Posts with the category “belonging-s2”

(Romans 12:4-5) Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.Crosswalk Point Loma is the sixth church I have had the privilege to pastor. I love what I do. Leading a church is challenging but very rewarding.Everytime I have gotten to a church, I have gone into analysis mode. I ta...  Read More

(Acts 9:1-2) Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.Being in community feels good. I love...  Read More

(Luke 2:1-5) At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the...  Read More

(Luke 1:5) When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.You have just read about a power couple. Think about it.First, we have Zechariah who was from the order of Abijah. Abijah was one of the priests assigned by King David to serve in the temple. All his d...  Read More

(Psalm 68:6) God places the lonely in families;He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.Loneliness is one of the worst feelings one can experience. To feel like you have no one in your life can lead to so many negative emotions. Deep down, we all want to be part of a family, to never experience deep loneliness.There was a time that I fel...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you experienced God this past week. Share b...  Read More

(Matthew 21:22) “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”Let’s take a moment and parse this statement by Jesus.First, Jesus says…“You can pray for anything…”The Psalms is a manual on prayer and if you take the time to read through the whole thing you can see that there is truly nothing you can’t pray for. There are prayers for forgiveness, renovation, restoration, an...  Read More

(Matthew 21:21) Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.”Did Jesus really mean this? I know on its face it’s a silly question. I have never known Jesus to say something that wasn’t true. In Mark 9 he made a pretty b...  Read More

(Matthew 21:20) The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”The response of the disciples to the withering of the tree shows that they had never seen anything like this before. Jesus, with just one phrase, made a fig tree wither. In an instant Jesus demonstrated his power.The speed of God’s actions is a mystery to me. There are times when it see...  Read More

(Matthew 21:19) …and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.Expectations are everything. Whenever you go into a situation, your expectations will determine whether or not that situation is positive or negative. If all goes according ...  Read More

(Matthew 21:18) In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry…The debate on the nature of Christ has been around since the first century. The question of whether or not Jesus was human or divine has been asked for a long time. For hundreds of years after Jesus’ ascension the church wrestled with these questions and formed councils to give answers to the church at that time.Aft...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with, or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENING QUESTION(S)Share about a party you attended (wedding, birthday, anniversary, just because) that was extra memorable. What made it...  Read More

(John 2:11 NLT) This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.What must it have been like for the disciples in this moment when they believed in Jesus? This is such a pregnant statement. Jesus revealed His glory through this astounding miracle, and they believed in Him.The theme and entire purpose of the Gospel of John is to ...  Read More

(John 2:9-10 NLT) [9] When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. [10] "A host always serves the best wine first," he said. "Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!"I can’t imagine the master...  Read More

(John 2:6-8 NLT) [6] Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. [7] Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled, [8] he said, "Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies." So the servants followed his instructions.This is the first miracle Jesus performs. John refers ...  Read More

(John 2:1-5 NLT) The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, [2] and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. [3] The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus' mother told him, "They have no more wine." [4] "Dear woman, that's not our problem," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." [5] But his mother...  Read More

(John 2:1-11 NLT) The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, [2] and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. [3] The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus' mother told him, "They have no more wine." [4] "Dear woman, that's not our problem," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." [5] But his mothe...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with, or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENING QUESTION(S)Have you ever been in a storm that caused you to be scared? What happened and was there anything you could do during t...  Read More

(Mark 4:38b-41 NLT) The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?” [39] When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. [40] Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" [41] The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they a...  Read More

(Mark 4:35-38a NLT) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." [36] So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). [37] But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. [38] Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a...  Read More

(Mark 4:35-41 NLT) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." [36] So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). [37] But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. [38] Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a ...  Read More

(John 6:19-21 NLT) They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, [20] but he called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" [21] Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!To refresh our memory a bit about the situation the disciples found themselves in, remember it w...  Read More

(John 6:16-21 NLT) That evening Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. [17] But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. [18] Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. [19] They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They wer...  Read More

The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you experienced God this past week. Share both your ups...  Read More

(John 6:14-15) When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.This story should have had a better conclusion. No author or screenwriter worth his salt would end this story the way John did. The people were hungry, Jesus f...  Read More

(John 6:10-13) “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is ...  Read More

(John 6:7-9) Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”The truth isn’t always right. That sentence seems silly at first glance but allow me to expand on this idea for a bit. Philip said something t...  Read More

(John 6:4-6) (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.I’ve never liked tests. They scare me. I never feel prepared enough to feel confident that I will do well. And if you se...  Read More

(John 6:1-3) After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him.It’s easy to be busy. You know you have never had a hard time finding something to do. In fact, if you...  Read More

Belonging . . . You are loved and welcome right now, as you are, no exceptions. Jesus was radically inclusive, so come on in.This is the first core value at Crosswalk. You are loved and welcome “right now, as you are, no exceptions.” Everyone belongs at the feet of Jesus – right now and as we are – no exceptions. This sacred place at the feet of Jesus is always inclusive. No one deserves to be at ...  Read More