Practicing the Way of Jesus
How We Change - Teaching and Practice Part 1
November 19, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
We live in the age of self-help, therapy, and technique-obsession. Deep down, we all know we're broken and need to change. The question is, How? This week we begin our in depth look at the "how" of transformation. Through teaching we get a vision of the good life. Through practice, we align our loves and longings with those of Jesus.
Doing What Jesus Did Part 2
November 5, 2023 • Neil Montgomery • Luke 7:34, Philippians 2:1–11, 1 Peter 2:11–12, Luke 19:10
The thought of being like Jesus and doing what He did is so challenging. After all, He was perfect. But Jesus gets us. He understands we live in a fallen world and that we will “wrestle” with being an apprentice. As we practice the way of Jesus…we begin to understand His teaching, we cultivate healthy habits and engage in godly community. We begin to look more and more like Jesus. Then doing what He did becomes a fruit of our intimacy with Him. However, like Timothy…it’s not easy. We labor and strive in a battle that the Apostle Paul called the “good fight.” "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." -1 Timothy 4:7b-10
Be Like Jesus Part 2
October 22, 2023 • Neil Montgomery • John 14:27, Colossians 1:19–20, Romans 8:29
"Failing to plan is planning to fail." -Benjamin Franklin "Aim at nothing and you'll hit it every time." -Zig Ziglar "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky There is a lot of wisdom throughout history. I would argue that Jesus said it first when he invited us to "Come and follow Him!" He was inviting us to more than we could ever dream or imagine. He promised that He would reconcile us to Himself, and conform us to His image (Colossians 1:19-20 & Romans 8:29). There is a "to do" for us as followers of the Way. Jesus exhorted us to "practice these things" over and over in the gospels. Those "things," for the most part, were being LIKE Him. In other words, we need to be intentional about our Spiritual Formation. No one has the option to do nothing because we are all being formed into something. Come hear more about "Intentional Spiritual Formation," and the potential it has to usher in the peace that Jesus offered in John 14:27. A peace that I believe we ALL long for.
Be Like Jesus
October 15, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
How do we change to become like Jesus? If you're like me, you're tired of seeking the kind of change that gives you a sense that you are on track with following Jesus. You feel stuck. Good news...the promise of the New Testament is nothing short of full-on transformation, but so many of us feel a disconnect between that promise and our reality. Again, so many of us have simply resolved that it must not be possible this side of heaven. But, according to the bible, it is. Total transformation is possible for each of us who have made the decision to apprentice with Jesus. But, it's likely not what you may be thinking.
Being With Jesus Part 2
October 8, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
Have you heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” or “You get what you pay for.”? We get it when it comes to so many things in life. I gave up on my dream of playing professional sports. I came to the realization in my thirties that I had done nothing to organize my environment to prepare me to be a sports star. If you’re like most Americans…and me, we want things that will benefit us, but we don’t want to do the work to get there. When we hear about what Christ offers His followers we’re all quick to respond with a hearty “yes”. But we desire the benefits without the commitment. If you want the life of Jesus, then you MUST adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.
Being With Jesus Part 1
September 24, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
The first goal of apprenticeship to Jesus is to “be with Jesus.” But I've always struggled with the HOW. How do we do that? How do we abide with Jesus when He is not even with us? How do we stay close to someone who is not even here? Is it going to church, reading my bible, praying? How do we “abide in the vine” in the chaos of the urban, digital world? It’s pretty straightforward: to experience the life of Jesus, we adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.
Practicing the Way Part 2
September 3, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
GracePoint church has a rich heritage. We, who are a part of GracePoint today, are part of a legacy that began over 40 years ago. What is God's plan as we move into a new season? A few weeks ago, we laid the foundation for how we might discern God's leading. We believe that the Spirit is leading us to spend a season focusing on "Practicing the Way of Jesus". The great thing is that EVERYONE is invited to be an apprentice of Jesus. It's not just for the elite, the special or the smart. ALL are invited to be a part of what God is already doing in Western North Carolina. I hope you'll join us this weekend as we continue to explore it all.
Worship
August 27, 2023 • Jordan Harris • Psalms, John, Hebrews, Matthew
When you hear the word, "worship," what comes to mind? Singing? Prayer? Ceremony? Sunday mornings? There's worship music, worship services, and worship experiences. So for many of us we have an I-know-it-when-I-see-it understanding of worship. The Bible is full of examples and stories of people worshiping. The world is also full of examples. So what is worship? What does it look like? Where do we worship? And how do we do it? These are the questions we'll explore together as we continue Practicing the Way of Jesus through worship!
How Christianity Changed the World
August 20, 2023 • Bill Brown
What does it mean to be a Christian? A follower of Jesus? A Disciple? The Hebrew concept of discipleship carried the idea of “apprenticeship”—to be in constant awareness and connection to the Holy Spirit. Last week we began a new series that focuses on “Practicing the Way” (of Jesus). Over the coming weeks we’ll be looking at what it means to BE WITH JESUS…BE LIKE JESUS and DO WHAT JESUS DID. In between, we’ll take some time to talk about “what that looks like.” This Sunday Bill Brown will be teaching on what it looks like to Practice the Way as we go about our day to day lives. He’ll be sharing some great stories that will be an example and inspiration to us as we strive to be like Jesus.
Practicing the Way Part 1
August 13, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
What does it mean to “follow” Jesus? To be a disciple, or apprentice, of the rabbi from Nazareth? In this new series we explore a life built around three goals: be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what he did. We'll also talk about the impact this focus will have on GracePoint as a church.