Jesus

Ekklesia | The Called-Out People of God

Who is the church, and why does it matter? This four-week study explores the Bible's images of the people of God, bringing clarity to the church's identity and inspiring renewed love for and commitment to our local church.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Who the Church Is and Why It Matters

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: The Church as a Bride

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

When You Pray

Jesus didn’t just tell us to pray—He taught us how. In this series, we’ll learn to pray by walking through the Lord’s Prayer, letting stories from the Gospels shape our posture, priorities, and trust in God. Together, we’ll discover prayer not as a formula to master, but a relationship that forms us as we learn to seek the Father’s heart.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Approaching God as Father

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: Hallowed Be Your Name

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3: Your Kingdom Come

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 5: Forgive Us Our Debts As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 6: Lead Us Not into Temptation But Deliver Us From Evil

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 7: Persisting in Prayer

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Stand-Alone | Trusting Christ with Your Dreams | May 10

SUNDAY SERMON

Sermon by Brandon Clements on May 10, 2026.

Key scripture: Matthew 4:17–22, Matthew 20:20-24

Following Jesus often means letting go of the future we planned—but in the process, discovering a greater one.

Stand-Alone | Trusting Christ with Your Dreams | May 10
Brandon Clements

Stand-Alone | Good Friday & Easter 2026

Sermon by Jake Blair on April 3, 2026 from our Downtown Good Friday Service.

On Good Friday, we looked to the Cross and the good news that because of Jesus, we are no longer separated from God. And celebrated Easter Sunday by looking at 1 Corinthians 15 and discussing how the most important event in history (the resurrection of Jesus) answers the most important question you will ever have to answer.

Stand-Alone | Good Friday 2026
Jake Blair

JOHN | Part 2

The book of John is a firsthand account from one of Jesus’ closest friends—someone who walked with Him, heard His voice, saw His miracles, stood at the cross, and ran to the empty tomb — so that “you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30). At its heart, the Gospel of John invites us not only to know the facts about Jesus but to encounter His love in a way that changes how we see ourselves, our purpose, and the world around us.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Parakletos

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: The Truth about Change

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3: The Right Kind of Problem

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4: A Life Lit Up by The Spirit

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 5: Your Sorrow Will Turn to Joy

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 6: The Hour of Glory

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 7: Kept, Sanctified & Sent

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 8: Unity Like the Trinity

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 9: More than a Victim

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 10: What Jesus Does With Failure

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 11: What is Truth?

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 12: The Sovereign Sacrifice

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 13: Everything Sad Will Come Untrue

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 14: Jesus: No Other King

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Stand-Alone | 10 Years and More

Sermon by Michael Bailey on January 4, 2026.

This Sunday we wanted to reflect on how God has been incredibly faithful and kind to our church family over the past 10 years. As we celebrate what He’s done we also look ahead at what He will do next.

Stand-Alone | 10 Years and More | January 4
Michael Bailey

JOHN

The book of John is a firsthand account from one of Jesus’ closest friends—someone who walked with Him, heard His voice, saw His miracles, stood at the cross, and ran to the empty tomb — so that “you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30). At its heart, the Gospel of John invites us not only to know the facts about Jesus but to encounter His love in a way that changes how we see ourselves, our purpose, and the world around us.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: The Word Made Flesh

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: John the Baptist

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3: Follow Me

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4: Water into Wine

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 5: Cleansing the Temple

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 6: You Must Be Born Again

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 7: The Women at the Well

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 8: The Pool of Bethesda

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 9: The Bread of Life

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 10: The Jesus Dilemma

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 11: The Light of the World

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 12: The Man Born Blind

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 13: The Good Shepherd

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 14: Lazarus & Resurrection Life

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 15: The Escalation

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 16: The Triumphal Entry

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 17: What True Greatness Looks Like

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 18: The Shape That Love Takes

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 19: The Way Home

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Advent Guides

Advent is the season of anticipation in the church calendar—a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, the promised Messiah and Light of the World.

This digital Advent guide is designed to help you engage with Scripture daily, reflect, and pray, either on your own or as a family. It includes a daily Scripture reading plan along with a Family Advent Wreath/Candle Lighting Guide.


Ecclesiastes | And the Power to Enjoy

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon pulls no punches. Though he has access to more wealth, prestige, experiences–though he has more accomplishments than most humans ever will–he finds the end result of them all severely lacking. “Vanity,” he says. Meaningless. A striving after the wind.

In chapter 5, he notes there is a difference between having wealth and possessions and “power to enjoy them” (Eccl 5:19). The whole book seeks to answer the question, how do we, as finite humans who all face the certainty of death, get the power to enjoy the imperfect lives we have? 

The only answer, which we’ll trace through the major movements of the book, is to live with a perspective that is beyond the sun, rather than under the sun. To have our eyes set on the eternal, not the earthly.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Is This It?

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: That Won't Fix You

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3: Toil, Vexation and the Gift of Joy

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4: Everything In Its Season

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 5: Two Are Better Than One

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 6: The Disease of More

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 7: Keeping the End in Mind

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 8: The End of the Matter

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

After the Cross of Christ

Because of Jesus' resurrection, everything has changed. 

In our previous sermon series, we unpacked the significance of Jesus' atoning death on the Cross. For this series, we're shifting our focus to a short period immediately after Jesus' death and resurrection, and all that entails for us as we grow in following Jesus together.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Breakfast on the Beach

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: The Road to Emmaus

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3: The Ascension

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4: Pentecost

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Stand-Alone | Easter 2025

Sermon by Michael Bailey on April 20, 2025.

Our church family spent Easter Sunday together, celebrating our Risen Savior! Baptism videos from the Easter Gathering and this week's LifeGroup Guide are below.

Baptism Stories

The Cross of Christ

It has been said that the Atoning work of Jesus is like a multi-faceted diamond. What Christ accomplished on the cross is massive, and its window into the heart of God is grand. In this series, we study the many things Jesus’ death and resurrection achieved as we prepare our hearts and minds for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Substitution

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Expiation

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Redemption

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Adoption

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

JAMES

To faithfully follow Jesus, our faith must be marked by action. Our belief should lead us into good works and obedience. In the book of James, we are challenged by the brother of Jesus to examine the authenticity of our faith and to ensure that it fills each area of our everyday lives.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Consider it Joy (James 1:1-12)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: When He Is Tempted (James 1:13-18)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Be Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only (James 1:22-2:13)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Is It Faith? (James 2:14-26)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Taming the Tongue (James 3:1-18)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: What Causes Quarrels Among You? (James 4:1-12)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: You Are a Mist (James 4:13-5:6)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Establish Your Hearts

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Revelation | The Advent of Jesus

SERMONS | ADVENT PROJECTS | RESOURCES | TEXT-IN QUESTIONS

The word Advent means “arrival,” and this time of year, the global church celebrates the arrival of the birth of Jesus. But this celebration is not an end in itself. It’s a reason to hope as we look ahead to the second Advent - the return of Jesus. 

For the next four weeks, we’re looking at the book of Revelation and what Jesus’ second Advent will look like. Far from being a book filled with hidden codes and secrets, Revelation teaches us how to live between the first and second Advent. Because Jesus was born, we can live with the hope that Jesus will return. All our hope for the future is tied to a baby that gives us a “no matter what” hope for the future.

This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Pulling Back the Curtain

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: The Baby Who Slayed the Dragon

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: The Way of the Lamb vs. the Way of the Dragon

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: All Things New

(Sermon)

One of our goals as a church family is to be generous people. So every year around the holidays, we press into generosity to think about God’s generosity to us and to talk about how we can grow in walking in the kind of generous love He’s shown to us. 

Each year, we focus on three practical ways to grow in generosity:

PROJECT DETAILS

1 -   Start Tithing

We consider tithing a spiritual practice that helps develop a lifestyle of sacrificial generosity. We encourage church members to set up a recurring tithe because the gospel transforms us to be generous around the holidays and throughout the year. It’s also specifically how we fund and fuel all we do as a church in our city.

2 - Give to Serve the City 

Serve the City is our initiative as a church family to partner with local organizations serving the most vulnerable people in our city. This year, we are raising $20,000 to fund the various Serve the City initiatives we do throughout the year to serve these organizations and the people they work with. These funds will also go towards our Serve the City Weekend on March 22, 2025. We partner with the following local organizations:

Transitions

Home Works

The Ezekiel Center

Epworth Children's Home

Daybreak

Salvation Army

3 - Personal Finance Seminar

We want to equip our church family to be spiritually healthy by stewarding the financial resources God has entrusted us. On January 25, 2025 from 9am-12pm at our Downtown church, we’re hosting a practical training class to manage your finances, pay off debt, invest well, and practice biblical generosity.

Check out our Year of Biblical Literacy site for more articles, podcasts, and book recommendations.

BOOKS | COURSES | ARTICLES

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text "LEXINGTON" followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.

Hebrews | Christ & the New Covenant

Near the tail end of our Year of Biblical Literacy, we come to the rich, dense book of Hebrews. It’s full of callbacks and history, threads pulled from all across the Old Testament. The author assumes intimate knowledge of the old covenant –the sacrificial system, the tabernacle, the promised land–and then shows that they were incomplete, only “copies and shadows.” 

Each is an arrow pointing to Christ, who himself becomes the mediator of the new covenant–the perfect high priest, the meeting place between God and man, the source of eternal rest for those united to him.

This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Christ and the New Covenant

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: The Descent and Ascent of Christ

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Christ the True and Better Moses

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Today, If You Hear His Voice, Do Not Harden Your Hearts

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Christ the Perfect High Priest and Sacrifice

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Directions for Endurance

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: The Hall of Faith (and the Vision Required to be There)

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: A Loving Father's Unshakable Kingdom

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: A Tale of Three Mountains

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Check out our Year of Biblical Literacy site for more articles, podcasts, and book recommendations.

BOOKS | COURSES | ARTICLES

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text "LEXINGTON" followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.

The Gospel | The Kingdom of God is at Hand

SERMONS | RESOURCES | TEXT-IN QUESTIONS

How would you summarize Jesus’ teachings? Depending on who you ask, you’re likely to get different answers. However, Jesus’ summary statement is actually one of his first statements in the Gospels: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

In other words, Jesus’ life and teachings are all about ushering in God’s loving rule and reign on Earth as it is in Heaven. So what might His kingdom look like in our city, and how do we faithfully follow Him in our time and place?

Join us for five weeks as we examine the life and teachings of Jesus and consider how the good news of the Kingdom and its King changes everything.

This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: The Kingdom of God Is at Hand

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: The Bread of Life

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: The Redemptive Power of Forgiveness

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Idolatry in the Kingdom

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: The Pursuit of Greatness

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Check out our Year of Biblical Literacy site for more articles, podcasts, and book recommendations.

BOOKS | COURSES | ARTICLES

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text "LEXINGTON" followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.

Advent 2023

SERMONS | ADVENT GUIDE | ADVENT PROJECTS

"Advent" means "arrival." And since the early church, God's people have celebrated the arrival of Jesus' birth during this time of year. As we remember his first arrival, we also look ahead to Jesus' promised second arrival - when He will return and make all things new. So, each week, we'll look at different aspects of Christ's coming and how that should shape how we think, feel, and react to the Christmas season.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Hope

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Peace

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Joy

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Love

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Christmas Eve

(Sermon)

To help us prepare our hearts for the Christmas season, we wrote an Advent devotional guide for you and your LifeGroup to work through during this season. The suggested donation is $8 per copy.

One of our goals as a church family is to be generous people. So every year around the holidays, we press into generosity to think about God’s generosity to us and to talk about how we can grow in walking in the kind of generous love He’s shown to us. 

This year, we are focusing on three practical ways to grow in generosity:

#1. START TITHING

We consider tithing a spiritual practice that helps develop a lifestyle of sacrificial generosity. We encourage church members to set up a recurring tithe because the gospel transforms us to be generous around the holidays and throughout the year. It’s also specifically how we fund and fuel all we do as a church in our city.

#2. PERSONAL FINANCE SEMINAR

We want to equip our church family to be spiritually healthy by stewarding the financial resources God has entrusted us. On January 27 from 9am-12pm at our Downtown church, we’re hosting a practical training class to manage your finances, pay off debt, invest well, and practice biblical generosity.

#3. GIVE TO SERVE THE CITY 

Serve the City is our initiative as a church family to partner with local organizations serving the most vulnerable people in our city. This year, we want to fund the various Serve the City events we do throughout the year to serve these organizations and the people they work with. These funds will also go towards our Serve the City Weekend on March 16, 2024. We partner with the following local organizations:

  • Transitions

  • Home Works for America

  • The Ezekiel Center

  • Epworth Children's Home

  • Daybreak

  • Salvation Army

Jesus &

Jesus Christ controls the universe with His power. He is supreme, and how you view Him changes how you view everything else. But Jesus is also intimately personal -  what does Jesus have to say about you? What does He say to you in your hurt? What does He have to say to you in your doubts? What does He have to tell you when you screw up?

For this series, we’ll spend seven weeks looking at how Jesus interacts with different types of people in Scripture and what He has to say to us too.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Jesus & the Jealous

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: Jesus & the Slow to Learn

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Jesus & the Hurting

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Jesus & the Outcast

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Jesus & the Bully

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Jesus & the Doubter

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Jesus & the Little Ones

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Stand-Alone | The Parable of the Wonderful Father

Sermon by Michael Bailey on June 18, 2023.

In Luke 15, we find one of Jesus' most famous teachings. It is often called "the Parable of the Prodigal Son" or "the Parable of the Two Sons." While the two siblings have much to teach us, perhaps we are also invited to understand this passage through a different lens: the Parable of the Wonderful Father. In this passage, Jesus radically upends what many believe God is like and invites us to recapture the wonder of His love and grace.

Stand-Alone | The Parable of the Wonderful Father | June 18
Michael Bailey

Colossians

SERMONS | RESOURCE ROUND-UP

A growing church. A bustling city. Cultural pressures threaten the way of Jesus - from religion to philosophy, to mysticism and politics.

It’s here, around 60AD, that the apostle Paul, in prison, writes to this church. Here, he offers a panoramic view of Jesus and how this bigger view changes how you view your life and reality itself.

So for the next ten weeks, we’ll study this book as we ask - what does the church in Colossae have to say to our church? What are the cultural pressures we face? And how does a bigger view of Jesus change how we view everything else?

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: TexMex & Christianity

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 2: All Things for All Time

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 3: Mature in Christ

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 4: Hold Fast to Christ, the Head

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 5: Put Off

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 6: Getting Heaven Into Us

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 7: Getting Heaven Into the Home

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 8: Work, Slavery, and Power Dynamics

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

Week 9: The Frisbee on the Roof

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)

One of the main ways we grow into the image of Jesus is to listen, meditate, and live out what He says in Scripture. To help us with that, for this series, we’re offering resources to help you further study the passage from Sunday.

Below you can find related videos, podcasts, and articles to learn more about the passage we studied that Sunday. You can also choose to receive those resources every Monday straight to your inbox. Just type in your email below. For now, we only have the first few weeks of the series posted, but more will be added soon.

* indicates required

WEEK 1

WATCH

“Book of Colossians Summary” from The Bible Project (9 minutes) For almost ten years, The Bible Project has released short explainer videos of every book of the Bible. This video provides a visual overview of what Colossians is all about.

“How to Read the New Testament Letters” from The Bible Project (6 minutes) Another one. Along with Bible book overviews, The Bible Project also has a series on how to read different genres of the Bible. This one centers around how to read New Testament Letters.

“Letter to the Colossians” by N.T. Wright (14 minutes) If you don’t know the name, N.T. Wright might be the GOAT in New Testament studies. Combining both the academic and pastoral, Wright provides the cultural landscape of Colossae, situated within the Roman Empire.

LISTEN

“Strength to Wait with Patience” from Desiring God (3 minutes) A devotional written by John Piper on Colossians 1:11 - is available both as an article and as a podcast episode.

READ

“Knowing the Bible: Colossians and Philemon” from The Gospel Coalition (over an hour) TGC released a free 12-week class on this book. Talk about a deep dive.

WEEK 2

WATCH

“Heaven and Earth” from The Bible Project (7 minutes) Like we mentioned in the sermon, Heaven is more than just a place you go to when you die. As the video explains, the emphasis of the Bible is that Heaven is a reality you can experience through Jesus now.

“Understanding God’s Identity in the Bible” from The Bible Project (8 minutes) Arguably one of the densest pieces of theology in the Bible, The Bible Project explains the concept of the Trinity.

LISTEN

“How Did God Reconcile All Things to Himself?” from Desiring God (14 minutes) John Piper dives more into Colossians 1:20 on his popular Ask Pastor John podcast series.

“The Son of God: Dr. Iron’s Trinitarian View of Jesus” from Trinities (50 minutes) This is a deep one - one of the premier Trinitarian theologians discusses the biblical view of the Trinity on a podcast devoted to talking solely about the Trinity. Meta.

READ

“He Holds All Things Together” from Desiring God (30 minutes) Both a sermon and a manuscript unpacking Colossians 1:15-20 from David Mathis, the executive editor at desiringGod.com.

“The Preeminence of Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (22 minutes) A seminary chapel message to an audience of mostly seminarians, Dr. Dusenbury unpacks Colossians 1:15-20.

WEEK 3

WATCH

“What Happens When We Die According to the Bible?” from The Bible Project (55 minutes) Last week’s text/idea was a big one, so to unpack a bit more on this concept, here’s more from Dr. Tim Mackie.

Kids Bible Devotional - Rooted in God | Colossians 2:6-7 from YoungHearts Ministries (5 minutes) Ok this is a little cheesy, but a great little video to teach kids about being “rooted in Christ.”

LISTEN

“Guard Yourself with Gratitude” from Desiring God (35 minutes) This is a sermon of John Piper’s from 1985. So yeah, this is a throwback.

READ

Colossians and Philemon For You by Mark Meynell For those interested in Bible commentaries, the “For You” series is an accessible, concise set of commentaries that digs into different books of the Bible.

“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (15 minutes) Dr. Ligon Duncan works through this passage in Colossians expositionally with his seminary students.

WEEK 4

WATCH

“Spiritual Beings series” from The Bible Project (about 5 minutes per video) When Paul mentions “elemental spirits” in Colossians 2:20, he doesn’t really believe evil spirits exist…right? In this video series, The Bible Project brings up an important concept that serves as a helpful biblical backdrop.

LISTEN

“What is Baptism and How Important Is it?” from Desiring God (45 minutes) Baptism is a central part of Paul’s argument in this passage - so how are we to think about baptism biblically? John Piper got you.

READ

“How Do Baptism and Circumcision Correspond?” from Desiring God (46 minutes) Also central to Paul’s argument in the passage is the connection between circumcision and baptism. So….what’s that about? Once again, John Piper on the mic!

The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser If that Bible Project video series whet your appetite, then check out the book that inspired it (outside the Bible, of course). This book teeters on the intellectual side, so Heiser also released a non-academic version of the book too called Supernatural. Either book is well worth your time.

WEEK 5

WATCH

“The Glory of Christ and Racial Unity” from Desiring God (45 minutes) What does Jesus’ death and resurrection have to do with racial unity? A lot actually. Here, John Piper unpacks how because of Jesus’ work, He is drawing all people to Himself.

LISTEN

“Saved From God’s Wrath” from The Bible Project (56 minutes) The Bible Project not only is the top-tier video resource, their podcasts are also pretty solid too. In this one, the gang covers how to think about the atonement.

“The Light Beyond the Light” from Desiring God (4 minutes) I love that title! In this quick podcast, John Piper unpacks what it means to be seated with Christ.

READ

“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (20 minutes) Once again, Dr. Ligon Duncan, president of RTS, teaches through the book of Colossians.

BONUS VIDEO

A couple of years ago, most of us learned to be pros at Zoom. The key phrase here is, “most of us.”

WEEK 6

WATCH

“What Jesus Meant by Eternal Life” by The Bible Project (6 minutes) The call to “put on” Christ is a call to step more and more into the abundant life Jesus makes us available to us now. The Bible Project unpacks this more.

“What Happens When We Sing?” by Desiring God (1 hour) In Colossians 3, one way in which we let the “word of Christ dwell in us richly” is through singing together. In this sermon, John Piper presses into this idea and why singing is a crucial practice in our formation to Jesus.

LISTEN

“Gloria Furman on Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life” by The Gospel Coalition (49 minutes) ”Whatever you feel defines you, look at this in light of what you read in Colossians—that this life is not all there is. You know that. We all know that. God has put eternity in man’s heart. But we have to do the hard work of remembering that our life is hidden with Christ in God.”

“Matt Chandler on Worship” by The Gospel Coalition (48 minutes) In this sermon given to an audience of worship pastors, Matt Chandler speaks on the importance of worship in our lives.

READ

Following Jesus Together - We created a website on spiritual practices to help us further “put on” Christ. Here you’ll find blogs and videos on how to abide with Jesus, confess sin, fast, and more.

“Living Together When Christ is All” by Desiring God (26 minutes)

WEEK 7

Watch

Parenting Resources from Midtown Fellowship There are a million voices and blogs telling you what to do and not do as a parent. So we created and pooled together some of the best parenting content to help!

“Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing” from Desiring God (53 minutes) Colossians speaks to the importance of marriage. Ephesians 5 is also a great text in the New Testament, further unpacking that. In this sermon, John Piper speaks to how marriage is a pointer to the work of Jesus.

LISTEN

“How do I Not Provoke My Children?” from Desiring God (12 minutes) Colossians 3:21 warns against fathers provoking children. But what could that look like?

”Family of God” from The Bible Project A podcast series on the biblical theme of family from Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins. Enjoy!

The Family of God sermon series from Midtown Fellowship How we love our neighbor reflects our love for God and how we love God manifests itself in how we love our neighbor. And the reality is, while our “neighbor” encompasses everyone, it most immediately applies to who we share a home with and see daily. Check out our sermons from 2021 as we unpack this more.

READ

Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley “Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other.”

Family Worship by Donald Whitney “Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family’s spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way.”

WEEK 8

Watch

"Does the Bible Support Slavery?" from The Gospel Coalition (1 hour) Dr. Peter Williams (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) argues, based on the standard definition of slavery, no. "To make his argument, he examines the key Old Testament and New Testament texts said to support slavery. Along the way, he looks at the biblical words commonly associated with slavery and how their translation has changed over time. He also looks at the logic of the Old Testament world and the way ancient societies were structured quite differently from ours."

LISTEN

Precious in His Sight sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. In our sermon, we explored the power dynamics at play in Roman culture and how Jesus speaks into those dynamics. And while our context looks different than Rome, we want to equip each other to understand better our nation's history and how to navigate such issues.

Work sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. We can put love into our work without necessarily loving our work. Check out our sermon series from 2019 to learn more.

READ

Garden City by John Mark Comer. "Does God care where I work?" "Does he have a clear direction for me?" "How can I create a practice of rest?" Check out this book on work to learn more.

How Then Should We Work? by Hugh Whelchel. This book covers topics like the difference between work, vocation, and calling as a Christian, the history of the Christian view on work, the call to "reweave shalom" through your job, how to live a life of deep significance, and more.

Resources on Race by Midtown Fellowship. "As followers of Jesus, we stand up for righteousness, truth, justice, and love - because those things are definitive of life in the Kingdom of Heaven…In the list of resources, we've also included links to organizations and opportunities for you to take further steps to stand up for justice and love." 

WEEK 9

Watch

“How Does God Answer Prayer for Others?” by Tyler Staton (13 minutes). When we pray for others, what happens to us? Check out this video (and honestly, this whole series is awesome and worth your time.)

“Paradise Now” by Tim Mackie (50 minutes). From the 24-7 Prayer USA Conference, The Bible Project’s Tim Mackie talks about entering this Heaven and Earth reality when we step into prayer.

LISTEN

“The Power of Persistent Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (30 minutes) This was from our Acts sermon series in 2022. (Personally, I’m a fan of whenever we can mention Dwayne the Rock Johnson as an example.)

“The Practice of Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (38 minutes) Fom our 2020 series based on the Sermon on the Mount, “The Way of Jesus.”

READ

“Abide” from Following Jesus Together. For some practical steps on prayer, including blogs and videos, check out our Abide page and practices like “Lectio Divina” and “Examen Prayer.”

“Persevere in Prayer!” from Desiring God (5 minutes) John Piper unpacks Colossians 4:2-6 and offers five guidelines for prayer.

A Praying Life by Paul Miller IMO, this is one of the best books of prayer in the last ten or so years.

BONUS VIDEO

Hoop dreams!

Stand-Alone | Easter 2023

Sermon by Brandon Clements on April 9.

Our Easter sermon will focus on reasons why we can be confident Jesus is alive, and why that should make us incredibly happy. Join us on this Resurrection Sunday to celebrate world-changing news!

Baptism Stories