PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF GOD - Family Matters, Part 2

October 23, 2017

"Without effort, everything becomes lukewarm."

Part 2 of Family Matters and this week we're talking about PASSION. Christianity isn't just about going through the motions; it's about passionately pursuing the one who passionately pursues us. We're either passionately pursuing God, or we're slipping away into lukewarmness; those are the only two options.

In this week's message, we discuss what a passionate pursuit of God looks like and what are the most common "passion killers" that hold us back.

Love Like a Gorilla

October 18, 2017

"Your wife is so sweet... your wife is such an angel... your wife is the nicest person I've ever met."

That's Marianne – my lovely wife – and those are the comments that I usually hear from people describing her. And those who know her understand why. She really is the nicest person ever. She is sweet, she is kind, she is gracious and she is generous. She is the pillow to my sword and she really is the best!

BUT....(all the husbands out there need to pray for me because I am risking my life here with this next sentence).... at times my wife reminds me of a gorilla (may God help me!).

LIMITLESS ACCEPTANCE - Family Matters, Part 1

October 16, 2017

Our latest series at The Well is called FAMILY MATTERS and as the name suggests, it's all about family - CHURCH FAMILY!

Church isn't about a building or a weekly gathering. We are a family and what unites us is stronger than blood. But what does it mean to be part of this particular family (STSA)? What makes our family so special and unique? And what's my role in fulfilling the mission of our family - that is "bringing an ancient faith to a modern world"?

That's our topic and we'll take a look at our 10 core values and see how those values define what it means to be a member of the family. Enjoy!!!

Lost or Found [sermon video]

June 5, 2017

"When we lose something of value, we focus on what’s LOST to neglect of what’s UNLOST."

As we celebrated Pentecost yesterday - aka "the birthday of the Church" - I wanted to reflect on what it means to be the Church and how that identity translates into my life today.

We looked at three parables of Jesus and saw that being the Body of Christ is all about PEOPLE and making sure you have the right "PEOPLE CATEGORIES."

Check out the message above to see what I mean.

GO - Mission: Witness, Part 5

May 22, 2017

"We are not here on a vacation. We are here on a mission."

That was the takeaway from yesterday's finale in the Mission: Witness series. We looked at the life of the first ever American saint canonized by the Orthodox church and saw how his life could hopefully inspire us GO...

...beyond our comfort zones... out of our little bubbles... away from our self-centered way of thinking.

We were sent in order to GO!

LOVE - Mission: Witness, Part 4

May 15, 2017

If you think you know what LOVE means, you ain't seen nothing yet!

In this week's message, we take a look at two people - Jim and Elisabeth Elliot - whose genuine love and limitless acceptance was taken to an unfathomable level.

It's a story that everyone needs to hear. It's a reminder about the greatest and most powerful element in the entire universe... that is, LOVE. And where love is, God is as well.

SERVE - Mission: Witness, Part 3

May 8, 2017

Week 3 in our latest series MISSION: WITNESS and this week we're looking at a third manner of preaching the gospel: SERVICE.

And our example for this week is one of my all-time favorite men in Christian history - George Mueller, a 19th century German who provided education and care for thousands of orphaned street children in England at a time when society didn't care about them.

As as much as WHAT he did was truly inspirational, HOW he did it is absolutely incredible! A true man of faith and man of prayer who witnessed to the goodness and kindness of our God.

May his story inspire you just as it did to me.

A Reflection after a Visit to STSA

May 5, 2017

Alrighty blog readers, I have a special treat for you. Below is a guest post from Eric Young, the Assistant Dean in the Georgetown University MBA Career Center and also a member of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. Eric paid us a visit at STSA on Sunday, April 23 and below is his reflection after that visit. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! And if you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.

SPEAK - Mission: Witness, Part 1

April 24, 2017

We kicked off a new series yesterday called MISSION: WITNESS. In it, we're talking about different ways that we can be witnesses/evangelists in the world today.

Each week in this series, we'll look at one of the "lesser-known" heroes of Christianity - someone who has witnessed to Christ in their own unique way - and we'll see that there's more than one way to be an evangelist.

Our hero for week one? St. Photini, the greatest preacher that you know nothing about.

Holy Week Hymns in English

April 7, 2017

Just wanted to let you all know that I'll be offline till the end of Holy Week and the celebration of Easter on April 16. But if you're looking for a way to get yourself ready for Holy Week, check out the HYMNS OF HOLY WEEK in English.

Learning the hymns of the Pascha services is one of the best ways to transform your worship experience and go from a passive bystander to an active participant. Highly recommend it to all!

MOMENTUM 2017: WE ARE

January 6, 2017

MOMENTUM IS COMING TO DC IN 2017!

That’s right. MOMENTUM – the annual conference for church leaders that we've been doing in NY, PA and LA – is coming to the nation's capital in 2017! It’ll be February 17-19 (Presidents Day weekend) and in case you can’t tell, I AM PUMPED!

The title of this year’s conference is: “WE ARE: radically different, eternally one.”

We don’t just tolerate what makes us different; we NEED those differences! Without them, we would not be the complete BODY of Christ.

That’s why this is called “WE ARE” and not “I am.” The Church has to be about who WE ARE, not who I am. And who are we? We are "radically different, eternally one."

HOW ARE WE SAVED? Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 5

July 25, 2016

“Are you saved?” A simple question with a relatively simple answer that has unfortunately become a lot more complicated in today’s world. Is it because we (Orthodox Christians) don’t know if we’re saved? Or is it because maybe our definition of salvation isn’t the same as everyone else’s?

That’s the final topic in the Ancient Faith in a Modern World series where we talk about what salvation really means and what the Church’s view is towards it. You might be surprised to discover that the definition of “saved” has changed quite a bit over the years. It might not mean what you think it means.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MARY – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 4

July 18, 2016

The great evangelist Billy Graham once famously said, “We evangelical Christians do not give Mary her proper due.”

What is the role of St. Mary in the church today? What should it be? Should I pray to her? Is that even allowed? Or is she no different than anyone else – just a historical figure who played an important role 2000 years ago, but that’s pretty much it. What is the Virgin Mary’s “proper due”?

That’s the topic for the latest installment in the Ancient Faith in a Modern World series. I did my best to answer those questions and a few more, but I must confess: I had a little help from a special guest who joined us for a special cameo appearance at The Well – his first appearance there but probably not his last.

WHY WE WORSHIP THE WAY WE DO – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 3

July 11, 2016

Why is Liturgy so boring? Why does it have to be so long and with so much standing up? Does it even really matter how we worship God? What matters is the heart right???

If you’ve ever wondered about why Orthodox worship looks the way it does, be sure to check out the message above. In it, I talk about how liturgical worship helps us to achieve EXACTLY what we need – more than enjoyment, more than entertainment, more than a nice inspiring message. Liturgical worship is where we exchange our life for the life of Jesus.

And that’s what we really need.

THE ‘T’ WORD – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 2

June 27, 2016

The ‘t’ word. It’s a word that can instantly divide Christians into two groups: pro vs con. Some hate it and believe that it is the cause of all the problems in church history. Others love it and believe that we’d be lost without it.

What is the ‘t’ word? TRADITION.

In this week’s message, we take a look an objective look at tradition and see where it came and what our view towards it should be. Does the Bible ever speak negatively about tradition? Does it ever speak positively of it? Is all tradition a good thing? Is there a time where tradition can be bad?

What is tradition and what would our lives/churches look like without it?

WHAT IS THE CHURCH? – Ancient Faith in a Modern World Part 1

June 20, 2016

BRINGING AN ANCIENT FAITH TO A MODERN WORLD

That’s our slogan at STSA and that’s also the name of our latest series. In it, we’re exploring Orthodox Christianity to see whether or not it is what it claims to be – “the original Christian church established by Jesus Christ Himself upon the foundation of the apostles.”

Is that true or just something we say because it sounds nice? Is there truly a link between the Orthodox church of today and the church which started in Jerusalem 2000 years ago? Is the church that Jesus started still alive and has it been alive for all these years? Or did it die somewhere along the way?

I hope you’ll join me for this 5 part series and discover these answers (and more) for yourself.

Friends & Family Day at STSA

June 17, 2016

If you’re in the DC metro area and have always wanted to come for a visit to STSA Church, this is the weekend to do it! It’s Friends & Family Day and we’re kicking off a new series titled “ANCIENT FAITH IN A MODERN WORLD” and YOU are invited!

Check out our website to help plan your visit.

A Lesson from our Departed Pope

March 18, 2016

Yesterday marked the four year anniversary of the departure from this world of a true spiritual giant, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. I therefore thought it fitting to honor this saintly man with a post I wrote back in 2012, just days after his death, speaking about some of my experiences with the departed Pope and some lessons learned as well. May the Lord accept the prayers of this righteous man on behalf of us all and on behalf of His Beloved Church.

Over the past few days, a lot has been written about the life and legacy of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. As is often the case with a righteous man, it isn’t until after his departure from this world that we realize the true greatness of the man that was in our midst

What Happens in Baptism?

October 27, 2015

In honor of the 6 new members of the STSA family that were baptized this past Sunday (one of the most incredible days of my life),I wanted to post this beautiful excerpt from the writings of St. John Chrysostom on what really happens during baptism: