There will be no better summary of this week's message than the closing paragraph:

"That, friends, is why I love what we get to do here and why I don’t give up. We get to create a community that loves. We get to create a community where our doors are wide open just like Jesus’ arms. Anyone is welcome. Everyone is welcome. And we’ll do our best to provide the right type of atmosphere where all of us can live full, happy, healthy, flourishing lives with the ability to contribute to God’s good world. We’ll do our best to provide the right type of atmosphere where all of us can live and love like Jesus. And the only caveat there, is if someone wants to come in and undermine love – I’m sorry, this place is probably not for you. But for everyone else, there’s a place for you here. That, my friends, is some real good news. That is the best news of all. That, my friends, is truly evangelical."

All are welcome and celebrated in our community; every identity and creed, every race and economic status, every sexuality and gender, every doubter and seeker of any kind. You are welcome to ask questions and find safety at ReNew Community. You are loved by us and you are loved by God, for exactly who you are, no strings attached or requirements to look different down the road. Period. No exceptions.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Mark 1:1; 1:15; Matthew 12:31-33

http://bible.com/events/49030780

God invites us into conversation with God and one another through God's creation. The first chapter of Genesis has been interpreted in many ways, but the one that we are examining here is great and beautiful poetry. Through the building of the world in words and patterns of rhythm, we can be carried through the beauty before us and learn a whole lot about who God is and what God wants the world to be like.

Speaker: Tony Vis

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-31

http://bible.com/events/49027088

So we've spent a couple of weeks looking at the beginning of the Jesus story. His baptism in Mark - Jesus leaving home and calling the first disciples in Matthew. Now, back to Mark just after Jesus had sent the disciples on a local mission trip.

They get back from the trip and they're so excited to tell Jesus what they had accomplished that they talk all over each other. So, Jesus says, "Come away with me - y'all need some rest."

Jesus commands rest - commands Sabbath. Sabbath is important. When we truly observe Sabbath it's like we're saying: "We belong to you, God. We don't own this world. We can let go for a little while and the world will not fall apart." This is something we're not very good at. We've made being busy a virtue. But God says, "rest." When we do rest, we're making a theological statement with our lives. God is the one in charge. We don't save the world.

Sabbath is also a way to become less self-absorbed. When the disciples get back they're telling Jesus all about what THEY had accomplished. They're so full of themselves. It should have been, "Hey, Jesus - look at all that God accomplished through us." It's not that we're unimportant - God loves it when we partner with him. It's just that when we do, it's God changing the world and we're God's instruments.

Sabbath rest is also reenergizing. I'll explain more on Sunday. So at least for a day - take some rest. Let God be God and you go be a creature for a day. You just might find yourself with a little more life.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Mark 6:30-34; 53-56

https://www.bible.com/events/49023311

Leaving Nazareth. The story of Jesus leaving home to do his thing. What would cause a young guy, 30 years old, to leave his home, his family, his business? Maybe he remembered his baptism? Maybe he remembered the voice? Maybe he sensed that God was up to something new? He was beginning to sense that God's reign wasn't passive, but active, powerful, revolutionary. So, he began to talk about it. Preach about it. His message was clear and simple: The time has come. The kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and believe this good news.

What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven is near? Dallas Willard had some words to say about that.

Then Jesus moves on and calls a few disciples. They left their nets and followed. For most of us, it didn't happen that way. It happened over a long time. And yet at some point, we decided to believe. Now, we rational people are inclined to define religious faith intellectually - a set of beliefs we hold to be true. That's what was handed down to us. Believe the right things. But it would be better for us to remember that the whole thing got started not with a set of beliefs or creeds - the whole thing got started with the words, "follow me." Faith is more about following than believing.

We don't even have to leave our jobs to do it. God calls us in the context of our ordinary lives.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-22

https://www.bible.com/events/49019702

The baptism of Jesus. Why is this story in the Bible? He didn't have followers yet - none of his disciples were there. So how did they know this story? Well, probably because this story was important to Jesus. He had a profound experience told the story to his followers over and over again. The story is in there because Jesus was fully gripped by the power of God's love. And because he was gripped by God's love, he figured out who he was and what he would do. "You are my Son, my beloved."

It can be that for us, too. Baptism is a sign of God's unearned love and acceptance.

But it's also more than that - it's also a sign that we've pledged ourselves to a new kingdom - the kingdom of God. That means we work toward the things of the kingdom. Things like justice, and peace, and healing, etc. What we do NOW matters.

Every morning we wake up it's like coming up out of the waters again - new breath, new life, new opportunities to work toward the things of the kingdom of God.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Mark 1:9-13

http://bible.com/events/49015936

Starting off the New Year with a doozie of a story! Ahab and Jezebel have a dude named Naboth murdered and then steal his land. Woo hoo.

So, why are stories like these even in the Bible? Well, turns out we can learn from them. In this story we see that one thing leads to another. Greed leads to lying which leads to a whole bunch of other things that lead to murder. We learn that sin gives birth to sin - it multiplies itself. It's a sick cycle that we're all caught up in - all of humanity is caught up in it - and it leads to death. That's one of the lessons of this story.

So, if that's the case, how do we break the cycle? We turn to Jesus ... yay! In the words of Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me." In other words, we beat death by dying. We have been crucified with Christ. We participate in the breaking of the cycle by allowing Jesus who lives in us to transform us and live through us. This is why spiritual disciplines are so important. Every time we participate in a spiritual discipline we die a little and Jesus is allowed to live in and through us.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-21

http://bible.com/events/49012302

The Word became flesh. So why does John tell the Christmas story this way? He's trying to reach as a large an audience as possible. He gives us cosmic Christmas.

John used the word "word," or "logos" in Greek. This would have been a familiar concept for John's readers. The word, or logos, is the rational principle behind the entire universe - it gives the universe its reasonableness. You could say that the logos is what holds the universe together and makes things make sense.

That word became flesh. It would have blown the minds of his readers. He wants them to know that the one who created the universe became part of the universe in becoming human. And that has implications.

1) Our bodies matter - they are good - just as they've been created. We grow up learning the lesson that our bodies are bad and that we're just souls trapped in a meat puppet. Nope, Jesus took on flesh - our bodies and all of creation are good.

2) It means we have comfort in our suffering. Jesus experienced pain and loss just like we do.

3) We have hope for the future. God forever connected God's divinity with our humanity. Died and rose again. SO we have that hope. Yeah, Easter on Christmas.

So why did God do it? Love.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: John 1:1-14

http://bible.com/events/49003270

This is the story of John the Baptist wondering if Jesus was the Messiah or if they should wait for another. It's a curious story because you would think that J the B would know and be clear about this. He leaped in his mother's womb when Mary came to see his mom. He was there at Jesus' baptism. But he wasn't clear, because Jesus turned out to be a messiah no one was expecting.

Jesus tells the delegation John had sent to tell John that, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, etc. (He's quoting Isaiah 35 there, kinda cool.) In other words, true messianic power isn't in fiery judgment, political revolutions, military coups, or violent insurrections against the government on behalf of the divine. Nope, it seems to be in the small individual acts of healing and restoration that transform the lives of the people in the world that no one seems to care about. No one expected that.

Whether you are struggling today or soon to be struggling, God's going to come to you, that's God's promise - that God will meet you where you are. It might not be in the way you expect - it might be in a way that you can't even imagine right now. But you can expect that God will come to you. So keep waiting. Keep watching.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Matthew 11:1-11

http://bible.com/events/48999800

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." Paul isn't just talking about what's going on in this little church. If you read the rest of the letter, he's placing what's going on in the Philippian church within the context of God renewing, recreating, and transforming all of creation. And we get to be in on it.

So, how do we get in on it? Where do we start? That's where John the Baptist comes in. Repentance is the key - that's where we begin. Turning towards the Divine. John is here to wake us up. This is the time of year we can get lulled to sleep with all the Christmas shenanigans going on - the gifts, the parties, the get-togethers. This is the time of year we tell the truth about ourselves. It's the time of year we prepare for the coming of God into our lives. It's the time of year we tell the truth about the lies we've told. It's time to clear our conscience - to be honest about the relationships we've had a hand in breaking.

All to prepare ourselves for the arrival of God.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6; Philippians 1:3-11

http://bible.com/events/48996244

The beginning of Advent: Mary travels to stay with Elizabeth for the remaining duration of her pregnancy.

So often the materialism and stressful factors of Christmas dominate our focus during this season. It is easier to see what stresses us out, what we could gain, what we could consume. But let us not lose sight of the journey towards the birth of Jesus. Enjoyable as some of these other aspects can be, they won't carry the same lasting joy that we can choose in Christmas when we settle into the journey towards a miraculous birth.

Speaker: Tony Vis

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45

http://bible.com/events/48990836