Bay Area Community Church

How do you view power? Is power good, bad or is it morally neutral? Should we seek power? What has been your experience with “people of power?” Although many of us are skeptical of people in positions of power, don’t all of us have some kind of power? The baby who wakes the sleeping parent in the middle of the night has power. The celebrity athlete has physical power, but he or she also has a level of social power and cultural influence. We live in a world that is full of power structures and power plays. How does God call us to wield the power we have been given? Join us this Sunday as we explore the role of power in our lives and what the Bible has to say about it.

Freedom is the most deeply held American value and perhaps one of the last moral absolutes in the West. Unquestionably, individual freedom has done incalculable good in our society, leading the way for civil rights among minorities and women. But does the modern view of freedom as a completely independent, autonomous individual truly bring human flourishing? Join us this Independence Day to hear what Jesus and the Bible says about our personal independence.

“The American Dream” - “be what you want to be” - “you can have it all” - “all I do is win!“ Who doesn’t want more freedom, a nicer place to live, a newer car, more money in the bank? Isn’t it normal to want to be successful and get ahead in life? Yet, the truth is, the success worldview is a powerful intoxicant that can easily infiltrate our lives and begin to influence us - oftentimes without us even recognizing it. It is so subtle, yet so pervasive. And it promises all sorts of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. But does it really deliver on what it promises? Could success be more than all we possess, attain, achieve or pursue? Join us this week as we take a fun look at the worldview of success and contrast that with what the Bible, specifically Jesus, says about our success.

When you and I look at life and the world around us, we actually look through various lenses that color and shape what we see. This is often a powerful yet subconscious process. But what if we were able to see life through the lens that God provides? How would that shape how we see people, understand the world, and live life? As followers of Jesus, He wants us to become like him and part of that process is to see as he sees. Join us this Sunday as we kick off our new summer series, Hot Takes From A Biblical Worldview, that will explore various aspects of everyday life and take a deeper look at the life God is calling us to.

For nine weeks we’ve journeyed with Abraham, the father of faith. For 25 long years Abraham has been growing in his faith. Famine, war and waiting have been God’s laboratory to mature him. Through it all there has been one constant: the faithfulness of God. God is a promise keeper. From the initial call of Abraham, God promised him, “I will make you a great nation.” What was humanly impossible for Abraham at the age of 100, was no obstacle for God Almighty. In God’s appointed time, Abraham and Sarah shout, “it’s a boy!” Join us this Sunday as we conclude our series by being challenged and encouraged that God will keep His promises to us!

There is someone we naturally like to trust more than anyone or anything else. Do you know who it is? It’s YOURSELF! We certainly trust our doctor or financial planner, or the pilot flying us to our destination. But ultimately, the person we default to trusting is self. That’s how we do life until something happens that brings us to the place in which we find ourselves completely insufficient and in dire need. That’s Abraham in Genesis 17. At some point, if not today, you will find yourself in the place of insufficiency. Join us this Sunday as we discover that no matter the heartache or disappointment, God is always sufficient!

This Sunday we look at one of the most important things a follower of Jesus needs to learn. It’s a principle that will save you 10,000 heartaches and disappointments. We live in a society that wants instant gratification. We want what we want, when we want it. And when what we want is delayed, we become impatient, irritated and angry. The truth is: Nobody likes to wait. Yet God has His perfect timing. Whenever we get ahead of God, it always brings disaster. Join us this Sunday as we learn why waiting on God’s timing is always the best decision we can make.

Some flags of surrender may be easier to raise than others. When a step of faith requires sacrifice, will we do it? As we look into one of the biggest tests of Abraham's life, we must also come to grips with what God also desires from us – full surrender and full obedience. Half Isaacs don’t really count as true steps of faith.

Emerging from the trenches of war has emerged a now universal symbol of surrender: the white flag. To raise the white flag is to say “the struggle is over, and I am yielding, tapping out, surrendering.” Steps of faith are like that. When God calls us like he did Abraham to leave, believe, or sacrifice-- spiritually speaking we need to raise the flag, as we are not naturally inclined follow God’s call. An amazing reality awaits us when we discover what God can do with all of our flags.

Doubt [dout]: a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. “God, why haven’t you come through? I’m really trying but it’s just not happening!” That’s Abraham on his journey of faith. And that’s part of each of our journeys. The encouraging thing about Genesis 15 is that God grants him (and us) permission to doubt. As we openly share our struggles, God meets us at just the right time in just the right way. Join us this Sunday…and bring your doubts.