Ghosts & Ancestors | Esau | January 21

SUNDAY
SERMON

YEAR OF BIBLICAL LITERACY overview

Sermon by Adam Gibson on January 21, 2024.

This week, we look at our first ghost in the series: Esau. As we will see, the Torah provides us with a cautionary tale -  the danger in trading what you want most for what you think you want right now.

Year of Biblical Literacy | So What’s the Bible About?

Timestamps:

4:15 - Our one-sentence summary of what the Bible is about

6:22 - How do we understand that the Bible is written by both God and man?

12:00 - How exactly does all of the Bible point us to Jesus?

 21:00 - How do I get started when it comes to reading the Bible?

32:43 - What are good resources to get started reading the Bible?

Resources

Sermons

Ghosts and Ancestors sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch

Text-in questions

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.

Music by Levvy and Midtown Music

Find out more at Weird Tower Collective

Ghosts & Ancestors | Abraham | January 14

Sunday
Sermon

YEAR OF BIBLICAL LITERACY overview

Sermon by Jake Blair on January 14, 2024.

How would you define "faith"? Church culture throws that word around a lot, but it's pivotal in understanding what the Torah and the rest of the Bible want to communicate to its audience. The Bible answers this by showing us the life of Abraham, "the man of faith," in the book of Genesis.

Year of Biblical Literacy | What We’re Doing and Where We’re Going

Timestamps:

1:20 - What makes this different from what we normally do? Why now?

4:20 - How will we be approaching Sundays this year?

9:20 - What can we expect regarding the supplemental resources for this year?

11:40 - With all these resources, where’s the best place to start?

14:20 - What are you most excited about for this year?

Resources

Sermons

Ghosts and Ancestors sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch

Text-in questions

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.

Music by Levvy and Midtown Music

Find out more at Weird Tower Collective

Ghosts & Ancestors | The Two Paths | January 7

SUNDAY
SERMON

YEAR OF BIBLICAL LITERACY

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on January 7, 2024.

It’s often said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” 

As we look at the first five books of Scripture, stories abound of those who trusted God and those who did not. Some, through faith, went on to be ancestors who blessed those after them. Others proved to be ghosts that haunt their lineage with heartache and pain. 

As we learn to interpret the narratives in the Torah, both the negative and the positive, we’ll see how God works in the midst of it all and calls us into his story, inviting us to walk in the steps of our ancestors who came before us.

Midtown Podcast | Final Q+A

During our Embodied series, we had over 70 questions texted in. To cover these questions more fully, we’re releasing a handful of extra podcast episodes to further equip you.

Timestamps:

1:28 - How do you parent a child with gender identity questions or who experiences SSA?

16:58 - Are you living in sin if you don’t have sex as an older married couple?

19:44 - Why do people elevate sexual desires above all else? What desires should we have?

23:20 - Would you officiate a LGBTQIA+ wedding?

30:15 - How do we think through when churches deny a biblical sexual ethic?

37:13 - Are people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and saved Christians still a child of God?

41:18 - My workplace encourages using pronouns to introduce ourselves. As a Christian, how should I think about this?

46:44 - What do we mean when we refer to “culture”?

51:10 - If you were born to a single-parent does that mean you were born into sin and less worth saving?

Midtown Podcast | Marriage Q+A

During our Embodied series, we had over 70 questions texted in. To cover these questions more fully, we’re releasing a handful of extra podcast episodes to further equip you.

Timestamps:

0:27 - When did it become a sin in the Bible to have multiple wives?

6:42 - Why does Paul say it’s better to be single if God says it’s not good to be alone?

13:02 - Where’s the hope for Christian singles?

21:10 - Is God’s design for marriage intended to be for one man and one woman?

Midtown Podcast | Gender Q+A

During our Embodied series, we had over 70 questions texted in. To cover these questions more fully, we’re releasing a handful of extra podcast episodes to further equip you.

Timestamps:

4:40 - Does God have a gender?

10:05 - What does it look like for women to depend on men outside of marriage? 

17:35 - How do we address the wage gap?

22:36 - What does the Bible have to say about those who are intersex?

25:58 - If someone is on their death bed and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior does it make a difference? What if they don’t believe their sexuality was a sin worth repenting of?

Resources

Music by Levvy and Midtown Music

Find out more at Weird Tower Collective

Midtown Podcast | Body Q+A

During our Embodied series, we had over 70 questions texted in. To cover these questions more fully, we’re releasing a handful of extra podcast episodes to further equip you.

Disclaimer: Please use caution when listening as some of these questions cover heavier topics. To help, please view the timestamps below.

Timestamps:

1:51 - Does God care what I do with my body (how I eat, sleep, etc)?

13:09 - Do the gender/sex arguments fall apart if Adam and Eve are not historical?

16:43 - Is there any theological significance between being buried versus being cremated?

21:15 - What does the Bible say about miscarriage?

26:12 - How do I know my body matters after multiple rapes?

Advent | Love | December 17

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on December 17, 2023.

Advent is Latin for "adventus," meaning "arrival," where we celebrate the arrival of Jesus over 2,000 years ago with the global, historic Church. For each week of the Advent season, we look at one thing Jesus has made possible for us through His birth. This week, we look at Love.

Advent | Joy | December 10

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on December 10, 2023.

Advent is Latin for "adventus," meaning "arrival," where we celebrate the arrival of Jesus over 2,000 years ago with the global, historic Church. For each week of the Advent season, we look at one thing Jesus has made possible for us through His birth. This week, we look at Joy.

Advent | Peace | December 3

Sermon by Jake Blair on December 3, 2023.

Advent is Latin for "adventus," meaning "arrival," where we celebrate the arrival of Jesus over 2,000 years ago with the global, historic Church. For each week of the Advent season, we look at one thing Jesus has made possible for us through His birth. This week, we look at Peace.

Advent | Hope | November 26

Sermon by Jake Blair on November 26, 2023.

Advent is Latin for "adventus," meaning "arrival," where we celebrate the arrival of Jesus over 2,000 years ago with the global, historic Church. For each week of the Advent season, we look at one thing Jesus has made possible for us through His birth. This week, we look at Hope.

Stand-Alone | Celebration Sunday | November 19

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on November 19, 2023.

This week, we celebrate what God is doing as we hear baptism stories in our church family.


Baptism Stories

Embodied | Agape | November 5

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on November 5, 2023.

Last week, we unpacked the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, looking at how the reality of bodily resurrection fills us with great strength, empathy, and hope. This week, we anchor in one verse as we focus on the question, “How do we walk faithfully in love in the cultural moment we find ourselves in?”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

BOOKS

PODCASTS

VIDEOS

Embodied | Resurrection | October 29

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on October 29, 2023.

Last week, we talked about Genesis 3 and how, because of the fall, we experience breakdown and pain at all levels, including in our bodies. In 1 Corinthians 15, we flash forward to look at the end of the story for our bodies, connecting how knowing the end of the story for our bodies shapes how we live here and now.

Embodied | Epithumia | October 22

Sermon by Jon Ludovina on October 22, 2023.

For the last few weeks, we’ve camped in Genesis 1-2 and painted this beautiful picture of God’s design, His intent for humanity, and what reality should look like. And yet, these ideals are not the reality of our lived existence. Genesis 3 goes on to tell us why that is.

Embodied | Eros | October 15

Sermon by Adam Gibson on October 15, 2023.

So far, we looked at Genesis 1-2 and what it means to be embodied and gendered. Last week, we discussed joining those two genders in marriage. This week, we examine Genesis 2 further to discuss the sexual expression of embodied gendered humans inside a covenant union.

Embodied | Union | October 8

Sermon by Jake Blair on October 8, 2023.

This week, we look at Genesis 2 and discuss the origin story of marriage. What’s marriage for? That word, or idea, has been around since the dawn of time. And based on your cultural context, you will get different answers about what that word means. So what’s marriage for? Who or what gets to define marriage? Is it me, my feelings, or is it based on biology or something else?