Unlocking the Beauty of The Beatitudes

Pastor Jason kicked off a new sermon series last Sunday entitled, "The Good Life." We're going to spend the next 11 weeks looking at the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew. The Beatitudes contain rich truths necessary for us to understand what it means to walk with God. They show us the beauty of what it looks like to follow Jesus. For us to unlock these beautiful riches we need to consider how the Beatitudes relate to one another. 

First, there is a trajectory to the Beatitudes. Each leads to the next. But as you move through them, you deepen your walk with God, venturing closer and closer to his heart and to the ethics of his kingdom. 

Secondly, there are 7 beatitudes, and in a similar manner to the 10 Commandments, there are two sets to be considered. The first three beatitudes are about our need before God with the last three about our actions toward our neighbor, and everything pivots on the fourth beatitude. In the Old Testament, for the 10 commandments, there are two tables of law. The first table sets how you relate to God (i.e. "you shall have no other gods before me"), and the second table sets how you relate to others (i.e. "you shall not murder"). 

The Beatitudes are characteristics of those who follow Jesus and live in his kingdom. If you are going to follow Jesus, then your walk starts with spiritual poverty. Pastor Jason defined spiritual poverty last Sunday as putting aside any pretense of having your act together and living honestly with God and others. (Really, go, do yourself a favor by listening to last Sunday’s teaching if you missed it.) If you’re spiritually poor, then your reward is the kingdom of God. 

This spiritual poverty leads to mourning. Yes, grief is a part of life as we weep over life’s miseries and death. But what comfort do you have for your grief without the promise that God is renewing everything, using and undoing your tears? When you follow Jesus, when you mourn, you have comfort because of what he is doing. But that comfort only comes when you begin to follow him. 

This is humbling. You cannot have a relationship with God until you stop pretending and admit your spiritual poverty. Life with God, even amid life’s miseries, is comforting. But God is the one who brings comfort and not yourself. So, blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth. At this point we clearly see just how foreign, alien, and other-worldly God’s kingdom is. If you live life by the world’s terms, if you play the game of thrones or want to climb the corporate ladder, then you have to name drop, manipulate, gossip, undercut, etc. You have to do whatever it takes to get ahead. But that is not why Jesus came or how he lived, nor is that the heart of God. You must be humble. And it is at this point where you truly see the heart of God, where you see what righteousness is. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Righteousness is perfection, the way things should be. Blessed are those who work to change the world, those who live how they ought.

But you can only get to that point by having a relationship with God, by finding comfort in that relationship, and by being shaped by Jesus’ own act of humility. And once you get to that point, you can be merciful because you’ve experienced mercy. You can be pure in heart, or wholehearted, because Jesus wants you to live a holy and wholly life. You can be a peacemaker, because you yourself are at peace due to your own inner wholeness. 

Being your true self. Having comfort. Peace. Wholeness. Doesn’t that sound like the good life? It is the life that Jesus offers if you follow him.

Pastor Robbie 

Preparing for Sunday Worship—June 26, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will hear about how God is at work in Haiti from two of our own who recently traveled there for mission work. We will also resume our summer sermon series, "The Good Life," which is based on The Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Our focus will be on the second beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Church Planting Opportunity

Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger is our Church Planting Resident. He and his wife, Jennifer, updated our church family last Sunday on a potential church planting opportunity. Below is a summary of what they shared so that you know how best to support them as they discern God's leading. 

WHY DO WE LOVE CHURCH PLANTING? 
Jennifer and I have uniquely felt God’s call to church plant for the past few years. Both of us grew up in Christian homes and established congregations. In our circles, church planting was frowned upon. Church plants were the products of church splits or people moving from one church to another. But that’s not been our experience. During college I saw how church plants were catalysts for bringing people to faith or renewing people’s old faith. At Grace and Peace, our church in Pittsburgh, we saw how a tiny church plant reached people that were forgotten and overlooked by other, more established churches. We got a taste of this, and it was what we are giving our lives to. We long to see people come to Jesus for the first time; we long to see stale faith invigorated; we long for those who have walked away from Jesus to return to him. We’ve seen all this happen in church plants and we’ve seen the Lord do this powerfully in our own lives. 

WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY GOD WANTS US TO DISCERN
God's calling to church plant is what led us to move here just over a year ago. As we’ve settled into Chester County and Kennett Square, people have shared their thoughts about where we would best “fit.” They’ve said things like: “Oh, you are definitely city folk;” “you minister best to nonChristians and those who follow an unconventional lifestyle; “you should do campus ministry.” 

While we looked all over the place, we overlooked our ‘backyard,’ until March when a unique opportunity came our way. The leadership of Reformed Presbyterian Church in West Chester, recognized that a change is needed. So they began exploring options, including replanting the church. At the moment, a sister church—Iron Works Church—got involved in the discussion and approached us about church planting in West Chester. (Essentially, Iron Works would adopt RPC, provide a pastoral position for RPC’s pastor, and replant the church.) 

As we’ve explored West Chester, we're intrigued by the possibility of serving the university. West Chester University is the 4th largest university in the Philadelphia region, yet it has had only one ministry on campus for 40 years. West Chester is also the county seat, with a strong economic center. You’re able to live, work and play there. Additionally, and most importantly, there is a need for a Jesus-centered and missionally innovative church in West Chester. The discussion continues, and we see God working in RPC, in Iron Works, on the campus, and in our own lives too in order to move this forward. 

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP? 
This is a big opportunity with a lot of moving pieces that requires buy-in from 3 churches: RPC, Iron Works, and City Church. 

First, if you grew up in West Chester, have friends or family there, or went to school there, then we need your help in getting to know the town.

Secondly, we cannot do this alone. We need your prayers, as only God is the one who can move this forward. So please pray for this. I send out regular prayer updates, at least once-a-month. You can sign up for those emails here. 

We like West Chester and Iron Works. Planting a church in West Chester is the desire on our hearts. This, however, is not a sure thing, and there is a lot to discern. So please pray that the Lord will reveal his will to us and all who are involved. I truly cannot think of a heavier question for RPC to answer. Pray that they will follow Jesus however he leads them.  

Week 6 Recap: Good News People

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]

Jesus’ favorite name for himself was ‘the Son of Man.' Even his disciples called him that. 

The established religious leaders (the Pharisees) of Jesus’ day followed a very rigid understanding of God’s law.  While theirs was not the only Jewish sect or understanding of the law, it was the most popular and prevalent. Pharisees were sectarian, and believed that their favor with God depended on whom they hung out with. Jesus challenged their entire understanding of God’s grace by simply hanging out with sinners. So these Pharisees spoke loudly and often about how Jesus hung out with sinners and tax collectors, claiming that he himself was a drunkard and glutton. 

So how did Luke defend Jesus against this criticism? He didn’t. He embraced it. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, a friend of sinners and tax collectors” (Luke 7:34). Meals, for Jesus, were paramount to his ministry. Luke’s biography of Jesus clearly shows this. He is either going to a party, eating food, or leaving a meal. Jesus loved a good party; just consider the first miracle that he did. He changed water to wine, ultimately showing how following him gets better and better. 

That’s the picture of the kingdom. 

So how can we do this? How can we communicate the grace and community and mission that truly characterizes Jesus’ kingdom? 

Let’s ask ourselves some diagnostic questions: 

• Whom do we hang out with? Whom do we invite over to our homes? 

Frankly, I bet the people whom we have over are very similar to ourselves in values, ethnicity, and class. That was not the way of Jesus though; he ate meals with everybody regardless of their disposition or class or occupation or background. If we want to display that the kingdom of God is a place for all people, then all people need to be welcomed into our homes. That means we need to invite all people into our homes. 

• Are we willing to embrace the cost of hospitality? 

Hospitality is costly. Edith Schaeffer, co-founder of L’Abri, wrote how the many years of hospitality resulted in every one of her china pieces being destroyed and finding cigarette holes in her drapes because that was where people put them out. 

There is another aspect to cost too, and this is highlighted in the summer months when hospitality can be easier due to cookouts or BBQ. When you invite people over for a cookout, are you going to offer the same burgers that you eat or are you going to get the cheaper option? (I ask the question that way because that is how hospitality’s cost confronted me last week, as I had burgers from the butcher, a box of Bubba’s bacon chedder cheeseburgers, and a packet of 80/20 in my freezer. I had to figure out what I was going to serve some guys I had over for a cookout.) Was I willing to serve the best I had or simply the cheapest? 

In Jesus’ kingdom, he serves the best. That’s what we find at least in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 

• Do our houses have to be perfect, clean and in order? 

God accepts us as we are. All he requires is to feel our need of him. If we are not willing to have people over until our homes are nice and tidy, then we communicate that God expects us to have our act together before we go to him. 

… 

Lastly, why is this so important? Because eating meals with others was the primary ways Jesus spoke about and showed what his kingdom is like. So practicing hospitality is a powerful way to love others as we show them what life with God is like. 

Week 5 Recap: Good News People

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]

When it comes to speaking about Jesus, we are talking about a spiritual matter. The same is true for becoming like Jesus. Making room for change, putting things off and beginning new habits, are very hard things to do. This is why it is essential to pray. If we are going to speak about Jesus, then we need to pray like Jesus did. If we are going to become like Jesus, then we need to pray. These are spiritual matters.

Prayer is hard though. We swim in a culture of cynicism, skeptical of promises and doubting that they can be carried out. We expect let downs. In other words, we are a people of little faith. One of the things that feeds this attitude of prayer is a false expectation of what prayer is. Prayer is not taking a to-do list to God; it’s something altogether different, that’s remarkably life-giving. 

Consider Jesus’ own model of prayer. 

“Our Father, who is in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Jesus told his disciples to pray like this, and it is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God. Jesus calls God his Father, and while Jesus had a truly unique relationship within the Trinity, he tells us that God is our Father too! When we know God through Jesus, we become his children; we are part of his family, heirs alongside Jesus. Prayer truly should be a picture of this incredible relationship, where we talk to God. Prayer is how we talk to God. Life is hard. Impossible for us to handle. So we are to pray to God in all things, completely depending on him to provide for us. Our food, our shelter, our clothing and more all comes from God’s hand. 

Jesus is in the business of “making all things new” (Revelation 21:5), this is why we must pray to God to bring about his kingdom in Wilmington and Kennett Square and elsewhere as it is in heaven. We depend upon him to bring this about, so let’s pray. 

Consider your own relationships with your friends, workplace, and neighborhood. Whom is Jesus bringing into your life to have spiritual conversations with? Whom can you tangibly love and bless? List these people on a 3x5 card. Tape it to your bathroom mirror, or put it beside the kitchen sink, or use it as your bookmark for your own daily bible reading. 

Praying for your neighbor is a powerful, subtle way you can love your neighbor. 

Preparing for Sunday Worship—June 19, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will have the opportunity to hear an update from our Church Planting Resident, Robbie Schmidtberger. We will also begin our summer sermon series, "The Good Life," based on The Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In preparation for the launch of the series, take some time this weekend to read and reflect on Matthew 5:1-12.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Preparing for Sunday Worship—June 12, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will hear about how God is at work through the DiscipleMakers campus ministry. We will also look at Genesis 23 & 25 for what will be our last sermon in Genesis for several months. 

Week 4 Recap: Good News People

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]

Love. I cannot think of a more misunderstood emotion and reality than this. I myself have said the following: “I love Star Wars…. I love Chinese food…. I love Jennifer… I love Jesus.” Culturally we can presume what it means to love different things to different degrees. I can live and be human without Star Wars, but I cannot live and be fully human without Jesus.

Jesus even said:  "they will know you are my disciples if you love one another." So what does it mean to love?

CS Lewis, in his The Four Loves, was very helpful in answering this question as he looked at the different types of love within Greek writing. There is a kind of love that is sensual and full of desire (eros); there is a kind of love that pervades family relationships (philos). But the love that Jesus commanded, taught, and modeled was different from both; it was self-sacrificial (agape). Jesus, God the Son, left all the comforts of his heavenly home and humiliated himself by becoming like one of his creations, endured the miseries of sin, including police brutality, a kangaroo court, death, and burial in another man’s grave. Jesus’ example of love is characterized by humility and service so that others can live (Philippians 2:1-11).

One of the best known stories that Jesus taught was the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
"And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How do you read it?' And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.'

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' Jesus replied, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise."

                                                                                                                                            — Luke 10:25-37

Jesus is our model that we must follow in order to love others well. His own pattern was to look, feel, and then help. “If we help someone but do not take the time to look at the person and feel what he or she is feeling, then our love is cold and we reduce the person to a project. If we look and feel, but do not do whatever we can to help, then our love is cheap. True love looks at the person, feels what they feel, and does whatever one can to help their neighbor” (Paul Miller, Love Walked among Us).

Jesus, when he saw someone, saw a person in need. Whom or what do you see? Do you see a person or a project?

Jesus, seeing a person in great need, had compassion on them. What is your response? Do you have compassion, or do you have pity?

Jesus, to give people what they need, acted by giving his life. When you see a person in need, how do you act compassionately to care for them?

Jesus taught us to love others as ourselves. True love looks at the person, feels what they feel, and does whatever one can to help their neighbor. That is exactly how we want to be loved.

Week 3 Recap: Good News People

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him. This post comes a week late. So this week there will be two recaps.]

What are a few of your favorite things?

Is a good story one of those things? It could be a poem, a novel or book, a movie or song.

Stories have power. We’re able to express our uniqueness via a story, but at the same time a story transcends ourselves and unites us with other people—often people who are different from ourselves. We always appreciate a good story and a good storyteller.

But do we know the story of our lives? Do we know where we came from? Do we know why things are truly broken in our lives? What corrects or heals that brokenness? How are we able to participate in renewing our lives, becoming more human?

Our culture proves that we do not know our own stories. Stanford University says so. As a university, Stanford found that their students had great ambitions but had no way to even begin to make sense of their life. So they put together a class called “Design Your Life.” This is why the entire profession of life coach came about.

One of the basic Christian premises is this: if you are going to know yourself, then you must know God. Or, if you are going to know God then you must first know yourself.

Our ignorant self-knowledge means that we need a life-audit from God. Consider a few verses:

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Elsewhere the Apostle Paul wrote: “you were [once] dead in sin… but God, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).

Talk about rich language! The old has passed away. Dead in Sin. Made alive. Together with Christ. New Creation.

All of this goes to say that God is working in your life.

This can be hard to discern. And Pastor Jason preached a good sermon on how we can discern God’s work in our lives this past Sunday (give it a listen). Pastor Jason encouraged us to incorporate spiritual practices into our lives to enable us to discern our past, like journaling, by sitting in solitude and praying to God. These introspective practices help us see what God is doing.

This reality was pressed home for me a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago I shared that God answered my prayers in a great way. After worship, a friend, who writes prayer items on a 3x5 card and prays through them, came up to me and shared that he’s been praying for that specific prayer request over the past year. And that very morning my card came up so he prayed for me. He told me that now he was able to put my prayer request in the pile of prayers answered. Talk about an awesome record and way to remember God’s active, intervening love within our lives.

Lastly, our stories have evangelistic power as we share our weaknesses and celebrate what God can do despite our broken lives. We’re not the heroes of our story; Jesus is. But if my Christian experienced is divided up into two parts—before I knew Jesus and now I know Jesus—then the interpretation of my story is unhelpful to pretty much everybody. My nonChristian friends need to know why I love Jesus more than I did a week ago. My nonChristian friends need to know why following Jesus is exciting and compelling. My nonChristian friends need to know why I look forward to a full, rich life time where I am always walking with God.

So tell your story, but to do that well you need to know how God is working in your life.

Pastor Robbie

Preparing for Sunday Worship—June 5, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we get to hear about how God is at work in the Trinity Vicinity Community Group. We will also continue our sermon series on Genesis by looking at chapter 24.

Sermon Notes: "The God Who Tests and Provides"

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our church planting resident, preached this past Sunday from Genesis 22 where we find God testing Abraham’s faith to see if he authentically walked with him. Several people asked about the source of an illustration. Here’s a brief excerpt, linking to the illustration’s source.]

God calls us to walk authentically with him. And to help us have the confidence that we truly do just that, then God tests us. But if we are honest with ourselves and each other, we’ll admit that we do not like being tested. We do not want to be asked to give certain things up; we love our way of doing life just too much…. we really only want to follow Jesus if it is on our terms.

Tests bring us face-to-face with our motivation, to discover why is it that we follow Jesus?

A few years ago I remember talking with my younger sister about America’s actor. If Will Smith was the male lead in any movie, it was a box office success. Just think about Independence Day, i-Robot, and I am Legend. So it makes sense why many would wonder why he is such a success. Variety interviewed him, seeking to discover what motivates him. Will Smith said:

"When I was 15, my girlfriend cheated on me, and I decided that if I was number one, no woman would ever cheat on me. All I have to do is make sure that no one’s ever better than me, and I’ll have the love that my heart yearns for. And I never released that and moved into a mature way of looking at the world and my artistry and love until the failure of ‘After Earth,’ when I had to accept that it’s not a good [motivation for my art] or source of love. When I received box office numbers the following Monday, I was devastated for about 24 minutes, then I received a call that [my] father had cancer. That put it in perspective — viciously.

That Monday started the new phase of my life, a new concept: Only love is going to fill that hole, you can’t win enough, you can’t have enough money, you can’t succeed enough. There is not enough. The only thing that will ever satiate that existential thirst is love. And I just remember that day I made the shift from wanting to be a winner to wanting to have the most powerful, deep and beautiful relationships I could possibly have.”

What did it take for America’s Actor to realize that his motivation for acting was wrong? What had to happen for him to realize that he was living in fear of other people? It took his movie project, that starred his own son, to be a complete failure.

So why do we follow Jesus?

God’s tests are meant to unearth the reasons why, so that we and others know if we are authentically walking with God or just pretending too. These tests are necessary, as our lifestyles matter to God. God tests us to see if we follow him for the right reasons.

You can listen to the full sermon here.

Preparing for Sunday Worship—May 29, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, will continue our sermon series on Genesis: "The Story of God, People, and Place." He will preach from Genesis 22.

See you on Sunday!

Week 2 Recap: Good News People

[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]

When it comes to work, Americans are unique. In France, companies pay higher taxes if their employees work more than 35 hours. In Spain, you can go home and take a siesta. Even though companies like Google are rolling out sleep pods, Americans have very long work weeks. Junior associates in a law firm, as they are just starting out, work 80 hours. Pastors typically work 55-60 hours too.

Why do we do this? According to the American story, work provides financial security and independence. But there’s a deeper reason. We’re made for glory.

"What is man that you are mindful of him?
The Son of man that you should care for him.
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings,
yet you crowned him with glory and honor.”
                                                                        — Psalm 8

Our overworking reveals that we want to be somebody. We long for a purpose. And when we die, we want to leave something behind… a legacy.

God has a particular role for each one of us within his story. Jesus sent his followers into the world to make disciples (John 17:18,21; Matthew 28:18-20). Christians are his witnesses to the ends of the world (Acts 1:8). Jesus currently sits upon his throne, where he is making all things new. This is great news! And Christians are entrusted with that news. Christians are to announce this news in both their words and deeds. In the last book of the Bible, we see a picture of King Jesus riding on a horse, behind him all his followers who’ve ever lived.

Christians get to storm the gates of hell alongside their king.

I love the HISHE (How it Should Have Ended) videos. Their “How The Force Awakens should have ended” video is amazing. Poe Domeron asks: “Can you imagine what would’ve happened if Kylo Ren just found Luke?” And we proceed to see Luke hilariously beating Kylo up, after all Luke is a Jedi master.

That would’ve been an awful movie. Poe, Rey, Han and Chewbacca would not have had any role, purpose or significance. God’s story is actually want really brings us our purpose and significance in life.

So, what is your role in God’s story?

You get to storm the gates of hell alongside your king by sharing the Christian faith with others and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Pastor Robbie

Preparing for Sunday Worship—May 22, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will have special guests with us—Jim and Karen Weaver. Jim serves as pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Middletown, Delaware. The Weaver's will share about their plans to be involved in church planting in West Africa and Jim will preach for us from the Gospel of Luke.

We hope to see you on Sunday!

Week 1 Recap: Good News People

[This past Sunday, Pastor Robbie, our Church Planting Resident, kicked off our most recent School of Discipleship course by teaching Week 1 of “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]

What are you known for?

As I reflect on that question a few things come to my mind. I’m tall, a ginger, known for cardigans, running, beards, coffee, and Star Wars. I am also known by my vocation, as many friends (both Christian and non-Christian) call me 'Pastor Robbie.’ I’m from Pittsburgh, and to quote Malcolm Gladwell: “You cannot separate where you are from, from who you are.” So last night I watched the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’m excited.

The things I like, the things that excite me, the things I love—these are the things that I talk about. These are the things that people know me for.

What are you known for? is not a question that's meant to raise guilt or shame, but to provoke healthy self-examination. Following Jesus involves a great deal of self-knowledge. It’s perfectly good and fine to be known for our personal quirks. God made us. We should celebrate one another's personalities and quirks. Yet if I never move beyond those things in our friendships, then all conversations are small talk and the relationships superficial.

So am I known for following Jesus? Are you known for living under a new King?

Jesus’ followers are meant to be good news people, those who live under God’s new reign. Are you known for loving others as yourself? Are you known for gracious generosity? Are you known for being a good neighbor? Do you stick up for other people?  Are you known for being a little Jesus Christ? (That is literally what Christian means, a little Christ.)

This question cuts into my life. Certainly there are things that bother me, from taxes to this election cycle. But I want to be known for why I find Jesus compelling. One of the best ways for us to develop healthy self-awareness is through journaling. Ideally, at the conclusion of the day, take some time and reflect: what did I talk about today? What did I share with my family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors?

Let’s be a church family that celebrates one another, but let’s also be known for the Kingdom of God as our King is in the business of making all things right.

Pastor Robbie

Preparing for Sunday Worship—May 15, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will continue our sermon series on Genesis called, "The Story of God, People, and Place." Pastor Jason will preach on "God in the Mess" from the second part of Genesis 21.

This Sunday is also Pentecost Sunday. What does that mean?

Ten days after the ascension of Christ and fifty days after his resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost was an established Jewish festival also known as the Feast of Weeks, which drew people from many nations back to Jerusalem (Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy. 16:16).

Pentecost symbolizes a new beginning. It celebrates the unleashing of the Holy Spirit on the world and the empowering of the church to reach the world with the gospel. In celebrating Pentecost, the church expresses its gratitude for the faithfulness of Christ in fulfilling his promise to send “another counselor” (John 14:16); celebrates the work of the Spirit in renewing all of creation; professes its confidence and security in knowing the Spirit’s power is available for its mission; and grows in awareness of the immensity of its calling to reach the world with the gospel.

The traditional color for Pentecost is red, after the flames described in Acts 2:3. We are grateful to our Creative Arts Team for the beautiful Pentecost installation above the stage in our worship space.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Preparing for Sunday Worship—May 8, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will continue our sermon series on Genesis called, "The Story of God, People, and Place." Pastor Jason will preach on "The Promise-Keeping God" from the beginning of Genesis 21.

We look forward to worshiping with you!

Preparing for Sunday Worship—May 1, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will resume our series on the Book of Genesis by looking at chapter 20 from the perspective of "When People are Big and God is Small." 

We hope you will join us on Sunday!

Preparing for Sunday Worship—April 24, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we will have Derrick Parks with us. Derrick is Pastor of Community Life and Church Planting Resident at Epiphany Fellowship Church in Camden, NJ. Derrick will be preaching and sharing about his vision to plant a church in the inner city of Wilmington.

Preparing for Sunday Worship—April 17, 2016

You can view Sunday's worship guide here.

Our order of worship is designed to tell God's Story by moving us through the main acts of the biblical narrative: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. The goal is for us to rehearse the drama of redemption and celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done. Sunday worship is a powerful tool that God uses to form us as his people. We craft the worship guide with this in mind, but also with the intention that it be used throughout the week as an aid to help us walk authentically with God.

This Sunday we continue our series in Genesis by finishing up chapter 19. Our theme will be "human folly."