Message Archives
Everyone loves a good story. Stories capture the attention of both children and adults. Stories convey meaning in a way that mere definitions and explanations cannot. Through Jesus’ ministry, he used a particular type of story, a parable, to describe the kingdom of God to his audience. Two thousand years later, these word-pictures haven’t lost any of their power to evoke a response. Join us each week as we examine these powerful illustrations of truth.
In every generation, the people of God have reached for this book of songs as an aid in conversation with God–and with good reason. These ancient songwriters withhold no emotion from their lyrics, conveying the raw spirituality of real faith and prayer. The Psalms invite us to read them from wherever we are–candid or cautious, at the edge of despair or on the brink of joy. May you open your heart to these inspired songs, as they reveal the heart of mankind and the nature of the personal God with whom we can share real life dialogue.
For two thousand years, disciples of Jesus have prayed the Lord’s Prayer. But how many of us understand what we pray? Do we grasp the claim these words have on our hearts and our lives? In this series, we’ll take a closer look at this revolutionary prayer and invite God to Teach Us to Pray.
The Bible is filled with the accounts of men and women whose lives made an imprint on our world. Some loved God; some raged against him. But no one lived like King David. In spite of obscurity, peril, triumph–and even sin, God describes him as “a man after his own heart.” David wasn’t perfect, but at his core he shared the purposes and passions of God. In this series, we’ll examine his unique relationship with his Lord, and discover for ourselves what it means to Chase After God.
There is nothing ordinary about an encounter with Jesus. When you encounter him, you cannot help but be challenged. You cannot help but change. Because when you encounter Jesus, you come face-to-face with the God of the universe. In this series we’ll examine some of the personal encounters from the gospel narratives where we’ll see lives revolutionized.
God speaks in many ways… Sometimes he uses Hollywood. This message series challenges us to allow God to speak into our lives with the help of some of our favorite movies. So help yourself to some popcorn during the service and open your heart for God to talk to you in a unique way.
Ekklesia is a study of the letters to the seven churches of Asia found in Revelation 2 & 3. These letters from Christ to his bride – the church – reveal who he wants us to be as we await his return.
Frogs, locusts, a wall of sea water and a fiery bush that talks? The events of the book of Exodus are stunning examples of God intervening in history. But God’s actions in the book of Exodus were also his revelation of himself to his people and to the whole world. Join us each week as we take a close look at the God who revealed himself in the Exodus.
In this series, we’ll examine the Farewell Discourses of Jesus found in chapters 13-17 of the Gospel of John. These are the final teachings Jesus offered to his closest followers before his crucifixion. His words are some of the most intimate and chall enging words found in the Scriptures–and some of the most relevant to our lives today.
Who is God? Most of us underestimate the significance of that question. However, your beliefs about God shape who you are–your attitudes, your affections, your actions. In this series about the character of God, we examine how God revelas himself through the pages of the Bible and discover how his revelation impacts our everyday lives.
God speaks in many ways… Sometimes he uses Hollywood. This message series challenges us to allow God to speak into our lives with the help of some of our favorite movies. So help yourself to some popcorn during the service and open your heart for God to talk to you in a unique way.
“ONE LIFE TO LIVE” – Stranger Than Fiction, “DEJA VU” – Groundhog Day, “OUR MESSY WORLD” – Dreamgirls, “SELECTIVE HEARING” – Evan Almighty, “EXTRA GRACE REQUIRED” – What About Bob?, “CATCH & RELEASE” – Spider-Man 3
What if you could share every moment of your life with God? In this series on prayer, we’ll discuss how we can become more & more aware of God and his presence in our everyday lives.
What if you could share every moment of your life with God? In this series on prayer, we’ll discuss how we can become more & more aware of God and his presence in our everyday lives.
Everyone loves a good story. Stories capture the attention of both children and adults. Stories convey meaning in a way that mere definitions and explanations cannot. Through Jesus’ ministry, he used a particular type of story–a parable–to describe the kingdom of God to his audience. Two thousand years later, these word-pictures haven’t lost any of their power to evoke a response. Join us each week as we examine these powerful illustrations of truth.
The road of life is filled with adventure, twists and turns, and breath-taking scenery. And this road often leads us on unexpected detours–adversity, failure, even success–that cause us to question who’s behind the wheel. As we examine the life of Joseph, we’ll see that even when we can’t see him, God is with us on the road trip. In fact, he’s in the driver’s seat.
Where do you expect to sense God’s presence? We assume we’ll find God in church. We assume we’ll see God in the beauty of creation. But can we see hints of his presence in darkness, uncertainty or even scandal? The Christmas Story from the New Testament subtly reminds us that God can show up in unexpected places.
So many people look for God but cannot see him past the obstacles of their questions. Do you have trouble reconciling the reality of the God of the Bible with your observations of life? In this series, we’ll consider some tough questions about God and life that require honest answers.
God speaks in many ways… Sometimes he uses Hollywood. This message series challenges us to allow God to speak into our lives with the help of some of our favorite movies. So help yourself to some popcorn during the service and open your heart for God to talk to you in a unique way.
“MY SPACE” – Napoleon Dynamite, “WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?” – A Beautiful Mind, “IS IT WORTH IT?” – Spider-Man 2, “A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION” – Bruce Almighty, “WOULDA, SHOULDA, COULDA” – Walk the Line, “INCONCEIVABLE!” – The Princess Bride
In this series, we’ll examine the stories of women from the Bible whose behavior would embarrass even the most desperate housewife! Each week, we’ll discover what can be learned from their poor choices. But don’t forget that their stories also give us an opportunity to learn something about who God is and how he interacts with us.
The world would be a better place if Christ-followers all lived life as Jesus lived. The church would be an attractive, powerful force on the earth, and would draw people by the droves. Even on a local level, Capital could change this city if our people all learned the secret of living like Jesus.
But that’s just the problem… We can’t. We read the passage in Matthew 5 where Jesus tells us to be perfect as his Father is perfect–but we’re not. We read Paul’s admonitions to walk in the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit–but we don’t. And it’s not for lack of trying. Most followers of Jesus really want to be the people he’s called us to be. We do our best, but we consistently find that our best isn’t good enough. So over the centuries, Christians have developed a theology of excuse that says, “We’ll never be perfect. We have to wait for heaven.” While that may be true in many ways, it has served to prevent us from seeing the reality of the life that Jesus has for us TODAY.
Can I really become a better person? Can I really stop being so selfish? Can I really learn to love my enemies? Can I really live life the way Jesus did?
In Chasing Wind, we examine the hard, sometimes contradictory reality presented in the book of Ecclesiastes. At first glance, the pessimism and paradox of Ecclesiastes doesn’t fit well into our preconceptions of what life should be like for God’s people. But as we consider the author’s observations of life, we can actually find meaning in futility and joy in a complex world that isn’t always fair.
