John 3:16
If we don’t understand the broader story framework of the Bible, even a verse as familiar as John 3:16 can be misunderstood and its message distorted. Far too many people think that the story the Bible is telling is about personal behavior, knowing the right information about Jesus, and going to heaven when we die. In this message, Pastor T. C. sets the record straight by placing this overly-familiar verse in its proper context.
Jesus’s Temple Protest
Jesus’s temple protest reveals God’s heart for the oppressed and Jesus’s critical eye toward structures in society that exploit the poor. This passage challenges those of us who are more inclined to avoid conflict to speak truth to power. But it’s important to note that Jesus’s table-flipping isn’t for “both sides”—all tables are not the same. Knowing which tables need to be flipped requires the discernment that comes from being rooted in healthy community.
Reset
In this message, Pastor T. C. preaches on Jesus’s baptism and wilderness temptation (Mark 1), belovedness, and observing Lent. Like Jesus, we are grounded in our belovedness, against which no weapon can prosper.
Healing Community
In this sermon, Pastor Osheta combines her reflections on a famous Spiritual entitled “There’s a Balm in Gilead” with concluding thoughts on being a Healing Community for our series, Journey Together. She teaches us that in the same way that Jesus is our healing balm, we as a community become a healing balm for one another. Here’s a rendition of There’s a Balm in Gilead:
Contemplate Together
In this message, Pastor T. C. teaches on contemplative prayer. These are practices that engage our imaginations and connect us with Christ spiritually. One form of contemplative prayer is what Pastor Brian Zahnd calls “Sitting with Jesus.”