Casas Church

We limit ourselves if we all try to be the exact same type of Christian. Think of all the people we couldn’t relate to if we are all the same. Instead, if we are all exercising our freedom in Christ and living out of who God created us to be, God can use us in different and unique ways. It starts with you - stepping out in faith, partnering with God, and living out of who He is shaping you to be. 

We revealed our updated mission “Loving people into the acceptance and freedom of Jesus Christ.” This week “acceptance” was the focus, which simply means that you have a place with us. Jesus lived out acceptance during his ministry. It is our role as His church to take that into our everyday lives. What do we mean by acceptance and how do we show that to those around us? 

We firmly believe God has you. If God is the loving God we believe He is we can step out in faith and trust it. What would happen if we put the full weight of our trust in God this week? 

Casas’ journey over the years has led us to not pursue life as religious rule followers. Instead, we desire a loving relationship with Jesus and bring as much of heaven to earth as possible. We trust the Holy Spirit to guide us as we are anchored in Christ’s love for us. We’re after something real with Jesus and we want others to experience that love too. 

Glenn walked us through some of the practical history of Casas Church beginning in the 1960s to the present day. John 7 was instrumental in shaping where we come from and the beginning of who we are as a church. The story of Casas is your story too. Join us in trusting Jesus with the journey ahead. 

It’s impossible to deny that trust in institutions has declined slowly since the 1970s. This can be attributed to key moments in our nation’s history. Additionally, people have less trust in religious institutions. Even in Exodus, we can see how easily people lost trust. What do we do with this? How can we change things for the better in our lives and in the lives of others? 

This first Sunday of our new series is the beginning of a journey to learn more about the early church. Discover Casas' roots with us and learn more about our deeply held values. How can you know where you are now and what's important if you don't first familiarize yourself with the journey?   

This week was the conclusion of our sermon series Baseline by looking at Galatians 6. We hope this series has been a blessing in your life!  

In Galatians 5, Paul specifically tells us that we are “not under the law,” but that does not automatically give us a license to sin. If we are walking with the spirit then there is a way to pursue that is described in Chapter 5 as the fruit of the spirit. If we seek those principles first and live by them, it will become our way and it will positively affect our lives and relationships. 

Embracing life with Christ means following the loving thing to do. If we pursue that in every situation - how can we go wrong? We need to get to know what Jesus has already said, reflect on what we know that we’re not living out, and actively love others as we love ourselves. 

Paul addresses three distinct groups of Christians in Galatians who are all a part of the early church together, but come from vastly different backgrounds. What do we do with this tension in our own lives of differing perspectives on faith and spirituality? Paul reminds us once again to re-center our lives on Jesus, remember who Jesus says we are, and make our spiritual example to others in how w...

In Galatians, Paul addresses spiritual adulthood. What does it mean to be an adult spiritually? We have freedom in faith, but with freedom comes responsibility. That doesn’t mean we live under religious rules. If we do that, we will miss what spiritual adulthood is all about by relying on the law. 

Occasionally, we might need to recenter our lives on the truth of the gospel. That the gospel (good news) is enough to center your life upon. If you want to recalibrate your life - center your life on Jesus. Trust that He is in you, with you, and for you. Rest in the knowledge that who you are is not dependent upon your reputation with others or your dependence on other people’s opinions of you -...

What is it to live as a follower of Christ? In Galatians, Paul sees how the early Christians will be living out their faith. How we understand the gospel is significant. The gospel isn’t just about how you get saved - it’s about how you live. 

On this day we celebrated our ministry theme Better Together and all that it has meant for us to live this out in the community. We had the opportunity to hear from a multi-generational panel of individuals who have experienced Better Together in different, but meaningful ways. We celebrated all that God has done in us and through us and we carry that meaning forward as an essential part of our un...

Currently, younger generations are more digitally connected than ever before, but surveys indicate they are feeling more disconnected. How do we, as a multi-generational church, work together to overcome that challenge? Not one generation needs to prove itself to have a place with us. It takes sacrifice and compromise to reach multi-generational common ground, but we have so much to gain from that...

Every generation has a different view on life with unique cares and concerns. Each generation is also doing the best they can with what they’ve experienced during their formative years. If we all remember that in the end, we all desire peace - we will be stronger, more unified, and have a greater understanding of each other.

It’s undeniable that generational differences exist, but it doesn’t have to remain a hindrance. Being a multi-generational church is one of our strengths. Every generation brings something valuable to the table. How do we recognize each other’s strengths and values without feeling as if we lost something along the way? The early church faced similar challenges and also presents us with a solution...

Religion only ends up weighing us down. When we lay down the burdens that we’re carrying around that weigh heavy on us - we will realize Jesus was with us all along. He’s finished things for us already. We don’t have to make our way to God because He makes his way to us through Jesus. 

Jesus didn’t arrive in Jerusalem to be the great conqueror that the Jewish people had long hoped for, but he did arrive to change where people placed their hope. The temple was the center of Jewish life and Jesus arrived to change the focus from a place empty of true relationship to Himself. Religion can only take you so far. A relationship grows with you and only strengthens you spiritually.

Do you ever have moments where you feel something weighing on you? We can overcome that by seeking and trusting the power of Christ around us, but also how it works within us. We can engage this idea by asking questions through prayer. If we continue on this path and practice, becoming more vulnerable and honest, we’ll be able to ask: “Change it and change me.” 

When we think about Jesus being fully God and fully man we often fill in the gaps of our knowledge about God with our own concerns, worries, and issues. However, If we look at Jesus - we know who God is and we don’t have to attempt to figure it out on our own. We can trust that the person of Jesus we see in scripture and are transformed by is also the God who loves us. 

What is the relationship between the fear of God and the love of God? What do I do with the fear of God? How does it relate to the idea of the love of God?

If we are going to be Christ centered then we have to see Jesus as our rabbi 

As followers of Christ, we often want to live in the choices framed as clear good vs. bad. However, if that’s the place we exist in, we can miss the opportunity of what a relationship with God offers when we’re Christ-centered. Spiritual maturity comes with trusting the place we have as God’s children, looking for Jesus in everyday situations, and asking what our own hearts are telling us.