Posts tagged Message
NT2020: Living Out the “Big G” Gospel | Steve Thomas

Ephesians 4:20-32

Steve Thomas. What does it look like, as followers of Jesus, to live out the “big G” Gospel in the areas we work, live and play? From the second half of Ephesians, we discuss ways, which we fulfill our calling to each other as the multi-ethnic family of God while dealing with our own struggles of individualism.

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NT2020: Living in the Reality of Our Oneness | Ryan Longnecker

Galatians 3:26-29

Ryan Longnecker. Paul, in the introduction to Galatians really firmly presses against a competing gospel that was showing up in the earliest church - that being that the offer of belonging to God's chosen people had any other qualifications than the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul calls these early churches to a unity that he saw as an already present reality in the kingdom of God.

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NT2020: Inescapably One Body | Jaci Anderson

1 Corinthians 12:22-27

Jaci Anderson. Paul is alerting the Corinthians to Satan’s divide-and-conquer strategy and urges them to resist with the truth that they are inescapably one body with many parts. Because we are made in the image of a triune God and can do nothing other than bear his image of oneness, we exist in loving equal relationship with one another. This is not something we attain, but a oneness based in the Holy Spirit. Our standard of wellbeing in the body of Christ is the whole body well-being, not just any one part.

E-Course mentioned in the message: https://www.resmaa.com/courses

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NT2020: Unity-Beautiful Music & The Wild Holiness of Jesus | Barbara Sunofsky

1 Corinthians 1:1-12 and 16-18

Barbara Sunofsky. Jesus, He IS GOOD! His outrageous love attracted people! His wild holiness called to the people…it still calls. His love accepted, never condemned. We focus on sin-morality, Jesus on grace-love. He chose always and foremost, relationships over rules and regulations. He disturbed the status quo, railed against injustice, hung out with highly questionable types…and began a revolution of love and unity.

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NT2020: The Holy Spirit as Good News Now | Ryan Longnecker

Acts 2:42-47

Ryan Longnecker. Whether we look at the early church or the life of Christ, we see that a spirit-filled life draws us, not further away from reality into an ethereal personal spirituality, but further into reality characterized by the good news for the poor, the broken, and the hurting in this life. As we draw parallels from the Pentecost events of Moses going up Sinai and returning with the law that would define the life of God’s people, we also see Christ ascending and delivering His spirit as the way by which the Church would live in the world now.

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Resurrection, Resurrected, Resurrectors...Terrors, Bewilderment, Silence | Barbara Sunofsky

Mark 16:1-8

Barbara Sunofsky. The gospels give us models for endings and new beginnings...and the way that Jesus ended, his ending always includes hope, it always includes new life, resurrection, and even his death includes life. In a crazy way the kingdom of heaven has come to earth and we, each of us, are invited to the party! Jesus is alive, and so should we be! Hallelujah!

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NT2020: See How Much He Loved Him (Palm Sunday) | Jaci Anderson

John 12:9-19

Jaci Anderson. In the narrative of Palm Sunday, we see the prominence of Jesus' relationship with Lazarus that draws people to follow Jesus and to desert the leading priests. We consider how Jesus' relationship with Lazarus reveals the kind of King and Kingdom Jesus is establishing. In this time of global crisis, we cry Hosanna, and choose to love others with the love we know from our humble King.

Praise Song for the Pandemic Video | watch here https://youtu.be/zCYoikGaI6U

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NT2020: Jesus, The Presence of Peace | Steve Thomas

Luke 24:35-43

Steve Thomas. How can we love others the way Jesus wants to love through us, as we deal with our own anxiety and uncertainty? Jesus embraces us, holds us tight, and reassures us even in our fear and doubt as we go through these difficult times together. We are set free to love others as we simply declare, "Jesus, you are invited here, you are welcome". What are the ways we can invite Jesus in our homes and conversations this week to bring his presence of peace?

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NT2020: Initiated into Trust | Brandon Cook

Luke 10:1-9

Brandon Cook. Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim and make present the kingdom of God, without taking a cloak, a money bag, or so much as a walking stick. In this message, we explore how Jesus initiates us into trust and how, in the spiritual journey, we become ensigns and outposts of the kingdom of God. We can enter this journey—this initiation into a new way of living—at all times, by practicing the principles Jesus lays out for us.

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NT2020: Different Kinds of Power | Brandon Cook

Mark 2:23-28

Brandon Cook. Jesus is confronted by religious authorities who we might very well judge…until we see how like them we are. In this message, we explore the human lust for power and how the abuse of Scripture can be used to facilitate our own desire for control. And we explore the invitation of Jesus to walk a very different path in which we allow the way of powerlessness to become the way of ultimate power.

To watch the video mentioned in the message, click HERE (The Bible Project | Mark)

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NT2020: Reading Scripture Like Jesus Did | Brandon Cook

Matthew 5:21-22, 38-39, 43-44

Brandon Cook. In learning to read Scripture like Jesus did, we may be surprised to discover that Scripture does not always speak with a uniform voice but is actually a dialogue with competing points of view. How then do we read Scripture in a Spirit-formed way? In this message, we explore how Jesus always interpreted Scripture to emphasize the compassion and love of God and creating space for the marginalized.

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NT2020: Your Place in Christ's Lineage | Barbara Sunofsky

Matthew 1:1-17

Barbara Sunofsky. Matthew begins his gospel using the genealogy of Jesus to make a legal case that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah the promised King. Yet in this lineage of swindlers, tyrants, abusers, murders, and liars, we see Jesus' radical grace and acceptance whispering, "Yes, you're mine, I accept you". As Jesus extends to us the right to become his children, we can find ourselves in the lineage of Christ by simply saying yes to him!

To watch the video mentioned in the message, click HERE (The Bible Project | Matthew 1-13)

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Incarnation III: Forgiving Reality (Advent III) | Brandon Cook

Luke 23:32-38

Brandon Cook. Not only does Jesus teach us to forgive others; he demonstrates what it means to forgive all of reality. In this message, we explore how the opposite of forgiveness is not just un-forgiveness, but judgment, and we explore how judgment plays out both internally (within ourselves) and externally (in the world around us). Jesus’ incarnation is, in fact, an invitation to live entirely outside the realm of judgment, so that we can live in the abundance of God Himself.

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Incarnation I: God All-Vulnerable (Advent I) | Brandon Cook

Philippians 2:5-11

Brandon Cook. As we enter into a season of awe and wonder, we consider the mystery of God with us. Most of us have been trained—by art and culture and the Church—to see God the All-Powerful. In this message, we explore how seeing God the All-Vulnerable is at the heart of Christian faith and essential for developing into spiritual maturity.

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