Anthem Church

Paul follows up with the lesson of doing more or following the law doesn’t bring about salvation with the warning of this salvation not giving us license to coast. Instead, Paul encourages us to pursue Christ relentlessly by patterning our life’s wisely with the purpose of prizing our true citizenship.

Joy sometimes feels elusive. Yet Paul commands us to rejoice. How do you make yourself feel something you just don't feel?

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, gives us a vision for a joyful community that includes sharing responsibility, living with Christ-like humility and expressing honor for sacrificial obedience to Christ.

God calls us to growth, not that we may be puffed up experts in piety, but that we may look more like Jesus, and therefore experience more of the fruit of the Spirit of God. He helps us with this; he loves us, and when we are satisfied in him, he is glorified.

This passage is one of the most powerful portraits of Jesus, the one who served us selflessly to the end. How do we find joy as a community? We build ourselves around his life, his example, and the power that comes from God himself when we posture ourselves rightly.

If we think of God as distant, uninterested, and uninvolved, then the words Paul writes in this book seem like nothing more than the ravings of an idealistic madman. If, however, God is indeed working, present, and involved in the lives of people, then what might these words mean for us?

The contents of the gospel are eternal, timeless and powerful. This message of what God has done for humanity in Jesus, however, is not meant to stay on the yellowed pages of a dusty book on a shelf. The message is supposed to move in our hearts and out from us, changing us and sharing the joy we have in Jesus.

Anything beautiful and sustainable that grows requires a blueprint. In this opening portion of his personal letter, Paul is praying and casting vision for a community of joy, centered around Jesus.

This summer we are going to be looking at the Bible's "book of joy"... but is this joy real? Is it credible? Does it matter?

Everyone everywhere has a tendency to compare: it is a struggle as old as time itself. Though it promises new beginnings and greener grasses, comparison always robs us of the contentment God has called us to cultivate in Jesus. How do we take our lives, let God fill them with purpose and joy, and then connect them to God's story, the greatest one ever told?

Our past, filled with mistakes, suffering, and regret, can sideline us, trapped in what we think we are able to do or capable of doing. God, however, has made us for a beautiful, purposeful life, lived for our joy and his glory. Will we let him free us from the sidelines and send us into the life we were made for?

As we begin to close out the Gospel of John, the Gospel writer makes great effort to show the reader that a resurrected Christ has real and immediate implications for the life of the believer. This week, John wants us to see that a resurrected Jesus is a present Jesus, the God of the universe deeply desires to be experienced by His people.   

Doubting Thomas gets a bad rap and like so many of us, turns to self-preservation when his expectations are not met. Yet, despite his doubts, he still shows up which is an act of faith. And also like so many of us, he needed reminded of who Jesus is and what he has done.

When the disciples encounter the risen Jesus, their hope is completely restored. Jesus replaces their fear with peace, their doubt with assurance, their weakness with power, and their aimlessness with commissioning.

Mary was lost in grief and despair at the tomb of Jesus. All the hope she had in him was lost... until she heard him call her by name. Is this hope still alive for us today?

Jesus, fully man and fully God, was forsaken by God the Father on the cross. Through faith in Jesus, we will never be forsaken again. Listen in as we meditate in gratitude on this incredible truth.

The death of Jesus drew two men, Joseph and Nicodemus, out of hiding and into the public square of belief. Jesus is worth the risk, the sacrifice, and the honor of lives surrendered to him. God wants to pull each of us out of hiding into the place he has formed us and called us for.

In the moments after Jesus' death, John notices important details, moments that point to Jesus as the Son of God, sacrificed in death that we may live. By his wounds we are healed.

With his dying breath, our Jesus declared and incredible truth: "It is finished." What do these words mean for us today?

Even during the crucifixion, one of the darkest moments in human history, God was weaving a story of redemption and hope. Do we believe this same God works in this same way today?

Whether we trust in Jesus or are yet to believe, we all have moments and seasons where we wrestle deeply with God. Can our faith hold such wrestlings? How do we wrestle through doubt, fear, and uncertainty?

As Jesus is on trial, his threat to the current kingdom of the day is assessed. Is he a king? Is he building a kingdom? Is he disrupting the status quo? Jesus summarizes his answer as follows: "My kingdom is not of this world." Jesus is building something beautiful, but it is unseen - will we choose to live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven?

On Ash Wednesday, we started our journey through the book of Joel on Wednesday nights. We are also leaning into this season of reflection, examining our lives and turning to Jesus in fresh response and faith. Listen as Andrew shares a new dream for our church, one that puts us squarely in God's will for our community.

One of the greatest harms to the church is hypocrisy - having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power in our lives. How do we avoid living a double life? How can we remain true to God, to ourselves, and to others? We have been set free in Jesus to live authentically, fully acknowledging our sin and our need for God while enjoying his hope, peace, and forgiveness.

The once confident and bold Peter has shrunk, from shame and fear, into a posture of silent defensiveness. Why does this happen? Listen as we explain why our faith falters at times and what we can do to strengthen our faith.