We kick off a new series through the book of Genesis, For Glory and for Good, with a look at the beginning of the world. As Pastor Caleb shows, though much has been made of interpreting the scientific and historical details of this creation account, Genesis is primarily a work of theological declaration. This God is different from all others, both in Israel's day and ours. Sovereign, eternal, and fundamentally relational, the God of Genesis moves to fill every void with His glory, every darkness with His light, and all the earth with His love. The details of God's work do matter, but as we see, they are good because together they reveal the heart of God and the place He prepares for us to be with Him.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Genesis 1:1-2:3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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Pastor Caleb closes our discipleship series, Walking Home, with a look at community. As we see the first church established in the book of Acts, we find in the Gospel's proclamation and its reception among an emerging community a truth that is easily obscured in our contemporary, individualist context: You can't seek the face of God without finding the body of Christ. Atonement and adoption are parts of God's same redemptive movement to us, which means the joyful life He has for us is one we can only receive as part of His new family.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Acts 2:37-47⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our good friend Amanda Gallegos joins us for our Walking Home series with a look at what happens when we live our lives by the rhythm of communion. Jesus' promise to his disciples in John 15 points to abiding with him as a blessed choice we get to make, one that frees us from the burden of growth and opens us to the joy of groundedness.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John 15:1-7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (ESV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

As our series Walking Home continues, we move from the subject of pain to the subject of healing. Taking a look at Luke 9, Pastor Caleb considers what it means for disciples to know hunger as they're called to feed the hungry. In our lives of following Jesus, are we meant to serve others only when we're ready? Or can we minister even while we're mending? We see in the calling, equipping, and sending that Jesus gives to his disciples interconnected acts of obedience and interwoven means of provision.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Luke 9:1-6, 10-17⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Pastor Caleb continues our series Walking Home with a look at the prayer life of a disciple. Throughout Scripture we see the people of God come to Him with boldness and honesty through the practice of lament. More than a doubtful complaint levied at God's character, prayers of lament represent pleas from the faithful for God to be who He has promised to be. These prayers represent a critical component in the development of our faith. They guide us through sorrows that all humanity experiences by anchoring us to a God who is present and compassionate. Pastor Caleb takes a look at Psalm 22, which Jesus famously quotes as he is first set on his cross. On the lips of a suffering savior, we see in lament the power of God abiding with us in pain and preparing us for praise.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Psalm 22⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NIV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our series on discipleship, Walking Home, continues with a look at what it means to practice our faith. Pastor Caleb turns to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. What is a Christian? Many of us define faith by what is done, but if we start with activity before identity, we will miss growing into what we're called to be. The love of God, as Paul shows, is the ground of our being. It gives us purpose, guides all our activity, and must always be our greatest priority.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1 Corinthians 13⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NIV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Pastoral Resident Nate Garza continues our series on discipleship, Walking Home, considering the topic of transformation. What does it mean to be made new? When the Spirit works in us, what is evidence of change? Looking at Paul's words in his letter to Titus, we discover the power of a heart regenerated to love like Christ and a mind renewed to think like Christ.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Titus 3:1-8⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠this link⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Continuing our series on discipleship, Walking Home, Pastor Caleb looks at the other side of following Jesus. Looking at Luke chapter five, we see in Jesus' call to Peter and to Levi – two very different men who see the Lord and take him at his word – that to "come and see" we must "leave everything." The sick and the sinful find in Jesus hope for today and for tomorrow. With his life in us, we can embark on a transformative journey, where old selves, prior hopes, and former glories are exposed and removed with each step taken after Christ.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Luke 5:1-11, 27-32⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠this link⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

We begin a new series on discipleship, Walking Home, with a look at Jesus' invitation to follow after him, given to his disciples in the Gospel of John: "Come and see." His call helps us to set aside many contemporary misconceptions of following him, and we see in his words that a life of faith rests on a foundation of relationship, that no amount of activity or experience could compensate for distance from God. Pastor Caleb looks at this passage and four keys to healthy discipleship.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John 1:35-51⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click this link, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our series through Jesus’ Beatitudes continues with a look at God’s promise to the peacemakers. Pastoral Resident Nate Garza shares the meaning of Jesus’ statement by walking us through the Old Testament story of Jacob and Esau. As we see in their separation and eventual reconciliation, the peace of God that comes to us is meant to flow through us as well. Being a peacemaker requires spiritual preparation, willingness to rise to a moment of establishment, and a commitment to hold space for ongoing growth and healing.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Genesis 33:1-11 (ESV)⁠⁠⁠

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