From Complex to Simple

There is a move in churches from the complex to the simple. We have spent so many years discussing fine tuned doctrines and what makes this church distinctive from that church. It seems to me that many churches and Christians are moving from the complex web of doctrines to a more simple approach to Christianity [...]

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ - The Bigger Picture

The temptation when teaching about the crucifixion is to talk about the Romans, Roman courts, Pilate, Crucifixion, and prisoner release customs when dealing with the first 15 verses. Then in the verses that follow to discuss the suffering of Jesus and how he died for our sin (15:16-47). I want to suggest an alternative approach [...]

Change in Churches - What is Healthy?

There is a fine line we walk when we talk about change. The line is between relevance to a lost and dying world and being pleasing to the God who has made us our own. When people try to swing too hard in either direction the results are often disastrous. Those who seek to please [...]

Oprah and New Earth New Age Movement

Does this new thing Oprah is doing worry anyone beside myself? The message I have gotten from it so far is, You are the standard. You are the authority. Listen to yourself. Do your thing. I don’t know about you but I have listened to myself plenty of times and gotten it wrong. That just [...]

Finding Periods in a World of Question Marks

We live in a world of uncertainty. We hear it in our conversation through words like: probably, like, almost, maybe, … I think. We have learned how to second guess almost everything we say (see I even through in the disclarimer “almost” because there is a possibility there is something we say that we don’t [...]

N.T. Wright on Finding Meaning in Worship

“The Jewish law begins with worship, with the love of God, because if it’s true that we’re made in God’s image we will find our fullest meaning, our true selves, the more we learn to love and worship the one we are designed to reflect.” - N.T. Wright Mark for Everyone, 170

Having a Personal Relationship with God

There is so much talk about the need to have a personal relationship with God. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that when God spoke to and worked through individuals in the Bible it was rarely just about that one person. When God called a prophet, a priest was given his duties, [...]

We Serve a Living an Active God

Hebrews 4:12 says, ” For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” If God’s word is living an active, how much more so is the God who spoke those [...]

When the Kingdom of God Breaks In

Do you know what Jesus taught about more than anything else? Not money, sin, evangelism, or sacrifice. The subject of most of Jesus’ recorded teaching was the kingdom of God. The coming of the kingdom of God was about a new day that was dawning. The old, broken way of doing things was no more. [...]

How God Defines Beauty

We studied how God Defines Beauty in our LIFE groups this week. I am going to start uploading all of our lessons to Kingdom Living rather than just linking to our church website. Here is the pdf of How God Defines Beauty. I want to add to this the role of consumerism in forming our [...]