The River Church Sermons

Have you ever heard a term used at church or come across a word in the Bible and thought “Huh?” Or maybe a concept is brought up and you've thought “I think I know what that means but... do I really?” The story of Scripture and the ideas it leads us to live in are a beautiful true map through which we navigate life, but it often involves words or concepts that can be unfamiliar or unclear even to people who have been walking with Jesus for years. This summer, we'll take a closer look at some of the most foundational and often misunderstood of these ideas, gaining a clearer shared understanding and filling out our map with Word to Live By.

The End is Near. Don't Procrastinate. Oh great, here we go again. Another message that begins with vanity of vanities, all is vanity. A generation goes, a generation comes. There's nothing new under the sun. You might think your thing is new, your thing is the ultimate. I have found it. You have figured it all out. Then the seasons come, and with the changing seasons come harsher and harsher weather says the preachers in the book of Ecclesiastes. In the last chapter, chapter 12, he's talking about old age. The weather just keeps getting worse as you get older. If you are at that age where you occasionally might wet your pants, you get the part about the clouds return after the rain. It's all a metaphor for all the hardships one endures as one ages. The end is harsh. The preacher says these are evil days that bring no pleasure. So what's his advice as we wrap up this wisdom literature? What do we do with a life that in all estimation is a crap shoot as to what you will get. Maybe it goes well for you for a while. Maybe not. Life hands out lottery tickets and the winner lost the winning ticket between the car seats a week ago. The number grows. Maybe next week. Maybe not. So, final words of wisdom, Mr. Preacher Man? Solomon would say one thing. Remember the Lord in the days of your youth. Oh, and fear God and keep His commandments, this is the whole duty of humankind. That's it? Remember God when you have all your faculties and fear the Lord? That's the best you can do after ranting about the futility of life for 11 chapters? I can hardly wait for the answer.

John D. Rockefeller was one of the richest men in the world. At the age of 53, Rockefeller was the world's only billionaire, earning about a million dollars a week. But when someone asked him how much money was enough, he famously said, “Just a little bit more.” I've invited a special guest (my husband!) to join me in sharing some thoughts and insight about contentment, greed, and generosity... and our personal stories of getting it right and wrong. What would it look and feel like to live here in the beautiful South Bay while pursuing this biblical perspective with all we've got?!

Avoiding pain and maximizing pleasure. This is perhaps one of the most enduring human instincts and life-shaping habits in history. How much space does personal enjoyment take up in our life plans? If you live in the same South Bay that I am blessed to call home, this is a very important question. We love a good beach day, party, or vacation! We love fun food, delicious drinks, excitement, and entertainment. We work hard and we play hard. Another, perhaps more important question is a theological one: how does our personal enjoyment and play fit into God's design? Is God indifferent on the matter? Is He helping us get the party started? Or, like so many movies have suggested over the years, is God largely forbidding of fun and pleasure, like the curmudgeonly reverend in Footloose or the withholding mayor in Chocolat? Let's crack open the scroll of Ecclesiastes and consider an inspired and inspiring ancient poem on the matter!

If you are prone to cynicism, like I am (occasionally), our journey through Solomon's Ecclesiastes could drag you down rabbit holes of hopelessness. But what we have in this very ancient book of wisdom are the hard-learned lessons from a sage, who was the wisest and maybe the wealthiest man in his time. He could and did get anything his heart desired. At the end, it all came up empty, meaningless, a chasing after elusive wind. But in between his brutal honesty are golden insights—which can guide us into the good life, where we can “eat and drink and find satisfaction in [our] own work” (Ecclesiastes 2.24). Let's talk about our work.

Join us to celebrate... Mothers! New mothers. Grand mothers. Young mothers. Old mothers. Single mothers. Future mothers. Spiritual mothers. Joyful mothers. Expectant mothers. Disappointed mothers. Step mothers. Foster mothers. Playful mothers. Working mothers. Stay-at-home mothers. Bonus mothers. Bereaved mothers. Adoptive mothers. Tired mothers. Prayerful mothers. Waiting mothers. Grieving mothers. Hopeful mothers. Faithful mothers. In all seasons of motherhood, God is and will be faithful. Let's celebrate that together.

On the one hand, we are living in something of a golden age of wisdom. We have more access to better information for things like longevity, mental health, financial planning, relationships, and nutrition than ever before. On the other hand, we are also living in the most anxious period of history on record--more Americans report feeling anxious about their lives than ever before. We're living in a super bloom of information, but a drought of inner peace. Which brings us to the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes guides us to address this tension not by abandoning wisdom, but by planting the pursuit of wisdom in the right story. Join us as we learn from Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 to chart a better path forward for the pursuit of wisdom in the South Bay.

King Solomon wrote this book for three reasons. One, it's an auto biographical account of his search for life's purpose. Second, it was a stern warning to his fellow Israelites to find a meaning to this short life. Third, it was an apologetic for travelers seeking Israel's hidden truth about a belief in one God who alone makes sense in our existence. Where are you at? Personally Searching, need a strong correction, or just passing through hoping to learn the truth of the wise one who knows God? This week, when all you've ever wanted isn't enough, do you know why it's not? As Bart Starr, the great football quarterback once said after his super-bowl, “If this is the game of all games, why is there another one next year?” It's often not until we come face to face with our own mortality that we see the vanity of life and what its real purpose is.

We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by encountering it from the perspective of those women who first discovered the empty tomb. Through their eyes, let's recapture the majesty, meaning, and great surprise of that world-changing first Easter.

In the maelstrom of our historical moment, we crave respite. Nations and neighborhoods seek refreshment. As a species, we seem socially, psychologically, and spiritually parched. Where do we go and to whom do we turn? We can look around for an agency, politician, or novel movement to bring stability and shelter, or we can look back to the time-proven wisdom of Jesus of Nazareth, the greatest teacher and only true protector. Let's huddle around the scroll of Matthew and nourish our hearts, minds, and relationships with the life-giving words and community healing person of Jesus.

Sometimes the Scriptures are confusing. There are a lot of laws and rules, stories and promises. Can someone just simplify it for us? In Jesus' day, Rabbis were often asked to summarize the teachings of the Scriptures. One prominent Rabbi, Hillel, had a student come up to him and ask him if he could summarize the Torah while he stood on one foot. What I like to call the flamingo question. Hillel responded, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary.” The Rabbi Jesus some years later also offered a summation of the Law and the Prophets; the summation we now know as the Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” This pithy phrase helps us live life in the Kingdom of God, loving God and loving others.

We are thrilled to welcome Stefan and Suzanne Von Ruti, two of our amazing mission partners. They will share their insights into what God is doing in the Western Church, especially concerning Unstoppable Faith, and its implications for us! We deeply appreciate having such an extraordinary voice from beyond our community to guide us in discerning the Spirit's direction. Fully Committed to God's Mission - Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). - God's command is always "Go!" (Matthew 28:18-20). From Comfort to Commission - Paul faced hardships but stayed committed (Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). - Challenges shouldn't make us lose sight of the vision (Philippians 4:6-7). Reclaiming the Dream – Where Is Your Spain? - Paul longed to go to Spain (Romans 15:23-28). - Too many Christians settle for less. - America has a pioneering spirit – are you still hungry for revival? Challenge: What big dream is God calling you to? Where is your Spain?

What are the things this week that have kept you up at night or woken you up in the morning? Do you worry about health, a relationship(s), your finances, job, safety, or kids as you go about your day? Sometimes I think there is nothing the Bible could possibly say to lessen those worries, but I have been praying that the words Jesus has for you and for me would have a real impact on our hearts and minds. Could they? What if they did...

Jesus says to pick the right treasure and pursue it with everything you got. It's in Matthew 6:19-24. So, the basic idea is whatever you choose to live for kind of sets the course of your life and determines which master you will serve. Honestly, there isn't much of a choice. One rots, rusts, and is stolen from you, the other rocks. You can think about it, but not sure why. Here's the problem. We get caught up in the weeds and hear a little voice in our head telling us to chose the wrong one and we get ourselves into a world of trouble. Now, understand, we are all in process. No one has it all figured out, so we all learning to live for the right treasure and take our prompts from the right master. So how do we do it?

In a place like the South Bay, it's not difficult for us to see the ugliness of self-righteous religion. And though it may come as a surprise to some, Jesus actually beat us to the punch by about 2,000 years in his critique of self-righteous and self-serving religious practice. Yet Jesus' critique goes deeper, showing us that unless we really understand the problem of self-righteousness and intentionally replace it with something categorically different, we will be in danger of doing the very thing that we rightly find so ugly. So what is the alternative on offer in life with Jesus? And how does it actually play out in day-to-day South Bay life? Join us as we continue our Sermon On The Mount series with a teaching from Matthew 6:1-18, learning together to follow Jesus in losing our (self-righteous) religion.

Murder, adultery, divorce, fraudulence, vengeance, and hatred. Talk about cultural issues of our day. Someone once said, if we simply ALL obeyed one of God's commandments, just one, we'd be a heavenly society. Think about that. No murder. Or no divorce or adultery. Wow! What a society that would be. Well, that has come and gone. We need another solution, and Jesus has it. It's His antidote for all of these poisonous pollutants in our society. Tucked away in this very cryptic text is the answer to the world's problems. No matter your political preference, or your past, Jesus has a way forward for a better more civil world. Don't we all want that?

It's all about Jesus. Plain and simple. It always has been and it always will be. All of life is about him. All of history is about him. All of the Scriptures are about him. And how we live our lives should be all about him. As we continue our journey into the Sermon on the Mount, the great Preacher on the Mount will show how his fulfillment of the Scriptures leads to a new righteousness he will develop in us. I cannot wait to be in this text together!

Imagine walking into a room that feels dull, lifeless, and dark. Now imagine flipping on a light switch, and in an instant the mood changes, the darkness is gone. Like turning on the lights, Jesus says we have the power to bring life, hope, and change wherever we go. Do you know people like this? Would you consider yourself one of them? Let's talk about how our influence can shape the world—and why Jesus believes you're more powerful than you think!

When someone hashtags #blessed on social media, what kind of photos usually accompany this label? A great vacation? A perfect family photo? An expensive new purchase? Jesus has a few things to say about those who are #blessed according to His paradigm and it's quite a bit different than ours. If you are someone who is longing for, praying for, awaiting God's blessing in your life, this one's for you.

The Sermon on the Mount is said to be the most well known and least observed. Jesus had been proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. Then at the right time, he sat his disciples down with hundreds of onlookers gathered and spoke of a new world dawning. Enter in and your life will begin a transformational process that only God himself can do. It speaks of the humble, the poor, those persecuted for the right reason, loving enemies, remaining faithful in marriages, doing to others what you would want others to do to you, of prayer, giving and fasting as signs of a vibrant relationship with God. Imagine a world where heaven meets the world. Welcome to the Sermon on the Mount. Settle in with us for a study that will change your perspective and life.

This week we will explore some of the most profound words of Jesus. The words he spoke to his disciples when he met them in the hidden room. The words that gave his disciples new life and sparked the life of the church. What are his words I am speaking of? "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." These words commissioned his disciples into a new life and a new way of living. Let's dive into this together. We are excited for our missions fair this week - all of our ministry partners are joining us! We are excited for our church to take the next step in living missionally, being sent by Jesus.

Whether we realize it or not (and mostly, we don't) each of us live our lives in an environment that forms us. We live as part of a culture and subcultures. We have relationships. We have habits. We consume information and entertainment. As we think about how to see God produce His kind of life in us by His grace through His Spirit, what kind of environment is best suited for the fruit of His Spirit? How do we cultivate that kind of environment in our actual lives? Join us as we finish up our mini-series, Transformed, with a look at Galatians 5:16-24 and learn to walk in the transforming presence and power of the Holy Spirit not only through an attitude of surrender, but also through cultivating a Spirit-friendly environment in our real, actual lives.

We're starting off the New Year asking an essential question: when it comes to following Jesus, what actually produces true, heart-level transformation? And, as we learned last week from 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, the burning core to the answer of this question is straightforward--we're transformed in and through the presence of God in the Holy Spirit. Yet, if you're like me, this raises even more questions. Namely, how do I actually come to experience more of the Spirit's presence and power in my life? Join us as we look at Romans 12:1-2 and learn together what it practically looks to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Even for those of us who don't make resolutions, each of us come into the New Year with aspirations for what we hope will come in 2025. And our social media feeds and favorite thought leaders are ready with helpful content for implementing new habits and accomplishing goals. But when it comes to following Jesus, what actually produces true, heart-level transformation? How does the life of Jesus get into our life? How do we become who God made us to be? Join us as we start 2025 with a three week mini-series building a biblical framework for transformation as disciples of Jesus, starting with a teaching from 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 on being transformed in God's presence.

Luke 2:11 says it all. Essentially God came near. In the city of David, the Savior of the world is born, Christ the Lord. A person. A particular individual, God in human form has come near to us. We could never find God, as hard as we look, without Jesus. You could spend your whole life searching for God and never find Him, unless you look in the manger.

More than any other holiday or season, Christmas is filled with singing! What other has its own genre of music where top artists put out the same 10 Christmas songs?! Christmas should be filled with singing! For there is no better way to respond to the Christmas narrative than to sing songs of joy and wonder! This is what Luke records for us in his Gospel account. In Luke's nativity narrative, key characters burst out in songs of praise and adoration - Mary, Zechariah, the Angels, and Simeon. Just as they should when they are responding to and comprehending the Christmas miracle! After focusing on the first three characters this Advent season, it is time to turn to the last song - Simeon's song of praise when he held the 6 week old Jesus in his arms. Let's tune our ears to Simeon's song in order to move our hearts into the miracle of Christmas. For this miracle will provide joy to the world!

In Luke 2:1-20, the heavens become visible, angels, powerful heavenly beings appear to reveal the exact first time of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A heavenly message for an earthly realm. People say the gospel is a human fairly tale. Yeah sure. Watch manly shepherds, common to most dangerous terrain surrounding Jerusalem. These men were used to dangers we know nothing about. Armed with a staff, they protected the vulnerable. This is a man's world upon which the message of “peace on earth” will reign. It's easy to make war. Peace takes other worldly power. Men of peace have seen the heavens open and monstrous beings ascend and descend. Beasts more powerful than anything we could ever imagine. I love when people say the Christmas story is a wimpy message for weak people who need a prop. They will be peeing in their pants when Jesus returns with a heavenly army. For all you wimps who believe in a fairly tale, you've seen a touch of the heavenly realm and are among the mighty. Do not be ashamed. Do not be frightened. You have been given a future of the eternal future.

It was C.S. Lewis who famously said, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” Lewis' observation raises some important questions: What kind of desires were we made for? What is the sweet spot of life for our time and place? These are exactly the kinds of questions raised in the text for our next teaching in our Advent series. Join us as we together learn from Luke 1:67-80.

Confession: I have been listening to Christmas music since late July. Additional confession: I've actually been listening to Christmas music since March. As it turns out, the Scriptures have me beat by more than two millennia! Join us as we begin our advent season with a teaching series entitled, “Advent - Christmas Canticles and Carols.” As a church, we are going to devote the next four weeks to listening to, learning from, and celebrating with the most ancient inspired Christmas songs! Let's ponder and praise along with Mary's “Magnificat.”

Can I just say... last weekend was POWERFUL! To get to know, to share, and to pray with each other was meaningful, encouraging, and holy. This week we'll continue talking about how this love of God in us overflows from the church to our neighborhoods, the South Bay, and beyond. It's another weekend you won't want to miss!

Graham Vermooten has been in missions for over 40 years. He speaks at conferences and travels consulting non profit mission start ups, to level up and become sustainable where possible. He has inspiring stories and will share from a passage out of the gospels that reveals to us what it takes to walk on water. Peter wanted to be like Jesus. Little did he know it would require him to take the next step. This story is so famous it is repeated by three of the four gospel writers. (Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:16-21)

We are all being formed into something. Spiritual formation is not a choice, it is a reality. We are all becoming someone through the sources we expose ourselves to, the people we are around, and the goals we direct our lives towards. So, if we are all being formed, the question then becomes who we are formed into? Executive coaches and psychologists have helpfully noted that we become the summation of the 5 people closest to us. The five people in our inner circle, who we surround ourselves with day in and day out, affect our behaviors and character, or goals and dreams - it shapes who we are. This all changes when Jesus enters the scene. It surely changed for the disciples when they started following Jesus. They were becoming more like him the more time they spent with him. And so too with us. When we are with Jesus, the more we become like him. The more we become what Jesus was defined by - LOVE.

A recent New York Times piece detailed the goals and game plan of one young professional pursuing self improvement. It was the sort of immaculately strategized daily schedule that would make the most goal oriented among us giddy with excitement, the sort of thing one would assume to produce dazzling results. Except, the culminating line of a detailed list of personal goals, strategic planning, and productivity hacks reads like this: "So far, she admitted, “none of this has stuck.”" This experience--one that many of us can relate to through the lens of religious burn out, anxious striving, and moralistic pressure--begs an important question for life following Jesus: How can we actually become like Jesus? Join us as we look at Matthew 11:25-30, continuing our look at the call to discipleship by seeing how the invitation to life with Jesus is simultaneously the path to becoming like him.

We will look at one of the most famous passages of gospel Scripture ever spoken by Jesus to his disciples. "Abide in me. Apart from me you can do nothing". John 15. Read it. It's good. Now you might be asking, why are we still talking about being with Jesus? Haven't we beaten this with a stick? Can't we please move on to becoming like Jesus, or doing as Jesus did? Let's get practical. Let's get after it. There's so much we need to be doing and so much we need to learn from the Bible. Yes, that's true if you are just a brain on a stick, filling your head with more truth. Do you know you die of over drinking water? Over hydration? Well I suggest this: How about getting priority one clear first? How about doing what Jesus said? Abide in me for apart from me, no matter how many verse by verse bible sermons you hear, how many books you read, you will do nothing. Oh, and Jesus said, you won't bear any fruit. That's a dismal outcome. No fruit. A fruitless Christian life. But hey, you're smart and very wise and have heard a lot of good sermons. Sorry for being so crass. The point is this: to abide is everything. How to stay connected to Jesus is the whole thing. Fruitfulness comes from this abiding. I once read a book because of its title. It was something like, “It is impossible to live the Christian life.” Or at least that was the point. You can't live the Christian life. I was intrigued by that statement. Are you not having a very fruitful Christian life experience? Are you finding the Christian life impossible to live? Let's find how to change that. It's about following Jesus as a way of life. It starts with getting abiding right.

Greetings River Church, my brothers and sisters! On Monday I turn 70. This number is daunting to me; I'm certain that the whole Y2K computer challenge mysteriously added 10 years to my life. But a number of years ago, Cynthia and I decided that 70 would be an appropriate date to “retire.” Can a pastor every really retire? We can change our position, but we don't give up our calling. I am called to be a pastor for the rest of my life. But now is a necessary time for transition. I have been honored to be one of your pastors, and to partner with Todd and Denise and our whole team these last 10 years. But, it is time to pass on my part of the leadership of our church to a younger generation. The future is bright for the River; her best days are likely ahead, and we have so many gifted young leaders here! I am going to attempt to share with you three big macro changes that Jesus is gently, but relentlessly, bringing about in my discipleship and pastoral calling. These have also turned into passions I have for the church, for our church. They will be framed as correctives to mostly unintentional swings in the broader evangelical church, but also in the specific ways we as individuals follow the way of Jesus. My hopeful prayer is that this will bring you encouragement and prompt questions and excitement about the future.

Our community of curious and committed, and maybe even confused, people of faith are in the midst of a Fall exploration of the trails and tributaries Jesus leads us on as we choose to follow him. On a personal note, I am speaking the next two Sunday's as I turn 70 and make a big transition from full-time pastoral ministry into a part-time role at The River. I intend to attempt to bring attention to two parts of my own discipleship: the cost of following Jesus and how that cost has shaped my pastoral ministry over the last five decades. I am going to tell a story about a trip when I was 27 years old, leading a public-school mountaineering class near Big Sur, and had a tragic accident. Every day since, this experience has shaped my understanding of what it means to pay a price for choosing to follow Jesus, including as a pastor in the local church. I share my story with the hopes that you will discover that even though following Jesus does not exempt us from pain, it does bring hope that Jesus is right with us in the midst of this journey. Every step of the way.

This is the sermon for the overworked business person, the exhausted parent, the anxious student, the frustrated, discouraged, and hopeless. Have you ever felt stuck in your spiritual growth? Or how about in life in general? Life is busy. All my time and money and energy is accounted for. I want to grow and I want to love God and make changes but where do I even begin? I can't add one. more. thing. If you've felt or thought this before, this Sunday is for you.

When it comes to the Jesus-following life, there are centuries of opinions, ideas, rumors, party lines, and long-held assumptions about what it looks like to apprentice Jesus of Nazareth. I want to preach a sermon I've entitled “Following Jesus: Two Truths and a Lie.” Join us as we ask those ancients who knew him best for their help in sorting out fact from fiction!

Vision Sunday. When the people have no vision they perish. I doubt they actually perish. But it most certainly leads to mass confusion as to the direction to go. We plan to present to you a well thought through path to take forward from here, meaning you, and us together as attenders of the River church. I have been leading this church now for over 17 years. We've had great vision. We've seen God change hearts, heal, comfort, reach, and exhort people to action. If I were to take a step back and take a good look at our fantastic community, it's filled with amazing memories of life altering moments. Kids, families, new comers, neighbors, and people around the world have been impacted by our willingness to be used by our Lord, Jesus. Well done church community, friends. Well done. Now onward. An exciting future of following Jesus and becoming like Him awaits us if we decide together to give it all we got. Not lean back and coast but charge forward. Jesus in John 1:35-50 meets young people seeking God. They were hungry for real answers, truth that changes lives, for something more than the status quo. Jesus invited them to follow Him. They didn't know, couldn't have known where that might lead, but it was a good choice. The best decision of their lives. Let's listen in and learn and do the same for the rest of our years on this earth. It worked then.

Join us for part two as we continue our discussion on Matthew 4. Believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world should not be any different than coming to the conclusion that Jesus is your Savior. And, can I add, making a firm commitment to follow this Savior Jesus throughout the rest of this life and into the next. In other words, believing it is the same as living it. When Jesus walked along that shore in Galilee and saw those young men fishing with their fathers and called them to come and follow him, he was essentially saying, “You believe I'm the messiah, the Savior of the world don't you? Then let's go!” These young men didn't ask where, how, or why. The when was now. The rest would be answered in time. If you claim to know Jesus as your Savior, then the when is now. I will continue to explain what that looks like.

Believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world should not be any different than coming to the conclusion that Jesus is your Savior. And, can I add, making a firm commitment to follow this Savior, Jesus throughout the rest of this life and into the next. In other words, believing it is the same as living it. When Jesus walked along that shore in Galilee and saw those young men fishing with their fathers and called them to come and follow him, he was essentially saying, “You believe I'm the Messiah, the Savior of the world don't you? Then let's go!” These young men didn't ask where, how, or why. The when was now. The rest would be answered in time. If you claim to know Jesus as your Savior, then the when is now. I plan to explain what that looks like.

We live in the loneliest time and place on record--that was the conclusion of a study conducted a few years ago. The percentage of Americans who report feelings of loneliness is the highest on record and the number of those who report zero close personal confidants has tripled since the 1980s. Even many of those of us who are relationally connected live busier and more spread out lives than ever before. As we near the end of our series learning to see the big story of Scripture, this all begs a question: What does the redemptive story of Jesus have to do with the relational climate of a place like the South Bay in 2024? Join us as we continue our series, You Are Here, by learning from Ephesians 4:1-16 at how the finished work of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit produce not just saved individuals, but a saved people who are becoming what we have been called to be together.

Did you know that God did not send His son to live and die and be raised from the dead just so that we could believe and go to heaven one day? You read that right. God did not create us just to be with Him in the future. He created us and made a way for us to be with him now and forever. What does it mean to be in a relationship with God? What does it look like to live by His power? What does it feel like to allow Him to lead and guide us and our lives? This week we're going to explore the gift and observe the power of the Holy Spirit!

If our summer adventure through the story of the scriptures was an 80's or 90's sports movie (think Rocky, Hoosiers, or the cinematic masterpiece that is The Mighty Ducks 2)—we have finally reached the tipping point in the plot wherein the musical score changes from discouragement to hope. It's that part where the protagonists courageously get to their feet with a look of resolve shining in their eyes and, finally, start to visibly win the contest. Gosh I love those scenes! In the last two weeks of our “summer blockbuster,” You Are Here, we have witnessed Messiah Jesus do battle with the seemingly insurmountable opponent that is death and corruption. He courageously and compassionately enters into the human predicament, lives a remarkable life of caring for the afflicted, proclaiming and exemplifying God's goodness, and dies as a substitutionary sacrifice for all of our benefit. This episode takes us to the empty tomb of Messiah Jesus and invites us to consider the radical hope that bursts forth from that vacant space—not just hope that things might get a little bit better, but the audacious hope that somehow, in Jesus, God is making all things new. Let's stand up and cheer our way through this glorious scene!

Draw near to God! Draw Near! We have confidence to enter into the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus, through his role as our High Priest. Confidence to enter the Holy of Holies, to enter the most sacred space, to enter into the source of all life, to enter into the presence of The Holy Other, to enter into the presence of Love Itself, to enter into participation within the very life of the Triune God! In writing this, my heart cannot leap and proclaim: Glory! Glory! Glory! DRAW NEAR! Because of Jesus we can draw near. Why would you not? Let's explore the life of Jesus as the atoning sacrifice - the means by which all things are restored, and the means by which we can draw near to God in the full assurance that faith brings.

"I can't believe I did this again." Has that thought ever run through your mind? That thing you swore you'd never do or say again, that thing you thought you had grown past, has reared its ugly head again. The Old Testament comes to a close with a glaring tension: God has promised redemption for humankind, but the same heartsickness of sin that has infected all of humankind is just as much at work in the children of Israel, the people to whom God had revealed himself, given His promises and commandments and sworn to use in His plan of salvation. If even God's people continue to mistrust God, what hope can there be? It's against this backdrop that the New Testament introduces us to Jesus of Nazareth, the one who has suffered as we have suffered and been tempted as we have been tempted, yet who has succeeded where we have failed. Join us as we learn what this means and why this matters for our lives today as we continue our deep dive into the big story of Scripture by looking at Luke 4:1-13 and seeing Jesus, the Truly Human One.

I've been pondering two words that keep coming up in my conversations and reading: Contingency and Agency. They are two words that we can hold in tension for a healthy, thriving life. When out of balance, they can lead to hardship, even tragedy. Contingency partially means that our life is dependent on certain circumstances and behavior, and ultimately on God. We are not in complete control of our lives, but there are some universal laws, that if followed, will more likely lead to thriving. Agency is often used to describe our ability to control our capacity to influence our life choices and direction. We as humans, are both contingent and have agency. This tension is central to the story of Israel as a people of Image-Bearers who represent God for the good of the world. The same is true for you and for me. Let's consider what we are calling “Exile and Return.” Israel repeatedly chose stubborn agency over humble contingency. There were consequences, but not without hope. Our hope ultimately finds it home in Jesus.

How many of you have started "the Bible in a year," read through Genesis and Exodus, and have gotten lost somewhere in Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy? If that's you: Hi, me too. Also... you're in for a treat because the next part of the story is one of the most action-packed, jaw-dropping, wild-ride adventures in Scripture and many of us have never read all of it. Join us as we trace the rise and fall of 40 kings who run Israel into the ground, a handful of prophets who are sent to turn things around, and a faithful God who loves His people too much to let them go.

Who do you have for the November fight: Mike Tyson or Jake Paul? Paul, a young gun who specializes in hubris, vs. Tyson, a tried and true fighter. It will be an epic showdown that will be one of the most watched fights in history. Thanks Netflix! It will be fun to watch! This week we are going to watch an even greater showdown - one of the greatest fights in history: The LORD vs. Pharaoh. The LORD, who is seeking to rescue his people from injustice, vs. Pharaoh, the oppressor. This fight, and The LORD's victory becomes one of the primary identity markers for the people of Israel, and an essential part in the Biblical story. Join us to hear how the Exodus fits into the large unified narrative that all leads to Jesus.

Our voyage as a church through the big, beautiful biblical story has thus far been like every long road trip I've ever been on: the very first part is a thrill! You cross the city limits, begin to feel like you're on vacation, out of the same-old, same-old, and your eyes look to the horizon with optimism and energy as you consider the grand journey you are undertaking. Then, after a couple hours, your initial enthusiasm is slowly and inevitably smothered by Barstow. Your trek's terrain moves from promising and dynamic to monotonous and monochromatic. You begin to wonder if you should have just flown instead. For many of us following the “You are Here” series, episodes of Creation, Fall, Promise, and Exodus are the interesting scenic spots early in the trip. Biblical Law—our destination for this week—on the other hand, can easily fall into that “Barstow” category: “thou shall, thou shall not”; technical iron-age instructions on everything from oxen and food purity to hygiene and scheduling. What do we do with these long scrolls besides speed through or skip right over them? This Sunday, we are going to discover that what at first appears to be a long, strange stretch of ritual literature was absolutely treasured by our ancient ancestors in the faith for a reason. Let's explore the power and purpose of torah in the larger story and in the story of our lives as followers of Jesus! -James

Who do you have for the November fight: Mike Tyson or Jake Paul? Paul, a young gun who specializes in hubris, vs. Tyson, a tried and true fighter. It will be an epic showdown that will be one of the most watched fights in history. Thanks Netflix! It will be fun to watch! This week we are going to watch an even greater showdown - one of the greatest fights in history: The LORD vs. Pharaoh. The LORD, who is seeking to rescue his people from injustice, vs. Pharaoh, the oppressor. This fight, and The LORD's victory becomes one of the primary identity markers for the people of Israel, and an essential part in the Biblical story. Join us to hear how the Exodus fits into the large unified narrative that all leads to Jesus.