Anthem Church

Though the truth of God can be hard, thought our lives can at times stifle our faith, though the voices of the world call to us, it is Jesus who has the words of eternal and abundant life. So we ask, “To whom shall we go?” May we come whole-heartedly to Christ himself for life abundant.

We are all in need of Jesus Christ, the bread of life. However, we need God's help to embrace humility and to see our need for Jesus clearly.

As Jesus’ ministry gains more momentum, he remains clear about his purpose and calling. Jesus, the bread of life, sent by the Father to offer life to the world, is here for all who will come to him. However, it is vitally important that we believe in the one God sent, Christ himself, that we may have access to these promises.

Though the fallen world in which we live is surrounded in darkness, chaos, and fear, Christ comes to calm the seas of our heart.

As strong, smart, and capable as we may be, life has a way of revealing something about ourselves: we are incomplete as people. This can lead us to despondency in our inadequacy or dependence on the God who made us; the latter choice allows us to step into our identity as sons and daughters as we lean into Christ to help us in our need.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth that sets us free. This truth must be clearly shown, thoroughly embraced, and practically lived; this is the invitation of God in Christ for us to know God and be fully known in Him.

As Jesus continues his earthly ministry, he continues to reveal the character of God to those around them. The question posed to the Pharisees is posed to us: what will we do with the authority of Jesus?

When Christ heals, he is always doing some deeper work for the benefit of those around him. Alleviating the pain in our life can be a good thing, but God is always seeking to bring about a deeper healing, the saving and growth of our souls, in each of his followers.

God is good and gracious, working in our lives for our benefit and joy. Sometimes this aligns with what we hope and wish for, but when it doesn’t, we can trust God, knowing that he is still working good in and for us, growing our faith all the while.

Jesus invited his disciples, and invites us, to enter into the work of God and his people, advancing the kingdom of heaven with the Lord’s help. Will we avail ourselves to this labor of love?

What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? God reveals our sin and reveals his Son as the remedy for that sin. Engaging with the Spirit and the truth of God allows us to worship with full hearts.

We all have a hunger and a thirst deep within for life itself. The love of God reaches through circumstance, stereotype, and obstacles to offer living water, satisfying our souls.

It’s a new year, which means it’s the time when most of us make plans and goals, with hope for a better future. Let’s start the year by putting down the most important stones first, that we may be rooted in grounded in places where we can be blessed to grow in Christ.

Every year, we find ourselves caught up in the flurry of December’s activity and expectation. The Christmas story, however, reminds us that the birth of Jesus was far from tidy, convenient, and easy. God entered into the brokenness of humanity, into the mess and darkness, in an unexpected way. May we allow Christ to break into our busy lives, and may we be caught up and distracted by the deepest truth this season offers.

In our experience of this fallen world, we often find that promises are forgotten and our mistakes and sin are remembered. However, with God, he reverses the curse, remembering his promises to his people continually, and in our repentance he forgets our sin forever. Listen in as we celebrate this God, who gave his only Son as the greatest act of mercy to a needy and desperate world.

God satisfies those who are hungry but sends away those who are full of this life. The question is, which are we? And how do we know? If we humble ourselves and prepare room in our hearts, Jesus promises to meet us, feast with us, and fill us with good things.

What does it mean to pursue humility? Is it always bad to be proud? As we examine the next lines of Mary’s Song, we lift our eyes to God, who opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Our pride keeps us from the very presence, power, and promises of the God who longs to provide for us and commune with us; may we pursue him in humility today.

We begin our Advent series this week by focusing on hope. Though Mary had many questions and doubts about how God was working in her life, she held on to her humility, and with the help of others recognized her place in relation to her God. She entrusted herself to his goodness and timing, and found comfort and joy in following his lead, one day and one step at a time.

As we conclude the third chapter of John, we examine the end of John the Baptist’s life and ministry as well. What does it look like to live a life surrendered to God?

Our default state as humanity is one of darkness. We are prone to hiding and doing whatever it is that satisfies our flesh and our selves… at least for a while. Jesus Christ came into the world as the light, stepping down into our darkness that we may be rescued from it, filled with the Spirit of God, and sent forth in hope, joy, and healing to love and serve God and others.