Do you ever feel like you're walking in cirlces, or without purpose? Under the influence of this world and its ruler, it's far too easy to either miss completely, or to stray from the power of the gospel, and live with a cheap imitation or truncated gospel. In this passage Paul continues in God's gospel story by unpacking God's grace and mercy. Every beliver can walk with purpose, having full confidence in their story because God's act on behalf of sinners is nothing short of extravagant.

Ephesians 1:15-23

If you're anything like me you might find that it's easy in the normal rhythms of life to miss, or perhaps forget, just how great God's gift to us is. This week we dive into what seems to be Paul's spontaneous Hebrew poem about how richly God has blessed us with not just one, but every spiritual blessing. As a result, it's indicative that God is worthy of our praise.

Do you ever feel like Christianity is simply about "believing" and/or "doing" the right things? Or like there is a disconnect between what you believe and how you act? Or do you ever feel like in such a broken world why there isn't more unity? This week we introduce the book of Ephesians, and explore why being rooted and grounded in Christ's love is not only the most important, but also why it's so often missed.

Have you ever debated with yourself, or with Jesus, just how much Jesus should or shouldn't be a priority in your life? It's possibly a conversation we're all too familiar with. In todays passage we find Jesus "setting his face towards Jerusalem," determined to accomplish his mission, but how will Jesus finish his final year of ministry, and what are some of the challenges to following Jesus?

We revist Cave+Table+Road.

Not unlike today, in Jewish customs the table was a place for your most intimate friendships. Yet in today's passage we find Jesus recling with a group of despised outcasts. Scandelous! The reality is that we can choose to be inside the home with Jesus, or outside peering in. It all depends on how much we realize we need Jesus.

While some people are gifted with the ability to learn multiple languages, for most of us it's a serious challenge. Today, as we begin to wrap up our Risking Church series, we'll discover that however difficult, it's vitally important for us as Christians to be fluent in the gospel as it relates to all areas of our lives.

Treating others the way we would have them treat us is something we can quickly forget. We often get ourselves into trouble when we compare ourselves others, seeing my own righteousness against someone else's sin as the basis for our confidence. But the reality is that we're all a mess, and gravitating towards the brokenness in each other will inevitably lead us face to face with other people's sin, not to mention our own sin. What do we do when that happens? How do we handle each other in a way that builds community rather than destroys it?

We've all seen someone in need and chosen not to help. After all, it's all too easy to overlook someone or make excuses. But however you want to cook it, compassion seems to be in short supply these days. Yet Jesus radically addressed the human heart, challenging our view of love. Part of Risking Church is having a deep compassion for those in need.