“Church: Caring for One Another” (September 3, 2017)

from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Saying yes to Jesus is saying yes to His Body…the church.

Saying yes to the church is an invitation away from a life of independence and toward a life of interdependence in which we are intertwined with one another, modeling in our relationship as the church, the love and care of Christ.

From independence to interdependence from isolation to connection, from loneliness to relationship…a call to step into the mess that is human life and watch as God redeems it and makes it something beautiful for the world.

w/ Vern Collins

“You Asked For It: How Do I Navigate Disagreement?” (August 21, 2016)

from Philippians 2:1-16

The advent of social media makes our ability to share our opinion as easy as the click of a button…and at a time in our history such as this, there is plenty to have an opinion about.  Unless you live this live in complete isolation it is likely that sometime in the past week…perhaps even at some point today, you have come across an opinion that you disagree with.

Sure, in the arena of internet we can unfriend, ignore, or keep scrolling beyond those comments and opinions with which we disagree…but what happens when the person you disagree with is sitting next to you in worship, or across from you in your community group…what do we do with the argument against the church that says, “I don’t want to be a part of a group who can’t even get along with each other?”

What if this life were less about winning an argument or proving a point…what if it were less about having the last word, and more about living as if Jesus has already had the final say?

w/ Vern Collins

“Body of Christ: as Church” (June 14, 2014)

from 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

We are conditioned from an early age that if we have any hope of success, we need to be set apart.  This is great for those who feel like they are, and a road block for those who feel less than unique in a world that values distinction.
The problem is, our distinction often creates division, so we find ourselves not only suffering the effects of this, but trying to compensate for it by calling for unity in the midst of our diversity.
Paul argues, that as the Body of Christ, we find unity because of our diversity, not in response to it.
How would the church begin to look different; how would your life begin to look different if you saw yourself as one part of the whole, and began to value the parts around that also contribute to the church being the body of Christ?
w/ Vern Collins

“Body of Christ: For Us” (June 7, 2015)

from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The call for the Christ follower to be Christ to the world can be at best confusing and at worst something that on you can make a quick mess of.  In an age when the church and the follower of Christ are seen as being judgmental, hypocritical, or more concerned with self than with a hurting world, is there hope of bringing the gap?
The invitation to Christ’s table is an invitation to a deeper understanding not only of the journey that led Christ to be broken for us, but a deeper understanding of who we are called to be in Him.
w/ Vern Collins