JR.'s Sermons

Discipleship is about more than just learning the right information. It's about pursuing a transformed life. We must continually employ practices that help us know the story of Jesus so that it becomes our story.

Diversity is essential to God's work in the world, but as a rule, churches are bad at real diversity. In John 4, Jesus' disciples illustrate what's at stake when we don't make a point to practice diversity.

Four big ideas are shaping Catalyst. First: Friendship. What did it mean that Jesus was called a 'friend of sinners'? What implications does that have for our relationships (or lack thereof)?

We tend to think of the project of faith as one that we do primarily alone. But according to Paul, we can't do faith alone. We need each other. And we need each other to be different. That's a lot harder, but it's necessary. How do we engage in this level of community?

What happens when it turns out our faith isn't as strong as we thought it was? Paul warns the Corinthians that God will test our faith in the End. How is that good news for us right now, as we navigate the life of faith?

Faith is founded on Jesus’ love for us. But what is faith, exactly? In other words, what are we building on the foundation of Jesus’ love? Paul sees a connection between two metaphors – a building and a field – that helps us discern the nature of our faith. So what is God inviting us into?

What is the foundation of a sturdy faith? The 'church answer' is Jesus - and the Apostle Paul agrees. But what does that really mean? For Paul, it means that God seeks us out. God initiates our faith relationship by finding us.

We’ve spent the last four months asking how we know God better. What better excuse to stop and smell the roses, so to speak? God promises that a life of faith transforms us, creating a grove of fruit that feeds the world around us. What has God been doing in your life in this last season?

To be human is to have limitations. We have our perspective - which is good, but it's also small. When we read the Bible with others, we have the advantage of remembering we're not the center of the story. God's bigger purposes come alive to us when we read the Bible together.

To conclude our ROOTED series, Heather and JR. field a ton of questions about the Bible. From the process of choosing what books made it in to translation, from violence in the Bible to creation accounts, we go all over the place! Listen in!