99 CHURCH

What makes 99 a church, and not just some random community or club? It's that at the center of our togetherness is the worship of God. This week, we begin a new collection of teachings on the book of Ezra, as we respond to God's calling for us to rebuild the altar of worship in our community.

The problem is not the seed. The problem is the soil. God is always speaking. God is always moving toward us in love. God is always working on our behalf. The problem is that the soil of our hearts often prevents the seed of the God's blessings from bearing fruit in our lives. This week, we read through the "Parable of the Sower," as we identify four different types of soils, or heart postures, that we often take in our relationship with God.

We all inherit a mixed bag from our family of origin. There are unhealthy things we've inherited, but there are also beautiful things as well. This week, we talk about generational blessing, and how God gives us agency to decide what legacy we want to continue or create for our family and the next generation.

Our lives are shaped by invisible scripts—messages we believe that have been formed by past experiences, that affect how we live today. But what if some of these scripts aren’t true? Together, we ask God to help us confront the lies we've believed and embrace the better story He is writing for our lives.

We are haunted houses. How many of us live in the present haunted by the ghosts of our past? Who we are is shaped by where we come from, especially our family of origin. But here’s the good news: your past doesn't have to define your future. With Jesus, we can face our ghosts, break old patterns, and step into a better future—together.

On Good Friday, they killed off the main character. Jesus was dead in the tomb. And all hope was lost. We find the church of Philadelphia in a very similar place. They were tired and weak, unsure of what the future held. But underneath the surface, resurrection and life were coming. Jesus, who holds the keys to life, has come to make all things new.

There's something about the church in Laodicea that makes Jesus so sick, that he's about to spit them out of his mouth. Which begs the question: What kind of spirituality makes Jesus want to vomit? One of the greatest struggles we face here in the West is the temptation to become lukewarm followers of Jesus. How do we break out of autopilot and live life by design, and not by default?

There's a kind of death that's deeper than physical death. A kind of death that corrodes you from the inside out. Many of us have the appearance of life, but we're actually dead within. This was Jesus' rebuke to the church in Sardis. What characterizes the "Living Dead?" And how do we tap into the life that Jesus promises us?

How often do we try to influence and control God? How often do we use the name of Jesus to fulfill our own plans, agendas, and dreams? All of us have experienced the subtle temptation of manipulation in our relationship with God, with others, and even with ourselves. This week, we read through Jesus' letter to the church in Thyatira.

There's a kind of fatigue that attacks the body. But there's another kind of fatigue that attacks the soul. Often times, our lives are far too busy and noisy for us confront our weariness. But the invitation of Jesus is to a life marked by rest. This week, we explore the spiritual practices of silence and solitude.