Fighting For Peace / Upside Down / Week 4

Everywhere we turn we find conflict. Not only on the news but in our homes, workplaces, and communities. We long for peace in our world, in our lives, and in our hearts, but it seems there is always something ready to rob us of it. In this sermon, we explore the upside down path of peacemaking that Jesus lays out. While we're distracted by achieving our definition of peace, Jesus calls us to engage through conflict to do the hard work of true peacemaking. Learn how to trust God through the struggle and become conduits of peace in a hostile world. 

Speaker: Pastor Robb Hollifield

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How To Have A Pure Heart / Upside Down / Week 3

Having a pure heart often feels impossible with all the temptations and brokenness around us. This struggle can cause us to feel discouraged and unworthy or tempt us to throw in the towel and allow our hearts to become calloused and dirty. So how can we actually experience purity of heart like Jesus  teaches? In this sermon, we see that purity of heart does not equal perfection, but rather can be obtained through practical habits to guard your heart, change your focus, obey God's voice within you. When we live this way, we can experience the blessing and peace God intends for us.  

Speaker: Youth Pastor Emmanuel Sutka 

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Balancing Justice And Mercy / Upside Down / Week 2

Injustice seems rampant today. We hunger for wrongs to be righted, yet showing mercy appears weak and lets the offender off the hook. So how do we reconcile Jesus' teaching for us to want justice, but also freely give mercy? In this sermon, we see how Jesus flips the script by redefining our understanding of justice and mercy, what it would look like for us to live as people of justice and mercy, and how living out Jesus' radical, countercultural teachings leads us towards lives of peace, contentment, and purpose that we've been craving.  

Speaker: Pastor Sean Sears of Grace Church Avon

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Why God Blesses Vulnerability / Upside Down / Week 1

Do you ever feel like life is leaving you empty and unfulfilled? You try to check all the boxes for success - nice job, possessions, relationships - but something is still missing. What if God knows something about finding a blessed and fulfilled life that we're missing? What can be challenging is sometimes Jesus' instructions can feel backwards to us. Jesus said the poor, grieving, and humble are blessed, but living that way doesn't sound like it leads to a better place. So what is Jesus talking about? In this sermon, We'll be unpacking these counter cultural values that are supposed to lead to blessing and favor and see how Jesus intended them to bring us a life of meaning and purpose. 

Speaker: Pastor Robb Hollifield 

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Should Christians Fight Culture Or Embrace It? / Asking For A Friend / Week 4

Living out your faith nowadays can feel like you're on stormy waters. With Christian values diminishing in our culture, many people of faith are left feeling overwhelmed, angry, or tempted to leave their faith behind. So in these divided times, how should Christians respond to the culture around them? In this sermon, we answer this question by giving a Biblically-grounded perspective on what it looks like to stand firm in your faith and also live as a person of compassion and love towards those who do not share your beliefs. 

Speaker: Pastor Robb Hollifield 

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