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The world is quickly moving in the direction of Artificial Everything. It is a world growing more synthetic by the day (even by the hour). We often don't even recognize what is real and what is fake anymore. The world of our work (labor) is changing rapidly. Mental health is declining at historically high rates. Truth itself now seems to be negotiable (my truth vs. your truth). The church is needed. It has faced difficult seasons throughout human history. We know that our hope is in this: God wins. We need to fully understand the purpose of the church (by Jesus’ definition, not anyone else’s). We need to fully understand what it means to be loved by God and what it means to love one another as Jesus loved us.

This week we are continuing our study of “Things We Don’t Talk About,” with a topic that for many is equally challenging if not more so than our previous topic of sexuality: Money. It is often said that Jesus spoke more about money than any other subject in the Bible. While the validity of that statement might be up for debate, the reality is that Jesus used the topic of money to reveal a deeper truth, the condition of our hearts. Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus frequently addressed money not because financial management was His main agenda, but because how we handle our money and resources is a direct reflection of our deepest spiritual allegiance. “Nothing offers so practical a test of our love for Christ or for others as does our attitude to money and possessions. Nor does anything so test our claim that we have been delivered from this present evil world.”

Jesus? Self? Someone is Lord, right? We are continuing our series this Sunday and completing what we started this past week. What does sex and what I choose to do with my body have to do with the Story of God? This Sunday, Part 2 - Jesus or Self is Lord, we will be looking at Jesus taking on a human body and look at our current climate we are living in. I’m sure we will chase a few other necessary aspects of this important topic. Our YouTube views for Part 1 are nearly double what we see each week. Whether it is you, my church family, or people that are interested in our ministry, it is clear - we are desiring some kind of message that makes sense of the struggle we are all feeling. As we shared last week, this is going to be a very direct and honest conversation, most likely it will not be appropriate for children.

We are continuing our series, and we will be taking two Sundays to talk about sexuality. What does sex have to do with the Story of God, heaven and earth, flesh and spirit, and my faith and pleasure? This is going to be a very direct and honest conversation, and the content will most likely not be appropriate for children in the gathering. We will have Gallery Kids available. This Sunday, Part 1: Genesis, Jesus, and Creation We will be looking at the big picture of sexuality. There is a lot of debate in the Church (we will not be talking about what people outside the Church believe). Why is there so much confusion and so many differing interpretations? The Gallery Church has maintained its traditional view of sexuality since its founding 18 years ago. We need to revisit it once again. This is a difficult subject to discuss in the Church. Questions about our church’s position are, by far, the most common questions I receive as a pastor. Many of you want to know: If I invite my gay friend to church, will they be loved and cared for? You want to know if you bring your bisexual family member or neighbor, will they find a safe place here? How will you treat my family or friends who live and believe differently than you, Pastor?

There is a lot going on in the world. There is a lot going on in our nation… our city… our neighborhoods… our families… ourselves. Last week we went to Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Self - Control. This Sunday is our second topic in our current series: Liberty. We are going to go back to the same letter and the same chapter to help us understand some of the things that are happening in our nation. On July 4, 2026, our nation turned 250 years old. We have a tradition at the Gallery Church where we take the first Sunday of the new fiscal year off as a Sabbath rest. We rest from our work in the city to celebrate all that God is doing and prepare ourselves for a new season of ministry. Because we do this annually, we are never together as a church on July 4th Weekend. This weekend - October 4, 2026 is going to be our redo on July 4th Sunday. We will not be decked out in red, white, and blue. We will be looking at what it means to follow Jesus in the nation where we live, learn, work, and play. Why is understanding the things happening in our nation something we need to discuss? Is this going to be my (Pastor Ellis) first political talk? How does the Letter to the Galatians have anything to do with what is happening in our nation? Is the United States of America a Christian Nation? Why do we have a statue of Liberty? Was our nation founded as a Christians Nation? Is the word Christian even used as an adjective or should it only be a noun? What does any of this have to do with the Story of God that we are trying to align ourselves with?

New series "The Things We Don't Talk About," with the Universe that you and I are to Master. We think that God is in control of everything. That’s an easy out for us. There is a place, let’s call it a universe, that you and I are to master: SELF. We will be looking at Galatians 5 (plus a few other Scriptures) as we discuss the challenge of this task: Self - Control. It is in the freedom of our choices that we have lost our freedom and are bound up in slavery to many things that our desires, feelings, and thoughts have led us to. Only by consent to Jesus, by surrender to His will, can we change our focus from our stimulus, to ourselves. Only there can healing from the devastation of sin can take place and we experience the power of self-control. I don’t want to be the worst version of myself. Jesus is the only one who can do this. Jesus is the master of all. He will help you master the one thing He has given to you.

This week we continue our study with the second six instructions that similarly provide guidance as we continue to build that trellis in our lives. A support that helps us access the presence and power of God. Just like last week’s lesson these instructions are not about adhering to a set of rules through legalism, but rather about establishing the formation in our lives that comes through practice and discipline. A formation that is all about organizing the whole of our lives around Being with Jesus, Becoming like Jesus and Doing what Jesus did.

Part of the power in the book of Hebrews is the fact that the writer who most believe is Paul takes the opportunity to provide a series of instructions and warnings for the Believers. An admonition which while targeted to those who are his immediate audience, is also a clear message that speaks directly to New Testament Believers. A beacon to Believers not just in the 1st century but also to those navigating life in the 21st century, and therefore a very relevant and timely message to Believers like us here at Gallery Church. Hebrews is intentional in its declarations. Paul is intentional in his writing. The message throughout Hebrews culminating in Chapter 13 is designed to not only educate us but to also challenge us. Not purely to inform us but also to form us. While Hebrews is replete with deep theological arguments it does not desire to simply win us with exposition, it desires to transform us with exhortation into Disciples who are both instructed and inspired to live intentionally for Christ. To that end Chapter 13 presents us with twelve short instructions upon which the success and quality with which we live the Christian life are dependent. A source of guidance and support, these instructions serve as part of the foundation upon which we can grow and flourish in our desire to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. For the next two lessons we will continue to deepen our practice as we walk the narrow road together with these Instructions for Living. Our response in these critical areas of instruction directly impacts how we relate to Friends, Foreigners, Fellow Laborers, Family, Finances, False Teachers, Fellowship and Faith.

Part 5 - Walking The Narrow Road Together This weekend, Lauren and Tsidkenou will be teaching about how the way of Jesus is a costly but life-giving way of surrender, obedience, sacrifice, service, and love. Psalm 27 will anchor the message, reminding us that even in hardship, God is our light and stronghold, and that our “one thing” is to dwell with Him. We’ll explore how the trellis practices orient our lives around Jesus, how community helps us carry one another and keep moving toward holiness, and how each of us is being formed for the sake of the Kingdom.

Part 4 - Growth Community This Sunday, as we continue our series, we will look at the meaning and life of our Growth Communities. Many churches have used the name small groups to define people getting together in smaller circles of church life. To us, a Growth Community is essential and serves as the place we get to practice the Way of Jesus with others. It is a place to grow in relationships and transformed, together, into the image of Jesus Christ. We will look at Jesus' Growth Community, the Growth Community that formed at the end of Pentecost, and the Growth Community that formed in the city of Corinth. Once we look at these three examples in the Bible we will discover four things that hinder/kill community and four things that build/bring to life community.

We are continuing our series designed to help us orient our lives around the vision of our church: to be a display of God's greatness in Baltimore (as it is in Heaven). We have been looking at what it means to renew our desire to deepen our practice of Community, reaffirming our commitment to God, and our commitment to one another. The stories we believe, the habits we form, and the relationships we maintain play a vital part in our transformation (looking more or less like Jesus). There is a current flowing that is trying to impact all three of these areas. Whether we see it or not, there are forces that are at work attempting to get us to believe false stories, develop bad habits, and maintain unhealthy relationships. This weekend we are going to look at one way, that dates back to the Garden of Eden, that the forces are looking to derail us and then look at three ways we can fight against it - together.

This sermon we will be focusing on the purpose of a trellis in wine country. The teaching is titled: Common Rule. We will look at why grapes aren't left to grow along the ground. What does it take to construct a spiritual trellis? We may even talk about the importance of our minds, relationships, the stories we believe, and our habits. Whatever we don't get to this week we will finish next week. Let me end this summary with a little reminder from last Sunday. Who is your Teacher? Is the path you are on taking you the person you ultimately want to be? The Way of Jesus promises life... full life. The only challenge, it is narrow.

New Series: Deepening Our Practice Together The series, running from August 9-30, will help us deepen our practice of Community (of the family of God), clarifying the commitment we make to one another and to the whole Church. Jesus left us with a "New Commandment": Love one another as I have loved you. Jesus also spoke about a "narrow road" and a "yoke". Here we will find some clarity on why it is time to establish new values for a new season at the Gallery Church. You can't miss any of the teachings in this series. Not trying to be humorous, but it would be like you walking to the concession stand in the New Spiderman movie every 45 minutes for 45 minutes. You would miss so many important storylines and plot twists. You would be confused and lost. Please make plans to join us in person or online every weekend. This is a ministry shaping month. This is an opportunity to accept the same invitation as the first disciples..."Follow Me." Ask

In John 14:27, Jesus gives us a promise: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” But by John 17, we see what this peace looks like in the life of His people. Jesus, our great High Priest, prays not only that we would be kept, but that we would be one. Our peace is found in abiding in Christ, and our unity becomes a testimony of His presence among us. This Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to receive the peace Christ gives and to live it out together as His body. Jesus prayed that we would be one “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” What would it look like for us to live in the oneness Christ has given us—so deeply united in Him that the world may know that the Father sent the Son?

Our Witness