The Politics of Jesus Week 2: The Tale of Two Kingdoms

Here is the audio from Sundays message on The Tale of Two Kingdoms with Ryan and Nelson team teaching.

The Politics of Jesus Week 1: What is Caesar's and what is God's?

Here is the audio from this mornings’ worship gathering. The first week in our series The Politics of Jesus looking at Mark 12:13-17.

Book Review: Not My Jesus by Bob Fabey

The above video from the movie Talladega Nights is a comic look at how we make Jesus into our own image. While it is comic in this video, if we are honest with ourselves, each and everyone of us, in some way, seeks to make Jesus into our own image, instead of seeking to be made into the image and likeness of Jesus. Even just this week a writer put this out on Twitter.

In the book “Not My Jesus” the author Bob Fabey seeks to get behind this concept of why we seek to make Jesus into our own image, instead of the other way around. He peels back the layers of the white, American, consumeristic, Jesus by taking us to the Scriptures to show us what Jesus was truly like. Which allows us to answer the question that Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?” Farley, then says that once we truly understand who Jesus was and is, then we can begin to live a life, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that reflects this Jesus, and not the Jesus of our own making.

Probably the most poignant part of the book, for me, and super relevant for our time, is the chapter dealing with the importance of loving people, and not making them out as the “other”. When we make someone or a group of people, the “other” we can scapegoat them for all the world’s ills (then Nazi Germany and the Jews, and many modern day parallels), and once we have made them the “other” we can treat them in any way we want, and justly it in our minds. Farley puts it like this, “When people are The Other, they are less than.” But the Jesus of the Scriptures, the Word of God made flesh, has become “the other” for us and for all, so that we could be full of love, grace, compassion and mercy for all who are made in the image of God.

I would encourage you to read “Not My Jesus” so that it can help us confront how we have all made Jesus into our own image, and seek, through the power of the Holy Sprit, to flip it around so that we could be made more and more into his image and likeness.

(I was provided this book by the Speakeasy Book program free of charge for an honest review.)

Requirements Week 4: Walk humbly with your God

Here is the audio from this past Sunday’s worship gathering looking at the last part of Micah 6:8, “to walk humbly with your God.” Take a few minutes and listen to Kim Braught as she explores what it looks like to walk humbly with your God.

Requirements Week 3: To Love Mercy

Here is the third week of our series Requirements walking through Micah 6:8. Take a few minutes to listen as we explore what it looks like to love mercy.

Requirements Week 2: Act Justly

Here is our second week sermon for our series Requirements looking at what it means to act justly.

Requirements Week 1: What is Good?

Here is the audio from our first week of our new series entitled Requirements looking at Micah 6:8.

Sozo Week 4: Spiritual Healing

Here is the last week in our Sozo series looking at spiritual healing.

Sozo Week 3: Relational Healing

Here is our sermon from this past Sunday, which was our first in-person worship gathering since March 15. The worship gathering was held outside at Buchanan Park in Lancaster.

ReEntry

Here is a video about our first in-person worship gathering scheduled for this Sunday at Buchanan Park.

Sozo Week 2: Mental and Emotional Healing

Here is the audio from this past Sunday with Kim Braught teaching on Mental and Emotional Healing.

Chipmunks

A video about pursuing Jesus and being pursued by Jesus.

Sozo Week 1: Physical Healing

Here is the audio from today’s message on physical healing in our new series Sozo.

By Streams of Living Water Week 7: Giving Thanks

Here is the final week in our series By Streams of Living Water exploring the book of Psalms. Here we take time to reflect on Lament and Justice and the state of our nation right now, before moving on to cover gratitude.

By Streams of Living Water Week 6: Rains of Justice

Here is week 6 of our series By Streams of Living Water looking at Psalms of Justice.