Faith After Doubt: Doubt As Descent

Lent is a six-week season of preparation for Easter, and our Lenten series this year is based on a new book by Brian McLaren entitled Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It.

Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance, and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality.

He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages – simplicity, complexity, perplexity and harmony – offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and increase their commitment to what matters most.

Beginning Sunday March 6, your weekly reading, weekly sermons, and a new Online Connect Group will coincide as we journey together through Faith After Doubt.

Faith After Doubt: Doubt As A Doorway

Lent is a six-week season of preparation for Easter, and our Lenten series this year is based on a new book by Brian McLaren entitled Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It.

Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance, and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality.

He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages – simplicity, complexity, perplexity and harmony – offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and increase their commitment to what matters most.

Beginning Sunday March 6, your weekly reading, weekly sermons, and a new Online Connect Group will coincide as we journey together through Faith After Doubt.

Not THAT Kind of Christian: Faith and Science

We all know who THAT kind of Christian is.

We see self-professing Christians in America who are attempting to use authoritarian politics to force others to live according to their religion. They do not seem to value diversity. They may see themselves as society’s “moral police,” looking down on others who do not fit their description of the nuclear family, may seem to be anti-science, and appear to value only one issue, abortion.

While it may be difficult for many to see Jesus in this type of Christianity, during this series, we will describe what we believe it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ in 2022 America. Every week, we will address theological questions and contemporary issues that affect our everyday lives.

Sermon Titles
January 9- Freeing Christianity from Political Authoritarianism
January 16- Understanding the Bible
January 23- Did God Kill Jesus? (The Atonement and Violence)
January 30- Christianity and Other Religions/No Religion
Feb. 6- Faith and Science (Healthcare and Climate Change)
Feb. 13- The History of American Christianity and Race
Feb. 20- Christianity and Abortion
Feb. 27- The Bible and Human Sexuality

Invite a friend, and join us beginning January 9, for a brand new series, Not THAT Kind of Christian.

The Journey | Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

It is one of western civilization’s best-known stories. For two thousand years it has been told and retold, preached and sung about. It has been represented by the titans of art and by the purveyors of mass-produced lawn figures. We celebrate it every year with Christmas trees and lights, with gifts and cards, carols and hymns.

Even if you did not go to church growing up, you’re probably familiar with the story. You know the locale—a manger in Bethlehem. You know the cast of characters—Mary and Joseph, the angels and shepherds, the wise men and King Herod. You may know plot details—the census, the long journey, the overcrowded inn.

And yet, as is often the case, the story’s very familiarity may keep us from fully grasping its riches. We think, “Well, yes, I know that story,” as its depth and nuance escape us.

There is much more to the Christmas story than meets the eye. There are details we may have missed entirely. And there are certainly a few places where the picture you have in your mind’s eye is actually wrong!

Based on the book of the same title by Adam Hamilton, we will explore the story of Jesus’ birth with fresh eyes and ears. We will walk through the Holy Land and retrace the steps of those involved. We will draw upon insights gained from historians, archaeologists, biblical scholars, and theologians and from walking in the places the story occurred, all in an effort to discover the real meaning of Christmas.

In seeking that meaning, we will address four questions:

—What actually happened leading up to and including the first Christmas?

—What does the story teach us about the character of God?

—What does it tell us about the child whose birth we celebrate?

—What does this story mean for our lives today?

Join us this Advent season beginning November 28 for The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem.

Live Well: Relationally

The past few years have probably challenged our health and wellbeing more than any other time in our lives.

We have experienced heightened anxiety and strained relationships. With this added stress and the COVID shutdown, we have probably been tempted to overeat and exercise less. On top of that, many of us have embarked on a spiritual journey during which we left old paradigms behind and have been searching for a new kind of spiritual wellbeing.

In this series, we will explore time-tested wisdom for living well in a challenging time.

Sermon Schedule
Oct. 24- When Life Doesn’t Go Well
Oct. 31- Emotional Wellness
Nov. 7- Relational Wellness
Nov. 14- Physical Wellness
Nov. 21- Spiritual Wellness (Thanksgiving Sunday)

Join us beginning October 24 for a new series, Live Well.

The Ten Commandments: You Shall Not Bear False Witness

You may think you know what the Ten Commandments mean, and you certainly know how they are often used in American society as a political football. For example, certain politicians or groups will lobby to display the Ten Commandments on public property in an attempt to gain religious voters. If we’re honest, we may view them as trite or archaic.

The truth is that the Ten Commandments were a leap forward when they were first introduced perhaps 3,000 years ago, and they are still a leap forward for us now.

While we think ourselves as advanced beyond the ancient sheepherding people groups in the Middle East who first encountered the Ten Commandments, consider how we as a people are currently struggling with idolatry, telling the truth vs. lies, coveting, etc.

The Ten Commandments are about how we order society for the benefit of everyone, and they are an inspiring challenge to us just like they were to the first people who heard them.

Sermon Schedule

May 23- You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
May 30- You Shall Not Make for Yourself Any Graven Image
June 6- You Shall Not Misuse the Name of the Lord Your God
June 13- Remember the Sabbath to Keep It Holy
June 20- Honor Your Parents
June 27- You Shall Not Murder
July 4- You Shall Not Commit Adultery
July 11- You Shall Not Steal
July 18- You Shall Not Give False Testimony (w/Aaron Strietzel LIVE in Chandler)
July 25- You Shall Not Covet (w/ Special Guest Amy Price)

The Ten Commandments: You Shall Not Make for Yourself An Idol

You may think you know what the Ten Commandments mean, and you certainly know how they are often used in American society as a political football. For example, certain politicians or groups will lobby to display the Ten Commandments on public property in an attempt to gain religious voters. If we’re honest, we may view them as trite or archaic.

The truth is that the Ten Commandments were a leap forward when they were first introduced perhaps 3,000 years ago, and they are still a leap forward for us now.

While we think ourselves as advanced beyond the ancient sheepherding people groups in the Middle East who first encountered the Ten Commandments, consider how we as a people are currently struggling with idolatry, telling the truth vs. lies, coveting, etc.

The Ten Commandments are about how we order society for the benefit of everyone, and they are an inspiring challenge to us just like they were to the first people who heard them.

Join us beginning May 23 for a new series The Ten Commandments.

Sermon Schedule

May 23- No Other Gods Before Me
May 30- You Shall Not Make for Yourself An Idol
June 6- You Shall Not Misuse the Name of the Lord Your God
June 13- Remember the Sabbath to Keep It Holy
June 20- Honor Your Parents
June 27- You Shall Not Murder
July 4- You Shall Not Commit Adultery
July 11- You Shall Not Steal
July 18- You Shall Not Give False Testimony
July 25- You Shall Not Covet (w/ Special Guest Amy Price)

Join us beginning May 23 for a new series The Ten Commandments.

Reset: Life After the COVID Lockdown / Gentleness and Self-control

No one knows exactly when the COVID lockdown will end, but on April 11, we will begin a new sermon series to help you prepare.

During Reset: Life After the COVID Lockdown, you will be able to explore the question:

What have you learned about life during the COVID lockdown that will help you after the lockdown ends?

The COVID-19 lockdown has given you the opportunity to hit the reset button on life. We have been forced to slow down, spend more time alone or with close family members, reevaluate many things, and the division and drama of this past year has tested our resolve and relationships.

To help us explore, we’ll look to a familiar list of traits that Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23, the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Chances are, what you have learned about life has something to do with one or more of those words.

Don’t miss this chance to hit the reset button.

Sermon Schedule
April 11- Love
April 18- Joy and Peace
April 25- Patience and Kindness
May 2- Goodness and Faithfulness
May 9- Gentleness and Self-Control (Mother’s Day)
May 16- The Well

Reset: Life After the COVID Lockdown / Patience and Kindness

No one knows exactly when the COVID lockdown will end, but on April 11, we will begin a new sermon series to help you prepare. During Reset: Life After the COVID Lockdown, you will be able to explore the question:

What have you learned about life during the COVID lockdown that will help you after the lockdown ends?

The COVID-19 lockdown has given you the opportunity to hit the reset button on life. We have been forced to slow down, spend more time alone or with close family members, reevaluate many things, and the division and drama of this past year has tested our resolve and relationships.

To help us explore, we’ll look to a familiar list of traits that Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23, the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Chances are, what you have learned about life has something to do with one or more of those words.

Don’t miss this chance to hit the reset button.

Sermon Schedule
April 11- Love
April 18- Joy and Peace
April 25- Patience and Kindness
May 2- Goodness and Faithfulness
May 9- Gentleness and Self-Control (Mother’s Day)

Postcards from Babylon: Chapters Seven and Eight

The series is based on a book of the same title by Brian Zahnd. Every week, the sermon will be based on the book, and the following Wednesday at 6:00pm Arizona time, you will have the opportunity to discuss the reading for that week in a new Online Connect Group.

Click here to get more information about the Online Connect Group.

Series Schedule

February 21- Chapters 1 and 2
February 28- Chapters 3 and 4 with special guest Travis Lovrien
March 7- Chapters 5 and 6
March 14- Chapters 7 and 8 with special guest Aaron Strietzel
March 21- Chapters 9 and 10 with special guest Jezekiel Vitalsey
March 28- Special Guest Brian Zahnd

From the publisher:

The original gospel proclamation that the Lord of the nations was a crucified Galilean raised from the dead and that salvation was found in vowing allegiance to Jesus of Nazareth unleashed a shock wave that turned the Roman Empire upside down. Early Christianity was subversive and dangerous—dangerous for Christians and a threat to the keepers of the old order. Most of all Christianity was countercultural.

But what about contemporary American Christianity? Is it the countercultural way of Jesus or merely a religious endorsement of Americanism? In his provocative book, Postcards From Babylon, Brian Zahnd challenges the reader to see and embrace a daring Jesus-centered Christianity that can again turn the world upside down.

Purchase your book anywhere books are sold, and join us beginning Sunday February 21 for the Lent 2021 series, Postcards from Babylon: The Church in American Exile.

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