Fixate PHX

5 RIFFS ON THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

1. THE PERSECUTED RIFF — Throughout history, the Church has often flourished under persecution, while in the West, Christianity has largely existed within a culture of comfort and religious freedom. Do you believe the greater threat to the Church today is the pressure of persecution or the seduction of comfort, and what can these two expressions of Christianity learn from one another?

2. THE POLITICAL RIFF — Christianity has always existed in tension with the kingdoms of this world. Today, political polarization, nationalism, and religious conflict continue to shape how people understand and practice their faith. How can the Church meaningfully engage the political realities of our world without confusing allegiance to a nation, political party, or ideology with allegiance to the Kingdom of God?

3. THE TECHNOLOGICAL RIFF — Technology has made the Gospel more accessible than at any other point in history, yet it is simultaneously reshaping our attention, relationships, understanding of truth, and spiritual formation. As artificial intelligence and digital connectivity continue to transform our world, what do you believe will be the greatest opportunities and dangers for the Church over the next twenty years?

4. THE WORLDWIDE RIFF — The Church is no longer accurately understood through a predominantly Western lens. Across the world, Christians are following Jesus within dramatically different political, cultural, and economic realities. What do you believe the American Church needs to recover from the global Church, and what unique responsibility does the American Church have in serving the worldwide mission of Jesus?

5. THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW RIFF — The Church of tomorrow is being shaped by the disciples we form, the convictions we cultivate, and the sacrifices we make today. We are not simply building churches for the present but stewarding a faith that must outlive us. What must our generation of Christians recover, reconsider, or sacrifice today to ensure that we are preparing a faithful Church for the generations to come?

Scripture References:

Haggai 1:1-15

HOW TO MOVE FROM ONE DAY, TO TODAY

1. "Not yet" is still an answer. (vs2–4). The people never said no to God. They said "the time has not come" (vs2). We love good spiritual procrastination. They had time to panel their own houses. They just never had time for His to be built in its fullness. Someday is not a day of the week. Whatever gets your first, is really what gets your heart. Don't be surprised over the course of your walk if God tests the depth of that worship by confronting anything you may be withholding.

2. “Set your heart on your roads” (vs5-7). Every road leads somewhere. God tells them to look down theirs, and then He shows them where it led: sown much, harvest little. Eat, never full. Drink, never satisfied. “He who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes”.. If you never take inventory of where the road of your heart and desires is headed don’t be surprised when life breaks down. Pockets either are holy or holey sheeeesh.

3. If His house is desolate to my priorities don't be surprised if the land your trying to produce from is dry and not producing what you want (vs4, 9–15). Their worship was dry, so their world went dry, because what you neglect in worship will show up in weariness.. You have to make the choice.. It says the people “obeyed the voice of the Lord” (vs12). God answers with four words: “I am with you” (vs13). Then He stirred up their spirit (vs14). The word came on the 1st, and they were working on the 24th. Sixteen years of “not yet,” then 24 days to “yes.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

1 CHRONICLES 29:1–20 (NASB)

HOW TO SURRENDER THE DEATHGRIP OF FINANCE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

1. Surrender goes first… Leaders don’t ask people to go where they haven’t gone. (vs1–6) Look at the order. David doesn’t stand up and say “y’all need to give.” He says “here’s what I’ve already given… and here’s what I’m giving over and above that”… and then asks “who then is willing?” The ask comes after the example. We will not pull people into surrender… But I can walk you into it as pastor of this church. We don’t point to a way, we invite you into a paved way of sacrificial surrender. Maturity in God is surrender.. Faithfulness in God is surrender.. Being a leader for God over the long haul is surrender… The way up is down.

2. Surrender stays in the fight until it rejoices… Five times in twenty verses… willing, willingly, willingly, willingly, willingly (vs6–9, 17)... Then the product of willingness? “The people rejoiced because they gave willingly, with a whole heart.”. The joy didn't come from what they kept… it came from what they let go. That's the opposite of how most of us think about giving. We think it's a loss we survive. Scripture says it's a joy we enter. Surrender long enough, deep enough, and repetitive enough, you might find in your willingness you stumble into the joy of a freed soul.

3. Surrender releases what was never mine.. Which leads to a deeper question; what really is mine? . Our anxiety and restlessness is over something not certain, and not promised. The clearest picture of surrender in this passage is David just gave 110 tons of gold and says "who am I… that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You." (vs 14,15).. Essentially saying "Thank you for the honor of handing You back what You handed us.". Every paycheck, every house, every 401k, every talent… It's on loan. Generosity is turning the power money has over me, back to God.

Scripture References:

Jeremiah 32:1–25

How to trust in the dirt of a war zone:

1- My trust must become tangible, "sign it"... (vs 9–12) Jeremiah didn't just stand in the courtyard and say "I believe God will restore the land." He weighed out silver, signed his name, called witnesses, made two copies and did it in front of everybody. The church in America loves the lyrics of faith, but God honors a ledger faith. We'll sing "I surrender all" on Sunday and then nothing ever leaves the account of our time, attention and resources Monday-Saturday. Trust shows up in the rhythmic actions not just the lyrics and emotions of a moment.

2- My trust will outlive me in the hands of God, "seal it".. Trust buys what it can't see yet. (vs 14–15) "Put them in an earthenware jar, so that they may last a long time." Jeremiah knows the exile is 70 years.. He prophesied it. He's buying a field he will never plant, never harvest, never walk. He's not investing in his retirement… he's investing in his grandkids' homecoming… having faith for something he will never see or walk in.. having faith for legacy. Then God says why in vs15… houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land. Short-term thinking builds bigger barns. Kingdom thinking buries a deed in a jar, and leads to a life we are still talking about 2600 years later.

3- My trust doesn't require certainty, "say it".. Trust prays after it obeys. (vs 16–25) Look at the order. The deed is signed and handed off… Then Jeremiah prays. And it starts massive: "Ah Lord God… You made the heavens and the earth… nothing is too difficult for You." Then he walks through Israel's whole history. And then he gets honest (vs 24–25): the siege ramps are at the walls, the city is being handed over… and yet You told me to buy the field??... He obeyed in the midst of questions. Most of us wait to obey until the questions get answered. Jeremiah obeyed and brought the questions with him. You don't have to have it figured out in order to be surrendered.

Scripture References:

LUKE 5:1–11

3 THINGS JESUS ASKS BEFORE HE FILLS THE BOAT

1. “Lend it.” He asks for the boat before he asks for the man. There is no blessing if he did not give control of the boat. (vs3) Jesus didn't stand on the shore and ask Peter if He could come aboard. He got in the boat, sat down in the middle of Peter's business, and then asked him to push out. That boat was Peter's paycheck, his livelihood and his family's security, and Jesus got all up in it. You can't keep God close to your heart and distant from your finances. American Christianity loves prenups with God. "You can have my heart, but what's mine stays mine."

1. “Lower it.” Obedience is your response to Jesus even after a long nights of nothing. (vs4–7) "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing… but I will do as You say." Don't forget. Peter's the professional here. Jesus is a carpenter telling a fisherman how to fish, in the wrong water, at the wrong time of day. Everything in Peter's experience said no. But he let down the nets anyway… Some of you are exhausted from fishing all night… and God isn't asking you to try harder. He's asking you to try His way.

1. “Leave it.” The catch wasn't the point. The call was. (vs8–11) This is my favorite part. Peter just had the best day in the history of his business. Two boats so full they're sinking. And what does he do? He falls at Jesus' feet and says "go away from me, I'm a sinful man." The miracle didn't make Peter richer… it made Peter smaller. And they then leave everything. They walked away from the fish. Because once you've seen who's in the boat, what's in the boat doesn't hold you anymore. Jesus wasn't after Peter's fish. He was after Peter.

TENT PEG TENACITY

Scripture References: Judges 4:17-22

HOW TO GET THE ISH OUT OF YOUR TENT

1. You don’t need to be somebody to be somebody. Jael had no title, platform, or army—just faith, obedience, and what was in her hand. Stop waiting for somebody else to do what you wish they would do. God isn’t looking for impressive people; He’s looking for obedient ones. Sometimes taking ownership of your own soul matters more than leading everybody else. God cares more about the life of the messenger than the reach of the message.

2. If you’ve never had a tent-peg moment, you might be in bondage and not even know it. Some things in your tent need to stop being managed and start being destroyed. You can get so comfortable with bondage that you start calling it peace. Your greatest victory might not happen publicly—it might happen alone when you finally confront what you’ve tolerated privately. We cannot live selfish, superficial lives and call Christ Lord. Stop asking God to remove what He’s given you the strength of his spirit to confront.

3. Following Jesus isn’t faith, action, and obedience. It’s faith, action, and obedience over and over again. Yesterday’s surrender doesn’t cover today’s disobedience. You cleaned the tent yesterday? Great.. Now check it again. Holiness isn’t a moment you remember; it’s a life you repeatedly choose. We’ve missed the joy of surrender because we keep treating submission like punishment. Freedom isn’t maintained by good intention—it’s maintained by a tent peg tenacity.

Scripture References:

Philippians 4:1-9

HOW TO NOT BE A CATFISH CHRISTIAN

1. Where you dwell will determine how you develop. Paul starts with the environment: “stand firm in the Lord… live in harmony… rejoice… let your gentle spirit be known” (vv. 1–5). The church in Philippi loves Jesus, but relational dysfunction has become the water they’re swimming in. Stay in the waters of offense, gossip, comparison, cynicism, and division long enough, and eventually that environment starts getting inside you. A fish doesn’t consciously decide to smell like its water—it simply dwells there long enough. You can be saved and still be swimming somewhere you don’t belong.

2. What you dwell on will eventually dwell in you. Paul moves from where you’re dwelling to what you’re feeding on: “whatever is true… honorable… right… pure… lovely… of good repute… dwell on these things” (v. 8). Anxiety says dwell on what could happen; offense says dwell on what they did; shame says dwell on what you did. Paul says you don’t have to give everything that enters your mind somewhere to live. Not every thought deserves to become my brain's nourishment—some thoughts need to starve. Your mind will eventually take the shape of what it repeatedly consumes.

3. What you practice determines what you produce. You don’t become spiritually healthy accidentally. Paul says “practice these things.” Practice prayer. Practice gratitude. Practice reconciliation. Practice rejoicing. Practice directing your mind toward what is true. Because eventually what you repeatedly practice stops feeling like something you do and starts becoming who you are. Verse 7 promises “the peace of God,” while verse 9 promises “the God of peace will be with you.” The practice of godliness produces a person of peace. There is a rest, there is peace, there is hope; be like Jesus.

Scripture References:

Philippians 3:12-21

1. PRESS PAST WHAT’S BEHIND YOU. “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” (vs. 13). You cannot reach for what’s next while living attached to what was. Your failures can become prisons, but so can your successes. At some point, you have to stop rehearsing yesterday and start reaching for tomorrow. The future requires you to loosen your grip on the past. You don’t pass today's tests with yesterday's results. Today needs its own obedience, its own faith, its own surrender.

1. PRESS IN ON PATTERN (vs. 16-17). Paul doesn’t give us a shortcut—he gives us a pattern: “Follow my example… walk according to the pattern you have in us.” If you want deep transformation, you will need to embrace monotonous repetition. Pray again. Fast again. Open the Bible again. Forgive again. Show up again. The life you want tomorrow is being built by the patterns you press in on today. Find His hand, get centered, and place your life on the wheel.

1. PRESS DOWN YOUR APPETITES (vs. 19-20). Paul warns about people “whose god is their appetite.” Appetite says, I want it, so I should have it; discipleship says, I want Jesus, so some things I want have to die. Sex, food, money, power—desire makes a terrible god. You cannot press toward Christ while bowing to every craving along the way. If you don’t submit your appetites, eventually your appetites will undermine and reroute your direction to destruction.

Scripture References:

Philippians 3:1-11

2 Corinthians 11:21-28

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT AND KEEP IT TIGHT

1. Stop trying to pass the test no one could ever pass (vs 1-6). Paul had the résumé, the religion, the discipline, and the doctrine—and says none of it could save him. You can follow all the rules and still miss the entire point. Your worst behavior can’t save you, but neither can your best behavior. Religion says, “Look what I’ve done.” The gospel says, “Look what Jesus has done.” You can pass the religious test and still miss Jesus.
2. Throw away the scorecard, you will always lose (vs 7-9).. Paul takes everything he once called Gain and calls it Loss. The scary part is he isn’t throwing away his sins—he’s throwing away his credentials. Anything you need to prove that you’re enough will compete with the knowledge that Jesus has always been enough. Your obedience is evidence of your relationship with Jesus, not payment for it. Stop keeping score with something Jesus already settled… you can have all the right ingredients in the pot… but you only find out what it tastes like when it's placed over the fire.
3. Knowing Jesus is the whole point and the only point (vs 10-11). After Paul strips everything else away, five words remain: “That I may know Him.” Not knowing about Him. Not impress Him. Not perform for Him. Know Him. The prize of Christianity isn’t becoming a better version of yourself—it’s knowing and becoming more like Jesus. If someone followed your life for seven days, would they conclude that you actually know and follow Him?

Scripture References: Philippians 2:12-30

HOW TO ENHANCE THE WORKOUT TO EMBRACE THE POUR OUT

1. Salvation isn’t earned by your work, but salvation that never produces work should terrify you… Grace is opposed to earning, but it is revealed in profound ways with effort.

2. Paul says you’re supposed to be blameless, innocent, above reproach, holding firmly to the Word, shining like lights then he gives incredibly clear spiritual instruction for getting there—“Do all things without complaining or arguing.”.. You can’t call yourself a light while responding to darkness like everyone else… Your complaints may be revealing what your worship has been hiding, because if every inconvenience changes your attitude, your circumstances are still lord of your life.

3. The world says a good life is a life preserved. Paul says a good life is a life poured out. The goal of the Christian life isn’t to arrive at death full, it’s to arrive empty.