Flood Church - Audio Podcast: Recent Episodes
Flood Church
Audio from our Sunday messages. To watch videos of our entire gatherings, or for info on visiting us live, see www.DIVEintoFLOOD.com
XXIII - The Satisfied Life (Week 7)
Join us as we welcome back pastor Andy and pastor Matt, closing out our series, "XXIII: The Satisfied Life" on Psalm 23 by looking at what it truly means to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The household of God is marked by abundance, diversity, and love.
XXIII - The Satisfied Life (Week 6)
Join Kith & Kin, Pastor Damean, and Pastor Grace as we continue our series on XXIII: The Satisfied Life by looking at how dying to our false selves leads to truly living without lack.
XXIII - The Satisfied Life (Week 5)
Join pastors Scot Wildey and Grace Wilkinson as we continue our series on Psalm 23, "The Satisfied Life" by looking at faith, and what it means to trust God and rely upon Him in the face of fear and uncertainty.
XXIII - The Satisfied Life (Week 3)
This week Pastor Damean Easter walks through Psalm 23:3. We look at what it means to be guided by God no matter the season we are facing.
XXIII - The Satisfied Life (Week 4)
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This week Pastor Damean will be digging into Psalm 23:4. We are looking at what it means for the rod and staff of the Lord to protect us when we walk through the darkest valleys.
XXII - The Satisfied Life (Week 2)
In a culture that prizes self-sufficiency and rugged individualism, embracing our identity as God's sheep doesn't come naturally. However much we may value our personal agency, no amount of savvy can measure up against the kindest, wisest, most loving Being in the universe. Psalm 23:2 depicts the Shepherd God leading us, his sheep, to green pastures, quiet waters, and soul refreshment. That is the picture of the spiritual life - it is the ongoing process of allowing God to be our Shepherd. As we embrace our identity as God’s sheep and learn to recognize and follow our Shepherd God's voice, we will be led to the deep soul refreshment and rest that only God can give.
XXIII - The Satisfied Life
In a world often focused on what is missing, God invites us to experience the satisfied life, a life without scarcity or lack. In Scripture, we see a glimpse of that satisfied life in Psalm 23, an amazing song of life! Though often associated with funerals, Psalm 23 is not merely a pretty poem with comforting sentiments, but a compelling picture of the kind of life that is available to anyone who will allow God to be their Shepherd.
A World of Trouble: Good Grief (Lament)
Join pastors Matt Hammett and Damean Easter as we continue our message series, "A World of Trouble: Life in the Midst of Anxiety". As Scripture famously says, Jesus wept. However, most of us don't know how to practice good grief. We avoid grief because we’re afraid of the pain it will cause, but the truth is that good grieving can actually heal that pain and bring us more in touch with the pain of the world and the joy of the Lord. This message from Pastor Matt is about how we learn to lament like Jesus. Access the Lament Worksheet here: https://diveintoflood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Lament-Worksheet.pdf
A World of Trouble - Hurting but Hopeful
Today is Pentecost! Pentecost celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the first followers of Jesus, the miraculous events that surrounded that transcending moment. The power of God to bring people together in unity is something our world desperately needs right now, and I invite you to pray with me as we continue our gathering.
A World of Trouble - Grace for Perfectionists
Today we're continuing our series called A World of Trouble: Life in the Midst of Anxiety. There’s a level of anxiety in our world today, so much that is unknown and uncertain about the future, our health, finances, jobs, kids, and loved ones, that many of us can’t help but feel stressed and anxious. Jesus tells us in John 16 that in this world there will be trouble, but he also offers us hope, and a way of life and relationship with him that isn’t dominated by worry. This series is about the life Jesus offers us - a life marked by God’s peace and non-anxious presence. A life that is grounded in the unshakeable kingdom of God.
A World of Trouble: Pursuing Peace
This Sunday we hear a comforting and inspiring message from Pastor Matt about what it means to experience the peace of Christ not in spite of our circumstances, but in the midst of them. God is always present to us with open arms, ready to receive all of our fears, worries, and concerns.
A World of Trouble: Trusting God in Trials
Today's message, looks at the story of Jesus and the disciples at sea when a terrible storm threatened their lives (Mark 4:35-41). In the midst of this terrifying ordeal, Jesus was asleep in the boat. His response to their cries for help revealed to his disciples - and to us - how to take hold of the peaceful, non-anxious life Jesus offers us in the midst of every storm.
A World of Trouble - Life in the Midst of Anxiety
We welcome guest speakers and Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere for a timely and valuable teaching on the importance of befriending our emotions and empathy. Jesus doesn't shame, avoid, or reject us because of our emotions - instead, Jesus wants to love us in the midst of our emotions, and teach us how to befriend our emotions.
A World of Trouble: Adversary vs. Advocate
We welcome Pastor Damean Easter for an encouraging and inspiring word about self esteem. How do we love ourselves well in a world of comparison? We need to dethrone the inner critic in our lives and seek to live under Christ's grace and truth. Also, enjoy a throwback music video as we celebrate Mother's Day.
EASTER | Strength for Today Bright Hope for Tomorrow
In the moments in-between - after the death but before the resurrection of Jesus. In many ways, it’s like being in the eye of a storm - a moment of calm in the midst of turmoil. I imagine this was a day of immense sorrow and disorientation for the first disciples, freshly grieving the loss of their friend and Lord, Jesus. You see, they didn’t know what you and I know. They didn’t know that there was a new day dawning. They didn’t know Easter Sunday was coming.
Providence: Supporting the Mission that Supports the Mission
Providence is a sermon series exploring the extraordinary lives of the messengers of God who were living in a difficult and dark time in 8th century BC Israel. During this climate of disruption and unrest they demonstrated a profound faithfulness and trust in God's presence and provision in their lives. We will be dissecting the meaningful treads found between a story from the life of Elijah (2 Kings 4:42-44) and the triumphal entry of Christ Jesus into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-42).
Providence: Surrounded
This week, we look at a passage in 2 Kings 6:8-23. Where do we turn when we feel overwhelmed, when it seems like we're surrounded with no way out?
Providence: God's Provision in Desperate Times
In 2 Kings, Elisha comes across a widow faced with an impossible choice - pay a debt that she doesn’t have the money for, or send her sons into slavery as payment? Her anguish is palpable, and in the midst of her crisis Elisha says these five simple yet magical words: How can I help you?
Providence: The Pathway of Transformation
This is an unprecedented time in the history of our world. Each of us are desperate for some type of change. Societally, we are all desperate for hope. God is the source of hope, healing and change. Yet we have a part. Guest speaker Rich Villodas shares with us today the true pathways of change, breakthrough, wholeness and ultimately transformation.
Providence: Burnout
There came a point in Elijah’s ministry where he had careened way past burnout, and into despair. But it is also there, at the end of his rope, that God meets him and gives him exactly what he needs.
This Sunday we continue our new series Providence: Desperate Times, Disparate Measures, by looking at how God provides relief
for Elijah’s burnout.
Providence: Desperate Times, Disparate Measures
What does it look like to remain faithful in times of cultural unrest and unease? How do we continue to put our trust in God in difficult times? When we face a scary diagnosis, when we don't know how we're going to make rent or pay the bills, when we feel surrounded by scarcity, how do we stay grounded in God?
This Sunday we begin our brand new series Providence: Desperate Times, Disparate Measures, looking at the lives of Elijah and Elisha, who show us what it means to live by faith in any circumstance.
Still Small: Stepping Out
As we grow older, we become more risk-averse. We try to avoid being hurt or making mistakes. But the rule of risk and reward still applies - it is only through taking risks and trying something new that we learn just what we’re capable of. In the spiritual life, this means listening closely to God, discerning where we think he might be leading us, and then taking the leap. We may be right, we may be wrong, but we’ll never know if we don’t dive in.
This Sunday we conclude our series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life by looking at what God is inviting us to step into next.
Still Small: Indifference
Culture tells us that only those who remain relentlessly driven and laser-focused achieve their dreams. We believe that we can get what we want by gripping tight to our goals and never letting go. But God beckons us into another way of being, a way that requires surrender, and a willingness to relinquish even our deepest wants and desires for the sake of what God desires for us. This is counter-intuitive, confounding even, but it is the only path toward truly discerning
and doing God’s will.
This Sunday we continue our series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, by looking at how we learn to embrace the freedom that comes with letting go.
Still Small: One Track Mind
For followers of Jesus seeking to discern and do God’s will, we need to pay close attention to when, how, and how often we’re turning to our own logic, reason, and intellect to make decisions. Since God has given us this incomparable tool, we also ought to trust God to guide us in how to use it for our good and God’s glory.
This Sunday we continue our series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, by looking at how to use our heads in the practice of discernment.
Still Small: Wise Council
When it comes to making decisions in our own lives, it’s essential to surround ourselves with people who will listen to us, but who will also listen to God on our behalf - and then tell us the truth in love, even if it’s not what we want to hear. The same is true for being a voice in the lives of others; we need to listen well to them and to God for them, without personal agenda or ulterior motive. In the church, this is communal discernment, and it’s one of the fundamental pillars of discerning God’s presence and activity in the world.
This Sunday we continue our series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, exploring how we practice being a community who discerns.
Still Small: Heart Felt
It’s a mind-bending mystery that the Spirit of God dwells in each of us, but this is what the life of discernment is all about - learning how to be increasingly attentive to the leading of this Wonderful Counselor in the day-to-day.
This Sunday we continue our series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, looking at the ways that God takes the initiative to make Himself known to us.
Still Small: Trusting God's Goodness... Always
Our capacity to seek God in seasons of fear, pain, and loss, when it’s hard to sense His goodness and love, is one of the primary ways we practice discerning God’s voice. This Sunday we continue our series,
Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, looking at how to experience our good and loving God in every circumstance.
Still Small: Trusting God's Goodness
Too much noise in our lives can also affect our spiritual development. When we can’t seem to hear the still, small voice of God through the cacophony and chaos of daily life, we can lose our sense of his presence and leading. We believe that Christ is alive today, and wants us to know his will and follow him - but how can we hope to follow Christ, when we don’t know where he wants to take us?
This Sunday we begin a new series, Still Small: Discerning God’s Voice in a Noisy Life, looking at how we recognize and respond to the presence, activity, and words of God in the big and small moments of life.
20/20 Vision
It seems appropriate to begin the new year by renewing our commitment to the shared vision for the universal Church, and how God has called Flood to be a unique expression of that vision. What can we learn from one of the most effective and influential congregations of the early church in Antioch about how to become a transformational, Christ-centered movement of hope & healing in our culture and context today? And what does it mean for you and I to commit our lives to this movement?
All of the Above: God
On this special Christmas Eve, we will reflect on Jesus as God, this great gift that God gives us through his Son. God present with us.
All of the Above: Human(s)
Jesus came to teach us what it means to be fully human, to live the life God intended for us to live. Where we got it wrong, he got it right and showed us the way. Too often, Jesus’ humanity has been minimized, but the truth is that it is precisely because he was human, just like you and I, that the Gospel is so compelling. God, because of his great love for us, came to be with us.
This Sunday we continue our Advent series, All of the Above, looking at the roles Jesus has fulfilled and still fulfills - as High Priest to free us from shame, as King to give us unity and strength, as Prophet to give us direction, as a Human who walks with us, and as the God who saves us.
All of the Above: Prophet(s)
In the Old Testament, the role of a prophet was to listen for God’s voice, and then faithfully live out the message they receive while communicating it to their community. For Jesus, his prophetic message was simple and resolute - a new day has come, the Messiah is present, the Kingdom is here, and salvation is available. This message is as true today as it was then, with one very important addition: now, we too are invited into that role of prophet, to listen for God’s voice and respond to the message.
This Sunday we continue our Advent series, All of the Above, looking at the role Jesus has fulfilled and still fulfills as Prophet, the one who speaks and gives us direction.
All of the Above: King
We live in a world increasingly marked by division and hostility. How does Jesus as King bring unity? How do we experience the unifying power of the King?
All of the Above: Priest(s)
Waiting can be so hard sometimes, especially when we know that what we’re anticipating will be so sweet and wonderful. Every year, the church enters into a season of waiting called Advent - a time of joyful expectation and preparation for the birth of Christ. This season celebrates that Jesus Christ has come, He is present in the world, and He will come again in power and glory to right all wrongs and make all things new. But what does it look like to wait well, even as we affirm that Jesus is alive today?
This Sunday we begin our Advent series, All of the Above, looking at the roles Jesus has fulfilled and still fulfills - as High Priest to free us from shame, as King to give us unity and strength, as Prophet to give us direction, as a Human who walks with us, and as the God who saves us.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Mary (The Momager)
Our relationships with our moms can be complex, layered, and complicated - but psychology tells us that it’s one of the most important and foundational connections we have, and it has major implications for everything from how we manage stress to how optimistic and confident we are. Even Jesus, God made flesh, had a deeply complex relationship with his mom, Mary. Yet throughout the Gospels, we see how he navigated both loving and honoring her, and staying obedient to the ultimate purpose to which he was called.
This Sunday we conclude our series,
Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For,
by looking at Jesus’ relationship with his mom.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Paul (The Outside Hire)
Before his miraculous conversion experience, Saul thought he was zealously doing God’s will by seeking to wipe out this new sect of Judaism called “the Way” that followed the crucified (and resurrected) Jesus. It took being literally knocked to the ground by Jesus for this violent and threatening man to learn the truth. It makes me wonder, how often do we think we know who the “enemy” is… and what if we’re wrong?
This Sunday we look at Jesus’ post-resurrection relationship with Saul/Paul in our series,
Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Pilate (The Political Other)
One of the fundamental problems of the 20th century is this posture of “othering” - viewing and treating others as intrinsically different from ourselves. In turn, we align ourselves against whatever (and whoever) doesn’t fit into our view of the world. Othering is not just about liking or disliking someone. Rather, it is based on the often unconscious assumption that a certain group poses a threat to us. These pre-judgments are largely driven by outside influences (like politicians and media coverage) that reinforce our presuppositions.
This was just as true in first century Judea, as the political and religious influences of the time made Jesus the ultimate “other” for their own gain. Nevertheless, Jesus dismantles this “othering,” and his ways of being continue to have life-changing implications for those who seek to
serve and follow him.
This Sunday we look at Jesus’ relationship with the
political authority of the time, Pontius Pilate, in our series
Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Judas (The Backstabber)
Everyone faces betrayal at some point in life; regardless of the magnitude, the sense of the loss of trust and faith in both the culprit and the relationship itself can be devastating. In the Gospels, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus set in motion Jesus’ arrest, sham trial, and brutal execution. How Jesus responded to the act of betrayal and his betrayer shows us something essential about the purpose of grief, forgiveness, and acceptance.
This Sunday we look at the complicated relationship between Jesus and Judas in our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - James & John (Friendship Cliques)
Even Jesus’ disciples, as the end of his life was drawing near, tried to form an inner circle to curry his favor. In response, Jesus teaches them a life-altering lesson about what it
really means to be on the inside.
This Sunday we look at how Jesus responds to friendship cliques in our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Martha (The Perfectionist)
Perfectionism and the pressure it imposes on us and those around us can distort reality and leave us hopelessly striving for something that doesn’t exist. The truth: nothing in life is perfect. This is the message Jesus wanted to tenderly impart to one of his closest friends, Martha. Driven to the brink of exhaustion by her perfectionism, she risks missing the Perfect One sitting right in front of her.
This Sunday we take a deeper look at Jesus’ friendship with Martha, the Perfectionist, in our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Nicodemus (The Churchy Know-It-All)
Ultimately, the need to be right is really about being in control, about needing to understand exactly how the world and everything in it works. That’s why, when we’re inevitably confronted with some mystery that we don’t understand and can’t control, it can send us spinning. We see Nicodemus in this exact situation in John 3, as Jesus reveals some confounding and wondrous information to this Churchy Know-It-All.
This Sunday we look at Jesus’ relationship with Nicodemus in our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Kids (The Ankle-Biters)
Children didn’t have a lot of rights in the first century. They were to be seen and not heard, considered of little value because by society’s standards, they had nothing to offer. However, in the Gospels we discover God’s soft spot for children. Jesus is gentle and kind with them, and passionate about protecting them from harm. Not only that, but Jesus uses them to teach some of his most important lessons about who really matters in God’s Kingdom.
This Sunday we look at Jesus’ tenderness for kids in our series,
Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Simon (The Religious Hypocrite)
Jesus had a lot to say about the pervasive disease that is hypocrisy. As a perfect human, he didn’t harbor any hypocrisy within himself - but he could see it in others, and didn’t hesitate to call them on it and call them into a better, more integrated way of life.
This Sunday we continue our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For, by looking at how Jesus loved - and confronted - the religious hypocrite, Simon.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Matthew (The Party Animal)
Jesus was no stranger to parties - but he also never compromised who he was or whose he was in those spaces. Instead, Jesus found a way to connect with the partiers and call them back to their true selves.
This Sunday we continue our series, Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For, by looking at Jesus’ encounter with a party animal who needed a new scene.
Why Can't We Be Friends? - Peter (The Annoying Friend)
Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus encountering and engaging with all kinds of difficult people, and loving each of them perfectly. This Sunday, we start a brand new series called Why Can’t We Be Friends? Difficult People Worth Fighting For, that will look at some of the pivotal relationships in Jesus’ life, and what we can learn from Jesus about how to love one another, even if (or when) it is difficult.
Ex: To Be Continued...
This Sunday our journey through the story of the Exodus comes to an end. Just as the last chapter of Exodus does not conclude the epic adventure narrative of God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites in the desert, so too our journey continues into this next season as a church. The question is, what do we need to carry with us as we continue this next season together?
Ex: Show Me Your Glory
As we approach the end of the Exodus story, it’s clear that Moses and God have reached a new dynamic in their relationship. After forty years of talking with God, learning to obey and seeing His provision over and over again, Moses has come to see that God’s presence is all he truly needs and wants. When given the choice to enter the Promised Land without God, Moses dismisses it out of hand. If you’re not going, he says, then neither am I.
This exchange leads to one of the more majestic moments in Scripture, when God permits Moses to catch a glimpse of His glory. God gives us glimpses of His glory, too - but if we’re not looking for it, it can be easy to miss.
Ex: Discovering Your Calling
The question of our vocation can become daunting, and we begin to fear we might make the “wrong” decision. Thankfully, God shows us another way. God doesn’t want our vocation, or calling, to be a burden - He intends it to be a blessing, both to ourselves and those around us. Not only that, but He will show us how to live out that calling as we follow Him.
This Sunday we look to an unassuming character in Exodus to understand what it truly means to discern God’s calling, in our summer series Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Ex: Home is Where...
When the Israelites finally arrived at Mount Sinai, they probably thought that after such a long and difficult journey, things were finally going to settle down and they could learn a new normal. However as we know, this is not to be. Instead, they will spend the rest of the Pentateuch (all the way through Deuteronomy) bickering, disobeying God’s and Moses’ commands, and generally being ornery, obstinate, and grumbly.
Like the Israelites, too often our lives are marked by conflict - miscommunications and misunderstandings that lead to us either being hurt, or hurting others. In a world made up of different backgrounds, cultures, upbringings, and communication styles, we want to learn ways to celebrate the things that make us unique in environments where everyone can feel valued, respected, known, and understood.
Ex: More Than Words
A powerful image of miraculous rescue is exactly what God wants to remind the Israelites, as they finally arrive at Mt. Sinai and prepare to receive His covenant. But can the Israelites surrender to God’s call to obedience and worship? Find out as we continue our series on Exodus called
Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Ex: Leading Leaders
Moses has all the makings of an incredible leader, but finds himself in dire need of help from an outside perspective to rise to the occasion. This Sunday we look at how biblical humility creates space for others to lead through our series, Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Ex: Revisionist History
After their miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea, the Israelites find themselves in a desert - but it’s not an island, and no one’s having a good time. They’re thirsty, hungry, and they’re beginning to believe that things in Egypt weren’t so bad. To their credit, things certainly don’t look good. However, they’re forgetting one very important thing: God is still with them, and has promised them not only freedom from slavery, but a land of abundance where they will be free to serve and worship God.
Ex: Home Free
In the story of the Exodus, just when it looks like the Israelites have finally been delivered out of slavery by God’s mighty and miraculous works, mediated through his servant Moses - Pharaoh goes back his word. Instead of letting God’s people go free, he decides to pursue them into the desert to subdue and re-enslave them. This will prove to be a perilous choice.
This Sunday we hear from Andy Kelly in North County as he explores what it means to trust in God when all seems lost.
Ex: Pass Over
‘Why is this night different from all other nights?’
This question initiates one of the most significant elements of the Passover, reading the story of the Exodus from Egypt. You see, remembering what God has done, and passing those memories down through the generations, is one of the central pillars of the Jewish faith. It is how we recognize that the God of the Exodus - of miraculous deliverance, divine justice, and abounding mercy, is the same God who is alive and active today.
This Sunday we look at the account of God’s justice and mercy through the first Passover in our series, Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Ex: King of Hearts
Sometimes when we read Exodus in our context, as a privileged and free people, we can start to feel like it’s all scripted, pre-planned, and choreographed. The truth is, victory was anything but a foregone conclusion. God gave Moses the task of obtaining freedom for the Israelites from Pharaoh, the most powerful man on earth at the time. Chances of success were slim to none. He had no army, no reputation, no standing whatsoever to approach Pharaoh with this request. He did, however, have something that the Pharaoh had never heard of and didn’t know to fear - he had the Lord. And Pharaoh is about to learn just how powerful that advantage is.
Ex: Called Out
When Moses asks God precisely who is sending him to free the Israelites, God does not respond with a list of descriptors or accomplishments. God says simply, “I am who I am” (or “I will be who I will be,” depending on the translation). God does not need to prove anything to Moses, or the Israelites, for that matter. God is God, God will be God, and that is enough.
This Sunday we continue our series through Exodus called Ex: A Deliverance Deferred and look at the long-awaited meeting between Moses and the I Am.
Ex: The Fugitive
Subjugation and suffering is the backdrop against which Moses’s early life plays out, as he witnesses firsthand the cruelty of slavery and takes it upon himself to exact vengeance. His choice will lead to a series of events that will shape his life and ultimately, his destiny.
This Sunday we continue our new series on the story of the Exodus called Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Ex: True Freedom
The story of God’s people is full of inadvertent expatriates, from Abraham to Joseph to Jesus. The story of the Exodus, however, recounts how God brought an entire nation from a doomed future into a new land for a new purpose.
This Sunday we begin a brand new series on the story of the Exodus called Ex: A Deliverance Deferred.
Gold School: Stay Gold
Any builder will tell you that solid foundation is the key to a solid structure; at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says the same about our lives. The bedrock upon which we build our lives will determine how stable we are, especially in the storms that will inevitably come.
This Sunday we conclude our series Gold School: The Golden Rule in Our Tarnished World by looking at Jesus’ final words to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount.
Gold School: All That Glitters...
Discerning truth is an increasingly fraught exercise for us as followers of Jesus in the world today. In fact, Jesus assures us that not only is there objective truth, but also that we can recognize it - if we only know what to look for.
This Sunday we take a deep and discerning look at true versus false.
Gold School: Golden Gate
Jesus didn’t pull any punches when it came to sharing honestly with his followers the challenges of living a life in the Kingdom of God. He taught of the wide and narrow roads because he wanted his disciples to know that while his path is narrow and difficult, there is no view more beautiful or breath-taking.
Gold School: Fool's Gold
While we don’t mean to, we can sometimes treat God like a magical wish-granter, too. Just rub the lamp, just make the wish, just pray the prayer and poof! it’s yours. It’s a painful and disorienting experience, then, when we don’t get what we asked for. We believe God is the giver of good gifts, we know God hears our prayers and is not ambivalent toward us — so what gives?
Holding our deepest desires before God is a vulnerable experience, and one that needs the compassionate and wise guidance of Jesus. This Sunday we learn what it means to ask God for what we truly desire.
Gold School: Pigs and Pearls
It’s quite possible for a person to possess massive amounts of knowledge, and lack the wisdom of when, how, and with whom they should share it. Jesus knew this, and sought to cultivate disciples who led lives that demonstrated both wisdom and discerning. Indeed, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”(Proverbs 9:10)
This Sunday we learn how to employ discerning wisdom in our relationships.
Gold School: Plankeye
In any situation, pointing out someone else’s flaws is always a risk. This Sunday, let’s heed Jesus as he reminds us where our focus on fixing could be and probably should be.
This Sunday we continue our new series, “Gold School: The Golden Rule in Our Tarnished World,” about how to look to Jesus for how to treat ourselves and those around us.
Gold School: Gold Standard
"Treat others how you want to be treated.”
This is, of course, the Golden Rule. We all have interpretations of what it means. Kindness. Thoughtfulness. Generosity. However in practice, we actually tend to live out the lesser known “Silver Rule,” which means don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you. This negative form of the Golden Rule has been found in a variety of ancient religious texts, from rabbinic Judaism to Hinduism, Confucianism, and Buddhism to Greek
and Roman ethical teachings.
But it was Jesus who first put forward the positive form of the maxim.
On its surface, it seems like the same - but is it, really? Ostensibly, the Silver Rule could be perfectly practiced by simply doing nothing on behalf of others. By turning the command from the negative to the positive, Jesus takes this passive “live and let live” adage and blows the lid off it, transforming it into a far reaching demand for unselfish love in action.
This Sunday we begin a brand new series, “Gold School: The Golden Rule in Our Tarnished World,” about how to look to Jesus for how to treat ourselves and those around us.
Fight, Flight, or Light: Locked Doors
The things we fear the most are often the things that cannot see: decisions being made, the feelings of others, what the future holds. The list goes on. Though you can’t see it, you do sense it: anxiety, foreboding, dread, a certainty that something is about to go terribly wrong, and there’s nothing we can do to prevent it. In the hours after Jesus is crucified and dies, we see the disciples having that same experience - something has gone terribly awry. Not knowing what or who is coming next, they wait, powerless to the fear
that holds them captive.
Then, something truly wondrous happens, and Jesus is among them. In that moment, their fear is replaced by something far more powerful - a love that will transform the world and change the future.
Home: Life, Breath, and Everything Else
As beings created by the most creative Being in the universe, I believe we are all endowed with an ability to express creativity, in our own unique way.
Our creativity is how we connect to our Creator, which is why it is one of Flood’s central values as a faith community.
Home: A Flood of Grace and Truth
With Jesus, there is only truth - and grace. Consider the woman at the well in John 4 - he doesn’t sugar-coat the truth about her life, but he also doesn’t condemn her for it. What does he do? He offers her a new way to live. A way that is honest and forgiven. A way that sets her free.
Grace and truth might seem like opposite ideals, but for us at Flood, they are inseparable and essential elements of the with-God life.
Home: Giving Together
What does it mean to be truly generous? This week, we look at Acts 4 to see what it looks like when we respond with the same generosity that God pours out to us.
Home: In Courage
Courage is not a quality reserved for audacious acts of heroism or the biggest, bravest person in the room. Often, the most courageous among us are the ones who, despite fear, do what they know to be right and trust the results to the Lord.
This Sunday, we explore what it looks like to be a courageous movement of God’s hope and healing in San Diego and beyond.
Home: Time to Get Up
We love the idea of a cure-all. A medicine that can cure any ailment, heal any wound, restore whatever is broken in us. But there is only one true source of healing, and it’s not a magic potion. It is a transformational relationship with Jesus, and a lifelong practice of surrendering the parts of ourselves that need healing into his loving hands.
This Sunday we unpack the third and final clause of our vision statement, how to become a movement of healing.
Home: The Power of Hope
When it comes down to it, we have a fundamental misunderstanding of the true purpose of hope. Hope isn’t just the means to an end - it’s the formational spiritual discipline of holding longing in the midst of the unknown. It is also the vulnerable discipline of allowing others to “hold us” as we wait in hope.
This Sunday we continue our new series “Home: Opening Doors for a New Generation” by looking at the essential role of hope
in any movement of God.
Home: Unstoppable Force
We are beginning a brand new series called “Home: Opening Doors for a New Generation.” This is a series all about our vision, understanding exactly who we are and what God has called us to do as Flood Church, in San Diego and Encinitas, in this new chapter of owning our very own church home.
This Sunday we look at Acts, and see how God changes our lives through healthy rhythms of prayer.
No Man's Land: Worried Sick
Most of us have a very well-developed Fear in our heads - that voice of constant worry, ruminating over anything and everything that might go wrong. Some of us also feel guilty when we worry, because somewhere along the way we were taught that worrying means we don’t love or trust God. The question then becomes, is fear and worry wrong?
Rather than worry over that question, let’s focus on Jesus, who fully understood what it means to worry. The truth is, in him we find a God who desires to carry that burden with us.
This Sunday we take a closer look at what Jesus tells us about the role of worry in our lives.
No Man's Land: Measure Our Treasure
The things we tend to treasure - money, security, success - don't result in a fulfilling life. When we mis-prioritize those things over and above our true treasure, which is God, we end up missing the true journey that is a greater adventure than any blockbuster there is.
This Sunday we explore how to treasure what matters most.
No Man's Land: Fasting With God
Fasting isn’t as simple as just skipping a meal or two. Like everything Jesus taught us, its meaning goes much deeper. It’s about integrating all of ourselves - mind, soul, and body - into our worship. It’s about consecrating every little bit of us - even our appetites - to God’s will, purposes,
and desires for us. This Sunday we take a closer look at this important but often
forgotten way to worship.
No Man's Land: The Unforgiven
To forgive is indeed a quality of the divine, but it is much more than that. It is also a transcendent experience, and one that must pervade each of us from God. Forgiveness is not a chore; it is a God-dependent journey where we begin to receive more love, live in greater hope and freely give mercy away.
This Sunday we take a closer look at this essential part
of the human experience.
No Man's Land: The Disciples' Prayer
We are spiritually hardwired to pray. Prayer is about reaching out for the love and peace of God in the midst of experiences in daily life. It’s how we think, reflect, share our worries and concerns, and communicate with the Creator of the universe. This Sunday we deepen our understanding of how prayer leads us further into a God-dependent journey.
No Man's Land: Open-Handed
Too many of us make occasional, big gestures of generosity, which makes it almost impossible to cultivate generosity as a routine habit in our lives.
Jesus, however, offers us a different regimen. He invites us to reorient how we approach generosity - not as the thing we do every once in a while to garner attention and praise, but as the rhythm of our lives. This Sunday we look at what it means to embrace this virtuous cycle.
No Man's Land: Approval Addiction
What happens when our self-worth is contingent on this outside approval? Our sense of belonging becomes overly attached to what others think of us and we become hamsters in the wheel, chasing more and more external approval that can never truly make us feel like we’re enough.
Thankfully, there is one who knows and accepts us completely - not just what we project to the world. Our God likes us, loves us, and loves to love us. This Sunday we start a brand new series, No Man’s Land: The Uncharted Terrain that Leads Us to God.
Epiphany: A God Dependent Journey
God is the source of all things and is in all things. God permeates all of creation - including us. The question, then, is where do we find God? The answer is the journey towards ever-deepening trust in God’s provision and power in our lives. This Sunday we explore this simple yet profound reality.
A Promise Delivered: Mighty God
Through the birth of Jesus we learn that might will indeed make right - Jesus, our Mighty God, will make right the wrongs of this world in a kingdom that will last forever. This story is one worth (re-)considering because it can be our story… if we are willing to see ourselves in the pages.
A Promise Delivered: Wonderful Counselor
We're quick to scoff at and dismiss the notion of a kind and benevolent King, because humanity has been down that road before - despite their many promises, no political ruler in history has ruled that way. In our cynicism, we can also dismiss Jesus. Yet Jesus is that King. We just misunderstand his strategy. His rule is different because his kingdom is unlike any kingdom we've ever seen, fathom or honestly can realize on our own.
Christmas reminds us that unto us is born a King. Wise. Loving. Good. Powerful. The question is - what is his strategy? If we understand this, we will have find a Kingdom that is greater any government that will ever exist.
Holy Waters: The Incarnational Life
There is spiritual significance in everything - even doing the dishes and laundry. And we have a heavenly Father who delights in showing us that he is the God of the ordinary.
This Sunday we conclude our series “Holy Waters: Six Streams of Christian Spirituality,” by looking at the place where all the other streams converge - the Incarnational Life.
Holy Waters: The Word-Centered Life
It can be easy to over-complicate sharing the gospel, and to miss the beautiful simplicity of inviting people to know Jesus Christ. We don’t need elaborate plans or sophisticated speeches.
We need only love.
This Sunday we explore how the good news message of Jesus Christ is at the heart of our faith tradition.
Holy Waters: The Compassionate Life
Nothing is more at the heart of our discipleship to Jesus Christ than an ongoing, ever-deepening love relationship, which in turn compels us to seek the total transformation of people, institutions, and societies - the heartbeat
of the Compassionate Life.
This Sunday we will explore the Compassionate Life - the stream that combines suffering love with courageous action.
Holy Waters: The Spirit-Empowered Life
While the Virtuous Life centers upon the power to be, the Spirit-Empowered Life centers upon the power to do. However, these two streams are most healthy when they refuse to function independently of one another. This Sunday we feature a very important part two of last week’s message.
Holy Waters: The Virtuous LifeAs we develop consistent habits of prayer, things that used to tempt us away from God’s presence begin to lose their power over us. This is a wonderful reality to know, and it is the heart of the Virtuous Life. This Sunday, we take a deeper look into this essential stream of Christian heritage.
Holy Waters: THe Prayer-Filled Life
This week, we are beginning a brand new series called “Holy Waters: the Six Streams of Christian Heritage.” We’ll be looking at the six “streams,” or expressions, of the Christian faith tradition, beginning with the stream of the prayer-filled life - which is the steady gaze of the soul upon the
God who loves us.
Misquoted: Thoroughly Equipped
This week, we are bringing this series to a close with a very special worship gathering, reflecting on 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed…”Those five words have immense meaning, and lead to an amazing life-long journey of training together.
Misquoted: Unequally Yoked
When Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6 “do not be unequally yoked,” his audience would have known exactly what he meant. Christians today tend to take that precept to mean that we shouldn’t marry a non-Christian - but is that really what the passage is saying? This Sunday we explore this
oft-quoted command.
Misquoted: Vengeance is Mine
We can justify any behavior in an effort to protect ourselves and feel like we’re back in control. But what does Scripture say about revenge? This Sunday we look at one of the most well-known but least-understood verses about it: “an eye for an eye.”
Misquoted: Root of All Evil
Money plays an all-too important role in our culture today. How we approach money directly affects how we approach everything else - our jobs, our relationships, even our faith. This isn’t new, and it’s certainly not unique to Americans. Even in the early church, we find believers who, in their eagerness for money, lost sight of what was of ultimate value and found themselves plunged into
“ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).
Money can be a wonderful and useful tool, when it’s leveraged for the purposes of God’s will. Join us on Sunday as we unpack the often misquoted and misunderstood passage in 1 Timothy 6 - “money is the root of all evil.”
Misquoted: Sacred GiftIt’s no surprise, then, that when we hear the phrase “your body is a temple” we automatically apply that to our physical appearance. My body is a temple, therefore I shouldn’t: get tattoos, smoke, eat junk food, drink alcohol, skip leg day, etc. etc. etc. The reasoning goes like this: if my body is a temple, then I should take care of it. Don’t get me wrong - it isgood to take good care of ourselves!
But here’s the thing: when Paul wrote about our bodies being temples in 1 Corinthians 6, it had almost nothing to do with our physical appearance, tattoos or anything else that we lump in with it. It is, in fact, so much more glorious and profound than that.
Misquoted: Persistent Poverty
Jesus was a refugee. When he was only a baby, his parents were forced to flee their homeland in order to save his life. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus cautioned that we would always have the poor - the refugee, the immigrant - with us. Sometimes, we read those words and interpret them to mean that the reality of poverty will always be with us no matter what we do, and we let ourselves off the hook from giving, serving, and seeking to help the poorest among us. The truth is, Jesus was unequivocal in his command that his followers are to always, always leverage what we have for the
sake of those in need.
This Sunday, we’re honored to be welcoming Matt Soerens, the US Director for World Relief and the co-author of the books “Welcoming the Stranger” and “Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis.” He has been active at the US/Mexico border working to advocate for refugees and immigrants, and we’re looking forward to hearing him share a biblical perspective on immigration.
Misquoted: You Are Surrounded
Speaking hard truth was one of the essential functions of the prophets of ancient Israel. Jeremiah in particular had to name harsh realities to the Israelites, who were worshiping false gods and listening to false prophets - who were only telling them what they wanted to hear. Out of this contentious time came possibly the most well known - and most misinterpreted - verse in all of Scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This promise from God is real and reliable - but not in the way we might think.
Misquoted: Lovefully
Love is the most complex and mystifying concept that humanity grapples with, but it’s also what gives life meaning. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tackles these complexities with a magnificent exposition of what exactly love is - and what it isn’t. But historically, the church has relegated his words to be used in wedding ceremonies, as if it only represents romantic or marital love. Join us as we explore what Paul really meant when
he wrote “Love Is…”
Misquoted: Good and Angry
Most of us have a preferred image of who “our” Jesus is - one who sits serenely with children, or who gently carries lambs around and is always cool, calm and collected. Sometimes, we even selectively focus on the passages in Scripture that reinforce that view. The truth, however, is that Jesus was a multi-dimensional human being who experienced — and expressed — the full range of human emotion. This week, we’ll be looking at one of his traits we may be less comfortable with — his anger.
We’re honored to welcome Jerry Sheveland, a mentor of Pastor Matt’s and a former president of the Converge network of churches. He brings over 30 years of pastoral wisdom and experience with him, and we’re excited to have him with us on Sunday!
Misquoted: Good Education
In Scripture, we find some seemingly clear-cut prohibitions on women teaching - at least on the surface. But peel back the layers just a bit, and we see that they're anything but straightforward. Join us as Pastor Grace Wilkinson unpacks one of the most divisive passages of Scripture, 1 Timothy chapter 2.
Misquoted: God's Government
Separation of church and state is intended to protect both the church and the state from interference from one another. But sometimes that has led followers of Jesus to disengage from the political system altogether - abstaining from voting, serving in public office, or in any way participating in a government "of this world."
So which is the right path? How ought Christians participate or not participate in government and politics?
Join us this Sunday as we dig into this timely and complicated issue of the role of Christians in engaging their governments.
Misquoted: Define, "All Things"
Pastor Scott Wildey begins our new series, "Misquoted: The Verses We Violate", by dissecting Philippians 4:13. We view this verse from Paul's original context, look at what it meant then, and what it means today in our lives with God.
Image Of The Invisibles: Names And Faces
There are thousands of names mentioned throughout Scripture, and each one represents an identity - someone who played a significant role in the larger story of God. Reading those names now helps us to imagine not only the faith community of that time, but also how our names might be recorded as those who played our roles in the story of God.
We conclude our series Image of the Invisible: A letter of encouragement to the Colossians as we learn together what it means to call one another by name.
Image Of The Invisible
We're all under construction, in the midst of an inner transformation of God's work - and we don't know what the finished product will look like.
It seems like the best thing we can do for ourselves and one another is to recognize that we're all a work in progress, and worthy of the dignity that implies. That's what we'll be looking at as we continue our series Image of the Invisible: a letter of encouragement to the Colossians.
Image Of The Invisible: Living It Up
It’s strange how much a change in perspective changes how we see the world and our place in it - especially spiritually.
Paul knew this, and urged the young Colossian church to change their perspective to see the things above, where Christ is. Because when our focus is on Christ, everything else falls into its rightful place.
Pastor Sean shares about what it means for our everyday lives to set our hearts and minds on things above.
Image Of The Invisible: Spoken For
This week we are joined by the founding Pastor of Flood Malawi, Sean Kampondeni. Sean continues our discussion of Colossians looking at Colossians 2:14-23, and what it means to be saved by grace. That nothing can condemn us, because we are already spoken for.
Image Of The Invisible: Become Who We Are
Knowing who we are meant to be, who we truly are, has to come from somewhere deeper, somewhere more solid - somewhere eternal. Only God, revealed fully in Jesus Christ, is big enough to hold our true identity.
This Sunday, we're continuing our series in Colossians by taking a deeper look at just what that it means to truly become who we are.
Image Of The Invisible: The Secret
I've wanted to be more present with my children and more present in my community, but everything has felt hazy and muddled. Maybe your week has left you feeling hazy and muddled too?
This Sunday, we will be continuing our look at Colossians and picking up this very theme. How do we grow firm in our faith when everything feels off? When our experience of reality is distorted and disorienting? I hope we all find some encouragement as we look at these questions together.
Image Of The Invisible: Coloring A Different Picture
This week, we're continuing our series Image of the Invisible, walking through the book of Colossians. In this letter, Paul is reminding the young church that Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of life. He is God incarnate and in him all things were created and all things are held together. He is the head of the church and should be the head of our lives.
Our role is simply to trust and love him.
Image Of The Invisible: Faithing
Colossians is a letter written with the intention to re-establish the Gospel — that Jesus is the Living God and the source of life and loving relationships. In the midst of the competing philosophies and “fake news” of the time, Paul reminds the Colossian church — and us — that faith in Christ is not a one-time event. It is instead a continuous encounter, an encounter rooted, strengthened, and overflowing with thankfulness that Christ is alive and we are alive in him. We begin our new Summer series, Image Of The Invisible: A Letter Of Encouragement To The Colossians, with an introduction to Colossians looking at Colossians 1:1-14.
Flood Summer Kickoff: Lifestyles Of The Lost And Leprous
Guest speaker Damean Easter teaches from Mark 1:40-45 about the healing of the leper. We see how like the leper, we are broken people with our own issues that Jesus wants to heal.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Rest
From the beginning of Creation when God rested, through the third Commandment, and all the way to Jesus' own rhythm of ministry and rest, we see a God who cares deeply about humanity learning to regularly pause and surrender to the goodness that is rest, refreshment, and renewal.
We conclude our series, Don't Quit Your Day Job, on the integration of our faith and work. Pastor Grace Wilkinson explores the essential but neglected topic of developing a healthy rhythm of rest and work.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Career Day
For a pastor, it's pretty clear how faith gets expressed at work, but for others, that can be a challenging path to navigate.
This Sunday, Pastor Matt Hammett shares the stage with members of our church family who are doing just that - integrating their faith into their workplaces, paying attention to where God is at work, at work.
This is an amazing opportunity for us to hear from a diversity of voices who are leveraging their occupations for God's kingdom.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: The Crucible Of Work
Conflict is all around us in our everyday lives, especially in the workplace. How do we, as sons and daughters of God go about becoming peacemakers during trials in and out of the work environment? This week we look at Matthew 7:1-5 to see what Jesus says about casting aside judgement and dealing with conflict in an effective, loving way.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Sharing Faith At Work
How do we have meaningful conversations about faith at work? How are our jobs shaping us? This week Pastor Matt Hammett looks at Romans 10:9-17 to see different ways we can effectively live on mission with Christ in the workplace.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: The City Rejoices
How do we live the hero's journey in the workplace? Many times we see work as a necessary evil, or means to an end. In reality work is how we spend our time, talent and treasure, to create, cultivate and sustain something and/or someone outside of ourselves. This week we see how work is integral, not incidental, to the mission of God in the world.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Passionate Work
In his book, Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer understands vocation (from the Latin word vocare, “to call”) as that which one can’t not do. We often think of our vocation as merely a career and our calling as our life’s passion. But is this conventional thinking true?No matter where you are or what you do, your truest self can’t not do what the One Who Calls has placed in your soul. And “in Christ”, our natural trajectory is to grow into this vocation-calling.This Sunday we’ll continue our new series Don’t Quit Your Day Job by diving into this surprising truth. I hope you join us as we investigate the holy intersection of our passions, possessions, and problems.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Your Life's Calling
Many of us have daydreams of quitting our jobs to get on to what we really want to do with our lives, but God’s invitation for us is not to beam up from where we are. He invites us to be committed to our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. Rather than waiting for God to send us to far-off places, we want to learn to view our workplaces as spaces God has sent each one of us to bring his hope and healing!
Easter: A Wonderful DayThis Easter, Pastor Matt Hammett celebrates the miracle of Jesus' resurrection by looking at His life, and the wonder that was marked by it.
Through Parched Lips: Surrender to Love
How do we live faithfully amongst the challenges of life? We wrap up our message series, Through Parched Lips, by responding to Jesus’ commitment on the cross. Looking at at Jesus' statement "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" we learn how the path of a fruitful life is a faithful life.
Through Parched Lips: It Is Finished
This week, we look into John’s unique account of Jesus’ last words and his proclamation, “It is finished.” This statement may seem simple on the surface, but in truth, it’s the core of our faith and the crux of human history. A rally cry of God’s victory over the power of sin and death. And this call is not for spectators.
Through Parched Lips: Jo Saxton
Special guest speaker, Jo Saxton, continues our series Through Parched Lips with a message on Jesus's statement on the cross "I Am Thirsty".
Jo is a popular author, dynamic speaker, and anointed leader! She seeks to challenge societal stereotypes and helps people discover who they truly are, by seeing themselves the way God sees them.
Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, Jo brings a multi-cultural and international leadership perspective. She has served on staff in multiple churches in the United Kingdom and the United States. A sought-after speaker, Jo has spoken at colleges/universities, churches, acclaimed national conferences and has been featured at the esteemed National Day of Prayer.
Through Parched Lips: The Crucified God
The crucifixion of Jesus stands alone in all of human history. No religious imagination could have come up with a crucified God (not just a resurrected god, but a crucified one). That’s why the passion of Jesus towards the cross is the crux of the Gospels--it reveals what God is like.
This week we’ll be wrestling with Jesus’ cry from the cross--the only last words found in two different Gospel accounts.
Through Parched Lips: This is Us
In the Gospels, it’s not always obvious to us why Jesus chose to communicate certain things on the cross. It's up to us, as an exercise in faith, to dig deeper into his words and their context in order to discover their deeper significance, meaning and application to our lives.
That deeper meaning is what we’ll be exploring this Sunday as we continue our series Through Parched Lips. We'll be delving into why, while on the cross, Jesus chose to tell his mother Mary, "Woman, behold your son.”
Through Parched Lips: Last Rites
Is the afterlife more than just moral dessert? The late Dallas Willard once said that heaven is God’s presence.
This week we’ll continue our new message series, Through Parched Lips, by listening to Jesus’ words on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Through Parched Lips: Father, Forgive ThemThe Bible proclaims that Jesus is the exact representation of God, making his final words on the cross uniquely powerful and significant. Over the next few weeks we’ll be asking what do Jesus final words from the cross tell us about God, and how he values people in our new message series, Through Parched Lips: The Last Words of Jesus on the Cross.
This Sunday we are looking at the depths of God’s forgiveness, why it is so important and what it means for us today.
Everybody In The Body: The Least Of These
Have you ever needed someone to show up and save the day/meet you in your hour of need? In our moments of need, often the simplest act of presence can make all the difference. As Jesus tells us in Scripture, it can be as simple as seeing someone’s hunger and offering food or looking after someone who is sick (Matthew 25: 31-40). This is the “good” in the good news.
This Sunday, we explore our call to extend God’s presence and power to others. We conclude our series, “Everybody in the Body” by exploring what it means to be and bring good news to those on the margins.
Everybody In The Body: Perfect Timing
We get a unique opportunity this Sunday to hear from Flood Malawi pastor Sean Kampondeni, as he speaks on the topic of creating the desire within people to hear the good news of Jesus.
Everybody In The Body: Become Who We Are
Everything in creation is designed, ‘beautifully and wonderfully made’, of parts working together for a bigger whole. It’s symbiotic. It’s science—
and profound art.
But our created connection is susceptible to disease. As Richard Rohr states, “The greatest dis-ease facing humanity right now is our profound and painful sense of disconnection. We feel disconnected from God, certainly, but also from ourselves (our bodies), from each other, and from our world."
It’s time we pay attention to the signs and symptoms of our dis-ease.
Join us this Sunday as we grow towards connection and wholeness together.
Everybody In The Body: Covenant Community
The first community of Jesus-followers, and everyone since, has relied on covenanting together – not only as a way of life, but as a means to life. That is, we need each other to experience the fullness of the Three-in-One-God existing in loving community.
As we continue the conversation in our message series, Everybody in the Body. In God’s community, there are no free agents. And, whether you know it or not, you are an integral part of the team.
Everybody In The Body: Worship Together
As we think about our part in God’s great story of hope and healing, who are we becoming? And what are the essential practices that will help us become more like Jesus for the sake of others?
We start the year seeking to reflect on and answer those important questions with a new series, Everybody in the Body. We’ll look to Jesus, the first followers, and the Scriptures they wrestled with, to join them in the adventure of becoming Jesus’ Body on earth!
Advent: The Gift
Throughout the centuries, men and women have wondered how the collective hopes and fears of humanity are met in the shape of a newborn baby named Jesus.
Can a single person, let alone a helpless baby, carry the expectations and needs of the entire world?
Advent: For God So Loved...
Pastor Grace Wilkinson examens the Advent theme of Love. When we give gifts each Christmas season, it’s a small re-enactment of God’s greatest gift of love to us, his presence through his Son, Jesus.
In the midst of a consumer-fueled season, we are reminded that the greatest gifts are never things, but it is the love we receive and we give in the name of Jesus.
Advent: Joy To The World
We will continue our Advent celebration this Sunday by focusing on the gift of JOY. During the first Advent season, Mary was frightened when she received the life-changing news that she would bear God's Son. However, as this reality sinks in for her, Mary recognizes the significance and privilege of being an instrument of God's grace to the world, and bursts forth in song! (Luke 1:39-56)
She sings joyfully even as she faces an unexpected pregnancy, relational challenges, financial hardship, and an uncertain future. Mary's life demonstrates a living and inspiring example of how to experience joy in the midst of difficult and dangerous times.
Advent: A Thrill Of Hope
What we hope for has a significant impact on how we live. Pastor Matt Hammett begins the Advent season by looking at one of the most well known stories from the book of Luke, and reveals how the birth of Jesus enlarges and expands our hope.
Trust Issues: Trust ChallengeAs a spiritual practice, God wants us to practice his generosity in every aspect of our lives. This week, as Part Two of learning to trust God with our finances, we focus on why investing in the local church is a critical spiritual practice. While there are many great organizations and businesses doing Kingdom work, giving to the local church uniquely leverages our collective resources to directly bring God’s hope and healing to our campuses, neighborhoods, and community.
Trust Issues: In God We Trust
In a consumer-driven culture, money, and how we relate to money, impacts almost every aspect of our daily lives. That’s why we are going to to examine God’s heart for us in trusting him with our finances and look at practical steps we can take to grow in financial stewardship and kingdom generosity. We are never more like God than when we are being generous. Generosity is the means to and the expression of the abundant life Jesus invites us to live!
We continue our series, Trust Issues, by focusing our attention on one of the most challenging areas of our lives to trust God in—our finances. We will explore Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-24.
Trust Issues: Trust Issues Panel
In our discussion of Trust Issues, Pastor Matt Hammett moderates a panel of licensed Christian counselors (Kathryn de Bruin, Andrew Last, and Dee Sheveland) who will address practical questions related to developing healthy trust.
Trust Issues: Can We Trust Our Neighbors?
In a world marked by mistrust and division, Dr. Rick Love is the co-founder and president of a peace-making organization called Peace Catalyst. Compelled by his faith, Rick has devoted his life to building bridges between the Christian and Muslim communities for over twenty years.
His is the inspiring story of what can happen when followers of Jesus not only believe that Jesus bridges our divides but that he uses us to be his bridge builders.
Trust Issues: Can We Trust Our Families?
The Church is called to be a family where we can relearn trust. The Church doesn’t replace families, but expands our understanding of how to trust and become more trustworthy ourselves. And, at its best, the Church is both the means to, and the evidence of, our journey in relearning how to trust God and others.
Trust Issues: Can Our Community Be Trusted?
While many of the problems in the world seem overwhelming, each of us has a critical part to play in seeing God’s kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven.
We are continuing our series Trust Issues by looking at how we grow as a trustworthy community built on the person and work of Jesus. Our passage is the incredibly rich 1 Peter 2:4-10. The apostle Peter writes to encourage and challenge the churches in Asia Minor as they navigated life during an unstable and uncertain time. This is a needed and timely word for us.
Trust Issues: Can We Trust Leadership?
This week, we have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Mark Strauss as we unpack how a relatively small and unknown group of Jesus’ followers grew to become one of the most dynamic and influential groups in history.
Simply put, revolutionary movements require revolutionary leadership. And as we take up Jesus’ call to be the salt and light in our families, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods, we follow in his example of leading by serving and empowering others.
Trust Issues: Can We Trust The Church?One of the primary places we hope to learn what an authentic life of trusting God and others looks like is within the church family. The people of God are meant to function like an extended family on God's mission together. Just like our families, the church is made up of imperfect human beings. At times we experience disappointment and disillusionment when there is a gap between our expectations and our actual experiences. So how do we move forward when the Church has let us down?
Trust Issues: Can We Trust the Bible?
Too often the Bible has been used to bruise and confuse people. We have experienced people in our lives who may profess a genuine trust in the Bible but whose lives are marked by harshness, fear, and a lack of love. The gap between what we profess to believe and the lives we actually live is significant.
We continue our conversation on “Trust Issues” by exploring the question, "Can we trust the Bible?" Looking at 2 Timothy 3, let's learn together to see the Bible in a fresh and renewed way that leads to a transforming relationship with Jesus.
Trust Issues: Can I Trust God?
We are continuing our conversation on Trust Issues by looking at the question, "Can we trust God?" and if so, "What can we trust God for?" Unpacking these questions, we revisit one of the most well known passages in Scripture, a life changing conversation between Jesus and a well-respected religious leader named Nicodemus in John 3:16-18.
Trust Issues: Need To Believe
Trust is essential for living a good and beautiful life. We're all trusting in something to give our lives meaning and purpose. The biblical word for trust is faith. We are all people of faith, we all live by faith, so the question is who or what are we placing our faith in? Who or what is the object of our ultimate trust?
Mixtape: God's In Charge...ALWAYS!
Psalm 146 provides a timely and prophetic message on God's heart for justice on behalf of the marginalized. Guest speaker Damean Easter shows how in even the lowest of times, God's In Control...ALWAYS!
Mixtape: True Freedom
In the undisputed longest chapter of Scripture, Psalm 119, the Psalmist reflects on the commands of God and the surprising results of obedience:
freedom and joy.
This week we dive into this incredible passage and explore the
joy of obedience!
Mixtape: Confessions of a Murderer
Pastor Scott Wildey walks us through the confessions of a murderous monarch (Psalm 32). If God can mind the rubbish of King David’s life, then there’s hope for us too.
Mixtape: Waiting in the Pain
Pain can have many different stages, undoubtedly one of the most difficult, yet important is the period of waiting. Psalm 46 tells us that God can meet us in the waiting as it proclaims, "Be still, and know that I am God". This week Flood North County Pastor, Andy Kelly, shares how we can encounter God, waiting in the pain.
Mixtape: Green With Envy
The path that God invites us to is more than simply moving beyond envy to personal contentment. Instead, he wants to transform our hearts from envy to empathy and compassion.
While envy is focused on possessions and prestige, God is interested in restoring our relationships as he turns our hearts towards him and each other.