Loneliness is a growing challenge in our culture. How do we build real connections and a sense of belonging with others? The New Testament has a lot to say about community and connection. The words 'one another' appear at least 59 times in the New Testament. Each 'one another' teaches us something practical about how to make connections with other people, improve our relationships, and build beloved community. As we explore the 'one anothers' we will discover that TOGETHER, WE BELONG.
In this series we will explore 4 practices of peace-making that can serve as guides for us to have courageous conversations. 1. Ask anything; 2. Listen well; 3. Freely disagree; & 4. Love regardless. We hope that these can become 4 marks of our life together as a church and can be a guide for us to have better conversations even when we disagree.
We will explore Jesus' 7 Last Words from the Cross. We will see how they offer a window into the heart of God and the heart of the gospel. Throughout the series we will also take time to understand the meaning and atoning work of the cross as understood in multiple 'theories of atonement.'
In a world in which we can be anything, the good life comes when we learn to live in the power of the Spirit and receive the gift of living like Jesus. It's the life that we yearn for. It's the life of our families, communities and world are hungry for.
"This is the marvel of marvels," said C.S. Lewis, "that he called me Beloved." We are beloved by God. His love is where we find our identity, our security, our authority. Then, and only then, can we become what Dr. King called the beloved community. We lead with love - we love because He first loved us.
Following the story of Scrooge's redemption, we see a picture of the redemption promised to each of us in Christ. Christ comes to break our heard hearts wide open to grace and joy as God redeems our past, present, and future. This Christmas, let us all travel from Bah! Humbug! to Merry Christmas one and all!
As children, many of us received a leather-bound book full of long words and difficult names we couldn't pronounce. We were told everything in it was true and we should do our best to abide by its teachings. Then we grew up. What was oh-so-simple then is...well, it's not simple. Perhaps that's because we were taught Bible stories but not the story of the Bible.
As we celebrate God's faithfulness during our first year and move to celebrate our Grand Opening 2.0 on October 24, we give thanks for God's love and look forward to being rooted and grounded in love for many years to come.
When Jesus taught he often spoke in parables - short stories from real life that address important questions: What is God really like? How are we meant to live? Why do we struggle to do the right thing? Through the parables, Jesus sought to reveal what the Kingdom of God is like to teach us the meaning of life. Some are simple to understand. Some are challenging. Join us as we sit at Jesus' feet and hear the stories Jesus told.
In a recent survey, 80% of Americans say they have prayed at one time. Yet, we struggle with prayer. Does God hear us? Is God tired of our please? Do our words seem superficial? Does prayer matter? How do we pray?
This summer, we will have 2 ways to grow together in prayer: This sermon series on the Lord's Prayer and the 333 Congregational Prayer Initiative. The 333 Prayer Initiative gets it's name from our church address, 333 S. Spring Garden St. We will challenge each other to pray daily for our church and take prayer walks in our neighborhoods. More on the 333 Prayer Initiative can be found here.
The best stories have surprising twists, unexpected encounters, and new life. The best stories give us hope. These are stories we all need. These are the stories God wants to write with us.
We will see Jesus Christ through the eyes of his earliest followers as we do an inspiring sermon series based upon the first book ever written about Jesus: The Gospel according to Mark. You will learn about the culture and times in which Jesus lives. And you'll come to understand his ministry and message like you've never known before. Ultimately Mark's Gospel was written to reveal the identity of Jesus. Each narrative in this gospel answers the question, "Who is this man?" These sermons are for anyone who would like to know more about Jesus Christ. Each week you can follow along in reading through the book of Mark and discover for yourself who this man is.
Week 1: Sunday, Feb. 21-Sat., Feb. 27 - Mark 1-3 Week 2: Sunday, Feb. 28-Sat., Mar. 6 - Mark 4-5 Week 3: Sunday, Mar. 7-Sat., Mar. 13 - Mark 6-8:26 Week 4: Sunday, Mar. 14-Sat., Mar. 20 - Mark 8:27-10 Week 5: Sunday, Mar. 21-Sat., Mar. 27 - Mark 11-13 Week 6: Sunday, Mar. 28-Sat., Apr. 3 - Mark 14-16