99 CHURCH

Dr. Soong-Chan Rah shares a special word for our community in honor of our 4-year anniversary.

Jesus invites us to come as we are, but we often come as we think we should be. We cover and conceal our true selves in fear that our lives would be too messy for God. But God delights in messy worship. More than a perfect offering, He longs for an honest offering. What would it look like to offer up worship that is real, honest, and true?

When we think of worship, we tend to think of it only as an outward act; something that is coming out of us and up to God. But worship has a way of transforming the worshipper. One of the ways God forms us is through worship. This week, we dive into the understanding of worship as spiritual formation.

You may have heard it said that Heaven is like a never-ending church service. And if we were to be completely honest with ourselves, many of us shudder at that thought. Why has worship grown so stale, boring, and unengaging for many believers? What is worship actually supposed to be like? This week, we explore a weird snapshot of God's throne room found in the book of Revelation, and what the four living creatures could teach us about beholding God's beauty.

For many of us, the older we grow, the less expressive we get in our worship to God. And in doing so, we miss out on a valuable part of worship. Praise is the physical expression of our worship to God. What would it look like to actually love God with all of ourselves, including our bodies? This week, we explore the seven Hebrew words for praise found throughout Scripture, and what they have to teach us about expressing our worship to God.

Many of us would agree that worship is an essential part of faith. Yet, while worship may be one of the most practiced spiritual disciplines in the church, it’s also one of the least understood. What is worship? Why do we worship? How do we worship? This week, we set the foundations for exploring worship and its significance in the life of the follower of Jesus.

We often fear those who are different from us. Otherness makes us uncomfortable. Yet, the kind of togetherness God calls us to cultivate is one that makes space for those who are different from us. This week, we explore God’s heart for the stranger and how we as the Church are called to embrace and welcome them in.

The difference between a good story and bad story are editors. Every one of us is living a story. We need editors in our lives to help us make sure we're living a story worth telling. How do we invite others into the editing process?

Have you ever been hit with a reality check? Have you ever been disappointed when something didn't live up to your expectations? This week, we explore the tension between our dream of community and the reality of community, and how God calls us to hold our ideals and expectations in a healthy way.

Every healthy and authentic community has conflict. While conflict is inevitable, how we resolve conflict is up to us. How do we approach conflict in a healthy, mature, and Christlike way? This week, we explore key principles that will help us navigate our conflicts well.