Storefront Church

When you think of Jesus, what do you think of him doing right now? This week, Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi explores John 17 and shows us that one of the things Jesus is presently doing is praying for you.

In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s devotional, God in the Manger , he addresses the human dilemma of Christmas and our inability to celebrate it fully, authentically, correctly . Mary, however, shows us how. 

The first Advent was about waiting for the Messiah. The Second Advent is about waiting for the Messiah to come again. And today we turn to John the Baptist because he prepares us for the first Advent, and he shows us how to live in light of the second.  How does he do that? By asking questions.

Today, in our series we’ve come to the topic of giving and the recognition that God’s grace reorients people to be radically generous.

What we believe about God will shape how we think about ourselves, our life journey's, but will determine how we treat others. With this passage, Jesus puts out the "Welcome" sign to the religious and the irreligious. He invites them to live in light of the reckless love of God.

If God is Love, then you can’t be more loving than His Word.

The question isn't "Am I being discipled?", but "By whom, and, what am I being formed to be?" Over the next few weeks, we're looking at the distinguishing characteristics of Christian formation. We begin with, Knowing Christ . 

The most significant act of Jesus' life was his death on a cross. With today's sermon we examine the cost of following after him. 

We're pleased to have Nick Nowalk as our guest preacher. Psalm 91 stands as perhaps the classic statement in Scripture of a different way of relating to an unknown future: trusting the promises of the God who will meet us then and there in whatever the future holds, just as He is with us here and now, and has been with us always.

From now until Christmas, we’re focusing on, and growing in, our appreciation and desire for discipleship as defined by Jesus . Today we're looking at the Great Commission, Jesus' charge to share the goodness of God with all the world. 

We're often looking for the right person or program to help us grow. Jesus tells us, however, we need to look at our hearts, and ask ourselves, “Am I able to grow? And, if not, why? Known as the "Parable of the Sower", Jesus shows that the condition of the heart will determine wether we are ready, willing, and able to receive that which we need.

We believe the pursuit of justice without the pursuit of grace and mercy misses the mark. In a world where all people are both beautiful and broken, we believe the goal of Justice should be that of redemption and restoration, not revenge. Therefore, we aim to cultivate leaders as “peacemakers”, who apply Jesus’ teachings to complex relationships, circumstances, and systems in order to speak truth...

One of the most important questions in all of human history is, What is my responsibility to my fellow man?  Whether you’re a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Atheist, we cannot help but think that we'll be remembered by God (or human history) for how we cared for others. 

(Matthew 6:1-11)

(Psalm 73)

(Luke 15:1-10)

(2 Timothy 1)

(Psalm 3)

(Luke 11:1-4)

(Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-13)

As difficult as things seem, God is still very much at work. In fact, he often uses the most difficult situations and painful situations to accomplish his purposes. He also empowers each believer with the ability to share the Good News, whether they think they are equipped or not.  (Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-8)

If you were a disciple of Jesus and you could ask him to teach you one thing from his ministry, what would it be? To teach memorable lessons? To feed multitudes of people? To walk on water? The actual disciples, as a group, asked none of those things. No, the one thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them was to pray. (Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-13)

Contrary to what you and I might assume, the door to prayer is opened, not because you or I open our mouths but because Jesus opens his. Here we see Jesus reminding the church that God is the one initiating dialogue. (Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:20: 22)

In a culture that pushes individuals to have to “ justify your life, prove yourself worth,  Christianity provides an authentic community of perpetual hope because in Christian community Christ is always coming to them, “All Authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me.” (Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:16-20)

According to AW Tozar, “What comes to mind when you think of God is perhaps the most important thing about you.” And I think there is real truth to that, because what you think about God will determine if and when you think about God.  Today we have an example of that. (Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-12)