Bay Area Community Church

We continue our series on Reaching a Volatile World by welcoming Casely Essamuah back to Bay Area. Casely was our Global Missions Pastor from 2005-2018, and will be sharing about how we lock arms with other Christians to reach a world that desperately needs Christ. Paul shares in Philippians 2, a marvelous hymn of our Lord’s intentional emptying of himself, an intentional taking on of humanity in order to bring us salvation. Beyond the theology, Paul uses it as an example of reaching out in humility to others. In global missions, we reach out in humility and with costly sacrifice to a world that needs the gospel. Come be inspired as we celebrate what God is doing around the world, and be challenged as we seek to do more in our walk with Jesus in this volatile world.

The world we live in is volatile, challenging and ever-changing. No question about it, we live in a “VUCA” world. VUCA is a new acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. I can’t think of anything that better describes our constantly changing culture today than VUCA. As followers of Jesus, how do we engage a volatile world in such a way that truly advances God’s kingdom? Welcome to our new sermon series! Join us this Sunday as we look at the VUCA world that exists today, yesterday, and even in the early church, and learn how to engage the culture that impacts neighbors and the nations!

Can you adequately explain the Kingdom of God to an 8-year-old? Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God is like, but he never really comes out and says exactly what it is. This Sunday we will look at how the Kingdom of God can be simplified from Jesus' teachings, and how we can live under a banner that proclaims that Jesus reigns. We must understand this first and have it be true that Jesus reigns in our own lives before we can see revival happen in our church and in our community. Join us Sunday as hear from Jim Hiskey as he reflects on his own life and seeing the Kingdom of God at hand.

Do you believe that God hears your prayers? Do you see yourself as helpless, or having a desperate need for God to work? Do you identify with the people in your life who are in need and take on their burden? These are all questions that we need to have answers to if we will ever understand what it means to intercede on the behalf of others with Kingdom prayers. Join us Sunday as we learn a simple yet powerful way to do this.

Last week Greg reminded us the importance of waiting in prayer. Most Americans hate to wait. We love movement, progress and advancing to the next thing. Jesus' disciples were no different. After they had witnessed Jesus rising from the dead, joy filled their hearts and energy flowed through their hands and feet. They were chomping at the bit to follow his marching orders and be his witnesses to all the nations. Yet, Jesus told them before they go out, they had to wait for His power. Join us this Sunday to discover how waiting and praying with others is essential for God’s kingdom advance. And who knows, you might leave just as empowered as the early disciples!

In the midst of political divide across our land, it’s helpful to remember that something bigger is happening. Something that transcends what most people see. There is a King on the throne who is advancing His kingdom. You and I, though citizens of the United States, have a higher citizenship. We are part of an awesome kingdom: the kingdom of God! God is on the throne moving all of history towards His kingdom agenda. You and I are part of that kingdom and PRAYER is one of His means of advancing the kingdom of God. How’s your prayer life? Join us this Sunday as we kick off a new series Kingdom Praying, in which we will learn how to pray kingdom advancing prayers!

The church has seemingly lost its place in the world. Statistically it is shrinking; some would say it’s dying. It appears to be losing prominence and influence, no longer seen as a harbinger of truth and hope. And the inadvertent effect this can have on those in the church is that we become disillusioned, apathetic and even consumeristic - leaving the church’s power diminished. Which, ironically, proves the world right. But what if we changed the narrative? What if we understood ourselves differently? What if we embraced our identity in God’s redemptive plan and truly believed what Jesus said about us, His church? How might that make a difference in your life, my life and the world today? Because clearly, if ever the world needed help from the church, it seems like it is now. Join us this Sunday as we examine one of the most foundational and important metaphors of Being the Church: God’s household.

The ongoing, and what seems to be unending, pandemic unearthed some things in my spiritual life. When my pretty regular routine of attending church on Sundays changed to maybe watching from a screen, I had to ask myself, "how connected am I to Jesus’ church? How much am I needed, and how much do I really need other believers?" This Sunday I’d like to show you what I have been learning about the vital importance for each one of us to be engaged with other believers, not just on Sundays, but in life. As the body of Christ, not only do we need each other to be healthy and to grow, but to engage in the cosmic dogfight for the souls of men and women. To reignite the Church, we must reengage the body.

This past fall, I was blessed to take a sabbatical. One alarming observation from my time away was that no one outside of our four walls is thinking about us, the church. Of all the places I traveled and all the people I engaged with, not once in 3 months did I hear anyone talk about, inquire or consider the local church as having anything to offer the world for its problems. No solutions, not a resource, or even a place to find help. And this really impacted me because of our seeming irrelevance to the world. Yet God’s view of us, the church, has never been more central, important, alive and necessary TODAY. Join us over the next three weeks as we look at 3 metaphors that shape our understanding who we are and the role we play in God’s redemptive plan. This is Being the Church.

We are wrapping up a wonderful Christmas season of “calm and bright.” As we enter 2021, how do we continue to experience His peace and light? The answer is by spending daily time with Jesus in His Word! That’s where Chapter A Day comes in. This tool is our gift to you. Your life will be blessed by God regardless of whatever challenges might come as you delight in and meditate on God’s Word. Join us this Sunday as we dive into "why" behind the journal, and head to our website to reserve your copy of our volume 3 journal today.