This week, Pastor Dennis Allan introduces a new eight-week series focused on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In just the first chapter of the letter, Paul tells the Philippians to live lives that are worthy of the gospel. It’s not just an exhortation, that Christians… Read More »The Gospel Governs Us
The vulnerable are a class of people near to God’s heart. They’re also a class of people the Old Testament law seeks to protect, whether the person is an orphan, widow, under-resourced, or a foreigner, people who lack power. But the law also seeks to… Read More »Being the Vulnerable
In the parable of the ten virgins Jesus tells a story about ten women, all of whom are invited to a wedding feast. They each bring lamps, but only five bring extra oil. This only becomes an issue when the bridegroom is delayed. The women… Read More »Faithful Living While We Wait
In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Jesus describes to his disciples that it’s better for his people to live among those who disagree with them, even those antagonistic toward their way of living and being. Jesus also teaches that the work of judgment,… Read More »Circles of Inclusion
This week, Carrie Buckner explores the parable of the barren fig tree and its implications for understanding God’s character. In 1986 Manchester United, a Premier League soccer team, hired an unproven manager whose first three seasons were all losing seasons. But, rather than fire him,… Read More »One More Year
This week, Julia Allan walks through the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32). Jesus presents this parable in the temple, the Tuesday of Holy Week, just moments after the chief priests demanded to know by what authority Jesus was teaching. In the parable, one… Read More »By What Authority?
This week, Dennis Allan talks through a short parable that Jesus tells immediately after being asked by his disciples to teach them to pray. Jesus responds to their request by teaching them the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that’s meant to be an identity and mission-shaping… Read More »Prayer Shapes Us
Dr. Rafael Rodriguez walks through the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It’s a parable that asks what kingdom citizenship not only looks like, but requires of its people. Jesus, through this parable, makes it clear that life in his kingdom requires a tangible, even concrete… Read More »Loving Your Neighbor
This week, Pastor Shaq Hager walks through the parable of the unforgiving servant, a parable that asks, “How extravagant is our king’s forgiveness?” A servant owes an astronomical debt and the kind forgives all of it. That servant, then, turns around an requires someone repay… Read More »Extravagant Forgiveness
This week, Dr. Rafael Rodriguez explores Jesus’s parable of the vineyard and its tenants. Jesus tells the parable in the temple courts one day after overturning the tables. It’s a parable he shares in response to the question, “By what authority are you doing these… Read More »Ridiculous Grace