Online Messages - Echo Church

This Sunday we head back to the chapters we've missed in John, when Jesus spent a long night in conversation with his disciples, after the last supper and before his arrest in the garden. When we don't know where we're going, we need a map or a guide. In John 14, Jesus will assure his followers that he is the way, truth, and life. Plus he will introduce the third member of the Trinity as their new guide—and ours as well.

We're at the final chapter of John, but not the final week of our Dwell series just yet. There are a few chapters we skipped that we'll go back and read in May. Today in John 21, we peek in on a conversation between Jesus and Peter, and it's all about second chances. Our goal is to find encouragement in Peter's story: knowing that Jesus always sees more in us than our lowest moments. He knows our potential and offers us a second chance at living into our true purpose.

It's a day to celebrate: resurrection is here! Today we get to the culmination of Jesus' life on earth: the empty tomb, the defeat of death, the start of something new. We'll walk through the wonder with the first witnesses of this miracle. And we'll give ourselves permission to be as baffled as the disciples were—because sometimes taking in the mystery of Jesus takes time. Studying John 20, we'll look at Jesus' caring interaction with each person, meeting them in the learning styles that fit them best. We'll also find reassurance that Jesus still shows up where we are today to help us grow in our own belief.

Today we arrive at the darkest part of Jesus' life on earth: the cross. Yet as we've read throughout the book of John, we know that this was, indeed, Yahweh's plan all along. Through artists and authors and the pages of history, we'll still find glimmers of light that shine in all the darkness. Today we'll be reading the end of John 18 through John 19.

We welcome one of our elders, Steve Carr, will bring our Sunday message as we view the journey of two of Jesus' followers, the decisions they made, and how it impacted the rest of their lives. We're jumping ahead to Jesus' arrest in John 18 this week to stay in step with Jesus' final week and our own Easter preparation. Don't worry: we'll return to a deep dive on Jesus' formative words in John 14-17 after Easter.

In John 13, Jesus shocks his disciples with the lowly task of washing their feet at the Passover meal, and the meaning goes deeper than we might expect. We'll also sit in Jesus' perspective for a bit, as he anticipates the hurt to come by two of his closest friends.On this fifth Sunday of the month, we welcome Echo Kids in elementary school to stay with us through our full worship service this Sunday.

It was a lot for people to grasp back then—it's still a lot now. Yet we'll try to connect some dots for ourselves so that we can see the seeds Yahweh planted long, long ago are still growing in our own lives today.

How do we grieve as people who have hope? We can learn by looking at the example of Jesus, Martha, and Mary in today's story of death and resurrection. We'll be studying John 11, the seventh and final miraculous sign that this gospel reveals from the ministry of Jesus.

This week's study from John 10 is about warm and fuzzy sheep. Yet there are layers of hidden messages within Jesus' words, offering hope to some and reproach to others.Come sit in the hopeful message of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

In today's Scripture study of John 9, we see Jesus heal a man in another wondrous sign, while the surrounding religious leaders are poised to attack everyone involved. The debate leads to a conversation about those who can truly see. We'll consider Echo's value of Commission and how we are being sent as a church to share Jesus' light. Stay til the end to hear a special challenge to encourage our missions partners.

We've been watching the tension grow between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day. Today we'll see in John 8 what pushes Jesus to give some of his harshest critique—and reflect on our own responses when conflict pushes us to action. Today we are excited to have Kendra Dunahugh, one of our Echo Church Leadership Team members, bring us our message.

John 7 is all about an annual party in Israel: a week of worship, food, flowing water, and sleeping in tents. Jesus arrives incognito but later makes a splash. He'll transform a festival that remembers the past and, instead, he'll point people toward their future. Join us to find out why no one can agree on what to think of him. And come away with a challenge to plan your own remembrance and offering of gratitude this season.

When we see a spectacle—like the big game that's on tonight in America—we are fully aware that, in one way or another, it's all trying to sell us something. Today in John 6, we'll see a spectacle, a miracle, that Jesus is involved with. Actually, two. What's the message he was sending? Can we trust Jesus not to sell us something?We'll examine where we are on the spectrum of faith and also consider how we grapple with even the most unbelievable aspects of God.

If you're a video game fan, do you mainly focus on the endgame, or do you immerse yourself in side quests?Today we'll be reading John 5, considering two conversations Jesus had with folks who played the game of life from two different perspectives. Jesus demonstrated that he cares about us holistically—bodies, minds, and souls—both in the present, as well as eternally.

Have you ever truly loathed a person? In Jesus' day, some people in his community were known for absolutely loathing other groups. How did Jesus respond? He shocked people by having one-on-one conversations with those who were loathed.Jesus' example in John 4 offers us five things we can do to make sure we offer a loving rather than loathing reputation as we represent Yahweh in our own communities.

What questions about faith keep you up at night? Join us in John 3 today as a prominent religious leader seeks out Jesus with questions. The conversation leads Nicodemus to reevaluate the things he thought he knew about God.

Jesus intentionally dropped clues, spoke in symbolism, and cloaked his words in a bit of mystery that took a while for people to figure out. This challenge drew people in and remains engaging today—helping us to make our faith our own.Join us in John 2 today, as we head with Jesus into two celebrations and figure out what he intended with his wild words and actions.

Do you choose a word of the year? Today we begin the first Sunday of this new year with a word. Actually, with THE Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” —John 1:1Everyone has an opinion about God. What's real? God once dwelled on earth as Jesus. So let's dwell in Jesus' life story for a while and find out his purpose, his truth, his love. Let's let him show us who Yahweh truly is.Join us on our Scripture study of the book of John.

We've arrived at the final week in our study of Hebrews. Thank you for joining us throughout this season.Hebrews closes with a list of wisdom for the first century followers of Jesus—and great reminders for us still today. Along the way we'll recap some repeating messages we've heard throughout the entire letter.

How do we reconcile the reverence & relationship inherent in Yahweh's holiness? Join us for our penultimate week in Hebrews. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today we'll be in Hebrews 12, famous for its running metaphor. We'll find the importance of where we focus our minds + who we have cheering us on in this race of life. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

In Hebrews 11 we find the interconnectedness of faith and hope. In our study we'll reflect on the faith of those who came before us and be challenged to create hope for those who will come after us.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today we're going to delve into some dark verses at the end of Hebrews 10.Yet like the eclipse we experienced last Monday, the darkness is only temporary, and there are things to learn and give us perspective while we're there.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today is a message that repeats again and again in Hebrews: we're already whole, and we're being made holy.We zero in on Hebrews 10:14: Jesus sacrificed once for all to make us perfect, complete whole. And we're all invited—anyone and everyone—to continually renew our lives to look more and more like Jesus every day.We're already whole, and we're being made holy.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

We believe resurrection happens, and here's a secret: it didn't just happen on a Sunday morning in an empty tomb in two thousand years ago. Resurrection happens every time we allow Jesus to show up through us to pull someone out of the darkness and back into life.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today is a tale of two goats. Reading the second half of Hebrews 9 will take us on an exploration of the Day of Atonement and how it connects to Good Friday.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

After centuries of separation, Jesus ushered in a new era of connection between Yahweh and all people. Come join our conversation about Hebrews 9 and step into his holy presence.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

What does it mean to be in a committed relationship with the Lord of the universe? We'll look at the idea of Jesus bringing a new covenant from Hebrews 8.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

We'll look at the second half of Hebrews 7 today, having us consider: what is Jesus up to? What is he doing in heaven, right now, every day? The key is found in verse 25: Jesus always lives to intercede. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

From a mysterious king and priest, we glimpse Jesus—and see that part of our worship is taking care of one another.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

What can we learn from swords, milk, conditional logic, and native vs. invasive plants? Join us to find out. This Sunday's passages from Hebrews are filled with object lessons. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

It's good for our hearts to be reminded that caring, empathetic leaders do exist. That's a message that's ancient as well as modern. Today we'll read in Hebrews about Jesus as an empathetic, humble high priest. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today let's talk about something we all crave—rest. We'll be in Hebrews 4, looking at the meaning of Sabbath. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

As we read Hebrews 3, we receive the same challenge as the first century believers—not to let our hearts harden because of oppression in this world but live in opposition to it, with Jesus' hope. (Sneak peek: this takes community & consistency.)Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

In Chapter 2 of Hebrews we consider a conversation about expectations vs. reality when it comes to the way God moved and spoke through Jesus. We'll be reminded to pay attention in our own lives for the Spirit's messages in the simple, the ordinary, the everyday.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today we begin our study in the New Testament book of Hebrews—our quest into ancient history to unearth the truth about Jesus and establish trust in his unshakeable kingdom.We dig into the background and the mysteries of this letter and read Chapter 1, where Jesus is elevated above all messengers who came before him. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Through the life and art of Van Gogh, we take a fresh look at how we see people. Today our message is brought by Steve Carr, an elder at Echo.Sermon by: Steve CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

We'll look at our calling to be peacemakers as Jesus' followers. On this last day of 2023, we'll pray about what we need to let go of to be ready to bring Yahweh's peace into 2024.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

We'll look at Jesus' origin story through the lens of a stressful betrothal: Mary + Joseph. And we'll consider the relationships that bind us together and some that strain our peace. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Come sit in the sandals of the shepherds for a bit and have a conversation about fears and anxious thoughts—and how Jesus shows up to meet us in our darkness.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

This week we'll search for some Peace of Mind. On that theme, we'll stand with the Magi and stare up at the stars, considering the both/and thoughts of wariness and hope, suspicion and trust that we might experience during this season. Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

We could all use some peace. More of it. Always. As we kick off the Christmas season, we'll look at the true peace Jesus came to earth to bring. How are we sharing Jesus' peace? Let's take time to be still in the peaceful presence of Jesus' Holy Spirit, resting assured that our eternal peace is held in his hands—and after that stillness, let's go out and live intentionally, trusting that Jesus will remain with us, day by day, giving us his strength to live out his peace with others.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Come break bread with us as Gary Benton digs into an ancient festival of thanks, an unexpected move of the Spirit, and what impact it all has on our faith today.Sermon by: Gary BentonConnect with us: echochurch.org

We come to the end of the letter of Galatians, and Paul urges each person to look at their impact on the whole church. He invited the church then—and we're invited as the church now—to share each other's burdens as we live out the fruit of the Spirit.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Deconstruction: sometimes we need to tear things down to see what pieces are worth holding onto. It's a modern term but an ancient concept. As we look at an illustration in Galatians 4 today, let's ask: what are we rebuilding?Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today in our study of Galatians, we take a fresh look on a delicious passage: the fruit of the Spirit.Special note: Echo Kids are joining us for a family service this morning.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Words matter. They are tools to communicate. Yet even though words have serious purposes, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun and add some style to our communication. Today in Galatians, we find some play on words as Paul communicates to his friends. It has us thinking—do we allow others to speak into our lives?Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Today in our study of the letter of Galatians, our identity as followers of Jesus is revealed: we're all the adopted children of God. And that makes us family. We also celebrate as a church family—Echo turns 18 this week.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

In week 3 in our study of the letter of Galatians, we will find a challenge to consider: are we working so hard in an effort to earn something in our relationship with God? or are we trusting the work of Jesus and flourishing with him?Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

This week in our study of Galatians, we consider the table—how sharing a meal with someone sends a message and why Paul confronted Peter over his choice of dinner companions.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org

Everyone has a past: things we did, things we believed, things we survived. But Jesus offers everyone a future. Freed from trying to earn our way forward, Jesus redeems our stories and makes us all one in his name. Through his Spirit in our lives, we find new ways to bear fruit and care for one another. The church in Galatia needed a reminder of this powerful good news. We need it today too. Week 1: we'll discover what can happen when one person vulnerably shares a piece of their own story to help others.Sermon by: Kelly CarrConnect with us: echochurch.org