2021 SERMON PODCASTS & VIDEOS
Happy New Year! No, really, Happy New Year! Advent, the celebration of the expectation of the birth of Jesus, begins the new year for Christians. Advent, which means coming, is a season of anticipation. What will the birth of the Christ Child bring? New hope? New joy? New life? New LIGHT!
Let’s journey together this Advent as we seek the new hope, new joy, new life, and new light that the Christ Child brings. Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) In this new year, I’m expecting God to release us from the darkness of COVID-19, separation, disagreement, and doubt! After all, we get our light from Christ! And as this new year begins, remember that it’s our job to Light the World!
“You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16)
No theme has been more central to Wesleyan Faith than the link between Christian doctrine and Christian living. In this sermon series we are critically considering the three rules John Wesley highlighted in his 1743 General Rules for the United Societies in hopes of learning more about how to truly “Live Well” in a changing world. Simplified, the three rules are (1) do no harm, (2) do good, and (3) stay in love with God. Together they call us to mutual respect, unity, and a deeper relationship with the one who created us all.
You are invited to worship at Atlanta First during October in our new series Love First. 1 John 4:19 reminds us that “we love because God first loved us.” In worship throughout the month of October, we will be exploring what it means to be a community that Love’s First: God, Neighbor, World, Creation, and Self. When hate surrounds, let us learn what it means to remain in love and remain in community, even when it is hard.
Join us as we kickoff fall worship with a new series: Courage – Jesus and the Call to Brave Faith. Based on the bestselling book by pastor and author Tom Berlin, this series will challenge us to unlock the courage that we already possess as Christ followers. By examining the Gospel, we will begin to understand what true courage is and how God works in the lives of disciples as they pursue a brave faith. Once we have eyes to see and ears to hear what Jesus is revealing to us, we may begin to live the remarkable life with God!
Join us for Summer in the City, which is our relaxed and more informal worship experience for summertime.
Have you ever wondered if God was truly WITH you? WITH us?
1-2 Samuel in the Old Testament of the Bible leads us through a historical exploration of freedom, power, unity, resistance, and the presence of God in our lives. Through the Book of 2 Samuel we are exploring what it means for God to be WITH us in the midst of and in spite of all things. WITH King David and the prophet, Nathan, we see what it means to live in times like these—times that demand a reorientation in the church, world, and our local communities—so that we can be the unified, God-WITH-us, body of Christ that God created us to be.
Is God WITH us? WITH you?
Absolutely! In all things, God is WITH us!
During June and July, you are invited to join us for our relaxed and less formal Summer in the City worship experience. In June we will be taking a look at what we can learn about the gospel through the lens of Disney-Pixar’s latest animated movie, Soul!
“The Greatest Story Ever Told” is just the beginning! What happens AFTER the empty tomb? How did the Resurrection become the greatest story ever told? How do we experience the full impact of God’s love story to God’s people? No Greater Love is a worship series that guides us from the Empty Tomb to the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the gift of community. Don’t miss this journey of grace, discovery, acceptance, power, gift-giving, and love! There is no greater love!
Do you ever feel like you’re wandering in the wilderness, not sure of where to go or what to do? You are not alone. In fact, the Lenten season – a season that prepares us to celebrate Easter – is based in the 40 years that the people in the Old Testament wondered in the wilderness and the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. Wilderness times can challenge us, teach us, prepare us, and deliver us!
Our Lessons in the Wilderness series focuses on what the “wilderness” can teach us that will help us to focus on God, how to survive the wilderness, and how to be ready to emerge into abundant life!
Each Ash Wednesday, we worship together to mark the beginning of the Lenten Season, one of the holiest season’s of the year for the people called Christian. Ash Wednesday has two purposes: to remind us that we belong to God as we confront our mortality and to help us confess our sin before God within our community of faith. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten season during which we prepare to celebrate Easter. But, before we get to Easter, we must prepare ourselves – heart, mind, and soul.
Are you over the pandemic, stress, and worry about the future? Dreaming of a safe post-COVID change of scenery? Anxious about when mask-wearing, physical distancing, and constant health worries will end? Do you yearn for a chance to visit with family and friends? This restlessness is not new. Let’s explore how God helps us through restlessness and keeps us focused on the future with hope! Let’s worship together as we refuel for the days ahead.
We’ve made it to 2021! Rough days are behind us, so… now what? Join us as we explore the answer to that in HOPE Emerging.
