Missio Dei Community - SLC

The book of Jonah is more than a story about a reluctant prophet and a big fish—it’s a literary masterpiece rich with irony, symbolism, personification, and foreshadowing. In this week’s message, Abby invited us to read Jonah not just for its literal details, but for the deeper truths it conveys about the heart of God. Through the storm narrative in Jonah 1, we meet a prophet who runs from God, a...

The book of Jonah is a strange tale that you probably remember from Sunday School. It’s got a big whale, a rebellious prophet, a tree eating worm, and a repentant Nineveh. These features make Jonah perfect for the screen but a bit hard to understand as scripture. Should we read Jonah like any other prophet or is it a parable? That strange ambiguity takes some work to understand but it’s also what...

This week we conclude our series  Reckless? , exploring the bold, relational, and non-coercive love of God. Today’s focus is the tension between suffering and hope, control and trust, certainty and identity. Romans 8 reminds us that even in the groaning of creation, the ache of uncertainty, and the absence of easy answers, God is with us. Not through domination or certainty, but through lovin...

This week in our  Reckless?  series, we explore a powerful and surprising truth: God's love is  vulnerable . While vulnerability might seem weak or unsafe, the story of Jesus reveals a God who does not grasp at power or rule from a distance, but who  gives ,  descends , and  draws near —even to the point of suffering. Paul’s hymn in Philippians 2 invites us to take on...

On Trinity Sunday—and Father’s Day—we reflect on what it means to say “God is love.” This week, we explored the idea of God’s love being “reckless”—not in a careless way, but in a bold, self-giving, audacious way that risks for the sake of relationship. The Trinity shows us that God is not an isolated being but a community—Father, Son, and Spirit—defined by mutual love and inclusion. This loving c...

Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not throu...

Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not throu...

Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not throu...

Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not throu...

Eastertide is the season we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection isn’t just a one time event to commemorate, it is instead a world altering reality that invites us into a whole new way of living. We see this on full display for the earliest followers of Jesus who found their lives and world upturned by their surprising king who defeated death, sin, and the powers of evil not throu...

On this Easter Sunday, we reflect on the story of two disciples walking the road to Emmaus—grieving, confused, and unsure if hope has truly come. Through their journey, we discover that Jesus meets us in our unraveling, walks with us at the speed of love, and reveals himself not through quick fixes or perfect answers, but through presence, patience, and a shared meal. No matter where you find your...

Missio Good Friday Service 2025

On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem—a moment of celebration, hope, and political tension. The crowd celebrates, expecting victory. The Pharisees fear conflict. But Jesus weeps, knowing that neither group fully understands the kind of King he is—or the kind of peace he brings. His kingdom is not won through force but through self-giving love, leading to the cross and u...

As we continue our Lenten journey toward Easter, we turn our attention to a striking portrait of Jesus in John 13—kneeling, apron-clad, and washing the feet of his disciples. This is no ordinary act of hospitality. It’s a profound disruption of social norms, a voluntary reversal of power and status, and a love-soaked redefinition of leadership and community. Jesus, fully aware of his authority and...

After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he observes the temple but does nothing—yet. The next day, he curses a fig tree that has no fruit, even though it is not the season for figs. Then, he enters the temple and overturns tables, condemning it as a "den of thieves." The following morning, the disciples find the fig tree withered, and Jesus teaches them about faith that moves mountains. These...

The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus, revealing his divine identity to his disciples in a dramatic way. Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, is transfigured on a mountain, shining with glory as he stands alongside Moses and Elijah. This moment marks a turning point in his journey toward the cross and challenges the disciples’ expectations of who Jesus is. Like Pete...

Portraits of a King - Feeding of the 5,000

Stories reveal who someone truly is. If we want to know what Jesus is like, we don’t just rely on facts—we look at the stories about him. This Lent, we are exploring six stories that reveal what kind of king Jesus is. Our first story, the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, shows us how he chooses to rule—not through power, performance, or control, but through trust, faithfulness, and sacrifici...

Throughout this series, we've explored the vision of extending our table—how God calls us into unexpected places and welcomes unexpected people. As we conclude, we focus on how we’re not just invited to sit at the table but to contribute to the meal. Like a potluck, God calls each of us to bring our unique gifts to share.

Hope is not passive optimism—it’s an act of trust and courage. In this teaching, Heather explores what it means to cultivate hope and extend belonging, even when circumstances make it difficult. Through Jesus’ teaching and example, we’re invited into a bigger, more generous way of seeing and loving others.

As we journey through this series, we are exploring the vision and calling we believe God has placed on our community for 2025:  Extending Our Table.  This phrase is more than just an image; it is a posture, an invitation to expand our hospitality, embrace discomfort, and welcome the unexpected. In this guide, we will reflect on how Jesus models table fellowship in Luke 7 and consider wh...

At Missio Dei, we believe God is always calling us to something new while rooting us in His mission of renewal. This year, we sense an invitation to extend our table—to practice radical belonging, break down barriers, and witness to the hospitality of Jesus. But in a divided world, how do we gather and stay together? Join us as we explore what it means to build a community centered on Christ, not...

Our final installment in our series, Every Moment Holy explores how friendship is a holy practice that shapes us in profound ways—inviting us into renewal, connection, and love.

This week we explore how an obsession with efficiency can hinder wholeness and following the way of Jesus. While efficiency—the ability to maximize outputs with minimal inputs—can be a valuable tool, it becomes problematic when applied to every aspect of life. Instead of alleviating anxiety and creating space, an obsession with efficiency often magnifies stress and reduces life to measurable outpu...

Part 3 in our series, Every Moment Holy exploring how to live the way of Jesus with technology. The first 5 minutes of this sermon (introduction) were not recorded.