What does it mean that all creation "groans" for our redemption? By likening our present suffering with the sufferings of a woman in labor, Paul again emphasizes that we suffering with hope. Our labor is not in vain. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, the world is pregnant with hope. Listen as C.J. encourages us to labor alongside creation, looking forward to the future restoration of the whole world.
Read MoreBiblical hope is a confident expectation based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with full and complete confidence. Our sure foundation in Romans 8 is the faithful ministry of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. Listen as Rob McIlvoy explains to us the dynamics of hope--what it means for our present and our future.
Read MorePaul claims that our present suffering isn't worth comparing to our future glory in Christ. He supports this bold claim by looking to the created world. Beneath the frustration and vandalism of sin, we can see creation still straining toward its purpose. What would the world look like if creation no longer strained? If our bodies were perfected? Listen as Dave asks us to imagine a renewed world.
Read MoreRomans 8 teaches that God created you in His image and longs to be your Father. He wants to take every broken part of your story, every painful event in your life and redeem it. He wants to adopt you into His family, name you as His beloved Son, His beloved Daughter, and slowly, methodically give you the life you always longed for.
Read MoreRomans 8 is all about life in the Spirit and resurrection. But resurrection is not just something to enjoy after death! Because the Spirit dwells in us, the future is breaking into the present. Listen as Adam encourages us from Romans 8, challenging us to remember how the Spirit's indwelling presence makes us temples now, guarantees our future, and changes us today.
Read MoreDeath hangs over humanity in the Book of Romans and Paul is convinced that the gospel is the only way out from under it. The law can't save us. Ignorance can't save us. Our only hope is the gospel--specifically, the gospel of the resurrection. Listen as Dave unpacks the contrast between death and resurrection, flesh and Spirit, gospel and law.
Read MoreRomans 8 is one of the high-points of the New Testament. Beginning with "no condemnation" and finishing with "no separation," Paul unpacks the tremendous security we have in the gospel of the Spirit of life. C.J. introduces our series by emphasizing the great contrast between the law of the flesh and the law of the Spirit.
Read MoreThe biblical vision for the church is big--we are called to be a royal priesthood and ambassadors for Christ. And yet Jesus also says that, in order to enter the kingdom of God, we must humble ourselves and become like children. How do these visions interact? How can we do great things while still being childlike? Listen as Dave concludes our series on the church by emphasizing the church's rest and play.
Read MoreThe church is a people who witness, sharing the love of Christ with others through their words and deeds. But this will not easy. In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples they will be hated, but he will send a Helper. Listen as CJ preaches on both the challenge and promise of our call to witness.
Read MoreJesus told his disciples, "Abide in me and you will be much fruit." That’s a promise. The church, if it makes its home with Jesus, is a people who grow. The beauty of the gospel growth is that growth is not primarily about my resolve to be obedience, but about God's resolve to save. Listen as Dave encourages Citizens from 2 Peter with the promise of growth.
Read MoreInvesting in Christ’s eternal kingdom is the only way to secure a satisfying future. From the very beginning, God designed people to be people of faith--people who lived not by sight, but by faith in a future hope. The people of God are a people who give out of faith. Listen as C.J. walks through the biblical principal of tithing, and explains why generosity is the way of wise flourishing.
Read MoreOne of the greatest gifts of the gospel is belonging. If we belong to God in Christ, we are never without a home, an identity, a purpose, a future. Wherever we are, that's where we should be. And our belonging is not only a gift for us, but for our city. Listen as Dave encourages us to remember this gift, and carry it with us wherever we are.
Read MoreA clear marker of the church is worship, not just on Sunday but everyday. What we believe about God in Christ compels us to whole-life worship. Anything less signals a faith which is out of step with the reality of the gospel. Listen as CJ challenges us from Romans 12 to give our very selves as living sacrifices, being transformed by God and not conformed to the world.
Read MoreToday begins a new series on church life. What verbs mark the church's identity and presence in the world? The foundation of the church is the gospel of God and so the first verb of church life is "Believe." Listen as Dave encourages Citizens to hold onto the peculiarity of our faith in the face of a doubting world.
Read MoreWe live in a 24/7 world, where nights and weekends are usually spent doing the personal work we can't get done while working our day jobs. What if God actually built the world to work best with a weekly Sabbath? Rob McIlvoy encourages us to take seriously God's call to weekly rest and gives practical advice on how to do it.
Read MoreJoseph is faced with a choice between revenge and redemption. His brothers travel to Egypt seeking help due to the regional famine. Through a series of tests, Joseph learns that his brothers are truly repentant for what they have done, and they have changed into new men, willing to give their lives to save their youngest brother, Benjamin. Joseph’s response to them shows us that change is possible for even the worst kind of people and that revenge can never taste as sweet as redemption.
Read MoreJoseph has had everything stripped from him. His status, dignity, and freedom. But there is one treasure no one can take from him, the presence of God. We learn this week that God gives Joseph His abiding presence, causing all that he does to succeed. Joseph’s righteousness is tested by temptation and further abuse. But God remains faithful to him even in that. We are invited to ask ourselves whether God’s abiding presence is the greatest treasure in our own lives.
Read MoreBetrayal at the hands of those closest to us is one of the most painful of human experiences. It effects our relationship with God and with ourself. Joseph is envied a hated by his brothers. They betray him, plotting to murder him, and ultimately sell him into slavery. This week we looked at how Jesus is the only one who can step into our stories of betrayal and bring restoration and healing because He willfully subjected Himself to betrayal from both humanity and His Father to bring redemption to our relationship with others, God, and self.
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