Topics the Church Should Care About: Immigration

/

Immigration is a contentious and complicated issue today, but it’s one that we can’t avoid studying. What do the Scriptures say about immigration and immigrants? We’ll look to both the Old and New Testaments to find principles for us to apply to our lives today.

  • Scriptures Used: Ephesians 2:11-22; Matthew 2:13-23

Meaningful conversation starters:

  1. What preconceptions do you bring when it comes to immigration, and how do those align with the commands we find in the Old Testament?

  2. What are some practical ways that you could potentially get involved with understanding and showing hospitality to “strangers and foreigners”?

Topics the Church Should Care About: Race

/

What does preaching against racism have to do with the gospel? Everything. The biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration offers us a guide to explore history, examine the present, and build hope for the future in terms of dismantling racism and pursuing God’s multi-ethnic Kingdom together. 

  • Scriptures Used: Luke 4:16-21, Ephesians 2:11-22

Topics the Church Should Care About: Creation Care

/

God created the earth as good and assigned his human creations the job of “tending the garden.” As with everything else, mankind botched that task, and as a result nature is corrupted. But as followers of Jesus, we are called to witness by returning to our original calling: using the earth’s resources wisely and generously for good, and restoring the broken world to beauty where we can, in practical ways.

  • Scriptures Used: Genesis 1:24-31, 2:15-22; Luke 12:22-34

Meaningful discussion points:

  1. What is one creation care practice you can start (or restart) this week? 2. What is a natural setting in your local area that causes you to be in awe at God’s creative beauty and to worship him? Plan some time to get away to this spot and spend some time in prayer.

Three Critical Components of the Christian Life

/

What is essential for the Church, and for followers of Christ? These three: worship, discipleship and mission -- can repeatedly be found in Scripture as central to the Church and for the Christian walk. Join us as we look at two passages of Scripture that expound upon these three critical components of the Christian life.

  • Scriptures Used: John 7:37-38; Luke 8:26-39

The Psalms: God's Language for Calling Out our Souls - Psalm 119 - A Heart for the Word

/

The Word/Law is more than “information” - it is “formation” as we meditate on the Word and let it shape us. We have a tendency to read the Bible for information rather than for formation.  God invites us to obey him through his Word, as a response to his love for us.  

  • Scriptures Used: Ps 119: 41-44, 97-112, John 1:1-5, 14

Be Angry and Do Not Sin - The Imprecatory Psalms

/

The "imprecatory" psalms - the psalms of anger against injustice - are rarely read or preached on in church. This is unfortunate because they are a gift: Spirit-inspired words to voice righteous indignation about the very real evils in the world. Paul calls on us to be truthful -- to "BE ANGRY, and do not sin." These psalms allow us to do this, with humility (recognizing our own sinfulness), and to give our anger to God to handle it in his way and his time.

  • Scriptures Used: Psalm 58 and Romans 12:14-21

The Psalms: God’s Language for Calling Out our Souls - Psalm 1:1-6

/

The Psalms were the official hymnbook of God’s people for over 1500 years. Today, they provide language that take us where we would not (and perhaps could not) go -- giving us new reasons to be thankful, to praise, to have faith in trials, to lament and to pray against injustice and oppression. They are God’s language for calling out our souls.

  • Scriptures used: Psalm 1:1-6; Matthew 7:12-29