Story of the Church - Marriage Today, part 3: Loving Your Spouse Well

What does it look like when we live by the power of the Holy Spirit in our marriages?  You will love your husband or wife well, and we will bear witness to the world about the greatness of God and the availability of His kingdom right now.

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Story of the Church - Marriage Today, part 2: God Makes One out of Two

Near the end of His teaching ministry, Jesus was challenged by the religious leaders of the day on the question of divorce.  Jesus used that opportunity to challenge the chauvinistic divorce culture of this time and to teach how the kingdom of God restores marriage to its original design.  Jesus' answer speaks directly to the marriage questions of our current culture and teaches us how God meets our deepest needs by making one out of two.

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Story of the Church - Marriage Today, part 1: A False Gospel

The place where the church and Western culture are at the greatest divide is in the area of marriage and sexuality.  This division is not just a matter of differing viewpoints but of two different gospels.  To speak to our culture, we must first understand the false gospel of the ongoing sexual revolution so that we can respond in the love and power of the true good news of Jesus Christ.

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Story of the Church - Spirit and Worship, part 2: When We Come to Worship

"Worship" is a church word we use all the time, but it's used in a lot of different ways.  What does the Bible say about worship? What is worship?  What makes a “worship service” distinct from a bible study or Sunday school class?  Why is it important to worship?

That was our focus as we "worshiped" this past Sunday...

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The Story of the Church - Spirit and Worship, part 1: Modern-Day Pentecost?

We say we believe the stories of the Bible, but few of us have experiences with the power of the Holy Spirit as depicted in the book of Acts.  In the early 20th Century, a group of people started seeking God to reveal Himself as He did at Pentecost.  A remarkable breakthrough happened in California called the "Azusa Street Revival."  What happened there?  Was it a true move of God?  What kept it from having a broader impact in the church?  Most importantly, can we still live by the power of the Holy Spirit today?  These are some of the questions we explored this past Sunday.

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The Story of the Church - Reformation, part 3: Church and State

Most of the accusations in history against Christians can be laid at the feet of an improper relationship between church and state.  Baptists have historically led the way in religious freedom and the separation of church and state, since the founding of the first Baptist churches in England and in America.  What is the biblical view of the relationship of the church to the state?  Should we seek political power?  Should we seek to establish God's standard as the law?  This week, we look at these issues...

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The Story of the Church - Reformation, part 2: To the Ends of the Earth

Yes, God is still sovereign over history.  His kingdom is advancing, despite the church's stumbles and imperfections and retreats.  Let's concern ourselves, first and foremost, with being on mission with Him.

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Story of the Church - Reformation, part 1: Martin Luther's Stand

The basis for how someone comes into a reconciled relationship with God is probably the fundamental question of religion.  The Reformation was about correcting confusion in the church about the answer to that question.  How are we saved?  The church had become corrupt, and their answer had more to do with gaining wealth and preserving power than what was taught by Jesus and the Apostles.  Then on October 31, 1517, a monk named Martin Luther took a stand for truth...

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Story of the Church - Middle Ages, part 2: The Challenge of Islam

In the Middle Ages, Islam was born and expanding rapidly and aggressively, mostly over territory that had been under the influence of the church.  The church responded with the Crusades.  They were an utter failure.  Now we face a new challenge from Islam; it is at the center of our national debate.  How can we do better than our spiritual forefathers?


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Story of the Church - Middle Ages, part 1: Human Nature

"Follow Your Heart"

It seems to be the official advice of American culture reinforced across all corners of our culture from Apple to Disney to graduation speeches.  But is it really good advice?  What does the Bible say about human nature?  Are we basically good or basically evil?  

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Story of the Church - Councils and Creeds, part 3: The Nature of Christ

Once the doctrine of the Trinity was affirmed, it led to natural questions about the nature of Christ in His humanity.  The answers to these questions give us understanding to how we can actually live like Jesus, as God has promised and as He has called us to live.


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Story of the Church - Councils and Creeds, part 1: The Canon

How do we know the Bible is God's Word?  How do we know the books we have in the Bible are inspired?  How can we trust the Bible is complete and no books were left out?  As the authority of the Bible is being questioned, we need to answer these questions by examining how the Bible came together, how it was written, and how it has been preserved.


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Story of the Church: Savage Wolves, part 3: The Persecutors

Persecution is at an all-time high worldwide, and Satan wields his weapon of fear against Christians all over the world, including right here.  "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).

So what is the cause of this fierce opposition?  What does God expect of believers facing fearful situations?  And what is our comfort?  We looked in to Revelation and other passages to answer these questions.

(Revelation 12-13, Hebrews 10, Romans 8)


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Story of the Church: Savage Wolves, part 2: The Gnostics

When Paul was nearing the end of his ministry, he warned of the "savage wolves" that would come after and threaten the church.  Paul was primarily referring to false teachers.  This week, we looked at one set of false teachers who infected the early church called the Gnostics.

Gnosticism was a short-lived heresy with lasting effects.  In fact, the fundamental error of Gnosticism--the separation of the physical from the spiritual--still infects the beliefs of many Christians today.  This week we looked at three devastating consequences of separating the physical from the spiritual in your thinking...


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