Resources

At times, life can seem overwhelming! Though Psalm 16 isn't a Mother's Day psalm, there are lots of applications to motherhood. Every one of us, including moms, can find fresh hope as we rediscover that God is a refuge, even in life's most difficult moments. Psalm 16 is a good reminder that: we are surrounded by holy people in progress, being shaped by His grace; God has an amazing inheritance for us, offering Himself to us fully; and His word guards and guides us, bringing clarity in confusion. Most importantly, when we entrust ourselves to Jesus, we are trusting in a resurrected Messiah who walks with us through every trial and who promises eternal life.

God is truly magnificent, and the majesty of His Creation is meant to leave us in awe as it points us to Him. From the the wonder of stars and galaxies to the voices of tiny children, all Creation testifies to the greatness of God. In the vastness of it all, we may wonder why God would give such dignity to humans, and Psalm 8 poses this same question. And it's in this question that God speaks prophetically about one "son of man" in particular, who the New Testament reveals to be Jesus. In Him, we discover our own dignity as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.

Psalm 2 describes the nations raging against God. God is not nervous or in the least bit intimidated by this, but instead ... He laughs! God is truly sovereign and when we stand with him we can have confidence. All the sovereign power and glory the Father has He has promised to Jesus His Son, and part of that promise includes the nations of the earth. All nations are invited, and wise, to draw near in reverence and awe to "kiss the Son." We too are invited into the joy of living under the reign of Jesus the Messiah, the King of the Nations.

Is Jesus really the one? Is He the promised Messiah, and did He really rise from the dead? Maybe most importantly, is there really hope promised to us in His name? People are still asking these questions today, and for Jesus' first followers, they took some convincing of the answers! In Luke 24 we revisit the resurrection story, and discover how Jesus reveals Himself through relationship and through the Scriptures themselves. It was important to Him that His disciples' hope in Him was rooted not only in their experiences - as important as those are! - but also in the foundation of the prophetic Scriptures.

Jesus had been determined to go to Jerusalem. He had also been predicting his coming death and resurrection, and though no one seemed to understand what he meant, his purpose was clear. As Jesus now rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, the crowds cry, "Peace...!" but the peace he is bringing will look so different than any of them could imagine. His peace will extend to every nation, tribe, people, and language, and it will come through a cross.

What do we mean when we say we willingly receive and actively pursue relationship with recognized apostolic and prophetic ministries? What is the role of these foundational gifts in the twenty-first century church? We tackle these questions and more in the final session of Core.

Over time, healthy families... grow! A church that is embracing biblical core values can expect God to keep adding to them. Our God, who 'moved into our neighborhood,' for our benefit helps us to understand that we our local church exists both for the good of one another and for those who are not here yet. We all have a significant role to play as we partner in God's mission in the earth "to seek and save the lost," and that means asking some important questions: "Where has God positioned us?" "Where is He positioning us now?" The answers to questions like these will help us embrace the growth God brings and the multiplication God initiates.

Our God very generous! His generous grace awakens generosity in our own hearts, too. This frees our hearts from possessiveness and fear, transforms our priorities, and is a significant part of becoming more like Jesus. God's kingdom is a generous one and it is advancing through His generous people. 

Is God worthy of our worship and praise? If so, how can help lead our hearts into genuine worship of Him in times where we may not feel particularly worshipful? Learning how to lead our hearts according to the gospel rather than to be led around by how we feel in a particular moment is an important part of our discipleship. Learning to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) are part of that process. As we explore our value of being 'a worshiping people,' we talk about the choice to engage our minds, mouths, and even our physical bodies in praising God, and the promise that accompanies Christ's invitation to do this.

What does it mean to be a charismatic church? It isn't about music style or hands-in-the-air expression; it's so much more than that! It means embracing the gifts of God among us, enjoying fellowship in the Spirit together, and functioning in the many gifts He gives. When we embrace this as a family we will not only enjoy and be refreshed, but also stand in awe of God's presence among us as He refreshes others through us.

God sets the lonely into families. In Christ, we are adopted, not into an 'organization,' but as sons and daughters, as brothers and sisters of Jesus. Embracing healthy local church family includes learning a lifestyle that prioritizes fellowship together, loving one another, one another's success, and enjoying real life together. The early church grasped something wonderful about practicing our faith as a family, not only in more formal gatherings, but also throughout the week. They became living evidence to the world around them of God's amazing love. Imagine what God will do today in a church family who embraces one another like this!

When Jesus is preparing for the cross, the resurrection, and then to ascend to His Father's side He tells the disciples that it will be for their advantage for him to go away. This must seem very hard to understand for them, and still is for many today! He commissions them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and then says... "Wait!" The Holy Spirit is coming, and this - He - is the big advantage. They will receive power to be effective witnesses, enabled to communicate to their own culture and to the cultures of the world through the life-giving, refreshing, infilling of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is both a Spirit of mission and fresh, living water for our own thirsty souls! Every follower of Jesus is meant to come to Him and drink deeply of the Holy Spirit, finding relational effectiveness for powerful ministry. In Part 6 of our Core series, we explore these foundational truths, including the New Testament pattern of people receiving the Spirit.

On the day of Pentecost, when thousands of people believe the message of the gospel, immediately Peter and the other apostles encourage baptism in water as part of their immediate response. What is it about water baptism that is so important, and what does it mean to be immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? And how long should a new follower of Jesus wait to be baptized? Acts 2, Matthew 28, and Romans 6 help answer these questions and more regarding this Core Value of being baptized in water.

As Christians, it's vital that we understand this truth: our relationship with God is not based on our works, but in the finished work of Christ. Through faith in Jesus and what He has accomplished on our behalf, His righteousness becomes our righteousness. God chose freely before we were ever born to send His son to do this for us. God Himself chose to give us this life-transforming gift of grace! As we continually embrace Him, our lives will become more and more a reflection of His amazing grace.

When Jesus taught the disciples  what we often refer to as 'The Lord's Prayer' He wasn't just giving them lines to recite but a relational strategy for life-giving prayer. Prayer is an effective, powerful practice, and it's important for every disciple of Jesus to learn the disciplines that foster sustainable, effective prayer. Like the early church we discover in the Book of Acts - a people regularly under pressure, persecution, and various pressures of life - we can become a praying people that sees God move in our day!

Over the course of history many have dedicated their lives and even sacrificed their lives to translate and produce copies of the Bible so that people can access the Scriptures for themselves. What is it about this book that has caused people to give their lives to make it's words available to others? Within the Bible we have God's instruction about Himself, about us, and about how we are to live our lives. Psalm 119 describes it as "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." This is why "we purpose to learn, to instruct, and to submit ourselves to the teachings of the Bible as our first and final authority."

God instructs and enables us as His people to be fruitful and multiply. And if growth means anything, it means... change! And transformative change is built right into the Big Vision and blessing of God. He brings people from all walks of life together through Christ for a new purpose. The people of God are gathered to shape, change, and bless neighborhoods, cities, and even entire nations. According to God's good plan, His church is helping others become all that God has designed them to be. 

God is pleased to share His joy with us! When Jesus is born into the world, there is much purpose behind such joyful news, and Jesus Himself will later announce the "Why" behind His coming. The birth of Jesus is the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, and we have reason to join the celebration!

Real love is costly, isn't it! God's love for us, the kind of love that gives and invests, is being revealed in Matthew's account of the Christmas story. When Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant, his plan is to divorce her. God changes his plan with the kind of love that changes the world! What kind of love is this? A merciful love; a love that communicates and includes; a love that protects and invests; the kind of love that is present and with us always. As it is in Mary and Joseph's complicated life situation, God's love is still all of these things for us today.

Did Jesus come to bring peace? Absolutely, but not in the way that the people of His time were expecting. Jesus brings a peace that includes reconciliation, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and favor. As He brings salvation to us in these ways, He also challenges us to partner with Him, extending them to others as well. Christ came to serve and die for "us," and also for "them." Through Christ, we are made one, an amazing gift so desperately needed in our world!

The prophecies of the coming Messiah were well-known to the Jewish people, stirring hope in hearts living in captivity. Yet, when the angel Gabriel first bings news of practical, tangible hope that sets up the coming of the Messiah, Zechariah is not quite ready to believe it. Six months later, Gabriel brings word to Mary that the long-hoped-for Messiah is going to come through her, and she responds differently. Hope is coming, and hope has a name: Jesus. The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Son of David, and Son of the Most High God - these are being fully revealed in Jesus Christ, who brings us a forever hope!

Even with the living water of God, drought still comes here on this earth. Famine and floods still bring hard times. But when these times come that is the time to stay near the river of God. He has blessing for those who root themselves into His faithfulness and depend on the life that comes from Him. The life that He brings will not fade or wither.

The story of Boaz and Ruth is a bit of a Hallmark love story, isn't it! Yet, right at the end we get the reference to Judah and Tamar, a story of a whole different kind: deceit, manipulation, and sexual immorality. Both of these ancestors of Boaz's family brought a level of "crazy" into the family tree, and yet this is the family of tree of none other than King David... and King Jesus! Our own family history - or present! - is no barrier to the blessing and redemption that God is able to bring. Like Judah and Tamar, we too can be forgiven and our stories redeemed.

Everywhere the River of God flows, even through desert regions and the farthest reaches of places long dead, there will be new life! Jesus Himself gives this living water that brings His life to the world. The Gospels of Luke and John both tell stories of Jesus directing fishermen to cast their nets into the water. Though these fishermen had been unsuccessful after much labor, after following Jesus' instruction their nets were full to overflowing. Where Jesus is, He brings life! When that life draws its nourishment from Him, it continues to flourish and does not fade. Our lives can be like this!

Life can flourish close to the river, so throughout history, settlements and major cities have tended to establish along rivers or estuaries. In Ezekiel 47, we see the river of God flowing from His presence out into the world. What begins as a trickle builds momentum, depth, and width: from ankle deep to knee deep, then continues to grow, from waist-high to "deep enough to swim in", and we are swept up in His purpose. Every step of the way is an invitation to us to follow along, test out, and wade into the river of God's presence and purpose in the earth. And everywhere that river goes, life can flourish!