Connecting
February 11 – March 31, 2024
The image of God imprinted on all people makes us long for relationship with God and one another. When those relationships are damaged the effects ripple through our lives. But when you are brave enough to share a struggle or sin and are met with love (not judgment) and Biblical hope (not advice) you experience the power of connecting. The parable of the prodigal son gives us a picture of how God changes us: 1) embracing sinners who repent; 2) affirming our status as sons and daughters in His family and; 3) engaging with us to help us grow. That is the pattern for our fellowship and discipleship in the church. Larry Crabb summed it up this way in his classic book, Connecting: “Connecting is a kind of relating that happens when the powerful life of Christ in one person meets the good life of Christ in another.”
Overflowing – Easter 2024
Paul’s prayer at the end of Ephesians 3 is one of the most inspiring prayers in Scripture. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, come be encouraged by the four gifts God offers us in His Son: 1) the power of Christ; 2) the Spirit of Christ; 3) the love...
Seeing the Unseen World
Please help us welcome guest preacher Dr. Eric Bargerhuff, New Testament Professor and Academic Dean of Trinity College of Florida. Dr. B will bring us into the fascinating account of Elisha and his servant, surrounded by Syrian soldiers and chariots. Read 2 Kings 6...
6. Stand Firm Together
As we conclude our series on connecting we study the armor of God. The exhortation here is to “Be strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10) not in our own knowledge or strength; and to stand firm with other believers, since all the verbs are plural imperatives. Paul gives three...
5. The Fruit of Connecting
What does it look like for a believer to be filled with the Spirit? What about a church? Paul gives us four marks of a Spirit-filled church in this part of Ephesians: 1) worshipful connection; 2) joyful devotion; 3) grateful integration and 4) mutual submission. Easy...
4. Exhort One Another
Christian community is a balance of comfort and challenge, of encouragement and exhortation. Paul provides a healthy dose of both in the second half of Ephesians 4. In a memorable couplet Paul commands believers to “put off the old self and… put on the new self.” You...
3. Growing Together
As those who have experienced the infinite love of the Lord Jesus (Eph. 3:15-21) we must live in line with His calling. The first application of the gospel to life is that we would “walk worthy” by protecting the unity of the church. This inspiring passage shows us...
2. The Power of Connecting
We are called to connect in Christ (Heb. 10:23-25), but what does that look like? What does it feel like? Larry Crabb wrote a prophetic exhortation to the church in 1997 called Connecting. After 25 years of Christian counseling he made the bold claim that most...
1. Connected In Christ
What makes a church a church? What are the fundamental, necessary elements for every church? As we start a new series about relationships, small groups and encouraging one another, we open the book of Hebrews and see the center of real community is Jesus. Four marks...