It can be so hard for us to think that God could ever really understand us. He’s just so … different than us. But if we look at the story of Jesus, this account of God taking on human form, and see the kinds of heartbreak that He endured in His wild adventure to love and rescue us, we’ll begin to see that He really does get us, that He really does walk with us in our pain. He gets us, and He’s for us.

#HeGetsUs #Heartbreak #Resolved

Jesus’s life shows us his intentions for all people. Through his actions, he demonstrated radical inclusion across a variety of backgrounds and cultures. In those places where we can so easily draw lines, build walls, and create barriers between ourselves and others, Jesus lived a life inviting others into His own. What would our lives be like if we did the same?

#HeGetsUs #TheRebel #Resolved

Jesus has gotten a bad wrap, and - if Christians were really honest - we’d admit that often that’s our fault. The Jesus we discover in the Bible was one who humbly walked through the same kinds of struggles that we do, and He still spoke and did love. And because He struggled like we do, we can be sure that He gets us in the midst of our struggles, too.

#HeGetsUs #TheStruggle #Resolved

If we’re really going to be a place where people encounter Jesus and where we help them live Jesus-centered lives, we need to do more than affirm or agree with where we’re headed ... we need to make our declared values actualized values. We can’t only well-wish those around us … we need to be those who DO the hard work of loving others and putting them before ourselves.

#NewYearsRevolution #MoreThanThoughtsAndPrayers #Resolved

Over the many years that the Christian faith has existed, there has been discussion about what that faith entails. And part of that is understanding a dual nature of this religious expression & experience - that is, is our faith primarily an individual or a corporate (group) reality. The truth is that it is not a binary choice, but rather a beautiful synergism of the two. But one thing it is not (and this can be difficult for us in our Western culture) is private (secret or hidden).

#NewYearsRevolution #TheMEinWE #Resolved

All of what we do as a church family is focused on this big idea: helping people live Jesus-centered lives. But what does that mean? At it’s core, it requires both an understanding of who Jesus is & what He did AND an understanding of how we fit into that beautiful narrative. And when we understand that this story - this GOSPEL - impacts every area of our lives, we begin to see the revolution it will produce in the deep places of who we are.

#NewYearsRevolution #TheGospelOrBust #Resolved

Music is a nearly universal language. It communicates in a way that transcends words, and we build soundtracks for our lives in an almost unconscious way, creating a backdrop for who we are. Let's rewind our church's 2022 "soundtrack" as we start 2023. To really understand where we're headed, we have to understand where we've been. Our past shapes and guides and informs both who we are today and who we will become. It doesn't define us, but it's an important piece of our identity.

#Rewind #ChurchPlaylist #2022 #2023

So often, when we think of peace, we imagine the lack of war or strife. And while this is true, as we look through the pages of Scripture, we discover that it is something deeper and richer than this. In fact, the coming of Jesus 2000 years ago on that first Christmas night was declared to be the very coming of peace to the world.

#SacredWords #Peace #Christmas

One of the most prolific words in the English language is love. It is at the same time both theologically deep & rich and quite culturally confused. Understanding it can radically change how we view ourselves, others, and the world we live in. Misunderstanding it can bring a host of issues into our lives and into the lives of those around us. At Christmas, we’re told that love - true love - burst into our world as a humble baby. If we orient our lives around what that means, nothing will be the same.

#SacredWords #Love #Christmas

In the US Declaration of Independence, we read the belief that all people have the right to “the pursuit of happiness” among other things. While not a legally binding decree, it lays the basis for why the United States were created and what is dear to her people. However, it is this very pursuit of happiness that has led many in a futile quest to always BE happy, leaving them crushed when it doesn’t happen how they anticipate it. In God’s economy, there seems to be a different (though related!) pursuit that can lead to a much better human experience - joy. And understanding what joy is and what nurtures it can make all the difference to each of us.

#SacredWords #Joy #Christmas

Faith is a word many of us use in a variety of situations. But there is a special kind of faith that the Bible talks about, a faith that changes eternities and brings light into dark places. And Christmas is the catalyst for that faith in ways that defy desciption.

#SacredWords #Faith #Christmas

What does it mean to hope? What is it based on? Can we trust it? It all depends on who (or what!) we’re depending on to bring it about, and the Bible is clear that we can all have hope for today and tomorrow with complete confidence if we know the One who can be counted on - JESUS.

#SacredWords #Hope #Christmas

Even if I’ve responded to God’s grace with gratitude, and even a gratitude that leads me to be overflowing with generosity, there’s still a hurdle left. If I’m truly grateful, I will share the story that God has given me with celebration.

#gratitude #GratitudeCelebratesTheStory #THANKFULisMOREthanSAYINGthanks

Generosity is something that flows out of a deep well - a vast reservoir that can be tapped again and again. Unfortunately, we often believe that well is filled with stuff. Rather, the most generous people have learned that it is a well of gratitude for all that we have (however much that is!) instead of being filled with resources.

#gratitude #GratitudeThatLeadsToGenerosity #THANKFULisMOREthanSAYINGthanks

Gratitude is one of the simplest, most basic things that we try to instill into our children’s lives … and yet it is often the most elusive. While it is a simple enough idea (showing thanks for what’s been done for / given to us), it remains one of the most deficient in our responses to life. And what can it mean to have a gratitude that transcends the difficulties that we all face? That is a game-changer.

#gratitude #RespondingToGrace #THANKFULisMOREthanSAYINGthanks

For two months, we’ve looked at the words Jesus had for seven real-world churches in the first century, words of affirmation, of challenge, and of call-to-action. But those words were more than simply a story to remember of days-gone-by. And Jesus has words for us. Today. Here-and-now. Are we ready to listen?

#Seven #MoreThanAStory #Ephrata #RememberMe

Some might argue that the worst way to drink coffee is lukewarm … not hot, not cold, just a tepid average of the two. Some might also say that the worst place we can be in our faith is in between hot and cold, neither invested nor indifferent. What do you think God would have to say to a group of people claiming to be His people and yet living this lukewarm way?

#Seven #TheApatheticChurch #Laodecia #Lukewarm

We all get bad news - that’s just life. And sometimes, we get bad news about ourselves, or at least what someone thinks is bad about us. But what about those times when someone tells you that you’re doing great and that they’ve got your back? What would it be like if God said that to you?

#Seven #TheEnduringChurch #Philadelphia #BrotherlyLove