Awesome continues our exploration of Romans 8 as we turn our attention to Romans 8.17-39.  C. S. Lewis wrote, "Avoiding God, in many times and places, has proved so difficult that a very large part of the human race has failed to achieve it." It is difficult to achieve because for most of us the question is not the existence of God but the character and attributes of God. What does it mean for God to be sovereign? What does it mean to be all-powerful? All-present? All-knowing? Especially when we explore how God's "awesomeness" affects our lives, choices, and relationships. 

Last Sunday, May 22, we returned to Romans 8.28-39 and explored God's rule-- what it is and what it isn't. Along the way we asked the critical question: Does God reveal Himself in spite of the hardships, pain, suffering, and violence we endure or by way of these things. How you answer this question will shape your expectation for God's presence and frame your awareness of His character... 

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, May 15, we celebrated the most significant and strategic holiday in the life of the Christian movement. The holiday is called, "Pentecost", of the big Jewish festivals that celebrated God's giving the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Pentecost, for first century Jews, was a celebration of the new life the nation received through Moses. Pentecost, for the Christian movement, is the beginning of new life. Without this holiday there would be no celebration of Christmas or Easter because without this holiday the message of Jesus would never have found a voice to testify to promise and person of Jesus. Last Sunday we reflected on the work of the Holy Spirit to assure followers of Jesus of God's promise, presence, and personal relationship. 

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Awesome continues our exploration of Romans 8 as we turn our attention to Romans 8.17-39.  C. S. Lewis wrote, "Avoiding God, in many times and places, has proved so difficult that a very large part of the human race has failed to achieve it." It is difficult to achieve because for most of us the question is not the existence of God but the character and attributes of God. What does it mean for God to be sovereign? What does it mean to be all-powerful? All-present? All-knowing? Especially when we explore how God's "awesomeness" affects our lives, choices, and relationships. 

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, May 1, Jonathan Neddenriep, leader of our Global Partnerships Team, spoke to us about living a deeper life, filled with adventure and relationships right here where we  live and labor whether at work, with our friends, and/or family. Have a listen and be encouraged to celebrate the life you lead and the community you are a part of...

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, April 24, we concluded our look at suffering as part of our SPRING series. Two weeks ago we looked at the "way things are". This week we discussed the "way things will be" and the practical impact God's future has on our lives today when we experience pain, anguish, and suffering... along the way we learned that faith changes our perspective time; time changes our perspective on pain, and pain changes our perspective on hope...

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, April 17, we began a 2 part series finale -- that looks at the theme of suffering. This week we looked at the "way things are". Next week we will look at the way things will be... 

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

What makes a man or woman truly free? Is it education? Money? The esteem of others? Their faith? Last Sunday, April 3, Could it be that freedom is actually founded upon the decision of another on our behalf? This is the testimony of Scripture when it speaks of God's decision to adopt us as his very own son or daughter. If this is true, how do we know this and what are the implications for our lives? Have a listen!. 

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, April 3, we looked at the how life finds a way... that "Life Wins!" even when life is not going so well on the outside. Since we know that faith does not allow the faithful to escape the sadness, challenges, and disappointments of life, what promise does God give us that we can know and experience His life when ours is broken by circumstances-- whether they are  beyond our control or caused buy our own choices?

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, March 27, we celebrated God's Easter promises by looking at an incredible picture of dry bones in a desolate and hopeless valley. Can God give life to dry bones that feel hopeless and cut off from people and from God? Have a listen...

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, March 20, Rose Males spoke on Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on what is traditionally called, "Palm Sunday". As we witness the events of that day we learn that Jesus presents Himself as King but not the King we expect.

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, March 13, we reflected on Paul's promise that a Christian community is a richly endowed and gifted community. But what makes the gifting of a Christian community unique? How are we to understand the spiritual gifts God gives us? Are gifts circumstantial or continual? Natural or supernatural? Are some more important than others? So many questions but Paul is adamant that he does not want us to be uninformed about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12.1). When we can a basic understanding than we can beware of the pitfalls that will undermine the variety, unity, and vitality that God's gifts offer us personally and as a community.

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, March 6: True worship that is pleasing to God radiates throughout a person's entire life (A W Tozer). Worship is more, much more, than showing up for a service on Sundays. Worship will influence and shape every aspect of our lives -- especially our understanding or worth, significance, success. True worship will release us to to be passionate advocates for justice, mercy, and compassion on behalf of the poor, the dispossessed, and the overlooked. Join us as we reflect on worship!

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, February 28: "Winston Churchill observed: We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." Jesus has a lot to say about living generously. In the story of the 2 Rich Men and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31) we eavesdrop in on a fictional conversation between 2 rich men -- an unknown rich man and Abraham, the founding father of the Jewish people. This is a springboard from which we leap to discuss living generously.

NOTE 2 THINGS: First, we had some recording issues this week so the first third of the message is missing. Two, we use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, February 21: The Bible is the most outrageous book ever written and it is essential to the vitality of any Christian community. This week we reflect on the example of Ezra so that we might be encouraged to allow Scriptures to engage us amidst their wisdom, insight, revelation, ambiguity, mystery, and outrageousness.

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

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Last Sunday, February 14: Essential to any Christian community is the commitment to share our faith trusting that there is no one beyond God's love... Ryan Pfeiffer, Regional Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship shares encourages us to share our faith as we recognize Jesus' vision, Jesus' vision for our friends, and Jesus' vision for our role. Along the way we are reminded that there is no one who is beyond God's reach -- especially those who we know too well, cause us to be intimidated, and cause us to give up hope. Listen and be encouraged!

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, February 7: Essential to any Christian community looking to be alive in Jesus, relevant to our world, and compassionate towards others must be the Cross of Jesus. Simply put we must be people of His Cross. Jesus points us to His Cross on the night He was betrayed and in doing so he celebrates His relationships, reminds us of the grace He gives us, and invites us to remember and celebrate the full and wondrous expanse of His life. As we do so we find our view of God is shaped in the image of Jesus and our lives discover fresh purpose. Jesus gave His life so we might give ours to others...

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, January 31: The New Testament refers to the Church as light in the darkness, salt, strangers, aliens, and exiles. While we live as temporary residents of an earthly colony, Scripture says we get our orders and follow the laws of an eternal Kingdom. This begs the question: how shall we live? To reflect on this question, Mark looked at 2 passages from the Bible: Hebrews 11.13-16 and Jeremiah 29.4-14. The points of reflection might surprise you!

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, January 24, Gary Barnes, Director of World Changers International, spoke on the essential theme of expressing the love of Jesus and sharing the our faith in Jesus. This message is a challenge for a faith that wants to  be insulated and aloof from a world that doesn't share our faith... Yet as Gary points out: we don't really have a choice because of what Jesus says, "As the Father Has sent me, so I send you." In case you are wondering, that "you" is "us". Have a listen...

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, January 17, Mark looked at Jesus' declaration: "I will build my Church".  This means the Church is not an afterthought, a surprise, or a divine whim. Jesus intends the Church to be adynamic, living, and united people movement gathered around God. She is birthed by His redeeming work, held together by His merciful love, and commissioned to express and extend God’s righteous and redemptive Kingdom presence in our world. When Jesus announces His intention to “build my church”,  He makes a specific promise. Do you think Jesus is keeping His word?

NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.

Last Sunday, January 10, Mark looked again at one new year's resolution that might well become a revolution for you... Every new year may of us face a a challenge: how do we focus on the future when we have a past that threatens to defeat us before we even begin. We look to the Apostle Paul for insight as we see how he articulates and applies Jesus' "one resolution."

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NOTE: We use LIVE events to post our notes, Scripture reading(s), and additional resources that you might find helpful. Click here for this week's LIVE event.