"Faithfulness of God: to His Covenant" (July 27, 2014)

"Faithfulness of God: to His Covenant"

from Genesis 17:1-8

Faithfulness series week 1

What is the source of your hope?  What have you placed your trust in?  What is the substance of relationships that you have with others? Is it trust?  In week 1 of our “Faithfulness of God” series, we look at the foundation of God’s faithfulness, and from His encounter with Abraham in Genesis 17, we see that God is first, faithful to His promises.  What if you embraced God’s promises for your life?  What would change?  How would you live each day?  As we look at Abraham, we must consider that there is something transformative that takes place in us when we choose to walk on the foundation of what God has promised us.  

As you are in your own quiet time or time with your group this week, consider the following:

• We all make promises and we've all been on the receiving end of promises as well.  
• What is a promise that has been made to you that wasn't kept?
• How did that make you feel?
• Has there ever been a promise that you've made and didn't keep?  If so, why not?

• What are some of the promises of God that you are familiar with from Scripture?

• Have you ever made a life-decision or moved in a direction based on a promise of God?  When was that?

• Has God ever called you to something you weren't sure you could do?
• How did that play out?

• When have you settled for less than the fullness of what you knew God wanted for you (what is your Ishmael)?
• Why settle?

Sermon Audio

From Sanctuary services (w/ Jason Byassee)

From Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Signs of Life: Invite to Life" (July 20, 2014)

“Signs of Life: Invite to Life”

from Acts 17:16-34

In the final week of our “Signs of Life” series, we look at the outworking of all of our other measures: “When have I invested and invited others into life in Christ?”  If you are a follower of Christ, then you know that sharing the Gospel is not merely meant to be a suggestion, it is meant to be what flows out of our lives, yet for many of us it feels awkward at best.  Bringing the Gospel into the lives around us tends to feel out of context and trite in this world that offers everything, yet in reality it is the only thing that matters.  What if we had a different perspective on what it means to share the Gospel and invite others into life with Christ?

As you have your have your personal quiet time or time with your Group, consider the following:

• What do you think of when you hear the word "evangelism?"

• Who invested in you toward life in Christ?

• How can you be that for another person?
• Do you have someone or some people in your life your are pouring in to toward that end?
• What are ways that you are doing so?

• What are productive ways to do so?

• What are counter-productive or harmful ways to do so?

• How are you building bridges with people you regularly encounter?

• What are some things in our culture that we (like Paul) need to speak over-against?

Sermon Audio

From Sanctuary Services (w/ Jason Byassee)

From Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Signs of Life: Friends and Enemies" (July 13, 2014)

"Signs of Life: Friends & Enemies"

from Acts 16:25-32

In week 6 of our "Signs of Life" series we look at the measure that both demands the most of us and is perhaps the greatest measure of whether or not we are becoming more like Jesus.  In this week's passage we see what seems to be an interesting response to an unpleasent situation...until we dig in to the heart of what Paul and Silas have experienced as followers of Christ.

As you have your own personal quiet time or time with your Group consider the following:

• Do you remember your first, "best friend?"
• What was that friendship like?  
• What cemented the bond?

• We might tend to think "enemy" is a word reserved for terrorists or traffickers, but considering that enemy is defined as someone, "actively opposed or hostile toward someone or something", can you say that you have ever had an enemy?  Someone who is opposed to you?  Someone who treated you differently as a result?  Or someone YOU treated differently as a result?

• While we might agree that Jesus tells us to love our enemies, we must ask ourselves what that looks like...the love that Jesus is speaking of is "active."  There is meant to be action attached to it.  
• With that being said, are you loving your enemies?  
• If so, how?
• If not, why not and what would need to change in order for you to do so?

Sermon Audio

From Sanctuary Services (w/ Jeff McClain)

From Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Signs of Life: Scripture" (July 6, 2014)

"Signs of Life: Scripture"

from Acts 15

Week 5 has us asking the question, "Did I apply Scripture to a decision this week?"  This can be a difficult question for us to wrestle with.  It is one thing to think about Scripture being an important part of our lives, and another entirely to allow it to have bearing in our direction and decision-making process.  

Some questions to consider in your own personal quiet-time or in your Group time:

• What is the most significant decision you feel like you've made in the past year?
• What led you to the decision you made?

• When faced with a big decision, what factors do you consider movement in one direction or another?
• Is Scripture ever a part of your factoring process?

• Has there ever been a decision you've made in which Scripture had bearing?  Over what?
• Can you think of a time when you felt led toward something that didn't make sense on any level, other than it seemed to fit with Scripture?
• How might that affect future decisions?

• Do you read Scripture as if it is relevant in your life today?
• If not, how might you begin to do so?

Messages from all morning worship gatherings:

"Signs of Life: True Worship" (June 29, 2014)

"Signs of Life: True Worship"

from Acts 13:1-3

In week 4 of our "Signs of Life" series, we ask the question, "Where did worship send me this week?"  In order to answer that question, we must deal with our understanding of worship.  In Acts 13:1-3, we look at the calling and sending of Barnabas and Saul and what created the environment for God to call them and set them apart.

• What is "worship" to you?

• Describe the most meaningful worship experience you've had.
• What sets it apart for you?
• What came from that in your life or your understanding of the Lord, or community, or the church?
• Has it been replicated since?

• Is there a time when worship has empowered you and invited you into life beyond yourself?
• Talk some about that.

• Why might "sending worship" seem less frequent in today's Western Culture than what we read about in the book of Acts?

Message from Crossroads worship gathering

"Signs of Life: Alongside" (June 22, 2014)

"Signs of Life" Alongside"

from Acts 8:26-40

In week 3 of our "Signs of Life" series, we look at the Measure, "Have I walked with someone not like me this week?"  From Acts 8:26-40, Philip's encounter with the Etheopian Eunuch challenges us with what God is able to do when we are willing to enter into relationship with those "outside" of our natural circles…

Questions to consider in your Quiet time or time with your Group:

• What do you share in common with the people closest to you in your life?

• When you think of spending time with people you care about, what is fulfilling to you about that?

• When you think of people "not like you" what does that mean to you?
• Who might some of those people be?

• Does the rhythm of your life take you into circles with people "not like you?"

• What keeps you from intentionally seeking time with people "not like you", people you wouldn't normally gravitate toward?

• In the beginning of Acts, Jesus tells His disciples that they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth...Samaria was a place that Jews would just as soon walk around than go through (there was no love lost between Jews and Samaritans).  What is your "Samaria"?

Message from Crossroads (w/ Luke Edwards)

"Signs of Life: Community" (June 15, 2014)

In week two of our new series, "Signs of Life" we look at the account of the early church in Acts 2:42-47 and the committment to "Community" that was the foundation for the spread of the Gospel.  

In examining our own lives next to the things important to Jesus and modeled by the early followers, we must consider the role community outside of Sunday mornings plays in our journey with the Lord.

As you dig deeper into this week's passage highlighting the things important to the early church, perhaps consider some of these questions:

• When you think of "community" what do you think of?  

• What is a group or "community" that you are a part of that is meaningful to you?

• What about it is meaningful?

• Are you as an individual inclined TOWARD community or do you prefer to be alone?  Why or why not?

• Are there experiences in the past that have made you either long for or stray away from community?

• How have you connected with faith community outside of Sunday worship?

• Does it change your view of God to think of God as being social or relational (Father, Son, and Spirit)?

• What is something that could exist at our church that would help you connect with faith community outside of Sunday morning?

Sanctuary Service (w/ Jason Byassee)

Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)



Have a blessed week!

Pentecost Combined Worship Gathering (June 8, 2014)

Image used with permission Wells Cathedral, Somerset, UK

All three of our main campus morning worship gatherings plus our Blackburn's Chapel family, came together for one time of worship to celebrate Pentecost.  Two of our pastors, Jason Byassee and Vern Collins preached on the power and work of the Holy Spirit.  

From Ezekiel 37:1-14 and the story of the valley of dry bones, Jason preached on the life-giving power of the Spirit.  

• Can you think of times when God has called you from something old into something new?  What are some of those times in your life?

• Have you ever experienced an "awakening" when reading the Word or hearing the Word preached?  Have you ever felt like a passage or a message has been written or spoken as if you are the only person alive...like it is for you and no one else?  Name one instance when that may have taken place?

• Do you feel like there are "dead places" in your life?  What might some of those be?

• What would it look like to allow the Spirit to call you to life in some of those areas?

And from Acts 1 and 2 we see that perhaps like breathing, the Holy Spirit is constantly moving in this rhythm of drawing us in and sending us out.  

• When have you felt "drawn in" by the Spirit of God?  Have you ever felt "captivated" by God in such a way that you felt like you just wanted to sit at His feet?  On the flip-side of that, when have you felt furthest from God?  Even in those times, is there evidence of God "calling you back?"

• Is there an area in your life where God is trying to send you out?  

• What is your Jerusalem (the place where you are)?

• What is your Judea (the outlying areas God may be calling you to)?

• What is your Samaria (the last place you want to be-or people you want to be with) that God may be calling you to take His hope to?

• Are you and "ends of the earth" person?  If you could go and serve God anywhere, where would it be and why?

Blessings on your time praying through and discussing some of these things.

Jason Byassee ("Bones")

Vern Collins ("In & Out")

"Encountering Resurrection: Peter" (June 1, 2014)

In our final week of our "Encountering Resurrection" series, we look at one of the most well known disciples: Peter, and his conversation with Jesus in John 21:15-25.  

In this encounter, we are brought face to face with what it means to allow ourselves to be invited into those challenging encounters with the Lord; what it means to allow Him to dig in to our past failures, and set us free into a new future.

• Think about your childhood: when was a time that you remember having to "come clean" about something you knew your parents would not be happy about?

• Now, think about small children and the "freedom" with which they seem to "own up" to things they have done (crayons on the wall, eating the dog's food, giving a self-haircut, etc).  What do you think happens between then and when we cease to be so free with our confessions?

• While the Lord is not drawing a confession out of Peter in their encounter, He is singling Peter out and dealing with him apart from the rest of the disciples gathered there.  How might you feel if you were Peter in this case?

• Is there an area in your life where the Lord is inviting you to "take a walk" with Him?  Are you willing?  If not, why are you holding back?

• Part of Peter's "reinstatement" (as it has come to be called) includes Peter being given responsibility in the work that Jesus has for him to do.  Where is the Lord asking you to take some "kingdom responsibility?"  What does that mean for the journey ahead of you?

We pray blessing on your time in the Word and your time in community wrestling through what it looks like in your life to follow Jesus.

Sanctuary Service (w/ Lindsay Long)

Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Encountering Resurrection: Paul" (May 25, 2014)

Week 4 of our "Encountering Resurrection" series has us in Acts 9.  

This week we look at one of the most important conversion stories in all of the New Testament, perhaps in all of history...the story of a man named Saul and his encounter with the power of the resurrection.  But what do we do with the fact that Saul, by the worlds standards, is the LAST person we'd choose to join this movement that is the church?  

We have to consider that perhaps we're much to quick to disqualify anyone from the hope of Christ and the fellowship of the church...

• Can you think of a time when have felt "disqualified" or left out of a group
• When and for what reason?

• Have you ever left someone out because they didn't "meet the mark?"
• What are the standards by which you judged such a person?

• History aside, why would Saul NOT a good choice for Jesus to call?
• On the other hand, why was he the perfect choice?
• How might thinking about it this way change the way you look at the people around you?
• Think specifically-is there someone in your life that you need to reach out to and build a bridge of relationship with that you have otherwise written off?
• What is keeping you from doing so?

• How might life look different for you if you began to believe that you were exactly the right person for God to use to accomplish His work right where He has placed you?

We pray fruit from your time together as a group and your time alone in the Word an in prayer.

Sanctuary Service (w/Jason Byassee)

Crossroads (w/Vern Collins)



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"Encountering Resurrection: Mary" (May 18, 2014 )

In week 3 of our "Encountering Resurrection" series we find ourselves in John 20:10-18 outside of an empty tomb with Mary.  

We often find ourselves longing for or drawn back to those moments that we remember fondly, those meaningful moments in our lives...and yet we can't ever really go back...and perhaps it's because we are never meant to, rather it's what we take forward from those moments that matters…

• If there were one moment in your life that you could go back to just to experience it again, what would it be and why?

• Why is it difficult for us to let go of or move on from those moments that are so meaningful?

• Have you ever found yourself longing for a "simpler" time in your faith?
• Why?
• What was different about it?

• How has "moving on" helped shape who you are now?
• How have you grown or changed since "that moment" in your life?

• How do you think God can use you and your experience with Him to propel you into something new?

• What keeps you from grabbing on to that?

Sanctuary Service (w/ Jason Byasee)

Crossroads Gathering (w/ Vern Collins)

"Encountering Resurrection: Travelers" (May 11, 2014)

In week 2 of our "Encountering Resurrection" series, we find ourselves on the journey with the Emmaus Road travelers from Luke 24:13-35.  

As you read this passage, and are in with your community group, or in your own quiet time, consider the following:

• When was the last time you felt hopeless?

• When was the last time you placed hope in something that didn't work out the way that you wanted it to?
• How has that affected the way you have hoped for things since?  

• Do you tend to face your disappointment alone or allow others in to it?
• What keeps you from walking with others in your disappointment? (or theirs)?

• Can you think of a time when you trusted God for something that didn't turn out the way that you thought it should?

• Has God ever surprised you with hope?
• How has that changed your understanding of hope and what it means to hope in the Lord?

Sanctuary Service (w/ Jason Byassee)

Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Encountering Resurrection: Thomas" (May 4, 2014)

This week we began our new series that will take us through the "Fifty Days of Easter" and right up to Pentecost.  Too often in the life of the church, we spend a great deal of time preparing, planning, and praying toward celebrating the most significant event in the world-the resurrection of Jesus; only to move quickly on from it after Easter has passed.

In this series we will be looking at different encounters that were had with the resurrected Christ.  We will look not only at the significance that these encounters had in the lives of those individuals, but will also look at what "baggage" these people may have been bringing into this encounter, or the circumstances in which these encounters were had.  The hope is that you will find yourself somewhere in these stories, and that you might just realize that an encounter with the risen Christ is not as far away as you may sometimes feel.



Week 1: "Encountering Resurrection: Thomas"
John 20:24-31

Thomas is often seen in a negative light for his doubt of the resurrection.  Think of how often you've heard someone called (or yourself been called) a "doubting Thomas."
The church has had a tendency to view doubt as the enemy of faith.  
But what if we began to view doubt not as the enemy of faith, but as a potential catalyst to greater faith?

As you gather with you group, or spend your quiet time this week, consider the following questions:

• Has doubt ever kept you from doing something before?  What was it?  What was the reason for your doubt?
• When have you felt uncomfortable sharing your doubt with someone?
• Have you ever had doubt when it comes to your relationship with God, or doubt about God (Who He is, what He is doing, etc)?
• How might your walk with the Lord begin to look differently if you felt you were given "permission" to doubt? 

• Jeff, in his message said, "Resurrection is not just something that happened to Jesus, but something that happens to us."  How has resurrection happened to you?  Where have you seen evidence of the resurrection of Christ in your life?
• When has doubt ever driven you TOWARD the Lord instead of AWAY from Him?

We pray a blessing on your time with this whether in your Community Group or in your own time with the Lord.  

Here is audio from both the Sanctuary services and our Crossroads gathering:

Sanctuary Services (w/ Jeff McClain)

Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)

"Treasure: Peace"

Easter Sunday

(from Sunday 4.20.2014)

John 19:20-23

Resurrection Day!

As we gather this week, consider the following:

• Where are you in hiding?

• What are you hiding?

• Where have you closed yourself off from others?

• What has caused you to hide behind locked doors (either figuratively or literally)?

• Where is Jesus calling you to peace?

• Where is Jesus inviting Himself in to your life?

Hear the Good News! If a tomb could not contain Jesus, if death could not hold Him, then a locked door is not going to keep Him out.  

Receive what Jesus offers in the midst of our confusion, and fear, and doubt, and shame...PEACE.

Here are the Sanctuary and Crossroads messages from Easter:

Sanctuary services (w/ Jason Byassee)

Crossroads (w/ Vern Collins)





We pray a blessing on your time pursuing the Lord together!

"Treasure:Value"

Palm Sunday
(From Sunday 4.13.2014)

We are in week 5 of our "Treasure" series through the season of Lent.

The passage this week is Luke 19:28-44 looking at Jesus' journey toward Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday.

As you gather with your group this week, consider the following:

• Who is Jesus to you?
• Not, what have you been taught about Jesus
• Not, who do you think Jesus is based on what others tell you
• But, Who do YOU KNOW Jesus to be?

• Are there ways in which you've tried to make Jesus someone He is not?

• The Pharisees were upset because Jesus was not the king they wanted Him to be...why do we have such a hard time accepting Jesus for Who He is (and came to be for us)?

• When was the last time you "welcomed" Jesus with praise?

Here are Sunday's messages:

Sanctuary Message (Jason Byassee)

(listen on Soundcloud here)

Crossroads message (Vern Collins)

(listen on Soundcloud here)

We pray a blessing on your week and your time together as a group.