Hot Takes
2021
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview
June 20, 2021 • Jeff Supp • Romans 12:2
When you and I look at life and the world around us, we actually look through various lenses that color and shape what we see. This is often a powerful yet subconscious process. But what if we were able to see life through the lens that God provides? How would that shape how we see people, understand the world, and live life? As followers of Jesus, He wants us to become like him and part of that process is to see as he sees. Join us this Sunday as we kick off our new summer series, Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview, that will explore various aspects of everyday life and take a deeper look at the life God is calling us to.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Success
June 27, 2021 • Brian Hopper • Luke 12:13–21
“The American Dream” - “be what you want to be” - “you can have it all” - “all I do is win!“ Who doesn’t want more freedom, a nicer place to live, a newer car, more money in the bank? 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? Join us this week as we take a fun look at the worldview of success and contrast that with what the Bible, specifically Jesus, says about our success.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Freedom
July 4, 2021 • Allen Smith • John 8:31–36
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? Join us this Independence Day to hear what Jesus and the Bible says about our personal independence.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Power
July 11, 2021 • Shawn Hart • John 19:4–16
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? Join us this Sunday as we explore the role of power in our lives and what the Bible has to say about it.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Family
July 18, 2021 • Sam Cassese • Mark 3:20–21, Mark 3:31–35
“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? We all long for an answer, and this week Jesus asks this very question, showing us that the answer in His Kingdom is very different than the answer we typically receive in our world.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Media
July 25, 2021 • Brent Squires • Genesis 11:1–9, Acts 2:1–12
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? Join us this Sunday to start the discussion.
Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview: Justice
August 1, 2021 • Charlie Mitchell • James 1:1–12
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? Join us this Sunday as we dive into the scriptures together to find out.