Sermon by Jon Ludovina on October 27, 2024.
Last week, we taught that Jesus is our perfect priest, tabernacle, and sacrifice. In light of that, this week in Hebrews 10, the author says how to put that into practice. How do we help each other persevere and keep one another from falling away?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on October 20, 2024.
This week, we look at one of the most foundational concepts in the Old Testament: the temple, the priests, and the sacrifice. While these might sound strange and foreign in our present-day culture, we'll learn why they matter to us and what they tell us about following Jesus.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on October 13, 2024.
This week, we look at Hebrews 3:7-19 which includes a repeated call from an Old Testament story: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." What is the nature of that rebellion, and how is hardening your heart spiritually dangerous? How can we guard our hearts from the deceitfulness of sin?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on October 6, 2024.
This week, we look at Hebrews 3. In this chapter, the author focuses on one of the most towering figures of the Old Testament, Moses, and how, as great as he is, he ultimately falls short. So how is Jesus better than Moses, and what does this mean for us as followers of Jesus?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on September 29, 2024.
We began our new series last week discussing how Hebrews cites hundreds of Old Testament stories, characters, and ideas that all culminate in the person of Jesus. This week, as we look at Hebrews 1-2, the author cites an Old Testament concept that, although it may be foreign to us, is profoundly significant to understanding who Jesus is.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on September 22, 2024.
Near the tail end of our Year of Biblical Literacy, we come to the rich, dense book of Hebrews. It’s full of callbacks and history, threads pulled from all across the Old Testament. The author assumes intimate knowledge of the old covenant –the sacrificial system, the tabernacle, the promised land–and then shows that they were incomplete, only “copies and shadows.”
Each is an arrow pointing to Christ, who himself becomes the mediator of the new covenant–the perfect high priest, the meeting place between God and man, the source of eternal rest for those united to him.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on September 15, 2024.
This week, we look at Mark 9:33-37 and how Jesus redefines greatness for his disciples. So, what does being great in the kingdom of God look like, and how can we experience that now?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on September 8, 2024.
This week focuses on the story of the rich young ruler from Luke 18:18-29 and how he, though he had nearly everything in this life, couldn’t experience Jesus’ kingdom. So what might be keeping you from experiencing Jesus’ kingdom? What idols might have their hold on you?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on September 1, 2024.
Jesus’ teaching ministry is summed up in one word: repentance. This week, we look at how this applies to our church family. For example, what happens when people following Jesus sin against each other? What does repentance look like, then? How can we, as part of God’s kingdom, move forward if we’re stuck in bitterness and resentment?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Adam Gibson on August 25, 2024.
Last week, we talked about repentance. In many ways, repentance opens the door to becoming the beautiful person you ought to be because repentance makes us right with God and allows these words spoken over Jesus to be spoken over us: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Adam Gibson on August 18, 2024.
How would you summarize Jesus’ teachings? Depending on who you ask, you’re likely to get different answers. However, Jesus’ summary statement is actually one of his first statements in the Gospels: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In other words, Jesus’ life and teachings are all about ushering in God’s loving rule and reign on Earth as it is in Heaven. So what might His kingdom look like in our city, and how do we faithfully follow Him in our time and place?
Join us for five weeks as we examine Jesus’ teachings and consider how we can experience more of His kingdom in Columbia as it is in Heaven.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Chet Phillips on August 6, 2023.
In our final week of the series, we look at Luke 11:37-44, Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees. In their time and place, the Pharisees were considered good guys. And yet, Jesus says their hearts are far from him. So what does Jesus have to say to us in this encounter?
Sermon by Brandon Clements on July 30, 2023.
This week we look at Matthew 19:27-20:16, where Peter essentially asks Jesus, “Is following you truly worth it?” This is a question we may have asked at some point in our journey of faith. We can easily play the comparison game, or we go through a season of suffering, or life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would. So what does Jesus have to say to us?
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on July 23, 2023.
This week we look at John 11, where Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their grief over their brother Lazarus’ death. So how does Jesus meet them in their pain, and how does Jesus meet us in ours?
Sermon by Michael Bailey on July 16, 2023.
This week we look at John 20, where Jesus encounters Thomas. In this passage, Thomas doubts Jesus' resurrection, and Jesus meets him in his doubt. So what does this passage mean for us when we wrestle with doubt?
Sermon by Jake Blair on July 9, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 18:15-17, where Jesus encounters little children. The disciples meet the children as though they’re an obstacle to Jesus’ mission, but Jesus says the Kingdom belongs to them. So what does Jesus mean by that, and what does that mean for us?
Sermon by Garrison Weiner on July 2, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 5:12-14 where Jesus meets a leper. Lepers at that time were the literal embodiment of an outcast. So how does Jesus interact with him, and how does Jesus meet us in our shame?
Sermon by Adam Gibson on June 25, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 19:1-10 where we meet Zacchaeus, a man who made himself rich by taking advantage of others. So what happens when he encounters King Jesus? And what does Jesus have to say to us through a story like this?
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.
Sermon by Jake Blair on June 11, 2023.
As Paul concludes his letter, he focuses on prayer. Far from being a last-minute add-on, prayer is critical in seeing Heaven come down to Earth. Prayer draws us into the heart of God and sends us out in the power of God.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 9
“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.
“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.”
“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.
