God’s messenger coming? It will be like a refining fire! This feels like a jarring question considering the Second Sunday of Advent is supposed to be about peace. What does a refining fire have to do with peace on earth and goodwill toward humankind?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
It’s the Christmas episode of Music Monday! Listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about Christmas songs ranging from classic carols to Joni Mitchell to the Beatles. In this episode, they discuss the coziest to the cringiest of Christmas songs. Interested?! Let's dig in!
Special thanks to Wendy Child for giving us permission to use her recording of "O Holy Night" for this episode! Listen to more of Wendy and her Sleep My Darling lullabies HERE.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Advent always begins in this strange way: the end of Jesus’ life, where he is seemingly talking about the end of the world. Even though we want to rush on ahead to the baby Jesus of Christmas with his squishy cheeks and innocent eyes, we have to deal with apocalypse Jesus first. Why do we begin the new liturgical year with Jesus talking about the tumult of creation? What does he call us to attention?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Everyone knows the Exodus story! But maybe we haven’t pain enough attention to the impetus for the deliverance: the cry of the Hebrew people, a vague, collective prayer to no one. What does this prayer tell us of the Holy One? Of ourselves? Of the coming Christ whom we will welcome again in a few weeks?
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
1 Samuel 8 is messy! The plight of Israel at this moment in the story is messy. They want a king to fight their battles, to be like the other nations, to replace corrupt priests, but will a king make them lose their distinctiveness as God’s chosen people?
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
When their brother dies, Mary and Martha have lots of questions for Jesus. And they’ve got good reason to question him. And with Jesus weeping at the tomb of his friend, a flurry of grief descends upon this story from John. How does a miracle take place in such a painful place?
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Revelation is not for the faint of heart! But also, it is. In the dramatic imagery and arresting language of the apocalyptic, we can encounter the love of God just as meaningfully as other Bible stories. In this case, what do the prayers of the saints have to tell us about this love of God?
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Nicole and Ashley are talking about artists they are grateful for on this episode of Music Monday.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Longing to Be With God - Guest Preacher Jenna Stewart
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Can you say that to God? Can you say THAT to God? Turns out, you can! Psalm 137 is a great example of an arresting prayer that offers us the permission to say the unsayable to God in hopes that God will take it seriously.
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In this Romans text, everybody is groaning—even the Holy Spirit! Is this groaning a collective venting session or does it point to something more? And what is our response to such deep-seated longing? How in the world does hope play into the pain we are feeling now?
How do we pray when our whole body aches for deliverance? How do we hope when tragedy strikes? How do we learn to want what God wants? In this worship series, we examine moments of longing in scripture: from the earliest days of the Hebrew people to the last book in the Bible, we will glean wisdom and fortitude from the stories of our faith forebears on what it means to long for God in a chaotic world.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Sermon by guest preacher Reverend Christy Drechsel, Regional Executive Minister of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest.
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church.
On this Music Monday episode, Nicole and Ashley discuss song choices for All Saints Day. All Saints Day grew out of the early church’s practice of remembering the martyrs of the church. Today we hold services on November 1st to remember those who have died, particularly in the lives of the congregation. The song choices might surprise you - they include picks from Mumford and Sons, Bear’s Den, and Warren Zevon. This talk dives into not only music and theology but also the importance of our church community and how we support each other in seasons of grief.
Listen to the All Saints Day songs we discuss on YouTube or Spotify:
YOUTUBE MUSIC MONDAY OCTOBER PLAYLIST
SPOTIFY MUSIC MONDAY OCTOBER PLAYLIST
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
As Azle Christian Church dedicates its renovated building to the work of the gospel, we turn to Psalm 84, a song of praise for the house of God. What does the house of God look like? Can it look like a living room? An outdoor space by the road? A creaky old chapel? We discover that the answer to all of those possibilities is a resounding yes.
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Jacob has schemed his whole life, but it’s time to come home. He warily approaches his family home, wondering what fate awaits him with his brother Esau. But in a stunning turn of events, Jacob not only meets his brother, he also sees the face of God, which perhaps, is the same thing. As we return warily, with our questions and our hopes and fears, may we trust that the Holy God of old is waiting for us, in places we may not expect.
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
This is the story about a nation told through a family—upheaval, change, transformation—all held in the hope of a tiny little baby and big, big devotion. What does Hannah’s story with all of its complexity tell us about returning? Does it mean we get everything we want? Or does it point us to the gospel: that one day God will get everything God wants?
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Ruth and Naomi reckon with their futures after a devastating loss. For Naomi, her only option is to return home to Judah. For Ruth, things seem more complicated. But ultimately, Ruth decides to turn away from any narrative that says these two women don’t owe each other anything, and forges ahead, believing that the future is something they can build together. As we return in our own way, how do we build something together?
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church.
In this episode, we talk about the remaining songs we have chosen for our current worship series “Homecoming: Stories of Return.” Throughout the past few weeks, what has become more and more clear is that return is complex. Even when it’s joyous, there’s grief in the process. How do we make meaningful movements back? Knowing that our only direction is forward? The songs we’ve chosen to discuss have a lot to say about returning. Did you know Coldplay’s “Fix You” is the soundtrack to Jacob’s wrestling with God? Or that Brandi Carlile and Hannah, the mother of Samuel, would be best friends? Interested? GOOD. Let’s dig in!
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
So far in this series, we’ve been talking about returning home. But what if return runs even deeper? What if return completely turns our world upside down? This is the case with the story of the ten people with leprosy healed. What does it mean it to be a Samaritan who returns—someone who never had a home in Jesus’ circles in the first place?
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Israelites have moved back to Jerusalem after decades of exile, and things are complicated. They have a commission to rebuild, but how does one rebuild when there is so much grief? When those we left with did not return with us? When some of us have never been to the place called “home” before? Maybe a religious ritual will help.
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Paul goes looking for a synagogue, and instead finds a group of women worshiping by the river. Lydia holds church like she does every week by the river and ends up hosting an evangelist in her home. This story of return is a return to our promises as a church. What do we owe each other?
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Things seem to be going well in Nazareth when Jesus returns home, but something flips the switch: namely the claim of ownership of Jesus by his hometown supporters. Sometimes returning home means not looking back on the past or holding out for the future, but instead, noticing what God is doing today in our midst.
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
On the first Monday of each month, listen to ACC's Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley, and Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai, talk about the intersection of music and theology at Azle Christian Church. In this first episode, we talk about anthem selections for our upcoming worship series "Homecoming: Stories of Return." What do Jesus and Johnny Cash have to do with one another? Did John Denver unknowingly sing the songs of Israel? Have we sparked your curiosity? GOOD. Let's dig in!
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a well-worn story of return, of being found, of being loved. But what if this story is not finished speaking to us? As we peel back the layers of this parable, using other Bible stories to help us, we might see that what we knew about this story is all wrong. And this subversion of the story might be how find it anew.
Our worship series for this fall is called Homecoming: Stories of Return. We’re looking at all sorts of stories of return in Scripture: parables, history, Jesus stories, church stories, and poetry. What does it mean to return home? We’ll be looking at how complicated returning home can be when home is no longer what we remembered or perhaps not even there anymore. We’ll be imagining home as a place we make rather than a place we travel to, and we’ll be discovering that returning is a group endeavor. This series will culminate with the dedication of our repaired building, our own return.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Jesus ends his sermon with calls for empathy, attention, and persistence. Many of the teachings in this section are familiar to those who don’t regularly attend church because of their absorption into mainstream culture. But this final bit of the sermon, about building our house on a rock, seems to call us to action after what we’ve heard. What will we do with the words of Jesus?
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
While this text can feel very Mary Oliver-esque with its admonishment to consider the lilies, it’s hard to read Jesus telling us not to worry in a world that feels as though it’s on fire…in more ways than one. Like, read the room, Jesus! But maybe looking at the birds and the flowers is about more than getting our mind off things. Perhaps we might see a deeper truth of our place in God’s care.
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In this text, Jesus us tells us not to store up treasures for ourself on earth because they don’t last forever. No offense to Jesus, but there’s no way he could have predicted something like plastic that will outlive us all. Sure, material goods don’t last forever, but these days, they do last a very long time. If something like plastic is representative of our modern world, what then does Jesus have to say about money, our human condition, and our neighbor in light of this brave new world?
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most familiar pieces of scripture ever. But what does it mean to pray it together? Is it just a template for our own personal prayers? Is it a magic talisman that makes things go our way? Or is there something deeper going on when we say it together as a church each week?
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, we explore the well-known metaphors of salt, light, and a city on a hill. These are lines the church knows well--in fact, these metaphors are better preached by the work of the church than any long diatribe someone can offer. And though it seems like everything has changed, and that indeed the only dependable reality is change, our call is the same: be salt, light, and a city on a hill. We'll figure out what that looks like together.
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
If it seems like Jesus is changing the rules of the game, maybe he is changing the game altogether. With great love for the Torah and an awareness of the tricky situation of being a Jewish person in Rome, Jesus considers what it means to follow God whole-heartedly. What if deviating from the script of empire and religion offers a new way of being?
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Listen to Jenna Worrell Stewart, our guest preacher, discuss Matthew 5:17-32. Jenna has a deep passion for telling the stories of Jesus and walking alongside people as they walk with God. Recently she completed her Campus Ministry Apprenticeship at Arizona State University, and she is currently a student at the Renovare Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. She lives in Austin with her husband Ben and their dearly loved dog Charlie.
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
We’ve heard this song before: blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn. For they will gain an ethereal, intangible reward someday. Isn’t that how the song goes? Maybe we need to listen more closely and hear the promise of not a world coming one day, but of a world already here and happening now. Once we hear it, we might be compelled to sing the song, too.
This summer we’re hunkering down in the most iconic sermon of all time: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s his longest sustained exploration of the upside down kingdom of God, and while it’s only three chapters, it is filled to the brim with gospel imagination. Is the salt and light metaphor tired or inspired? Is Jesus just nit-picking with some of these laws or is he on to something? Whether you’re traveling this summer or finding ways to staycation at home, join us on this journey to the Mount.
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Baptized is an original song written for Azle Christian Church in conjunction with the sermon series "Re: Membering." This song was shared on Pentecost Sunday and speaks about the mysterious and unifying nature of the Holy Spirit's work in our baptism.
Lyrics by ACC Senior Minister, Reverend Ashley Dargai
Arranged and Performed by ACC Worship Minister, Nicole Hendley
We arrive at the final marker of our membership series: baptism. While there’s no baptism in the text we read, we believe that the Holy Spirit is given to us in baptism, and that we, like the church, is always being born anew. Baptism is a continuous rebirth—not as a fixed moment in time, but as a way of life, and Pentecost reminds us that new ways of living are always possible.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The word “discipleship” conjures up visions of checklists and discipline. But while being a disciple is not easy, it a life that is rooted in the boundless love of Christ. In this sermon, we settle ourselves into a prayer of Jesus for his disciples, finding tenderness and grace as the source of our lives of discipleship.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
This week we’re talking about our church’s commitment to evangelism, but don’t worry! We’re not trying to convert anyone. Instead, we’re thinking about good news even means. What is “good” about it? And what do we mean by “news” anyway? Jesus continues his vine and branch metaphor, and offers us some very good news for the people of God.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
The thing about vines is that they’re all tangled up in one another, and yet the branches cannot bear fruit unless they stick close to the vine. Jesus offers this metaphor of himself and his disciples to show that our work of love is an outgrowth of God’s love, and that love is communal. As we explore the marker of outreach in our Re: Membering series, we consider how the vine informs the way we think about our work in the community and the world.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Most of us have no real life interaction with sheep, yet we believe Jesus when he says he’s the Good Shepherd. But what does that mean exactly? Can we truly understand the fullness of what Jesus was saying when he said, “I am the good shepherd and I lay down my life” in our 21st century Western world? Probably not, but maybe we can roughly translate his meaning into a way of life in our highly specific context. How does a shepherding ethic transform the way we interact with our community—specifically how we share our resources? And what in the world is a shepherding ethic anyway?
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Things don’t become real for the disciples until they see Jesus eating in Luke’s testimony of the resurrection. Today, we orient our worship around the table of Christ, eating bread and drinking wine as a proclamation of the Lord’s death and God’s great welcome to all, because there are things we can only know through embodied practices. As we gather around the table, we commit to keep coming around the table, eating together, arguing together, and discerning what resurrection life means…together.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
"These things were written so that you may come to believe," the gospel writer tells us in John, and we're sure glad he wrote about Thomas. Thomas has some serious doubts about the story going around that Jesus is alive, and he's not ashamed to ask them. But the best part is that he can bring his questions and doubt to his faith community. When they gather together, Jesus shows up, unafraid to show his wounds to Thomas. We can't offer one another easy answers or solutions, but we can offer our presence and trust that Christ will, too.
During the Re: Membering series, we're looking at the markers of membership--discipleship markers that apply not just to ACC members, but also to our broader Christian community. How does Easter change who we are as a church?
Find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram. Or, contact us through our website: www.azlechristianchurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Azle Christian Church, you can give on our website or find us on Venmo (@Azle-ChristianChurch).
Azle Christian Church — a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — is a church community in Azle, Texas. On this episode, our pastor — Rev. Ashley Dargai — introduces listeners to ACC.