The grace God provides is not based upon social standing, personal merit, or any other achievement deemed worthy or important by human society. It re-defines our self-worth and personal significance. A peasant girl (Mary) rather than a temple priest’s wife (Elizabeth) was bestowed the Messianic blessing and entrusted with the motherhood of God’s Son; as such, God’s grace “looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant” and “has done great things for me” (vv. 48a–49a). So too will God look upon all of us in the same way.

Mary's song pulls our hearts to a new realm and new way of following Jesus in:

1. Experiencing Real Self-Worth & Significance

2. Accepting it.

3. Giving it away.

"Making Room", Cheryl Allen, PIHOP Director

Sunday, Dec 8, 2024 was our final Sunday Service at the International House of Prayer, our home for the last 6 years! A very special and bittersweet service as Cheryl Allen, the director of PIHOP is with us, giving a message titled, "Making Room". Every time Cheryl ministers, she gives a message that gives us fresh eyes to see the challenges of our calling with a renewed hope, intimacy and vision.

Advent Week One// "The Songs of Christmas" // Phil 2:1-11

This week, as we transition from Acts to “Songs of Christmas,” we’re looking at a song that Paul recounted to the very church he planted in Acts 16. This church in Philippi is the healthiest of all the NT churches, and yet Paul is sending this letter to deal with their fighting.

The symptom of the problem is self-interest. The root of the problem is vein conceit. The solution is humility and it's the key for us today... but the only way to build humility in yourself is to actually let go of it; the moment you try to build it in yourself you will find yourself enacting the opposite. The only way to build a mindset of humility, “the attitude of Christ,” is to let go of it and look to Someone Else for it. This is why this passage isn’t just about abstract theology; it’s a hymn, it’s something that needs to be recited, remembered, celebrated––to be sung.

Jesus not only modeled but built a "Culture" of authenticity and vulnerability. He was the picture of total and complete emotional health (Mat 14). In his humanity we can see ourselves... and find His invitation to transformation... Pastor Sue Martinsen shares this significant message, accompanied by a powerful testimony...

We will all face some kind of danger in life. How will you face it?

How does your faith prepare you for it?

Paul expects difficult circumstances because Jesus told him to. When his life is at stake in exactly the same way as he murdered the church's first martyr Stephen, fear doesn't paralyze him, and Paul not only survives this encounter but gains an audience for The Way of Jesus because (1) He expects trials, (2) He speaks their language to emphasize commonalities, and (3) He refuses to overcome fear in his own strength and instead looks to Christ for the strength to persevere.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE SHARE THEIR FAITH? AND WHY IS SPIRITUAL OPENNESS CHANGING?

Rising Spiritual Openness in America...

In an October 2022 Barna survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, three out of four (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power. Nearly half (44%) say they are more open to God today than before the pandemic.

Secular people are spiritually interested today, yet Christians struggle to share their faith. Paul's example should fuel our faith and our practicecanva

...

Despite all the legal, political, and religious chaos around him, lacking a defense attorney, and speaking more about Jesus than himself, Paul’s case goes well enough that he gets an all-expenses paid trip to Rome where he is granted better living conditions and builds a house church.

This passage from Acts 26 challenges us in several areas:

- Dealing with the Weight of the Mission (My Responsibility or God's?)

- Dealing with Circumstances (Personal + Political)

- Practicing the Mission (3 Keys)

Paul encounters a woman, a slave, and a gentile, in that order, all of whom come to faith in Jesus on the same grounds as he himself was welcomed. Each of these people, Lydia, the slave girl, and the jailer, illustrate to us different ways the Way of Jesus meets people and the manner in which Christ’s kingdom breaks the barriers that we create amongst ourselves. We'll look at 2 questions and 3 actions:

1) How the Way of Jesus breaks in to different people, and

2) How the Way of Jesus confronts the barriers we create amongst ourselves:

Confronting our social + cultural barriers

Confronting spiritual forces

Confronting disappointment

On this final Sunday before the election, our concern will focus on how our politics creates barriers between us and prevents us from cultural influence rather than trying to force Scripture into a prophetic word over the American election in 2024... See u tomorrow as we pray into the coming week!

Jody + Vanessa Romero are with us from Restoration Los Angeles in East LA. The Romeros have been amazing friends of the Martinsens from before Frontier was planted, and have been regular guests over the life of the church. Jody gives a beautiful message integrating our series on Acts and navigating the life & gifts of the Spirit in the local church. Enjoy.

Acts 17 is the ultimate showdown of how ancient cultural ideology & philosophy is most relevant to our time. Paul was confronting the most influential and culturally forming ideas in history and they are directly connected to our day. This passage reminds us of our message to those ideas and how to engage cultural ideas and real people, while exposing the issues of our hearts. We will look at:

1) Humanity's common faith and common story

2) How secular worldviews break down

3) The core issue: Our story deals with suffering.

The reason Christianity grew and is still relevant today, is that it is the only story of any faith system that deals with the issue of suffering.

"He who has a why to live for can deal with almost any how." -Viktor Frankl

Acts 15:1-21

This passage has a critical theological debate that is often ignored in sermon series. But this debate teaches us incredibly important things about the gospel itself. Truth matters because truth has consequences for how we live. No other religion offers freedom from burdens like Christianity because Christ took on our burdens for us. We'll hear a powerful testimony of how God uses community to reveal things to us and to teach us about him.

We'll look at our cultural assumptions that play into this passage, and then see 1) how we mistake the real Law + real Gospel; 2) how a Spirit-led community helps us discern wisdom + truth; and 3) how the Way of Jesus cleans the heart & offers the freedom the human heart craves.