Teaching
We gather around the scriptures to learn the unfolding story of God.
Joy – Luke 2:1-12
Advent, marking the beginning of the church year, is a time of anticipation and preparation for the arrival of something greater. It is a period of deliberate tension, where we create space in our hearts for hope, peace, joy, and love. Waiting is often uncomfortable and can feel unproductive, yet it is in this waiting that we are shaped and formed. Our expectations influence how we wait, and how we wait can transform us.
Peace – Luke 1:39-56
Finding God's peace amid the world's noise, wars, and unrest can be challenging. Mary, mother of Jesus, exemplifies peace in Luke 1 by highlighting God's past faithfulness and future promises. She finds peace through trust in God, despite Israel's unfaithfulness. By reflecting on our spiritual heritage and the testimonies of those before us, we can also find peace.
Hope – Luke 1:26-38
The holidays, often portrayed as the happiest time of the year, can paradoxically be a period of deep loneliness for many. The pressure to appear joyful and successful can lead to a façade that hides the true state of our hearts. However, the gospel offers a transformative invitation to move beyond mere expectation management to a season of anticipation and hope in Christ.
Elders – 1 Peter 5:1-11
True leadership, as exemplified by Jesus, is not about seeking power or personal gain but about serving others with integrity and compassion. This approach challenges the world's view of leadership, which often equates authority with dominance and self-interest. Instead, leaders are called to shepherd their communities with a servant's heart, prioritizing the well-being of others over their own ambitions.
Insulted – 1 Peter 4:12-19
In a world that often mocks or misunderstands our faith, we are invited to be unoffendable, to embrace suffering, and to find joy in our trials. This requires a deep reliance on Christ, a willingness to deny ourselves, and a commitment to follow Him. By doing so, we become a powerful witness to the world, demonstrating the transformative love of Jesus.
Witness – 1 Peter 4:1-11
Peter's call to witness is not a solitary endeavor but rather a meaningful journey undertaken through community. It involves deeply knowing and genuinely showing Jesus through our personal experiences of suffering, actively denying ourselves, and committing to loving sacrifice. These actions are not merely tasks but are, in fact, acts of worship and witness that beautifully point others to the hope and glory that can be found in a relationship with Christ.
Suffering – 1 Peter 3:8-22
Suffering is a complex issue that challenges our understanding of God's will. Rather than seeing God as the cause of all events, it is important to recognize the interplay of human freedom, spiritual forces, and chaos. This perspective invites us to trust in God's redemptive work amidst suffering.
Subversion – 1 Peter 2:18-3:7
Peter's instructions in his letters are not about maintaining the status quo but about subverting it from within. This concept of subversive stability involves embracing our roles and working for change through suffering love and patient endurance. This approach calls us to remain rooted in our relationships, communities, and workplaces, seeking change from within rather than fleeing when challenges arise.
Authority – 1 Peter 2:11-17
As Christians, we often forget to fully embrace our true identity as sojourners and exiles in this world. This identity calls us to live differently, abstaining from the passions of the flesh and maintaining honorable conduct among those who do not share our faith. Our lives should be a testament to the transformative power of the resurrection, demonstrating a living hope that defies the pessimism and defeatism prevalent in the world today.
Chosen – 1 Peter 2:4-10
Often our identity as chosen by God is defined by societal standards or personal accomplishments, rather by God’s love and unique purpose for us. The message of being chosen by God, as articulated by the Apostle Peter, is not just a spiritual concept but a call to live out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the kingdom of God in our daily lives.
Formation – 1 Peter 1:12-2:3
While humanity is created in God's image, there is also a need to acknowledge the depravity within us. This acknowledgment is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation, a process known as formation. This process involves actively pursuing our salvation, having an eternal perspective, embracing holiness, seeing God as a loving Father, and participating in community.
Salvation – 1 Peter 1:1-12
Often, Salvation is articulated this way: I have a sin problem, and I am on the road to damnation, but Jesus died for my sins, so now I have a chance to go to heaven. Peter's letter offers a rich tapestry of themes, including holiness, hope, and suffering, which together paint a picture of salvation that is far more than just personal deliverance from sin. It is an invitation into a life of holy community, hopeful presence, joyful suffering, and good news for the world.
In Kansas City – Matthew 21:12-17
The decline in volunteerism reflects a broader societal trend that has infiltrated the church. Many avoid serving due to beliefs in personal responsibility, passivity, and the overwhelming pace of life. However, Jesus' teachings make it clear that serving those on the margins is a gospel mandate. We are called not just to serve but to integrate those we serve into our daily lives.
Together – Matthew 10:2-4
While the idea of togetherness might seem straightforward, it is often fraught with challenges, especially given the scandals and moral failures that have plagued many religious institutions, including those in our own city. Yet Jesus regularly attended the synagogue, taught, healed, and debated there, despite its imperfections. Our commitment to the church is not about its perfection but about our collective journey towards Christ.
Revealing the Kingdom of Jesus – Mark 1:14-15
The world is undeniably broken, filled with suffering, injustice, and despair. Many of us have grown disillusioned, giving up on the dream of making a significant impact. However, Jesus invites us into a radical movement that promises to heal the world through suffering love, not through power or force, and live out the reality of the Kingdom now while we await its full realization.
Union – 1 Corinthians 7:1-8
In American culture, there is an overwhelming sense that fulfillment in life is tied to sexual pleasure. Shaped in this environment, the sexual ethics of Jesus don’t sound liberating; they sound limiting. But the Christian story insists that marriage is the safest and best place for sexuality to flourish as bonding, mutual submission, and witness.
Singleness and Dating – 1 Corinthians 7:6-9; 25-31
It is no secret that our culture is relationship-obsessed. Whether it be Hallmark, Zola, Hinge, Love Island, or The Bachelorette, they all sell the same dream that Disney princesses believe—your fulfillment is tied to finding true love. This is problematic primarily because it’s not how Jesus lived or how the New Testament writers articulated marriage and singleness. Single people are welcomed as full participants in God’s kingdom.
Jesus and Sexual Minorities – Various Scriptures
The most polarizing question of our generation is: What does Christianity have to say to those who experience same-sex attraction? We must carefully discern God’s heart on this subject and work to align our life with Jesus’. The place we begin is with the biblical text.
A Better Vision – 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
We are living through a widespread redefinition of sexuality and sexual norms in the West. There is a cacophony of competing visions vying for our attention and adoption. None is more influential and corrosive than pornography, which offers us the lie of commodified and anonymous pleasure. Against these stories is the Christian vision of sexuality that insists bodies matter, holy union is coming, and there can be a better witness to the world.
A Community of Sexual Brokeness – John 7:53-8:11
We all hold default assumptions about sex; assumptions formed by our environments, relationships, and experiences. Assumptions that have left us all sexually broken, fractured, and misshapen. The invitation of the Gospel is to bring our brokenness to the healer, to become a community of compassion and challenge.