Evangelical Community Church (ecc)

Josiah kicks off the semester's new series, "True Community".

“Judge not or you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1) These words of Jesus are quoted often and they are frequently invoked when someone is feeling protective of another, insulted or personally threatened. As usual, we tend to use the words as if we know their exact meaning, but do we? Is Jesus suggesting that words of judgment should never be used? Does he mean that we should not be discerning about what is good or bad, moral or immoral? Is Jesus suggesting that we ought not make judgments in court, enforce laws or punish criminals? Some claim that this is exactly what Jesus is teaching. This Sunday we will renew our study of the life and teaching of Jesus – rediscovering his teachings.

A look at the epiphanies of the wise men, the woman at the well, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Paul's conversion.

Heading into the New Year, it's a good time to ask some probing questions and make course corrections where necessary.

Pastor John reminds us that the message of Jesus' birth was one of great joy for all peoples.

A look at "peace": practical, personal, and complete peace. Is peace possible? Where does this peace come from?

Bob wraps up the semester and our series 'Rediscovering Jesus' by helping us reflect on the biblical truth that Jesus is our King (not our President).

A message on Jesus as the shepherd of his people on this 2nd Sunday of Advent.

Dan explains what it means that Jesus is our Great High Priest and explores exactly what that means for us as believers today.

A look at hope in Jesus on this first Sunday of Advent.

When 10 men who were afflicted with leprosy called out to Jesus, he was gracious enough to heal all of them. However, only one came back to Jesus in order to give thanks – the man was a Samaritan. In most areas of life, a sense of entitlement is unbecoming, but as it relates to faith it is deadly. Is it even possible for ingratitude or a sense of entitlement to coexist with salvation? It is certainly something worth thinking about. Today we remember the importance of thanksgiving for all God’s good gifts, especially the gift of salvation.

A look at Jesus' teaching on treasure through four questions: Where is your heart? Who owns your soul? How is your faith? What are your priorities?

The topic of forgiveness is a difficult one. An improper understanding of forgiveness can be damaging. Sometimes the notion of forgiveness can be used as a tool for abusive relationships. When Jesus spoke about forgiveness he was not suggesting that the abused should go back to the abuser and suffer in silence. However, Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness was radical and revolutionary. So what did he mean when he told his disciples to forgive? Why should I forgive? What does it mean to forgive? What are the consequences of forgiveness?

In Mark 9:33-41, Jesus interrupted a dispute between the disciples. They were so embarrassed by their own dispute that they did not want to respond to Jesus when he asked why they were arguing. No wonder they didn’t want to answer--they were disputing about which one of them was the greatest. Is this a dispute between children or adult Christ-followers? Well, actually it is both, something that if we are honest we have seen or been involved in many times. As usual, Jesus “turns the tables” on them by redefining greatness. If you want to be great you need to get to the back of the line – humility is a prerequisite for greatness and leadership in the Kingdom of God. How does your resume look?

What is the main message of the very familiar parable of the Good Samaritan? It may be different than you think!

Our guest speaker this Sunday was Liam Atchison from Global Scholars, an organization that places Christian professors in universities around the world. His message challenged us to think outside the box as it relates to foreign missions. His message, "Living Missions: Come Sail the Blue Ocean," focuses on Acts 19:8-10. In this passage we see Paul presenting the Gospel at Ephesus, but in doing so he took the path less traveled and it made all the difference. Yet, this was not the first time Paul had an apparently risky strategy. Could this have implications for how we spread the Good News today?

A focus on the authority of Jesus.

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again turns to solitude and instructs his disciples to do the same. He sends them on ahead in a boat, and they are sailing across the lake when a storm forms and threatens the boat. The picture that the writer gives us is this: that all this time Jesus is walking in the hills around the lake, praying. When the disciples run into trouble in the boat, he appears out of the storm, walking on the water. In this message, Pastor Bob helps us to consider how Jesus is always present in our lives.

Bob looks at Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well and discusses how he leads her with questions to faith.

In Mark 6:30-44, Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000. The root of this story is that Jesus is the Bread of Life, but perhaps it also concerns our calling to partner in ministry with Jesus. Noting the difficulty of the situation, the disciples turn to Jesus for the answer. His response? "You feed them." They, of course, cannot. Only after they acknowledge their inadequacies does Jesus step in. Let us look at this story, noting aspects of service, solitude, and sacrament.