Warehouse 242 : Sunday Talks

Christmas is a chance to move closer to those in crisis.  We will love others as Jesus has loved us. The poor and hurting of our world can be reached by God through the way we choose to celebrate Christmas.  The love of God is magnificent - b/c of this love, we ought to be incredibly aggressive and love the world in radical ways - we ought to out-love everyone else in the world.

The best gifts celebrate a relationship and most often they require our time and energy. Relational giving means that we think about the other person - who they are and what they care about. We focus more on giving our undivided presence and less on a pile of presents under the tree.

In our hearts we know mindless consumption is not the way to celebrate Jesus. But spending less does not mean spend nothing. Rather, we will thoughtfully evaluate what companies and causes we support through our purchases.

Nearly every character in the Christmas story that encountered our King responded in the same way: worship. In each story, we see that worship being fleshed out in unique ways. Mary worships by making much of God. Elizabeth worships by making room. Joseph worships by making commitments. The shepherds worship by making known the good news. The magi worship by making time to pursue. What does it loo...

If we are already as close to God as possible through union with Christ, then spiritual disciplines are not the means of drawing closer to God, but the means of growing in awareness and enjoyment of our union with Christ. Spiritual disciplines are about creating the conditions in which we can savor our union with Christ and continue to conform to his image. Just as Jesus was one with the Father an...

If we are united to Christ, then the mission of Jesus becomes our mission. Being united to Christ is the foundation of following after Christ. Of course, Jesus is the only Christ and his mission was unique, but in union with him, we are called to follow a similar pattern of life, which includes loving God and neighbor, seeking the lost, eating and drinking with sinners, and suffering for the sake...

If you are united to Christ, then you are also united to everyone else who is in Christ. This is the deepest possible belonging that goes way deeper than affinity, friendship, or any other ordinary bond. We belong to each other because we belong to Christ (body and soul; in life and in death), and this liberates us to love each other based on an unbreakable bond.

It is common to think that faith is a decision to trust in a God who is far away. In reality, however, the faith given to us by the Spirit is the gateway into intimate relationship and mystical union with God through Christ. In this introductory week, we’ll unpack this core truth and begin looking at some of the vast implications.

Jesus pursues the blind man and heals him, interrupts religious systems that often isolate people, invites us to see in a whole new way, and offers good news. 

Why is this concept of neighboring so intimidating? Is the potential outcome for our city worth the potential risks? What underlying fears (fences) need to be addressed and torn down in order to pursue my neighbors?

The biggest obstacle to taking the great commandment seriously is time. When we say; “I don’t have time to get to know my neighbor”, what we are really saying is “I don’t consider getting to know my neighbor as important as everything else that I do.” We live in tension between the urgent and the important . When our priorities are determined by the urgent, our lives won’t match up with our values...

The power and genius of The Great Commandment is that it’s so simple and yet extremely powerful when acted on. One of the most important things we can do collectively to live out our mission and impact our city is to actually live out Jesus’ command to love our neighbors, beginning with the neighbors next door.

At the end of the passage we’ve been exploring, there’s a humbling and energizing statement about God adding people to the church as they are being saved. This message covers two simple points: that God is the one who does the saving, and that salvation is not just a past event we leave behind but an ongoing work of God in the present.

The Acts of the Apostles embodied good news as a community practicing resurrection, bearing witness to Jesus with awe (wonder/ astonishment), praise, and favor (grace) in the midst of suffering. Today, we’ll unpack how wonder informs the kind of people we’re meant to become.

Joy is a uniquely Christian attitude. Since we live in a world in which Jesus has risen from the dead, we can have deep joy. Because God in Christ has given us everything we need to be his companions, we can be joyful people. What does it look like to rejoice always, even in the midst of hard circumstances?

Acts 2 speaks of gathering in the Temple daily and praising God.  What is there to learn from this habitual pattern? What does it look like for us to communally praise God?  What is the natural outcome of time spent worshipping God and how does that impact the Kingdom of God? 

When the church was devoted to the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, the natural outflow of this devotion was radical generosity. While the church has a different social makeup today, how can this pattern of generosity inspire us toward similar lifestyles of generosity today. How is the Spirit leading us to give ourselves, our things, and our money to those in need?

A 2:42 - prayer.  What does it mean to be “devoted” to prayer (and the other components)?  The language of Acts 2 speaks to radical transformation of “being” and prayers as a habitual exercise

Throughout the biblical drama, meals have played a prominent role in the journey of God’s  people. Meals are occasions for forging identity, remembering God, and embodying mission.  This sermon will explore how both ordinary and sacramental meals can function in our life together as Warehouse 242.

The Acts of the apostles share a living history of God’s global movement where life is interrupted by the Holy Spirit (wind and fire), where the diversity of God’s people experience oneness and diaspora (life under empire), with an (insatiable) desire for God and each other (fellowship), inviting everyone to join a new family (beloved community) as partners and living witnesses of the Risen Jesus ...

Our life together is grounded in gospel teaching that Jesus passed on to his apostles and the Spirit has preserved over two millennia. Our calling is to be united around this essential teaching that articulates our core beliefs in God and God’s mission in the world.

When you get down to the brass tacks, what does it mean to be a Christian? What are the basic beliefs and practices that distinguish followers of Jesus from other religious groups, and why does it matter? This series will answer those questions from six different angles by six different teachers. As a result, we hope our community will gain greater clarity on what it means to follow Jesus and how...

When you get down to the brass tacks, what does it mean to be a Christian? What are the basic beliefs and practices that distinguish followers of Jesus from other religious groups, and why does it matter? This series will answer those questions from six different angles by six different teachers. As a result, we hope our community will gain greater clarity on what it means to follow Jesus and how...

When you get down to the brass tacks, what does it mean to be a Christian? What are the basic beliefs and practices that distinguish followers of Jesus from other religious groups, and why does it matter? This series will answer those questions from six different angles by six different teachers. As a result, we hope our community will gain greater clarity on what it means to follow Jesus and how...

When you get down to the brass tacks, what does it mean to be a Christian? What are the basic beliefs and practices that distinguish followers of Jesus from other religious groups, and why does it matter? This series will answer those questions from six different angles by six different teachers. As a result, we hope our community will gain greater clarity on what it means to follow Jesus and how...