Eastertide

Glue, Gravity and God: Jesus existed before anything and everything.  Jesus holds all things together.

Scripture passage: Colossians 1:1-23

This is final message of our Eastertide series.

Our songs together:

• What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship

• Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin

• Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me - CityAlight

• The Goodness Of Jesus - Bethel

Eastertide

Explore the profound promise of the Holy Spirit, our divine Advocate, Friend, and Teacher, as Jesus speaks to the essence of our faith and the depths of our connection with God. At the heart of life's most pressing questions lies the inquiry: How is the Holy Spirit prompting me to live, both in the here and now, and in the future?

Scripture passage: John 14:15-27

This is our sixth week of our Eastertide series

Respond together:

• What work of inner renovation might the Spirit as Advocate and Comforter want to do in your story?

• What habits or spiritual disciplines can/have help(ed) you nurture your connection to the Holy Spirit and foster a greater openness to the Spirit's work in your heart?

• Frederick Buechner, a well-known theologian and writer, once wrote, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Considering your gifts and the needs that God has pressed upon your heart, to what work or place might you be invited to participate in what Spirit is doing?

• How can we demonstrate our love for Jesus by living out his commandments in our daily lives, both in our personal relationships and in the broader community?

Our songs together:

• Build Your Kingdom - Rend Collective

• Holy Spirit - Bryan and Katie Torwalt

• Fresh Wind - Hillsong

• Hymn of the Holy Spirit - Pat Barrett (During Eucharist)

• You are my Vision - Rend Collective

Eastertide

The ache of feeling lost and uncertain about the future is compounded when it seems like there is no compass to guide us. Through the words of Jesus, we are reminded that there is a way forward, a truth to still the fears, and a life that goes beyond what can be envisioned. The source of this guiding light can only be found in a person.

Scripture passage: John 14:1-14

This is the fifth week of our Eastertide Series

Respond together:

• Have you ever felt ‘tired, worn out and burned out on religion’? Sometimes our experience of religion can become a sort of dead orthodoxy (a list of truths and being ‘right’) or only a set of legalistic rules and boundaries.

  How might your life be different if you sought to know Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, on a more personal and intimate level?

• God’s kindness leads us to repentance. Is there anything in your life that you feel might be holding you back from living a life of greater love and compassion? What steps can you take to turn away from habits or thoughts that cause harm, and turn towards God’s love?

• God invites us to partner with him and do the works of Jesus. With consideration of your gifts, personality and abilities:

  How can you pray with faith and boldness, asking God to use you (in word and in deed) in powerful ways to bring about his kingdom on earth?

Our songs together:

• Rest on us - Maverick City Music

• More like Jesus - Passion

• Goodness of God - Bethel

• Gratitude - Maverick City Music

Eastertide

Through the image of the shepherd, we are reminded of God's love, protection and guidance for us. Jesus invites us to a life that is so full and whole that when taken hold of, anything less would be tragic. In John 10:1-10, we are invited to consider our own identity and to question whether we hear and follow the voice of Jesus.

Scripture passage: John 10:1-10

This is week 4 of our Eastertide series

Respond together:

• Who or what are the voices that I am listening to in my life? Am I able to discern the voice of Jesus as the good shepherd amidst the noise and distractions of the world?

  In what ways can my voice and influence guide others towards the good shepherd?

• Am I settling for less than ‘life to the full?’ Am I holding onto things that prevent me from fully embracing the abundant life that Jesus offers? Ask the Spirit to reveal if there is anything preventing you from greater relational intimacy with Christ

• Do I embody the love and compassion of the good shepherd towards those who are in need of his care? How do I love the people around me (family, neighborhood and work)?

Our songs together:

• Only a Holy God - CityAlight

• Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me - CityAlight

• Shepherd - CityAlight

• Lord I Need You - Matt Maher

Eastertide

Often times, Christians will say that they ‘love God’ or that they ‘love Jesus’ but then refuse to do what he said to do. What’s the connection between a 'love for Jesus' and 'obedience to Jesus’? What makes “doing what Jesus said” so important? Join us as we look at Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 7:24-27 where he calls us to build our lives on his teaching by doing what he said to do. 

Scripture passage: Matthew 7:24-27

This is the third week of our Eastertide series

(No recording for this week)

Our songs together:

• Highlands (Song of Ascent) - Hillsong

• The Goodness of Jesus - CityAlight

• Cornerstone - Hillsong

• Build My Life - Pat Barrett

Eastertide

Throughout the centuries the portrait of Thomas in this passage resonates with us. Thomas passionately pledges to die with Jesus, only to complain a few chapters later and then refuse to join the excitement and joy of his resurrection. In Thomas we can see ourselves, and in Christ; we see grace for today and empowerment for the future. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas is the first person to look directly at Jesus and address him as God!

Scripture passage: John 20:19-31

This is the second week of our Eastertide series

Respond together:

• Similar to Thomas, have I ever found myself feeling excluded or like I don't fully belong in a community? What could I do to cultivate a deeper sense of belonging and connection with others and for others?

• Do I have a limited imagination of the ways Jesus might reveal his presence? How can I cultivate a greater openness to the unexpected ways that Jesus reveals himself in my life?

• In what ways am I tempted to hide myself and present a clean and whole image of faith? How can I grow to be more open and honest about my doubts and uncertainties with God and others?

Our songs together:

• Behold Him - Paul Baloche

• King of Kings - Hillsong

• In Christ Alone - The Gettys

Eastertide

Easter Sunday is the most significant day in the Christian calendar. All of the hopes and expectations of followers of Jesus are realized in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The gospel of Matthew captures the fear and joy of the first witnesses of the empty tomb. In what ways is resurrection an ongoing reality through which God continues to work towards renewal of the world?

Scripture passage: Matthew 28:1-10

Respond together:

• The Scriptures teach that “Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross… by his wounds you have been healed.” 

  What do you feel about the fact that out of his love, Jesus died for you? What does that mean for you personally?

• In the Bible, the phrase “Do not be afraid” is connected to invitations to greater courage. 

  In what ways can I participate with the ongoing announcement of the good news of resurrection? In what ways can I fulfill the Great Commission with my abilities and in my context?

• What difference does it make that the grave is empty and Jesus conquered it? 

  What death can bring about new life in my story? What new joy, new hope, and new life is God inviting me into? Does your relationship with God bring a life-giving presence to others?

Our songs together:

• Resurrecting - Elevation Worship

• What a Beautiful Name - Hillsong

• Death In His Grave - John Mark MacMillan

• Gratitude - Maverick City Worship

Eastertide

The last portion of Revelation overflows with hope and provides a beautiful image of God bringing renewal to everything. This passage challenges widely held misunderstandings of heaven.

Respond:

• People tend to live out the dominant story in their life. It could be a story that you tell yourself or a story that has been handed down to you. In the Bible, there are people who are so captivated by the story of God that they seem to dwell as much with God as with this world.

  • What is the dominant story/script in your own life?

• John of Patmos looks with anticipation to a day when God fully dwells with his people and the work of renewal comes to completion. 

  • How does this vision give you hope in your specific circumstances and challenges here and now?

• What practices do we need to put in place in order to more fully dwell in the hope that God has for us?

Eastertide

Here, in eastertide, we see the breath of God breathed out through Jesus making new people out of the disciples through the Spirit. Through the people of God, Jesus offers new life to the world.

Respond:

• The disciples are thick with grief, paralyzed by hopelessness, fear and maybe even regret.

  • What emotions and feelings are you carrying into Easter?

• What are you afraid of? What fears tempt you hide?

  • In what way might the risen Christ be speaking into your circumstance today?

• Through his resurrection from the dead, Christ has victory over death itself. Christ accomplished the (vertical) reconciliation between God and man. The disciples of Jesus are to lavish this peace and (horizontal) reconciliation unto the world. In what ways might God be calling you to restored friendships in your own relationships and wider justice?

• Where is the Triune God calling you to engage the world redemptively in all areas of culture? How has he uniquely equipped you with your story, training and gifting?

Eastertide

The early church’s lifestyle testified to the risen Christ. How? How can we live the same kind of lives today?