Bruce and Chris talk more about what it means for Christ to be sufficient.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

The Gnostics in Colossae were making the claim the Jesus alone wasn't enough, and that following rules and traditions were also required to be saved. In addition they claimed that they had visions and performed ceremonies made them specially qualified to determine what was required. Paul makes it clear that laws and ceremonies have no power to addr…

Chris and Bruce talk more about the illustrations of circumcision and baptism and how they represent what Christ did for us in His death and resurrection.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Becoming a mother isn't just an addition to your life... it completely changes everything. Paul uses the illustrations of circumcision and baptism to explain what happens when you become a follower of Christ: everything about who you are and how you operate is transformed into something new.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Chris goes deeper on what it means to walk IN Christ and what he hopes our main takeaway would be from that message.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Most people have a tendency to make their religious beliefs and philosophies serve themselves and the life THEY want to live. Paul tells the Colossians that in order to follow Christ, the reverse must be true: you must be rooted in HIM and walk in Him, rather than trying to make Him walk in what YOU want.…

Chris and Bruce talk about the parallels between 1st century Gnosticism and those today who also seek to have power over believers.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

To us, a "mystery" is something that we don't know, a riddle for us to solve. It's a secret. And this is what some Church leaders in Colossae claimed to have. But it was simply all about control. Paul reverses that and says the "mystery" isn't a secret at all: it's a person. The mystery is that He lives IN US.…

Bruce and Chris dive deeper into what it means to experience Christ versus just knowing about him.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

How do we go from "knowing about Jesus" to "knowing and experiencing Him?" Something happened in history that must happen in YOUR history, and it's a once-and-for-all event that produces a now-and-forever relationship.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris discuss how we can know that Jesus is real, and what that means for how we live.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Colossians 1 includes one of the most powerful, beautiful pictures of Jesus in the entire New Testament. His identity and His accomplishment are tied together. Especially in the world of Gnosticism, this was the core issue that Paul would address. How can you love a Jesus that isn't the REAL Jesus?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

As we pick up some background on the Church at Colosse, we'll see that the life-altering nature of the Gospel, the LIGHT of CHRIST, enabled them to produce fruit in the midst of troubled circumstances, just as the lighthouse enables a ship to progress in midst of troubled seas.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce talk about how Paul's letter to the Colossians connects with Holy Week and the Resurrection. Holy Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8udH2vlHMIKirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Easter is the day of remembrance of the core of Christian faith: that Jesus rose from the dead. However astonishing that is, it means very little if we don't understand its significance. It might be surprising to some that we can find an explanation is Paul's letter to the Colossians. More than that, we can learn why this event can change our entir…

Bruce recounts the "ah-ha" moment he had approaching this year's Palm Sunday, and how that affected his world view, Sunday's message, and the outlook as we get ready for Easter.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Holy Week is well known as the week that leads to the celebration of the resurrection. It begins with Palm Sunday: a celebration of Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem. But we need to look at the context and ask this question: Why is Palm Sunday so important?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris talk about whether God causes or allows suffering, and what the redemption of suffering looks like.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Stresses and trials are what prove your is faith genuine. They refine it and make it beautiful so that you may receive praise, glory, and honor from Jesus on the day he returns. The end result is what we live for.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

In sailing, indecision means death. You can't just stay in one place, waffling in the waves. You have to set a course, and GO.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Sometimes in life, the storm is so great, the winds and rain so overwhelming, that there's nothing you can do. It's time to go below deck, batten the hatches, secure what you can, and trust that God will preserve you.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

"Comparison is the thief of joy." Chris and Bruce get into the ways we fall into the comparison trap... and how we can stop.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

There will always be a bigger, better boat than yours. There will be people who are more successful, more financially set. And one of the greatest ways to address that stress is to CONQUER the COMPARISONS in your heart.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce get into different practices and disciplines that help them to maintain a healthy spiritual walk.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

The keel is a part of the boat that extends from the bottom down into the water. It stabilizes the boat and keeps it upright, preventing it from being tipped over by wind and waves. Our lives are full of wind and waves. What serves as the keel of our life?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce discuss how mentors can make a difference in your life.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

The larger the waves, the larger the boat you'll need. And the larger the boat, the larger the crew you'll need. We must learn to lean on mentors and ask for help to know how to steer the ship through rough waters. What does that help look like? And how do we ask?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Failure is a part of life. When we fail, we feel the stress of the consequences of that failure. However, failure won't have complete power over our lives if we allow it to be redeemed!Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris discuss the concept of harnessing stressful situations for improving ourselves and our outlook on life, using examples from the Bible and from everyday life.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Life is an ocean of opportunities and challenges. With each wave comes the chance to rise above and sail forward. Though the winds may be strong and the waters rough, if you lean into God and stay true to the course He provides, you will find the strength to navigate any storm.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Sunday we talked about how giving of our "first fruits" shows what is most important to us. Today, Bruce and Chris go deep into what that looks like in our finances.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

God gives us all giftings, and when we use those giftings, they bear fruit. What we do with those FIRST fruits says EVERYTHING about what's most important to us!Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris get more into what Kingdom living looks like and how that changes our priorities.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Jesus' good news to the world was not how to get us into Heaven, but how to get Heaven into US. The Kingdom of Heaven is not just some distant future to hope for, it is a way to live HERE and NOW. As CURRENT citizens of that Kingdom, how does that change our priorities?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce discuss the first part of the series "First" series, about Jesus' call to the Israelites to return to their "first love."Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Many people begin the new year by recommitting to habits or goals they failed to continue pursuing the year before. What might be more prudent though is to reevaluate and recommit to WHY. God's first law says to love God with all your heart, and it becomes the why at the foundation of our faith in action. That's why Jesus called people to return to…

When we begin a new year, we often take a moment to reflect on the lessons of the past year, and we decide to make an effort to do better and be wiser as we look forward to the next year. But what about after that? What about after we finish this life? What does the Bible say we should do differently as we look forward to eternity?…

After centuries of waiting, after pages and pages of prophecy, after supernatural visitation, after months of anticipation... the ARRIVAL finally came. Tonight we celebrate the MEANING of the birth of our Savior.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Israel lived in hope for a savior that, generation after generation, they did not receive. That hope has now been fulfilled for all of us, and we can live in light of that. Can we now also live in hope for God's promises that we may not get to see fulfilled in our lifetimes?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Luke's Gospel account begins with a contrast of two births: one that seemed as if it came far too late, and one that seemed far too early. But as prophecy began to unfold and be fulfilled, it turns out that God's timing was the right timing.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Mary's pregnancy with the savior of the world certainly wasn't one she had planned or predicted, but the arrival of the Messiah had been predicted many, many times centuries earlier in the Hebrew Bible. The prophecies are the measuring stick by which we can know that Jesus is who He says He is.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

When we thank God for all He has blessed us with, do we pray with a heart of repentance... or of pride?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

We've heard the message again and again: Be strong! Don't lose faith! Don't go back to the old you! We all want to do it... but when the going gets tough we find we don't actually know HOW. In Paul's second letter to Timothy, we see the same message... but we also get the HOW.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Acts 2 gives us a picture of what happens when people make Jesus their Axis: community forms. This template of that community includes a practice that we have continued for 2000 years in the Lord's Supper. Today as we observe this practice, let us take time to think about what it means to be part of this community. Not to try to be the greatest, bu…

This week we returned to talking about the Gospel as the Axis around which not just our faith, but our lives revolve around, and what that looks like put into action.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

It's important for us to understand exactly what the Axis is that our lives revolve around. So today let's deal with the questions that will help us define a Gospel-centered life: Why did He need to do something for us? What exactly did He do? How do we experience that? What difference does it make?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

A lot of conflict with fellow believers and nonbelievers alike has to do with where we stand on social and political issues and how we identify ourselves by those beliefs and how they relate to our faith. Ultimately, a person's heart must matter more to us than their agreement with our opinions.Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

Thanks in large part to social media, our culture is now riddled with division fostered by unhealthy interpersonal conflict. The Bible gives us very specific, and very wise, templates on how to deal with conflict with believers and non-believers. When we make Jesus our Axis, conflict resolution becomes about pointing people to HIM instead of gettin…

Last week we talked about one of the ways we make God the axis of our lives: we live and make decisions based around the mission that Jesus gave us. Jesus gave us our mission because He had a mission to fulfill. What exactly is that mission?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian

When we make Jesus the axis of our lives, we find God has placed us in the path of people who also need Him. What do we do with that? How can we shift our perspective from living our faith in the context of church to living it everywhere to everyone?Kirjoittanut FBC Midlothian