Emmaus Road Church | Fort Collins, Colorado

The Bible is the story of God intersecting human history in the person of Jesus. As such, its primary purpose is to bear witness to Christ, the incarnate Word.

"The phrase 'authority of scripture' is shorthand for 'God’s authority exercised through scripture.'…scripture itself points, authoritatively, away from itself and to the fact that final and true authority belongs to God himself, now delegated to Jesus Christ.” (N.T. Wright, Scripture & The Authority of God, pg. 22)

On the cross, Jesus defeats the rulers and authorities (and the evil power that animates them). The only way to defeat such powers is to absorb their evil blows and then respond with forgiveness. This is central to Paul's understanding of the cross. We are freed from evil "powers" by Christ's death and resurrection.

On Ash Wednesday, we marked children, senior adults, those who are sick, and those are well with the symbol of their death, in the shape of their salvation. I used to think that meant that we were fundamentally bad and deserving of the wrath of God, but Jesus saved me from a retributive Father. That is, the cross and resurrection were a transaction whereby I was tolerable to God.

I’ve come to see that the ashes (that represent our mortality because of our sinfulness) are true, but in a more beautiful way. We are precious and lovely and bear the image of God. God does not need the blood of Jesus to appease his anger or "pay off" our guilt. God takes on our ashes (sin) and demonstrates the way of love and forgiveness. He re-founds the world on an axis of love.

Preaching from Luke 19:28-40, Pastor Andy echos the refrain of the disciples, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” May we too align ourselves with the Kingdom of Peace, rather than the kingdom of empire.

Preaching from Luke 19:41-48, Andy Lucas helps us see how this familiar passage of Jesus clearing the temple of merchants and money changers may have a deeper meaning than what appears on the surface. The problem is not the commerce that was taking place, but rather the heart condition God's people. Jesus is admonishing the church not to be a hiding place for practicing the same old sins of Israel, but rather a place where God's truth can be sought in humility and peace.