Love is What is Required of Us
This week, let's make sure to love. That is our requirement. To be certain, the kind of love Jesus modeled is rarely the easy kind of love. Right now, there are all kinds of social/political toxicity in our world. Loving with a sacrificial, action-oriented love may not be easy, but it is the only right decision.
A New Way to Worship
There is so much bad news being circulated in this season, but this—that church can still happen—is really, really great news. There are still opportunities to fight to hope. There has always been, and will always be, good news circulating in every season.
A New Way to Worship
There is so much bad news being circulated in this season, but this—that church can still happen—is really, really great news. There are still opportunities to fight to hope. There has always been, and will always be, good news circulating in every season.
Hospitality at Home
The version of hospitality that I’ve grown comfortable with may not be an option right now, and I am looking forward to the day when hugs in the Lobby are permissible again, but hospitality is just as prevalent today as it was a few weeks ago. It simply looks different.
Twenty-One Days of Prayer and Scripture
In this time that is so different than we may want, or certainly different than we expected, let’s connect with God through prayer and Scripture. My invitation and challenge for us all is to commit to read Scripture and pray daily for the next 21 days.
Creative and Constant
God is creative and constant in his pursuit of us—not just the universal us, but each and every one of us as individuals. God meets us right where we are. Where we are physically—our space and place—where we are mentally, where we are emotionally, and where we are spiritually. And as any or all of those aspects of “where we are” change, so does the way God pursues us. He is never shocked or surprised or stumped.
Let's Pray
Although we aren’t meeting together right now as a church and you won’t find the prayer team waiting expectantly for your arrival at the end of a service, the team is more dedicated than ever to praying for you. Every request that is submitted to the church online or via social media is funneled to the prayer team and now, more than ever, our commitment to stand with you in prayer is unwavering.
Let Me Hold These Promises
I stress. I worry. I live in the hypothetical of “what if” or “if only.” But I was recently reminded that while God may not give us grace for the hypothetical, he abundantly gives us grace for the here and now—our present circumstances.
What Do We Do With Our Fear?
The question we should be asking is not “Should we be feeling fear?” but rather “What do we do with our fear?” We all face fear, so what do we do with our fear? Fear is like a car—it moves us. It takes us somewhere. If our level of fear is mostly fueled by uncertainty, then where this fear moves us is toward what is certain.
Burning Brighter Together
With his unique perspective on Black History Month, Thomas’ hope was that families would be entertained, of course, but that they would also leave the theatre with expanded viewpoints. “Just opening them up to new experiences so people can have those conversations,” he says.
Burning Brighter Together
With his unique perspective on Black History Month, Thomas’ hope was that families would be entertained, of course, but that they would also leave the theatre with expanded viewpoints. “Just opening them up to new experiences so people can have those conversations,” he says.
Sincerely, Surrender
I realized I was singing with ease words that cannot be taken lightly. The song was more sincere than I was, and I knew I needed to do something with that realization. The song had to become for me not a celebration of the way things are but a confession of the way things are not. It had to become a prayer—a way of asking for things to be as they ought.
Rhinos and Rabbits: Multisite at Summit
In new expressions of Summit, we won’t be pouring all our resources into hurrying a campus toward the rhino status of the Herndon, Lake Mary, or Waterford Campuses. We will be starting small, agile, and highly contextualized. The first year of one of these new campuses will look more like the original Summit did in our own humble beginnings in an apartment complex clubhouse. It will look more like a church plant, like a community of people gathering to worship and serve God.
A Personal Focus for the Year
Your personal holiness matters and is the very best thing you can offer the people and communities God has placed you in.
Undone: An Introduction to the Sermon Series
Character matters. In fact, particular kinds of character stand at the heart of God’s purpose for his people.
First Drafts
Sometimes trusting God with our stories is the most difficult work we can do. I shy away from conflict, so dealing with my problems and processing through how I’m feeling gets put on the back burner. It’s easy to float through life—right until it isn't. Eventually, the metaphorical deadlines creep up and I have to turn something in. I want to give God the best version of myself, but that’s not what grace asks for.
A Reminder of God’s Grace
November of 2019 marks five years since we’ve been holding church in the women’s side of the 33rd Street Jail. We are so thankful for the volunteers on Team 33rd who make church happen each week and for their heart for serving everyone in God’s kingdom. Here are some words from a few of these awesome women.
Early Acts: Surprised by Opportunities
People need more than information on screens. They need relationship. They need people willing to take time out of their day to listen without judging. They need people to point them to the hope of Jesus.
Early Acts: The Truth About Lies
Do you know the feeling of having a life-long fear fall away and be proven wrong? Do you know the feeling of someone looking at your secret shame and not walking away? Do you know the peace of sitting with someone who knows the worst of you and having it make your friendship stronger?
Early Acts: Speak Through Me
As I reflect this week about the sermon and the way it made me feel, I am asking God to take away the guilt and shame and inviting him to speak through me. I am asking that my basic desires not be at the forefront of my mind and heart but that I will trust in him and believe the truth of the gospel above all else.