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14. What the Resurrection Really Means (October 14, 2018) Many Christians think that they have the resurrection figured out, but for the early Christians this event raised more questions than it answered. What does it mean to affirm as true that Jesus is alive? Even more importantly, HOW is this claim true? In this message, Pastor Mark offers a new perspective on the resurrection of Jesus that will help modern people who struggle with this central idea in Christianity.
13. From Failure to Wisdom in the Safety of Forgiveness (October 7, 2018) We all fail, but in the safety of forgiveness we can learn important lessons from our failure that make us wiser and more faithful, which also makes us more helpful to others enduring similar struggles. Check out this message to see how you can fail forward!
12. Dying to Live: The Dialectic of Suffering and Hope (September 30, 2018) All of us experience suffering that is beyond our control, but why would anyone choose suffering? Human beings naturally pursue pleasure and avoid pain, so what do we make of Jesus' call to take up our cross and follow him? How do we make sense of his teaching that we cannot truly live unless we are willing to die? In this message, Pastor Mark explains that we are willing to accept suffering if we believe it serves a higher purpose, and then tackles these questions by attending to the dialectic of suffering and hope.
11. Preparing for Storms: Finding Peace in Chaos (September 23, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark talks about the importance of preparing for storms in life. If we wait until all hell breaks loose, then we may be overcome with fear and make unwise, compulsive decisions that make things worse. In contrast, by daily imitating the life of Jesus and cultivating a vital relationship with him through prayer, we can receive everything we need to navigate storms with wisdom and faith.
10. Suffering, Confession, and Repentance (September 16, 2018) When we suffer pain as a result of sin, God gives us a way out through confession, repentance, and forgiveness. It takes time and it's not easy but healing and release is possible.
9. Preparing for Stormy Seas: The Necessity and Gift of Suffering (September 16, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark reflects on how to navigate suffering in ways that lead to spiritual growth.
8. You Never Walk Alone: Change, Spiritual Jouneys, and Resurrection (September 9, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark reflects on the challenges we face when navigating change and the resources God makes available to help us, including the presence of the Spirit of Jesus. This is the final message in the Matthew series on the first path of the Quadratos.
7. Responding to Betrayal: The Ongoing Obligations of Love (August 26,2018) Have you ever been betrayed? How did you handle it? Conversely, have you ever betrayed others? Have you betrayed yourself? How did you come back from it? In this video, Pastor Mark shows how the passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew gives us helpful tools for dealing with these challenging situations.
6. Questioning Religious Authority: Faith, Doubt, and Truth (August 19, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark reflects on a pervasive problem in religion: the idea that people should blindly follow rules and refrain from questioning the religious leaders that teach and enforce them. To support this way of thinking, some pastors command parishioners to embrace a naive, flat, literal reading of the Bible that ignores its historical, cultural, religious, and literary context. When all of this is played out in the church we get dead moralism and religious authoritarianism. To break free, we must garner the wisdom, courage, and strength to question religious authority in pursuit of a more integrated grasp of the truth.
5. Remember Who You Are: Beatitudes, Identity, Vision (August 5, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark interprets the beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12 as words of truth and encouragement for those experiencing difficulty while trying to follow Jesus. They remind us of who we really are according to the value system of the kingdom of God and give direction to our spiritual journey.
4. Temptation to Escape Pain: Three Things that can Derail Spiritual Transformation (July 29, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark teaches about the temptations of Jesus in Matthew 4 to help us see three things that constantly threaten to derail our spiritual journey.
3. Courage and Faith: Overcoming Fear of the New (July 15, 2018) When old ways of thinking, believing, and acting no longer work, we hear the call to a new journey that leads to transformation. However, the unknown provokes fear and forces a decision: Do we try to recover a lost past or do we find ways to discover new meaning, purpose, and value? In this video, Pastor Mark reflects on how to deal with fear when navigating change.
2. Light and Dark: Embracing your Whole Story (July 8, 2018) Are you going through a season of change in life? Then check out this message on how the story of your life can provide courage, strength, and hope. Too often we cut ourselves off from memories that evoke pain, embarrassment, or shame, but these dark spots, when properly understood, can be the most powerful and transformative elements of our story. Listen to see how!
1. Quadratoes and the Importance of Transformation (July 1, 2018) In this message, Pastor Mark talks about the goal of Christianity as radical transformation and then introduces the idea of Quadratos as a way of reading the gospels to help us in this endeavour.