Casas Church

Do you ever catch yourself reducing people to labels instead of seeing them as children of God, loved by Him? In situations and circumstances we face, it can be simpler to reduce people to “somethings” rather than “someones.” Jesus' words on divorce in Matthew 5 give us practical guidance for examining all our relationships - in marriage, family, workplace, and community - to identify where we might be treating others as “somethings” rather than “someones.” 

Jesus transforms our understanding of adultery in the Sermon on the Mount by focusing on the heart rather than just external behavior. Matthew 5:27-30 reveals that Jesus wasn't simply making the rules outlined in the Old Testament more strict; He was addressing the deeper issue of human desire and how it shapes relationships. Desire itself is not bad, but how are we directing our desires? Are we destroying relationships, or are we building them up? 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wasn't contradicting Scripture with His 'but I say to you' statements—He was revealing its deeper meaning. Taking the commandment 'do not murder,' Jesus expanded it to address the heart issues behind violence: anger, contempt, and broken relationships. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently approached people with compassion, seeing their needs and struggles rather than judging them. When we understand Scripture through Jesus' compassionate heart toward people, we grasp its deeper meaning and intent.

When Scripture and Jesus seem at odds, we should reconsider our approach. Jesus said He came to 'fulfill' the law, which means He had the authority to correctly interpret Scripture. The Sermon on the Mount demonstrates how Jesus challenged everyone's preconceptions about who belongs in God's kingdom. Through the Beatitudes and His 'But I say to you' teachings, Jesus wasn't contradicting Scripture but revealing its true intent. The key insight is that if we start with Jesus, we'll properly understand the Bible, but if we start with our interpretation of the Bible, we might miss Jesus.

In August, we set a few five-year goals as a church, which are rooted in our mission: Loving people into the acceptance and freedom of Jesus Christ. We've been pursuing those goals since August. On Sunday, we paused at “mile 13” to reflect on how far we've come and encourage each other to keep going in this marathon. Colossians 3 reminds us who we are in Christ and how love keeps us moving forward. You don't need to run faster—you just need to keep going. Keep trusting Jesus. Keep choosing love. Our mission is still in motion, and mile by mile, we're becoming the church we set out to be.

Throughout our spiritual journeys, it's ok to experience both faith and doubt simultaneously. We see this in Sarah's story in Genesis 18. She receives news that seems impossible, and her reaction to it reveals a struggle between faith and doubt that we all can face from time to time. Through her experience, we learn that having doubts doesn't invalidate our faith journey, and we can trust God's character even while questioning His timing. 

Faith journeys, like Abraham's, highlight that life is not linear but is filled with ups and downs, which are not indicators of weak faith but opportunities to stay constant in our faith. Through Abraham's examples of faithful moments and failures, we see that faith is always available regardless of circumstances or decisions. God is with us through it all; our challenge is to continually trust in Him. 

Sometimes the best place to begin is at the beginning. Abraham started to follow God without anything external. There were no scriptures to read to make sense of it, and no set doctrine. It was simply a call from God to Abraham to be in a relationship with Him. Whether you are new to faith or have been in a relationship with God for a while, what would it look like to model our spiritual lives after Abraham's experience and simply follow?

The story of the Prodigal Son highlights the fact that we are not lost causes to God. Just as the father in the Prodigal Son welcomes his child home regardless of his choices, so God longs to be with us. When we return to Him, He doesn't demand speeches of unworthiness but celebrates our homecoming. This truth is demonstrated through Jesus' death and resurrection. God goes to extraordinary lengths to restore relationships with His beloved children. His love remains constant. He does not condemn, but welcomes us home. 

The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals deeper truths through the older brother's perspective, highlighting common misunderstandings about God's kingdom. While appearing dutiful, the older brother misunderstood the purpose of celebration. His focus on rule-following over relationship and struggle with extending grace mirror challenges many face today. God's kingdom operates unexpectedly, valuing restored relationships over rigid rule-following, and invites everyone to participate in the joy of being a part of it.

We may already be familiar with the story of the lost son, but there are many layers and depths to it that we may have missed. It is a radical story of God's love for us and how He views His relationship with us. His love isn't about punishment, but about celebration and restoration. God's compassion extends to those who feel completely lost, and it has practical application in our lives today. Rock bottom isn't too deep for God's love to reach us. 

Being part of God's family means adopting a spiritual dress code that transcends our earthly differences and divisions. We are called to clothe ourselves with spiritual attributes that reflect Christ's character. These include compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Above all, we must put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. While conflicts may arise, we're called to bear with one another patiently and forgive as Christ has forgiven us. This spiritual dress code transforms how we interact with others and shapes our identity as children of God. 

Each person plays a vital and unique role in God's family, much like pieces in a mosaic. Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we should recognize how our individual skills, perspectives, and personalities contribute to the bigger picture. Our differences aren't flaws but essential elements that create beauty when combined. Making space for others' uniqueness while embracing our own allows God's family to function as intended, with every member playing their irreplaceable part.

Oftentimes we choose to love others because it's “what a good Christian should do.” And that's not bad, but as we mature spiritually, we can take a deeper look at what perspective Jesus modeled for us. When we take opportunities in our community to volunteer we become a part of the fabric of the city. It becomes ours. And, as outlined in Jeremiah 29:7, “…if it prospers, you too will prosper.” This is an encouragement to be involved in the city we live in and to be a difference maker where and when we can. 

When we look at Jesus, we get to model our lives after Him. He interacts with people in ways that they feel seen and valued. Jesus does this in two distinct things: He gives love a name and a story. We see this in action with the woman Jesus heals in Mark 5:24. He shows love and care, but doesn't stop there. He sees the person first. 

Epiphany primarily celebrates three significant events that revolve around Jesus' life: the visit of the Magi, Jesus' baptism, and Jesus' first miracle. In this final week of the series, we took a brief look at the meaning behind the Magi's visit and how it was cause for hope. How does this hope translate to our day-to-day especially when we may be wrestling with hopelessness?

In John 2, we are witness to Jesus' first miracle. He turns water into wine at a wedding, which may seem unusual, but hospitality was paramount in that time and that culture. This first miracle of Jesus has a lot of parallels to Moses' first miracle. However, there are a lot of differences as well. By comparing and contrasting both miracles, we learn that with Jesus we always have more than enough.

The season called Epiphany often includes commemorating the three wise men visiting Jesus, the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, and Jesus' first miracle at a wedding. Epiphany is the result of waiting and hoping for the Messiah. Today, we are not hoping for Him because He is with us. We have Him and the church can be the powerful expression of hope lived out and what goodness comes from living in the hope we have and can share with everyone. 

How do we experience a God who is invisible to us? We know that God loves us, but we might not feel it with all that is happening in our lives. There are two ways that God shows His love: God makes Himself visible by manifesting Himself in Jesus and God makes Himself visible by manifesting Himself in us. As stated in 1 John 4:12 - we are the ones who can show God's love for us by loving one another.

When we come to know and believe the unconditional love God has for us, we are assured that it will drive out fear as it says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Life is full of hurts and in those moments, it can be easy to leave love and reach for something else. However, love will transform us. We are encouraged to choose to trust the love of God and remain in that love. Let's not let fear sit in the driver's seat of our faith, but let love be there and stay there. 

If what you're being taught isn't moving you to be centered in Christ and living out love then it's not God. Keep testing what you hear against what John teaches us in 1 John 4 and keep testing it. It's ok to wonder and ask questions when it comes to building your spiritual life. Everything God does flows from love and that's how you know it's God. If that's not what you're experiencing then maybe it's time to renovate your spiritual life and test your foundation against who God is and what Jesus lives out in scripture. 

There's a theme running through scripture about how God remembers certain things and forgets others. This is asked of all of us too. Remembering includes holding on to the larger story of what God is doing. And forgetting, or letting go, includes stepping into the new thing God is doing. As we begin 2025, how do we end this year well and enter the new year embracing how God might use us as part of His larger story? 

We often talk about the love God has for us and the love of Jesus we can share with others. However, we might forget that God actually likes us! In Genesis, God declares creation - including us - very good. He created us and wants to have a relationship with us. In Isaiah 43:25 He doesn't say, “I will blot out your sin for your sake.” He declares, “I will blot out your sin for my sake.” He forgives our sins and remembers them no more because He wants a relationship with us. As we move forward in our spiritual life, it's better to build a foundation on that knowledge rather than attempting to earn anything from God. We can't earn His approval and we don't have to worry about losing it either. He gives it freely. 

One of the oldest Christmas songs is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It is written with a perspective of longing similar to how we can often wonder in life circumstances, “Where is God?” The verses capture the darkness of life before Jesus while the chorus embodies the rejoicing and hope that Jesus will arrive. In our day-to-day lives - are we choosing to live in the verses of the song? Or are we embracing the hope that is Jesus as reflected in the chorus by seeing things differently and trusting God? It isn't a one-time choice, but a continual process of choosing to live as though Jesus is with us.

As we change our focus from what we see in the mirror to the people around us, we'll begin to recognize that there are people who need to experience God's heart and His love and we are the ones who can do that! This is what the song “Little Drummer Boy” can teach us. God can use whoever we are and whatever we have for His purpose. We all have something to offer that can benefit the world around us in beautiful and amazing ways. 

When we sing "O Holy Night," we are reminded that people are of great value to God, there is always hope on the horizon, and Jesus is good news for everyone! In the story of Jesus's birth, we are reminded that God is constantly seeking to love us and set us free, which is good news indeed. If we don't embrace the good news for ourselves, as described in Mark 1:14, we can get in the way of the good news for others. Let it be a blessing to us and everyone this season that there is hope because Jesus can carry the weight of it all. 

Outward Facing means finding a way to intentionally do good and to keep doing good in multiple different ways. In Galatians 6:9, Paul encourages the early church to “not become weary in doing good.” Sometimes, it takes time to see the benefit of all we're trying to do for others. We have to trust that God is at work in the good and unique things we are doing in this world and trust His timing, just as a farmer trusts that there will be a time of harvest.

Thanks for being with us this morning! At Casas, it doesn't matter what your story is, your background, or the stage of life you're in - you are valued and accepted just as you are. We believe everyone has value and purpose and is loved by God. We're glad you're here!

In this series, we'll discuss different hurts, habits, and hangups that can become a sticking point in our lives. We might find God in the midst of them or move past them. Either way, we will learn more about how to process these impactful experiences.

The first week in this series, we talked about different hurts we've experienced. This week we explored habits and how we can break away from the various habits we have. We looked at Genesis 24 - 33 and what we can learn from the life of Jacob. There are three things that can help turn habits around: awareness of the habit, a fuller vision of what we do want if that habit wasn't in the way, and relationships with others that pull us forward to life beyond that habit we've created. 

In this series, we'll discuss different hurts, habits, and hangups that can become a sticking point in our lives. We might find God in the midst of them or move past them. Either way, we will learn more about how to process these impactful experiences.  

What does it mean to create the kingdom of God around us when faced with political issues? They aren't small concerns, either, especially when the subject directly affects us. It makes sense that our hearts are caught up because it's all around us. We may feel our only hope is getting the right person in office. However, our hope is not found in the results of an election and the kingdom of politics. It is far too small of a kingdom to anchor the heart of the church. 

In this series, we've established that we live in a world of competing kingdoms all around us and within us. How do we then advance the kingdom of God? Jesus and John the Baptist discuss this in Matthew 11. The kingdom of God is already being ushered into this world right now if we anchor ourselves in Jesus' way of transformation over force. We follow Jesus because He changed our hearts, which doesn't happen through force. 

There are competing kingdoms all around us and within us. That is why it is important that when we read the Lord's Prayer, we recognize when Jesus says, “Thy kingdom come.” He is sharing with us what to set our hearts towards. The kingdom you desire is the kingdom you create. Then, what does it mean to build the kingdom of God? This first week we compared the kingdom of religion the Pharisees were focused on building versus the kingdom of God that Jesus built and what it looks like to be part of Jesus' kingdom. 

All of us want to feel a sense of purpose as human beings made in the image of God. We all have a bigger picture of what we envision for our lives. We can find this hope in the book of Micah. Even though we live in a world of chaos, fear, and hopelessness we can't let that pull us down. We have to get back ahold of God's larger story for us. You've got to remind yourself that God is shepherding a bigger story with you. Even if you lose your story - God hasn't. Grace, courage, and faith will pull you forward even in difficult times. 

If God is good why do bad things happen in this world? To better understand this we looked at the minor prophet Habakkuk. We learned that God saw and felt everything Habakkuk was experiencing and He cared about it. When we ask God why we need to hold three things: hope, faith, and joy. We hold onto hope because God cares for us. We know and have faith that it is safe and okay to be honest with God when we're upset. We can have joy by living out of hope and faith, which helps us let some light into our lives even when navigating difficult things. 

We'll learn about a few minor prophets in the next three weeks of this brand-new series. This first week we learned more about Amos. This part of the Bible holds meaningful everyday value for us especially when we look at it in context. After this series concludes, we hope that the minor prophets will come alive for us in a new way with life application and worthwhile takeaways to use wherever you are spiritually. 

The world needs more churches centered on Jesus, what He modeled for us, and what He taught. Jesus illustrates two houses in Matthew 7:24 - 27. One house was built on the rock and the other one on sand. The house built on the rock stood firm despite everything. Jesus asks that our lives be built on His teachings and His foundation. When a community of people live out of that foundation and financially support it - God can do beautiful things through us, with us, and move His mission forward of being a Christ-centered church that loves people as Jesus taught.

Life can become complicated and one of the greatest gifts we can give our families is learning when to say so we can say yes. We see in Acts how the church grows and changes over a relatively short time and how the disciples intentionally decide what other people can do so they can focus on the things that only they can do. When we identify the things in our lives that only we can do we learn where our most important yeses are. 

Whatever family you come from we all need a seat at the table. Chairs may seem mundane and ordinary, but if you are invited to sit at the table - they become a significant form of acceptance. The definition of family is having a seat with them. In the book of Matthew, we see Jesus model this for us. We are all a part of God's family and God has a seat for us with Him. Who in your life needs a seat next to you?

Paul wrote letters to churches to encourage and help in their struggles. This week we read through Philippians 2:1-4 and explored the ways a church is like a family and how we can put the ideas Paul shares into practice. When we find ourselves existing in different types of tension within our families, how can we refocus our energy on valuing others despite our differences?

We define family as the people in your life that you care about. This could be the family you were born into or the family you created. Anytime we let people into our lives, things can be complicated. This week, we read Proverbs 14:26 and what it can tell us about living in the unconditional love of God and learning how to put the weight down that others might place on us or that we unintentionally place on them.

It's becoming more difficult for people to find God these days. Statistics show us that more and more people declare that they have no affiliation with any beliefs. We want to be a different expression of what a church should be. Our mission is to love people into the acceptance and freedom of Jesus Christ. Still, beyond that - Jesus is our way and our path forward - His way supersedes anything else and we want everyone to join us to experience His love and grace.

This week concludes our series Difference Makers with an opportunity to partner and participate with others in some area of the church. That could range from praying for different ministries or even taking a step to get involved volunteering or joining a small group. We seek to be a great difference-making church and need your participation to help cultivate that just as Paul encourages that of the early churches in 2 Corinthians and Philippians.

If we want to make a difference in people's lives - we should probably think about how we go about it. To make a difference in the lives of others you have to show up differently than they are expecting. If our goal is to follow Jesus and be more like Him, we should also follow how He treated those around Him. When we see Jesus' actions in John 4, we see Him meet someone right where they are, which makes all the difference.

One of our core values is being a multi-generational church. This means we find ways to see and honor all generations. It also means reaching back to the younger generations - part of that is investing support into and sharing solidarity with parents of that next generation. You can always do this by sharing your personal experiences, pointing others to Jesus, and encouraging others toward their own authentic experience with God. 

We don't just attend church - we are the church. Joining a group is a powerful way to live that out. There is a whole group of people who need to know your story because it will benefit their journey. You also need to know their story because it will do transformational things in your life too. This give-and-take of life experiences brings us closer together to support one another, encourage each other, and, ultimately, better express the love of Jesus to the world around us.

In the final week of this series, we read through Romans 12:9-19 as we focused on actions. There are three things that we can take from Romans. 1) Don't start with the action - start with the person. 2) Don't let the actions of someone else determine your behavior. 3) Don't play God. Do all things with sincere love and change your focus so you don't end up fighting fire with fire. Who do you want to be when the situation you find yourself in is over?