Ethos Church

Today’s teaching delves into Jesus' revolutionary approach to politics, highlighting his ambiguous yet profound response when questioned about his allegiance. We learn that while Jesus acknowledged the necessity of engaging with earthly authorities, he emphasized that our ultimate devotion belongs to God alone. The teaching encourages us to seek a balance between participating in the political...

We are reminded that as followers of Christ, our ultimate goal should be to love like Jesus, even amidst the divisiveness and challenges of an election year. While we may hold different political views, our shared faith in Christ should unite us and shape our interactions with others. By recognizing that both anger and fear are often used as political tools, we can instead choose to anchor ourselv...

As we ponder the nature of love, we recognize its transformative power - not just on hallmark occasions, but woven into the fabric of our everyday existence. Reflecting on Jesus' example of sacrificial love, we challenge ourselves to mirror that selflessness in our actions. This message is an invitation to embrace the fullness of love and to understand how deeply you've been loved can prof...

Wrapping up our "On the Table" series, we explore the radical teachings of Paul in Romans 12, where we confront the enigma of overcoming malice with kindness; that holding onto unity and Jesus' exemplary life's work becomes ever more apparent. Learn how the simple, yet profound act of kindness can ignite a moral awakening, and how we, as a community, can rise above societal and p...

Explore the multifaceted nature of love through the lens of the Greek language, where four distinct words paint a complex picture of this fundamental human emotion. We steer the conversation towards understanding how a society's quest for eros, or romantic love, can overshadow the more enduring agape love demonstrated by Jesus. With insights from psychiatrist Miriam Grossman, we acknowledge th...

Sexuality and spirituality intertwine in profound ways, yet the conversation often gets lost in whispers. Our journey isn't just about confronting the missteps of the church or the hypersexualized culture around us; it's about rediscovering the beautiful, God-given longing for intimacy that connects to our innermost selves. we grasp how being fully known and loved is what we're really...

Look in Christian bookstores at books on marriage and parenting – compare that with books on singleness – very few marriage books argue that marriage is a good thing – that’s accepted. Instead, they talk about all the problems in marriage and how to deal with them. Christian marriage books tell you how to deal with the difficulty of marriage. Books on singleness take a different approach. They alm...

The idea that all religions are equally correct is called “religious relativism”. That all positions are equally correct, and therefore, we shouldn’t evangelize. If you believe some religions are superior to others, then you have to evangelize. But if you believe that no religions are superior to others then you are evangelizing your religious relativism view. Think of it like this; when you urge...

It’s not difficult to get a person interested in the message of the gospel, it is difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. In the words of Eugene Peterson, “Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence of mature Christian discipleship is slim.” In the western church there is a great market for religious experie...

Every relationship forms you. The relationships you say “yes” to, and the relationships you say “no” to will both form you in one way or another. These relationships either wound you on the “operating table” or on the “battle field”. The operating table scenario heals, while the battle field scenario ultimately dominates. We need to want relationships that put us on the “operating table.” Who are...

Living a life faithfully following Jesus, means acknowledging God’s purpose, plan, perspective, and presence whether in a season of pain or a season of ease. During seasons of pain, it means not letting the storm cloud your vision and remembering that Jesus is in the boat with you. In seasons of ease, it means keeping in front of you the truth that you cannot do this alone and that no matter how g...

Pastor Jon shares about the difference between proclamation and application. Right now we are in a “Josiah like moment”. Josiah had every reason to not turn towards God, but something rose in him at the proclamation of God’s word that made him reform; made him change. God had given us each the opportunity to reform our legacy and our family. You can set the tone for your children, and your childre...

Generations after Israel had been freed from Egyptian slavery, they were hauled off into exile in Babylon, a secular country. In the book of Jeremiah, we see that Gods call to Israel was to retain their foundational identity as Gods people even though they were resident aliens in a foreign land. Despite their status as exiles .. God tells them to stay put. Put down roots, build houses, plant garde...

“There is a mean, violet streak in the true Christian life. But violence against whom, or what? Not other people. It’s violence against all the impulses in us that would be violent to other people. It’s a violence against all the impulses in our own selves that would make peace with our own sin and settle in with a peacetime mentality. It’s violence against all lust in ourselves, and enslaving des...

It is not hard to see why Christians would shy away from sin and judgement in our attempts to engage constructively in the debates and questions of our age. Our culture attacks sin and judgement as hate speech, leaving Christians confused, embarrassed and in denial about foundational biblical truths. We are told that doctrines of sin and judgement are not just misguided but downright dangerous or...

Neuroscience tells us - the human mind can actually resist truth about oneself. This phenomenon is called mutual pretense in the medical field. Everybody desperately needs to be covered - desperately wants to be covered - has to be covered, to keep people from seeing who we really are. What Adam & Eve used as fig leaves in Genesis 3, we use as social media, larger homes, smiling families, and...

We oftentimes ask ourselves, if God is so good why is there so much pain in this world. But the reality is, that Jesus’ promise of peace does not guarantee the absence of trouble or pain. Rather we are called to understand that life offers both still waters and valleys of death (Psalm 23). And in that, holding on to the truth that God is the connection point within those two places. And valuing Go...

Does anybody enjoy ‘waiting’? Red lights, long lines, commercials & ads during your favorite TV show or sports team, slow service at a restaurant. These are all a bit trivial in the grand scheme of life. But what about waiting on unanswered prayer, or a bad habit to finally be defeated, or a spouse, job, health? We don’t have a theology for waiting well. We certainly have an unhealthy and unbi...

In “Celebration of Discipline”, Richard Foster wrote, “God takes this ‘useless’ discipline, this ‘wasted time’, to make us His friend.” When we are quiet enough to hear God’s affirming voice, it becomes much easier not to fall under the spell of the opinions of others. The primary purpose of solitude is simply to be more present to God. In solitude we discover that the one who made us and loves us...

Scripture teaches, “don’t be anxious. Just pray.” Maybe we don’t because prayer comes with plenty of reasons to be anxious. Prayer itself makes us anxious because it uncovers fears we can ignore as long as we don’t engage deeply, thoughtfully, vulnerably with God.” Tyler Staten “This is the way it is with spiritual disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit. The disciplines are Gods way...

Practice > ‘New Year’s Resolution Spirituality'   When we think about the good news of Jesus, two approaches in the form of a question come to mind. There are two contrasting questions that form our shift today from making converts to making disciples. Question 1: In a ‘Conversion Centered Gospel’ one might ask “If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven?” Question 2: In a disciple...

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference. EthosOH.com Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community ServeColumbus.org

LOVE When Mary finds out that she is pregnant, she goes to spend her first trimester with her elderly cousin Elizabeth who is in her last trimester. It is likely they are both, given their ages, in the midst of the most challenging parts of their respective pregnancies. It is from this place that they enter into community. We might expect Elizabeth, who has waited her whole life for a child, might...

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference. EthosOH.com Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community ServeColumbus.org

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference. EthosOH.com Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community ServeColumbus.org