Luke 5:15-16 portrays Jesus seeking solitude in the midst of his ministry, highlighting the importance of retreat and solitude for spiritual renewal and intimacy with God. This passage invites believers to follow Jesus' example by prioritizing times of solitude and quiet reflection in their own lives, recognizing the value of withdrawing from busyness to cultivate a deeper connection with God.
Community
June 23, 2024 • AJ Vega • Hebrews 10:19–25
Hebrews 10:19-25 highlights the significance of community within the Christian faith. The author of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of gathering together, encouraging one another, and spurring each other on toward love and good deeds. Through studying this text, participants are invited to deepen their understanding of the value of community in their spiritual journey and to actively engage in supporting and building up one another in faith.
Generosity
June 16, 2024 • AJ Vega • Deuteronomy 15:7–11
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 shares the importance of generosity and compassion towards those in need. This passage emphasizes the blessings that come from a generous heart and calls believers to be open-handed towards the poor and marginalized in society. In studying this text alongside the spiritual discipline of generosity, we are invited to reflect on the principles of generosity and to consider how they can embody these values in our own lives, participating in God's work of justice and mercy.
Confession
June 9, 2024 • Elder Rick Keagy • 1 John 1:5–10, John 20:19–23
As we read 1 John 1:5-10 and John 20:19-23, we discover the profound connection between confession and forgiveness. These passages reveal the importance of acknowledging our sins before God, leading to the experience of cleansing, restoration, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through these texts, we are encouraged to embrace confession as a vital aspect of their faith journey, fostering intimacy with God and experiencing the transformative power of His grace.
Fasting
June 2, 2024 • Elder Jake Woods • Matthew 6:16–18
In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus teaches about the spiritual discipline of fasting, emphasizing the importance of sincerity and humility in our practice. The passage highlights fasting as a means of seeking God's presence, rather than seeking attention or approval from others. This week, we will explore the spiritual discipline of fasting and its significance in deepening our intimacy with God and overcoming distractions.
Prayer
May 26, 2024 • AJ Vega • James 5:13–20
In James 5:13-20, James teaches us to pray in various circumstances, emphasizing the power and importance of prayer in the life of a follower of Christ. This passage encourages us to engage in fervent, persistent prayer, both individually and corporately, as a means of seeking God's guidance, healing, and restoration. This week, as we focus on prayer, we will delve into the spiritual discipline and its role in overcoming distractions and aligning our hearts with God's will.
Meditation
May 19, 2024 • AJ Vega • Joshua 1:1–9
In Joshua 1:1-9, we see Joshua being commissioned by God to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The passage emphasizes the importance of courage, obedience, and meditation on God's Word in the face of challenges and distractions. Through exploring this passage, we will examine how the spiritual discipline of meditation can help us focus on God's promises, overcome distractions, and find strength and guidance in our journey of faith.
Sabbath as Expectation
May 12, 2024 • AJ Vega • Hebrews 4
This is a promise of a future hope that ties us to Jesus' return, the one true Sabbath which we live eternally in His rest. In this "Sabbath rest for the people of God," we strive to enter it so that we do not fall by disobedience. However, we are fallen humans and are called into God's grace when we stumble, because we have a God who knows our weaknesses and "has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." So we learn as followers of Jesus to Sabbath regularly as a future hope that one day, we will eternally rest.
Sabbath as Gift
May 5, 2024 • Pastor Andrew Farhat • Mark 2:23–28
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. We also see that Jesus is Lord over the Law as well. He did not come to abolish it, but to fulfill it. We see the interaction of Jesus and the Pharisees who cared deeply about remembering the Sabbath. Ironically, the Pharisees find themselves enslaved to the law of Sabbath, which is designed to free us from the rest of the world. Jesus is the true bread of life that we take from the altar of Presence and find rest in Him alone. His laws are not simply a "set of rules" but a way of life in which we find what it means to truly be human. Sabbath is a gift to help us live like Jesus with God and man united as one.
Sabbath as Rebellion
April 28, 2024 • AJ Vega • Exodus 20:8–11, Deuteronomy 5:12–15
We are called to live differently than the rest of the world. In this text, we see the Ten Commandments and the emphasis is on God rescuing His people out of Egypt remembering that they were brought out of Egypt and saved from slavery, where they did not have a day of rest. The world often operates like Egypt in the story of the Exodus. However, as God’s people, we will be faithful and be reminded of God's rescue from sin and death and find rest that contrasts the rest of the world.
Sabbath as Rest
April 21, 2024 • AJ Vega • Genesis 1:1—2:3
Work out of rest. And, rest from work. We follow in the footsteps of our Creator who spoke the world into order. Part of His good creation was rest for Himself as a pattern for all to follow. Rest is a part of God's creation. Notice the word for rest is not simply "to stop" but rather to "settle" or “dwell” in (Genesis 2:15). This is different than just simply stopping to rest, because we have a God who creates, enters His creation, and enjoys it. What does that look like for us as people of God as we pattern after Him and show the world what it looks like to Sabbath?
