We launched Lent and our new series titled, "@JESUS", where we will be focusing on the Instagram-worthy highlights of Jesus' ministry. In Week 1 we dive into the launching point of Jesus' ministry and find ourselves represented in his baptism and journey through the wilderness. We are challenged during this Lenten journey to see the kingdom of heaven that is all around, #thereismore, and tell our wilderness stories, #testimony.

Love is beyond a feeling or simply an action, but is a foundation for life. It was woven into the fabric of our being from creation when God intentionally formed us as interdependent people. To love and be loved, we must create space for others and ourselves to be authentic; to be flawed and yet worthy of love with no strings attached.

With the world in disarray and the words "conspiracy theory" being whispered (or shouted) all around you, how do we live out our lives in the face of an uncertain future? We looked at three biblical kings, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah, to find insight on ignoring the temptation to guess the future and walk in faithfulness to what God has called us to-----to lead revival.

We wrap up our Table series by looking at the Table God instructed Moses to build for the Tabernacle and how this Table would be the centerpiece for this new space where the Kingdom of Heaven would meet earth.  We then looked at how the communion table that is the centerpiece for our worship space says about Open Table Community Church.

We experience a story of grace and redemption. We study David fulfilling a long standing promise to his childhood bestfriend as he invites Jonathan's son to his Table. The parallels between this story and our story is astonishing. OTCC is shaped by this story as we refused to be defined by our brokenness but rather by the Table we enjoy.

We examine a parable that Jesus told about a man who was done playing games. The man was throwing a banquet and rather than engage the social manipulations that value some people over others, he filled his table full of ragamuffins. At OTCC, we resonate with this story. Listen to find out why.

We sit in this frozen moment between 2020 and 2021 with Hell in our Rear View Mirrors and many challenges ahead. We study what Moses did in a similar moment with the Exodus behind and the wilderness ahead. Moses chose to use that frozen moment to sing with joy at the triumph of our God. We have the same choice today. God has brought us through 2020 and we can either focus on what we've lost and how it used to be like the Israelites did, or we can sing and dance with Moses as we know that God will be with us in every new challenge.

We were Created 2 Create Christmas. So how do we do that? Looking at the context of the first Christmas finds us thinking small. God ignored to grand things, the powerful things, the "important" things to change the world in a hidden barn. We Create Christmas by focusing on small things like family and friends. This is how the world is changed.

We wrap up Advent by looking at Psalms 89. The songwriter rejoices in the never ending love of God even when current circumstances don't line up with what God has said. When it comes down to either believing God's Word or believing my current struggles, God's word wins every time. Like the author of Psalm 89, we can rejoice in the Love of God no matter what our lives look like. Jesus' life, death and resurrection proves without a doubt that we are loved an because Jesus loved us enough to show up, we can show up for others.

We light the Love Candle as we examine the artwork of the Psalmist who wrote Psalms 126. The Songwriter wrote his song to encourage the weary travelers on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When life is difficult we can't always find Joy but with encouragement, we can fix our eyes on a Joy to come. Some days we dance with Joy and some days we sing about a day when we will dance with Joy.