The Garden | San Antonio

Our pastoral resident Nate Garza continues our fruit of the Spirit series with a look at Goodness in the life of Saul. As Nate shows us, the goodness of God doesn’t quit on even the worst of us, and when that goodness confronts us, everything changes. And for those who see the light as Saul did, goodness experienced becomes goodness expressed. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Acts 9:1-19 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (ESV)⁠⁠⁠ The Ga...

Continuing our Lent series, In Season, we look to the fruit of the Spirit of kindness. How do we define kindness? To the world, it often looks like avoidance, weakness, an action that might be random or selective. The kindness of God, the kindness believers are called to, is very different. It is truly strong and bold. It is not just an action but a state of being. As our friend SO shows us, it is...

Patience might be everyone's least favorite fruit of the Spirit. Unlike the three fruit that precede it in the Apostle Paul's list in Galatians, patience is something few of us really desire to have. It is a fruit developed through the pains of frustration, disappointment, regret, and even sorrow. But as Pastor Caleb explains, the fruit Paul describes bears little resemblance to what we of...

We continue our Lent series through the fruit of the Spirit with a look at Peace, a particularly timely subject given recent global events. Jesus says he gives us his peace, and not like the world gives it. What kind of peace does Jesus offer us? How do we find this peace in such an anxious world? And how do we share it with others? Pastor Caleb shows us how life in the Spirit can keep us in God&#...

Our Pastoral Resident Nate Garza continues our Lent series through the fruit of the Spirit with a look at Joy. As Nate points out, joy that comes from the Holy Spirit is not a thing we have to generate but a gift we receive as we trust in God. It's because the joy of the Lord is beyond our power to create or control that we can count on it carrying us through the ups and downs of life and bond...

Pastor Caleb kicks off a new series for Lent on the fruit of the Spirit listed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. After describing the activities of the flesh – selfishly motivated works of sin and segregation – Paul contrasts them not with opposing activity but opposing identity . Those in Christ Jesus have a new life to live, and the Spirit present in them means that they lack n...

As his letter to the Philippians draws to a close, Paul leaves his beloved brothers and sisters with a word of encouragement founded on the nearness of Christ. Rather than minimize their heartache and suffering, brought about by persecution and rejection, Paul points to God's faithful presence with us. It is the space of prayer and the posture of reverence that cultivates a greater awareness o...

When Paul encourages his brothers and sisters in the church in Philippi to imitate him, he is not speaking with pride in himself but with confidence in Christ. As he has said elsewhere, it is not he who lives but Christ who lives in him. We see this in the kind of life he is encouraging the Philippians to: humble, committed, and forward-facing. As Robert Saenz shares in his sermon, Paul’s words he...

Paul writes to beloved friends in Philippi who are experiencing the pain of persecution, the temptation to wander from the way of Jesus, and the strains of maintaining authentic fellowship. He warns of the danger of corrupting faith by holding to what privilege and performance bring, and encourages instead clinging to Christ and his cross as our great, enduring inheritance. What do we hold dear? W...

What do people see, feel, and receive in the Church that is unique in our world? In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul sets the foundation for Christian community on the character of Christ. When his mind, heart, and hands are evident in the fellowship of his people, we find a life of true, resilient joy. It was for the joy of communion that Jesus emptied himself of status and pretens...

Is ambition a good thing? For some, ambition is to be avoided, a temptation to worldly endeavors. Others embrace it as the only path to finding purpose and flourishing. The Apostle Paul does not denigrate ambition but helps us separate worthy, Kingdom ambition from worldly, selfish ambition. With his one goal to draw himself and others closer to Christ, Paul was liberated from a life of chasing pu...

We kick off a new year and a new series with a look at Paul's letter to the Philippians. At the start of his message to this beloved congregation, Paul takes time to discuss the work God does in us. Called out of darkness and rescued from alienation, we are gathered and formed together as the body of Christ. Paul's encouragement for the church in Philippi and all believers is to rejoice in this go...

In the conclusion of our 2025 series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , Pastor Caleb looks at the book's sudden and seemingly unresolved conclusion. What appears to be an abrupt and even underwhelming closing note becomes in the context of the whole book of Mark a bold testament to the faithfulness of God and a provocative invitation to meet Jesus where he lives and works to...

As we draw closer to the end of our year-long sermon series through the book of Mark, Good News , we come now to Jesus' death. Pastor Caleb looks at what the cross represents and what it's meant to emphasize for believers. As we consider what the cross is and isn't , we see through the stories of three characters Mark singles out in his account – a Jewish passerby, a Roman centurion, a...

Continuing our series, Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , Pastor Caleb looks at Jesus' response and demeanor before Pontius Pilate and a crowd calling for his crucifixion. When Jesus does not meet the expectations of a King or a victorious warrior or the Son of God, he is quickly rejected. The religious leaders, the Roman authorities, and the crowd all choose the familiar an...

For Partner Sunday, our friend Whit Anderson from First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio joins us to teach on Praise, one of the four core values of The Garden. Looking through the lens of Psalm 27, Whit shows us how true praise is built on confidence in Christ, and how daily practices of devotion can remind us of our sure foundation in him. For more info, visit ⁠thegardensa.org .

Our year-long series, Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , continues with a look at Jesus' arrest and the way fear can drive us from God and the fellowship of His people. All of Jesus' friends abandon him, but it is Peter in particular who offers a close look at the way denial forms in us. As Pastor Caleb discusses, while the darkness of the world and the darkness within c...

Jordan continues Good News , our series walking through the gospel of Mark. Looking at Mark 14:32-42, we see a surprising story of Jesus' distress. The Messiah brings his friends and prays fervently into the messiness of sorrow, offering us a new path forward in our own moments of pressing. Mark 14:32-42 (NIV) For more resources and ways to connect, visit thegardensa.org .

Pastor Caleb continues Good News , our year-long series through the Gospel of Mark, with a look at what is known as the Lord’s Supper. Jesus, on his way to the cross, facing impending rejection by those closest to him, gathers his friends for a moment of grace, breaking bread with them and giving them a place to turn to in the days after his death and resurrection. The theology and expression of c...

Continuing our series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , Pastor Caleb looks at the beginning of Jesus' Passion Narrative in Mark Chapter 14. While the enemies of Jesus find a way to end his life and ministry through the betrayal of Judas, a woman comes to Jesus with a gift of immense value to honor him. As a room full of critics descend upon her, berating her wastefulness an...

In Part 40 of our year-long series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , Pastor Caleb looks at Jesus' concluding words in Chapter 13. Rather than inspiring fear, Jesus intends to encourage faith in his discussion of his return and the end of this world as we know it. The hope of Christ returning does not come through a hysterical search for a date on the calendar, but comes to...

Our series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark continues with a look at Mark 13:1-31. Jordan unpacks a conversation between Jesus and his disciples about the destruction of the temple and the nature of God's unshakable Kingdom. The chaotic waters of history are the very place Jesus invites us to be his disciples through love and humility. Mark 13:1-31 (NIV) For more info, visit the...

Our series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark continues with a consideration of what defines true greatness. In Mark 12, Jesus presents himself to teachers of the law and a watching crowd as something far greater than what they envision. But rather than seeking a platform or status, Jesus demonstrates that true strength is most visible when it expended to love. Pastor Caleb walks...

Pastor Caleb continues our series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark with a look at what Jesus calls the two greatest commandments – loving God as He loves us, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Those transformed by the love of God revealed in Christ's sacrifice must carry his cross with the same heart. Jesus' commands are a vital invitation to find the love we...

Continuing our series Good News: The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Mark , Pastor Jordan takes look at an often misunderstood and misinterpreted passage where Jesus is asked about life in eternity. What might we expect of resurrection? What prevents us from receiving the gift of it as a hope for today? Jesus invites us to leave behind preconceived notions of what we long for in order to grasp som...