January 13, 2019
Part 2 from the series, "Sabbath" As part of Practicing the Way. In the Genesis story, God worked for six days, and then he rested on the Sabbath. In doing so, he built a rhythm into the fabric of creation. But over the years, we’ve lost this dynamic interplay between work and rest, to our own peril. As H.H. Farmer said, “If you go against the grain of the universe you get splinters.” In this teaching, we begin to lay out a biblical theology of Sabbath, noting six ideas: 1. The Sabbath is built into the rhythm of creation, 2. Blessed, 3. Holy, 4. Not a day off, but a day for worship, 5. Both a command and a gift, and 6. A day we are to remember.
January 6, 2019
Part 1 of the series "Sabbath" as part of Practicing the Way. We begin one of the most important practices of Jesus with a big picture look at the restlessness of the human condition, and how it’s exacerbated by the digital age and our consumeristic culture. We contrast that with the restfulness of Jesus, which is more than just a day, but is a spirit we live by all week long.
December 30, 2018
To be human is to have longings. We long for transcendence, for beauty, for love, and for a story in which we belong; and everyone finds a story to satisfy explain the longings and the world we find ourselves in. Yet, the way of Jesus presents us with the most compelling story of what it means to be human.
December 16, 2018
At the center of the way of Jesus is a symbol: the cross. Yet all too often we see it as a sentimental song or piece of jewelry, rather than a way of life. The way to resurrection life has always been through Golgotha death. Self-denial is the entry point to the life of Jesus.
December 9, 2018
Much of what our generation calls “culture,” Jesus and the writers of the Bible call “the world” – a system of ideas, values, practices and social norms that are institutionalized into a culture that is organized around rebellion against God and the redefinition of good and evil. How do we keeping from getting assimilated by the world?
December 2, 2018
From the series, "Fighting the World, the Flesh, & the Devil" as part of Practicing the Way. In this follow up message on the flesh, we dive deep into the fields of psychology, philosophy, and theology, to see how they add color to Paul’s teaching in Galatians on the law of returns. Our acts and habits of mind and body either sow to the flesh, and reap slavery to sin and death, or the spirit, and yield a character and destiny of life and freedom.
November 25, 2018
From our annual justice series.
November 18, 2018
From the series, "Fighting the World, the Flesh, & the Devil" as part of Practicing the Way. In this teaching we lay out a Biblical theology of the flesh, this animalistic, primal drive in all of us, that wars against the Spirit in our heart. We talk Augustine, Freud, evolutionary psychology, coyotes, and the radical redefinition of freedom and slavery in the West.
November 18, 2018
A special announcement for those who follow Bridgetown Church.
November 11, 2018
From the series, "Fighting the World, the Flesh, & the Devil" as part of Practicing the Way. The Devil doesn't overpower or coerce us with his lies, instead he utilizes the seductive allure of influence. The authors of the Scriptures call this "giving the Devil a foothold." As apprentices of Jesus, how should we navigate our life and relationships without opening ourselves to the pull of the enemy?
