Weekly sermons from Missio Dei Community in Salt Lake City, Utah.
On Trinity Sunday—and Father's Day—we reflect on what it means to say “God is love.” This week, we explored the idea of God's love being “reckless”—not in a careless way, but in a bold, self-giving, audacious way that risks for the sake of relationship. The Trinity shows us that God is not an isolated being but a community—Father, Son, and Spirit—defined by mutual love and inclusion.This loving community doesn't just exist within God's self but extends outward to us. God invites us to be part of the divine family—not based on biology, merit, or obligation—but through the freedom of love. This is the kind of love we call “chosen family.” And it's the kind of love God shows us—risky, vulnerable, self-giving—and ultimately, transformational.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn't just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus' self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn't just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus' self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn't just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus' self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn't just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus' self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn't just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not through violence but love. Jesus' self-sacrificial, other oriented love was vindicated in the resurrection and served as the way of life for early followers.
On this Easter Sunday, we reflect on the story of two disciples walking the road to Emmaus—grieving, confused, and unsure if hope has truly come. Through their journey, we discover that Jesus meets us in our unraveling, walks with us at the speed of love, and reveals himself not through quick fixes or perfect answers, but through presence, patience, and a shared meal. No matter where you find yourself today, Easter is a reminder: Jesus walks with you—and at his table, you always belong.
On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem—a moment of celebration, hope, and political tension. The crowd celebrates, expecting victory. The Pharisees fear conflict. But Jesus weeps, knowing that neither group fully understands the kind of King he is—or the kind of peace he brings. His kingdom is not won through force but through self-giving love, leading to the cross and ultimately to resurrection. As we reflect on this story, we are challenged to ask: What kind of king do we want? What kind of peace do we pursue? And are we willing to follow the way of Jesus—who invites us into the hard but holy work of shalom—the wholeness, healing, and restoration of all things?
As we continue our Lenten journey toward Easter, we turn our attention to a striking portrait of Jesus in John 13—kneeling, apron-clad, and washing the feet of his disciples. This is no ordinary act of hospitality. It's a profound disruption of social norms, a voluntary reversal of power and status, and a love-soaked redefinition of leadership and community. Jesus, fully aware of his authority and origin, chooses to serve in a way that would have shocked his contemporaries. In doing so, he not only reveals the heart of God but offers a pattern for us to live by: a love that is voluntary, communal, and embodied. This kind of love doesn't just inform our beliefs; it forms our identity.
After Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he observes the temple but does nothing—yet. The next day, he curses a fig tree that has no fruit, even though it is not the season for figs. Then, he enters the temple and overturns tables, condemning it as a "den of thieves." The following morning, the disciples find the fig tree withered, and Jesus teaches them about faith that moves mountains. These stories work together to highlight how religious systems can become fruitless, and Jesus' call to a faith that is active and transformative.
The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus, revealing his divine identity to his disciples in a dramatic way. Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, is transfigured on a mountain, shining with glory as he stands alongside Moses and Elijah. This moment marks a turning point in his journey toward the cross and challenges the disciples' expectations of who Jesus is. Like Peter, we often try to fit Jesus into our own understanding, but the Transfiguration reminds us that Jesus is not just another character in the story—he is the story. The invitation is to follow Jesus not on our terms, but on his, even when it challenges our assumptions.
Portraits of a King - Feeding of the 5,000
Stories reveal who someone truly is. If we want to know what Jesus is like, we don't just rely on facts—we look at the stories about him. This Lent, we are exploring six stories that reveal what kind of king Jesus is. Our first story, the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, shows us how he chooses to rule—not through power, performance, or control, but through trust, faithfulness, and sacrificial love.
Throughout this series, we've explored the vision of extending our table—how God calls us into unexpected places and welcomes unexpected people. As we conclude, we focus on how we're not just invited to sit at the table but to contribute to the meal. Like a potluck, God calls each of us to bring our unique gifts to share.
Hope is not passive optimism—it's an act of trust and courage. In this teaching, Heather explores what it means to cultivate hope and extend belonging, even when circumstances make it difficult. Through Jesus' teaching and example, we're invited into a bigger, more generous way of seeing and loving others.
As we journey through this series, we are exploring the vision and calling we believe God has placed on our community for 2025: Extending Our Table. This phrase is more than just an image; it is a posture, an invitation to expand our hospitality, embrace discomfort, and welcome the unexpected. In this guide, we will reflect on how Jesus models table fellowship in Luke 7 and consider what it means to extend our own tables in tangible ways.
At Missio Dei, we believe God is always calling us to something new while rooting us in His mission of renewal. This year, we sense an invitation to extend our table—to practice radical belonging, break down barriers, and witness to the hospitality of Jesus. But in a divided world, how do we gather and stay together? Join us as we explore what it means to build a community centered on Christ, not uniformity.
Our final installment in our series, Every Moment Holy explores how friendship is a holy practice that shapes us in profound ways—inviting us into renewal, connection, and love.
This week we explore how an obsession with efficiency can hinder wholeness and following the way of Jesus. While efficiency—the ability to maximize outputs with minimal inputs—can be a valuable tool, it becomes problematic when applied to every aspect of life. Instead of alleviating anxiety and creating space, an obsession with efficiency often magnifies stress and reduces life to measurable outputs. The Bible offers an alternative: patience. Biblical patience is not merely about waiting but about creating spaciousness—towards God, others, and ourselves—to cultivate trust, intimacy, and room to breathe. Holy Inefficiency invites us to resist productivity-driven habits and embrace rhythms that nurture our spiritual flourishing as God's image-bearers.
Part 3 in our series, Every Moment Holy exploring how to live the way of Jesus with technology. The first 5 minutes of this sermon (introduction) were not recorded.
In part 2 of our series, Every Moment Holy, Jordan explores the formative power of money and economics, contrasting the story of mammon—a system of exploitation and bondage—with the biblical vision of Jubilee, where debts are forgiven, communities are restored, and human flourishing takes center stage. Jesus invites us to reimagine our participation in economic systems, embracing his way of forgiveness, justice, and holistic freedom in our lives and communities.
Advent reminds us of the arrival of God in human form—Jesus—and invites us to consider what His incarnation means for our lives, our communities, and the world. In our final teaching of this series we explore how Jesus' embodied life and resurrection point to a future reality of rest and restoration where heaven and earth are united.
In our Embodied series, we explore the mystery of God taking on flesh and dwelling among us. In this teaching, we reflect on what it means to be the body of Christ—united in diversity, breaking down divisions, and embodying Jesus' presence in the world. Together, we are called to practice wholeness, belonging, and renewal, offering a tangible sign of hope and healing.
This second Sunday of Advent, we continue our series, Embodied, exploring the profound implications of God taking on flesh. The incarnation—the arrival of Jesus as a vulnerable child—reveals not only the nature of God but also the beauty and complexity of our humanity. Through three moments from Jesus' life, we see the power of presence, the process of growth, and the tension of living in human bodies. Jesus' embodiment shows us the significance of physical connection, the permission to embrace change, and the hope we hold in the midst of limitation and loss. Advent invites us to follow our "older brother" Jesus with compassion and hope, embracing our lives as deeply human and sacred.
As we begin the Advent season, we enter the story of Jesus' birth with a new sermon series, Embodied. This week, we explore the profound mystery of the incarnation: God taking on a human body. Through John 1:1-18, we see how Jesus, the divine Word, reveals who God is, what God cares about, and where God is leading us. The arrival of God in flesh reminds us that every part of creation matters and calls us to live incarnational lives, joining in God's work here and now.
There are certain characters in the Bible with bigger than life stories. People like Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, or David who became king, or Elijah who was a wild and honestly very strange prophet. These stories are captivating and inspiring, but they are also marked by seasons of mundanity, isolation, & wilderness and it's in these regular moments that God meets us, shapes us, and prepares us for the road ahead.
In In Unseen Spaces – Ezekiel, we explore Ezekiel's story as a prophet in exile, encountering God's presence in a profoundly unexpected way. Ezekiel's vision by the Kebar River, amidst personal and national dislocation, challenges his understanding of where and how God operates. This experience redefines his faith, shifting from temple-bound rituals to a boundless vision of God's presence, even in Babylon. Through beauty and imagination, Ezekiel learns to see anew, embracing the call to share a renewed vision of God's work among his people. His journey invites us to ask difficult questions, unravel our limitations of God, and embrace a faith that expands in unseen spaces.*there was a bit of technical difficulties at the beginning of the audio that cut part of the the introduction but the rest of the teaching is there*
In our series "In Unseen Spaces" series, we are exploring how God meets people in unseen, quiet places to do deep, formative work. Following Jesus' wilderness experience and Moses' time in the desert, we now look at the prophet Elijah, whose story unfolds in a tense period of Israel's history. Facing the corrupt rule of Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah tirelessly contends for justice and faithfulness. After a powerful showdown against the prophets of Baal, Elijah finds himself fleeing for his life, exhausted and despairing. Here, God meets him with tenderness, not rebuke, tending to his immediate needs and inviting him to listen. In a moment of intimacy, God whispers instead of wielding force, showing that rest and nearness can heal where power cannot. This journey teaches us that times of exhaustion and anxiety often call for rest, not action, as God uses unseen spaces to draw us close, helping us return to our lives whole and renewed.
In this teaching, we explore the often-overlooked years Moses spent in the wilderness, away from his dramatic encounters with Pharaoh and the Exodus. These forty years, filled with the quiet work of shepherding, were crucial as God transformed Moses, helping him shed Egypt's influence and learn patience. In these unseen spaces, Moses found that true faithfulness is less about dramatic moments and more about showing up in the everyday, letting God work in the quiet. Join us as we consider how God forms us in similar ways today.
In our new series "In Unseen Spaces," we explore moments where life unexpectedly slows down, leading us into hidden, quieter places—just as it did for biblical figures like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Beginning with Jesus' time in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we delve into the tests of identity, anxiety, and control he faced, revealing a deeper purpose behind these trials. These unseen spaces, though challenging, offer us the opportunity to be formed by God's love in ways that prepare us for what comes next. Join us as we discover how Jesus invites us to walk through the wilderness at the unhurried pace of love.
Guest Speaker Christie Penner Worden shares on hope, faith, and wonder from her new book The Me I was Made to Be.
Humans are created in the imago dei, which is not simply a state of being, but a vocation. Being an image-bearer is a calling to create and cultivate in ways that resemble God and benefit others. We participate in making real Jesus's kingdom when our everyday actions are inspired by a kingdom's imagination. When we create families, art, ministries, and safe workplaces that reflect Jesus and his kingdom, we are joining with God in extending the kingdom on earth.
In our current series, we've been talking about our practices as a church: gathering, welcoming, and inviting. Today, we focus on the practice of exploring – paying attention to where God is already at work around us, remaining curious and open to surprise. Paul's journey teaches us that when we slow down, embrace uncertainty, and stay curious, God can lead us to new and beautiful encounters, just like His surprising meeting with Lydia by the river. We're invited to trust, pay attention, and take risks, following God wherever He leads.
In this teaching of The Missio Dei series, we explore the ancient and essential practices of welcoming and inviting, rooted in biblical hospitality. Jesus modeled a radical hospitality that crossed boundaries, inviting the unexpected into His presence. Drawing from stories in Luke 4 and Matthew 25, we see that in welcoming others, we are not just offering kindness but encountering Christ Himself. As we reflect on what it means to create space for people who think, live, and believe differently, we are reminded that God invites us all to the table—and in doing so, we become both the welcomed and the welcomers.
In this teaching of the Missio Dei series, we explore the practice of gathering as a central act of faith. Building on last week's message from Jordan Moss, we dive into how gathering tells a story of who we are, where we come from, and what God is doing in our midst. Whether around a table or in worship, gathering allows us to celebrate, remember, and proclaim God's work. It's where we practice belonging, experience the presence of Jesus, and are shaped for mission in the world. Join us as we reflect on the deeper significance of gathering in our journey of faith.
In this series, we revisit our community's vision and identity, exploring how the presence of God shapes who we are and how we live. Drawing from the Gospel of John, Jordan discusses how our life with God begins in belovedness and intimacy, and how that foundation calls us to embody Jesus' presence in the world. As loneliness and disconnection grow, Jordan reflect's on what it means to be fully present with God and others, creating spaces of connection, renewal, and belonging. Join us as we unpack how we can be a people who mirror God's love and presence in every area of life.
In our final teaching in our "Make Good Choices" series, we dive into Paul's teachings from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, where he addresses the Corinthian church's misunderstandings about sexual ethics and freedom. We explore how Paul's ancient wisdom on the value of the body and the importance of love and responsibility in our choices can guide us in developing a healthy, God-centered sexual ethic today.
In part 3 of our series, Make Good Choices, Heather explores how a Christ-centered community can navigate differences through love, as highlighted in 1 Corinthians. Drawing on Paul's teachings, we discuss the challenges faced by the Corinthians, who, despite their spiritual knowledge, struggled with division and discord. The apostle Paul emphasizes that true spiritual maturity isn't about asserting our knowledge or freedoms but about building each other up in love. In a world full of differences, this episode invites us to make choices that reflect the inclusive and generous spirit of Jesus, fostering unity and care within our communities.
In "Make Good Choices Pt. 2 - See You in Court," we explore how the Corinthian church's approach to conflict—taking disputes to corrupt Roman courts—contradicts the gospel's call for restoration and unity. Throughout this letter, Paul challenges us to handle disagreements within the church by embodying the future kingdom of God now, choosing love and mutuality over self-interest. Paul urges us to expect more from ourselves and each other, engaging in conflict with a spirit of restoration, as we strive to live out the messy, yet beautiful reality of being a community shaped by Jesus.
In this teaching from Make Good Choices, Jonny explores the divisions that plagued the early church in Corinth and how they still resonate with us today. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 1:1, 10-18, we'll discuss how Christians often align themselves with different leaders, ideologies, or interpretations, and the impact this has on our unity. Jonny unpacks Paul's advice to the Corinthians, encouraging us to prioritize our shared purpose in Christ over our differences. Whether you're struggling with division in your own community or simply curious about how to navigate disagreements with grace, this episode offers valuable insights on how to stay united in a divided world.
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
The Bible is a wonderful, beautiful, and (if we're being honest) confusing book. It contains some of the greatest stories, moral advice, and life giving wisdom while at the very same time it can be complicated, startling, and hard to understand. What do we do with this wonderfully strange book? How do we read it? How do we engage with it in ways that lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus?
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
What does peace have to do with the gospel? Peace is central to the mission and work of Jesus. He really is The Prince of Peace and we really believe swords will be turned into plow shares, lions will lie down with lambs, and that our God died for enemies. So what is peace? What does it mean for us? And how do we become “peacemakers?”
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