Bay Area Community Church

The Plot Thickens! As we continue exploring Esther, we'll see that we don't just have a compromising queen and a sneaky Mordecai, we also have a scheming arch-nemesis with a centuries old grudge and a genocidal edict that threatens the future of God's people. Who will win the day? Who will choose courage?

Lies, genocide, compromise, drunken parties, courage, irony, humor, revenge, death and rescue - the biblical story of Esther has it all! On this Mother's Day, we're diving into an exploration of a potentially familiar story whose contours you've likely never paid close attention to - there's more here than you remember, and I'm excited to learn together.

Life can be hard. Unexpected things happen that are like a gut punch. Sometimes we are victims of injustice, or friends turn on us, or health issues disillusion us. Other times we are rejected and ridiculed for being a Christ-follower. Things can get so bad that we think, “It can’t get any worse!” Peter gets us. He writes to believers that are being persecuted, rejected, and reviled for loving Jesus. And just when they thought things couldn’t get any worse, Peter says, “Well, it actually does…But no worries. God has the last word!” Join us this Sunday as we wrap up our study on 1 Peter and learn how to have victory over the “roaring lion.”

In college I worked in a machine shop. The first thing I did before starting work was to tie a thick apron around myself. With the apron secured, I was ready for the tasks ahead. There is an apron you and I are called to wear every day. It enables us to handle any task. This apron is the key to leadership. It is the key to relationships. It is the key to unity and submission. And it is the key to experiencing God’s grace, blessing, and care.

Life has a way of turning on us. Things can be going great then suddenly the diagnosis is not good, or the marriage goes south, or the income stream dries up. Why is it that during such times some people soar in their relationship with the Lord, while others tank? In this passage, Peter gives very practical teaching to believers who are going through suffering and persecution. What he says is a game-changer. 

Do you have anybody in your life that is convinced you LOVE a certain food or treat that you haven't loved since High School? You've changed as a person, but they never got the memo. That can make for a pretty awkward moment each Christmas, but sometimes the stakes are a little higher: when Jesus calls us into a new way of life, we often leave behind people who aren't thrilled about the "new us" and it feels like they never got the memo. How do we avoid allowing them to pull us back to our old habits? Peter address this exact tension as we pick up our final stretch in 1 Peter.

It's finally here! When it looked like hope was lost and that the darkness could never be broken, the "Sunrise from on High" breaks upon us all with life and light that shatters the hold of sin and the enemy! This is such a unique chance to celebrate as a church family and invite others to join the family of God. The gospel will be clearly presented, and our Risen Savior will be put on display: Join us! He is Risen!

Each year on Good Friday, we have the opportunity to do unique: we restrict ourselves to the emotions of Friday, without the relief of Sunday. In other words, we focus on the DEATH of Jesus and do not allow ourselves to yet celebrate the RESURRECTION of Jesus. It's a good exercise, and can meaningfully impact our gratitude for what Easter means. Join us as we take communion together while contemplating the fact that our Savior died in the darkness.

When someone asks you, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" what do you usually say? Are you a bad news first or good news first person? I gotta be honest with you and say that this week... like it or not, you're getting the bad news first, and it's REALLY bad. But thankfully, we're gonna end on some good news that, frankly, is the best news you've ever heard. Join us as we see how darkness the darkness can be, and then what a little light can do. 

If you thought last week was a "hard saying," then buckle up for this weekend! In this section, Peter is applying the mentality of "being so good they can't ignore Jesus" to different groups, and on Sunday he'll be addressing wives and husbands. What he has to say runs deeply contrary to this spirit of our time, and challenges some massive cultural assumptions.