We live in what has been called "the lonely generation." Therefore, so many of us are longing for true community and a real experience of "life together" (as Dietrich Bonhoeffer so famously called it). Listen in this morning as we discover together what true community was always meant to be like, how it went wrong, and how the cross of Jesus Christ forms what our soul has always longed for - the true community, the church of Jesus Christ.
The Church: Home in Rome (Acts 27-28)
As we reach the end of our journey through the book of Acts, we now find Paul in Rome. Rome is not just a place for Paul in the first century, but it's also an image of the places where we live today too. What is Rome for us? How is the Church to live and exist in Rome? Listen in today as we learn together how the Church is to exist as an exile people, and to find our home in the hard places. Because that's what the Church is equipped for, and that's where the Gospel was made to go.
The Church: Community In, For & With Jesus (Acts 18)
What is Christian community? What is unique about the Church? As thousands from around the country and the world flood to our city during the month of October, what are they seeing about the reality of the Church? Listen in today as we hear from Alan Vance about the power of Christian community. And what's the secret to this unique community? Centrally, it is all about the person of Jesus Christ.
The Church: Sent (Acts 13-14)
At the core of the Church's identity is the idea that it has been "sent out" into the world. This week's sermon focuses on the various "places" that make up how the Church is sent - the place of change, the place of sending, and the place of mission. Listen in as we discover together how the joy of a heart changed by Jesus explodes into the world, fueled by mission and released with grace and purpose.
The Church: Little Christs (Acts 11:19-12:25)
What is a "Christian"? This may seem like a silly question to ask because it has an obvious answer. But as the first followers of Jesus Christ are identified by this title for the first time in Antioch in Acts 11, it's good for us to pause and think deeper about what this means. So join in today as we learn the 13 things that the text tells us "Christians" are. But more than simply memorizing those 13 things, we learn deeper today that "Christians" are nothing more or less than those who image Christ, and become little versions of Him in our world.
The Church: Servants in the Story (Acts 6-7)
How can the Church be of use in the modern world? This is a question many have begun to ask in recent decades. With so many humanitarian aid agencies, NGOs, non-profits, and a rising spirit of volunteerism, what possibly can the Church add? In today's sermon, we look at how the early Church remarkably responded - in a posture of humility and with a passion for the Grand Story - to a rising need in their community. We learn about the origin of a vision for "deacons" and what their important role is in the life of the Church. What we see through these deacons - with the light shining ultimately on the bold & gracious person of Stephen, is that the Church exists as the ultimate Servant People, with the One Story that can bring lasting hope to the world.
The Church: Bold With the Gospel (Acts 4:1-31)
There may be nothing more scary for the modern day Christian than the admonition to "share your faith" with others. But when we look at the early Church, particularly at John and Peter in Acts 4, we see a unique flavor of Gospel boldness. It's not a burden, but rather a belief. Listen in as we learn about how to unlock a boldness that is freeing, and not forced. The short answer? Genuine time with Jesus - the only way to true life.
The Church: Unique in the World (Acts 2:42-47)
The earliest Church must have looked really strange in the Roman Empire. Selling their houses and meeting together every day? Giving generously to the poor and the outcasts? All this (and more) is what makes the Church unique in the world. Listen in today to learn more about how these earliest believers in Jesus uniquely came together to form a fellowship that would change the world forever.
The Church: On Whom God's Spirit Rests (Acts 2:1-41)
The story of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost is both astounding and confounding. What is happening in this unique story in history? Listen in today as we learn how God delights to use His Church for His purposes, by "resting" Himself on the Church.
The Church: Organized for a Purpose (Acts 1:12-26)
As the earliest disciples await the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, a clear question emerges - "What now???" It is in this in-between passage - after Jesus' ascension and before the Holy Spirit's coming - that the Church begins to be organized. In this sermon, we learn that the Church can best and most freely witness to a watching world when it is organized under God’s clear leading.
Jesus: The Grower (Mark 4:26-34)
How do things grow? For some things, the answer is easy but for other's a profound mystery. In today's message, we look at how Jesus uses two parables to explain how God grows the Kingdom of God. What we discover is that the secret, mysterious, progressive, unlikely nature of God's Kingdom growth actually paints a beautiful reality for us - any faithful life (no matter how small or meager) is used by God to progress His redemptive plan and further His Kingdom.
Jesus: The Brother (Mark 3:13-35)
Family is at the core of life around the world. That's what makes Jesus' seeming rejection of his brothers and mother in Mark 3 so surprising and shocking. What is Jesus doing? Listen in as we see Jesus, our faithful and true Brother, begin building the new Family - the Church.