All In: The Way of Discipleship
April 8 - May 13, 2018
In his ministry, Jesus did not set out to start a religion; his goal was to start a movement. He gathered around himself people who were willing to learn from him and to follow him. These disciples would continue the work—the movement—of the kingdom of God for generations after he was gone. But it is no small commitment to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus asks for nothing less than all that we have and all that we are. Are we willing to walk the way of discipleship?
Wanderers
Lent 2018
Before the people of God were ushered into the Promised Land, they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness. For Israel, it was a necessary season to purge them of their stubborn insistence on returning to their predictable past, and a season to train them to trust in the God who had liberated them from oppression. So many centuries later, we still wander, we still are anxious about an uncertain future, and we still struggle to trust in God. This Lent, we come to terms with our wandering and we fix our eyes upon the one who has made a path through the wilderness.
Culture Shock
January 7 - February 11, 2017
What happens when the unchanging good news of God comes into contact with the ever-changing forces of human culture? What happens when culturally-conditioned Christians seek to live out the imperatives of the gospel? There are no easy answers to these questions, but navigating the difficulties of culture shock is a central part of faithful Christian living in the 21st century. This sermon series will dive into these complexities with the hope of opening new possibilities for faithful Christian discipleship today.
A New Thing
Advent 2017
Israel awaited the advent—the coming—of an anointed one, and Christians believe that this waiting was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. These days, the season of Advent is an annual tradition, as much tied to the pomp and pandemonium of Christmas as decked halls and impulsive purchases. But as old and familiar as Advent may seem, its purpose is nothing of the sort. Advent is an annual reminder that God is doing a new thing in us and in the world. Advent is a season to ready ourselves for the surprise of our lives.
To Live Is Christ | Philippians
November 5 - 26, 2017
Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is unlike a number of the other New Testament epistles in that it lacks the sharp criticism Paul is often known for. The Philippians seem to have themselves pretty well put together. Nevertheless, it is clear that being a Christ-centered community is a challenge, even in the best of times. This letter still challenges the church today as we seek to live lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Always Reforming
September 10 - October 29, 2017
October 31, 2017, marks 500 years from the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses—the act that is widely recognized as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. As we mark this milestone, we look at the ways that we have been shaped by this historic sea change in church and society, and we reflect on what it means not only to be a product of the Reformation, but also to be always reforming, ever becoming the church that God desires and that the world needs.
Women of the Bible
Summer 2017
We know (most of) their names, but we don't spend enough time with their stories, and we don't give enough attention to the remarkable witnesses they are to the work of God in and through God's people. We will explore the stories of some of the notable women of the Bible and allow God to use their experience and faithfulness to make an impact on our lives today.
The Abundance of God
April 30 - May 28, 2017
The idea of abundance is radical in a culture that constantly asks if there is enough: enough time, enough opportunity, enough money, enough food, and so on. We tend to live our lives with the assumption of scarcity—there is not enough—rather than living out of the abundance of God. In the midst of our worries about whether there is enough, celebrating the abundance of God takes the focus off ourselves and our needs and places it back where it belongs: on God's provision for creation.