|giv| 2013

Giving something means taking what is yours and giving it to others, free of charge. Christmas is the celebration of how God gave his one and only son so that we could be forgiven, free of charge. So each year for Christmas, we rally together to respond to what God has given us:

• by |giv|ing shoes to people without them
• by |giv|ing money to church planters in India
• by |giv|ing hoodies to people in the cold in Columbia
• by |giv|ing Christmas presents to kids in the Yucatan peninsula
• by |giv|ing safe houses to children rescued out of sex slavery
• much, much more.

Because He gave, we |giv|. It’s that simple.

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Sermons:

The Good Life

What will truly deliver The Good Life? Can we get there by buying new things? Experiencing new things? Being respected by more people? Accomplishing more feats? Making more money? Most anything we do or say is built on the premise that everyone deserves The Good Life.

The bible doesn’t tell us we shouldn’t search for happiness, but rather that we’re not searching hard enough. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tries to find The Good Life in most any way possible. He attempts riches, wisdom, pleasure, accomplishments, respect, and most anything else we could think of–and comes up empty. He discovers that the truest Good Life is not found in things on earth, but in seeing everything in light of eternity.

A Guide to the Good Life

As part of this series, we published an accompanying study guide.

Sermons:

A Green Van & Duct Tape

So much of our church history has had a raggedy flavor to it. We’ve had skittles given as offerings, broken-down church vans, and a church-wide policy to split duct tape in order to save money. So much of our story includes throwing stuff together the best we can, then asking Jesus to put the pieces together.

But to be honest, we wouldn’t change a bit of it if we could. In so many ways, God has used the raggedness to keep us focused on the things that matter–being a Jesus-centered family on mission.

For six weeks we're remembering where we came from and reminding ourselves of the type of church family God has called us to be.

Videos:

Series Intro

Family as Change

The Gospel for Everyone

Family as Light

Jesus is Better Than Idols

Disciples Through Relationships

Sermons:

Ordination 2013

The Gospel & Homosexuality

How should believers in Jesus interact with the issue of homosexuality and those who identify as homosexual?

Stand-Alone: The Goodness of Gathering

Treasure Hunting

Money is on most of our top five lists for the things we least like to talk about. We don’t like people knowing how little we have, how much we have, or how much we wish we had. Scripture, on the other hand, talks about money a lot. The interesting thing is, it’s almost never only about money. Jesus didn’t talk about money so that he could take up a bigger offering. Instead, he used the subject of money to help us discover important things about ourselves. Money is important to talk about, not because we should necessarily have more or less of it, but simply because it shows us what we love—what we care about the most. Jesus says that where our treasure (money) is, there our heart will be also. So you can discover what you care about most by figuring out where your money most naturally flows to. In other words, your treasure shows what you treasure.

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Sermons:

Outlier*

He’s influenced more world leaders, inspired more art, and had more biographies written about him than any other person in human history. Yet, during his life, he was homeless, never had any kids, never ran for political office, and never traveled more than a few hundred miles from his hometown. How does this happen? What was it about a simple carpenter from Nazareth that has altered history forever?

Sermons:

Galatians

It’s one belief that the late atheist Christopher Hitchens and the apostle Paul had in common. Paul believed so fervently that religion and works-based righteousness tainted everything that he wrote an entire letter to the church at Galatia warning them about it. In the book of Galatians, Paul writes with increasing angst and intensity to warn the Galatians of the poison and detriment caused by believing that works of the law can make a person right before God. Specifically, works-righteousness creates self-righteousness and self-righteousness is one of the most destructive mindsets that exists. It creates a pride in self and a judgmental, condescending attitude towards others who don’t “measure up.”

But Paul doesn’t conclude by simply bashing religion. He gives an alternative to religion: the gospel of Jesus. The gospel declares that we are simultaneously more sinful than we could imagine and more loved, through the cross and resurrection, than we could ever hope for. The gospel eliminates both arrogance and self-pity.

Sermons: