Verve City Church: Weekly Messages

This week: How to Lose a Culture WarIn 1991 James Davison Hunter wrote a book and titled it with a phrase for what he saw playing out in America’s fights over abortion, gay rights, and religion in public schools: “Culture Wars.” In 2014, CNN published an article by Rachel Held Evans entitled “How Evangelicals Won a War and Lost a Generation.” What does thinking Jesusly help us discern about the way Christians have engaged with American culture over the last 100 years? And how should Christians engage going forward?Series overview:Are you interested in learning more about the kind of life Jesus invited us into? Do the teachings of Jesus feel like they get drowned out or confused by all the groups, influencers, politicians, and churches that claim him as their spokesperson? Join us for an immensely practical series exploring the way of Jesus. We’ll discover it’s both counter to the secular culture we live in, and counter to the religious culture many of us are familiar with.

This week: How to Think JesuslyThe earliest Christians encouraged followers of Jesus to take every thought captive to Christ, to put on the mind of Jesus, and to have the same mindset of Christ. Which begs the question: how did Jesus think? What was unique about his thought patterns and worldview that might shape our own?Series overview:Are you interested in learning more about the kind of life Jesus invited us into? Do the teachings of Jesus feel like they get drowned out or confused by all the groups, influencers, politicians, and churches that claim him as their spokesperson? Join us for an immensely practical series exploring the way of Jesus. We’ll discover it’s both counter to the secular culture we live in, and counter to the religious culture many of us are familiar with.

This week: How Culture Shapes UsChristians say they want to live more like Jesus. Even non-Christians say that want Christians to live more like Jesus. So why don’t they? It’s time to explore two of the most challenging barriers to living the life Jesus has invited us into: the culture in which we live and the culture in which Jesus lived.Series overview: Are you interested in learning more about the kind of life Jesus invited us into? Do the teachings of Jesus feel like they get drowned out or confused by all the groups, influencers, politicians, and churches that claim him as their spokesperson? Join us for an immensely practical series exploring the way of Jesus. We’ll discover it’s both counter to the secular culture we live in, and counter to the religious culture many of us are familiar with.

Student Pastor Greg Morton offers thoughts on how our intentional moments with God and in connection with our faith community can shape us in the New Year ahead.

Week 3 - For many of us, Santa Claus embodied the magic of Christmas when we were children: a selfless, timeless being who rewarded good behavior with lavish gifts. But where did our modern-day understanding of Jolly Old St. Nick come from? And how is he perceived around the world? And what does any of that have to do with Jesus? Series overview -Ever wondered why some of our cherished Christmas traditions are so…cherished? It’s kind of weird that we put ornament-adorned trees in our homes and immerse our neighborhoods in lights and deck our halls with boughs of holly, all while waiting for a chubby old man ensconced in velvet to break into our homes via chimney. How did all of that start? And what does it mean? And why does it matter? We’re going to pull all of it apart and then put it back together in surprising and delightful ways as we spend this December Reconstructing Christmas.

Week 2- Bright whites, multicolored bulbs, incandescent string lights, icicle LEDs… Christmas lights strung from our rooftops are a sure sign of the season. One of the most famous fictional characters of Christmas even has a light-up nose that saves Santa! What if we could see all these lights as more than seasonal whimsy and, instead, a reminder of a beautiful truth that dazzles beyond anything we could create?Series overview - Ever wondered why some of our cherished Christmas traditions are so…cherished? It’s kind of weird that we put ornament-adorned trees in our homes and immerse our neighborhoods in lights and deck our halls with boughs of holly, all while waiting for a chubby old man ensconced in velvet to break into our homes via chimney. How did all of that start? And what does it mean? And why does it matter? We’re going to pull all of it apart and then put it back together in surprising and delightful ways as we spend this December Reconstructing Christmas.

Each Christmas season millions of Americans place trees in their homes — draped in lights, engulfed in ornaments, a bundle of beautifully wrapped gifts gathered beneath the branches. It’s a beloved tradition with a complicated origin. What if a guided tour of the Christmas story meant you’d never look at a Christmas tree the same way again?Series overview: Ever wondered why some of our cherished Christmas traditions are so…cherished? It’s kind of weird that we put ornament-adorned trees in our homes and immerse our neighborhoods in lights and deck our halls with boughs of holly, all while waiting for a chubby old man ensconced in velvet to break into our homes via chimney. How did all of that start? And what does it mean? And why does it matter? We’re going to pull all of it apart and then put it back together in surprising and delightful ways as we spend this December Reconstructing Christmas.

Week 5 - "Be 1 of 11"Jesus founded the Church and invited each of us to play a role in it. But what is the church? What is its’ purpose? And what role, if any, are we invited to play in it?Series overview:The hit television show Ted Lasso took the world by storm because of its positivity, humor, and the charm of its lead character. A number of internet articles even compared Ted to Jesus: the guy is just full of love. And yet for all of his folksy charm, perhaps lovable Ted Lasso just scrapes the surface of the kind of life that Jesus invited us to live. This series explores the folksy wisdom of Ted Lasso and the timeless teachings of Jesus.

Week 4 - "Be You"We can expend so much energy trying to be other people that we never become the best version of ourselves. How do we become satisfied with the life we’re living and stop spending so much time pining for the lives of others?Series overview:The hit television show Ted Lasso took the world by storm because of its positivity, humor, and the charm of its lead character. A number of internet articles even compared Ted to Jesus: the guy is just full of love. And yet for all of his folksy charm, perhaps lovable Ted Lasso just scrapes the surface of the kind of life that Jesus invited us to live. This series explores the folksy wisdom of Ted Lasso and the timeless teachings of Jesus.

Week 3 - "Be Curious Not Judgmental"Most of us grew up hearing the adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And yet we make snap judgments about people we encounter every day. Jesus - and Ted Lasso - had a knack for connecting with people by asking questions. What attitudes and practices can we develop to encourage health and new understanding in our relationships?Series overview:The hit television show Ted Lasso took the world by storm because of its positivity, humor, and the charm of its lead character. A number of internet articles even compared Ted to Jesus: the guy is just full of love. And yet for all of his folksy charm, perhaps lovable Ted Lasso just scrapes the surface of the kind of life that Jesus invited us to live. This series explores the folksy wisdom of Ted Lasso and the timeless teachings of Jesus.Speaker: Audrey Eisenberg