To be reminded of the call for Rooftop Church.  On a day where we install 14 new members, we want to

remember the call of being ministers of the Gospel--to the lost, the broken, and the lonely.  Today, we

remember that God has brought all of us, ministered to us through this community.  We move with the

heart of a Shepherd and the 99 left behind: full of compassion and commitment for the one lost soul as

well as the patience and grace to welcome him home.

There are times in life where we feel all alone—abandoned, forgotten, or for

whatever other reasons, we seem to be unheard and uncared for. How are we

to respond in such a time for the people of the faith? We learn today that it’s

okay to not to be okay. There is an important lesson from the life of Job that we

steadfastly remain in God in the midst of our trials and pain.

In lieu of mother’s day, we want to probe through the Biblical description of how we ought to love. Ultimately, love is giving selflessly and endlessly. God loves us this way, and as Christ followers, we are encouraged and empowered love in the same way.

Life is hard. Life is too hard to do alone. We need God. We need other people. We are called to a “life with” God and others. Today, we learn the important concept of presence—God’s presence and others’ presence in our lives.

Today, we contemplate life from the 4 th day on. Scriptures tell us that being raised up

with Christ, we ought to seek the things above highlighting that we are dead to ourselves

and hidden with Christ in God. We will focus on the ways of the communal life which we

are called into—we ought to be kind, compassionate, gentle, forgiving. Paul says love

that harnesses these traits is the true mark of unity.

On this Easter Sunday, we explore through the words of Paul regarding our union with Christ. It is necessary for Christians to understand our participation in death and

resurrection with Christ. Resurrection is meaningful for those that have been declared dead. Our celebration of Christ’s resurrection today must begin with a reflection of how hopeless and miserable we are in our spiritual death. Today, we rise. Today, we declare our freedom from sin as Christ has defeated the power of sin.

This week is the Passion Week, and today is the first day of the Passion Week, known as "Palm Sunday". Growing up in the church I understood that Palm Sunday consisted of palm leaves and Jesus riding to Jerusalem on a donkey. Although, I understood that these elements in the scene were significant, I really didn't understand why they were. Today, I'll be sharing the symbolism and significance behind the different elements found in the scene of Palm Sunday as well as in regards to who Jesus is claiming Himself to be in this passage.

In an impersonal world, the church recognized persons of every possible status, saw them all, and knew them all by name.

We wrap up our “Be Pleasant” series today. When we started this series, we wanted to understand the importance of being a people of impact leading them to encounter God. When we look back at all of the traits of being pleasant, we have with us the greatest example in Jesus Christ. So, today, we focus on being more like Christ in His love—being kind and compassionate.

Is diligence (hard-work) a mark of a good Christian? God has allotted a certain portion for each of us; though the amount is different, God’s expectation for us to be faithful and diligent is the same across the board. The way we work, the way we steward what God has given us will often bear witness to the rest of the world. Today, we explore the why and what diligent life looks like.