We live in an era of anti-institutionalism where every leader is doubted. Leadership is difficult and is worthy of honor. We are admonished to pray for and obey leaders in government. (cf. 1 Peter 2:13-17) To honor our parents. Also to give due honor to Pastors and church leadership. 'The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ' 1 Timothy 5:17. 'Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. 'Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.' Hebrews 13:17. Unfortunately many leaders have given good cause for disrespect. Accountability to God and one another is also part of honoring leadership. (E McCauley, Reading While Black). Life together includes respect for leaders. Speaker: Tim McConnell

There is nothing easy on this list. Maybe to rejoice with those who rejoice! Everything else is beyond the ordinary scope of human capacity. I don’t want to bless my persecutors. I don’t want to make peace where I have been wronged. I want to bring retribution and revenge. But Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44. Enemy love may very well be the most defining ethic of the Christian life; nowhere else do you find a charge like this. And in truth it is beyond our capacity to do it. But if we are devoted to Christ, a living sacrifice, then Jesus performs these through us and we are supernaturally sustained. It is Christ who is on display in a disciple who truly is a living sacrifice. To Christ be the glory. Speaker: Tim McConnell

We are devoted to Christ above all. Our love for Jesus turns into love for one another. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34. Serving is a spiritual discipline. Serving others gets us out of our own egotistical orbit. It is actually a deep relief to the psyche, but also an act of devotion to Christ and one more way to be a living sacrifice. “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honour and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.” Richard Foster. Speaker: Tim McConnell

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” – Rick Warren. Devoted to Christ we are still susceptible to seeing ourselves as the center of the universe. Discipleship does not mean groveling in self-disdain. God calls us to sober self-assessment. I’m not the best man there ever was, and I’m not the worst. “The best of men is a man at best.” I have faults I should be aware of, and allow humble assessment of others to learn what it is like to be on the other side of me. I have limitations. There is only so much I can do. But I also have gifts to bring to the mission of the church. We all do. Speaker: Nate Stratman

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Deitrich Bonhoeffer. But it is in giving your life over to Christ that you truly come alive. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24. We are called to live as a living sacrifice, devoted to God. Priests would take an ox and slaughter it at the Temple. They called the ox “devoted to God.” Jesus calls us to be like that ox. Devoted to God. Surrendered to Him and separated from the world. We are not to be conformed by the world, compressed by the mold of contemporary values or the current thinking. Rather we are transformed by renewing our minds with the knowledge of God by His Word. The good news is that Jesus made himself the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. When we lay our lives down in trust and faith before Him, we find our true lives. We find ourselves fully alive in Jesus. Speaker: Mateen Elass

In various ways, we want to remove the mystery. We would prefer to have complete understanding of God and of salvation. But that is not the nature of God and our relationship with Him. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isaiah 55:9. 'How great is God—beyond our understanding!' Job 36:26a. Sometimes our only place is to sit in the awe of the mystery, to recognize that God is way beyond our understanding. But He has made Himself known to us in Jesus Christ. He has made Himself known to His people. The people of God sit in awe and wonder and relish the mystery—it proves we are truly in relationship with God! If you understood everything about God, wouldn’t that make you greater than God? Sit in the awe and relish the mystery. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Speaker: Matt Holtzman

Don’t walk out of the movie too early. The Death Star will be up and running, ready to take out another planet. The Nazi’s will have the Ark of the Covenant as a prize for Adolf Hitler. Voldemort will be standing over a defeated Harry Potter with an evil grin. But that’s not the end. Israel was not responding to the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, but that’s not the end of the story entirely. God is the God who brings life out of death. There is much more story to come yet. Are their places in your life where you are stepping out of the movie too soon? God is still at work. If it isn’t right, it isn’t finished. Hang in there. Speaker: Greg Hartnett

One central truth of this passage is that the future is not up for grabs. God is in control and will bring His plan to completion. No one is beyond God’s redemption, but pride and arrogance in our own abilities to “be God’s people” is a recipe for disaster.

Where do you see warnings in the Church that Christians believe themselves to be more worthy of God’s blessings than others? Where are we in danger of “stumbling so as to fall”?

Though present-day Israel remains largely secular or anti-gospel, God has promised that He will one day bring them to faith in their (and our) Messiah. How do you navigate the stormy waters concerning the relationship between Christians and Jews, especially in these days of increasing anti-Semitism?

Speaker: Tim McConnell

Evangelism is the mission of the church. The Great Commission defines our mission. God has brought a people together, the church, to manifest his love and share his salvation. Who shares the news? We do. Who is sent? We are. Every person who comes to Christ is given a mission to share that good news with others. For we are witnesses of these things. Can the pastor offer a few ideas on how to approach this opportunity to share and bear witness to Jesus in our times? Speaker: Ellen Dawson

The “Roman Road” offers a helpful way to explain the gospel, but our ultimate confidence is in the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers believers. As followers of Christ, we are called to live out our faith and share the hope we have in Jesus. Above all, let us remain steadfast in prayer as we seek to follow Him faithfully. Speaker: Tim McConnell