Journey Church On The Common: Recent Episodes
Journey Church On The Common
The Foundation for Maturity
Our text is Mark 10:17-31. As a disciple of Jesus, what does it mean to pursue spiritual maturity. Often we define maturity by a set of external behaviors, but are they the right basis for true maturity? They may contribute to it, but maturity is more a matter of basic heart attitudes. “The Foundation for Maturity” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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The Battle for the Heart
Our text is Mark 10:21-27. In the story of the rich young ruler, Jesus issues us a call to pray for the unchurched. Jesus tells us that only God can truly change a person’s heart when it comes to following Jesus. The church is in a battle for the hearts and minds of people today and prayer is the primary weapon that God has given us. “The Battle for the Heart” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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A Compassionate Faith
Our text is Mark 10:17-21 and Luke 10:25-37. A major theme of Scripture relates to how we take care of the “widows, orphans and aliens in our midst”. Jesus is suggesting today that caring for the poor and marginalized in our society is not an option for followers of Jesus. “An Open Heart” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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The Ultimate Trap
Our text is Mark 10:17-31. Jesus spends a lot of time talking about money and the issues of stewardship, how we use our money and other resources for the Kingdom of God. Why is that? Jesus recognizes that money is often a real blind spot for his followers. It is important to understand the power money can exert over our lives. “An Open Heart” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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Of Course, I’m Good
Our text is Mark 10:17-27. In this text Jesus tells us that no one meets God’s standards and gives us a much deeper perspective on the true nature of sin. And that should have a profound impact on how we related to both God and other people. “An Open Heart” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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An Open Heart
Our text is Mark 10:17-31. As people we tend to judge others based upon their external actions-what they say and do. Jesus, on the other hand, is more concerned about the attitudes of our heart and mind. Our thoughts and feelings reflect who we really are as people. “An Open Heart” is part of our “Faith Fundamentals for Today” series.
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Not Afraid Raisa Fabre of GracePoint Church is sharing today as we prepare to partner with her church in ministry. As followers of Jesus we are called to think and […]
Coming Home The story of the Bible is a story of God seeking to bring us home. Home is a place of comfort, safety and a place of belonging. Home […]
When God Does Something New The bible is a story of change–God raising up a new way to help restore men and women to a relationship to God. The Exodus […]
Understanding God’s Wrath Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 8:1-11:19. Often times we think that the God of the Old Testament is an angry God, full of wrath, and is unlike […]
Evil and the Sovereignty of God Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 6:1-8:1. Today’s text talks about the famous four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Our text today exposes the evil that […]
The Purpose of Life-Worship Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 4:1-5:13. Before the book of Revelation begins to talk about the future events to come before Jesus returns to earth, these […]
What is True Discipleship? Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 3:14-22. Jesus’ letter to the church at Laodicea is the toughest letter he writes to any of the seven churches in […]
The Little Church That Could Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 3:7-13. The church at Philadelphia was not a very large or influential church. Yet it received the strongest affirmation from […]
An Honest Self-Appraisal Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 3:1-6. The church at Sardis appeared to be a very successful and thriving church based on outward appearance. But Jesus saw something […]
Called to Holy Living Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 2:18-29. Holiness is a foreign concept to us today. It means to be set apart, to live differently enabled by God’s […]
Holding to the Truth Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 2:12-17. Truth is very important to God; God is a God of truth. Jesus described himself as being “the truth”. When […]
A Perspective on Tough Times Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 2:8-11. These verses talk about persecution because of one’s faith in Jesus. Lost jobs, beatings, imprisonment and death because of […]
True Religion Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 2:1-7. Theses verses begin seven letters by Jesus to seven different churches, but we should understand that Jesus is addressing every church everywhere […]
A Call for Devotion Our Scriptures comes from Revelation 1:1-20. This first chapter of Revelation highlights the absolute supremacy of Jesus-he is the first and last, the one who was, […]
Developing the Habit of Gratitude
Our Scriptures comes from Colossians 3:12-17. In the two previous messages we have seen how gratitude is an essential attitude if we are going to deal with life successfully. We know from modern research that we can reprogram the neural pathways in our brains developing new habits. But for that to happen we have to work at making gratitude a part of our everyday thinking. We are looking at several practices that will help make gratitude a habit in our lives. “Developing the Habit of Gratitude” is part of our “A Grateful Heart” series.
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Gratitude in Every Circumstance
Our Scriptures comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7, Matthew 26:26-28. A thankful heart is God’s will for us as followers of Jesus. But it is not just being thankful when good things are happening in our lives. It is about being thankful in every circumstance of life. That doesn’t mean that we are thankful for bad or evil things. We will explore exactly what that means in this message. “Gratitude in Every Circumstance” is part of our “A Grateful Heart” series.
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The Importance of Gratitude
Our Scripture reading comes from Luke 17:11-19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Thanks giving is a theme that appears all through the Scriptures; followers of Jesus are called to be thankful. And that is hard today because we live in an age of entitlement where everybody feels they deserve everything. Yet gratitude is the foundation for a truly happy and content life. “The Importance of Gratitude” is part of our “A Grateful Heart” series.
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A Most Unusual Ending
Our Scripture reading comes from Mark 16:1-8. Unlike all the other gospels, Mark does not end his gospel with anybody seeing the resurrected Jesus. The women who visit the tomb Sunday morning to finish anointing Jesus’ body find the empty tomb and are simply told that Jesus has risen from the dead. Why did Mark end his gospel that way and what was he trying to tell us? “A Most Unusual Ending” is part of our “Easter 2023” series.
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The Last Day-A Picture of the Gospel
Our Scripture reading comes from Mark 14:26-31; 15:33-39. From the Garden of Gethsemane until his crucifixion Jesus says very little. He is the not the initiator of the action but is being acted upon by others. But there is much that we can learn when we see ourselves in the story for we are all responsible for the cross. “The Last Day-A Picture of the Gospel” is part of our “Easter 2023” series.
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Five Interesting Days
Our Scripture reading comes from Mark 11:1-4, 11; 14:12-16, 22-25. From the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday until he celebrated the final Passover with his disciples Jesus spent five days in Jerusalem during which Jesus taught his disciples several important truths about life and ministry. This Easter series is based upon the Gospel of Mark. “Five Interesting Days” is part of our “Easter 2023” series.
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Pursuing the Power of the Spirit
There is no one Scripture text today. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit empowers his people to accomplish His purposes. In the Old Testament the Spirit came upon only certain people for certain purposes. Jesus promised that the Spirit would be for all of his followers to empower them for the work of ministry. We cannot accomplish God’s purposes without the empowering presence of the Spirit working in our lives. “Pursuing the Power of the Spirit” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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Gifts of the Spirit
The Scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 12:4,7,28; Ephesians 4 :7-16. God gave us his Spirit to enable us to live the Christian life. God gives us the gifts of the Spirit to equip every believer for the work of service in the church and in the world. “Gifts of the Spirit” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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Praying in the Spirit
The Scripture comes from Ephesians 6:18 and Romans 8:12-16,22-23,26-27. Paul tells us in the Romans verses that the Holy Spirit is always praying for us because we don’t know how to pray–what we should be praying for. God invites to pray for our needs and the needs of others, but prayer is meant to be so much more than simply bringing to God our grocery list of requests. “Praying in the Spirit” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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Filled with the Spirit-What’s it Mean?
The Scripture comes from Ephesians 5:15-21. The Scripture reading was not recorded. In our Scripture today we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is meant to be an ongoing experience in our lives. At the same time, that command is is often very misunderstood. “Filled with the Spirit-What’s it Mean?” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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Freedom and Life in the Spirit
The Scripture comes from Romans 8:1-13. The Scripture reading was not recorded. Paul writes that the Spirit of life will set us free in Christ Jesus. How are we set free? How does that point us back to the cross? And how do we discover that freedom? “Freedom and Life in the Spirit” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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The Spirit and Our Identity
The Scripture comes from Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-4:7. One of the most important questions we should be able to answer is “Who Am I?” How would we answer that question? One of the main jobs for the Holy Spirit is to confirm for us that we are a child of God. “The Spirit and our Identity” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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The Spirit and Truth
The Scripture comes from John 14:16-17, 15:18-27, 16:12-25. Three times Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the”spirit of truth” in his final teaching with his disciples. It is the Spirit’s job to bring to our attention the truth about God and the truth about ourselves to assist us in living the Christian life and that will bring some challenging consequences that we need to understand. “The Spirit and Truth” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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The Power of a Spiritual Birth
The Scripture comes from Isaiah 64:8 and Titus 3:1-7. Unfortunately the Scripture Reading was not recorded and a video was edited out for copyright purposes. Our texts today explain why a spiritual birth and re-connection to God is absolutely necessary and the starting place for anyone seeking to follow Jesus. “The Power of a Spiritual Birth” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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What Do We Really Think about the Spirit?
The Scripture comes from Acts 2:1-13. The story of Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit for all the followers of Jesus. Our text today highlights some of our ambivalent feelings about the Spirit. Some were amazed and wanted more, others were confused and unsure about the Spirit and others mocked and wanted nothing to do with the Spirit. “What Do We Really Think about the Spirit?” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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The Power of God
The Scripture comes from John 14:16-26. Jesus told his disciples in the last teaching time with them that he would not leave them alone but would send the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would be essential for their life and ministry, but today the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood and forgotten person of the Trinity. “The Power of God” is part of our “Forgotten God” series.
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Wisdom for Today’s World The Scripture comes from James 4:13-5:8. If you grow in America today we typically believe we can control our future. We decide what we want, we […]
Understanding Real Faith The Scripture comes from James 2:14-26. This text is often seen as being very controversial. Are we brought into a relationship with God because of what we […]
The Great Reversal The Scripture comes from James 1:27-2:13; 4:6. Jesus turns human wisdom upside down in the Gospel. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The […]
Wisdom for How We speak The Scripture comes from James 1:19-20,26;3;1-12;4:11a. Our tonque is very small in size in comparison to the rest of our body. Yet it is extremely […]
Wisdom for Life’s Challenges The Scripture comes from James 1:5-8,2-4,12-17. Many people have knowledge, but don’t necessarily have wisdom. This series focuses on how to apply our knowledge of Scriptures […]
Finding Your True Self The Scripture comes from Matthew 16:13-28. Unfortunately the Scripture reading was not recorded this week. Last week these verses pointed out who Jesus and what his […]
The Heart of the Gospel The Scripture comes from Matthew 16:13-28. Unfortunately the Scripture reading was not recorded this week. These verses represent the most important truth of Jesus’ teaching […]
The Ultimate Treasure The Scripture comes from Matthew 13:44-46, 51-52. Most people want all the good that Jesus and God say they want to offer us and God truly does […]
The Hard Reality of Life The Scripture comes from Matthew 13:24-30, 34-43. We all want justice in life when something bad happens to ourselves or someone we love. If we […]
How’s Your Hearing? The Scripture comes from Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. Jesus never forces himself on anybody. He always waits to be invited in to be a part of a person’s […]
The Problem of Religion The Scripture comes from Matthew 9:9-17. Jesus is telling us that religion often produces a religious spirit that is a prideful, self-righteous approach to life. It […]
A Look at Jesus’ Healing Ministry The Scripture comes from Matthew 8:1-22. Unfortunately the Scripture reading was not recorded today. Jesus’ healing ministry tells us something important about Jesus and […]
What is Real Treasure? The Scripture comes from Matthew 6:9-14. . Jesus is talking about money in these verses. He explains why it is hard to talk about money and […]
The Building Blocks of Prayer The Scripture comes from Matthew 6:1-18. The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most famous passage of Scriptures. In these verses Jesus is explaining the […]
A New Reaction The Scripture comes from Matthew 5:10-12: John 15:18-25.These are very challenging verses for us as cChristians in America. Jesus tell us that if we follow him people […]
A New Purpose The Scripture comes from Matthew 5:9,23-24,38-48;7:1-6. Jesus talks about what it means to be a peacemaker. He is telling us that when we follow Jesus we will […]
Asking Yourself the Tough Questions The Scripture comes from Matthew 5:8,17-24,27-30. In these verses Jesus is explaining the deeper meaning of the law. The laws is a reflection of God’s […]
A New Attitude Towards People The Scripture comes from Matthew 5:7,13-16;6:1-4. Jesus tells us that as his followers we are called to show mercy towards people because he has shown […]
The Heart of Faith The Scripture comes from Matthew 4:23-5:12. We are beginning to look at some of Jesus’ most famous teaching–The Sermon on the Mount. It begins with the […]
When We Face Difficult Choices The Scripture comes from Matthew 4:1-11. We all face temptations in life and the choices we make in those moments often have a profound impact […]
The Presence of Jesus at the Table The Scripture comes from Luke 24:13-35. It’s Easter morning and Jesus has risen from the dead. But the disciples are having a hard […]
Kingdom Values from the Dinner Table The Scripture comes from Luke 14:1-24. Jesus is invited to a gathering of religious leaders one Sabbath day. And Jesus’ values are called into […]
A Dinner to be Remembered The Scripture comes from Luke 22:7-27. The Old Testament faith of Israel was built around a meal. And now Jesus sits with his disciples to […]
Finding the Right Balance The Scripture comes from Luke 10:38-42. This dinner at Martha and Mary’s house is one the better known dinner stories of Jesus. The focus is not […]
And Unexpected Meal The Scripture comes from Luke 9:10-17. The disciples were tired and hungry; Jesus had promised them time alone and a time to rest. But the crowds continued […]
A Very Awkward Dinner The Scripture comes from Luke 7:36-50. Food and diners with people are an integral of Jesus’ ministry. At the dinner table Jesus interacts with people and […]
Justification by Faith-Why is is so Important? The Scripture comes from Romans 4:1-12. Justification by faith is at the heart of the Gospel and makes the Christian faith different from […]
Redeemed by the Blood The Scripture comes from Romans 3:21-31. To appreciate what Jesus did at the cross there are three key terms in this passage that you need to […]
The Total Impact of Sin
The Scripture comes from Romans 3:9-20. Previously Paul had pointed out how everybody, both the religious and the irreligious fall short of God’s standards. In this passage of sin Paul spells out the implications of sin for everyone and for how it should impact our lives “The Total Impact of Sin” is part of our “The Gospel According to Romans” series.
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The Danger of Religion
The Scripture comes from Romans 2:17-3:8. Previously Paul had spelled out guilt of those who reject God, the irreligious. This week Paul speaks about the built of those who are religious. Religion often gives a person a false sense of security that somehow they have earned God’s favor and that can really blind a person to the truth. “The Danger of Religion” is part of our “The Gospel According to Romans” series.
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Understanding God’s Judgment
The Scripture comes from Romans 2:1-16. The notion that God will judge everyone when Jesus returns is often misunderstood or completely disbelieved. In these verses Paul gives us an honest picture of what the final judgment is all about. “Understanding God’s Judgment” is part of our “The Gospel According to Romans” series.
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The Hard Truth of the Gospel
The Scripture comes from Romans 1:18-32. In these verses Paul explains how choosing to ignore God and his commandments corrupts the human heart and mind and ultimately can lead to the brokenness we see in the world. “The Hard Truth of the Gospel” is part of our “The Gospel According to Romans” series.
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Understanding the Uniqueness of the Gospel
The Scripture comes from Romans 1:1-17. Paul, in these introductory verses to the book of Romans summarizes the gospel and highlights the uniqueness of Gospel. “Understanding the Uniqueness of the Gospel” is part of our “The Gospel According to Romans” series.
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The Conflicts of Christmas
The Scripture comes from Matthew 2:1-17. Matthew’s account of the three wise men highlight the conflicts that will follow Jesus all through his ministry. These are the same conflicts that any Christ follower will struggle with in our world today. “The Conflicts of Christmas” is part of our “Christmas According to Matthew” series.
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