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Lent is a season of reflection, re-centering, and refocusing on hope. It’s also a time we examine our lives and move forward in our journey of sanctification. This week we start the Lenten season with a look at the finished work of Jesus Christ which was directly correlated with the Tabernacle in the Old Testament. Each station of the tabernacle represented a finished work Jesus did on the Cross. The Old Testament was a shadow of the one to come and Jesus fulfilled every requirement of God. Now we walk in his footsteps and prepare our hearts as we enter the Holy of Holies -- our souls.

In this two-week series called “Participation” we look at what Kingdom living now looks like. Due to end times theology, Christians often are waiting for the destruction of the world instead of waiting for restoration. Jesus talked about a narrow gate that leads to life and a wide way that leads to destruction. What is the narrow way? Is it about Heaven and the afterlife? Is the wide road simply a highway to hell? Or is it about much more? Spoiler alert. There's a lot more going on. 

In this two-week series called “Participation” we look at what Kingdom living now looks like. Due to end times theology, Christians often are waiting for the destruction instead of waiting for restoration. What has Jesus called us to do? It is clear that Christ is in the process of restoring all things to its original creation. What a glorious day that will be! However, this is a process, ages of time, and he has called us to be partners with him in this. There are simple things Jesus has asked us to do, but these simple things will have a profound impact if we unite.

In the final message of “Where Our Tree Got Bent” we look at the future while looking to the past. We have shown that the Protestant Reformation wasn’t exactly how we’ve been told, and there have been major consequences to this movement. So what do we do with that? This week we look to the Early Church Fathers and what they were given by the Apostles as the foundation of Church. We look to them for guidance in theology, truth, and church practice. We do our best to incorporate the sacred worship that was ordained by God for our benefit.

In week two of “Where Our Tree Got Bent” we look at the effects of the fruit of the Protestant Reformation. We believe God used this reformation, but not because it was holy, but because it was what he had. Jesus never lets our mistakes get in the way of his growing Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. All you have to do is look at the Old Testament to see that often it took hundreds of years for God to correct them. The reformation of Luther is only 500 years old and we believe it is being corrected as we speak. We looked to the past, now we look to the present to see where the tree got bent and what kind of fruit it’s produced.

In episode one of this important series, we take a look at how the Protestant Reformation was started, and the lens in which it was created. We will take a look at Martin Luther and John Calvin, the founders of Protestantism, and what their motives were behind the movement. It’s incredibly important to know where something went off course because you can’t correct something if you don’t know where it’s been broken. I entitled this series “Where Our Tree Got Bent” because through years of study and observation of where the Protestant movement started and where it’s at, it’s safe to say something has gone awry.

This year is a special year because the 4th week of Advent lands on Christmas Eve. So if you’re listening to this, you are actually listening to our Christmas Eve Service. Amazingly enough, it lands on the most important subject we can possibly seek after…God is love. This is what the incarnation is about: Love. That he loved us enough to become us. That he loved us enough to take on all of humanity and release us from our false views of God. Pagan gods demand sacrifice to be loved, pagan gods demand words to be loved, pagan gods need appeased to be loved. Not Christ. He is the true God, and he showed us what true love is.

In week 3 of Advent we look at something CS Lewis said was “A Christian's greatest weapon.” Why do we buy things? Why do we long for things? Why are experiences so important to us? We are longing for and created for joy! If you ask anyone on the street if they want joy they will say yes, but ask them how, you’ll get a million different answers. Yet joy is something Jesus said he gives us! However, do we feel it? One of the reasons why is because we want Jesus without his way, but his way is the way of joy. This week we look at what that way is and how we can fully participate in the joy of the Lord.

In Week 2 of this Advent season, we look at something the world so desperately needs…Peace. In the prophecy of Isaiah, it says the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace. That’s who he is, that’s what he desires, and that is what he will accomplish. The issue is so many of us are waiting for the other person to make peace, but we can’t control other people. There really is nothing we can do to change world history or the chaos that ensues, but we can have peace in the middle of the carnage. Advent is a time to recalculate where we need to change in our peacemaking abilities.

The Advent season has arrived, and in Week 1, we look at "Hope". Hope is something essential for life; without hope there is no moving forward. But what are we hoping in? Some think a new president will bring hope, some not. Some think a better economy brings hope, but for some, that doesn’t matter. During this season, we look at the passage where it says “We have seen a great light” and that will be our theme. But how does light bring hope? We break this down this week and all through this season.

In this last sermon of the series, we look at a subject that all of us agree on but find it so hard to remember…gratitude. Don’t we all appreciate it when people recognize what we do? If we serve someone, doesn’t a "thank you" feel good? Now imagine being Jesus and all the blessings and mercy he shows humanity even in our sins...yet how many say “Thanks, Jesus.” We look at an interesting passage today where Jesus bucks the Old Testament system of blessings and curses. What’s fascinating is it proves there’s one dividing line to Christ, those who see their need for mercy and those who don’t.

As we continue in the series "The Real Miracle", we look at an intense moment between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus was about mercy; the Pharisees were about justice. The issue here is justice never fixes anything, it doesn’t change the situation, it doesn’t redeem the two parties. We see this example this week with a man with a withered hand who was in the temple. They knew he was in the temple and the Pharisees used him as a prop, which means they didn’t care about him or his healing; they cared about looking pious. Jesus comes along and breaks all their manmade rules because he is about healing, even on their sacred sabbath.