2 Corinthians 5:14 - 6:1
Steve Thomas. We honor Jesus and fulfill our responsibility as His Ambassadors by prioritizing and living out His message of reconciliation (bring others back to God through Jesus).
Read More
Romans 1-8
Matt Cullen. Paul clearly defines the gospel in Romans 1-8. Just because we may “think we know” the gospel, doesn’t mean we don’t need to hear it again. Not only so, but we need the gospel today, right now. It is the pattern by which we grow: Hear from God when we’re out of alignment, what the Bible calls sin; Trust that Christ is enough and that He has made you right with God again and again; and Trust that He continues to set us free and that the internal conversations about you not being enough and not measuring up are simply not true.
Read More
Acts 6-18
Jaci Anderson. Acts 6-18 contains four critical stories of people taking radical risks that reveal the beauty of the Incarnate Kingdom. The stories of the Greecian Widows, The Ethiopian Eunuch, The Household of Cornelius, and the High City Council of Athens stir us to consider questions that help us find ourselves in these scriptures. We consider what the Holy Spirit might be leading us to risk during this pandemic that might reveal Incarnate Kingdom beauty.
Questions from the message:
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to come out from the edges or from the shadows?
How is the Spirit leading you to admit biases that are keeping you from the common good you desire?
How might the Spirit be leading you into a place of belonging?
What small step of following the Holy Spirit do you feel led to take?
How might the Spirit be revealing something more vividly that has always been there?
Do you desire to receive the Holy Spirit for the first time, or in more fullness in your life?
In what places of influence might the Spirit be giving you favor?
Are you feeling led to risk your reputation on behalf of the Lord of Heaven and Earth?
Read More
John 1:1-5, 10-18
Matt Cullen. One of Jesus' closest friends was the Apostle John, writer of this gospel and 4 other New Testament books. John spent a lot of time with Jesus and has some INCREDIBLE things to tell us about Him. Why does this make a difference? How does this make a difference for us in our day to day life, especially in light of the fears and uncertainties of the Coronavirus outbreak? Is there ANY certainty anywhere? The Bible has a resounding YES answer to that question. Let's "lean into" Him who is certain in these uncertain times.
Read More
Luke 14:25-35
Ryan Longnecker. Looking at Luke 13-18 we see Jesus moving love into action. At the end of chapter 14, Jesus calls people to count the cost of what it means to love our neighbor. Love does the things no one wants to do and Jesus calls that the flavor of his people. We begin with a responsive reading of Psalm 91 led by Pastor Barbara. You can find the responsive psalm on our LBCF Live page. Ryan ends the message with a Welcome Prayer which can also be found on the Live page.
Read More
Mark 14:1-9
Brandon Cook. We have been conditioned to see God the All-Powerful, and indeed, the Creator-God must be beyond our comprehension of power. Yet scripture whispers to us a both-and: God is also the All-Vulnerable one. In this message, we explore what it means to see God the All-Vulnerable and how this is a God we cannot just worship and not just fear, but also love.
Read More
Matthew 7:7-11
Jessica Lacy Driscoll. At the heart of what we ask and search for is our view of God. When our view of God is a reluctant stranger, we ask if he really cares. When our view of God is a malicious tyrant, we search for the other shoe to drop. When our view of God is an indulgent grandfather, we determine God's goodness by whether we get what we want or not. Instead, we are called to wholeheartedly abide in God who is a good and wise father who generously gives good gifts to his kiddos. We fervently remain at the door, asking, searching, and knocking in the midst of God's presence.
Read More
Matthew 6: 1-5, 16-18
Barbara Sunofsky. In this passage, Jesus addresses the motivations behind our religious practices. He lifts up a new possibility…that rather than needing to be approved of and seen by others, we have the opportunity to be seen, truly seen, by God. He tells us that if we want the notice of others, then that becomes our reward; and those of us who do so are hypocrites, a term he often used to describe the Pharisees of his day. That false identity is designed to elicit something…usually accolades and self-aggrandizement. We cannot make a mistake here and assign the title “hypocrite” only to others. We, I, am the hypocrite. We are well-intended, but mistaken in our self-glorification and God has so much more for us.
Read More
Matthew 5:1-12
Ryan Longnecker. In the intro to our series 'Sermon on the Mount' we look at one of the most famous passages in Scripture, the Beatitudes. Jesus reminds us of God's promises to care for, defend, and comfort His people while also showing those who experience pain, persecution, and struggle might be closer to the Kingdom than they realize.
Read More