Downtown Church: Memphis, TN

Have you seen His glory? Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (...

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.   And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7) Big Idea: The Incarnation of Christ appears so that we might imitate His character.  1. Be imitators of Christ's Freedom Since therefore the children share in fl...

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7)  “Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem,...

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a d...

James 5:13-20  "If my sadness brought you gladness, I’d be glad to be sad, If my feeling bad made you feel good, I would always feel bad [Chorus] And I wouldn’t think twice about the sacrifice, Anything that I’d have to do, ‘Cause whatever makes you happy makes me happy too." (Miracles, Whatever Makes You Happy) “If it makes you happy, It can't be that bad, If it makes you happy, Then why the...

Big Idea: God has designed you for His purpose by His promises, so we must be rooted in our faith. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.   Do not grumbl...

[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud...

Main Idea: Because life is so fragile and short we must live every moment under the Lordship of God.  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to s...

Will DC be a Community of Truth AND Grace? “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20) .”  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall...

Big Idea: Christ satisfies our deepest desires, so that we will corporately draw near to God. 1. We must have a Growing And Grounded Prayer Life. vv.1-3 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?   You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you...

Main Idea:  God’s wisdom transforms us and teaches how to bring peace where there is chaos.  1. Godly Wisdom empowers you to actively live a life that seeks the good of others.  Wisdom is the practical outworking of a heart submitted to the Lord. 1 Peter 2:21-23 “21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might foll...

James 3:1-12 I. Words have purpose. (Genesis. 1:1-3) “In Genesis 1, the world of communication was a world of peace, truth, and life. Words were never used as weapons. Truth was never used to tear down. Words were always spoken in love, and human communication never broke the bonds of peace.” Tripp, Paul David. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles (p. 12). We were cre...

James 2:14-26   “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (1:18).” “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean....

Our faith in Christ must reflect our hearts, in the way we dignify all people. vv.1-7 Our faith in Christ must reflect our hearts, in the way we show mercy. vv.8-13

19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. [22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if a...

James 1:12-18 Main Idea: Your earthly desires are good and will only be fulfilled when you receive what God wants for you 1. There is a Reward at the End of the Trial  "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. " 1:12 "Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempte...

James 1:1-18 “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures (1:18).”  I. God gifted wisdom sees value in trials.  II. The Wise man knows where to go for wisdom.  III. The wise man knows where (maybe how) not to go.  IV. The wise man knows his trials are going somewhere.

Dirty Faith: Series Introduction - James - Richard Rieves - August 22, 2021

Rest Assured: Restlessness - What's At Stake? - Mark 14:32-42 - Richard Rieves - August 15, 2021

Rest Assured: Why Sabbath? - Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 - Sirgregory Thornton - August 8, 2021

Join Michael Rhodes for the this week's installment of 7 Minute Sunday School.

Rest Assured: Luke 5:16 - Richard Rieves - August 1, 2021

Join Michael Rhodes for the this week's installment of 7 Minute Sunday School.

Rest Assured: Clinging To The Rest Of God - Hebrews 3 - Wayne Denny - July 18, 2021

Join Michael Rhodes for the this week's installment of 7 Minute Sunday School. Link to "Six Big Political Ideas The Torah Gave The World" - https://youtu.be/5Plnmuk71vM