Missio Dei: Phoenix

Lent traditionally has 3 components: Fasting, Prayer, and Giving. It is a period of reflection on the brokenness of the world and our need for rescuing, which leads us up to the celebration of Easter. In order to fully embrace the resurrection of new life, we must also face the stain of death caused by human rebellion. This short audio was an invitation to our congregation into the season of Lent...

In the book of Revelation, we find we are reading someone else’s mail. Jesus sent a message through John to specific churches in Asia Minor. Ephesus was the first stop. They were standing strong in the truth in the midst of an idolatrous culture. But they had neglected to walk in actionable love for one another. Jesus wanted to call them back, in his love, by his grace.

A new community was forming, centered around Jesus, empowered by His very Spirit sent from the Father. This power allowed for them to be part of some pretty amazing things, but just as Jesus tired of the crowds coming to him to see miracles, these events were pointing to something more powerful. People were being restored into community, good news was being preached, and the system the world opera...

The presence of God's Spirit radically transformed a diverse crowd of people, brought them together as a one people, and put that community on display to others so that they would grow and multiply. The call of humanity at creation had been reestablished -- diverse humans being made one, empowered by the presence of God to be fruitful and multiply.

The day the Spirit came and filled followers of Jesus was a day promised long ago, but it came like no one expected. Through a rushing, violent wind, and fire that didn't burn, God came and made His home with His people -- so that we could come make our home with Him.

The work of Jesus in healing the sick, feeding the hungry, preaching the good news, raising the dead, going to the grave himself, and rising by the power of the Spirit was only the beginning. Jesus continued his work, and is continuing it still, with the same Spirit empowering a new body.

Our formation in God and our community with one another is more deeply formed as we live on mission for the sake of others. God has always designed humanity to have a purpose, to be a display of His good work in front of all of creation, for the sake of the world.

We took a few minutes to talk about our MC’s and pray for the mission we are sent on. Specifically we prayed that: 1) Our Missio Communities would multiply 2) Our Missio Communities would invite others in 3) Our own tables would be more open and diverse

God has formed us to be together, many distinct people in unity as one body, in order to best reflect what He is like. Most of creation has been designed this way, to be connected together. Yet, sin has broken us apart and created a desire for individualism. Jesus has come to reunite us as his body, bringing us together with one another and together with God once again.

We give an update on the budget, our hopes for how we will steward it together this year, and prayed for God to knit us more closely together. Specifically, we prayed for: 1) Our commitment strengthened 2) Our schedules shared 3) Our stories more fully known

What are you being formed by? Which narratives give shape to your life? What rhythms, practices, and patterns are forming who you are? We desire that as a people we would be shaped first and foremost by God. His ways, His Word, His heart, His Spirit.

We took a few minutes at the start of the year to talk about how we will strive to be formed this year by God. More importantly, we spent a few minutes in prayer for God to form us. Specifically, we prayed for: 1) Our family to grow in size 2) Our family to grow in maturity 3) Our family to grow in love

Joy to the world, the Lord has come! We have a hope that the love of God will one day bring the wholeness of peace and restoration to this world — and when that comes we will experience the fullness of joy. Yet, we can experience that joy even here and now. Joy is not fleeting happiness or feeling good, but a constant source of satisfaction found not in our temporary circumstances, but in our eter...

Love is not a dopamine high or warm fuzzy feelings. It is the continual keeping of covenant commitment. It is intentional, relational, sacrificial, and actionable. It is God - flowing from Him and through Him and for Him. We can love because He has first loved us - most clearly seen through Jesus.

In our first week of Advent, we look at the hope the early church had because of Jesus and the hope we still hold onto today, because Jesus will return. Hope in Jesus is not like the wishful thinking we talk about when we hope for a raise or hope for the pandemic to end. Real biblical hope is a confident assurance of what God will do, rooted in what God has already done in history.

Following Jesus is a group project. God's Spirit has been breathed out upon a community of people so that they would live in such a way, together, that the world may see God's glory. The church is to be formed by God - together - for the sake of the world. But that’s not something we can do in our own strength, even by joining together. Following Jesus is not just a group project with other follow...

What changed in the few weeks between Jesus' followers running and hiding from fear for their lives to surging out into the streets with a message for thousands to hear? They had been equipped by Jesus. They had been witnesses of Jesus. They had been commissioned by Jesus. But the day had finally come which gave power to all of that. The day had come which made all of those other days all the more...

After conquering death, sin, and satan, Jesus went to prepare a place for God to dwell with man - restoring what was originally intended in the beginning. But before that, he invited his followers to join in his work. They were to become co-laborers in the mission... they were co-missioned into the work of Jesus. Humans had not had a very good track record of this work, but this time would be diff...

As we've journeyed through the True Story of the Scriptures all year, we finally come to the climactic turning point of human history: the death and resurrection of Jesus. His sacrifice and crucifixion are only half of this world renewing event. It finds its completion - and we find our hope - on the third day afterward when the tomb was empty.

The night of Jesus’ betrayal he shared an important meal with his closest friends and his betrayer. But right before they ate, Jesus knelt down to serve his followers by washing their dirty, grimy, travel-worn feet. Jesus, the King of all creation, took on the posture of a servant — a slave even. He washed all of them, including the one who would betray him. Yet, this was just a foretaste. He was...

Anthony takes us through the last supper, helping us see how the Passover meal was a way for Israel to remember what God had done for them in Egypt and reaffirm who they were as God's people. When Jesus took this meal with his friends the night he was betrayed, he brought its' significance to a whole new level for us. Now we take the bread and wine to remember what Christ has done for us and reaff...

As Jesus entered into Jerusalem and the last week of his time on earth, he was welcomed in by shouts from a crowd, "Save us please!" Just a week later the crowd would be yelling "Crucify him!"

When Jesus was confronted by religious leaders about why he was spending time with sinners, he told three stories: a parable of a lost sheep, a parable of a lost coin, and a parable of lost sons. The story tells of a wayward younger son who runs from home and lives recklessly without regard to his family, and an older son who stays home working and following all the rules in order to get what he w...

Many of us are familiar with the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan. Who do you picture yourself as in that story? The man who gets beaten and robbed, left for dead? The ones who pass by on the other side of the road to avoid the mess? The Samaritan who cares for him? Could it be that Jesus himself has taken on the role of the Good Samaritan, and our role is found in one other character in the...

Jesus taught his followers how to pray, how to approach the God of the universe. And it starts with recognizing who you are speaking to.