God made man and woman united in their humanity, equal in their dignity, and yet distinct in their sexes. The design is beautiful. The definition is simple. This makes the distortion of manhood and womanhood all the more devastating. Jesus has come to redeem everything, including biblical manhood and womanhood. Let's embrace, celebrate, and model God's design as he restores the beauty of manhood and womanhood in our lives and our culture.
Read MoreHow do you see groups of people? We have a tendency to group people based on externals and then assign stereotypes and value. This is the sin of partiality. Partiality is a rebellion against God. As Christians, we are called not to show preference based on externals but to serve people since they are made in God's image. God is creating a new family of God with people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, classes, and cultures. As we mimic God in reaching all people, the church becomes the beautiful mosaic it was meant to be.
Read MoreAs we continue our worldview series, we unpack our first topic: the dignity of life. We all have a tendency to see others through our own lens. When we see others through the lens of the world, we tend to value people based on what they can do for us. People then become a problem to solve, a point to validate your worldview or a pathway to your own self-advancement. But when we see people through the lens of God's word, we see people, not made in our image, but in the image of God. This means that they have dignity, value, and worth. When we begin to see people through the lens of Christ, we can love people in the name of Christ.
Read MoreCultural topics come and go. With all the various issues that can capture the cultural conversation, we need a consistent lens to see any and all topics. As we continue our worldview series, we look at three questions to ask any issue of the day: (1) What does the Bible say about it? (2) How do I respond in humility? (3) How do we love others as ambassadors of Christ? With these three questions, we can not only see the world clearly but love the world as Christ does.
Read MoreHow you see the world impacts what you think, feel, and ultimately do. The lens of the world is a denial of God that leads to a destructive life. The lens of the word is a trust in God that leads to a transformed life. God wants you to see himself, yourself, others, and the world around you in a way that brings life. Only when we see Him rightly can we see the world rightly. By the grace of God, he has given us eyes to see. So let's seek truth, speak truth, and love others well in the name of Christ.
Read MoreWAY TO GO! What a year it has been. This time last year, we launched into independence with a new name and identity for this unique opportunity. As we celebrate where we have been, God calls us to excel still more in the days ahead. God has done amazing things, but he is not done telling stories because he is not done transforming lives. Here at CityBridge, we believe the best is still to come!
Read MoreTis the season for resolutions! This is the time each year where many people pause, evaluate their life and reset for what is next. However great a resolution can be, most are too small and too short-sighted. God wants something more significant for you. In this message, we see five resolutions for life founded in Scripture. These are not goals to achieve but guidelines to live by. What we do today is who we are becoming tomorrow. So let's stop our silly self-improvement project and surrender to what God has for us in Christ. Let's kick this year off right!
Read MoreHave you ever wondered what the first Christmas was like for Mary? What must she have thought, felt, known about the coming savior that was in her womb? As we think what Mary thought, we are brought into the joy and wonder of God becoming man. So let us magnify Jesus by looking at the first Christmas through the lens of Mary.
Read MoreJesus died to pay the penalty for our sin. He rose to show us the check cleared. In John 20-21, Jesus encounters four different people after his resurrection. These people are meant to be reflections of all of us. Some are in pain. Some are in doubt. Some are in fear. Some have given up on God; others have given up on themselves. But Jesus returns for them all. Jesus showed his power through his resurrection. Jesus showed his love through returning for you. You have been saved to see Jesus, to be sent out for Jesus, to be secure in Jesus, and shepherd the flock of Jesus. The Gospel of John is over, but the story of Jesus has just begun. Let's fill the world with the stories of Jesus.
Read MoreThe cross shows us the heart of God. Like a diamond from various sides, the more we behold Jesus and the cross, the more beauty we see. The central message from God to you, from Christmas to the cross, is that you are loved. The cross informs our hearts to see that, no matter the season, Jesus changes everything.
Read MoreWhat type of King is Jesus? He is a willing sufferer, calm under persecution, forgives and transforms, and is after human hearts, not human kingdoms. He is the rightful king who has come to lay down his life. Let us marvel at Jesus as we encounter Jesus at his trial.
Read MoreHow is your prayer life? In John 17, we see a window into the prayer life of Jesus. He prays for the glory of God, his inner circle, the church, and the world. As we marvel at Jesus praying for us in this way, he serves as a model for how we are to pray. Let's grow our dependence on God as we grow in our dedication to prayer.
Read MorePersecution is a promise from Jesus. Like a good coach, Jesus prepares his disciples for the road ahead. As they love others, the world will hate them. As they look like Christ, the world will cancel them. Yet, Jesus is not concerned. He is calm and confident because he knows that his words and the Spirit of God will give his disciples comfort and courage. As we cling to Christ, we can have confidence in a culture bent against Christ.
Read MoreJesus wants more than an hour of your weekend or a quick devotional time in the morning. He wants all of you, every moment of every day. He desires constant communion with you. Jesus calls this abiding. To abide means to rest and remain in God's goodness, gospel, and grace. When you abide in Christ, he prunes your heart so that more fruit can be grown in and through you. He wants all of you and for all of you to become all you were meant to be.
Read MoreHow is your heart troubled? Whether situations outside of us or struggles within us, troubles are a part of life. John 14 begins and ends with Jesus commanding us to "not let our hearts be troubled." By trusting in God the Son, obeying the commands of God the Father, and yielding to God the Spirit, we can experience genuine peace that surpasses understanding.
Read MoreWhat is the secret to joy and happiness in life? Jesus tells us in John 13. It is a life marked by humility and holiness that leads to true happiness. It is a life of selfless service that Jesus modeled for us as an example to us. Our lives are transformed when we follow his example as the Spirit empowers us.
Read MoreWhen you see Jesus for who he is, he changes who you are. This has been seen throughout the book of John. As we transition from his public ministry (chapters 1-12) to his passion ministry (chapters 13-17), Jesus will declare his love and intent for us. He is the King of the world and the King of your world. When we encounter him, we are never the same. The only proper response is to fully devote our lives to him as the rightful King of all.
Read MoreLife is a series of ups and downs. In the sweet seasons of life and in the struggles of life, Jesus makes all the difference. In John 11, Jesus enters into the hardest moment of life: the death of a loved one. All the questions we have when life gets hard are answered here in this passage. Does God Love me? What's the point of all of this? Where is God? Where do I find comfort? Can God do anything? We can bring our hurts and questions to Jesus, and we will find the simple truths that can sustain us through life's struggles. Our response is to draw near to God, draw near to one another, and read the story from the end. Jesus has won the battle of death and sin. He makes all the difference.
Read MoreSomething is missing in most Christian's lives. Where most in our Christian culture can emphasize the upfront gifts of teaching, the scriptures shine a light on the ongoing responsibility to shepherd. Shepherding is discipleship: an intentional, ongoing, life-on-life investment into others for the sake of them becoming more and more like Christ. Jesus is the good and ultimate Shepherd as he models a personal, purposeful passion towards His sheep. As followers of Christ, we are both His sheep, yet called to mimic Him as our Good Shepherd. For those who love Jesus, He calls us to do the hard work of shepherding the flock before us.
Read MoreHow do you know if you are spiritually blind? In John 9, Jesus encounters a man blind and makes him see while those who see remain spiritually blind. Jesus invites us to assess if we truly see Him for all He is and all He has done. Because when we see Him, we see who we were made for. The only response is to believe and bow down before the Light of the world.
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