217church - Audio

Jesus wants a relationship with you, to do that He will pursue your heart relentlessly and He will break your heart for those that need Jesus. We are called to bring hope to those that need it, the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind in spirit and in body. To do this we need to move outside our comfort zone, depend on His strength. To do this we need to Go Farther!

The Kingdom of heaven is compared to a hidden treasure and a pearl of great value. The Kingdom of God is not for sale, but you will pay a price. But what you receive in return is so worth it! What are you guaranteed when you go all in? When we follow Jesus, it is worth every price we will pay.

All of us have defining moments in our lives. Whether it’s to trust in someone, believing in a cause, or having the patience to allow God’s plan to unfold. Sarah was at a crossroads in her life between her way and God’s way. What will be your defining moment?

A tree is known by it's fruit. There is no way to fake being a Christ follower. So what would you say about the fruit that you produce?

When Jesus encounters a lawyer, he asks him the most important question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Following Jesus is evidenced as we love our neighbor wholeheartedly. We must shift from power driven to principle driven and from position driven to priority driven.

The natural outflow of the Gospel is Mission. You can't live on mission if Jesus' Gospel is not producing good soil and if His Gospel is producing good soil you will live on Mission. Is Jesus the primary character of your story? Are you a missionary? Do you just come and go like those in the rocks/thorns.

Jesus is on his way out of town and a man approaches Jesus with the most powerful question he could ask. Jesus’ demands were too much for the man as he was unable to part with his material wealth and therefore his life became full of sadness. As we sacrifice we must discern His will, understand His demands and anticipate the coming reward.

In contemplating the great joy we have because of the resurrection of Jesus, we realize that God is a God of story. God will transform us through our story, His Gospel story and the story of his revelation through his resurrection! He is alive, his not dead and our role is to be obedient which leads to abundance.”

If we are to be the church sent on mission to make disciples. We must realize our spiritual gifting apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. This is when the church is at it’s best.

We are anticipating incredible things through our vision series as we become even more committed to be a restored family sent on mission. The restoration is solely because of the Gospel, but what is our part? Jesus wants us to replace pride with humility, pleasure with purity, and greed with giving.

217church has now been together for five years! The response to the vision has rang true and a church has been born. Five years later, 212 baptisms, countless people accepted and loved, thousands in our communities cared for, and the Gospel continues to go forward. Over 3.5 million dollars has been given to "rebuild lives one person at a time." So, what will God do next? We await His revelation, we anticipate his blessing and we will be transformed along the way.

Rediscovering your joy, which works of the premise that joy is not based on a circumstance but a covenant. What does that statement mean? It is personal. It is a contract between two parties - you and God. It is a vertical not a horizontal connection. So if it comes from the almighty God, it should be good enough to conquer anything.

When does revival happen? What are we supposed to be preparing for? Does your heart break for your city as Nehemiah's did for Jerusalem? Watch as we walk through what scripture says about revival.

Paul writes this portion of scripture to directly refute the legalism of the Jews who are seeking to solidify their relationship with God through laws and behavior modification. Paul gives us the foundational truth about grace that it is not about our performance but his power. We must understand grace is greater than religion and is revealed through suffering.

Paul gets to the end of his letter and thanks the Philippian church for their generous gift to his ministry as he travels as an apostle on a missionary journey. We discover that the generous lifestyle is on of contentment, sharing, and trust. Declaring your dependence on Jesus deepens your joy.

Paul’s heart from a prison cell is that we would discover what deep joy is through a divine process of understanding God’s good pleasure. The process of Joy is one when we learn to live a life of obedience, harmony, and intentionality.

The Humble servant, Jesus, is explained in a practical and intimate way. As Paul writes the young church of Philippi he deepens our understanding of how Jesus turned the defeat of the grave into the triumph of the resurrection. As a church we must remember what the ultimate winning attitude is. We must be unified, humble, and take the role of the servant if our Joy is to be restored.

Paul continues in his letter from prison to the church he loves and prays for joyfully in Philippi. He writes of our trials and sufferings how they should create boldness, perspective, and focus as we live his joyful purpose. It is only then our deepest wounds become the source of our greatest impact.

Paul is imprisoned in Rome and is writing a young church in Philippi about the unchanging reality of joy in his life. He begins his letter with a prayer that defines his relationship with God through certainty and covenant.