City Church Tulsa

COLOSSIANS Reimagining a Jesus-Saturated World 8.7.22 In a city dominated by the Roman empire, false teachings and a blending of beliefs, Paul writes a subversive letter to the church at Colossae calling them to a different way of life. In this letter, Paul invites the church to reshape their imagination around a world saturated with Christ, to stand faithful against the bombardment of false gospels, and to set their hearts, minds, and lives on the reality of the resurrection of Christ. Paul is reshaping the imagination of the church in Colossae in light of the cosmic scope of Christ’s work. Colossians 1:15-20 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the begi

COLOSSIANS Reimagining Spiritual Maturity 7.31.22 In a city dominated by the Roman empire, false teachers, and a blending of beliefs, Paul writes a subversive letter to the church at Colossae calling them to a different way of life. In this letter, Paul invites the church to reshape their imagination around a world saturated with Christ, to stand faithful against the bombardment of false gospels, and to set their hearts, minds, and lives on the reality of the resurrection of Christ. Paul & Timothy  Epaphras  Tychicus Two main cultural factors to understand in Colossae: Roman Empire Syncretism Paul is writing a letter inviting the Colossians to reimagine all of life through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Colossians 3:1-5 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when w

Our Father 7-24-22 11 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us this day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, As forgive those who have sinned against us And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” If we want the life of Jesus, we must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus. John Mark Comer "Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper." Henri Nouwen "If I'm not in touch with my own belovedness, then I cannot touch the sacredness of others" Brennan Manni

Disruptive Discipleship - Part II 7.17.22 Two reasons we experience pain, disruptions, and disappointments: Because of the brokenness of the world we live in Because of our commitment to Christ, to being healthy, to living on mission 2 Corinthians 11:21-30 Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger

“Christians are not immune to the problem of being mundane and seeing it as a problem. We have breathed in the same fumes as the rest. Our hearts burn for our deeds to be noticed and celebrated. We want to do something big and have it thrust into cyberspace for all to experience. Those who follow the Man of no reputation pine for one, resumes at the ready…We think the small, mundane, ordinary things we do each and every day are worth nothing before God because they are worth nothing before the gods of this world.” 1.) Whose example are we following? Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV) 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you

Generations… July 3rd “Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord. When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had

LOVE LIES I am what I feel or desire 6.26.22 Two Questions: How did we get here? How do we live faithfully in our current place? Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were na

Love, sex, marriage, dating, singleness panel.

LOVE LIES Sex is Just Physical/Shameful 6.12.22 License – everything is permissible License leads us to the lie that sex is just physical Legalism – nothing is permissible Legalism leads us to the lie that sex is shameful What is one of the primary tactics of the enemy? To distort what God has created as good and beautiful. Because of sin, our passions and desires for sex are often distorted. Instead of seeing sex as a giving of oneself to someone else, our sinful hearts want to use sex for selfishness, not self-giving. Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Genesis

Pentecost Sunday 2022 6-5-22 Acts 2 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled

Dating: 1. Don’t make it too difficult on the other. 2. Realize you’re own inadequacy. Marriage: 1. Don’t buy the lie "Destructive to marriage is the self-fulfillment ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary for us to become "whole" and happy. The assumptions is that there is someone just right for us to marry and that if we look closely enough we will find the right person. The moral assumption overlooks a crucial aspect to marriage. It fails to appreciate the fact that we always marry the wrong person. We never know whom we marry; we just think we do. O even if we first marry the right person, just give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage, being the enormous things it is means we are not the same person after we have entered it. The primary problem is learning how to love and care for the stranger to whom we are married." Stanley Hauerwas 2. Lean into the truth In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

Love Lies - God Wants Me to Be Happy Sunday, May 22nd James 1:2-5 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 24A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:11 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I fou

LOVE LIES Marriage is Greater than Singleness 5.15.22 Paul’s theological perspective in 1 Corinthians 7: Imminent Eschatology The purpose of marriage is to help each other reflect Christ In regards to singleness, Christianity is a revolutionary movement. The Christian gospel and the hope of the future kingdom de-idolized marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:7-9 7 I wish that all of you were as I am (single). But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 1 Corinthians 7:17 17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.  Singleness is a gift Singleness has its advantages 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 32 I would like you to be free from concern. A

Message from Rachel Sanders on May 8, 2022

Spiritual Awakening 4.24.22 Revelation 2:4-5 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  Romans 12:9-11 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. How do we experience a spiritual awakening or renewal? Through the regular practice of repentance and surrender We must continually realign our hearts to scripture and the life of Jesus We pursue holiness. Through daily following the leading of the Holy Spirit and walking in obedience Learn how to navigate the DIPS Develop regular rhythms and practices that sustain your passion We must regularly gather together expecting a move of the Spirit and a willingness to wait upon the Lord in prayer

Easter 2022 Thomas John 20:24-25 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Cliff of Skepticism – Chasm of Doubt – Cliff of Belief John 20:26-29 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” For Thomas – seeing is believing For Jesus – believing is seeing John 20:30-31 30 Now Jesus di

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.