Anthem Church

Each one of us builds our life upon something, a foundation we believe will hold us up on the worst of days. In this concluding portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns the listening crowd that those who hear his words and actually follow them will be building upon a firm foundation. Conversely, those who are hearers only and unwilling to apply his teachings are building upon sand, which wi...

The book of Ephesians paints a beautiful picture of a new society - a new society that is made up of all who call and trust in the name of Jesus. This Sunday, we explored the truths that this new society is to display CHARITY through our character and conduct, communal UNITY that arises from the unity within the Trinity, DIVERSITY through our gifts, and MATURITY in our increasing growth. When we g...

Last week we learned that Jesus rejects the proud and receives the humble. Following the rich young man’s unwillingness to humble himself Peter responds to Jesus, ““See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” The parable that follows is part of Jesus’s response to the question Peter is asking. In the parable Jesus is addressing the pride that is in the heart of his disc...

The sin of pride is always looking for an opportunity to grab hold of us and lead us into more sin. Anger, lust, envy and many other sins are rooted in the sin of pride. Scripture provides warning after warning against the consequences that pride can and will bring. If we are to live according to what God has called us to then we must better practice humility. Just as Christ humbled himself by com...

As we conclude our time in the parable of the prodigal son, we encounter the older brother and observe his reaction to his younger brother’s return. His stubborn anger teaches us about the darkness of our own hearts, and the love of the father towards both sons reveals the heart of our Heavenly Father, a heart that desires for both the religious and licentious to turn from their pride and their se...

As the younger son returns home, he is welcomed warmly by his father’s forgiveness and love. The father quickly dresses his son ornately, reconciles him to the family, and throws a celebration feast. We see in this story the redemptive heart of God; our Heavenly Father longs to exchange our rags of rebellion with robes of righteousness, forgiveness, and love. He celebrates greatly at our return to...

In our third week of our journey through the story of the prodigal son, we see the younger son’s return home and his father’s warm welcome. As the younger son is eagerly greeted by his father, so we are gladly accepted and loved by our Heavenly Father when we turn from rebellion and return home to him. We are seen, loved, and embraced, fully forgiven through faith in Jesus.

Continuing in the parable of the prodigal son, we find the younger brother in his moment of realization. He sees the weight and consequences of his actions, he acknowledges that there is no hope far from home, and he makes plans to return to his father. He returns home with a speech prepared, as we often do when we approach a holy God in our sin. This portion of Scripture teaches us much about the...

As we begin our time in the parable of the prodigal son, we first observe the heart and the actions of the younger son and his leaving home. We likewise leave home when we seek fulfillment, purpose, and affection from anything else other than the deep, complete love of our Heavenly Father. No matter our wanderings, we can come home, but only through repentance from our lives of reckless living and...

As we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ, we will look less and less like the world around us. And because the darkness hates the light, we are certain to experience persecution and suffering. But, we can take heart and have a supernatural hope knowing Christ also suffered and conquered death and is guarding for us an inheritance in heaven. So we shouldn't be surprised by sufferi...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - 1 Peter 2:9 God’s purpose in redeeming us is not simply our enjoyment, but that we might glorify him (Emphasis on the word “that…”) Seeking our own eternal well being—right though that is—could never...

The world has much to say about love, but to understand what real love is, we must understand what God says about it in his Word. The depth, magnitude, and purity of this love must be based on its source, not the object of it. The good news is that we are being saved from being unloving people and are gradually realizing our identity as the loving children of God. We are "growing up into our salva...

God has saved us by his power, through is son, and for his glory. What a reason to rejoice! And as the redeemed, living for the glory of God, we are made holy. Holy means to be ‘set apart for the purposes of God.’ This doesn’t mean removed from the world, but rather set apart for God amongst the world. Knowing fully who we are, our conduct should be that of a people that reflect the mercies and gl...

There is a myriad of things that, whether intentionally or not, distract us from embracing our true identity in Christ. But we live under the immensely joyous reality that all those who are in Christ Jesus have been chosen by God the Father. And he who has called us to him will also sustain us. This is the joy Peter is exhorting over the ‘elect exiles’ of 1st Peter. So when we fail, just like Pete...

As children of God, we are all called to one thing, purpose, and person; Jesus. We are called to live our lives for the glory of Christ. Therefore, we are all called to Jesus, but He sends us differently according to His will. Here are a few questions to evaluate in respect to what God has sent you to do: 1. Do you have a long-term vision for what God has sent you to do? 2. Do you find meaning, va...

No matter who we are, this life brings hardships, struggles, and pains. This difficulty does not hide from those who know and love Jesus: doubt, fear, and uncertainty have their ways of creeping in and haunting us, shaking our confidence and certainty. We must learn, in every circumstance, the practice, discipline, and joy of clinging to Jesus. As we grow closer to Him, we learn to wrestle honestl...

What does it mean to be blessed? The word blessed comes from the Old English word for blood. Blessed is a word to describe something or someone that has been marked or consecrated with blood. Therefore, if you have been marked by the blood of the Lamb of God, then you are blessed. A mark of the blessed person is that they delight in and meditate on Scripture. If you are called blessed then your re...

As we conclude our 'Legacy' series we are reminded of some of the ways we can leave a legacy. While aimed at parents, ‘Legacy’ was not just a series for parents. It was a series for all within the church who are serious about God’s call to consign a generational legacy that will be a blessing to those who follow. So what will your legacy be?

Genesis tells us that after God worked, he rested. He created an intentional stopping point to be attentive to and acknowledge His created and finished work. Do you rest? Is there margin in your life to reflect and acknowledge the work God has done in your life? Our search for artificial rest actually causes more stress, keeps us out of community, and drives us further from true rest in Jesus. Fin...

What is your gut reaction when you hear the word 'discipline'? Do you cringe and hide? Do you think, 'what's discipline'? Or do you perhaps feel something in between? Discipline is about shepherding the hearts and souls of others for the glory of God. Just as our Heavenly Father disciplines us because he loves us, we are to discipline our children and those who come after us because we love them a...

A legacy of faithfulness means that those who come after us will know eternal joy in Jesus. Your faithfulness today means that joy is experienced now; we don't have to wait for Heaven because Jesus is here with us today. Our faith in Jesus produces an everlasting joy. The Bible tells us that every meaningful, substantial, and durable joy-producing enterprise is never obtained by taking short-cuts....

The legacy of being present with those we love is not contingent on our capacity or ability to do so, but on our willingness to be ambitious for family and community and not solely for our own desires and dreams. Just as God is present with us through our betrayals, accusations, denials, and eventual renewals, we too must learn the art and discipline of being emotionally and physically present wit...

The human condition naturally gravitates towards the path of least resistance. Sin in the garden inaugurated a new curse toward work, human relationships, and more consequential, our relationship with God. It's no wonder then that when our flesh is leading, we tend to parent through reacting to events vs. being proactive through the process of our children's sanctification. This week, we dive into...

On Easter Sunday, we gather to celebrate resurrection! When Jesus went to the cross on our behalf, our old self and its weak desires and selfish hopes died with him in death. Now, he is resurrected, and through faith in him, we can find true joy as we are offered newness of life. Our old desires are replaced with fuller and deeper passions. Our faith is encouraged as we worship with the billions o...

Parenting and discipleship is a long, hard process. Along the journey, we ourselves are hurt by others, and we, in turn, can hurt others in similar or different ways. Repentance is the all-important key to covering past hurts and preventing future pain. As we strive towards leaving a legacy in which repentance is the norm, we must learn to show honor, demonstrate forgiveness, and pay careful atten...