Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale kicks off the new sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. Jonah prays to God, thanking him for saving him from drowning. But in the midst of Jonah's prayer we see that even imperfect, selfish praise can be accepted by God.

Passage: Jonah 2

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale kicks off the new sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. This week we encounter the prophet Jonah, after receiving a call from God to preach to his nation's mortal enemies, Jonah hightailed it out of there, attempting to flee from God. Jonah must come face to face with some of the inconsistencies in his service to Yahweh.

Passage: Jonah 1

Pastor Chris looks at question 19 of the New City Catechism which explores the way in which we can escape judgment and be brought back into God's favor. Spoiler alert: it is through Jesus. We see that we are not only saved the punishment of sin, but Christ also saves us from sin itself.

Q19: Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?

A: Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.

We now turn to our personal responsibility towards our own spiritual growth. As we consider what it means to be a follower of Jesus, we must recognize that to follow him means that we are his disciple. We can look to the Word and other believers as resources to aid us in that journey of growth.

Passages: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:2

The church should be an incubator of our spiritual growth. But what elements should be present in the church and how do they relate to our continued development in the family of God?

Passages: 1 Cor 9:16; 15:3-4; Mt 28:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26; 2 Cor 2:5

As we consider our own spiritual growth, we look to the model of Jesus. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man, but yet Scripture indicates that he experienced growth. How do we understand a perfect God "being made perfect"?

Passages: Luke 2:52; Hebrews 5:7-9

The New Testament is packed with 100 "one another" passages. In these passages, the Biblical authors help us understand how we are to care for one another. Christ has given us a place to belong in God's family; in this message we see how we can care for each other with our presence and service.

Passages: John 13:34-35; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 4:8-11

Dear Abby once said, "The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners." The church ought to be a place where the lost, broken, and hurting, can be spiritually triaged in order to receive the healing hope of Jesus Christ.

Passage: Romans 12:3-13

This week we start a new series looking at the foundations of CityReach Swissvale of belong, grow, worship, and engage. In an age of immense loneliness, Christ promotes a sense of social equity and allows our adoption into the loving family of God.

Passage: Galatians 3:26-29, 4:4-7

Elder Michael Drabik shares the word this week. He investigates lessons from the Trinity, God as one being and three persons. He looks at some of the trios we see in creation to help examine the Trinity.

Passage: Exodus 3:6