Verve City Church: Weekly Messages

Week 2 - "Be a Goldfish"How do we move on from a painful past? It’s a common misconception that goldfish only have a 10-second memory. While the science doesn’t back it up, goldfish are often used as a metaphor: we’ll be happier if we don’t dwell on the bad experiences of our past. How does Jesus teach us to find the strength to learn from our previous pain and forgive those who have wronged us?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 1 - Be LieveThe story of Jesus invites us to step into a particular set of beliefs: about Jesus, about God, about the world, and about ourselves. But is this particular set of beliefs…believable? How does “belief” even work? And what might cause us to re-examine everything we thought we believed? 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.

Okay, real talk: if the Church is to be a force for good in the world, what is your role? What is Jesus inviting you to do with your time, your talent, and your treasure? And how do we hold on to HOPE when we find ourselves surrounded by the cynicism of a troubled world around us?

While the New Testament spends a great deal of time telling the stories of early Christian missionaries, another major theme emerges: many of the first Christians understood the Gospel as something that is also very local. What if the Gospel is more powerful than we imagine, and more pertinent than we know? What would happen if we began to see our lives as a platform for the Gospel?This message feature guest speaker, Pastor Mike Obadja.

In the first half of the 20th century, Christianity in America was embattled by a controversy that seemed to pit two of the church’s goals against one another: battling for souls versus battling for society. For the last one hundred years, churches have fought over whether it is more important to emphasize “Gospel proclamation” or “Gospel demonstration.” The fact that many churches outside of the United States have seemed to see no contradiction between saving souls and serving society did little to lower the temperature of the argument. What if the way of Jesus isn’t “either/or” but “both/and”? 

We enter into our marriages with hopes, dreams, and desires that then become our spouse’s expectations. When we are blind to this reality, trying to make sense of our disappointment can brutalize a relationship and end in criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt. Armed with knowledge of this dynamic and the example of Jesus, how can we revive and renew our marriages, friendships, and relationships?

Jesus taught that “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” And the church has been arguing about what he meant almost since he said it. For people walking through divorce, the counsel they receive from their Christian friends can sometimes be painful and feel judgmental. For Christians struggling through a challenging or toxic marriage, Jesus’ command can feel stifling. How can putting Jesus’ words into their first-century context help us understand what his teaching means for us today? 

Our culture plays a significant role in how we think about sex and dating. But what did Jesus teach about sexuality as it relates to our discipleship and how do his teachings affirm or push back against our cultural understanding? How can Christians honor God and others with their bodies while living in a hookup culture? 

What’s one of the biggest differences between good relationships and strained relationships? Bidding. We are bidding for each other’s attention in large and small ways all the time. How we respond to the bids of others will largely determine the quality of the relationships that we have. 

This week’s feature is THE IMPOSSIBLE! Starring Tom Holland, Naomi Watts, and Ewan McGregor, this film about a family attempting to reunite following a devastating tsunami has much to teach us about God’s relentless love.