Watch/Listen
Topic: Sacrifice
Our One and Only Allegiance
Jesus tells us that “no one can serve two masters.” But what could this possibly mean? Don’t we all have many obligations and responsibilities? This message challenges us to live every area of our life in devotion to God. Read More
This Is What We Do
Christians are called to live generously all year round – not just at Christmas time. Jesus models four distinctives that we are to imitate in our lives and in our communities. We can easily get caught in the flow of our culture so these distinctives are challenging for us, but they’re crucial for expanding God’s Kingdom. Read More
It’s Free but Costs Everything
Jesus’ Kingdom is open to all of us, but he asks everything from those who follow him. This is a radical call to actually reorient our lives, which is much more than simply a willingness to do so if the circumstances present themselves. If we take these words of Jesus seriously, they will change our lives in ways we cannot predict. Read More
The Mustard Seed Kingdom
Jesus described God’s Kingdom like a mustard seed and like yeast. What did he mean? And what do Jesus’ unusual parables have to do with our lives today? When we consider how his original audience would have heard Jesus’ words, it helps us discover just how challenging his teachings are for us today. Read More
Beyond the Comfort Zone
Some of Jesus’ words were very challenging to the people of his time, and for us. One of the traits that he gave strong warnings about was hypocrisy – when our “public” lives don’t match who we really are. Keeping these parts of our lives aligned is a major challenge and it almost always requires sacrifice. We don’t like to move outside our comfort zones, but it’s what is required if we want to partner with God to build his Kingdom. Read More
Taking Back the House
In Luke 11, Jesus talks about this world as a “house” that Satan guards. As Kingdom people, what do we do with that? If we look to Jesus, he simply tells us to take back the house. And how exactly do we do that? We don’t adopt the patterns of Satan and try to overcome violence with violence. Looking again to Jesus, he shows us that the only thing that can overpower evil, and that is self-sacrificial love. Only love can conquer evil; only light can dispel darkness. Read More
Dove Power
The heart of God’s kingdom is revealed in Jesus Christ as being a unique, holy and beautiful kingdom. Jesus did not come as great ruler, who cast judgment upon humanity and used his power over others. Instead, he came as a humble servant who ultimately sacrificed his life for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and … Read More
A Pigeon, a Lion and Deep Magic
God’s love and mercy for us is fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ did not come to hold back the wrath of God; rather He came to deliver us from the bondage of Satan. Through sin, we are made slaves to Satan’s dominion. However, through Christ’s death on the cross, we are bought back from the power of sin and death. The sacrifices of the Old Testament remind us of the consequences of sin and point to a time when Christ would pay the price of sin for all who choose to believe in Him. Read More
A Life Interrupted
Are you willing to have your life interrupted by God? Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, had his life turned upside-down as he said “yes” to God’s plan for his life. Joseph can be considered to us, as followers of Christ, a hero of the Kingdom of God. He is a model for what it means to live in the Kingdom. Joseph was a person, who without any consideration for his own personal gain, without any regard for how it would cost him, gave up his own plans and dreams and followed what God was calling him to. Read More
Smelling Good
This week’s message on “Smelling Good to God” was drawn from Luke 1:8-10. Greg used this text as an opportunity to show how the Old Testament temple structure and worship offer insights into the language and imagery of the New Testament. A significant part of Greg’s message centered on the new reality of us, both collectively and individually being the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19). Collectively, as the community of faith, we are the Body of Christ, and the temple of God. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. So, what then does this mean? Since we are all now priests of God, we also share the responsibilities of priests. If we feel that our lives are not very dynamic and exciting in terms of our Christian walk, we may want to accept this challenge! God wants all of our lives. As we yield more and more to God, we will experience the peace that comes from drawing on the true source of Life. Read More
