Following Jesus Together

Acts Part 2 | The Story Continues | November 13

Sermon by Andrew Flowers on November 13, 2022.

The story of Acts doesn’t exactly conclude the way we would expect. That’s because God’s story is still being written. His Kingdom is still going forward. His Church is still growing. For this week, we’ll examine the last chapter of Acts and how God wants us to help play a part in writing His story.

Acts Part 2 | The Storm and the Shipwreck | November 6

Sermon by Michael Bailey on November 6, 2022.

In Acts 27, Paul sets sail to share the gospel in Rome only to later find himself shipwrecked. For this week, we’ll look at how Paul’s able to be a “non-anxious presence” in the midst of it all and how we can learn to do the same.

Acts Part 2 | Living in the Dash | October 30

Sermon by Michael Bailey on October 30, 2022.

In Acts 20, Paul is giving what we’ve often called a “gospel goodbye” - saying goodbye for the sake of God’s mission. For this week, we’ll look at some things Paul says about himself, in the hopes that one day we might be able to say them, too.

Acts Part 2 | The Church in Ephesus | October 23

Sermon by Michael Bailey on October 23, 2022.

This week we look at Acts 19, where Paul shares the gospel in the city of Ephesus. The gospel becomes so disruptive to the town that a riot occurs in the church planting process. So what does it look like today to allow the gospel to disrupt our lives?

Acts Part 2 | The Church in Athens | October 16

Sermon by Jake Blair on October 16, 2022.

This week we look at Acts 17. In this chapter, Paul finds himself in a city called Athens as he is asked to provide a reason as to why anyone might trust Jesus and become a Christian. So what’s Paul’s strategy and how might we learn from him when it comes to sharing Jesus with others?

Acts Part 2 | The Church in Philippi | October 9

Sermon by Jake Blair on October 9, 2022.

This week we look at Acts 16 and the unusual circumstances surrounding the church planted in Philippi. As a church on mission, what can we learn from Paul’s strange encounters?

Acts Part 2 | Mountains, Molehills, and Which Ones to Die On | October 2

Sermon by Michael Bailey on October 2, 2022.

In Acts 15 we see a theological dispute that threatens to tear the church apart. So what does the early church do and how can we learn from it?

Acts Part 2 | The Power of Persistent Prayer | September 25

Sermon by Michael Bailey on September 25, 2022.

In this week’s passage we see just how committed the early church was to prayer and what God did through those prayers. This is the type of church we want to be too. We want to be a place where miraculous things are happening and the only explanation is “Yeah I don’t know….we prayed and God did it.”

Acts Part 2 | The Church in Antioch | September 18

Sermon by Taylor Schombert on September 18, 2022.

In Acts 11 we see the church of Antioch. Strangely enough, none of the people that make up this church are named, and yet, God works in them to spread the gospel even further. By God’s grace, our hope is to be like them too.

Acts Part 2 | Who's In and Who's Out | September 11

Sermon by Michael Bailey on September 11, 2022.

One of the most significant barriers today to Christianity is that the gospel is too exclusive, but back then, one of the most significant barriers was that it was too inclusive. This week we look at Acts 10 and see that because of Jesus, no one is "unclean," and no one is too far off to belong. This concept is part of what makes God's church so beautiful.

Acts Part 2 | Three Expectations from the Life of Paul | September 4

Sermon by Michael Bailey on September 4, 2022.

Knowing what to expect is essential in life. Whether it comes to becoming an adult, getting married, or learning to parent, expectations are critical. It's the same with being a Christian. In Acts 9, we look more closely at Paul's life, the opposition he faced, and what that tells about following Jesus.

Acts Part 2 | A Defining Moment | August 28

Sermon by Michael Bailey on August 28, 2022.

From Acts 4 onward, the early church receives murderous threats from the Jewish elite. In Acts 9, we zoom in on one in particular: Saul of Tarsus, a religious, moral zealot who believed he was on the right side of history. This week we see what happens when God’s Spirit uses God’s people to help change the trajectory of his life.

Acts Part 2 | The Movement of God | August 21

Sermon by Michael Bailey on August 21, 2022.

As we get back into Acts, what does it mean to be the church? Why is it important? And how can we step into God’s story for us some 2,000 years removed from what we see in Acts?

Following Jesus Together | Abide | August 14

Sermon by Andrew Flowers on August 14, 2022.

We have a few catchphrases to narrate who we are, what we do, and what we’re about as a church. One of those is that we’re a people who are “Following Jesus Together.”

One of the primary tools we use to help us follow Jesus is our Covenant Practices - seven practices we believe are crucial for your spiritual health - one of which is abiding with Jesus.

So for this sermon we’ll be answering questions like, “What is the Bible?” “Why does it matter?” And, “Who are we becoming when we commit to this practice?"

Following Jesus Together: Gathering | People of the Table | August 15

Sermon by Brandon Clements on August 15, 2021.

In Luke 22:14-20 Jesus institutes the sacrament of communion to His disciples. Now we don’t know what all they understood at this point, but this was a category breaking event. This was no normal Passover meal. Jesus says He is starting a new covenant, a new way of relating to God the Father. And every week when we gather, we participate to remind ourselves of this reality.

Following Jesus Together: Gathering | People of the Word | August 8

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Sermon by Michael Bailey on August 8, 2021.

The average sermon is 40 minutes in length. So if you were to attend each Sunday, the total cumulative time spent listening to sermons in a year would be 36 hours. Taking that in account, what are you hoping will happen as a result of that time? Why spend so much time having someone teach you from the Bible each and every week? More broadly, why is one of the focal points of our time together reading from, explaining and applying a 2000+ year old collection of literature?

To answer that, we’ll look at a handful of passages including 2 Timothy 3, Hebrews 4, Titus 2, and Luke 8.

Following Jesus Together: Gathering | Embodying a Better Way | August 1

Sermon by Michael Bailey on August 1, 2021.

Our world has changed significantly in the last year and a half. With Covid, people’s perceptions have mutated on a large scale when it comes to all sorts of things. Perhaps one of the most noticeable questions that followers of Jesus are asking is, “How should I spend my Sunday morning?”

For this week we’ll be answering the question - Why do we gather every week and why does it matter?

Midweek Podcast | Jesus, Our Comforter

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Have a holly jolly Christmas!

We’re joined by Midtown Lexington pastor Michael Bailey as we share our love for our city, the Advent season, the Star Wars franchise (?!), and what Jesus is teaching us through the Advent guide.

We love hearing from you too. Email us your questions, feedback, and what Jesus has been teaching you through this Advent season.

If you have a copy of the guide, our suggested donation price is $6. You can donate here.

Recommended:

Griffin Chophouse - (griffinchophouse.com | instagram.com/griffinchophouse)

Hazelwood Brewing - (hazelwoodbeerco.com | instagram.com/hazelwoodbeer)

Midweek Podcast | Jesus, Our Shepherd King

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We’re joined by Midtown Lexington pastor Brandon Clements as we discuss Columbia, the Advent season, and what Jesus is teaching us through this year's Advent guides.

We love hearing from you too. Email us your questions, feedback, and what Jesus has been teaching you through this Advent season.

If you have a copy of the guide, our suggested donation price is $6. You can donate here.

Recommended: Hollow Creek Christmas Tree Farm

Midweek Podcast | Following Jesus Together | Advent in the Pandemic

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Subscribe to Following Jesus Together (iTunes ISpotify I Google Play)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

We welcome OUR VERY FIRST GUEST on the show, author of this year’s Advent Guide, Courtney Gibson. In this episode, she shares how we might use this season of Advent and the pandemic to help us be more like Jesus. Plus, we put Courtney in the hot seat for our lightning round.

We love hearing from you too. Email us your questions, feedback, and what Jesus has been teaching you through this Advent season.

If you have a copy of the guide, our suggested donation price is $6. You can donate here.

As always, special thanks to our audio engineer Stephen Simmons. Intro music courtesy of Jared Wise.

Resources:

How to Make an Advent Wreath (for under $5)

Hope (week 1) playlist

Peace (week 2) playlist

Joy (week 3) playlist

Love (week 4) playlist

And of course, check out The CHRISTmas Experience playlist