discipleship (Page 7)
Fight – Winning the Battles that Matter
Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel explores the life of Samson, helping you uncover who you really are—a man created with a warrior’s heart in the image of God—and how to stand up and fight for what’s right. Find the strength to fight the battles you know you need to fight—the ones that determine the state of your heart, the quality of your marriage, and the spiritual health of your family. The battles that make you dependent on God as…
Who Do You Say I Am? – Week 1
Sometimes we treat Jesus and His Word like the grocery store sample tables. We pick and choose what we want to satisfy ourselves all the time knowing that we’re not really interested in “buying in.” After all Jesus’ call to follow him involves a cross, sacrifice and death. Pretty radical stuff. Like who does he think he is? But John Mark in his gospel turns that question on its head. A question that flows through the book, from beginning to the end. It’s the…
The Gospel of Mark – Chronicles of a Disciple
We’ve just completed a hard hitting, in-your-face study of the Book of James. Now we’ll shift our attention to the journals of a man who knew the disciples as a boy and journeyed as a young man with Barnabas and Paul. We’ll spend the rest of the summer studying the chronicles of a disciple, John Mark, and what is probably the first written of the Gospels. His book is fast moving and has the feel of a news report (just the facts please). But there…
That You May Tell
Love the exaltation of Psalm 48. You can’t help but sense that their deliverance is fresh and that in the face of impending doom their God not only protected them but also routed their enemy. It is the song of one who is on the backside of threat, trial and attack. But it is also significant that the song was not just a celebration of the now but also a powerful declaration to the generations that would follow – Great…
Lessons from the Vineyard
The Grand Valley of Colorado is known agriculturally for the quality of the fruit that it’s orchards and vineyards produce. The unique sediment soil, abundant sun light, protection by the massive Mesa and Book Cliffs mountains, and the life giving flow of the Colorado River make this desert fertile and productive. Recently while walking down the rows of vines, I was reminded of the parable Jesus told his disciples in John chapter 15 and some of the faith-life lessons that come…
Only Now at the End
There’s not much good about growing old except the advantage of historical perspective. Some people call it wisdom but most of the time it’s just that we know a bunch of stuff that doesn’t work (because we’ve tried and failed). However, the longer I walk with the Lord the easier it becomes to believe and trust. Not because the challenges are less but rather that God has proven himself faithful in the past and sufficient for my need. I love…
That the World May Know (part 1)
Jesus made two shocking statements to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. Judas had left the group and the mechanisms that would lead to Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion had been set into motion. Knowing what was about to unfold and just hours before His death on a cross Jesus turned His attention to His disciples and made two startling forward looking statements. Jesus spoke to those around Him but His audience would be all who would call Him Lord…
Water Baptism
Biblical Christianity is surprisingly simple. When distilled to its essence, the teachings of Jesus involve virtually none of the ceremonies, rituals or other features usually associated with religions. Yet Jesus did leave us with ordinances, concrete ways of connecting with His person and with other believers. Water baptism and Communion are the two ordinances practiced by 970 Church. Neither are salvific or make us a Christian, but both are part of what it means to be a follower of Christ. While Jesus himself…
Communion
Communion (also called “The Lord’s Supper”) is one of the ordinances of the church. It began on the night before Jesus died on the cross when he was celebrating the Passover with his disciples. Passover is an annual Jewish celebration remembering when God delivered the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. During the meal that commemorates the night that the Death passed over them, Jesus picked up the bread, broke it and related it to His body, which would be broken for them and all mankind. Then He picked…
It’s Ok, We’re All Messed Up
So what does NineSevenZero Church look like? Who is it for? These are extremely important questions for a church plant to be able to answer, but they are surprisingly difficult to succinctly express. Looking at a spectrum of church types it’s easier to say what we don’t want to be rather than what we desire to be. On one end of the spectrum is the hyper liberal church that has abandoned the truth of the Bible and embraced cultural mores. They emphasize the love…
The Favor of God
The commercialization of the “Blessing of God” has become a multi-million dollar business that extends from the pulpit, to books, to television and to online media. The promoters of this other gospel have capitalized on our insatiable appetite for wealth and possessions and have put forth an ideology that is the American Dream with a supernatural spin. This gospel not only promises material wealth and success but also physical health and a pain-free life. It offers an all powerful genie-like…
First Thing – Count the Cost
Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason. -Jerry Seinfeld Despite what the purveyors of the prosperity gospel say there is no escaping the New Testament reality that following Jesus is costly. Jesus said it would be. He never hid this fact and laid it out plainly to all that might follow him. The cost involves death to self and total commitment to God. The demand is all encompassing including relationships, wealth, position, possessions and life itself…