City Church Houston

Peter's famous denial of Christ is about more than threefold repitition: it is a progression of doubts that reveal how fragile our faith can be if we lack humility and vulnerability. In the same way, however, it becomes a progression toward the lasting source of faith: a living relationship with the resurrected Christ, who gives us strength when we have none.

Can we believe and not believe at the same time? That was the experience of a desperate father who brought his troubled son to Jesus for healing: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The more we look at the Bible, it turns out, the more we’ll see this man’s experience might have been the norm rather than the exception.

While people often talk about faith as though it were a fixed position of certainty, the Bible shows faith to be far more fluid. There’s a movement to it, a dance of sorts between belief and unbelief, devotion and spiritual dryness, strength and sorrow, love and loss.

"Best things dwell out of sight," Emily Dickinson once wrote. It can be hard to believe what we cannot see, but so much of our life—our loves, our principles, our hopes—cannot be seen. Paul ends the letter to the Ephesians with a reminder of an invisible world beyond our vision, where good and evil struggle, and where the grace of God will ultimately win.

The God you imitate will show up in how you live.

If we're honest, isn't there often a ravine separating how we want to be and how we are? In Ephesians, Paul offers a profound view of our psychological and spiritual attitudes, challenging us to find new lives by, first and foremost, excavating the deepest beliefs of our hearts.

How do we find deep purpose in life? How do we grow and mature as a person? How can a person of faith be a peace-maker when religion so often is divisive? We'll discuss how each of these important questions are addressed in this passage. 

Why are families often the most difficult place for us to incorporate what it means to be a person of faith? How can we develop healthy, flourishing relationships within our families? 

While it's an important topic, marriage can be a very sensitive subject. How should we think about it--its purpose, potential, and the pain that's often associated with it? What about singles and those who may feel left out when the church talks about subjects like marriage?

Paul's second and final prayer for the people in Ephesus asks them to see that the highest ambition of our faith is to know and experience the limitless love of God. While beyond our ability to fully comprehension, God's love holds the power to transform us at the very root of our being.

How do we deal with discouragement? How do we make sense of our suffering? Paul interrupts himself in this very autobiographical and pastoral segment to share the secret to these age-old struggles. 

The grace of God frees us from old labels of our past, grants us a new identity for our present, and positions a cornerstone for our eternal future through the work and person of Jesus Christ. 

What makes grace truly amazing? Here Paul shows us how it can become a life-changing dynamic for us, help ground in us our sense of self, and discover purpose in all of life?

Paul wants the church to know what they can’t know on their own, see what they can’t see on their own, and be who they can’t be on their own.

"Grace has a grand laughter in it," writes the novelist Marilynne Robinson. If we've experienced the marvelous and mysterious love of God, we can't help but find shock and even laughter to think that the God of the universe has gone to the very ends of himself to win us back for himself.

How does Paul open his letter to the Ephesians, which he wrote while chained in a Roman prison? Not by complaining, arguing, or reflecting on his circumstances in a well-reasoned manner. Instead, he opened with a surprisingly emotional outburst of praise. What caused this? Are there lessons we can learn to help us face our own challenges? 

The dominant theme in this artistically elegant Psalm--the longest chapter in the Bible--is God's word. By treasuring God's word, especially in the face of suffering and sorrow, and allowing it to illuminate our life, we discover the path of true meaning and eternal happiness.

Falling in love with the Bible is like experiencing the joyous and rewarding journey of a fine meal, discovering a diet that balances personal growth and communal service.

How often do we read the Bible simply to enjoy it? When we read for the experience, rather than the meaning only, we can enjoy the world of the Bible as we would enjoy the world of our favorite works of literature.

While it's important to appreciate the Bible as a work of literature, there's something about it that's also very different, unique even. What is that characteristic and how can it help us enjoy the Bible and even find it to be a powerful tool of transformation in our lives?

Is there a key that unlocks the meaning of the Bible and helps us to find deep enjoyment in it?

The end of Mark's Gospel is an enigma. But in this mysterious cliffhanger of a conclusion we find crucial lessons for life. What can we learn from this puzzling Easter story?

As modern people in a secular age, whipsawed by the instability, sting, and sorrow of life, what can worship actually do for us?

Why do so many of us value generosity and find it so difficult to be sacrificially generous? What can help us overcome that disconnect? The answer lies in an unlikely place: reimagining philanthropy as part of liturgy.

Learning to love moral principles is not the path Jesus teaches for those seeking peace and purpose. Instead, he tells us of a law of love, which transforms us into a people uniquely committed to justice and mercy for our neighbors.