In modern academics, we go to school to learn subjects like History, Science, Math, and English. A successful education is defined in terms of being able to retain and use a certain percent of the information we’re learning. Generally, we don’t spend time with our teachers outside of the classroom, and we certainly aren’t trying to pattern our lives after theirs. But in the rabbinic model of discipleship, becoming like your teacher was the whole point. Taking on the identity of your rabbi was even more important than memorizing facts and information. In this lesson, we’ll see how Jesus purposely […]
We are all always being discipled by someone (or something). If we’re not deliberately following Jesus, we’ll follow someone else by default. One of the most critical things we need in order to follow Jesus is a paradigm shift. We must stop patterning our assumptions, thoughts, and methods after our culture, and pattern them after the way of Jesus instead. Our urban, post-Christian, progressive society prioritizes individualism and information, and it wants everything instantly. This is the “trellis” upon which our lives will grow if we’re not intentional to grow upon the paradigm of Jesus instead. Here’s the central theme […]
The Portal to Following Jesus
Is it possible to live your whole life thinking you’re a Christian, thinking you have a right relationship with God, thinking you’re on your way to heaven, and be completely wrong? According to Jesus himself, the answer is yes (see Matthew 7:21-23). This brings up a very basic and vitally important question: What does it mean to be a Christian? This word means a lot of different things to different people. Is it someone who simply believes in God? Is it someone with traditional/conservative morals? Is it someone who tends to vote a certain way? Is it someone who associates […]
Here’s a question we’ve gotten in various forms in response to our Questioning Christianity sermon series: Question: Why are we taking time to discuss other beliefs and worldviews rather than just focusing on what the Bible says? Great question! If God’s Word is “our final authority in all areas of our faith and practice,” as one of our core values states, then why does it matter what other people believe about life’s origin, nature, purpose, etc.? There’s a popular illustration along these lines that goes like this: Agents and bankers don’t learn to spot counterfeit money by studying counterfeits; they […]
Easter Service 2023
Suggested Practices for Lent
The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word læncte, meaning “spring, springtime, or lengthening.” It’s the time of year when the days are getting longer and the darkness is slowly retreating. Lent is the 40-day period of the Church’s liturgical calendar beginning on Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter (not including Sundays). This duration reminds us of and reflects the 40-day fast and temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-2). Lent is to Good Friday and Easter what Advent is to Christmas. Just as Advent prepares us for the birth/arrival of our […]
Christmas Eve Service
Psalms Series Artwork
Let’s talk about this amazing sermon series graphic, created by our friend Bruce Butler [check out his work at @wearewisebison]. We are posting this explanation with his permission. The Psalms are often called “The Songbook of God’s People.” Written over the span of 900 years, most of them around the time of King David, the Psalms are the world’s most famous collection of sacred songs, hymns, and poems. But instead of the rhyme and meter of modern poetry, Hebrew poetry was characterized by symmetry, contrast, and parallelism. The mirror image of a chiastic structure is subtly represented in the […]
2022-23 Strategic Plan
“The Priority of the Kingdom” Worship + Formation Guide Worship Guide for Kids
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