Ethos Church

Week 1 Advent // Hope Read: Luke 1:28 - 38 On the first week of Advent, we wait AND we prepare. We wait for the world to be as God intends it, the world as it should be. We wait for a world free of injustice, pain, and suffering. But it is not enough to simply wait, we must also prepare. Preparation goes beyond dreaming and invites us to participate in building a better world. As we wait and prepa...

Becoming a Community of Love Jesus was so brilliant…He could have made the defining characteristic of His followers anything He saw fit. He could have said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you believe something.” But instead, He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you do something. If you love as I have loved.” The brilliance of this statement is...

Irresistible Christianity What would happen in the Church and ultimately the world, if we oriented our lives, our marriages, friendships, finances, and time, around this inescapably simple but all-encompassing question…what does love require of me? Maybe we would stop searching the scriptures for loopholes and we would begin searching the scriptures in pursuit of ways to love better. Youth groups...

Pursuing Truth in a Culture of Personal Freedom Jesus could have come as many different things; a priest, a revolutionary, maybe a general or emperor but He came as a rabbi, a teacher…a truth teller. Why? He knew that the war He was fighting was not in the world, but rather in our minds. A war on truth. John 8:31-32 records that, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my dis...

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

As Christians, we often treat science like the awkward relative at a holiday dinner; it’s easier to ignore than it is to engage. But ignorance is a poor apologetic. Atheists treat faith as the enemy to science and Christians often treat science as the enemy of faith. However, faith and the Bible are not at war with science. Science tells us what the world is like, and Christianity tells us what th...

“At the heart of all the confusion about the Bible is a misunderstanding of what the Bible actually is and how it is unlike most any other book you will read.” - Dan Kimball “How Not to Read the Bible” As we continue our series on following Jesus in a post-Christian world, we need to understand the Bible. For many of us, the very thing that is meant to strengthen our faith, the Bible, has become a...

Post-Christianity & the Deconstruction of Faith Christianity being influenced by culture more than Christ is not a new thing. However, there is something slightly new that is happening. If you have been feeling that our culture is rapidly changing in some unique ways, you are right. We are living in a time of unprecedented deconstruction. In face of this temptation and moment, the invitation o...

Post-Christianity & the Deconstruction of Faith Christianity being influenced by culture more than Christ is not a new thing. However, there is something slightly new that is happening. If you have been feeling that our culture is rapidly changing in some unique ways, you are right. We are living in a time of unprecedented deconstruction. In face of this temptation and moment, the invitation o...

God’s Vision for the Church Some of the most highlighted, googled, and quoted Bible verses are found in the fourth chapter of Philippians. But these verses are not trite scriptures reserved for wall hangings and sentimental prayers. They are clues for how to thrive in our faith and furthermore, a picture of what Gods people, the Church, is to look like. Needless to say, Philippians chapter four is...

Joy No Matter What Life never seems to go the way we imagine it will in our heads. No matter the effort we put into preparing our day-to-day lives, unforeseen circumstances can leave us feeling frustrated and losing our joy. Many of us have believed the lie that Christians won’t have troubles. But Jesus tells us plainly in John 16:33, “...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have...

Love Without Alignment It is easier to only love people we agree with, but we must remember that joyful Christ-centered communities are diverse and therefor accepting of all people. Jesus lived His life with people that did not think, talk, act, or believe like Him yet was able to draw in the sinner, as well build up disciples. Agreeing is not the goal, rather loving and being united is. Through t...

Redefining Life In the book of Philippians, the author, Paul, reveals the secrets of the art of living a life of flourishing. The truths of his letter also have the power to speak directly into our current cultural moment, where many people are languishing somewhere in between depression and flourishing. Through this deep dive into the book of Philippians, we hope our community’s perspectives migh...

To know, be Known, & to Be Led by The Holy Spirit We ended last week by identifying that the Holy Spirit gives everyone at least one spiritual gift. It’s equally important to know that no gift is an indication of spiritual maturity. The fruit of the Spirit manifesting in love is the measure of spiritual maturity. William Barclay said, “The important issue is not how many gifts I have, but is m...

The Holy Spirit Working Through Us How did Jesus do everything that Jesus did? There are two dominant theories that exist to answer that question, and neither are entirely inaccurate but one of them is most clear. He did it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before the Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus after His water baptism, Jesus did not do much. However, after he was anointed with the Holy Spirit; H...

Another, Like Jesus How can you be sure that you are going to receive all the things the Holy Spirit gives? The community he gives you, the illumination he gives you, the experience he gives you, but most of all, the ministry of the Holy Spirit as a friend inside your heart, working against the various enemies your heart has … accusation, temptation, all the things. Do you know how you can receive...

A Person to Know, not a Force to Capture We begin our knowing of the Holy Spirit by first understanding the teaching of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that they are not three gods; rather they are one God, but who are all individually distinct. It is not like there is one person who sometimes has his Father hat on, sometimes his Son hat, and sometimes...

A generous heart does not look to give the bare minimum or simply what is needed but to go above and beyond. Often we settle for what is good instead of what is great. However, the life of Jesus calls us to consider not that which is good, or which is great, but to live for what is God. Jesus shows us how to live with the privilege of generosity. He was generous with His time, reputation, rights,...

Relationships aren’t always easy, but pursuing healthy ones is worth it. In fact, the way we relate with one another is intended to be a distinguishing characteristic of Jesus followers. In this two-week series, we are discussing the “7 Habits of a Highly Healthy Ethos Family” where we identify 7 relationally healthy habits that are practical yet profound. What would it look like if we fully leane...

Relationships aren’t always easy, but pursuing healthy ones is worth it. In fact, the way we relate with one another is intended to be a distinguishing characteristic of Jesus followers. In this two-week series, we are discussing the “7 Habits of a Highly Healthy Ethos Family” where we identify 7 relationally healthy habits that are practical yet profound. What would it look like if we fully leane...

As much as we want to be people who live un-offended the reality of life and humanity is we will all get offended. Offense comes in a variety of packages but hurts the most when it comes from someone we love and someone who loves us. Jesus says a divided house cannot stand. Offense is a tactic of the enemy but his real mission is to divide the relationships you hold so near to your heart. The call...

As much as we want to be people who live un-offended the reality of life and humanity is we will all get offended. Offense comes in a variety of packages but hurts the most when it comes from someone we love and someone who loves us. Jesus says a divided house cannot stand. Offense is a tactic of the enemy but his real mission is to divide the relationships you hold so near to your heart. The call...

The crushing, emotional blows of disappointment are exacerbated when you are disappointed by someone who you trust and expect to give you what you want. Especially when that someone is God. When it feels like God let you down, holding on to anger and resentment is easier than forgiving Him. But God hasn’t forgotten you. He understands your pain. He is not intimidated by your doubt or disappoint. G...

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

Our world is pushing us into the margins of ideology, political positions, and creating an anxiety that is too much. The apostle Paul gives us a vision that is beyond the noise of this world. A vision of good news, a vision of unity, and a vision to work out our humanness in a way that sees past people’s position to see a person’s humanity. “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any...