Anthem Church

Since the garden of Eden, people have been hiding from God. What can Jonah's attempted escape teach us about our own tendency to hide from the God who made, loves, and refines us?

Our lives, by necessity, need work and watching. A struggle free-existence is an impossibility - so how would God have us live? This psalm reminds us to live and labor with our eyes to heaven, remembering that he does not reward with anxiety, but deep, abundant rest.

The ending of an old year and the beginning of a new year afford us an opportunity for reflection, prayer, and a clinging to the promises of God. This liturgy is intended to posture our hearts towards our Heavenly Father as we begin a new year.

What would it mean for the Son of God to come to us? What does his arrival mean for us today? Beneath everything we long and war for, we need grace. The good news of Christmas is that in Jesus we have received grace upon grace.

Our best laid plans, many times and despite our efforts, don't work out. What if, however, we saw God working in this disruption? What if the disruption is a blessing? The advent of Christ interrupted Josephs plans, but his response to God's plan changed his life forever.

Even in his earliest years of life, the arrival of Jesus rippled powerfully in the lives of those around him. This week we see how he drew in the curious and provoked the proud. He does the same today - how will we respond to his love, truth, and power?

In our passage today, we see that just by virtue of being born, Jesus turns the world on its head. He upsets expectations, reorders priorities and demolishes the social structure of the day. Real Jesus brings real change, even for us today.  

What is God's plan for your life? Mary, the mother of Jesus, provides a beautiful example that shows us God will use all of us where we are, as we are. The real Jesus meets real people.   

As we conclude our series on growth, we look forward to what growth is intended for: more of God for us and for those around us. We are not just growing to be individually mature people, we are to be contributing agents of the kingdom that God is building through the church. This is our great assignment and joy as God's creation and as his church.

Generosity is both a means and a measure of growth in Jesus. What does it look like to not just be financially generous but spiritually free in our daily lives?

One of the greatest joys of following Jesus is that of the community that is formed along the way. What makes this community distinct from other groups? What does this distinction mean for us and for those around us?

Often seen by our culture as a phrase of hate or intolerance, we desire to reclaim and accurately frame the concept of repentance. Repentance is one of the keys to growth and freedom in Christ, but we must understand what we are turning from, who we are turning towards, and what this turning looks like.

The flip side of meditation is the self control that makes meditation both possible and useful long term. Discipline is difficult but necessary; and ultimately, praise God, worth it.  

One of the fundamental ways we tend to our growth as followers of Jesus is by meditating on the true seed of the word of God, Christ himself. We are all busy, hurried, and distracted - is it possible to be people who meditate on the things of God day and night? Is there any use in this, really? Why does it matter?

Some of the greatest hindrances to healthy growth are the thorns we experience: the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of life. True growth comes when we understand that God is not the one keeping us from what is most important in life, but is the ultimate fulfillment of our deepest needs, desires, and longings.

We all desire to grow, but what is the nature and quality of this growth? The world yearns for growth that is quick and scaleable, but God desires growth that is enduring, strong, and sure.

Jesus begins his parable by outlining potential hindrances to our growth as believers. Not one to shy away from a tough subject, Jesus points out the first hindrance is Satan. Satan will try to prevent you from growing. Don't let him.  

We can have a vision and a desire to grow, but if the proper ingredients are not present and working, growth will never happen. To grow more like Jesus, we need the true seed, we need good soil, and we need ears to hear and receive what the Lord desires for us.

As we begin a series on growth, we examine this passage in Hosea, which provides principles for growth in Jesus. It is God's will that we would grow, and he is faithful to help us as we prepare the soil of our hearts for the seed of truth and love.

As the fall gets going in full swing, we take a moment to ask ourselves as a church: what is God doing right now? Where is he taking us? Though change is hard and life can be terribly confusing, as followers of Jesus we are confident that God is always working for the good of those who love him.

We are called, as individuals and as a community, to fan into flame the good things God has given us by his Spirit. This Spirit is not one of fear or cowardice, which causes us to shrink back - it is a Spirit of dynamic power, selfless love, and a disciplined, fruitful life.

Jesus wants your life to be filled with joy, the apostle Paul is going to give us insight on how we can find that. Join in as we close out the book of Philippians 

Does the God we worship fill all of our days? He invites us, in Jesus, to live in the joy, nearness, and peace that he freely gives. Will we walk with him?

When faced with difficulties we are able to stand firm in Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We stand firm for the joy of relational unity, for the joy of serving others, and for the joy of loving the things that God loves.