Mark 8:27-35"27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.” 29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah. 30 But Jesus warne...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:18"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." When he spoke of the Cross, Paul was a very courageous preacher. Why? Because as you can see the Cross was not considered something that made much sense at all.The question would sound something like this: How can the gospel of Christ be a fo...  Read More

Every religion and ideology has a visual symbol. Something that illustrates a significant feature or development in its history or beliefs. For the Jewish faith, it is the star of David. For Buddhism, it is the lotus flower. For Christianity, it is the Cross. This symbol has been used for the last 2000 years as a symbol of sacrifice, of salvation, and even a fashion symbol at times. But every time...  Read More

Week 1 of 5INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENCan you remember a time and place where you felt deeply uncomfortable, out of place?  Where were you and how did it feel?HEADRead John 12:25, Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:59-62 and 14:26, John 15:20, 2 Ti...  Read More

Galatians 2:20My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And this is it.It is about giving our lives to God for his will and bidding. We have given them up when we accept Christ, but this text is an excellent reminder that we are now living the li...  Read More

Luke 9:58But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Do you like the house where you live?A simple question for you, do you like where you live?When Sara and I married, I promised that I wouldn't take her to live in the Inland Empire. We had been given our first church in San Diego, and I loved living there! It was wo...  Read More