The Perfect Place for Imperfect People
In which we try to respond to all the most frequently asked questions about our upcoming MicroChurch transition.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is an invitation to a new way of life. And not just on Sundays, but in every hour of every day.
Paul spent the first three chapters telling the narrative of what God has done, but then in chapter 4 there's this transition toward us and what we are to do and he's finally begun to answer that question: How do we church?
The cure for division is to center on Christ, who is our peace, who in his flesh tore down the wall of hostility which separate us. Christ, who is gathering all things in heaven and things on earth, is drawing all people to Himself to be built together into a dwelling place for God, and He himself is our cornerstone. Without him as our center of gravity, it all falls apart. (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Ephesians is about ecclesiology, the church. What should the church look like, who are we? If there's any question this letter is in response to it is simply this: “But how do we, the church, live, right here, right now?”
We humans are so desperate to see where God is because, I think, we intuitively understand that if we can find Him we will be OK. (2 Cor. 12:2-10)
Pastor Wilma Johnson brought a word about transition that is very timely and relevant to our recent announcement. I (Zack) apologize for the audio quality on this episode. I dropped the SD card it was recorded to into an abyss and haven't yet been able to locate it. This audio is directly from the camera microphone and will be challenging to listen to at times, but I hope you'll give it a listen anyway!
What if we stopped trying to be so-and-so down the street? What if we stopped striving to be something we aren't? What if we could quit trying to mimic what we see on Facebook or Instagram and, instead, focused on being faithful…and smart?
What do we do when things don't go according to plan? What do we do with regret?
The way we conduct ourselves in this world is our prophetic witness which leads to God being glorified. As you engage in this world you must always do so with dignity and honor, being careful not to do so like everyone else. (This gets just a smidge political.)
There is nothing wrong with disagreements. They are natural. But how we conduct ourselves in those disagreements says everything about what we really believe about God.
Pastor Wayne Drain joins us again from Russellville, Arkansas on this Pentecost Sunday with some timely encouragement.
Dan Kent, author of Confident Humility, visits from St. Paul, Minnesota to teach us about becoming our full selves without becoming full of ourselves.
Jesus asks us to love each other, to love our neighbors, and to love our enemies, and this is the most powerful evidence the world will have that He exists and offers them eternal life.
If we start from any other theological point than the simplicity of “God is love” – without the usual “buts” which may sometimes accompany this truth – we are bound to wind up with a theological system and/or church which may justify some pretty heinous things in the name of Jesus, as even a cursory reading of church history can demonstrate.
Following our model, Jesus the Good Shepherd, we can lay it all down for the sake of those Jesus loves — for the sake of those we are learning to love — as we are being formed into the kinds of people who make up this new kind of community Jesus is still forming.
Jesus the Stranger, hidden in plain sight but revealed as we gather together to tell the story and the breaking of bread, showing himself in inexplicable ways in our darkest and most solemn moments, and opening our minds to help us keep pressing forward to carry this candle of hope forward into the unknown.
After a six-month sabbatical Pastor Devon is back in the pulpit with a message about one of Jesus' parables.
What is love? What are we being saved from? What is eternal life?
The characters in the story from the Triumphal Entry to the Passion of Christ fail to recognize and live into the reality of the Kingdom of God in the same ways we do. Which of them do you most identify with?
Jesus has just recently raised Lazarus from the dead. People from all over have heard rumor of this great feat, his popularity is at an all-time high, and some Greeks would like to have a word with this Jesus. What is it about this moment which leads Jesus to declare, "The hour has now come..."
"The more I am give myself to apprenticeship to Christ, the more my heart becomes softer to differences, the more my mind becomes open to accept all that I don’t know, and the more I come to seek out my neighbor."
Pastor Ryan Alldaffer joins us from ConnectLife Church in Chattanooga, TN.
We're taking a step backward in Mark's gospel to see the moments immediately surrounding the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration to see something else going on in this passage. What we find has the potential to change everything.
Most of life happens in the daily mundane, and with this practice you can turn even the most mundane of things into experiences with Jesus.
Why do we overcommit, overwork, and otherwise fill our lives with busyness? Are we afraid of something? What can we do about it?
If you want to grow spiritually, you must recognize the indispensable role of your body in formation.
What would it look like if we stopped treating our lives and our discipleship to Jesus as separate things?
Your ID card is one of the ways you are able to let someone know you are who you claim to be. If the proof is missing, then maybe that person isn’t who they claim to be.
You've probably thought a lot *about* God, but have you ever thought *with* God? Is that even possible?
What if we could have moment’s like Simeon the God-Receiver? What if we could be so in-sync with the Spirit that we immediately recognize the presence and work of God around us?
Like David and Mary, we have learned God’s intention for us and we must now place our whole selves at the service of this call from God. “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
The first words of John the Baptist in John's gospel were an answer to a question and a disarming confession that can reboot our spiritual lives.
The year 2020 has highlighted many opportunities for spiritual growth for us if we're will to awaken to the present moment and re-engage.
As darkness invades and life fades around us: keep alert, keep awake, don't fall asleep.
What if you could really be yourself and still be loved and accepted?
What sort of legacy do you want to leave for your family's future generations? Have you ever thought about what your family will be like a hundred years from now?
One of the central roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives us to enable and help us live out the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, there is little hope for us to ever rise above our base instincts and we will continue to find our identity in our Tribes. We will continue to exclude rather than include. We will fight instead of love. We will hate instead of having compassion.
Discussion Questions1. How do you know if you’ve started fully devoting yourself to Christ?2. What would/has “the pickup” season of Christ-following look like for you?3. What would/has “the carry” season look like for you?4. What would/has “the rest” season look like for you?Donate: gracealma.org/give
Discussion Questions1. What does it mean for a Christian to be “faithful to Jesus?"2. Do you really believe that God is love? What in your actions reveals this faith?3. Do you really believe that Jesus is the answer to the world's problems? What in your actions reveals this faith?4. Do you really believe that there is life after this life? What in your actions reveals this faith?Donate: gracealma.org/give
Discussion Questions1. If being a Christian is suppose to be simple, why do we need complex teachings and tools to understand the Bible?2. Is the faith ever suppose to get more complicated or always stay simple?3. Do you think these Table Groups could be the "silver bullet" to relieve the tiredness we always carry? Why or why not?Give: gracealma.org/give
Activity & Discussion Guide:1. Find time to look into the mirror this week and stay there long enough until you are able to name the things that make you uncomfortable.2. Create space to allow God to remove/heal these things you have tried to hide.3. Share these with your Table Group.4. Ask your Table Group to look into your life and call out the things that reflect God's nature within you. Focus on those things, as you allow God to remove the shame, hurts, frustrations.Donate: gracealma.org/give
Why did the Church in Acts meet in two distinct places?Discussion Questions1. Can you think of activities that wouldn’t work in a multi-purpose space? Why?2. Do you think it’s the space that determines the activity or the activity that determines the space? Why?3. Is Sunday morning service a suitable space for all spiritual activities? If so, why? If not, why have we not created dedicated spaces for them?Donate: gracealma.org/give
Discussion Questions1. Why is finding the right pace so important to anything you do?2. What are the signs that your pace in life is sustainable?3. Why do we believe rotating bi-weekly between Sunday Table Groups and Wednesday services are more sustainable?Donate: gracealma.org/give
Discussion Questions1. What would life with only pleasure be like? What would be missing?2. How has "pain" been a part of forming your most valuable relationships, accomplishments, and experiences?3. How could we tell the difference between pain that is harmful and pain that is helping us grow?Donate: gracealma.org/give
There’s something personal, uncomfortable, or even painful about being truly pastored. Is this why we prefer our pastors to just be preachers?Discussion Questions1. What do you think the differences are between pastors and preachers?2. Why do we often prefer to hear sermons over sitting down for wisdom or direction from our pastors?3. Why do you think we need both large worship gatherings and small relational groups like "tables?"4. Why do you think ‘tables’ are more important than normal during COVID?Donate: gracealma.org/give
Why can we vividly remember moments of shame better than moments of joy? What would it look like if shame wasn’t only used but worshiped?Online Giving: gracealma.org/give
Online Giving: gracealma.org/giveDiscussion Questions1. What would it look like to live a moral code of “love your neighbor as yourself?”2. Why, according to “love thy neighbor," are we always our brother’s keeper? Why not?3. Why do you think the major themes of salvation are communal (ie. a chosen people, the holy city, kingdom, etc.) rather than individual?
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