Restoration Church

What is a disciple of Jesus to make of our life as an American citizen? Acts gives us the backdrop to answer that question – through the witness of a Church that disrupted the power of empire not through the Senate or the sword, but through a radical, shared way of life that centered on our primary allegiance: Jesus. (Acts 22:25-29)

What do you do when God calls you outside of the comfort and culture you’ve always known? In Acts 10, Peter is led by the Holy Spirit to cross what had previously been uncrossable boundaries – a call that challenged both his identity and his sense of belonging. But on the other side of his certainty, he watched God move in a way he’d never imagine. It begs the question: what stands on the other si...

In Acts 9, we witness the dramatic conversion and commission of one of the most important men in the history of our faith: the apostle Paul. But Paul’s journey begins through the ordinary obedience of an otherwise unknown man named Ananias – a man who simply had the courage to see what God was doing… and join him. (Acts 9:1-18)

In Acts 8, Philip followed God’s leading into an unexpected place and discovered that God was already at work in the life of the Ethiopian eunuch. This story reminds us that being the church means joining God’s mission beyond Sunday mornings by paying attention to where He is leading and who He is placing in our path. (Acts 8:26-40)

As the early Church continues to move forward after Pentecost, they are confronted by the deep needs of the world around them. So what does the resurrection of Jesus mean for those who are in need around us? This weekend, we explore the centrality of compassion in our Spirit-empowered mission with Jesus. (Acts 3:1-10)

In the aftermath of the power of Pentecost, a new kind of community is born. Through a deep devotion to a shared way of life, they lived an embodied and empowered life of love together that still challenges our vision of who the Church is called to be. So what does this new kind of family mean for us? And how might we find it here? (Acts 2:42-47)

There’s all sorts of signs, wonders, and miracles in the book of Acts. But perhaps the most overlooked miracle of all? The birth of a new kind of family – empowered by the Spirit for a mission that breaks down divisions and transcends the boundaries the world tells us not to cross. This is what begins in Pentecost – and i’s what we’re after together.

In the aftermath of the resurrection, a small band of disciples are called beyond the borders of their comfort and culture and into the mission of God. Out of this mission, a new kind of family takes root: an eclectic and empowered community called the Church. Together in the power and presence of God, they’d find a new identity and calling: witnesses. (Acts 1:1-11)

Are we left to figure this out on our own? That was the question running through the minds of the disciples in the final hours before the crucifixion – and it’s a question we may have pondered, too. But Jesus gives a promise for the journey ahead: the persistant presence of a God who not only walks with us, but fights for our wholeness. (John 14:15-21)

In John 14, Jesus makes a clarifying and galvanizing statement: He doesn’t simply have the way or teach the way, that He is the way. Two thousand years later, this invitation to know Him as ‘the way’ is still an invitation into the kind of life and abundance we’ve been promised. The question is this: will we receive it? (John 14:1-14)

We are bombarded and frequently overwhelmed on all sides by voices that sound authoritative and compelling – and many of those voices claim to speak on behalf of God. So how do we discern what is genuine? Better yet, how do we hear His voice for ourselves? This weekm we’re talking about what it means hear His voice – as well as unpacking some healthy guardrails for helping us discern together. (Jo...

In the early hours of the morning, two disciples leave Jerusalem headed to a small town. In the death of Jesus, they’d lost their friend, their future, and their hope. It was a crisis of faith – a crisis that mirrors the same moments of doubt and disillusionment we so often face. So how can we find our faith again after the ground gives way and our life falls apart? (Luke 24:13-35)

Easter is not an event. It’s a season – a feast that both celebrates and continues the reality of the resurrection in our ordinary lives. In this second week of Easter, we explore the tension between the hope we profess… and the difficult days we often live through. How can we understand the tension of faith, and in spite of what we see around us, find joy? (1 Peter 1:3-9)

The resurrection of Jesus is the turning point of history. So what are we to make of the empty tomb? This week, we’ll explore the scope of God’s renewal that began that first Easter morning – a work that we’re invited to join as a sign of our hope. (John 20:1-18)

They wanted the soldier on a warhorse. Instead, they’re met by the Prince of Peace, riding on a donkey. This Sunday, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday – a day that always challenges us to consider where our salvation lies. (Matthew 21:1-11)

There are all sorts of names and descriptions for God throughout the Bible: Savior, Lord, King… but in John 11, we meet God in a way we might not expect: as our friend. Sunday, we see how Jesus’ friendship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus help us see how he shows up in our lives, too. (John 11:1-45)

We’ve all gone through seasons in our story that feel like “the valley of the shadow of death.” Moments that feel like the darkness is overwhelming. And when we find ourselves here, the question is clear: where is God? And what is He like? This week, we look to a familiar and powerful passage to help us meet “The God of the Valley.” (Psalm 23)

A lot of us know what it feels like to be on hte outside looking in. This week, our Gospel story is one of the many times Jesus upends the cultural boundaries of his time and meets a vulnerable person right where they are with love. So if you feel like your an outsider, there’s good news – he’ll meet you there, too. (John 4:5-42)

We often speak of salvation of something that happened – not something that’s happening. In our second week of Lent, we look at the story of a man in the midst of a crisis of faith; not because he didn’t have all the right answers, but because all those right answers came face to face with Jesus. Nicodemus is invited to be “born again,” an invitation we, too receive. So what does it mean to live i...

We often speak of salvation of something that happened – not something that’s happening. In our second week of Lent, we look at the story of a man in the midst of a crisis of faith; not because he didn’t have all the right answers, but because all those right answers came face to face with Jesus. Nicodemus is invited to be “born again,” an invitation we, too receive. So what does it mean to live i...

As the season of Lent begins, we give our attention to a moment in David’s life that brought both conviction and clarity. Psalm 32 celebrates the forgiveness of God, but it doesn’t shy away from the weight and weariness of sin. David’s words remind us that God is present even in our hiding and wandering – and if we’ll allow him, he can change us right in the middle of it. (Psalm 32)

In this message, pastor Luke Embree unpacks the Transfiguration, a scene in the Gospel that teaches us how God is present with us in power - right in the middle of the ordinary. (Matthew 17:1-9)

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we as Americans have a dysfunctional relationship with the Bible. It is misused, misapplied, and weaponized. Why? Because we’ve been handed down a tradition that sets the Bible apart from the One to whom it testifies. This Sunday, we’re talking about unlearning and relearning the Bible by reading it through Jesus, with Jesus, for the sake of becoming like...

If you haven't heard, Restoration is moving! On Sunday, March 1, we're moving to a new home at Arlington Christian Church. In this message, Justin speaks about our identity as a Church - and how we want to grow in our dependence and expectation as we root ourselves in the power and provision of God. (Matthew 16:13-18)

Did you hear the big news? Restoration has a new home! Beginning Sunday, March 1st, we’re gathering at Arlington Christian Church at a new time: 11:30am. In this message, we hear from Justin and other leaders at Restoration about how and why we are taking this next step. If you're interested in learning more, visit restorationlex.com/futurefund