This week in our "Blessed to Bless" series, we look at the call to serve like Jesus. When the Son of God put on flesh and walked this earth, he came not to be served but to serve. And in one of the greatest acts of humble service ever seen, he even got down on his knees and washed his disciples' feet. A cleansing that pointed forward to the ultimate cleansing that happens through his shed blood.
This Sunday, David Narvesen, Missionary to Chad, will be covering the "E" in B.L.E.S.S., as we look at what it means to eat like Jesus. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus was often found enjoying food with people. From the feeding of the 5000 to His time eating with "sinners" to the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus shared meals with those around Him. And even now, we look forward to an eternal feast with Him.
This Sunday we look at the "L" in B.L.E.S.S. - Listen. And to see how Jesus listened, we're going to turn to chapter 18 of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus heard a blind man named Bartimaeus cry out for mercy over the noise of the crowd. Come and be reminded that Jesus heard our cry for mercy and healed us from our spiritual blindness.
This week as we continue our series B.L.E.S.S., we will consider why beginning in prayer is both a call and a gift. God calls us to join him in his mission to our neighbors, when we pray our hearts are more and more conformed to God’s heart. Prayer changes the way we see ourselves and others to the way that God sees everyone. Join us as we look to Christ, resting in his grace.
This Sunday we begin our six week series called "Blessed to Bless". To start the series, we'll be looking at God's promises to Abram in Genesis 12. Promise after promise was given, and in the end, God promised that all people would be blessed through Abram and his descendants. Come be reminded that Jesus was the ultimate answer to those promises, and He is also the reason we are blessed to bless.
This Sunday we find ourselves in the Gospel of Luke, as Jesus is invited into the home of a Pharisee on the Sabbath. The simple dinner changes, however, when Jesus compassionately heals a man who was suffering. Come and hear the teaching that followed, that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted. Jesus is king of an upside down kingdom!
In the book of Isaiah, the prophet brings messages from God that at times declare judgment and at other times proclaim hope. This Sunday we jump into the very end of the book, where the prophet shares amazing hope right in the midst of judgment. Come and hear the good news that God's salvation is for all the nations, and that our entrance into that salvation is through a narrow door - the One Isaiah called Emmanuel.
This Sunday we go back to the book of Genesis and see an amazing interchange between Abraham and God. In this conversation/prayer, Abraham appeals to both the Lord's justice and the Lord's mercy while interceding for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And while the prayer wasn't answered in the way Abraham desired, we see that justice and mercy (and grace) were ultimately found somewhere else.
In Luke 10, an expert in the law, seeking to justify himself, came to Jesus to test him. In response to his question, Jesus ends up giving him on of the most famous parables he ever spoke: the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Come hear how futile it is to try to justify ourselves. And then find out who the true hero of the story is.
As we continue in our series Grace Abounds, we come across a teaching from Jesus that might at first glance not seem to abound with much grace. Jesus warns his followers to avoid all kinds of covetousness. For when we hold on to what we have we are blinded from the truth that all we have is a gift from God and it is to be used in service for others. Even though we are prone to hold back what we have, God did not hold back his Son so that our sins might be covered. It is for this reason followers of Christ are called to generosity.
