Gracepoint Berkeley Church

I•M•MATURE: Rebel without a reason

kevan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:50:09 +0000

One of the primary faces of immaturity is rebelliousness, being a rebel without a reason. We are all rebellious: it’s our basic posture and it’s theologically true, starting as far back as Adam and Eve in the first pages of the bible. We’re rebels who reject authority and we find transgressive behavior attractive. When we think, “rebel,” we think cool and we’re attracted to it. When we hear, “submission,” we think stuffy, bad, not desirable. In today’s message, we challenge these assumptions towards these two words. We consider what the bible has to say about rebellion and submission in these passages: James 4:7, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 5:19, and Hebrews 13:17.

I•M•MATURE: First step to maturity

kevan — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:37:50 +0000

Growing up is so natural that to not grow is really jarring, unnatural. Think of a grown man who during lunch picks up a bottle full of formula. It borders on absurd. For all of us, physical growth just happens: eat, sleep, work. But, internally, growing up in terms of our character, emotions, belief system, quality of relationships and more, this is optional. It is work we have to engage in. We turn to Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:11-24 to study what the bible has to say about immaturity and maturity.

Psalm 1: The Blessed Life of Obedience

jeannielee — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:02:08 +0000

Psalm 1 contrasts the blessed life, a life that is like a rooted tree that bears its fruit in season, with the chaff that is subject to the winds and perishes. In a world where we are constantly bombarded by tempting and deceptive portraits of a chaff-like life, Psalm 1 encourages us to meditate on God’s word and anchor our minds and our hearts in the truth. And as we root ourselves in the truth, we have a chance to live the truly blessed life- to be able to say NO to worldly counsel and desires regardless of how the winds may blow, and together, as a tree in the midst of a forest, demonstrating to the world the beauty and power of the obedient life that chooses to live according to the counsel of God.

2012 New Year’s Service

kevan — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:38:09 +0000

John 8:32 is our key verse for 2012: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The converse of this is that falsehood will enslave us. The story of Gehazi in 2 Kings 5:19-27 reveals a picture of the shape of deceit in a person’s life, and its corrosive effect on a person’s character, heart, and relationships. Elisha’s ringing question to Gehazi at the end of the story is, “Is this the time?” What was the “time” that Gehazi was completely missing? What was the situation, and what about his place in God’s story did Gehazi fail to recognize? Jesus continues the discussion in Luke 12-13, presenting his assessment of our human condition and the opportunity before us to respond.

Christmas Quest: Perfect Gift?

kevan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:06:45 +0000

On Christmas day, we give and receive many gifts. It’s part of the holiday season! Pausing for a moment, we consider the question, What would make a gift perfect? We ourselves know that no gift is perfect: our desires shift from season to season, we receive gifts, play with them and tire of them, and look to new things and new gifts. The bible has something to say about a “perfect gift” in James 1:13-18, that this perfect gift ultimately comes from the Heavenly Father. This wonderful verse in James 1:17 appears in the larger, sad context of our desires, and how they easily progress towards sin and then to death. Have you experienced this progression in your life: desires to sin, and sin to death? What “perfect gift” does God offer?

Christmas Quest: Got Room?

kevan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:02:12 +0000

In the midst of the busy crush of modern life, it’s easy for our hearts to get crowded and feel quite full: scheduling, goals to reach, books to reach, places to go, people to meet, things to do. Oddly, we almost seem to want it that way. The result is no room for other people and, tragically, no room for God. The question is: Do you have room for God in your life? The Christmas story in Luke 2:1-7 tells us the story of the birth of Jesus, which is a story of God coming into our world but not finding any room in people’s hearts.

Christmas Quest: Home for Christmas?

kevan — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:45:41 +0000

“I’ll be home for Christmas,” is a sentiment (and the name of a song!) we hear during the holidays. Home is a special place during the holiday season, and conjures up images of belonging and safety. In some ways, it speaks to the universal human need, that we’re all desperate to belong and “be home” somewhere. As we look at Ephesians 2:12-22 as our text for today, it speaks to the alienation, homelessness, and feeling of being out of place we all experience. Our world’s conventional response to this is to pursue greatness and being special. It’s an odd solution for our fundamental problem and turns out to be quite a lonely quest. What is home for you? What does the bible say about the human need to belong?

Christmas Quest: Happy Holidays?

kevan — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:49:38 +0000

The feelings evoked by Christmas and the holiday season are full of nostalgic, snow-covered, light streaming out of the windows pictures. What do the holidays and the feelings that are conjured up tell us about ourselves? As we begin our holidays message series, and read Psalm 137:1-4 and Matthew 1:21-23, the bible gives voice not only to our expressions of the holiday season, but of our fundamental human condition.

Thanksgiving Celebration (2011): Grumbling, noticing, and remembering

kevan — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:23:50 +0000

The word “grumble” ominously comes to characterize Israel throughout the Old Testament, from their humble beginnings through their turbulent national history, and eventually leading to their sad exile. It all begins with their grumbling in Exodus 15. Following their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, Israel’s grumbling is a rejection of what God has done, a disproportionate overreaction to their obstacles and setbacks. As we think about grumbling and what it teaches us about recollection, forgetfulness, and remembrance, we can ask ourselves, why do we under-detect the things we should be grateful for? The things we’ve received? And, much to our own discontentment, overly focus and notice our setbacks and problems? What can we learn about remembering, noticing, and responding as part of our commitment to gratitude?

Thanksgiving Retreat: God’s heart of divine concern

kevan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:04:21 +0000

When God calls Moses in Exodus 3-4, it is an announcement of divine concern. The heart of God for His people is clear: that God has seen, has heard, knows their suffering, and has come down to deliver. It must have been thrilling and encouraging for Moses to hear God’s strongly worded intent to act. But the divine announcement also turns out to be a calling on Moses’ life, a calling completely disruptive to the notion that it’s “my life.”

Out of the Night: Nicodemus, the spiritual seeker

kevan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:30:18 +0000

When a member of the Sanhedrin Jewish ruling council comes to Jesus in the middle of the night, it is no ordinary visit. Nicodemus is “the teacher of Israel,” an elder statesman among the religious elite. Why come to meet with an uncredentialed, rural, former carpenter, much younger itinerant rabbi? What does the first part of John 3 teach us about seeking answers to life’s biggest questions? The nature of the gospel? Of how a person can be qualified to come before God? What does it mean to be “born again?” Studying Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus gives us a portrait of a spiritual seeker–a portrait that applies to both believers and unbelievers alike.

Out of the Night: Miracles, reasonable belief, and faith

kevan — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:43:05 +0000

As we review the text from John 2:11-3:2, we take cues from John’s Gospel to explore what is meant by “believing in” Jesus. Many of Jesus’ critics and the crowds following him often demanded from him, “What miraculous sign will you perform so that we would believe?” It isn’t an approach that leads to faith. Then, what should we do? Should we “just believe and have faith?” Do we have to suspend the desire for proof? For reasonable and well-grounded evidence? What does it mean to believe? What does it look like to reach out and receive the gospel and to “believe in Jesus?”

Out of the Night: Consuming zeal for the Father’s house

kevan — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:24:47 +0000

As we revisit the cleansing of the temple for a second week (in John 2:12-3:4), we see in Jesus a man consumed by zeal. Jesus’ zeal stands in stark contrast with the cultural ethos of the day: a listless, passionless, “whatever” approach to life. Moreover, Jesus’ zeal is for God’s house and for a place (and attitude) that honors God not as an impersonal deity who requires supplications to be appeased, but one that honors God as a Person.

Out of the Night: Marketplace vs. Father’s House

kevan — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:01:43 +0000

In John 2:12-22, Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover, and he finds that his Father’s house has been turned into a market. In an uncharacteristic display of anger, Jesus clears out the temple, the money changers and the sheep and the cattle. We ask, what made Jesus so angry? What are the features of the “market” that particularly angered Jesus? What is the difference between the marketplace and the Father’s house, and how can these categories help us examine our own experience of our relationships, God, and our Christian service?

Out of the Night: Water into Wine

kevan — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:21:05 +0000

In John 2:1-11, in his first excursion with his newly collected disciples, Jesus doesn’t take them to a fasting and prayer retreat in the desert, nor to a lecture hall to deliver scriptural exegesis. Instead, Jesus takes his disciples to a wedding celebration. On the face of it, the event is a wedding feast gone wrong but is saved in the end. Jesus’ act of changing the water into wine isn’t merely act of power. It is an act of revelation: his diagnosis of our human condition, insight into our strategies at securing happiness, an overturning of our stereotype of an austere and policing God, and ultimately a picture of who Jesus is and the kind of transformation his presence brings. (verse reference handout)

Out of the Night: Intro to the Wedding at Cana

kevan — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:29:05 +0000

John 2 opens with the Wedding at Cana, the first of Jesus’ miraculous signs recorded in the Gospel of John. It is the story of a young couple’s wedding day. Jesus and his mother and his disciples arrive as guests, and are part of an unfolding, awful problem: the wine has run out on this happiest of happy days. And the miracle, on the face of it, involves Jesus working together with the servants to turn water to wine, and thus save the day. To look more deeply at the story, however, reveals fascinating themes that speak to the bankruptcy of the world, the frailty of the human condition, the hopeless tragedy of life, our doomed strategies at securing happiness, the eloquent (but poorly informed) master of ceremonies, the humble (but well-informed-never-trade-this-experience-for-anything) servants, the sad realism of our lives, and the secret to true joy.

Out of the Night: Finding and Being Found

kevan — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:37:00 +0000

In John 1:43-51, when Nathanael first hears of Jesus from Philip, Nathanael responds with prejudice, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” But Nathanael goes with Philip and has a cryptic, yet transformative conversation with Jesus, at the end of which, he exclaims remarkably, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” John 1 ends with Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus, and the entire chapter is illustrative of what it looks like to follow Jesus: to confront prejudices and intellectual problems in one’s understanding of God and Jesus, and yet to “come and see,” to investigate, to find oneself deeply known, and to realize in the end, “I’ve been sought out.”

Out of the Night: Come and See

kevan — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:44:37 +0000

Continuing in John 1:19-42, the first person we encounter in the Gospel of John is John the Baptist, a forerunner of Jesus. John the Baptist turns out to be a witness to Jesus, pointing and directing the attention of all the peoples towards Jesus, the coming Lamb of God. John the Baptist offers us profound implications of the role of spiritual authenticity in being a powerful witness to our world.

And then we are introduced to Jesus, whose first words in the gospel are, “What do you want?” And then “Come and see.” As we think about the deeply invitational nature of Jesus’ words for both seekers and believers, a picture is painted of what it looks like to relate to God and have a relationship with Him.

Out of the Night: Reflecting on Time and Love (9/11 Remembrance)

kevan — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 05:56:00 +0000

We began our Worship Service with several reflections on 9/11 (first reflection, second, and third). In addition to its national impact, the tragedy of 9/11 is the tragedy of broken relationships, of love cut short. It points us towards what is truly valuable. John 3:16 and John 1:14-29 continue to serve as our text that speaks to the needs of the human condition.

Out of the Night: Mystery of Relationships

kevan — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:53:20 +0000

At the beginning of our new series in the Gospel of John, Out of the Night, we start with the the prologue, John 1:1-18. This dense set of verses introduces the various themes throughout John’s gospel, and opens with an inquiry into the nature of the eternal Word. Prior to the cosmos, and to the “stuff” of the cosmos, is a Person, a Word. It tells us that fundamentally, we live in a personal, relational universe where God has disclosed Himself, trying to connect with us, waiting for our response to His Word.

Thrive Sunday: Strength of Character (3rd service)

kevan — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:06:14 +0000

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus paints a picture of two different houses, one that stands and another that crumbles. He isn’t talking about architecture, but about people’s lives. The house that turned out to not be strong, not built on anything, that house crumbled with a great crash. A house can crumble, and another can be built; but when a life crumbles, this is truly tragic. What is the strength that holds up your life? What sort of character and inner material is needed to withstand the challenges, stressors, and storms of life?

For more information or to sign up for Thrive, check out our website: http://.thriveincollege.org

Thrive Sunday: Strength of Character (1st service)

kevan — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:01:50 +0000

Thrive Sunday: 1st Service

For more information or to sign up for Thrive, check out our website: http://.thriveincollege.org

The Widow at Zarephath: Barely Enough

kevan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:53:07 +0000

In 1 Kings 17:7-16, in the midst of a terrible drought, Elijah requests a widow for a piece of bread. It is a startling request, and she responds by telling him there isn’t enough, and what little there is left, she is planning on making it as a last meal for herself and her son, and then they would die. Elijah’s request feels very much like a demand in the midst of her lack. But it turns out, hidden within, an invitation from God is being offered to her.

The Folly of Nabal

kevan — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:50:10 +0000

Speaking from our Gracepoint Riverside Church, we look at the characters of Nabal, Abigail and David in 1 Samuel 25. Nabal’s folly was arrogance, pride, ingratitude, and an unwillingness to listen. His example is a clear lesson of how not to be. Additionally, one of the lessons we draw is that in the end, what does a person in isn’t his lack of competence, ability, or strength. It is his lack of character.

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

kevan — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:04:18 +0000

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus and the disciples take a boat across the Sea of Galilee. Along the way, a furious squall comes upon them and the disciples–seasoned fishermen–are seized with fear. In the storms of our own lives, we experience the same sense of fear, paralysis, and dread. We are fixated on the storms, winds, and waves and seldom recall the One who in the boat with us. (Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee)

Philippians: Rejoice

kevan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:55:42 +0000

Anxiety is one of the dominant conditions of sinful, frail humanity. There’s no end to the things we can worry about. What is our solution? What can we do? Apostle Paul addresses this in Philippians 4, pointing us towards prayer, rejoicing, and attaching ourselves to Christ as the way to restore joy and transcend above our circumstances. We also celebrate the baptism of 7 of our brothers and sisters.

Philippians: Citizenship in heaven

kevan — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:48:32 +0000

In today’s text, Philippians 3:17-4:3, Apostle Paul describes both the pattern of life of those who follow Christ’s example, as well as those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” We examine the description of the latter, “their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things,” and attempt to identify the ways this can manifest even in the lives of those who purport to follow Christ. The reason for this exploration is to think through the life Jesus calls us to: citizens of heaven, full of Christian Hope, and contending together with others in the church for the cause of the gospel.

Philippians: Straining towards what is ahead

kevan — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:47:55 +0000

Another look through Philippians 3 gives us a picture of the human condition: a love for boasting, and the struggle to find some angle to do so. We also ask ourselves, are you growing in your knowledge of Christ? And how can you do so? And lastly, from the tremendous energy and vigor found throughout this chapter, we examine Apostle Paul’s singular focus and passion, and what it means to live straining towards what is ahead.

Philippians: Not adding to Jesus

kevan — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:55:27 +0000

Continuing in Philippians 3:1-11, Apostle Paul asserts that Jesus and Jesus alone saves completely. “Jesus plus” anything doesn’t work. And as we look at the life he calls us to, neither can we say “Jesus minus” anything, whether that’s cross bearing, denying ourselves, confronting sins, or fellowshipping with him in his sufferings.

Philippians: Joys of servanthood

kevan — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:40:39 +0000

Philippians 2 teaches us that servanthood isn’t a dreary, life-draining chore. Rather, it turns out serving others and being a servant is life-giving and filled with joy and growth.

Philippians: Emptying myself

kevan — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:21:32 +0000

Reading Philippians 2:1-11, the clear theme that emerges is humility. According to Apostle Paul, humility builds the church and promotes unity among its believers. Apostle Paul points us to Jesus as the essential example of humility, and urges us to imitate Jesus’ example of emptying himself and becoming a servant. (The Impact Summerfest video shown during the message is available online)

Philippians: Discern what is best

kevan — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:21:56 +0000

Remaining another week in Philippians 1, we talk about: 1) the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints; 2) the relationship between “knowledge and depth of insight,” abounding in love, and being “able to discern what is best.” And last, 3) we discuss Apostle Paul’s chains and why this is relevant to Christian life and unleashing the power of the gospel.

Philippians: Source of Joy

kevan — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:04:41 +0000

Beginning a new series in the Epistle to the Philippians, we take a close look at the circumstances that led to Apostle Paul writing the letter to the church, as well as a close look at Apostle Paul himself. This first chapter gives us a tremendous picture of Apostle Paul’s relational world, and the portrait of his joy that seemed to overflow out of his life seems otherworldly. How was it possible for Paul to express joy and rejoicing despite being imprisoned? How could he celebrate as others outside of prison were taking advantage of his plight? What was the source of his joy?

Prophet for our generation

jeannielee — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:27:01 +0000

Through Elisha and the unnamed servants in 2 Kings 5, leprous Namaan is not only healed, but gives glory to God by acknowledging that He is the one true God. In the same text, we are warned by the tragic Gehazi, next in line to be the prophet of Israel, and yet, not understanding the times properly, turns to material comforts and in so doing, forfeits his spiritual heritage and God’s calling to be the next prophet for his generation.

Reliably passing on the gospel entrusted to us

kevan — Sun, 22 May 2011 22:46:51 +0000

In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul talks about grace, entrustment, and the importance of being a reliable person to pass on the gospel to successive generations. Pastor William’s last Sunday service before departing to Gracepoint Davis was filled with words of reminder: that we have all been given the good deposit of the gospel, and have been entrusted to guard it and give it to others.

Reality of Spiritual Warfare

kevan — Sun, 15 May 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Visiting Lead Pastor from Xenos Fellowship, Dennis McCallum, joined us to speak about the reality of spiritual warfare and the existence of Satan. What is Satan doing and why? What does it look like to have a “wartime mentality” in our spiritual lives?

Lessons from Abraham and Lot

kevan — Sun, 08 May 2011 22:43:15 +0000

Genesis 18 and 19 and the larger narrative of Abraham’s life serves as the backdrop for us to learn about God’s character: His patience, His judgment, His mercy, and His mission for us. When we examine the lives of Abraham and Lot, though they began their journey together, at the end of their lives, they are two very, very different people. On the one hand, Lot is isolated, paranoid, and leaves behind a shameful, sad legacy. Abraham, on the other hand, stands beside God, looking upon the world with God’s eyes of compassion, mercy, and ultimately as an intercessor and source of blessing for others.

Graduation Sunday: Treasuring People

kevan — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:28:17 +0000

At the end of your four years in college, how will you measure your life? Or at the end of your life? The bible says in 1 John 3:14 that the sign that a person has been regenerated by the gospel is to love. So what’s the secret to that? To having a lot of people in your heart, and in turn, to be a glowing gem inside others’ hearts? How do you become a person of love and become relationally connected at a deep level?

Case for Easter

kevan — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 22:32:23 +0000

On Easter Sunday, we argue the case for the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The a priori assumption that “resurrection is impossible” doesn’t allow for a reasonable consideration of the evidence. But it’s a consideration of the evidence that is important for all open-minded people to weigh and examine. Join us as put forth the case for Easter for your consideration!

Journey to the Cross 2: Love is extravagant

kevan — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:06:11 +0000

In Matthew 26:6-16, a woman breaks an expensive alabaster jar of perfume and pours it over Jesus in the presence of the disciples and many others. This singular incident results in two different responses. The disciples’ pragmatic, indignant cry is, “Why this waste?” Jesus, on the other hand, responds by coming to this woman’s defense and asserting, “She has done a beautiful thing to me… wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told.” Each of the two responses carries with it a whole worldview, lifestyle, set of preferences and values, and the criteria to measure one’s choices and actions. What one party deems a “waste,” Jesus extols as an essential component of the gospel.

Journey of Faith 3: The Lord will provide

kevan — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:04:53 +0000

In one of the most difficult stories of the Old Testament, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedient response to a strange, painful, divine command. Reading from Genesis 22:1-14, Abraham’s faith shines brightly as he looks into a bleak, dark future and yet manages to move forward in obedience and faith, not knowing quite how, but still believing that God will provide.

Journey of Faith 2: Follow the Promise

kevan — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:02:00 +0000

In Genesis 13:1-9, Abraham and Lot sadly separate. Lot looks out and makes his decision based on what he could see and what he could gain. Fast-forward their lives and we see that Abraham and Lot end up in two very different places. One person followed the promises of God, and the other followed the paradise offered by the world. The incremental decisions and choices of each give us two pictures of what faith is and what faith isn’t.

Journey of Faith 1: Taking God at His Word

kevan — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:53:46 +0000

As we start our new series through the life of Abraham, the father of faith, we first learn that the journey of faith starts with leaving your life. It also involves being a blessing to others. From Abraham, we learn that faith is taking God at His word, and we see Abraham’s trust in God grow as he encounters different situations, difficulties, and fears. (Genesis 12, 13, 22-23)

Life Together 5: Our Response

kevan — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:15:46 +0000

After the Fall, God’s focus turns to redemption. Matthew 28:18-20, known as the Great Commission, is Jesus’ marching orders for his disciples. This mission defined Jesus’ life as well, and prompts us to ask: “How does Jesus see our world? How does Jesus see people?” As we look in Matthew 9:35-38 for the answers, his world becomes our world, and his perspective defines our role: priorities and mission.

Life Together 4: Prepared for Good Works

kevan — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 22:43:10 +0000

In Christian life, there are no mere spectators. Every Christian is vitally important to the spiritual community, and a part of fulfilling God’s vision for His church. Ephesians 4:11-16 and Ephesians 2:10 outline God’s vision and goal of His people, to be prepared to do good works. How does that happen? What does the process of being built together look like? What does the process of shaping and chiseling at sinful, immature people so they’re formed into one household of God, prepared as people to do good works of love?

Life Together 3: Breaking Out of Delusion

kevan — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:45:38 +0000

In Matthew 7:17-29, Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount with an illustration describing two houses that externally look similar, but which experience two very different outcomes: one stands, and the other fell with a great crash. The difference in the two houses, Jesus insists, isn’t that one man heard Jesus’ words and another didn’t. Rather, the difference is that one heard Jesus’ words and put them into practice, and the other person heard Jesus’ words but did not put them into practice. Listening, and even agreeing, isn’t enough. There must be “doing”, the behavior and action component of spiritual life. The growing gap between belief and behavior, nurtured by our image-oriented society (and even an image-oriented Christianity) has led to an epidemic of delusion. How can I know myself? How can I know whether or not I am a loving person? Whether or not I am growing in love, maturity, and Christ-likeness? Indeed, for each individual in the church and the spiritual community, we are critical to one another’s spiritual lives.

Life Together 2: Forming Christian Character

kevan — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:07:20 +0000

For a picture of Christian character, we look at Galatians 5:22-23, where we find the qualities of Christ. We need to ask ourselves, Are these character qualities growing in my life? How do these grow? How do I even know how much of these qualities I have? After all, these qualities aren’t mere words, songs, or feelings. If character is regular, reliable practice, how do I develop this? God has a clear idea in the bible.

The Relationship Between Christ and Culture

kevan — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:37:41 +0000

John Stonestreet, the Executive Director of Summit Ministries and a Fellow of the Colson Center, brings us a message exhorting us to use our minds, and to learn to think well as part of our Christian discipleship. He argues that the secularist experiment in America has brought us today to a very dehumanized culture.

Life Together 1: Cain to Community

kevan — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:47:04 +0000

A lot of us think salvation looks like this: a person who doesn’t know he’s a sinner and he discovers there’s a God that’s he’s sinned against, but God has provided Jesus on the cross and a person believe this and he’s saved! It’s all true. But it also leaves out a bigger picture of God’s salvation plan found throughout the bible: taking individual, atomic sinful persons from the effects of sin and redeeming them from isolation and into community. The script of sinful human beings from the Fall to Cain in Genesis 4 is a pattern that must be rewritten and transformed until worldly, restless individual persons become a people of God.

“Can these bones live?”

kevan — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:38:03 +0000

Ezekiel experiences one of the most riveting visions recorded in the bible in Ezekiel 37. During Israel’s tragic period of exile and Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel beholds a vision of a valley of dry bones, devoid of water, life, and hope. Confronted with this scene, God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel’s response to God’s question is an answer of such humility and hope. It is an answer that opens the door for God to demonstrate the transformative power of His Word upon the hopeless situation–not only a prophecy for Israel’s future, but for our own situations and lives today.

Encourage One Another

kevan — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:44:06 +0000

Beginning with John 17:20-23, we look at the Bible’s exhortation to encourage one another. Our key verse for 2011 is 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” “Encourage” is the most frequent exhortation in the “one another” verses throughout the New Testament. Moreover, God Himself is the greatest encourager. What does encouragement look like? What portraits of encouragement do we find in the bible? How can we love one another and care for one another, and how does encouragement fit into this? If life is hard–and Christian life no less–how do we survive the challenges of living life in a spiritually hostile world?

Christmas: Glory of God

kevan — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:14:59 +0000

The glory of God is written throughout the pages of the Bible, from Moses who desired to see God’s glory to Isaiah who encountered the glory of God filling the temple. In the Gospels, John writes in John 1:14, ”We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As we talk about glory, what is the essence of God’s glory? How does one seek God’s glory? What does it mean to live a life that glorifies God?

Christmas: What the manger teaches us

kevan — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:07:35 +0000

(From Gracepoint Riverside) In Luke 2:1-20, the Christmas story is captured in 2 pictures: the angelic hosts singing to the shepherds, and baby Jesus born into a manger. Having heard it so often, one can get used to it. However, the revolutionary truths contained within the Christmas story reveal truths and values that are amazingly counter-intuitive, contrary to the conventional wisdom of the world’s values that existed in Jesus’ time and that continue to exist to this day. Baby Jesus in the manger gives us an opportunity to realign our values, perceptions, and our notions of what life is and how we’re supposed to live it.

Christmas: God’s redemptive plan

kevan — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:20:41 +0000

With Christmas just around the corner, we take a step back and sweep through the scriptures to locate Christmas within God’s larger history and redemptive plan. Beginning with the Old Testament, what images and hopes did the prophets use to express their anticipation of the day of the Lord, of a God who comes and of the one whom God will send? As we make our way through the Old Testament (Isaiah 11:1-9, Ezekiel 34, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, Exodus 33:18-20) and into the New Testament (John 1:1-18), we consider the age old questions: Why did Jesus come? How can you know God? And if God Jesus has come to reveal God’s glory, why do some see it and some don’t?

Christmas: When God comes close

kevan — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:44:59 +0000

The portrait of King Herod in Matthew 2:1-3 paints a picture of a man who knew very clearly what he wanted: to be king and to be great. Indeed, Herod achieves and secures his dream for more than 35 years. But then Christmas happens in his life (and ours), and God comes close: Jesus.

The Widow at Zarephath – Feeling empty

kevan — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Dealing with her own personal dire situation and then confronted with a prophet bringing an unbelievable request, the widow of Zarephath couldn’t believe what was being asked of her: give up the last piece of bread she was planning to feed her dying son? We rarely need to make decisions so drastic, but we have decisions nonetheless when we’re asked to give up or give away things precious to us: time, money, resources, emotional energy, and more. 1 Kings 17:1-16 teaches us about our fears, speaking to that feeling of being empty or not having enough, and yet God asking us to trust Him so He can give us more.

Practicing Gratitude

kevan — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:20:43 +0000

In the fifth and final part of our Faces of Ingratitude series, we begin with James 1:16-17 and talk about practical applications for gratitude. Gratitude is a discipline for us all, especially as we observe how the expression of gratitude uncovers reality a bit more, giving us greater appreciation and delight over the many gifts God has given us.

We also spent some time on a personal gratitude journal, which will be available shortly.

In Praise of Gratitude

kevan — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:54:28 +0000

Having covered the many faces of ingratitude the last few weeks, on this day of our annual Thanksgiving Celebration, we focus on gratitude itself: why we do it, what benefits are brought to those who express it, and its power on the both the person expressing gratitude and the one receiving it. Luke 17:11-18 serves as our primary text; our additional texts are Psalm 147:1 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Faces of Ingratitude 3: Comparison problem

kevan — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:57:50 +0000

In our last installment of Faces of Ingratitude, we explore a third way in which ingratitude surfaces in our lives: comparison. We examine the ways in which is it harmful, the falsehood it perpetuates, and ultimately where it leads us: robbed of contentment, and armed with the mantra, “You didn’t give me enough.” In so doing, we cheapen and devalue all that God has given to us. Matthew 20:1-16 and Matthew 25:14-30 are our texts today as we talk about the comparison problem.

God is Faithful: John Woods

kevan — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:06:43 +0000

John Woods, serving as a missionary with Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International (BMDMI), has been in the Bay Area with his wife, Tina. John joined us at our Tuesday bible study and shared some meaningful words with us, a testimony that God is faithful.

Faces of Ingratitude 2: Sense of entitlement

kevan — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:16:06 +0000

We’re really good at feeling like and casting ourselves as the victim of unfortunate circumstances, disadvantaged by factors outside our control. We feel that sense of entitlement keenly, and it quickly leads to some form of pouting, sourness, discontentment, and even bitterness and resentment further down the line. How can we can tell if we’re afflicted by this sense of entitlement? Examine the things we get angry and frustrated about if we don’t have them or get them. Today, we look at Matthew 15:21-28 and Matthew 8:5-10 for examples of people who exemplify the attitude we must have and ought to have.

Faces of Ingratitude 1: Missing out on reality

kevan — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:55:27 +0000

Gratitude isn’t just something polite we do, or an experience annually reserved for Thanksgiving. Actually, gratitude should be the basic posture of the human creature who recognizes life is one gigantic, miraculous gift. A person who isn’t grateful misses out on reality. Gratitude is an acknowledgement of what is real about life.

Zombie Faith 3: Going Faith

kevan — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:07:29 +0000

Living faith is a going faith. It’s faith that gets you moving, leaving all and following him. For the Christ follower, Jesus is going somewhere, moving, and we’re called to follow him. Where does that lead us?

Zombie Faith 2: Signs of Life

kevan — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:49:50 +0000

In our exploration of faith that is alive and faith that is dead, we look today for signs of living faith. The first group of believers in the bible, Acts 2, gives us a picture of the ideal church, the original church, and their set of priorities as new believers: apostles’ teaching, prayer, breaking of bread, and fellowship.

Zombie Faith 1: Alive or Dead?

kevan — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:40:03 +0000

James 2 is one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to read. It confronts every believer to consider the state of their faith: is it dead or alive? How can we assess the claims we make about our faith? What are our words worth? Our feelings?

Pause 3: Battling Evil

kevan — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:21:49 +0000

Things didn’t go the way the young man had planned in Luke 15. He didn’t envision his future correctly, neglecting to take into account some crucial realities in his equation for the future. This all ties in with our personal battles against evil and against sin, both of which undermine and sabotage our dreams and lives. Watch the intro video, The Evil Beanbag, Part 3. Sep 19 was also our baptism service, and two of our brothers and sisters have shared their spiritual journey as part of the worship service.

Pause 2: Evil and Me

kevan — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:46:32 +0000

In Part 2 of Pause, we look at the complicated, subtle relationship between humanity and sin. Romans 7 serves as our primary text as we ask ourselves the question, “Is everything in my life that I’ve done something I’ve approved of?” Could the Bible be right when it concludes that we are slaves to sin? Watch the intro video, The Evil Beanbag, Part 2.

Pause 1: Temptation is a Progression

kevan — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:54:11 +0000

No one wants to hit something catastrophic in the minefield of life through which we’re all walking. And so as we look at a particularly sordid episode in David’s life (in 2 Samuel 11), we have to wonder what kind of lessons we can learn for ourselves. First, sin and temptation is a progression. Second, there’s plenty of opportunities to pause and turn back. And third, meandering, idling, and browsing through one’s life is not a good place to be. Watch the intro video, The Evil Beanbag, Part 1.

Bridging the Gap between Belief and Practice

kevan — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:32:12 +0000

Beginning with our parody sketch and Matthew 7:21-27, we talk about the perennial challenge facing every believer: how to bridge the gap between belief and practice, conviction and commitment. The last thing we want to hear, after all, is, “He’s all talk.” From the sketch, Jackie’s Christianity is merely an accessory and subculture to belong to; Kristen’s is focused purely on actions and deeds; Stephen’s stealth Christianity is so underground he simply acts like everyone else; and Noah’s all heart and all emotion Christianity suffers from a lack of substance and content. What is the content of your head, the feelings in your heart, and the actions of your hands?

Knowing Who I Am

kevan — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:00:01 +0000

Psalm 1 gives us an opportunity to think about identity. It’s an important issue, especially as so many of us are beginning a new transition in our lives: the start of college, the start of a new job, and more. Do you have a clear sense of identity that dictates what you will do and what you won’t do? And based on what reasons? What anchors you and what can buy you?

Pursuit of Happiness: Forgiveness

conrad — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:09:39 +0000

Pursuit of Happiness: Ingredients

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:16:19 +0000

Pursuit of Happiness: Drawing Pictures

conrad — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:20:59 +0000

Pursuit of Happiness: Known failed strategies

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:36:32 +0000

Help My Unbelief: What happened and Who is?

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:26:27 +0000

Help My Unbelief: Undeniable vs. Unexplainable

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:44:19 +0000

Help My Unbelief: Come and See

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:55:53 +0000

More Than Meets the I (p.3)

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:00:13 +0000

Prayer Meeting: Ephesians 1

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:24:19 +0000

More Than Meets the I (p.2)

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:21:35 +0000

Summer of Servanthood: Serving in Community

Mon, 31 May 2010 01:24:57 +0000

Summer of Servanthood: Servanthood Challenges

Mon, 24 May 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Summer of Servanthood: True Greatness

Mon, 17 May 2010 02:50:27 +0000

Graduation Sunday 2010

Fri, 14 May 2010 17:16:12 +0000

Commissioning Service

Tue, 04 May 2010 15:48:23 +0000

Baptism Sunday: Naaman’s Transformed Life

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:42:01 +0000

Dr. Craig: The Problem of Suffering and Evil (session 3)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:29:02 +0000

Dr. Craig: Response to Ehrman (session 2)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:26:03 +0000

Dr. Craig: Response to Dawkins (session 1)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:19:30 +0000

Syrophoenician Woman: What we deserve

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:06:50 +0000

Easter Sunday: No Longer Disqualified

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:51:56 +0000

Good Friday: The Burdens We Bear

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:47:16 +0000

One Day Retreat with Ajith Fernando (Session 3 Q&A)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:16:21 +0000

One Day Retreat with Ajith Fernando (Session 3)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:14:59 +0000

One Day Retreat with Ajith Fernando (Session 2 Q&A)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:12:25 +0000

One Day Retreat with Ajith Fernando (Session 2)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:10:23 +0000

One Day Retreat with Ajith Fernando (Session 1)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:05:13 +0000

How the Sovereignty of God helps us overcome suffering (Session 3)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:00:01 +0000

How the Sovereignty of God helps us overcome suffering (Session 2)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:58:21 +0000

How the Sovereignty of God helps us overcome suffering (Session 1)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:53:14 +0000