Midweek Podcast | Prayer and the Church

Welcome to The Midtown Midweek, a resource to further equip you to be with Jesus and become more like Him as we continue the conversation from Sunday’s teaching.

This week we’re joined by Midtown Lexington pastor Michael Bailey as he unpacks more of 1 Timothy 2:

To resources to explore this passage on your own, make sure to check out our 1 Timothy series page (Downtown, Lexington, Two Notch)

Questions? Shoot us an email.

Quotes/Resources:

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

“Intercession is spiritual defiance of what is, in the name of what God has promised. Intercessors visualize an alternative future to the one apparently fated by the momentum of current forces. Prayer infuses the air of a time yet to be into the suffocating atmosphere of the present. History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being. Even a small number of people firmly committed to the new inevitability on which they have fixed their imaginations can decisively affect the shape the future takes. These shapers of the future are the intercessors.”
-Walter Wink, The Powers That Be

“Don’t seek to develop a prayer life — seek a praying life. A ‘prayer life’ is a segmented time for prayer. You’ll end feeling guilty that you don’t spend more time in prayer. Eventually you’ll probably feel defeated and give up. A ‘praying life’ is a life that is saturated with prayerfulness — you seek to do all that you do with the Lord.”
-Dallas Willard

“Prayer is easy only for beginners and for those who are already saints. During all the long years in between, it is difficult. Why? Because prayer has the same inner dynamics as love and love is sweet only in its initial stage, when we first fall in love and again its final, mature stage. In between, love is hard work, dogged fidelity, and needs willful commitment beyond what is normally provided by our emotions and our imagination.”
- Ronald Rolheiser, “Maturity in Relationships and Prayer” 

“The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God.”
- Jim Cymbala

“Prayer is where I do my best work as a husband, dad, worker, and friend.”
-Paul Miller, A Praying Life

1 Timothy | Prayer and the Church | May 3

Sermon by Michael Bailey for May 3, 2020.

Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Worship Guide

MAY 3RD, 2020

Use this guide as a script. If possible, ask for a volunteer, roommate, or virtual participant to read the parts aloud. There are links to the songs to play and sing along with or sing them a cappella. We want this to be a helpful guide for you and your community to participate together, worshipping the Lord.

We invite you to stand as you sing, to help position yourself to be engaged and focused as you participate in the gathering of God’s people.

Links to “Sunday Worship Guide Playlist”

• Spotify playlist & YouTube playlist of songs for today

CALL TO WORSHIP

Have someone read this scripture aloud to begin:

Psalm 103:1-5 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

SONGS

Practice

Encourage one another. Read this aloud:

Hebrews 3:12-13
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Take 30 seconds to pray for a way you can encourage someone. How have you seen Jesus working in someone’s life recently? Now, take some time to text them, and tell them why you’re thankful for them. If you have others in the room with you (physically or virtually), pray for specific ways you can encourage them.

Afterward, have someone pray, or read this aloud:

Father God, you have spoken to us through your Son. Let your written Word now be spoken and heard by each of us. Give us ears to hear and hearts to understand. Amen.

SERMON

BENEDICTION

Read this aloud:

Father God, help us to remember that You are alive today and active wherever we find ourselves. Remind us of the good news and reality of the Gospel. Amen.

Kidtown and Students Guides

Midweek Podcast | The Gospel vs The Law

Welcome to The Midtown Midweek, a resource to further equip you to be with Jesus and become more like Him as we continue the conversation from Sunday’s teaching.

This week we’re joined once again by our church planting resident, Tim Olson as he unpacks more of 1 Timothy 1:6-20.

To find resources to explore this passage on your own, make sure to check out our 1 Timothy series page (Downtown, Lexington, Two Notch)

And to learn more about how to pray and serve our upcoming church plant, Citizens Church in Charlotte, NC, check out their website.

Questions? Shoot us an email.

1 Timothy | The Gospel vs The Law | April 26

Sermon by Tim Olson for April 26, 2020.

Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Worship Guide

APRIL 26TH, 2020

Use this guide as a script. If possible, ask for a volunteer, roommate, or virtual participant to read the parts aloud. There are links to the songs to play and sing along with or sing them a cappella. We want this to be a helpful guide for you and your community to participate together, worshipping the Lord.

We invite you to stand as you sing, to help position yourself to be engaged and focused as you participate in the gathering of God’s people.

Links to “Sunday Worship Guide Playlist”

• Spotify playlist & YouTube playlist of songs for today

CALL TO WORSHIP

Have someone read this scripture aloud to begin:

Romans 8:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

Let’s sing and confess our need for God’s grace, and proclaim His provision and mercy for us.it.

PRAY

Have someone read this aloud:

Philippians 3:7-9 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ”

Father God, remind us that we are in Christ, and our righteousness is found in Him. Strengthen our faith through your word and grace. Amen

REFLECT AND REJOICE

Take a minute to sit in silence and reflect on the past week. What can you praise God for in the midst of this season?

After a few moments, if you are participating with others, ask specific people to share what came to mind.

After sharing, have someone pray, or read this aloud:
Father, thank you for all of these blessings. We praise you Lord. You are unchanging, and always faithful! Amen.

SERMON

Stand as we sing praise to our King Jesus

BENEDICTION

Read this aloud:

I will now read this prayer over us as we conclude:

Father God, be with us this week as we continue to navigate our new normal. Help us see beyond this moment in time, and live in light of eternity with You. Help us build our lives on the firm foundation of Christ, seeking to bring grace and love to our families and neighbors. Amen

Kidtown and Students Guides

Midweek Podcast | Defend the Truth | April 23

Welcome to The Midtown Midweek, a resource to further equip you to be with Jesus and become more like Him as we continue the conversation from Sunday’s teaching.

This week we’re joined by our church planting resident, Tim Olson as he unpacks more of 1 Timothy 1:1-7, 3:14-15. 

To resources to explore this passage on your own, make sure to check out our 1 Timothy series page (Downtown, Lexington, Two Notch)

And to learn more about how to pray and serve our upcoming church plant, Citizens Church in Charlotte, NC, check out their website.

Questions? Shoot us an email.

1 Timothy | Defend the Truth | April 19

Sermon by Tim Olson for April 19, 2020.

We must defend the truth so that we as God’s Church can grow up into mature believers who love God and love others.

Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Worship Guide

APRIL 19TH, 2020

Use this guide as a script, and, if possible, ask for a volunteer, roommate, or virtual participant to read the parts aloud. There are links to the songs to play and sing along with or, sing them a cappella. We want this to be a helpful guide for you and your community to participate together worshipping the Lord.

We invite you to stand as you sing, to help position yourself to be engaged and focused as you participate in the gathering of God’s people.

Links to “Sunday Worship Guide Playlist”

• Spotify playlist & YouTube playlist of songs for today

CALL TO WORSHIP

Have someone read this scripture aloud to begin:

Psalm 34:1-3
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

Let’s sing the words of scripture together, and pray that the Truth shapes our hearts through it.

PRAY

Have someone read this aloud:

Psalm 1:1-4
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Father, Your word is truth, and Your truth is for our good. Open our ears to hear your voice. We need you. Amen.

REFLECT AND REJOICE

Take a minute to sit in silence and reflect on the past week. What can you praise God for in the midst of this season?

After a few moments, if you are participating with others, ask specific people to share what came to mind.

After sharing, have someone pray, or read this aloud:

Father, thank you for how you continue to provide and show up in the mess of this life. Help us always remember your provision and the depth of your love for us. Father you are all we need, you are everything.

SERMON

Stand as we sing praise to our King Jesus

BENEDICTION

Read this aloud:

I will now read this prayer over us as we conclude:

May the grace of Christ, which daily renews us, and the love of God, which enables us to love all, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, which unites us in one body, make us eager to obey the will of God until we meet again, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Kidtown guide (Preschool)

DATE: 4/19/20
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4
LESSON: Jesus’ Temptation

INTRO

Parents say to your kid(s) - It’s been another week of our new normal at home. What have been your favorite things from this past week? Has there been anything that has been hard? Today we are going to talk about Jesus being tempted by the devil to do some things that would go against what God said. Sometimes we may also be tempted to do things that go against what God says. Let’s get started with our lesson!

LESSON - JESUS’ TEMPTATION

Watch the Bible story video Jesus’ Temptation.

Today’s Story Point! (Kids repeat!)
Jesus never sinned! (Kids repeat!)

The devil tried three times to get Jesus to do wrong things, but Jesus did not do it. He told him to make a stone bread because he knew Jesus was hungry. He told him to jump off the temple and angels would save him. Worst of all, the devil told Jesus to worship him. But, the devil’s plan did not work! Jesus new God’s word and used it to fight against the devil’s attacks!

Christ Connection! (Kids repeat!)
Jesus will help us when we are tempted! (Kids repeat!)

When we are tempted to sin, we can ask Jesus to help us say no to sin. Imagine a time when you may want to disobey your mom and dad. They ask you to clean up your room, but you want to keep playing! To disobey would be a sin - but you can stop and pray and ask Jesus to help you obey your mom and dad. He will always provide a way for you not to choose sin. \

RESPONSE

Parents say to your kid(s) - It’s good to respond to learning about Jesus in the Bible. Sometimes we sing because Jesus is worthy of our songs. Sometimes we pray because we need help and God says we can talk to Him about anything! We can also discuss, and/or practice what we’ve just learned about.

Sing:

• Lord I Need You (Lyric Video)

• He Must Increase (Lyric Video)

Discuss:

• What stood out to you from this story?

• Parents first, then kids: Are there some sins that are hard for you? (Disobeying, complaining...etc.)

• Parents first, then kids: What’s a Bible verse you can use to fight temptation? Parents, kids will need help with this!

Bible Verse: Check out the weekly Bible Verse video. Read and memorize the Bible Verse together. “He must increase, I must decrease.” -John 3:30.

SAY • He in our key passage is Jesus. He is the only One who ever obeyed God perfectly and we can look to Him to help us if we are ever tempted to do things that go against what God says. He will always help us to obey Him and fight sin and temptation.

Pray: Dear God, thank You that Jesus defeated sin and temptation in His life. Thank you that He defeated sin and temptation for us on the cross. Please help us to trust You and fight temptation even when we are weak. Amen.

Do you have any questions? Was anything about this lesson confusing? Tell your kids they can ask you anything. If your family has any questions you are stumped on, feel free to email us.

BONUS ACTIVITIES

Coloring Sheet - Printable coloring sheet depicting Jesus’ being tempted with all the power of the world if He just stops trusting God (and skips the cross).

Simon Says - Simon Says is a basic game that teaches kids about self-control and listening carefully to instructions.

Talk about Yes or No
Things you will need:

• Red construction paper

• Green construction paper

• Marker

• Tape

Write yes on a green sheet of paper and no on a red sheet. Tape the two papers on opposite walls. Point out each sign to children. Suggest situations where children should say “yes” and “no.” Suggested situations include when you want to take something that belongs to someone else, when you want to share a toy with a friend, when you want to hit your brother or sister, when you want to do what your mom or dad tell you to do, when you want to talk when your teacher is telling the Bible story, or when you want to pray to God. Encourage the children to move to the correct sign to answer.

Kidtown guide (elementary)

DATE: 4/19/20
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4
LESSON: Jesus’ Temptation

INTRO

Parents say to your kid(s) - We’re starting to settle into this new version of normal. We’re more used to Kidtown at home and our new rhythms are getting a little more comfortable. How great is it that no matter what changes in our world, God stays the same! He’s worthy of our worship no matter what our circumstances are!

Sweet Temptation - Kids love to learn in concrete ways. This is a simple object lesson to help your kids interact with the Bible story they’re about to learn. For each of your kids, put a sweet on a plate in front of them. Use a cookie, a marshmallow, a candy ... whatever you’ve got! Explain to your kids, they can have the sweet right now, but if they wait until the end of Kidtown, they can have two!

LESSON - JESUS’ TEMPTATION

Parents say to your kid(s) - Last time we had Kidtown (before Easter) we learned about Jesus’ baptism. Remember that awesome moment in Jesus’ life? Well right after that, Jesus walked through a really hard, dark time we’re learning about today:

Watch the Gospel Project Bible video: Jesus’ Temptation

Wow! Did you know Jesus was tempted like this? It’s really important that we know about how Jesus fought temptation. Especially if you want to get that second sweet!

Story Point #1: (Kids repeat!)
Jesus fought temptation when He was weak. (Kids repeat!)
The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are! (Hebrews 4:15) And the devil is smart. He tempts when we’re weak and tired and less able to fight. Have you ever fasted for 40 days and 40 nights?! No! How do you think you’d be feeling if you hadn’t eaten for just one or two days? Hungry. Tired. Weak. Gruummpy. That’s right! And even though Jesus was very tired and hungry and weak, He still fought temptation! Which leads us to ...

Story Point #2: (Kids repeat!)
Jesus fought temptation with the Bible. (Kids repeat!)
Every single temptation that Satan threw Jesus’ way, Jesus fought it using the Bible. Satan wants to twist the truth, even using the Bible in wrong ways. But Jesus was so rooted in the Bible He could see through the lies. This is one of many reasons why Kidtown and your parents want to help you learn the Bible!

Story Point #3: (Kids repeat!)
Jesus fought temptation by trusting God. (Kids repeat!)
Satan told Jesus He could have everything He wanted, but not God’s way. This is what he told Adam and Eve in the garden, too. But Jesus didn’t fall for it. He trusted that God would give Him everything He needed, even though it meant being patient and waiting sometimes. Sin’s ultimate goal is to make us fall away from God (Hebrews 3:12). But Jesus kept trusting that God’s way is best.

Christ Connection! (Kids repeat!)
Jesus defeated His sin and temptation in the wilderness. (Kids repeat!)
Jesus defeated our sin and temptation on the cross. (Kids repeat!)
How cool is that?! Jesus defeated sin and temptation in His own life there in the wilderness and all throughout His life. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are and yet did not sin. We can’t fight sin perfectly like Jesus did. That’s why we needed Him to fight sin for us in the cross!

RESPONSE

Parents say to your kid(s) - It’s good to respond to learning about Jesus in the Bible. Sometimes we sing because Jesus is worthy of our songs. Sometimes we pray because we need help and God says we can talk to Him about anything! We can also discuss, and/or practice what we’ve just learned about.

Sing:

• Lord I Need You (Lyric Video)

• He Must Increase (Lyric Video)

Discuss:

• What stood out to you from this story? Non-spiritual answers are okay. We want kids to interact with Scripture, not just regurgitate facts.

• Parents first, then kids: What are really tempting sins for you?

• Parents first, then kids: What makes you weak to fight temptation?

• Parents first, then kids: What’s a Bible verse you can use to fight temptation? Parents, kids will need help with this!

Bible Verse:
Check out the weekly Bible Verse video. Read and memorize the Bible Verse together. “He must increase, I must decrease.” -John 3:30.

SAY • He in our key passage is Jesus. He is the only One who ever obeyed God perfectly and we can look to Him to help us if we are ever tempted to do things that go against what God says. He will always help us to obey Him and fight sin and temptation.

Do you have any questions? Was anything about this lesson confusing? Tell your kids they can ask you anything. If your family has any questions you are stumped on, feel free to email us.

Pray: Dear God, thank You that Jesus defeated sin and temptation in His life. Thank you that He defeated sin and temptation for us on the cross. Please help us to trust You and fight temptation even when we are weak. Amen. Sweet Temptation - For any of your kids who waited until now, give them an extra sweet and let them eat! Check out this video of other kids struggling with temptation in the Marshmallow Test.

BONUS ACTIVITIES

Coloring Sheet - Printable coloring sheet depicting Jesus’ being tempted with all the power of the world if He just stops trusting God (and skips the cross).

Simon Says - Simon Says is a basic game that teaches kids about self-control and listening carefully to instructions.

Obstacle Course - Make an obstacle course around your house with specific instructions for your kids to climb over, under and around certain obstacles.

April 12 | Easter

Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate Jesus raising up from the dead and walking out of the grave. We’ve recorded a special Easter Gathering to watch at home at 6:15am on Easter Sunday. After viewing, walk outside and enjoy the sunrise. What a beautiful picture of all of us scattering around our city to worship Jesus together at that moment!

Sermon by Michael Bailey for April 12, 2020.

April 5 | Plagues & Idolatry

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Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Sermon by Jon Ludovina for April 5, 2020.

SERMONS FROM CHURCH IN A PLAGUE

Week 1: Churches & Plagues (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 2: God’s People In A Pandemic (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 3: You Are A Mist (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 4: Plagues & Idolatry (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

March 29 | You are a Mist

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Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Sermon by Brandon Clements for March 29.

SERMONS FROM CHURCH IN A PLAGUE

Week 1: Churches & Plagues (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 2: God’s People In A Pandemic (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 3: You Are A Mist (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

March 22 | God's People in a Pandemic

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Here is this week's sermon along with a digital worship guide that will include songs to sing, prayers, and scripture to read. Also, for those with children, please use our Kidtown guide as a resource to teach and lead your children each week.

Sermon by Adam Gibson on March 22.

SERMONS FROM CHURCH IN A PLAGUE

Week 1: Churches & Plagues (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 2: God’s People In A Pandemic (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 3: You Are A Mist (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

March 15 | Churches & Plagues

Sermon by Brandon Clements on March 15.

SERMONS FROM CHURCH IN A PLAGUE

Week 1: Churches & Plagues (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 2: God’s People In A Pandemic (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Week 3: You Are A Mist (Sermon) (Worship Guide)

Lent | The Three Enemies

Sermon by Michael Bailey on March 8, 2020.

What is really causing problems in your life? Is it strictly your circumstances or something material? The Bible paints a much broader picture - sin influenced and birthed by what followers of Jesus for millennia have called "the three enemies of the soul." This opens up a whole other lens by which we can understand good, evil and the tug-of-war we sense in our souls and society. 

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Lent | Fighting With Fasting

Sermon by Michael Bailey on March 1, 2020.

Throughout church history, Christians have often used specific times of year to focus on spiritual formation together. Lent is one of these seasons. We're joining with the practice of millions of Christians across the globe during Lent to focus on fasting. Fasting is more than just refraining from food, but something God uses to give us more than we initially think. 

Why I'm A Christian | Q & A

Sermon Michael Bailey on February 23, 2020.

For the past 4 weeks, we've been looking at rationality behind the Christian faith. Yet, there is a lot we haven't addressed. This week we take a dive into what you wanted to know with a time of question and response.

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Why I'm A Christian | Doubting Your Doubts

Sermon by Michael Bailey on February 16, 2020.

Doubt is the inescapable reality of life in the modern world. The Christian life can sometimes feel like a mixed bag of belief and disbelief - faith and doubt. Doubt doesn't have to feel unassailable. Here we'll see how followers of Jesus can deal with doubt faithfully and wisely. 

Why I'm A Christian | The Bible

Sermon by Michael Bailey on February 9, 2020.

The Bible is much more than a book. It's a library of human and divine origin telling a unified story that leads us to Jesus. So, is it crazy for Christians to trust and submit to the Bible?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

To view more resources, go to WhyImAChristian.com

Videos:

What is the Bible?

How Did We Get the Bible?

The Making of the Bible

Is the Bible inerrant?

Articles:

• “Why I am a Christian” by Dr. James Choi

• “How Bible Translations Work” by Midtown Fellowship

• “The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books” by Greg Salazar

• “Why Should I Trust the Bible?” Part 1 and Part 2 by Midtown Fellowship

Books:

Why I'm A Christian | Jesus

Sermon by Brandon Clements on February 2, 2020.

The resurrection of Jesus sets Christianity apart from any other religion, in that it is an historical, falsifiable event. In this sermon we discuss biblical and historical evidence for the resurrection and argue that the best explanation for all of the evidence is that it truly happened. 

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

To view more resources, go to WhyImAChristian.com

Videos:

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Explanation

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Facts

Historical Resurrection of Christ?

Articles:

• “Why I am a Christian” by Dr. James Choi

• “Am I a Christian, Pastor Tim Keller?” New York Times

• “Historical Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection by Dr. Robert Spitzer

• “Jesus’ Resurrection” by Dr. William Lane Craig

Books:

Why I'm A Christian | God

Sermon by Brandon Clements on January 26, 2020.

This sermon tackles the question "How do we know God exists?" We look at the best explanation given all the evidence we have at our disposal, including exterior arguments for the existence of God (cosmological and teleological arguments) and intrinsic arguments (moral argument and existential argument). Anchored in Romans 1, we trace Paul's answer to this question and what he says is our deepest problem when seeking this answer.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

To view more resources, go to WhyImAChristian.com

Videos:

The Moral Argument

Arguments for the Existence of God

The Argument from Desire

Articles:

• “Why I am a Christian” by Dr. James Choi

• “Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments” by Alvin Plantinga

• “Can Christianity Be Proved?” by Dr. James McDowell

• “Does God Exist?” by Dr. William Lane Craig

• “Jesus’ Resurrection” by Dr. William Lane Craig

• “What is the Relation Between Science and Religion?” by Dr. William Lane Craig

Books:

Following Jesus Together: Doing What Jesus Did

Sermon by Michael Bailey on January 19, 2020.

The pattern of Jesus' ministry was to send out his followers to carry on his Kingdom work. Doing the things Jesus did means joining in His mission to bring love, hope and healing to the world. You're invited to join in! 

Following Jesus Together: An Invitation to a Journey

Sermon by Michael Bailey on January 12, 2020.