Washington Avenue Christian Church

THAT Jesus came is arguably the most important truth of all. But knowing WHY He came certainly comes in a close second. If we don’t know WHY He came, we will never know what we are supposed to be doing as His Church; and not knowing, we will tend to make church all about us instead of all about Him. The good new is that it is easy to know why He came. The answers to that question practically jump...

In the middle of all that’s going on around us, three things tend to be true: we don’t see much, things are rarely only as they seem, and you never know what God is up to. As we kick off our Advent/Christmas series today, we take a macroscopic look at the pages of history and note that most of the really significant stuff--is the stuff humans completely miss. It’s partly because we’re not that gre...

Most all of us know the story of Zacchaeus, a short tax-collector who climbed a tree so he could see Jesus. Before the story is over, Zacchaeus has become “tall” in every way he had lacked. It’s a great story about what a life lived small—a life ALL ABOUT ME--looks like. It’s also a great “before and after” story about the transforming power of Jesus Christ and what happens when He comes to rule i...

The world has never been more crowded, with now well over 7 billion people walking on the earth. The world has never been more connected, via the internet and social media. Ironically, the same people in this world have never been more lonely. Truth be known we are surrounded by lonely people, people crying out for attention, acceptance, love. We work with them, we pass them on the street, we live...

As we continue to consider what it means to embrace a life that’s “Not About ME” our focus shifts just a bit once more. We’ve explored the questions of who we will trust with our lives and futures, and then who we will trust with our stuff. Today we will begin asking “Who or what will we trust with our HEARTS?” Jesus made it pretty clear how to always know where a person’s heart is. He said that i...

Realizing that I OWN NOTHING goes a lot way toward fixing a bad case of selfishness. It’s not that I have nothing… I have a LOT! But it is only loaned to me by God, for a season, for my benefit and for my use. But it’s HIS, not MINE. He is the OWNER, I am only the manager. In today’s message we will consider a story Jesus told about 3 managers, and what went right and what went wrong. In our time...

We began talking in our last message about “the Precious”—the things in our lives that we hold tightest and dearest, the things that can, if we are not careful, become idols to us through our utter devotion to them, as they begin to own us. We talked about the basis and definition of idolatry, and we did some work last time identifying these “Precious Rings” we hold so tightly. Today, as we contin...

The oldest temptation is pretty much “one size fits all. “It is idolatry. You can trace just about every other temptation to that one. So, it’s a good idea from time to time to identify things in our lives that have the potential to become idols, things that could well become “too precious to us. “ Once we identify them, we can be reminded that everything belongs to God and that all good things ar...

Today’s message finds us shifting a bit in our theme. We’ve been asking “Who will I trust with my life, my future?” As we continue to think about what it means that life is NOT ABOUT ME and NOT ABOUT NOW, the next question we will be asking for a few weeks is “Who will I trust with my stuff?” In a culture where our stuff tends to define/motivate/possess us--how can we be reformed in such a way as...

When it comes to issues of faith, trust and obedience, the oldest question--and one we’ve been asking a lot lately--still applies: “Who are you going to trust?” In our teaching time today, we are back in the camp of Israel. It is some 43 years after the first time we joined them there, when they chose to trust themselves instead of God for their future. It was a choice that cost them greatly. Now...

A selfish mindset makes me think I can control the circumstances in my life and create safety and security. This is a myth. In our message today we visit a New Testament story where a man named Peter, not always known for his altruism, will make a bold decision of faith in Jesus and ultimately set the all-time world’s record for a human walking on water. He’ll also sink. But Peter will show us tha...

At regular points in life we are faced with various crossroads, some simple, some consequential. But at every single one of them, our old friend self is present. At the crossroads we are really deciding if life is all about me and what I want or about God and His desire for my life. When we choose our path, we are declaring the object of our greatest trust. In the story today we meet a nation at a...

The oldest temptation of all really had nothing to do with an apple. It had everything to do with an idol - the one I see in the mirror every morning. When Satan tempted Eve it was with a subtle idea: “you don’t really need God, you can be your own god.” Once Satan convinced her that life should be “all about her” – his job was done. We’ve all bitten that apple, all of us have chosen self as our f...

In today’s message we meet a man named Jonah, perhaps one of the Bible’s most universally known characters. His name is known not because of how well he answered God’s call, but precisely because of the opposite. Jonah is indeed a cautionary tale for us in the dangers of prejudice and disobedience. But it is undeniably true that God still works with stubborn sailors, and it is not out of the quest...

Jesus did not tell us when He would return, just that He would. When He does it will be unexpected. Our job is to be alert, keep watch, and be ready. We are to be obedient and faithful in the meantime. I much prefer to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you” rather than “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire”. Find more messages...

There are times when what we say and what we do don’t match up. But there are some who make a habit of hypocrisy. Their inner and outer lives don’t resemble each other. They care about the outside way more than the inside. Jesus has a few things to say to them in Matthew 23. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do you have prayer requests? Get in touch directly with the...

Can’t we all just get along? Unfortunately, people in God’s kingdom act selfishly and arrogantly too often. Humility is the antidote to living in this kind of manner. It is the foundation for entering into God’s Kingdom and the key to combatting so much sibling rivalry within the King’s family. Humility seeks the interest of others and not so much our own. What a difference that would make at WACC...

In our sermons the last three Sundays Shane has been helping us sharpen our understanding of what Kingdom People are like. Today we are going to build on what we learned the last three weeks about Kingdom People, by focusing on Characteristics of the kingdom of which Kingdom People belong. And we are going to focus on the characteristics of the kingdom directly from the king of the kingdom—Jesus....

Jesus’ Sermon on Kingdom Mission can be confusing. In Week 3 of Kingdom People, Shane will help us see the big picture of what Jesus is talking about and what it means for us today. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do you have prayer requests? Get in touch directly with the team at WACC using this link: https://wacconline.org/connectcard . We look forward to hearing...

You’re a kingdom person, so now what? Well, there’s good news, and there's bad news, and it all starts in the Sermon on the Mount. Join us for Week 2 of Kingdom People as Shane gives an overview of the greatest sermon ever given. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do you have prayer requests? Get in touch directly with the team at WACC using this link: https://wacconli...

In this first sermon for the series Kingdom People, Shane sets the stage by walking us through Matthew’s Kingdom lens and invites us to find our place in the Kingdom by looking at Jesus’ genealogy. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do you have prayer requests? Get in touch directly with the team at WACC using this link: https://wacconline.org/connectcard . We look for...

As we take our last look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we’ll see Paul in “summation” mode as he reminds them to never stop praying, to never stop believing, to never stop loving, and to never fail to be amazed by God’s grace—the force that drives and changes everything. Today we look over Paul’s shoulder as he closes out this inspired little masterpiece with some well-pointed thoughts about f...

The Bible doesn’t offer a lot of space or options when it comes to fighting spiritual warfare, and too often our human “do-it-yourself” strategies are lacking if not laughable. But in a very practical and memorable passage for today, Paul takes the time to clearly enumerate six or seven pieces of “personal military hardware” with which God has already equipped serious soldiers of Christ. In this m...

We have all become so accustomed to the lies of satan that we have started to see them as reality. Satan uses lies to decreate, unravel, and bring us to a painful death. The Bible is God's reminder of truth and how to find rest in Him. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do you have prayer requests? Get in touch directly with the team at WACC using this link: https://wa...

Today in our practicum session we will take a summary look at the material we've been learning the last several weeks from our study of Ephesians. Today Bob, Jim, and Lennie will share with us their thoughts on wisdom and power for Christian living, marriage and parenting, and how we are enabled to do this through the Holy Spirit. Find more messages from WACC here: https://wacconline.org/media Do...