In the summer of 2021, we took a look at different hot topics from a biblical worldview. Below are sermons, resources and two panels where we answered questions and took a deeper dive into these topics.
WEEK ONE: SUCCESS
Isn’t it normal to want to be successful and get ahead in life? Yet, the truth is, the success worldview is a powerful intoxicant that can easily infiltrate our lives and begin to influence us - oftentimes without us even recognizing it. It is so subtle, yet so pervasive. And it promises all sorts of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. But does it really deliver on what it promises? Could success be more than all we possess, attain, achieve or pursue?
- Watch our message on "Success" here
- Read & reflect on Luke 12: 13-21
- For continued learning, read Mark 10: 17-31
WEEK TWO: FREEDOM
Freedom is the most deeply held American value and perhaps one of the last moral absolutes in the West. Unquestionably, individual freedom has done incalculable good in our society, leading the way for civil rights among minorities and women. But does the modern view of freedom as a completely independent, autonomous individual truly bring human flourishing?
- Watch our message on "Freedom" here
- Read & reflect on John 8:31-36, Mark 8:35
- For continued learning, read "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self" by Carl R. Trueman
WEEK THREE: POWER
How do you view power? Is power good, bad or is it morally neutral? Should we seek power? What has been your experience with “people of power?” Although many of us are skeptical of people in positions of power, don’t all of us have some kind of power? The baby who wakes the sleeping parent in the middle of the night has power. The celebrity athlete has physical power, but he or she also has a level of social power and cultural influence. We live in a world that is full of power structures and power plays. How does God call us to wield the power we have been given?
- Watch our message on "Power" here
- Read & reflect on John 19:4-16
WEEK FOUR: FAMILY
“Family” can be a touchy word. We all have different backgrounds, different experiences, and different perspectives. Regardless of our differing stories, however, there is a common question that we’ve all asked in one form or another. We all want to know: Who are my people?
- Watch our message on "Family" here
- Read & reflect on Mark 3: 20-21, 31-35
WEEK FIVE: MEDIA
It’s not a stretch to say that social media has completely transformed how we interact with one another. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are among the fastest growing forms of how we communicate. However, what started as a fun way to reconnect with old classmates, share vacation photos, check out the latest memes and watch funny cat videos, has now become a political and ideological football that regularly gets spiked in the face of others. It’s not so much the disagreements that social media content often creates, rather it’s the impersonal, dehumanizing, shoot-from-a-distance platform that has made sharing meaningful content practically impossible. What was originally intended to bring us together seems to just perpetuate fear, frustration, conspiracy theories and confusion. As Christians living in an ever-increasing secular world, how do we form a Biblical worldview when it comes to social media?
- Watch our message on "Media" here
- Read & reflect on Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-12
WEEK SIX: JUSTICE
2020 was a crazy year. A global pandemic, politics and uncertainty about the future weighed on everyone across the globe. But during the summer, race and issues of justice took center stage as protests and riots happened in major cities all over the world. What is the church’s role in the race and justice conversation? How do the scriptures inform us on one of today’s most volatile and sensitive subjects? Is there a way for us to fulfill our mission of having a church that is making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus that are from every walk of life, from here to the nations?
- Watch our message on "Justice" here
- Read & reflect on James 1:1-12
- Suggested reading list:
- Where Do We Go From Here - MLK, jr.
- Strength To Love - MLK, jr.
- The Color Of Compromise - Jemar Tisby
- Woke Church - Eric Mason
- Narrative Life of Frederick Douglas
- Rediscipling the White Church - David Swanson
- White Awake - Daniel Hill
- Let Justice Roll Down - John Perkins
- With Justice For All - John Perkins