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All through the Bible walking is a metaphor for how a person lives. And in this passage the Apostle Paul shows us that how a person talks reveals how they’ve been walking.

Growing toward maturity is possible. Paul shows us that to get there, there’s two things that only God can do, and the third is only possible in a local church community.

Ken drove past a church in Denver that had a very intriguing name and wondered: are we missing something at CCLA? It turns out their religion answers all five of the questions every religion answers, and so did the worship of Artemis in ancient Ephesus. So why did people in Ephesus burn their scrolls and join the church? Three words in Paul’s letter say what’s missing in every kind of gathering other than Jesus’ Church.

A sign on a wall once told outsiders they’d die if they came any closer to God. Paul says that wall is gone. With a drawing of the temple to follow along, this sermon walks from “far away” to “brought near,” from two groups to one, and ends with the claim that God now lives in his church, including ours’ in Atwater Village.

Ephesians 2 says that’s all of us are born dead and therefore are far away from God, and then two words change everything: “But God.” A sermon on the love that doesn’t wait for us to become lovely, the cross that makes it possible, and the masterpiece God is painting out of people who came in looking like beasts.

You can know everything about someone and still not know them. Paul prays for a church that knows a lot about God and asks that they would know him. Why God can feel distant even when you’re doing everything right, where the heart’s “burning” comes from, and the surprising place Paul says we find Christ’s fullness: his body, the church.

Paul opens his letter to a city built around worshiping Artemis by praising the God who has already blessed his people. In Ephesians 1:3–14 we look at what those blessings are, what they cost, and why they can't be lost. It's the first week of our series Held Together.

In the final chapter of Joseph's story, we find a tapestry woven with threads of suffering, forgiveness, and ultimately, hope. As Jeffrey eloquently shares, Joseph's journey reflects our own struggles with pain and the questions that arise when we face adversity.

As we reflect on Joseph’s story, we are reminded of the complexities of familial relationships, the power of forgiveness, and the divine orchestration in our lives. This retelling not only serves as a lesson in patience and growth but also as an invitation to consider our own journeys of reconciliation.

We find Joseph stuck in prison and after helping out the Pharaoh’s cupbearer, he’s forgotten. Year’s later he’s remembered and God uses Joseph to save an entire nation from famine.

In Genesis 39 Joseph hits the lowest of lows, yet he somehow remains faithful to God.

The story of Joseph begins with a favorite son who is betrayed by his brothers.

In Daniel chapter 12, we learn about a time of unprecedented distress, yet a promise of deliverance emerges for those whose names are written in the book. This assurance underscores the message that we are never abandoned, even when it seems like all hope is lost.

Daniel chapters 10 and 11 contrast two ways to get an identity for yourself. One is exhausting, the other is surprising.

In Daniel 9 we meet Daniel once again where life hasn’t gone as he would have planned. His response is to pray but he doesn’t start where we think he might. He doesn’t start with a list of his problems. He starts with praise and that shapes everything about his prayer.