Restoration Church

When you hear the word “worship,” what do you think of? Our American Church culture has often reduced worship to a product to consume, but when we look at the Scriptures, we find something far more compelling: a response to the God who is changing us from the inside out. (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Spirit indwelling and empowering the Church. And while this supernatural event speaks to how we relate to and partner with God, it also speaks to what kind of community we seek – a community where the walls between us fall – and love takes root.

It’s hard to know where you are going if you don’t know where you are. In this message, Justin shares that while our journeys of faith are never identical, there are common stages we often share. We might not be in the same place or be moving at the same pace, but we share the same road – a journey with Jesus towards a life of love. restorationlex.com/groupguide

The word “obedience” means something radically different depending on how you understand the character of God. Is it a transaction to appease a distant diety… or an invitation to joy with a friend? It’s a difference we need to know. (John 15:9-17)

Love is not reduced to shallow sentimentalities in the New Testament. At ground level, the church was grappling with their resurrection reality and learning to love another with the love they now knew in Jesus. Today, our task is the same.

“God told me __________.” When a sentence begins like that, it rightfully can make people… nervous. Do we believe that God still speaks to us today? Yes! But how can learn to discern and follow His voice without veering into unhealthy and unhelpful patterns of faith?

You can know the Bible backwards and forwards – but still completely miss the point. One of Jesus’ first post-resurrection acts was helping his disciples unlearning what they thought they knew about the Bible so they could see it with new eyes. The good news is, He’s still doing the same with us.

Doubt can be a scary, isolating feeling. It touches not only what we believe, but how we belong. So what do we do when we’re wrestling with our questions? In this week’s message, we examine the story of Thomas, a man whose steadfast faith in the midst of his doubt is an example for us all.

Mary Magdalene is lost in her grief – so lost that she fails to recognize Jesus right in the middle of it. This is the hope of the resurrection when we feel lost: the risen Jesus meets us in the ordinary – where he’s making everything new.

Jesus draws a straight line between our experience of forgiveness and our ability to love. This week, we’re giving our attention to one of the quieter events of Holy Week – a story about the freedom we find in forgiveness.