Living Stones Christian Church - East Bay

God calls us to a politics of love rather than fear.

What is Jesus' definition of leadership vs. the World's definition?

Christians sadly, embody the same partisan and political divisions of the world. But we have something the world doesn't: God. What if God is in our political disagreements? What if there is something he is trying to teach us, form us, sanctify us in our conflicts? What if he is can make something new if we discern his presence in our radically opposing passions and beliefs?  This draws heavily on...

Money, Family, Education, Comfort, Security, Health, etc - life in the burbs can be oriented around so many things. But what if God has an even bigger purpose for us? What if God is bringing his kingdom – and inviting us to join him? What would it look like to join him in his work of compassion, justice, and sharing about his good news? What would sharing the good news look like here in our plural...

Where we live tends to be about proximity to schools, safety, home values, or consumer preferences. But what if it is true that "the Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood"? What if God has you where you are for a reason, to join him in his mission? This message delves into a Theology of place and the call to the practice of "neighboring". C.f. Value of Redemptive Presence

We live in a world so oriented around the worship of Mammon that it's hard to see Money soberly. But our worship belongs to God, and so we are called to a radically new relationship with money. How are we to use, spend, seek, and give money as people? E.g. Divine philanthropy (Malcolm Foley).

We often separate work and school from our spiritual lives, which allows the worldly logics and values of work and school rule how we live in those spaces. But what if God is deeply present at work and school? What if he has a purpose? How might this impact how we approach work and school as people who realize Jesus is bringing his good Kingdom everywhere? (Testimonies, TEDTalks, Panel of student...

Fall Launch Panel: Worship, Hospitality, & Small Groups

Today, what we seek more than timeless principles is an experience of the Ultimate. God is the ultimate reality, but he is not just a philosophy we "believe in; '' he is a person whose presence, love, and power we experience through his initiation and our response of obedience. How do we actually experience this God? C.f. Our value of soul

Life is more than about "being happy"; it's about finding self/fulfillment in our deepest purpose: loving God and others (c.f. How EEAAO deals with Nihilism). David Brooks calls our generation to consider living for our moral bucket list, rather than a eulogy that boasts little more than that we were happy. Cf. Our value of worship/allegiance

Training in righteousness is training in relationship with God. It involves the whole person being in a relationship with God: physical, mental (thinking), and emotional (feeling), but it's worth the cost.

To be disabled oftentimes means the loss of not only dignity, but community. An extreme example of this is Alzhiemer's where, in modern society, we prize an able, conscious mind as the hallmark of what it means to be human. How does the gospel speak to the dignity and community of the disabled? How does this challenge the able-bodied believer?

Gender roles and even gender itself is being deconstructed. How do we respond? How do we live as gendered people?

Race is when "your skin is that friend who meets everyone before you do." Race is first and foremost, not how you identify, but how society identifies you - e.g. it is a social construct. But in Christ, we discover who we really are. How do we live out our true identity in Christ in while in the racialized gaze of the world?

Sabbatical reflection: Our Creator/Lord of the Sabbath created us in grace and gave us the gift of Sabbath rest; we are finite mortals not the eternal God – even Jesus rested! Yet, is "work-life balance" the pinnacle of spirituality? We are still called to labor/toil – but for what end? In our world, we sacrifice our health for the gods of wealth, body image, etc; but in Christ, there is a greater...

Our priorities and commitments are reorganized in light of the Lordship of Christ

Living a Life of Gratitude

Baptism Testimonies

Brian, Kenneth, Kris talk about unity in Christ

The new moral character that have in Christ requires intentionality to walk it out.

Our suffering means victory instead of shame now, bc Jesus is the crucified God; we are sharing in his victory Worldly philosophies/values/habits press us to compromise our faith in Jesus the crucified God. But he triumphs and fulfills these the values/desires.

Our suffering means victory instead of shame now, bc Jesus is the crucified God; we are sharing in his victory