Citizens Weekly

Mark 4:35-5:43 includes four familiar stories of Jesus. He calms the storm, restores a demon-possessed heals a woman, and raises a dead girl. This week, Kathryn walks through each of these stories with the hopes of reminding us that the Jesus we read on these pages is the same Jesus who we know today. You may see yourself in one of these people who encounters him- and if so, he wants to respond to you.

Jesus repeats himself: listen! What gets in the way of us listening and receiving? Join as we walk through one of Jesus' most important parables: the parable of the sower.

As we continue through the gospel of Mark chapter 2 through 3:6, we see Jesus responding with compassion and demonstrating authority. In opposition to the religious rulers of the time, where Jesus is, it seems he continually shows us that we need to make more room if we want all of Him. It takes us stretching and stepping towards Him in faith- and He always responds to the ones that know their need.

Josh continues the Gospel of Mark summer sermon series with the start of Jesus' ministry. He first orients us on the gospel, both the Church's Gospel today and also the good news which Jesus taught at the start of his ministry. He then gives an overview of four types of Jewish groups and their strategy for dealing with the big problem of their day. Then he quickly treks through the remainder of Mark 1, summarizing what Jesus did at the start of his ministry. Finally Josh looks at Jesus' call to repent and what that would mean for each of the four Jewish groups, as well as for us today.

Launching our summer series, Kevin explores introductory pronouncements about Jesus from Mark 1:1-13. Some truths about Jesus proved too complex for even the disciples to understand until after His resurrection. A central question in Mark's Gospel, illuminated from the outset, is "Who do you say that I am?" As Citizens embarks on our first Gospel study together, we would do well to consider, as the disciples often did, how we have kept our conception of Jesus small, convenient, and even self-reflective. Are we prepared to see Jesus for who He truly is?

This week wraps up our spring series on spiritual gifts, and Kathryn finishes up with three powerful Word Gifts: apostleship, teaching, and exhortation. Rooted in Ephesians 4, we take a look at what these gifts are (and what they aren't), how they function in the life of the Church, and how they're meant to build up the body of Christ—not as titles or ranks, but as ways we serve one another in love. If you've ever felt called to start something new, to open God's Word and help others understand it, or to speak truth that lifts and steadies people's faith, you may have been given one of these gifts! Listen in as we close out our spring together!

Nick teaches on the spiritual gifts of pastoring, evangelism and leadership. How do you know if you have these gifts and how should you use them? Nick also talks about the moment of church we are in and how to respond during the whispers of revival.

Biju Thampy teaches us the way of the Kingdom: revelation over information.

A discussion regarding Gifts of Miracles and Intercession begins with a discussion of compassion. Christ was moved with compassion for the crowds. Likewise, the hope for Miracles and the lean into Intercession must be fueled by Christ's compassion in us.

Join us on Resurrection Sunday as we read about Jesus on the Road to Emmaus and what the cross and empty tomb means for us today.

This week, Kathryn teaches on two more of the power gifts—faith and discernment of spirits—and how they operate in real life. These gifts are meant to strengthen the Church and reveal God's power in supernatural yet practical ways. Learn what these gifts are, how to recognize them in yourself and others, and explore the shadow sides of each. Whether you're just discovering your spiritual gifts or looking to grow in them, this conversation will helpful for you.

As we continue our series on Spiritual Gifts, we find two Gifts that rely primarily on a willingness to faithfully and prayerfully engage the potentially miraculous moment. We also consider our own modern day Bryan-College Station through the lens of Ancient Corinth.

In this message, we continue our series on spiritual gifts by diving into tongues and the interpretation of tongues. What does Scripture actually say about this gift? Who receives it, and how should it be used in the church today?

This week at Citizens, we dive into the power gifts, beginning with prophecy and words of knowledge. What does the Bible say about prophecy? How is it meant to function in the life of a believer and the church today? We'll explore Old and New Testament examples, Paul's instruction to the early church, and how to faithfully use and test prophetic words in a way that builds up and strengthens the body of Christ.

In the middle of our series on Spiritual Gifts, Josh takes a step back to build additional context. He starts with a look at the organizing of creation with humanity playing the role of Royal Priests. He traces the Royal Priesthood concept from Creation, through the nation of Israel, to the example of Jesus and then to the Church. Then he lays out the organizing of the Church into sacraments, disciplines and gifts. This includes a more detailed look at the gifts of Helps & Mercy. Josh closes with three options for the organization of you and a call to go forth and change the world.

Welcome to Week 5 of our series on Spiritual Gifts! This week, Kathryn dives into the "Love Gifts," focusing on Administration and Giving. Administration, like a helmsman guiding a ship (1 Cor. 12:28), ensures the church's vision is carried out, supporting leaders and creating order. Giving (Rom. 12:8) goes beyond financial generosity—it's a deep joy in sacrificial giving. While all believers are called to give, those with this gift find fulfillment in radical generosity. Both gifts are essential for building up the body of Christ. Do you feel called to organize, support, or give joyfully? If so, God may be calling you to embrace and grow in these gifts for His Kingdom!

As we begin exploring individual spiritual gifts, we set the stage by discussing how love is the most excellent way. Without love, our gifts are empty and powerless. We examine how the church needs a balance of love gifts, power gifts, and word gifts to function as a healthy body. We also explore the dangers of using our gifts without abiding in Christ and developing godly character. What does it mean to truly love as Jesus loves? How do we stay rooted in His presence while walking in our gifts?

Faith is a gift available for everyone. Everyone should want this gift, but all won't receive it. Faith is the foundation for the Christian life and is simply defined as "believing". Once faith is evident in your life, you enter into Covenant w/ God. We see this in the life of Abraham in Genesis 15.

In this second installment of our series on the Spiritual Gifts, Kevin clears up two major misconceptions regarding the Holy Spirit, specifically that the gifts were a passing moment in Church history. We also consider Jesus' interactions and descriptions of the Holy Spirit, which assure us He is the Helper we need to live a Kingdom-centered life.

We are so excited to be kicking off our spring series: Spiritual Gifts. Over the course of this semester, we want to define where Citizens stands on spiritual gifts for believers today, build linguistic unity around the gifts for us as a body, clarify the characteristics of and uses for each of the spiritual gifts, help people identify what their spiritual gifts are, and empower people to begin using their gifts in the context of church specifically. This week, Kathryn covers the following four big questions to kick us off:What does Citizens believe about spiritual gifts and why?What are spiritual gifts?How do we get them?Why do we need them?Join us in listening as we step into this new season of church together!

When Jesus declared, "It is finished," He wasn't just speaking of the end of His suffering—He was proclaiming the total defeat of the enemy and the completion of His redemptive work. But what exactly is finished? Jesus dismantled the enemy's claim to all authority and secured our victory forever.So why do we so often give power back to a defeated enemy by fighting battles Jesus already won? Instead of striving, how do we truly stand in the finished work of the cross and live confidently in His victory?

One of the largest parts of Jesus ministry was healing and as followers, ours should look the same. Where is his heart for my healing? What happens when it doesn't come?

Citizens is kicking off 21 days of prayer, fasting, and consecration. This week, our lead team discussed and answered some FAQ's in hopes of bringing clarity and vision around each topic as we begin this season together.

Join us as we cast vision for 2025 and explore where God is leading our church in the year ahead.

Join us as we discuss how a child in a manger is one of the greatest pictures of love in all existence and what it means for us today.

The angels sang Joy to the world for a group of shepherds at the birth of a baby in the city of David. But removed two thousand years, and separated by more than that many miles, we need to ask: what is so joyful about Christmas? We answer by digging into the context of the birth of Jesus through a series of questions: Why did Israel need a Messiah? What did Israel expect from a Messiah? And what type of Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth? The answers to these ground our joyful celebration of the birth of the promised Messiah.

At Christmas, the world sings in hope for Peace. But do people really know what Biblical Peace—Shalom—is or what it entails? According to the Scriptures, Shalom is the result of righteousness, which is the foundation of God's throne. Only when matters are brought into agreement with God's righteous order can true Peace be found. In this sermon, Kevin Still explores what Biblical Shalom looks like, and how it may often look very different than our common definitions of civil peace.

As we start the Advent season, we begin with Hope. What is true and biblical hope? Hope always starts with God, Hope is fostered by His word and Hope is powered by the Holy Spirit!

We explore Jesus ideal profile of a deeply rooted person: children. As children in his perfect love, we are set free from the grip of the spirit of fear.

Is the gospel still good news?In the midst of heartbreak, uncertainty, and days that are overfull but unfulfilling, it can be easy to wonder what good the gospel is for life today. Sure, there's the promise of eternal life someday, but what about right now, when disease, broken relationships, shame, regret, and countless other burdens weigh you down?If it feels like something important is missing from your life, chances are it's because you've only heard part of the gospel. The promise of Heaven, although beautiful, is not all there is to being a follower of Jesus.As we explore what's missing from the familiar gospel story, you'll discover . . .Why God created the world and everything in it, including you.What your calling is and how to live it out.Why knowing Jesus matters right now—today.

As part of our Deep Roots sermon series, Kathryn focuses on prayer and its vital role in the life of a believer. Prayer is not just a ritual, but a powerful and relational practice that nurtures spiritual growth. Whether we're new to prayer or seasoned, God invites us into conversation with Him. We explore the following questions together:What is prayer?Why should we pray?How do we pray?

Nick teaches on Luke 7 and explores three people to learn from: the centurion, the widow and the woman with the alabaster jar. Each displayed things that moved the heart of Jesus: faith and authority, generational loss and becoming a pure and empty vessel. Jesus is inviting us into a life of becoming a pure and empty vessel for him.

People with Deep Kingdom Roots know they have a real-enemy--named Satan--and they have a correct Biblical understanding of his schemes. Such an understanding allows them to consider Satan's reality soberly while not living in fear of him or his demonic forces. So how do we recognize his schemes? Scripture offers one easy method for discerning his voice and tactics: consider his names.

Those with Deep Roots are faithful stewards of what God has given them. By looking at the lives of Joseph and David, we are reminded that God uses the context of our current circumstances to prepare us for future opportunities and purpose in our lives.

Every deeply rooted & spiritually mature person has a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit and operates in the gifts that He gives. Who is the Holy Spirit? What gifts does he give?

God is always most concerned about our hidden lives with Him. As we become more and more rooted in the soil of the Love of God (Ephesians 3), we grow less concerned with the accolades of the world. These deep roots are marks of maturity in Christ, rooted and connected to others for lifelong growth.

Our bodies can be tired and weary.Our hearts can be tired and weary.Our very souls can be tired and weary. So what do we do if we find ourselves in this place?This week, Kathryn walks us through Matthew 11, where Jesus invites us into deep soul rest with him. ComeTakeFindGo

Pastor Hunter Hambrick from Providence Bible Church in Denver, CO shared how God wants us filled to overflow with God's power, love, and presence. Listen to how Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 can give us a vision for living a deeply rooted life.

90% of Jesus‘s life was unseen. The same will be true with anyone who seeks to be a deeply rooted and mature believer. Join us as we explore what it means to embrace seasons of obscurity.

Spiritually mature believers pursue (often beg for) Christ's compassion, allowing it to fuel their work in expanding His Kingdom.

The deeply rooted and spiritually mature believer is constantly eradicating anything that would steal their worship.

After establishing the principle of “right knowing is the basis for right doing” and conducting a high-level overview of Hebrews 12, we took a deeper dive to unpack the exhortation to look to Jesus as our example as we run the race the race of life that's been marked out for us.We answered the questions: Why do we run, how do we run, and who we should run the race of life with.

Our Spiritual DNA, as believers in Christ, is the list in Hebrews 11. Will we take our places in this faith-filled story story to live with resolve and build the kingdom of God in this time?

Christian maturity begins the moment we agree with God's declarations about Himself and about us. According to His Scripture, Christ took away our sins, establishing His holiness and perfection inside of us. What does this mean for us in real time? How can we live in agreement with God's declarations when we still sin and experience earth-bound affections? Hebrews 10 helps us consider as much.

In chapter 9 of Hebrews, we explore why Jesus' blood is always better than our own sacrifice.

Hebrews 8 introduces Jesus as the mediator of a new and better covenant based on better promises. But before we talk about the new covenant, we must talk about the old covenant. But we cannot talk about the old covenant until we understand what a covenant is in the first place. And to understand the idea of a covenant, we have to understand why God made covenants, and to understand that, we have to go back to the very beginning and learn more about YAHWEH- the covenant making, covenant keeping God of Israel.

In this sermon we examine the character of Melchizedek, the necessity of Christ, and the sufficiency of His sacrifice.

An encouragement to step into spiritual maturity. A challenge to grow up, be warned, and press on.

In Hebrews 5 the author steps back from looking at Jesus as a superior priest to admonish the recipients for being dull of hearing and exhorting them to move on from milk to the solid food that signifies maturity. Josh works through the Hebrews 5 use of Psalms 2 and 110 to illustrate what the author expected of the listeners. Josh then works though his testimony of how he grew his own understanding of Scripture, and closes with recommendations for all parts of the Church, beginner, intermediate and mature, to grow through Bible study and memorization.

Hebrews 4 sounds like a gloomy warning to the early church, but at its core, it is an encouragement and a call to action to band together as the church to not miss out on God's promised rest. It is freely offered to us today and we must strive together to receive it.

The author of Hebrews reminds readers that Jesus is superior to every trustworthy, praiseworthy, truth-speaking voice they may be tempted to exalt in their era of persecution. This is a good word for the Hebrews audience, as well as the modern American Church and even Citizens church. As culture (nationally and locally) shifts and changes, enduring together in confident pursuit of Jesus' glory assures we can be His house that hosts His presence. What could be superior to that?