Skip to main content

Author: capital-admin

“Loved Enough”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in John, Luke, Matthew.

Have you blown it big? Did you make a mistake when you should have known better? Are you living in the shame and regret of your past—whether last night, last year, or a long time ago? Well, the story of Peter’s denial and redemption before and after Easter in the Gospel of John might have a gift for you: God’s love is not just for good people. It’s a love that’s unshakeable, unruly, and untamable. And God’s love is not yours to earn, it’s simply yours to receive. You don’t need to be good enough because you’re loved enough.

Continue reading

“When Doubt Is In the Driver’s Seat”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 2 Corinthians, John, Mark, Matthew.

At the end of John 20, Thomas—unlike Mary and the other disciples—didn’t see the physical evidence of Jesus’s resurrected body on that first Easter morning, and he doubted news was real. But perhaps it’s unfair that we call him “doubting Thomas”… after all, in Thomas’s skepticism, all he wanted was to experience the peace and comfort of the resurrected Jesus physically, just like everyone else got to! In our modern-day environment, perhaps you feel a bit like Thomas. Maybe it feels like your life is full of other people having spiritual encounters with Jesus; or other people’s prayers being...

Continue reading

“The Good News is Too Good…”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 1 Peter, Colossians, John, Matthew.

It’s easy to show enthusiasm about many things—your favorite sports team, fresh-powder skiing, an amazing restaurant or a great movie—so why do we sometimes freeze when it comes to sharing our faith? Maybe you don’t want to come across as offensive or judgmental; maybe you are afraid to share because you fear you won’t have all the answers. But Jesus didn’t die for us so that we could keep that good news to ourselves; he died for the sins of the whole world, so that we might experience eternal and abundant life. You don’t need a bullhorn—you just need your own personal story or a simple act...

Continue reading

“The Worst Thing”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in John, Luke, Matthew.

Mary’s grief at the sight of the empty tomb in John 20 can teach us an important lesson. Even as Jesus was right before her eyes, she didn’t recognize him because she wasn’t looking for him. As you deal with your own frustrations, and try to connect the dots between your disappointments and your dreams, are you truly looking for God? Or have you written him off assuming that he’s failed you? We’re often blind to the work that God is doing right in front of us because our expectations and emotions can block our vision. Perhaps your anger with God prevents you from seeing him. Or your pain...

Continue reading

“God Is Up to Something”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 2 Kings, John, Psalms.

In John 20:8, John models a resilient faith that we can all learn from. He sees Jesus’ empty tomb, and tells us simply that “he saw and believed.” John could easily have been overcome with despair, anguish, or fear in seeing the empty tomb, but his faith overcame. Biblical hope like this has the power to change the world, and to change your life. Hope is more potent than mere wishing, and more powerful than a passive resignation to “whatever happens”. Hope is a joyful anticipation, an eager expectation, and an assured belief that God is up to something.

Continue reading

“A Life of Teleo”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Acts, Joel, John.

John 19:30 reveals Jesus’s last words as he died on the cross: teleō in Greek, meaning “it is finished.” This is the defining and pivotal moment in history. It’s the moment Jesus declared that whatever has happened to you, whatever sin you carry, and whatever shame you bear—it has been defeated completely by Jesus’ death on the cross. The debt is paid for humanity and for you. Jesus, in his perfection and by his own will, gave up his spirit so that you can live abundantly with the Holy Spirit. That’s what teleō means for your past, and what it means for your future—so start living like “it...

Continue reading

Lead Like Jesus Desktop Wallpaper Background

“Lead Like Jesus”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in John, Matthew.

People want power. Having power means you can get people to do what you want when you want it. Power brings privilege, pleasure, status, attention, and admiration. But as Jesus gives up his rights and gives up his life, he reveals to us how a true king leads. Almost all of us are handed opportunities to lead every day. Maybe you manage a business, or teach a classroom, or coach a team. Maybe you’re given an opportunity to bring encouragement to someone who’s down; maybe you’re able to take the pain from your past and help a friend find healing; maybe you can show a child self-worth....

Continue reading

“More Than You Were Looking For”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in John, Mark.

John 18 gives us a glimpse into the complexity, nuance, and multi-dimensionality of Jesus. Jesus is God leaping off the pages of scripture, into humanity and into your struggles and pain. He is the Jesus who falls to the ground and prays for you, and the Jesus who was lifted up on a cross for you. Whether you’ve never taken a look at Jesus for yourself or you’ve been following him for decades, as you seek to better understand Jesus, be brave enough and humble enough to invite Jesus to shatter your illusions of him. Be ready to find out that Jesus is so much more than the Jesus you’re...

Continue reading

“Let Love Win”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in John, Philippians.

Everybody likes to win. And it’s okay to win, depending on what you mean by “winning”… If your goal is to win the argument with your spouse before you’ve even begun, you’ve already lost. In John 17:20-21, Jesus prays that his disciples would be one. His prayer for our unity is not just so that we would feel good about ourselves, but unity is intended to be a key marker of our identity in Christ. Our unity is a way for us to prove to the world that Jesus is real, and he is relevant. The Greek word for unity (Phil. 2:1-4) doesn’t imply uniformity, but rather like-mindedness—like-mindedness in...

Continue reading

download jesus loves me graphic 2

“If You Only Knew…”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 1 Corinthians, John, Philippians, Romans.

John 17 gives us an intimate understanding of Jesus’s love for humanity—for you—as he prays. The God you are invited to know is Love itself. And Jesus wants you to know God so that you can experience his eternal life and love; not just when you die, but right now. If you only knew… that before you ever prayed to Jesus, Jesus prayed for you; that Jesus, the gift of God, considers you a gift from God; that Jesus loves you. Jesus’s love can comfort you when you fail; it can protect you from the lies the world feeds you and that you feed yourself. His love is so real, so unshakable, and so...

Continue reading

“My Times”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Psalms.

Psalm 31 bridges two genres as both a psalm of lament and a psalm of trust. The psalm brings together the pleas & protests of our present circumstances with a rugged commitment to believe. Psalm 31 is the prayer of someone who’s suffering, but at the same time defiantly clinging to hope. Maybe David’s prayer can teach you how to pray through your problems. Maybe it can help you shift your perspective so you see that though your circumstances may be out of your hands, nothing is out of God’s hands.

Continue reading

“What Are You Waiting For?”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Luke, Proverbs, Psalms, Uncategorized.

Your whole life is one waiting period after another: Will you get into your first-choice school? Will you get that promotion? Will she marry you? Will the loan get approved? Will the cancer take him from you sooner rather than later? Like it or not, you’re going to have to wait. So, challenge yourself to learn to wait well. Wait with hope. Not blind optimism, or naïveté, and not hope for a specific outcome. But wait with hope in the character and goodness of God. No matter the circumstance, no matter the outcome, put your hope in the eternal glory of Christ. Then as you wait, you can...

Continue reading

“Explosions in the Sky”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 1 Corinthians, Acts, John, Luke, Matthew, Proverbs, Romans.

God’s desire is for all of humanity—and for you—to have a personal relationship with Him. And like the stars for the magi at the birth of Jesus, God sends signals in personal ways to point you to Jesus. Don’t short-change yourself by dismissing these signs and missing out on God’s love. Jesus, who sustains all of life, came to serve you and to save you. He will reveal himself to anyone who is willing to open their eyes and open their hearts to his signals. You may not see him in the moment, or understand what he’s up to, but he’s there. Whoever you are, wherever you are, you are not too far...

Continue reading

“God’s Work in You is Greater Than the Chaos Around You”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Psalms.

In a life full of fear—chaos, natural disasters, war, pandemics—where can you turn? In Psalm 46, and throughout the Bible, God’s command is to not be afraid and to trust in Him. You may not be able to control the chaos around you, but even in the midst of the fear, God invites you to drop everything, be still, and focus on him. God, who created the universe, wants to do great things in your life personally. If you’re fully consumed by the fear, stress, and chaos around you, you will miss the greatness of what God wants to do in you.

Continue reading

What You Do and Don't Do Impacts What God is Up To

“Helping or Hindering?”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 1 Peter, Ephesians, Genesis, Isaiah, Luke, Matthew, Proverbs, Uncategorized, Zecheriah.

Proverbs 6 gives us a non-exhaustive list of a few things God despises—haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a wicked heart, evil feet, and a false witness. The list makes clear that God cares about what we do with our bodies, with our minds, with our words, and with our relationships. There’s not a single part of our lives that God doesn’t care about! Why is that? Because God created every part of you for a purpose. You were created to know God and draw closer to him. In doing so, you can live the kind of life for others to know God and become more like him. What...

Continue reading

Sermon Cover Photo - Passionately Pursue Peace

“The Passionate Pursuit of Peace”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Ephesians, John, Luke, Matthew, Philippians, Proverbs, Romans.

The Proverbs talk a lot about conflict. The greedy stir up conflict, angry people stir up conflict, hatred stirs up conflict, a perverse person stirs up conflict. As Christians, we’re called to the opposite—instead of stirring up conflict, what if you stirred up peace? In the angry, contentious, politically divisive season we’re living in today, being a peacemaker may not be easy. Too often, when the pursuit of peace is painful, we disengage; we give up; we pull away; or worse, we react in bitterness. But a peacemaker is not someone who avoids conflict, or someone who withdraws. A...

Continue reading

“Work is Good”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Colossians, Proverbs.

You’ve probably heard the common axioms, “we work to live” or “we live to work”. Looking into what the Proverbs has to say about work, we can see that both of these philosophies are false. Work is not merely a means to live—it’s a way for you to reflect the image of God that’s in you. To work is to use your God-given time, talents, and opportunities to contribute and show the world God’s love. But on the other hand, if you live to work, then you’ve misplaced work as your master. If you live solely to please your boss, to earn more money, or to chase after success, you might be pursuing the...

Continue reading

“Focus on The Depth, Let God Take Care of The Breadth”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Ephesians, Matthew, Philippians, Proverbs.

What is the condition of your heart and soul? As you look forward into the year ahead, planning where you’ll focus your energy and what you’d like to accomplish, put a high priority on the condition of your heart. God wants you to become the best version of yourself. God wants you to grow deep and impact your world. God wants you to experience life in all its fullness. We can’t control the trajectory of our growth. We can’t control the breadth of our impact. What we can control is how much time and effort we put into developing the depth of our relationship with God. If you want to do great...

Continue reading

“Giving Is the True Having”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in 1 Timothy, 2 Corinthians, Colossians, Luke, Mark, Proverbs.

Does money tell you what to do? Does it boss you around and dictate how you’re going to live your life? Do you put your confidence in it? Do you feel peace only if there’s enough cash in the bank or if your investments are doing well? In scripture, Paul invites us (commands us, even!) not to put our hope in wealth, which is fleeting and uncertain. But rather, we can put our hope in God, who richly provides us with everything. Bring heaven on earth by living a life of serving, and loving, and excelling in the grace of giving.

Continue reading

“70 x 7x 7…”

Written by capital-admin on . Posted in Luke, Matthew, Psalms.

How do you feel about forgiveness? You probably feel great about it unless you have some forgiving to do… As God teaches us how to pray in The Lord’s Prayer, he’s also teaching us how to live. Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. He’s basically saying forgive like you want to be forgiven.

Continue reading

Secret Link