October 2016
We Are an Expanding Movement
Christianity began as an expanding movement rooted in love but evolved into an institution. It’s up to us to help the church return to its original mission.
We Are A Diverse Family
Diversity – The church best demonstrates the unity of the body of Christ as people of different ethnic, linguistic, generational and socio-economic backgrounds learn to live and worship together in harmony with one another. Big Idea: The church in Scripture is diverse; culturally, ethnically, generationally, sociologically and spiritually. We intentionally seek to continue that tradition in expectation […]
We Are A Transformational Organism
Transformational Worship – Our response to redemption is authentic, ongoing life change, reflected in personal and corporate worship. Big Idea – Authentic worship is not about an hour on Sunday morning. Authentic worship is about spiritual surrender exemplified by transformation in the likeness of Christ.
We Are An Involved Team
Teamwork – The Christian life is not a solo venture, but an adventure shared in community as every member contributes to the well-being of the entire community toward the achievement of our shared goal. Mission Statement: Cooperating as a team to build Christlikeness in others.
We Are A Healing Community
Authentic Grace: The community of believers, who may be broken by live, experience true healing community as share ourselves and practice exchanging the grace and the peace with one another. Big Idea: The church is a laboratory for experiencing the healing grace of Christ within community.
September 2016
Why Should I Be The Church
When we ask, “Why should I go to church?”, we are asking the wrong question, a question that suggests a distorted view of what the church is … either a place on a map, or a time on a schedule. What we ought to ask is, “Why should I be the church?” This is […]
Faith & Politics
Christians often confuse the relationship between faith and politics and the outcome is all kinds of trouble. We need to understand each in the right light, so that we can engage properly. Our faith ought to inform our politics. But faith and politics should not be confused for one another.
Pray Chicago
The annual community prayer, Pray Chicago, stems from Jeremiah’s instructions to the people of Judah in exile to pray for the “shalom” of the city into which they have been sent into exile. This instruction serves as a principle for us as we live as exiles in a land that is not our home. […]
August 2016
How Can I Be A Witness
We will be a witness. That is not in question. How we will be a witness is. Acts 1:8 provides the map through the book of Acts as we see the witness of the church progress from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth. The writer also leaves us with […]
Pressure and Prayer
Persecution should not come as a surprise. Jesus did promise it. What matters is not so much whether persecution occurs, but how we respond to that pressure. In Acts 4, Peter and the believers respond with prayer … not prayer that the persecution would be averted, but that their witness would remain strong in the face […]
Proclamation and Power
On Pentecost, Peter moves from coward to preacher. The message that he preached demonstrates that he is able to a crowd with the message of the Christ, that just weeks before he had denied. What made the difference? The presence of the Holy Spirit … the same Holy Spirit Peter says comes an resides […]
Subscribe to sermon Podcast RSS
Subscribe to iTunes podcast
