Sermon by Michael Bailey on March 23, 2025.
Key scripture: Galatians 3:13-14
It has been said that atonement 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.
Sermon by Michael Bailey on March 16, 2025.
Key scripture: James 5:7-20
In chapter 5, James wraps up everything he’s said and offers practical wisdom: How can we know we have true faith? How can we make it for the long haul? How can we walk faithfully with Jesus and others no matter what life throws at us?
Sermon by Michael Bailey on March 9, 2025.
Key scripture: James 4:13-5:6
In chapters 4 and 5, James shows how brief life is and how that ought to influence how we live.
Sermon by Andrew Flowers on March 2, 2025.
Key scripture: James 4:1-12
In chapter 4, James shows us the true sinful source of our relational conflicts and how to deal with it.
Sermon by Brandon Clements on February 23, 2025.
Key scripture: James 3:1-18
This week in James 3, we’ll dive into practically one of the most challenging areas to live in as a follower of Jesus. The Scriptures will call at times a source of healing and blessing and at other times a “raging fire” and a “restless evil” — our words.
Sermon by Michael Bailey on February 16, 2025.
Key scripture: James 2:14-26
Is your Christian faith the real deal or just a façade? James 2 challenges us to examine our faith, asking if it's genuine and produces real change in our lives, or just a convincing imitation.
Sermon by Brandon Clements on February 9, 2025.
Key scripture: James 1:22-2:13
This week, James warns us of the danger of learning things about God without doing what God says, particularly when it comes to showing partiality.
Sermon by Michael Bailey on February 2, 2025.
Key scripture: James 1:13-18
This week, James will help us fight sin in our lives by showing us the nature of sin and the perspective to resist it.
Sermon by Michael Bailey on January 26, 2025.
Key scripture: James 1:1-12
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.
Sermon by Jake Blair on August 6, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 18:15-17, where Jesus encounters little children. The disciples meet the children as though they’re an obstacle to Jesus’ mission, but Jesus says the Kingdom belongs to them. So what does Jesus mean by that, and what does that mean for us?
Sermon by Michael Bailey on July 30, 2023.
This week we look at John 20, where Jesus encounters Thomas. In this passage, Thomas doubts Jesus' resurrection, and Jesus meets him in his doubt. So what does this passage mean for us when we wrestle with doubt?
Sermon by Adam Gibson on July 23, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 19:1-10 where we meet Zacchaeus, a man who made himself rich by taking advantage of others. So what happens when he encounters King Jesus? And what does Jesus have to say to us through a story like this?
Sermon by Brandon Clements on July 16, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 5:12-14 where Jesus meets a leper. Lepers at that time were the literal embodiment of an outcast. So how does Jesus interact with him, and how does Jesus meet us in our shame?
Sermon by Ant Frederick on July 9 , 2023.
This week we look at John 11, where Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their grief over their brother Lazarus’ death. So how does Jesus meet them in their pain, and how does Jesus meet us in ours?
Sermon by Andrew Flowers on July 2 , 2023.
This week we look again to Peter. In Luke 22, we see Peter do what he said he would never do: deny his Lord Jesus. How does Jesus respond to Peter, who is slow to learn and trips and falls along the way? What does that mean for us, along with our relationship with Jesus and others?
Sermon by Brandon Clements on June 25, 2023.
This week we look at Matthew 19:27-20:16, where Peter essentially asks Jesus, “Is following you truly worth it?” This is a question we may have asked at some point in our journey of faith. We can easily play the comparison game, or we go through a season of suffering, or life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would. So what does Jesus have to say to us?
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.
Sermon by Michael Bailey on June 11, 2023.
As Paul concludes his letter, he focuses on prayer. Far from being a last-minute add-on, prayer is critical in seeing Heaven come down to Earth. Prayer draws us into the heart of God and sends us out in the power of God.
RESOURCE ROUND-UP | WEEK 9
“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.
“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.”
“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.
Sermon by Brandon Clements on June 4, 2023.
In chapter 3, Paul spoke about how Jesus impacts our lives and homes. This week Paul pivots into what this means for the social structures of the day and what that means for us.
RESOURCE ROUND-UP | WEEK 8
"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."
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.
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."
Sermon by Michael Bailey on May 28, 2023.
Last week we discussed how to get Heaven into us. This week we look at Colossians 3:18-21 and ask, “How can we get Heaven into our families?” Paul does this by explicitly addressing the family breakdowns in Rome. So what are the family breakdowns in our time and place, and how can we push back against them?
RESOURCE ROUND-UP | WEEK 7
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.
“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.
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.”
