Teaching
We gather around the scriptures to learn the unfolding story of God.
Life Together – Colossians 3:11-15
Often times what lies between who we are and who we want to be in Christ is the impulse to hide from life in the community; from life together. In Colossians 3, Paul describes a vision for life together in which we take on the likeness of Christ through our participation in a community of strangers, committed to one another, and under the guidance of the Prince of Peace.
Putting on New Clothes – Colossians 3:5-10
We regularly experience moments in our lives where our expectations for our own maturity and growth do not match reality. In Colossians 3:5-10, Paul challenges our disappointment with a vision for growth that is about learning to grow into the clothes we’ve already been given.
Two Kingdoms – Colossians 3:1-4
To “seek those things that are above” sounds like an impractical set of instructions. In reality, to live out the realities of Christ’s Kingdom involves the inconvenience of proximity and involvement in the messiness of people’s lives.
Only Jesus – Colossians 2:16-23
Paul writes to address Colossian believers’ temptation to conform to Hellenistic Jewish practices; a temptation Paul believes to be detrimental to their faith. This is to say, that for the Colossian Church, and for ourselves, the greatest temptation is not toward apostasy or abandoning the faith; it is not toward outright immoral or unethical behavior; our greatest temptation is to believe the subtle lie that Christ is insufficient.
Captivity and Victory – Colossians 2:8-15
Many of us experience a soul-level weariness that feels like war, and the voice we choose to believe will either lead us into captivity or into victory.
On Spiritual Maturity – Colossians 1:24-2:7
After building this foundation of who Christ is and reminding the Colasse church yet again that Jesus is the Messiah in Chapter 1; Paul gets to the purpose of his whole letter– spiritual maturity.
The Story of Redemption – Colossians 1:13-23
The story of Redemption is written across human history and culminates in the resurrection of Jesus that first Easter; this is the story Paul tells in a short piece of poetry written to the Colossian church.
Three Warnings – Matthew 7:13-27
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus consistently challenges the status quo, inviting His apprentices to live out his Kingdom. The final section of Jesus’ sermon offers three warnings that iterate a similar idea– put Jesus’ teachings into practice.
Prayer and The Golden Rule – Matthew 7:7-12
In Matthew 7:7-12, Jesus invites his apprentices to ask anything of God. Christ’s disciples can foster a life of prayer that goes to God with everything and then extends that goodness to all through the golden rule.
Judge Not – Matthew 7:1-6
In general, many of us are hypercritical, unaccepting of differences, and quick to pass judgment. In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus confronts that hypercritical posture, not with undisciplined acceptance, but by first taking a hard look at our own life.
Do not be Anxious – Matthew 6:25–32
At surface value, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-24, “do not be anxious” can seem dismissive. Upon further investigation, within the context of his life, Jesus is offering us a framework of faith to not just cope with the anxieties of life but to truly become a non-anxious presence.
Lay Up Treasures – Matthew 6:19-24
Monetary dissatisfaction and the desire for more possessions are not new phenomena. in Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus gently confronts his disciples’ desire for more beckoning them to redirect their desires’ toward those things of eternal value.
When You Fast – Matthew 6:16-18
To be human is to experience a complex web of appetites and desires. Many of those desires are healthy and natural; while others are more nefarious, corrosive, and wrong, and in many ways, those desires can master us. For millennia, fasting, going without food and drink for a period of time, has been a core practice of the Church. This is in part because it brings our body and spirit into alignment and clarifies our desires.
When You Pray – Matthew 6:5-15
Jesus envisions a life energized by prayer for his disciples, so much so that it is difficult to imagine a life of apprenticeship to Jesus absent of a healthy prayer life. But if we are honest, most of us would acknowledge that prayer is a weak point in our apprenticeship to Jesus. In Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus comments on two misunderstandings of prayer and then will give one of the most profound teachings on life with God in the Lord’s Prayer.
Practicing Righteousness – Matthew 6:1-4
There is a distorted vision of righteousness that puts performative action over sincere motivation. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus addresses our righteousness prompting us to ask the question, “what’s is my motivation?”
Gospel Participation – Becoming a People of Participation
We struggle with the idea of sharing the Gospel because even that phrase has been co-opted by the misguided, the manipulative, or just tone-deaf to the moment. They mostly feel like a bait-and-switch or a multi-level marketing scheme, then a Jesus’ invitation into a new kingdom. What if sharing the Gospel could look like inviting a neighbor over for dinner? Or taking a Saturday to serve our city in a meaningful way? Or just simply living in such a way that it begs the question? What if sharing the Gospel is more like Jesus and moving towards pain and loving people into the Kingdom?
Courageous Hospitality – Becoming a Hospitable People
As city dwellers, we've learned to remain anonymous; from our neighbors to our barista, we can navigate life without knowing the name or story of people we interact with on a daily basis. We believe that the vision of community that Christ has in mind is far more costly, far more intimate, far messier, and far more beautiful than what we’ve settled for. We believe that we start to become hospitable people simply by committing to a meal.
Holistic Justice – Becoming an Interruptible People
We exist in this moment were using a term like justice is just good branding; which of our favorite brands hasn't made a statement condemning something or advocating for something? For the people of God to embody holistic justice, we must recognize that justice is not an auxiliary topic to the Gospel– justice is how the Gospel is lived out amongst the community. It is our conviction that justice in the scripture is about becoming a particular kind of community.
Intentional Formation – Becoming a People of Prayer
Intentional formation is to be deliberate and purposeful with the people we are becoming. As followers of Christ, we’ve been given specific direction for our change by the Incarnate One, Jesus. His life and ministry provide a clear pattern for the Kingdom of God. We believe that the first step in our formation is becoming people of prayer.
