Fairfax Church of Christ

Jesus calls his disciples salt and light. We affect those around us. If being a disciple means being called by Christ to call others to Christ, how are you going to do that in your neighborhood? Especially if you happen to fall into the majority of people who don’t know their neighbors? In this sermon, we'll discuss and be challenged to be "God's heart" to our communities.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus, and why does it matter? How are we live out being followers of Jesus in the spheres of our daily life? This five-week series looks at the important concept of discipleship and applies it to our work, neighborhood, social media, and hospitality.

We finish our Home series with looking at the father in the story of the Lost Son. When we look at the context, we see that Jesus was showing "This is what God is like." He is relentless in searching for what is lost and rejoices when they are found. 

The elder son reminds us that when we desire the good things from God more than we desire him, we are blinded to the grace of God.

In scripture, home is this reoccurring theme. When we’re home we’re where we were meant to be.  It’s home we want, but often, it’s home we run from. In the classic parable of the Prodigal Son, we first see a story of a young man who leaves because he thinks good things are found away from home. Soon, at his lowest point, he returns home to find his father waiting for him to welcome him home. 

God has given us a comfort that is greater than anything the culture, other religions, or our own preferences and desires can provide. When we experience the uncomfortable, we can trust in God's promises of what is to come. 

The church is made up of people we may not always get along with or agree with - but that's something God can use for our good. Despite our differences, the Holy Spirit unites us and works in our hearts and communities for our good and His glory.

We should expect uncomfortableness because the crucifixion and what Jesus did on the cross is at the very center of our faith. He is our example for how to deny ourselves and take up our crosses, for it is in his work that we find true comfort.

The Christian life—especially when it comes to being part of a church community—is full of discomfort and awkwardness, but God uses these challenges to help us know him better. Rather than attempting to find our dream church, we must embrace the uncomfortable and difficult parts of the Christian life in order to grow and experience gospel community.

The Gospel proclamation calls for a response. The grace that God has given, received through faith, moves us to action. When we read through Acts, we find that the response of those who have come to believe in Jesus is to do something. 

All truth is God’s truth; there are many things in this world that can encourage your faith and lead unbelievers to Jesus. Our hope is to be free from the penalty of our sins and to enjoy being with God who loves us so much he gave his only Son to die for us. The reason for our hope is that Jesus rose from the dead.

Paul and Silas are in prison. While they are there, they begin to sing hymns of worship. Suddenly, an earthquake causes the locks to open. Because of their faithfulness, a jailor's life is spared and he comes to place his faith in Jesus. In this sermon, we explore this story and the role that faith plays. 

There is something about grace - something amazing. Grace is not just how we start following Jesus; it is how we keep following Jesus. Disciples are always growing in grace, always pursuing a greater experience of God's power and goodness. No other gospel can do what the gospel of grace can do. It not only saves us from our sins, but it saves us for a life of freedom and service.

Through Jesus, all of God's promises find their "yes." But, often, we look to other things to find our yes. Sometimes, this is just because we don't realize what the Gospel is. In this conversation, we discuss what the Gospel is, what it was for the Jews and why it's still good news for us. 

Ask yourself, “What rules and regulations guide my interaction with others whom I see as ‘unclean’?”

Coming off of the events of Pentecost, 'good living' marked the early church. This good living led to powerful opposition, which led to powerful prayer. And powerful prayer leads to Spirit-empowered ability to continue Good Living in the face of Powerful Opposition. No one is too far off to be used by the gospel. So often we can get lost in trying to sell our faith; instead, we should point people...

Good news is something we all need. Sometimes, we can go about life accepting that bad news is normal. We walk along, zombies in the mundane of every day life. But when good news comes along, it helps us to see things differently. The good news of his death, burial, and resurrection changed everything for his followers. But it wasn't just something they kept to themselves - it was good news for al...

No matter who you are or where you’ve been Jesus has hope for you. The twists and turns of the story of His life ended up in a grave on Friday, but three days later Jesus walked out of the grave and the course of history changed forever. It was an unusual place to find hope for humanity, but if you look and if you listen, you’ll find that there’s hope for all of us.

Perhaps there is no greater example of self-less giving than God giving of himself. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem, beginning what has come to be called Holy Week. As he rides in, he is fulfilling prophesy and ultimately, the reason for his coming. For God so loved the world that He gave...We are called to give, self-lessly, just like God. 

The widow put the least in the offering, but Jesus demonstrates through her that generosity is not just for those who are wealthy or have it all together. We will be generous even with our small gifts, talents, and acts of service.

The parable of the good Samaritan shows the importance of being generous with our time to serve others. We will take time to be generous and serve others in our church and community.

Generosity is a virtue that comes from the character of God and consists of giving to others without getting anything in return. Paul tells the church in Corinth to be generous in giving to others. God will take care of them. Giving generously represents God and is an example of our trust in Him.

Malachi speaks the words of God to the people of Israel revealing the promise of one who would come. This One would embody the fullness of God to humanity - the refiner who will purify the people. This was the great hope and expectation of God's people. This would be fulfilled in the Messiah - Jesus. Jesus came and revealed God's great salvation once and for all. 

The people struggled to survive in their homeland after the exile. Families and marriages felt the tension. Marriage covenants were broken and many started unholy relationships. Marriage serves an important role in the story of God as a reflection of God's relationship with the people. It is used as a representation of His love for the people and as Jesus' relationship to the church. God loves his...