How’s your level of cynicism or nostalgia this Holiday season? In the midst of the cultural phenomenon of Christmas, it’s easy to be swept up in the powerful distrust of human motives or the sentimental yearning of returning to the past. The season of Advent reminds us of the anticipatory “coming” of Jesus, but it becomes so easy to lose a fresh sense of wonder when it comes to God’s presence in familiar traditions. In this message, T.D. Davis (co-lead pastor) encourages us to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our perspective into a renewed revelation as we engage in the presence of the most “wonder-full” time of the year.

We begin Advent by examining the genealogy of Jesus and the 5 remarkable women, the Christmas Belles, who adorn this Christmas family tree. Each woman has a remarkable story that connects in some way with the confusing and chaotic circumstances that surround Mary giving birth to Jesus. Explore the profound messages behind the inclusion of these extraordinary women—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—in the lineage of the Messiah.

“Once you have seen it, there will be no way of unseeing it.” This quote from Alan Hirsch’s book “5Q" can easily become a prayer for our perspective as Jesus followers. The fivefold ministry found in Ephesians 4 (also known as “APEST”) is a reminder of the power found in collaboration and Jesus’ collective intelligence within the church that we must continually embrace as a part of our spiritual birthright and identity. In this message, T.D. Davis (co-lead pastor) gives a final message in the series “Collaborate" to encourage us to hold fast to Jesus’ vision of fullness and maturity into the future together.

The Hebrew word often translated as “peace” used throughout the Biblical narrative is called “shalom”. Rather than exclusively representing an absence of conflict, this “peace” also represents the presence of something better. As the early church began to spread in the book of Acts, a fresh presence of “shalom” began to be expressed in one particular local church that was faithfully representing the fullness of Jesus. In this message, T.D. Davis (co-lead pastor) helps us identify how the five-functions of Jesus (Eph. 4:11) created a presence in, through, and beyond the church of Antioch that resulted in a “new” accurate reputation for those committed to the good news of God’s Kingdom.

We continue our series, Collaborate, with Jon Ritner exploring the Apostolic Gift as expressed in Luke 10. Just as Jesus was sent to represent His Father and advance His mission, we, as the Church, are called to fulfill the apostolic function. This means we're sent into various spheres of life to participate in God's mission, shape culture, and expand the Kingdom of God. We also learned that apostles are groundbreakers, pioneers, and explorers who lay the foundation for the rest of the church. As a community, we should all embrace our sent-ness, whether or not we have the apostolic gift, and take courageous risks to fulfill our mission.

What’s within your imagination when you hear the word “Evangelist”? Whether it’s a person on a stage with a Bible or a pushy used car salesman, the life of Jesus redefines and beautifully paints the picture of what it looks like when outsiders are brought into the fold of God’s redemptive work in the world. In this message, T.D. Davis shares the story of Jesus the evangelist encountering two contrasted “outsiders” in the Gospel of Luke and interviews church member Julian Rodriguez about what evangelism might look like in the everyday stuff of life.

The prophetic gift is something we see throughout scripture and in the life of Jesus. When tested and approved within the community the prophetic brings life and healing to what has been broken. Jesus did not just speak truth but also modeled truth and obedience even at a high cost. Throughout this message we discuss the beauty of the prophetic when done within community and in relationship.

Where do our ideas of the modern pastor come from? Out of all the 5 APEST influencing styles, “Shepherd” (often times translated “Pastor”) might carry the most baggage in our Western institutional imagination and bias. Does the New Testament illustrate an alternate picture? And how does this impact our pursuit of Christ-likeness and collaborative gifting? In this message, T.D. Davis (co-lead pastor) shares about a simple, yet controversial idea: Everyone is called to be a pastor.

Jesus modeled five primary ministries that structure the mission of God, and we must understand these if we are going to accurately form Jesus-shaped disciples. Spiritual formation plans need to form people into the character of Christ, with an emphasis on the fruits of God’s Spirit, as well as the competencies of Christ—the APEST skills that defined his ministry on earth. Jon Ritner helps us reclaim the functions of Christ’s ministry and invites us to actively participate in them as we seek to represent Jesus’ fullness on earth.