When we come to Christ, we have a power to overcome sin.  It’s a power that we often do not tap into.  But God wants to empower you to live like Christ—to have a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Spirit, we are empowered to love others, speak about Christ, and live lives of obedience to God.

Freedom is something you can take for granted until it's taken away. The Apostle Paul in Romans 7 spends a great time talking about the entrapment of sin. Yet, because of Jesus, we are free from sin, death, and the legalism of earning our righteousness by our performance. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ: Jesus has fulfilled the requirements of the law that we could never fulfill on our own.

The message of Jesus is too powerful and too full of hope to keep to ourselves. When you share the Gospel, it brings personal joy, community joy, and heavenly joy. If you have been transformed by the good news of His grace, you have a story to share with the world!

Service is one of the foundational aspects of being a follower of Jesus. Saved people serve people. The order is important: we do not serve to get saved, but we serve because we are saved. A deepening devotion to service flows from a growing gratitude to our Savior. As we live out our unity in Christ, we have the privilege of serving one another regularly in His name. 

We get uncomfortable talking about giving. Yet, Jesus spoke about money more than any other subject except the kingdom of God. Why? Because he knew that everything we have is a gift from God—a gift we get to pass on to others! As the body of Christ, we’re invited to be a living expression of God’s generosity to the world. And when we all join in giving, God can take our gifts and use them for tremendous impact to others!

Growth is essential to life. If you're not growing, you're dying. As a church, we want to grow intentionally. Our greatest desire is to make disciples who make disciples. It's a communal effort. Through Bible classes, discipleship groups, and growth groups we sharpen one another and help each other grow. Each of us needs others to help us grow. When the people of God gather around the Word of God, Jesus challenges our preferences, realigns our priorities, and confirms our purpose in His Kingdom. 

Worship is foundational to being a follower of Jesus. It's not just something we do, but who we are - people who regularly give worth to God. And Scripture shows us that we aren't meant to do that alone but in the community of believers. We do this because Jesus redeems our whole lives, setting us free to praise Him in the morning and evening, in laughter and tears, with a joy that declares He is sufficient in every circumstance. 

Hospitality plays a large part in the Gospels. Jesus is often invited into people’s homes so they can learn more about him. Jesus often used dinners to teach people—that is, to demonstrate the relationship between a Master and a disciple. There is something about inviting someone to your table to eat that breaks down barriers and presents an opportunity to teach and learn. It is an opportunity to serve others. In this lesson, we'll explore the value of welcoming guests to a meal. 

It's been over a year of irregularity. School, work - we've all had to adjust in various ways. As we return to some semblance of normal, how can we be disciples in the classroom or at work? We know that school and work are things that continue and can be downers. But, what if, rather than seeing your school as a requirement or your job as a way to be paid, we saw them as an extension of our faith? Today, our series on discipleship takes a look at what it means to be a disciple at our place of school and work.