|giv| 2014

Every year around the holidays, we participate in something we like to call |giv|. We spend time talking about what God did in |giv|ing us Jesus, and then spend time |giv|ing in return. Through the years, we’ve looked for needs in our city and our world, and then partnered together to help meet those needs. Through the years, we’ve done things like…

• |giv|ing shoes to people without them
• |giv|ing money to plant churches in India
• |giv|ing hoodies to people in the cold in Columbia
• |giv|ing Christmas presents to kids in the Yucatan peninsula
• |giv|ing safe houses to children rescued out of sex slavery
• |giv|ing to plant a church in inner-city Columbia.

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

(Part of the Luke series)

Sermons:

#Ferguson, Race & the Gospel

Man Sunday

Mother's Day 2014

Abide

A deep spiritual life is something many people desire, regardless of their background. Even many people who claim to be non-religious consider themselves to be spiritual people. Jesus tells us in the gospel of John that we get to abide in him. What does that mean? How do we approach our relationship with Jesus in such a way that we are regularly abiding in and enjoying him? And more specifically, how do things like prayer, fasting, and rest contribute to a healthy spiritual life? And more practically, how should we incorporate those things into our lives without simply adding unnecessary pressure to ourselves?

Sermons:

Glory Thieves

In our culture, we have a tendency to downplay the gloriousness of God. We tend to think God thinks like us, talks like us, and is nonchalant like us. But the truth is that in terms of his holiness and character, God is very different than us. Speaking of God's holiness, author A.W. Tozer writes, "It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine." And if God is the one with all the glory, we are the glory thieves. Much of what we do is centered around redirecting the honor due God, and attempting to redirect it towards ourselves. This is why we talk about ourselves, tweet about ourselves, take selfies of ourselves, and all-in-all worship ourselves.

Luckily, God doesn't just leave us to our own devices. God's response to us as glory thieves is just, gracious, and, well–glorious.

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Sermons:

Grassroots Kingdom

All throughout history, God has been forming a people for Himself–a people to put His love and glory on display for those around them. This culminated in Jesus instituting the church, God's grassroots kingdom–a beautiful and unexpected plan for transforming the world. What started with a few dozen disciples has spawned into millions upon millions of people all over the world. Jesus is building His church. He's advancing His kingdom, and although he doesn't need us, by His grace we are invited right into the thick of it. Welcome to the grassroots kingdom.

book

As part of this series, we've produced a book to give additional information and application for the teaching.

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Sermons: