The Church

Stand-Alone | Easter Weekend 2024

Good Friday sermon by Adam Gibson on March 29, 2024.

Our church family spent Good Friday looking towards the cross and Easter Sunday celebrating our Risen Savior! The Good Friday sermon, baptism videos from the Easter Gathering, and this weeks LifeGroup Guide can be found below.

Baptism Stories

People of the Pages

Midtown Fellowship started over 15 years ago, in 2007, in a context where Christ's name was abundant, but faithfulness to his teachings sometimes was not. The resounding question back then was: Why aren't we just doing what's on the pages?

Fast forward fifteen years, and new challenges face the church that we must learn to navigate if we want to live out being a Jesus-centered family on mission faithfully.

These challenges require us to look again at our Bibles and ask questions like: What are we at risk of neglecting as Christians today? What must be rediscovered and re-committed to if our story is to remain the same story – to be a church that says, "Why don't we just do what's on the pages?"

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: People of the Pages

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: The Pages Point to a Person

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Enjoying the Imperfect

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Known, Loved, and Challenged

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: People of Presence

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Come for You, Stay for Others

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Jesus &

Jesus Christ controls the universe with His power. He is supreme, and how you view Him changes how you view everything else. But Jesus is also intimately personal -  what does Jesus have to say about you? What does He say to you in your hurt? What does He have to say to you in your doubts? What does He have to tell you when you screw up?

For this series, we’ll spend seven weeks looking at how Jesus interacts with different types of people in Scripture and what He has to say to us too.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Jesus & the Bully

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Jesus & the Outcast

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Jesus & the Little Ones

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Jesus & the Doubter

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Jesus & the Hurting

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Jesus & the Jealous

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Jesus & the Prideful

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

The Family Guide resembles the weekly LifeGroup Guide and is designed for a family to do together once a week.

It has the same familiar elements (Catch Up on Life, Sermon Discussion, Engage the Heart, Review the Mission) and is meant to be a 30-minute family rhythm.

Stand-Alone | The Parable of the Wonderful Father

Sermon by Ryan Rike on June 18, 2023.

In Luke 15, we find one of Jesus' most famous teachings. It is often called "the Parable of the Prodigal Son" or "the Parable of the Two Sons." While the two siblings have much to teach us, perhaps we are also invited to understand this passage through a different lens: the Parable of the Wonderful Father. In this passage, Jesus radically upends what many believe God is like and invites us to recapture the wonder of His love and grace.

Colossians

SERMONS | RESOURCE ROUND-UP

A growing church. A bustling city. Cultural pressures threaten the way of Jesus - from religion to philosophy, to mysticism and politics.

It’s here, around 60AD, that the apostle Paul, in prison, writes to this church. Here, he offers a panoramic view of Jesus and how this bigger view changes how you view your life and reality itself.

So for the next ten weeks, we’ll study this book as we ask - what does the church in Colossae have to say to our church? What are the cultural pressures we face? And how does a bigger view of Jesus change how we view everything else?

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: TexMex & Christianity

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 2: All Things for All Time

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 3: Mature in Christ

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 4: Hold Fast to Christ, the Head

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 5: Put Off

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 6: Getting Heaven Into Us

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 7: Getting Heaven Into the Home

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 8: Work, Slavery, and Power Dynamics

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

Week 9: History Belongs to the Intercessors

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Transcript)

One of the main ways we grow into the image of Jesus is to listen, meditate, and live out what He says in Scripture. To help us with that, for this series, we’re offering resources to help you further study the passage from Sunday.

Below you can find related videos, podcasts, and articles to learn more about the passage we studied that Sunday. You can also choose to receive those resources every Monday straight to your inbox. Just type in your email below. For now, we only have the first few weeks of the series posted, but more will be added soon.

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WEEK 1

WATCH

“Book of Colossians Summary” from The Bible Project (9 minutes) For almost ten years, The Bible Project has released short explainer videos of every book of the Bible. This video provides a visual overview of what Colossians is all about.

“How to Read the New Testament Letters” from The Bible Project (6 minutes) Another one. Along with Bible book overviews, The Bible Project also has a series on how to read different genres of the Bible. This one centers around how to read New Testament Letters.

“Letter to the Colossians” by N.T. Wright (14 minutes) If you don’t know the name, N.T. Wright might be the GOAT in New Testament studies. Combining both the academic and pastoral, Wright provides the cultural landscape of Colossae, situated within the Roman Empire.

LISTEN

“Strength to Wait with Patience” from Desiring God (3 minutes) A devotional written by John Piper on Colossians 1:11 - is available both as an article and as a podcast episode.

READ

“Knowing the Bible: Colossians and Philemon” from The Gospel Coalition (over an hour) TGC released a free 12-week class on this book. Talk about a deep dive.

WEEK 2

WATCH

“Heaven and Earth” from The Bible Project (7 minutes) Like we mentioned in the sermon, Heaven is more than just a place you go to when you die. As the video explains, the emphasis of the Bible is that Heaven is a reality you can experience through Jesus now.

“Understanding God’s Identity in the Bible” from The Bible Project (8 minutes) Arguably one of the densest pieces of theology in the Bible, The Bible Project explains the concept of the Trinity.

LISTEN

“How Did God Reconcile All Things to Himself?” from Desiring God (14 minutes) John Piper dives more into Colossians 1:20 on his popular Ask Pastor John podcast series.

“The Son of God: Dr. Iron’s Trinitarian View of Jesus” from Trinities (50 minutes) This is a deep one - one of the premier Trinitarian theologians discusses the biblical view of the Trinity on a podcast devoted to talking solely about the Trinity. Meta.

READ

“He Holds All Things Together” from Desiring God (30 minutes) Both a sermon and a manuscript unpacking Colossians 1:15-20 from David Mathis, the executive editor at desiringGod.com.

“The Preeminence of Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (22 minutes) A seminary chapel message to an audience of mostly seminarians, Dr. Dusenbury unpacks Colossians 1:15-20.

WEEK 3

WATCH

“What Happens When We Die According to the Bible?” from The Bible Project (55 minutes) Last week’s text/idea was a big one, so to unpack a bit more on this concept, here’s more from Dr. Tim Mackie.

Kids Bible Devotional - Rooted in God | Colossians 2:6-7 from YoungHearts Ministries (5 minutes) Ok this is a little cheesy, but a great little video to teach kids about being “rooted in Christ.”

LISTEN

“Guard Yourself with Gratitude” from Desiring God (35 minutes) This is a sermon of John Piper’s from 1985. So yeah, this is a throwback.

READ

Colossians and Philemon For You by Mark Meynell For those interested in Bible commentaries, the “For You” series is an accessible, concise set of commentaries that digs into different books of the Bible.

“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (15 minutes) Dr. Ligon Duncan works through this passage in Colossians expositionally with his seminary students.

WEEK 4

WATCH

“Spiritual Beings series” from The Bible Project (about 5 minutes per video) When Paul mentions “elemental spirits” in Colossians 2:20, he doesn’t really believe evil spirits exist…right? In this video series, The Bible Project brings up an important concept that serves as a helpful biblical backdrop.

LISTEN

“What is Baptism and How Important Is it?” from Desiring God (45 minutes) Baptism is a central part of Paul’s argument in this passage - so how are we to think about baptism biblically? John Piper got you.

READ

“How Do Baptism and Circumcision Correspond?” from Desiring God (46 minutes) Also central to Paul’s argument in the passage is the connection between circumcision and baptism. So….what’s that about? Once again, John Piper on the mic!

The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser If that Bible Project video series whet your appetite, then check out the book that inspired it (outside the Bible, of course). This book teeters on the intellectual side, so Heiser also released a non-academic version of the book too called Supernatural. Either book is well worth your time.

WEEK 5

WATCH

“The Glory of Christ and Racial Unity” from Desiring God (45 minutes) What does Jesus’ death and resurrection have to do with racial unity? A lot actually. Here, John Piper unpacks how because of Jesus’ work, He is drawing all people to Himself.

LISTEN

“Saved From God’s Wrath” from The Bible Project (56 minutes) The Bible Project not only is the top-tier video resource, their podcasts are also pretty solid too. In this one, the gang covers how to think about the atonement.

“The Light Beyond the Light” from Desiring God (4 minutes) I love that title! In this quick podcast, John Piper unpacks what it means to be seated with Christ.

READ

“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (20 minutes) Once again, Dr. Ligon Duncan, president of RTS, teaches through the book of Colossians.

BONUS VIDEO

A couple of years ago, most of us learned to be pros at Zoom. The key phrase here is, “most of us.”

WEEK 6

WATCH

“What Jesus Meant by Eternal Life” by The Bible Project (6 minutes) The call to “put on” Christ is a call to step more and more into the abundant life Jesus makes us available to us now. The Bible Project unpacks this more.

“What Happens When We Sing?” by Desiring God (1 hour) In Colossians 3, one way in which we let the “word of Christ dwell in us richly” is through singing together. In this sermon, John Piper presses into this idea and why singing is a crucial practice in our formation to Jesus.

LISTEN

“Gloria Furman on Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life” by The Gospel Coalition (49 minutes) ”Whatever you feel defines you, look at this in light of what you read in Colossians—that this life is not all there is. You know that. We all know that. God has put eternity in man’s heart. But we have to do the hard work of remembering that our life is hidden with Christ in God.”

“Matt Chandler on Worship” by The Gospel Coalition (48 minutes) In this sermon given to an audience of worship pastors, Matt Chandler speaks on the importance of worship in our lives.

READ

Following Jesus Together - We created a website on spiritual practices to help us further “put on” Christ. Here you’ll find blogs and videos on how to abide with Jesus, confess sin, fast, and more.

“Living Together When Christ is All” by Desiring God (26 minutes)

WEEK 7

Watch

Parenting Resources from Midtown Fellowship There are a million voices and blogs telling you what to do and not do as a parent. So we created and pooled together some of the best parenting content to help!

“Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing” from Desiring God (53 minutes) Colossians speaks to the importance of marriage. Ephesians 5 is also a great text in the New Testament, further unpacking that. In this sermon, John Piper speaks to how marriage is a pointer to the work of Jesus.

LISTEN

“How do I Not Provoke My Children?” from Desiring God (12 minutes) Colossians 3:21 warns against fathers provoking children. But what could that look like?

”Family of God” from The Bible Project A podcast series on the biblical theme of family from Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins. Enjoy!

The Family of God sermon series from Midtown Fellowship How we love our neighbor reflects our love for God and how we love God manifests itself in how we love our neighbor. And the reality is, while our “neighbor” encompasses everyone, it most immediately applies to who we share a home with and see daily. Check out our sermons from 2021 as we unpack this more.

READ

Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley “Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other.”

Family Worship by Donald Whitney “Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family’s spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way.”

WEEK 8

Watch

"Does the Bible Support Slavery?" from The Gospel Coalition (1 hour) Dr. Peter Williams (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) argues, based on the standard definition of slavery, no. "To make his argument, he examines the key Old Testament and New Testament texts said to support slavery. Along the way, he looks at the biblical words commonly associated with slavery and how their translation has changed over time. He also looks at the logic of the Old Testament world and the way ancient societies were structured quite differently from ours."

LISTEN

Precious in His Sight sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. In our sermon, we explored the power dynamics at play in Roman culture and how Jesus speaks into those dynamics. And while our context looks different than Rome, we want to equip each other to understand better our nation's history and how to navigate such issues.

Work sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. We can put love into our work without necessarily loving our work. Check out our sermon series from 2019 to learn more.

READ

Garden City by John Mark Comer. "Does God care where I work?" "Does he have a clear direction for me?" "How can I create a practice of rest?" Check out this book on work to learn more.

How Then Should We Work? by Hugh Whelchel. This book covers topics like the difference between work, vocation, and calling as a Christian, the history of the Christian view on work, the call to "reweave shalom" through your job, how to live a life of deep significance, and more.

Resources on Race by Midtown Fellowship. "As followers of Jesus, we stand up for righteousness, truth, justice, and love - because those things are definitive of life in the Kingdom of Heaven…In the list of resources, we've also included links to organizations and opportunities for you to take further steps to stand up for justice and love." 

WEEK 9

Watch

“How Does God Answer Prayer for Others?” by Tyler Staton (13 minutes). When we pray for others, what happens to us? Check out this video (and honestly, this whole series is awesome and worth your time.)

“Paradise Now” by Tim Mackie (50 minutes). From the 24-7 Prayer USA Conference, The Bible Project’s Tim Mackie talks about entering this Heaven and Earth reality when we step into prayer.

LISTEN

“The Power of Persistent Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (30 minutes) This was from our Acts sermon series in 2022. (Personally, I’m a fan of whenever we can mention Dwayne the Rock Johnson as an example.)

“The Practice of Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (38 minutes) Fom our 2020 series based on the Sermon on the Mount, “The Way of Jesus.”

READ

“Abide” from Following Jesus Together. For some practical steps on prayer, including blogs and videos, check out our Abide page and practices like “Lectio Divina” and “Examen Prayer.”

“Persevere in Prayer!” from Desiring God (5 minutes) John Piper unpacks Colossians 4:2-6 and offers five guidelines for prayer.

A Praying Life by Paul Miller IMO, this is one of the best books of prayer in the last ten or so years.

BONUS VIDEO

Hoop dreams!

Stand-Alone | Easter 2023

Sermon by Adam Gibson on April 9.

Our church family spent Easter Sunday together celebrating our Risen Savior! Baptism videos from the Easter Gathering and this weeks LifeGroup Guide can be found below.

Baptism Stories

Upon This Rock

Finding your way toward spiritual health in the chaos of modern life can prove quite difficult. When you survey the mental health landscape in our culture, things don't get any rosier. It can feel like solid ground to stand on is hard to come by, so we are taking a season to study and meditate on five simple verses that offer a robust Christian worldview--a place to stand against the winds and lies around us--not only so we can stand, but so we can provide much-needed hope and stability to those in our neighborhoods and workplaces.

These words are from the Apostle Peter, who himself went through the agony of failure, and felt the throes of instability around and inside of him, only to come out on the other side standing firm, offering these words of life to us so that we might stand on the truth they convey as well:

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:6-11

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Upon This Rock

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Humble Yourselves

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Cast All Your Anxieties on Him

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Watch Out for the Lion

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Resist Him, Firm in Your Faith

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Know You are Not Alone

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: The Bad Won’t Last Forever

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Forever and Ever, Amen

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

We want to focus on tools to help us learn to follow Jesus more closely. Therefore, we'll do a couple of things for this series to help us in our spiritual formation.

The first is to memorize 1 Peter 5:6-11. In LifeGroups, we'll tackle one verse at a time each week.

Second, we want to focus on one of the five spiritual practices below. Each is proven to improve mental health. Just click on one of the practices for tools to grow in that area. We're asking everyone to spend the next five weeks focusing on that particular practice.

Acts | Part 2

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”

These were some of Jesus’ very last words on Earth. And yet, a little over a week later, something happened. Jesus released His Spirit on the disciples who went out proclaiming everything Jesus did. Their proclamation was the day The Church began.

You cannot tell the story of the early church without also telling the story of the person, work, and power of the Spirit of God. He’s everywhere on almost every page of Acts.

We hope that during this series, we experience afresh not only who the Spirit is but experience all the potential He can unleash in and through us when it comes to walking more closely with Jesus, including prayer, worship, and being on mission.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: The Movement of God

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Mission Guide)

Week 2: A Defining Moment

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 3: Three Expectations from the Life of Paul

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 4: Who’s In and Who’s Out

(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 5: The Church in Antioch

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 6: The Power of Persistent Prayer

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 7: Mountains, Molehills, and Which Ones to Die On

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 8: The Church in Philippi

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: The Church in Athens

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 10: The Church in Ephesus

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 11: Living in the Dash

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 12: The Storm and the Shipwreck

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 13: The Story Continues

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

We want to focus on particular tools to help us learn to follow Jesus more closely. Since Acts concentrates so much on spreading the name of Jesus, our corporate practice is mission.

To help us grow in this practice, we've created a six-week-long guide to work within your group. Each lesson comes with discussion questions, a teaching video, and worksheets to print out for everyone in your group.

To accompany our book and further expand on the topics covered in this series, we’d recommend the following books and videos to you.

 
 

Fruit of the Spirit

Do you ever feel like there are two competing forces waging war within you as you try to follow Jesus? Do you ever feel a gap between what you want your discipleship to look like and the actual lived reality of your day-to-day life? 

Galatians 5 gives weight to this battle within us, telling us about these two competing forces with competing desires - the Spirit and the flesh. And the invitation for all of us as followers of Jesus is to crucify the flesh and cultivate the fruit.

This series will take nine weeks to walk through the Fruit of the Spirit we are called to cultivate, as we examine the life and teachings of Jesus and how the Fruit of the Spirit was evident in His life.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Love in a Time of Self-Interest

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Patience in a Time of Irritability

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Peace in a Time of Anxiety

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Kindness in a Time of Polarization

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Faithfulness in a Time of Compromise

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Goodness in a Time of Brokenness

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Gentleness in a Time of Harshness

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Joy in a Time of Cynicism

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: Self-Control in a time of Self-Fulfillment

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

In Christ

The terms “in Christ,” “in Him,” and “in the Lord”  are used in the New Testament over 150 times to describe what it means to be a Christian. For the biblical authors and the early church, this concept was foundational in understanding who we are with God and with others. So, what does it actually mean to be “in Christ”? 

For seven weeks, we will unpack this theological concept and its practical implications for our lives. As a church family, it’s our hope that as we do, we can further meditate on what Jesus has done for us and enjoy Him more.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Enjoying Our Union with Him

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: From In Adam to In Christ

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Adoption

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Imputed Righteousness

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Sanctification

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: New Creation

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Restored Honor

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

For this series, we want to focus on a particular tool to help us learn to follow Jesus more closely. Given that this series is helping us further meditate on what it means to be in Christ, our corporate practice is Gospel Fluency.

For those looking for additional reading to go along with our series we recommend checking out the following:

Stand-Alone | Easter 2022

Sermon by Adam Gibson on April 17.

Our church family spent Easter Sunday together celebrating our Risen Savior! Baptism videos from the Easter Gathering and this weeks LifeGroup Guide can be found below.

The Suffering Servant

Jesus comes to Earth as a king, unlike any other. He ushers in the rule and reign of God not by political power or might but servant-hearted love. Culminating on the cross, the servant-heart of Jesus is one of the defining features of His ministry. In the same way, those he calls to follow Him are to embody the same servant-minded way of living - full of compassion and self-sacrificial love - that signals God's coming kingdom far and wide.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: An Unexpected King

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Unexpected Compassion

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: An Unexpected Table

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Acts

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”

These were some of Jesus' very last words on Earth. And yet, a little over a week later, something happened. Jesus released His Spirit on the disciples who went out proclaiming everything Jesus did. This was the day The Church began.

You cannot tell the story of the early church without also telling the story of the person, work, and power of the Spirit of God. He's everywhere and on almost every page of Acts.

So as we start a new year, when many of us are slowly regathering and relearning exactly how and what it means to be and do church together, let's begin it the same way as it started with the early church. Together, let's embrace and get to know the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit that dwells with us to be with Jesus and do what Jesus did.

We hope that during this series, we experience afresh who the Spirit is and experience all the potential He can unleash in and through us when it comes to walking more closely with Jesus, including prayer, worship, and being on mission.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: The Mission of Acts

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Scripture Guide)

Week 2: The Spirit of Acts

(Sermon) (Transcript) (Scripture Guide)

Week 3: How to Start a Fire

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 4: The First Fruit of the Spirit

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 5: The Meaning of the Miracles

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 6: Spirit-Filled Witnesses

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 7: The Spirit and the Flesh

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 8: You’re Only as Healthy as Your Secrets

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 9: Condemned on Earth, Applauded in Heaven

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

Week 10: Following the Work of the Spirit

(Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)

What does it mean to be The Church? Simply put, it means that we are a people who are following Jesus together, making His name known. But before we can make known His name, we must first be empowered by His Spirit. So for the next 21 days, our church will be working through the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting Guide as we abide with Jesus, fast together, and seek deeper dependency on Him so that we might make Him known more in our lives and in our city.

To accompany our book and further expand on the topics covered in this series we’d recommend the following books and videos to you.

 
 

1 Timothy

We are studying the principles of 1 Timothy as we learn how we should live as the church and spread the gospel in Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC.

Jesus’ kingdom-sized vision is to go and make disciples - to teach others how to follow the way of Jesus in teaching and practice. As disciples are made and gathered together, the Church is formed. And that’s exactly what His followers did. Through making disciples and planting churches, the kingdom of God has been on the move for millennia and shows no signs of stopping. In the book of 1 Timothy, we zoom in on one of Jesus’ disciples equipping a new pastor on what the church is called to be and how to lead accordingly. In this series, we’ll take 12 weeks unpacking what is the church as we seek to be the called out people of God together.

1Timothy Sermon Banner.jpg

To help you worship at home, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Defend the Truth (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide) (Podcast)

Week 2: The Gospel vs. The Law (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Prayer and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Men, Women, and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Teaching, Authority, and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Leadership and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Some Will Fall Away (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Guard Your Life and Doctrine (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: Care for the Widows (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 10: Godly Elders and Spiritual Authority (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 11: Warnings to the Rich (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 12: Fight the Good Fight (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)

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As a church, we want to be people marked by God’s Word. For only in His Word do we find the death-defying, hope-giving good news of Jesus. In His Word, we see an invitation to a way of life that is overflowing with joy, peace, and love not only in the life to come but in the here and now.

Because of this, we want to put every effort into making us into Word-marked people. We do this by preaching the Bible on Sundays, bringing it into our lives throughout the week in our LifeGroups, and creating resources to help you abide with Jesus regularly.  

One of those resources is this 1 Timothy Bible Study Reading Plan. In this e-book, you’ll find the book broken down into smaller passages to help you slowly take in what we’re going through on Sundays. Along with that, we’ll be studying other passages in the Bible that connect with the bigger ideas in 1 Timothy throughout the week.

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We want to see God’s Spirit move, to push back spiritual darkness, and bring His Kingdom here in Columbia. In the Bible and in church history, we see the Spirit of God unleashed when God’s people wage war on their knees in prayer. To that end, as long as we physically can’t gather together, we’ll be gathering virtually to pray for our church, our city, and our world. We’ll pray Wednesdays at 8am for 30 minutes through the video conferencing platform Zoom.

These calls will be facilitated by Midtown leadership or prayer team members and will last for up to 30 minutes. To take part in this make sure to sign up below no later than 24 hours before the Zoom call that week. Once signed up, you will receive a link Tuesday evening to our call the next morning.  

In the meantime as we prepare our hearts to pray together, we invite you to do three things

1 - Get equipped. To help us see the power of regular intercessory prayer in our lives and the life of our church, read the article “Kingdom-centered Prayer” by Tim Keller.

2 - Abide. The more we are personally with Jesus through regular Bible reading and prayer, the more we can serve our family in prayer. If you don’t have regular time in the Bible or don’t know where to start, follow along in our 1 Timothy Bible Study Plan or go to our Abide page.

3 - Consider fasting. When we fast we are more empowered by God’s Spirit and our love for others increases (Luke 4:1, 14, Isaiah 58:6, John 4:34, Matt 4:4). So before coming together to pray, we ask you to consider what you might give up to get more of God. Examples can include forgoing food, alcohol, TV or anything else that “grips your soul” for 24 hours before meeting. To learn more about fasting, listen to our sermon, “Fighting with Fasting.”

If you have any questions, contact Jake Blair.

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“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” - 1 Timothy 2:1

When followers of Jesus pray for God’s kingdom to come, the Spirit answers. So as a church family, we will be praying in specific ways for each day of the week, as we ask Jesus to work in and through this series:

Monday

Pray for our church to be a “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Pray that we would defend and cling to right doctrine which would lead to right hearts that produce in us right love for God and for others. 

Tuesday

Pray for needs within our church right now - those in your LifeGroup or others - who are struggling. Pray that they would draw near to God in this season. 

Wednesday 

Pray for our church family to fight for spiritual health and maturity. Pray that we would all “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim 4:16) and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12).

Thursday

Pray for the leadership in our church - for the elders/pastors, coaches, LifeGroup leaders, directors and others who serve in various ministries. Pray that they would draw near to God and that he would sustain them with wisdom and joy as they lead.

Friday 

Pray for Citizens Church Charlotte. For all of the logistical details - jobs, housing, etc. For them to experience unity as a new church plant. Pray that the core team members would grow in their walks with the Lord and that people in Charlotte would come to know and love Jesus through Citizens Church.

Saturday

Pray for tomorrow’s Gathering - that whether we are together or apart, we would experience unity as a church family. Pray that we would be engaged with worship and the teaching of God’s Word. Pray that God would speak to us through conviction or encouragement.

Sunday

Pray for you and our church family to Sabbath well today. Pray that we take the time to stop our work, get physical rest, delight in God’s good gifts, and worship Jesus together.

As a church, we’re committed to providing you with helpful resources to better understand who Jesus is and how to live in light of that. The following titles were used for our current series. For more recommendations go to our Bookstore.

Church In A Plague

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If you take a quick scroll through Twitter or turn on the news for all of two minutes during this time, you might hear something like the phrase, “This is an unprecedented time in human history.” And in many ways what’s going on right now in our city, our country, and our world does feel that way. None of us have faced a global pandemic like this in our lifetime. Many of us are still trying to adjust to new normals and others of us are still trying to figure out what to think at all.

The reality is that we are not alone. During these and many other times throughout human history, the Church was faced with a decision that we as Christians face every day - How do we love God and love our neighbor in the place, time, and circumstance where we find ourselves? In light of the coronavirus, we continue to ask this question and see how we can still be the Church in a Plague.

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Week 1: Churches & Plagues (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 2: God’s People In A Pandemic (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 3: You Are A Mist (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

1 Corinthians | Part 2

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In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the brokenness within the church at Corinth and how only the good news of Jesus can bring us together.

As a church family, want this series to be an opportunity to celebrate all the goodness and beauty of the church while also being honest about the struggles and difficulties.

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To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Flee From Idolatry (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: 5 Meals that Changed the World (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Gospel-Centered Ethics (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Haircuts and Head-Coverings (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Build Up the Body in Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: No Seriously, Build Up the Body in Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: A Loving Community (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Supernaturally Life-Giving Words (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: Supernaturally Life-Giving Words Part 2 (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 10: Jesus’ Resurrection (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 11: Our Resurrection (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 12: Change the World with People You Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

1 Corinthians | Part 1

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In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the brokenness within the church at Corinth and how only the good news of Jesus can unify and restore. We want this series to be an opportunity to celebrate all the goodness and beauty of the church while also being honest about the struggle and difficulty of being the church.

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To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Dissonance Theory (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Unity Without Uniformity (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

 Week 3: Silly Church Kids (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Spirit-Led Maturity (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Build So You Don’t Get Burned (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Self-Forgetfulness (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Trustworthy Leaders (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Covenant Breaking and the Sin of Tolerance (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: Death by Drama (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

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3-Week Mini-series “Sex, Marriage, & Singleness”

Week 10: Nothing Is Just Physical, Especially Sex
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 11: Acting Out Your Wedding Vows
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 12: Different Paths of Devotion
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 13: The Demands of Love Pt. 1 (Sermons) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 14: The Demands of Love Pt. 2 (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

1800 Blanding Street

Columbia, SC