Text: Ephesians 2:11-22 | Listen to Message Dietrich Bonhoeffer wisely cautioned, “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community” (Life Together). It’s one thing to love the idea of community in the abstract; it’s another thing to enjoy real community with real people who have real problems. Theoretical community is easy; but real community always involves things like risk, patience, misunderstandings, sacrifice, hurt, repentance, forgiveness, and grace. In the midst of our selfishly individualistic culture, a diverse community of selfless, grace-saturated love would be a very attractive...
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Recommended Reading: Apologetics at The Cross, by Joshua D. Chatraw & Mark D. Allen Everyday Church, chapters 4-5, by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis Apologetics to The Glory of God, by John Frame What Is The Gospel?, by Greg Gilbert The Reason for God, by Tim Keller Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis Generating Hope, by Jimmy Long 8 to 15: The World Is Smaller Than You Think, by Tom Mercer Evangelism and The Sovereignty of God, by J. I. Packer The Art of Neighboring, by Jay Pathak & Dave Runion Desiring God, chapter 9, by John Piper Let The...
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Recommended Reading: The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, by Mark Buchanan Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human, by John Mark Comer Crazy Busy, by Kevin DeYoung The Art of Rest, by Adam Mabry Reset, by David Murray Liturgy of The Ordinary, by Tish Harrison Warren   Recommended Apps & Websites: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/?s=sabbath A collection of Gospel-centered blog posts on Sabbath and rest. https://www.redeemercitytocity.com/blog/wisdom-and-sabbath-rest https://www.redeemer.com/redeemer-report/article/six_ways_to_practice_sabbath
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Text: 1 Peter 3:15 | Listen to Message 1 Peter 3:15 urges believers to “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” In other words, if you want to share your faith, you must do 4 things: 1. You must have regular interaction with non-Christians. The Bible assumes Christians will be friends with non-Christians. Not “pretend” friends for the purpose of evangelizing them, but actual friends. This means genuinely loving them, caring about them, and spending time with them. You...
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Text: Genesis 2:1-3 | Listen to Message When I was a kid, the Sabbath Day was an existential threat to my happiness. A lot of the stuff I enjoyed was taboo on “The Lord’s Day” – especially if it involved mud, sports, or sweat. I was pretty sure my parents were one impulsive decision away from turning Sundays into no fun days. I figured “Sabbath” was the Hebrew word for death by boredom. Most of our culture today lives at the opposite end of the spectrum. There is no such thing as a “Sabbath” to the vast majority of people. Rest...
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Text: 1 Chronicles 16:8-11, 23-31 | Listen to Message As a child, I thought of worship as a service on Sundays where you dressed up (to “give God your best”) and then sat and listened to other people talk and sing about how you’re supposed to obey God. Worship felt long and boring, it seemed like it was all about my performance for God, and it was completely disconnected from the rest of life. Ask many Christian adults what they think worship is, and they’ll probably tell you it’s a kind of music. It’s no wonder we don’t know how to...
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Recommended Reading: Worship by The Book, ed. by D.A. Carson Christ-Centered Worship: Letting The Gospel Shape Our Practice, by Bryan Chapell Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church, by Keith & Kristyn Getty Worship Matters, by Bob Kauflin Counterfeit Gods, by Timothy Keller Desiring God, Chapter 3, by John Piper Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper  Delighting in The Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith, by Michael Reeves Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship, by Philip Graham Ryken Holy Roar, by Chris Tomlin The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship, by A.W....
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Recommended Reading: Handbook to Prayer, by Kenneth Boa Prayer, by E.M. Bounds Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 20, by John Calvin A Transforming Vision, by William Edgar “Personal Narrative” and “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” by Jonathan Edwards Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, by Timothy Keller How to Pray: Reflections and Essays, by C.S. Lewis “A Simple Way to Pray” and “Personal Prayer Book,” by Martin Luther A Praying Life, by Paul Miller Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer, by Eugene Peterson Desiring God, Chapter 6, by John Piper Enjoy Your Prayer Life,...
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Text: Matthew 6:5-13 | Listen to Message Everyone knows that prayer is talking to God. But why? How? And about what? Also, why is prayer so fraught with difficulties? On the one hand, our prayers tend to be fairly selfish and demanding: “God, do this not that. Give me this. Show me that. Bless me. Protect me. Help me. Answer me!” In many of these types of prayers, we’re not going to God for God, we’re just using him as a means to an end – he’s little more than the party responsible for giving us all the things we really...
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Recommended Reading: The Canon of Scripture, by Frederick Fyvie Bruce Is There a Meaning in This Text?, by Kevin J. Vanhoozer Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible, by Daniel M. Doriani The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story, by Craig G. Bartholomew & Michael W. Goheen Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation, by Graeme Goldsworthy How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, by Douglas Stuart & Gordon Fee God’s Big Picture, by Vaughan Roberts Far As The Curse Is Found, by Michael D. Williams Preaching The...
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