Multiply, Take 2 (Part 2)
So what does the story of Gideon have to do with LifeWay? What does it have to do with Multiply and our resources? Well, I think that as we consider our resources as followers of Jesus, we have to remember that, whether we have a lot or a little to offer, nothing good happens unless God makes it happen. Heather Althoff
Multiply, Take 2 (Part 1)
I think this story is important because it relates a fundamental truth about our resources —whether they’re scarce or plentiful: The purpose of our resources is not our comfort. It’s not our glory. It’s not even necessarily our survival. The purpose of our resources is to reveal God to this world and to glorify Him. Amy Parodi
Jonah and Justice
There is no real justice unless it is found at the foot of the cross. … I can only find justice at the foot of the cross. I can only find reconciliation when I bring others to the foot of the cross as well.” Billy Arnold
Duty of Care (Part 4)
The only answer we have is Jesus Christ. And the power we have as a person is not just the power of a Facebook post; it’s a life of influence in prayer.
Duty of Care (Part 3)
I want you to truly develop a prayer list that is very specific. Jesus prayed for today, then he prayed for himself, and then he prayed for his first round of disciples that were in his personal care. Billy Arnold
Duty of Care (Part 1)
All of history has been pointing to this moment—literally, since the creation of the universe, has brought us to this moment. And now in his own duty of care, [Jesus] turns his attention to the Father…and he says: The time is coming…it has now arrived. Take heart; I have overcome the world. –Billy Arnold
Epic Savior (Epic, Part 4)
The found are just like the lost in that we are both undeserved…but the one huge difference is they’ve accepted in and opened their heart to the grace of God, who can literally fill and restore their relationship with the creator God of the universe. And how is that done? Through the one…The one is God’s epic finale, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Epic Future (Epic, Part 3)
Full maturity is confidence that leads to patience, that leads us to endurance, that leads us to consistency in life, that leads us to dead-on, heavy-duty maturity. — Pastor Billy Arnold
Epic Family (Epic, Part 2)
When you come to faith in Christ, you are reborn—you are brought in—to become a child of God. The creation of God becomes a child of God when you are adopted in, and regenerated and restored. — Pastor Billy Arnold
Epic Pardon (Epic, Part 1 — Easter Sunday)
The reason this epic story is real is because it reaches back to the core of what each one of us knows that we are. We are created to be in the image of God, and yet we’ve lost it. And God sent an answer to restore that image-bearing part of our lives. It’s epic because it’s a part of God’s forever story. — Pastor Billy Arnold
Living Under the Shadow of the Almighty, Part 2
Use this as an opportunity to grow. Develop your character. Let your personal life be shaped in a whole that way by depth that you could have never [otherwise] experienced. … This is the perfect moment, if you abide in Christ.
Living Under the Shadow of the Almighty, Part 1
You’re vulnerable only when you’re left in your own state. But when you are literally standing in the security and the understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord—here’s the bottom line—you have no insecurity.
Multiply, Part 1: Small Resources
God has called us to invest whatever it is that we have into something that becomes productive. Something that becomes green. Something that becomes eternal. … The tragedy is when we just waste it away, out of fear of failure. You cannot fail when you’re investing in the things of God.
Uncharted Territory, Part 9: The Church Crosses the Divide into Uncharted Territory
Uncharted Territory, Part 9: The Church Crosses the Divide into Uncharted Territory An ambassador is the greatest job in the world. To represent your country… This is the greatest job that we have, because we represent the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One and Only, there is no other. It is not to be shared in any way. We are ambassadors in that. And we are a unified Body — as a church, and you as an individual.…
Uncharted Territory, Part 8: The First-Century Church Transitions into the Uncharted World
What do we teach when we go out into uncharted territory? “There is no other God.” … What you teach out there in this world is a singular devotion. Don’t pair it up with anything else.
Uncharted Territory, Part 7: From Gospel to Growth
Uncharted Territory, Part 7: From Gospel to Growth This process of sanctification is a life-long process. It’s a life-long journey forward, and at no point in the Christian life can we be stagnant in our faith. And remember that oftentimes with growth, there are growing pains. As Paul said, “It is good that some of us might suffer for the Kingdom.” … So may we all go out from here to preach the gospel, to allow for a response, and…
Uncharted Territory, Part 6: Guided by the Holy Spirit
Uncharted Territory, Part 6: Guided by the Holy Spirit This is what Spirit-empowered disciples do: they share the good news. They witness to the work of Jesus. And this is what Spirit-led churches do: they send out these Spirit-empowered disciples. The question for us today is, are we that kind of a church? Are we those kinds of disciples? … The Holy Spirit guides all of this. Without the Holy Spirit, we are just a gathering of mostly nice people who…
Uncharted Territory, Part 5: From Imprisonment to Freedom
Uncharted Territory, Part 5: From Imprisonment to Freedom What does it mean to us that God is sovereign? It says that if God is sovereign — and I do believe that He is — then it is right for you and me to surrender ourselves to Him. We surrender ourselves to God and we allow Him to do whatever He wishes with us. James surrendered his life to God. Peter surrendered his life. It is no use fighting against a sovereign…
Uncharted Territory, Part 4: From 1st Generation to 2nd Generation
Uncharted Territory, Part 5: From 1st Generation to 2nd Generation My dream for LifeWay is that we become a next-generation church, just like Antioch. … [a church that] says, “I am not afraid to live on the frontier lines of anything as a church, to face the issues of what may come our way. And the only way I’m going to do that is [to be] an authentic follower of Jesus.” Download the PDF above to follow along with notes.
Uncharted Territory, Part 3: From Jew to Gentile
Uncharted Territory, Part 3: From Jew to Gentile God was using the children and the voice of Abraham to bring a message to the children of anyone else who could come by faith: you don’t have to be born physically into this. … We’re called to be pioneers to train people and teach people about the sovereignty of God — teach people about the lineage that can be found in Christ and Christ alone. And the only identity that I…