Description

Who wants to experience more of God’s Love? Today we will explore one way of experiencing (not earning) more of God’s Love is through his obedience. We will see how our obedience is actually about residing in and experiencing his Love. We will see this through Sweet Gum Trees, the first two chapters of Acts and the some teachings of Jesus.

Scripture

Acts 2-3
John 15: 9-11
Matthew 7:24-27
Isaiah

Description

What does it mean to live a life pleasing to God? Especially during this time of transition in our community — as students graduate, make plans for the future, and all of us transition to summer rhythms — we want to keep before us what God has said is of greatest significance. The Bible has a summary phrase to describe a life pleasing to God: “the fear of the LORD.” In our sermon today we take a brief systematic overview of this phrase in the Bible to discover what it is, how we lost it, and how we can grow in “the fear of the LORD.” What we find is that though God is due our reverence and honor and has called us to a good life rooted in his love for us, we tend to reject him and his love in favor of ourselves. We are far more afraid that we won’t be pleased with our lives than we are with pleasing God with our lives. Yet even then by God’s grace in the Gospel Jesus feared God when we would not so that we might grow in “the fear of the LORD” — which is the only way we gain happiness, life, rest and satisfaction in all things.

Scripture

Colosians 1:9-10
Psalm 33:8
Malachi 2:5
Deuteronomy 10:12-15
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
5:5. 9-15
Romans 3:18-19
Proverbs 28:14
19:23
23:17-18
Philippians 2:12-13.

Description

Change Inevitable. Intentional. Incremental. The question is not whether we will change, it’s how we will change. Who are we becoming? What is the impetus? What is the goal? The message of the Gospel is that Jesus transforms us by His grace, through His Spirit, in the context of a faith community, and for His hope and glory. There are no shortcuts to this kind of change; it is an ongoing obedience and participation with the Spirit in every area of our inner and outer life. Through it all, we are anchored to the One who doesn’t change; who consistently and lovingly sanctifies us bit by bit to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 6:11
2 Corinthians 5:17
Galatians 2:20
Romans 12:2
2 Corinthians 3:18
Romans 8:8
Galatians 5:16
Psalm 51:10-12
Colossians 3:10
Acts 9
2 Corinthians 4:16
Hebrews 12:1
James 1:17
Malachi 3:6
Numbers 23:19
Lamentations 3:21-23
Joshua 1:9

Description

Listen to testaments from graduating seniors and graduate students.

Scripture

Description

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” -Kuyper Today we look at Colossians and how the amazing gospel of Jesus impacts our whole lives and how that bears fruit in the world around us.

Scripture

Description

Abraham Kuyper was a theologian, journalist, author, politician, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He founded a newspaper, established a church denomination, a university, and a Dutch political party as well. This brilliant, incredibly influential man who was well-acquainted with looking at life through the different lenses of culture, media, academia, politics, theology, etc. said this: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” In our series called Every Square Inch, we are exploring how the Gospel shapes our whole life and leads us into the whole world for Christ & His Kingdom. In part 2 of the series called “The Whole of Your Life we first look at the integration of who we are. The integrated life in Christ is one that is rooted and established yet continuing to grow and mature. It is one that walks with Jesus, that sets one’s heart and mind on Him, and puts away anything and everything that would ‘disintigrate’ our relationship with HIm. The integrated life also affects what we do and how we do what we do; our actions and motivations, character and calling, and states that everything we do is to be done in the name of, and for the glory of Christ.

Scripture

Colossians 1:9-12; 2:6-7; 3:1-17, 23-24

Description

In the early 20th Century, Dutch politician, educator and theologian Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” As we finish Spring 2018 and look towards summer, we want to be reminded of our vision: to join God on his mission to proclaim the whole Gospel with our whole life in the whole world. From Colossians 1, we see the character, foundation, and grace of the Gospel. The Gospel is the proclamation of God’s good news for us: that Jesus Christ is Lord of everything. This good news is not something we discover but God’s truth that we receive, express, and grow in as we remain in Christ, who is holds first place in the universe and our lives. In him alone we can be sure that there is no greater experience we need in all creation and no greater redemption we can find than to know Jesus Christ our Lord.

Scripture

Colossians 2:8-10, 16-19.
Colossians 1:3-23

Description

Join us as we explore Peter's journey from fear and failure to forgiveness and freedom in Christ. As we see the power of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and in his resurrection.

Scripture

Description

“What if?” can describe the paralysis of fear or the launch of faith. Leading into Easter, this series is about the essence and journey of faith; moving from fear to belief / trust, from one “what If?” to another. The problem with ‘what if?’ is that it isn’t based on reality. It looks through the distorted lens of fear at what could happen that we can’t control or what already happened that we can’t change. Our fear and worry blinds us to what God is doing around us in His creation, what He has done throughout history, and what He has done, is doing, and will do in our own lives. Humanity is laced with fear. Fear is exhausting physically, emotionally, but especially spiritually in the way it erodes our trust in the power and presence of God. The Resurrection of Jesus flips the “what If? question on its axis. What if it’s true? The Resurrection change the way we view everything - how we view ourselves, the world, and the One who calls us to follow. That is the story of Thomas, a disciple who has carried the label ‘doubting’ with his name for a couple of thousand years. His storyline in the Gospels actually gives us a picture of holding faith next to our own doubts and questions. We know he walked and watched Jesus for three years. We know he was ready to die for Jesus. We know that he wasn’t afraid to ask questions of Jesus. We also know (John 20) that, after the Resurrection, he was the last disciple to see the risen Jesus and those eight days of waiting were filled with confusion, doubt, and frustration that he didn’t, couldn’t yet enter into the joy-filled celebration of the other disciples who had seen Jesus face to face. After eight days, Jesus came to Thomas, showed him the scars, and Thomas’ “What if?” question moved from fear to faith. Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’" There is a different kind of seeing. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8–9). The invitation to Thomas and throughout Scripture is (simply and not so simply) to believe; to put our trust and our hope in the living Christ. He invites us to be honest with our questions and doubts but also to move to a place of trust, as our doubts can actually become badges attached to our identity, idols that we hold onto. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1 Is there anything about your past, present, or future that Jesus is calling you to lay down (the illusion of control, the anxiety and shame of “What if?”) and just trust Him? Where might Jesus be asking you to move from a place of fear to a place of faith? Is there anything in your life right now that feels like faith?

Scripture

John 20
1 Peter 1:8–9
Hebrews 11:1

Description

Scripture