Our mission at City Awakening is to reach people with the gospel, and then send them out to reach our city and the world with the gospel. We see this playing out in three ways: Gospel saturated worship, community, and multiplication.
Psalm 28:1-9Louis TamburroWe all sometimes face situations that are beyond our control. Psalm 28 teaches us that we have a God who hears our prayers, and that we're never hopeless with God. If you're a skeptic, then you'll sometimes feel both helpless and hopeless, because you don't have anywhere else to turn when all your other hopes fail. If you're a believer, then you'll sometimes feel helpless like the skeptic, but you can still be hopeful because you always have hope with God. The only way for any of us to have infinite hope, is to trust in the infinite God who's infinitely greater than our problems.
Ecclesiastes 12:8-14Robbie AldermanThe final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters… no, it is that everything matters! Everything is enhanced through our lives lived in light of God's intention for us. Are you searching for truth? Find it in God's word and then respond in obedience. Not so you will be accepted but because you are accepted.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-11Louis TamburroAre you wasting your life pursuing things with a brief shelf life more than God? Throughout Ecclesiastes Solomon admits he ran after all kinds of things in life. He admits he used his wealth to pursue whatever pleasures he wanted, but none of it ever satisfied him. Solomon reminds us to remember our Creator and don't waste our lives.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10Louis TamburroMost of us aren't enjoying the moments and blessings of life, because we're too busy rushing through life. Solomon teaches us that life is short, and you can't control tomorrow. So enjoy the moments and blessings you have today. More importantly, trust God's sovereign hands with every moment you face in life, so you can enjoy an abundantly joyful life.
Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3Alex Robinson Many people, both Christians and skeptics alike, look at the world and find themselves asking “Why is there so much evil and unfairness?” Scholars call this the problem of evil. We wonder how a good God can let all of this injustice happen and apparently go unpunished. The Bible is full of people wrestling with this desire and confusion including Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3. The solution to the world's injustice isn't found in people or politics, but only through God.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14Louis Tamburro Life is full of seasons, and every one of us is in a season. Solomon's reminding us that God can bring good and beauty out of every season in its time, and nothing proves this more than the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Luke 24:1-48Louis Tamburro The resurrection of Jesus is that one claim, that one thing, that can change everything.
Ecclesiastes 2:12-26Louis TamburroEverybody's trying to achieve something, and we can each have different reasons for trying to achieve those things. So the question is what are you trying to achieve in life, and can those achievements provide the satisfaction you're seeking?
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11Louis Tamburro Many of us are searching for pleasure in a person, profession, profits, and possessions, but we keep coming up short. We have a deep search for pleasure, a deep search for happiness, but it's a search that never ends. But what if the reason nothing sever satisfies us, is because we're searching in all the wrong places? Our eternal search for pleasure isn't meant to be a curse, it's meant to be a compass pointing us to something greater.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-18Louis Tamburro Ecclesiastes begins with asking, “What's the point of it all?" All of life is vanity, if there is no eternity. If this life is all there is, then it means even our best moments in life are nothing more than a vapor or mist that'll eventually vanish in the wind. Jesus doesn't want that for your life or my life, and he brought us here today to point us away from that vain life. He brought us here so we'd turn to him for The Good Life, and find hope in him for the even greater eternal resurrected life that's coming.
Ezekiel 47:1-12; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:43-47Zack CaseyThe Spirit of God is a river that flows from within the heart of every believer and has the power to produce life wherever it goes. The question is, will it flow through you? We can be a conduit of living water wherever we go. We can be a source of life to our city if we allow the Spirit to work in and through us.
Isaiah 6Alex Robinson As we follow God we are called to Display it to those around us and trust God with the results. Begin now to evaluate how every part of your life should reflect God's goodness and glory from the most public and grand gestures to the menial tasks that only God sees. Do all for the glory of God.
Isaiah 6:1-8Louis TamburroYou're never too sinful, broken, messed up, or so far gone that the Lord can't save you, transform you, and still use you for greater eternal purposes. Just like Isaiah had his life transformed by the grace of God, you can have your life transformed by the grace of God. But it all starts and continues with the grace of Jesus.
Isaiah 6:1-8Louis TamburroIsaiah discovered the Lord in such an incredible way, that it transformed his identity and purpose in life. Jesus wants us to live 3D Lives where we discover, deepen, and display his love in ways that leads others to discover, deepen, and display. But it all starts with discovering the Lord like Isaiah did.
Philippians 4:10-23Louis TamburroThe secret to being content and joyful in every situation, is found in realizing Jesus is enough in every situation. Be satisfied, content, and joyful with what you have, knowing Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. The same Jesus who supplied all your needs for eternal salvation when he died on the cross for your sins, is the same Jesus who will supply all your needs for your daily situations. If he cared enough to supply for all your eternal needs, then he'll care enough to supply for all your daily needs.
Philippians 4:1-13Louis Tamburro Jesus is enough in every situation. He can be our stability, when we're facing instability. We face situations every day that cause us to lose joy, but the joy we're losing is a situational joy not the stable joy we have in Jesus. In those moments we need to remember to use our stabilizers to pray, think correctly, and rely on Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-4:1Zack CaseyJoy is found in a relationship with a very real and present Savior who loves you and wants to be your friend. In this message we will explore five lessons from Paul's life that we can apply to our own to help us have joy when the goal of knowing Christ seems overwhelming.
Philippians 3:1-11Louis Tamburro What are you trying to pursue and achieve in life, that you think will bring you deeper joy in life? Today's text is about knowing and pursuing Jesus as a far more stable joy, than anything else we're building our lives on. Paul says if you want to get into heaven and build your life on something that's stable, then you need to know Christ and build your life on Christ. You need to make it your greatest goal to know Jesus deeper than you currently know him. The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life.
Philippians 2:19-30Emmanuel Bellon In this message we look at an authentic version of Christianity here in Philippians in two men who have been radically transformed by God's saving grace in Christ.
Philippians 2:1-18Louis Tamburro Being a humble servant isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less, and thinking of humbly serving others more like Jesus. Paul says you have to look not at your own interests, but at the interests of others. You have to look at someone other than yourself, and there's no better person to look at than Jesus. He's the greatest example of the humble servant way of life, and if we follow his way it'll always help bring much joy into our relationships.
Philippians 1:12-30Louis Tamburro What in your life are you living and dying for? Jesus is our eternal God who came to die for our sins on the cross, and he rose again on the 3rd day to prove he's eternal and so is the joy he offers us. We'll always have access to joy in daily life, when we put our faith in him and live for him above anything else in life. Paul says to live is Christ, and to die is gain, and that view of life allowed him to face any situation in life.
Philippians 1:1-11Louis Tamburro Everybody wants to find joy in life, but the problem is we're often trying to find it in the wrong places. Our greatest hindrance to finding joy isn't our circumstances, it's that we're trying to find joy in all the wrong places. There's nothing this world can offer us that can replace the greater eternal joy Christ offers us.
Isaiah 8:18-22Louis Tamburro Both skeptics and believers need hope at some point in life, and the good news is the Christmas message is all about hope!
Isaiah 53Zack CaseyGod is lavish, pragmatic, and sufficient. He is the greatest giver, who gave the greatest gift, to meet our greatest need. He knew exactly what we needed and gave Himself to meet that need. Jesus' sacrifice wasn't just practical - it was perfect and powerful.
Luke 2:8-10Louis Tamburro When we focus on giving ourselves glory, it'll rob our hearts of peace in so many different ways. The more you walk with Jesus and trust in him, the more you'll enjoy a transformed, peaceful, good news life. Don't settle for lesser glories that can't change your heart, bring peace, or truly satisfy, when you have the opportunity to walk with the greater glorious savior who can.
Genesis 6:5-10Louis Tamburro Both skeptics and believers were created to love, but sometimes we love the wrong things. God grieves the sinful corruption and destruction that our misplaced love, our self-centered love causes in our lives, marriages, families, and relationships. But the good news is we can go to the Savior to receive his forgiveness, guidance, and love. Our human narrative doesn't end with the flood of God's grief and wrath over our sins, instead it continues with the Christmas narrative and the flood of God's love being fully displayed through the incarnate birth and crucifixion of Jesus.
2nd Corinthians 9:6-15Louis Tamburro God cares more about the attitude of the giver, than the amount of the giving. He cares more about what you're treasuring in your heart, than the amount of treasure you're giving from your pockets. If Jesus is truly your greatest treasure, then let him work on transforming your heart into becoming more generous like him.
Luke 10:25-37Louis Tamburro Generosity can be displayed through your time, talent, and treasures, but you're going to fail at that. Both skeptics and believers are going to fail at being generous, fail at loving God and our neighbors to the degree God requires. The more we see Jesus as the generous savior who saw us and was willing to stop to save us, the more generous we will be.
Revelation 22:6-21Louis TamburroThe book of Revelation ends with Jesus giving the world an invitation to enjoy eternal restoration. This series has repeatedly taught us that we can find hope and peace in Jesus, as we're living in a world of chaos. It's repeatedly taught us that no matter what happens in our lives and world, Jesus is still in control. It's repeatedly taught us that sin, sickness, suffering, sadness, death, and evil won't last forever, because there's a greater paradise that's coming for those who love Jesus.
Revelation 21:9-22:5Louis Tamburro Heaven is a place full of joyful perfection, beyond our greatest imagination, and the good news is anyone can enjoy this heaven through faith in Jesus. In John 3:16 Jesus says whoever believes in him, will not perish but shall have eternal life. If you put your faith in Jesus, if you believe he died for your sins on the cross, then you'll get to enjoy the beautiful pearl that comes from the wounds of Christ on the cross.
Revelation 21: 1-8Louis TamburroWe need to remember this world isn't our heaven, it's a lesser view of heaven that's been distorted by sin and death. We aren't seeing the world as our Creator originally intended us to see it, instead we're seeing a distorted view of the world that's full of sin and death, tears and pain. But Jesus came to bring clarity back into our lives again. He came to give us the assurance of eternal salvation and restoration through his death and resurrection.
Revelation 20:11-15Zack Casey You can either plead guilty now or be found guilty later when you stand before the throne of God. The day will come when you stand in the courtroom before the great white throne of God, and then it will be too late to change your destiny. But today, you can still choose to put your faith in Jesus and accept the gift of his salvation.
Revelation 20: 1-10Louis Tamburro Sometimes it feels like darkness is winning in our lives, and we can easily get discouraged when that happens. This text can help shine some light into that darkness, because it teaches that Jesus is coming back to end all the darkness in our lives. The darkness we experience in our lives and world is real, the battles we fight in our lives and world are real, but Revelation 20 assures us that darkness won't last forever for those who put their faith in Christ. So when life gets tough and you're getting discouraged because it feels like darkness is winning, cling to Christ and remember better days are coming.
Revelation 19:1-21Robbie Alderman God will defeat his enemies in an instant when he returns and we will worship him forever.
Revelation 18:1-24Louis Tamburro Revelation 18 is about seeking fading treasures in a fading kingdom. It's about how we can either seek fading treasures in a fading kingdom, or seek eternal treasures in a forever kingdom. This text confronts us with the sobering reality of how quickly things can crumble. Jesus died for our sins on the cross, but then he rose again on the 3rd day to prove he has the power to give us eternal life with eternal treasures in his forever kingdom. His resurrection proves death isn't the end of the story, it's the beginning of our eternal story.
Revelation 17:1-18Louis Tamburro Both skeptics and believers are sometimes seduced by things in this world, and so what are those things for you? This text is about being seduced by things in this world that we think will give us lasting pleasure in life, but it never does. It might give us pleasure in the moment, but it's a pleasure that never lasts. Revelation 17 teaches us Jesus is the only true Lord of lords and King of kings, who has an eternal kingdom with eternal pleasures. Don't be seduced, by a world that promises lasting pleasures it can't produce.
Revelation 15-16Louis Tamburro As we study this text we'll learn there's several good reasons for God's wrath and judgement. The good news of the eternal gospel, is that Jesus suffered God's wrath for our sins on the cross so we don't have to suffer God's wrath in hell. So even though God's wrath and judgment is necessary, the good news is anybody can be saved from God's wrath through faith in Jesus.
Revelation 14Zack Casey God is not a God of chaos, and he does not want us to be overcome with worry and fear. That's why we're looking to the book of Revelation to learn how to have peace in a world of chaos. We believe that God wants us to have peace. He wants us to know that even in the absolute worst of times, He is still in control, He is still good, and we can still trust him.
Revelation 13:11-18.Louis TamburroWe all have people or things we'll sometimes treat as a savior when life gets hard. This message is about trying to find peace in a false savior, worshiping a false savior, when life gets hard. If you seek a temporary savior you'll get a temporary salvation, but if you seek an eternal savior you'll get an eternal salvation. Jesus is the only incarnate, fully human and fully divine God who became a man, to die for our sins on the cross, and then rose again so we can enjoy eternal life in heaven with him.
Revelation 12:18-13:10Louis Tamburro Both skeptics and believers have current and future things we're concerned about, and there will always be metaphorical antichrists, false saviors promising to give us peace and joy in life. But there's only one, true, eternal savior named Jesus Christ. We need a real Savior for our current worries, and a real Savior for our future worries. Revelation 13 teaches us that the final antichrist isn't a metaphorical person, instead he's a real imposter who will deceive many. But it is also teaching us to find our peace in the real Savior Jesus Christ that's coming.
Matthew 6:19-34Louis TamburroIn the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching on how we're to live our lives and in today's text he's focusing on how to live a content life, a simple life, when it comes to our wealth and possessions. If you want to eliminate some of the hurry and worry in your life, then start living a simple life which can break the cycle of overworking to feed our excessive desires. Jesus didn't live a consumeristic life, he lived a simple. He lived a simple life, and even gave up his wealth, his possessions, his very own life on the cross for us so we could enjoy an eternal relationship in heaven with him.
Genesis 2Robbie Alderman What we're learning specifically from the life of Jesus today, is the importance of practicing Sabbath. Jesus gives both skeptics and believers an invitation to find rest. Sabbath isn't just a command, it's a prescription.
Mark 1:29-38Louis Tamburro At this point in the book of Mark, Jesus is doing ministry with some of his disciples. He's working hard in ministry, and the text describes a very busy day in the life of Jesus. He's slammed with all kinds of people wanting his time, and as we study this text we'll learn about the following three things: 1st The importance of work, 2nd The importance of silence and solitude, 3rd The importance of prioritizing. We'll learn Jesus deals with a busy day by working hard, by practicing silence and solitude, and by prioritizing.
Matthew 11:28-30Louis Tamburro We're starting a new 5 week teaching series we're calling The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and it's about how to have peace in a world of hurry. We need to learn from the life of Jesus, to live an unhurried life like Jesus. The burdens of life are way too heavy for us to carry on our own. The good news is we don't have to carry them on our own, because Jesus offers to carry them with us if we yoke our lives to him, and slow down enough to learn from him.
Psalm 27Emmanuel BellonWhen we are in a battle it is hard to believe that it will ever come to an end. When we are in a period of blessing, we sometimes expect it will go on forever. But the Christian life is not like that there are battles and blessings. We know that King David went through a lot of battles in life. In this psalm he teachesus how to face the battles of life.
Psalm 26Robbie AldermanLife gets hard and evil surrounds us in this life. We must remind ourselves of God's goodness to us and the faithful love he has shown us by sending us Jesus. In this psalm, David is putting himself on trial and using the fact that he walks and stands with Jesus as his witness as the source of evidence in this trial to show that he is safe.
Psalm 25Zack CaseyIn Psalm 25, David is in a season of waiting. When we pray for something, or face a crisis, or ask for guidance, we want an immediate response. But in Psalm 25, David is going to teach us something about this season of waiting that we will inevitably find ourselves in.
Psalm 24Ryan ArmstrongGuest Speaker Pastor Ryan Armstrong of OneFamily Church in Apopka, FL shares a special message from Psalm 24.
Psalm 23Zack Casey Being a sheep doesn't mean the path is going to be easy and prosperous or free from pain and mistakes, but no matter how far we stray from His path, God's loving kindness chases us down to bring us back under the umbrella of his blessing. Our shepherd is there with us and he's leading us to a much better pasture. You can delight in having complete satisfaction in knowing your needs are met, unwavering confidence in knowing God is with you, and a gracious belonging, knowing you have a place in His eternal kingdom.
Revelation 12:9-18Louis Tamburro Satan's seeking our destruction, but Jesus guarantees our salvation through faith in his life, death, and resurrection...Revelation 12 says this is why you struggle so much in life, it's why your life often feels like a battle. It's because there is a battle, there is a war happening in your life. It's a war for your heart, a war against everything Jesus says is good for your heart. Satan wants to attack you with accusations and deceptions so you don't believe the gospel, so you don't believe in the love and truth of Jesus. You need to remember the accusations and deceptions of Satan, can only be conquered by the love and truth of Jesus.
Revelation 12:1-9Louis Tamburro Today's text can at least help us get a little glimpse into the spiritual world, in which a spiritual war, a spiritual battle between Satan and God. It's a supernatural battle for our hearts against everything Jesus says is good for our hearts. We can follow Jesus or follow Satan in his rebellion against Jesus. The good news is behind every situation, behind every battle, behind the curtain of this physical world, is the victorious King Jesus who's willing to walk with you through the battles of life.