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This is the last Sunday in our "Rooted" series. We take up the phrase in the Apostles' Creed "I believe...in the life everlasting." The teaching will be based on Revelation 21:1-8, 21:22 - 22:5. To prepare, read this passage and meditate on what you learn about the new heavens and the new earth. Also keep in mind that there is no mere academic theology in the Bible. John writes these chapters in Revelation to comfort a group of people enduring severe persecution. Consider how this passage would have affected John's first readers. How can it make a difference in your perspective on the troubles you face in your own life?

We're almost to the end of our "Rooted" series, concluding with messages this week and next. The teaching this week is based on 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. This is a complex passage about the resurrection of the body. To prepare for worship this week, read the passage and think about the ways this passage differs from pop-culture notions of heaven. Is there anything in this passage that challenges your beliefs about heaven? If you were to believe the truths of this passage, how would it change the way you live?

We take a break this week from our "Rooted" series to welcome a guest speaker, Chad Grindstaff. Chad will be teaching from Colossians 2:8-10. To prepare for Sunday, read this passage, and reflect on what you learn about Jesus from the passage.

We continue this week on our journey through the Apostles' Creed, focusing on the phrase "I believe in the forgiveness of sins." The teaching will be based on Matthew 26:26-29. To prepare, read the text and consider what you learn about the work of Jesus from his words at the Last Supper. Typically we celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of the month. However, this text just begs for us to come to communion after we meditate upon it, so we will celebrate communion this week as well.

We continue this week in our series "Rooted." We've been using the Apostles' Creed as a springboard for talking about the key doctrines of the Christian faith. This week's message is "How to Wreck a Church" based on Ephesians 4:1-6. Read this text to prepare for Sunday, and think about how a text like this informs your view of the importance of the church.

This upcoming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and the start of the Lenten season. Lent is meant to be a wake up call - a call not to despair, but to repent of our sin, and to run to God for mercy. We'll focus on that theme this week in our Sunday gathering, confessing our sins together using the words of the prophet Joel. The good news is that the arc of worship doesn't end by confessing our sins, but rather culminates in remembering God's love for us by sending Jesus to die in our place. We'll celebrate that this week in the Lord's Supper.

We're continuing to use the Apostles' Creed as a springboard for talking through key doctrines in the Christian faith and worldview. This week we'll be focusing on the second coming of Christ, and particularly that he will "come again to judge the living and the dead." Read Psalm 98:1-9 to prepare for the message. We'll be asking the question: Is the notion of God's judgment good news? And if you really believe in this, how will it change your life.

This week we'll be thinking about the Ascension of Jesus Christ, and the teaching will be based on Acts 1:1-11. To prepare, read the passage and think about the significance of Jesus' last words for the life and mission of the church. How does this affect the way you think about your own life's mission?

The sermon this week will be based on Luke 24:13-35. We'll be thinking about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To prepare, take a look at the passage and pray that God will teach you more about the significance of the resurrection of Jesus, and particularly how this helps us deal with death.

The gospel tells us that we are worse than we ever thought we were, and yet more loved than we ever dared imagine - at the same time! That's the dynamic of our worship service this week. We'll take time to take stock of our sins and confess them to the Lord in both song and in prayer. Then we'll here about the work of Christ on the Cross and what it means for us. All this will be driving us to the Lord's Supper, where see both what our sin cost God, and what infinite love he has lavished on us. To prepare for the Lord's Supper this week, read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.