We’re bringing MOMENTUM to you!
That’s right. For the first time ever, you don’t need to book a flight, or a hotel, or figure out whose couch you’ll be sleeping on…this year, MOMENTUM is coming to your home, your laptop, and your TV screen (and maybe even your phone, but hopefully not).
For only $20 per person, you can register for this year’s conference on June 27 – a one day virtual event where you’ll get to learn from a diverse group of speakers from across the globe. Such as,
Read More“Being on the wrong side of love means being on wrong side of God.”
That’s our key takeaway from week 3 in our Blind Faith series. We looked at the famous story in John 5, of the healing of the paralyzed man (see John 5:1-18).
A great miracle takes place, but some missed it because they weren’t focused on loving people. Instead they focused on their rules, their agendas and their ideologies. And any time those things get in the way of people/love/compassion, we will find ourselves on the wrong side of God.
Read MoreThere's nothing quite like a juicy love story...the romance, the intrigue, the drama, and maybe a little scandal. In this series, we'll travel back in time and take a closer look at four famous marriages from the Old Testament. We'll see what lessons we can learn and allow their stories to speak into our lives to empower and enrich our marriages.
Up first: Jacob and Leah…….and Rachel.
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In case you didn’t know this about me, I love bananas! I love to eat bananas. I love to put bananas in my cereal. I love to drink banana smoothies. And I especially love my wife’s fresh-baked, homemade, banana bread! You could say I’m bananas for bananas [sorry… couldn’t resist].
But despite my love for bananas, there was a time recently where the last thing I wanted to see was a banana. Someone gave me a banana and it almost made me vomit. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS ROTTEN!
You see, even though I love bananas and would love to be given a banana at any time… I never ever want to receive a rotten one. And if you give me a rotten one, it might just make me sick.
So no matter how much I might be craving a banana, if the one you have is rotten, PLEASE DON’T GIVE IT TO ME!
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Today's guest post comes from Eritrea Ghebrehiwet, a member of the STSA Church family in Arlington, VA. In today's post, Eritrea challenges us to consider the consequence/reward of small acts of love and service. She shares her own story about how the actions of others impacted her spiritual journey and might also have saved her life.
Read MoreAnd we're off! The 30 day kindness challenge has begun and we kicked it off by discussing the first of three components: Say nothing negative, either TO your person or ABOUT them to someone else.
And before you say "That's easy; I'm not a negative person" - be sure to check out this message above. We discussed 4 different types of negativity and you might be surprised to find out what else falls under the negativity umbrella.
All that and more in part 2 of The KIND that Breaks.
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We’ve all heard St Paul’s famous words in Philippians 1:21 in which he boldly declares: "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Powerful words aren’t they!? But have you ever stopped to think about the implications of such words? After all this isn’t just catchy slogan found on printed mugs and tees for the hipster Christian to wear loud and proud – are they? Certainly not!
Read MoreEver thought about what it would feel like to have a superpower? If so, you're gonna love the latest series we kicked off at The Well this week: "The KIND that Breaks".
It's all about a superpower that can change just about any relationship there is - no matter how difficult and hopeless it might seem. It's the superpower of KINDNESS and you're invited to join us for a 30 day challenge as we seek to exercise this superpower in our lives.
And be sure to check out http://stsa.church/kindness for resources and more fun stuff!
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What is it? Is it prayer? Is it fasting? Is it Bible reading or quiet time? What’s the ONE habit that’s most closely associated with my spiritual growth and zeal?
While I hesitate to say that any one habit is more important than another when it comes to spiritual growth (we need to find balance and not be overzealous in any one area to the disregard of another), there's definitely one habit that stands out as most closely linked to my spiritual growth.
In other words, with regards to this habit: when I’m doing it the most I’m growing the most, and when I’m growing the most I’m doing it the most.
(you may need to read that sentence again)
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"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!).
Read MoreOur 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!!!
Read MoreGentlemen, grab a pen and get ready to start taking notes. In this week's message, I share the vital information that every man needs to understand in order to be successful in relationships. Trust me, this one piece of information has the power to transform your relationships if get it right.
What is it? Check out Part 2 of INTO THE WILD and see for yourself.
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“By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp.”
Even for those of us that seek to avoid it, these days it seems the brokenness of the world is inescapable. We are divided in our nations, our communities, and even our families. Old wounds reopen, buried grievances resurface, hidden tragedies are revealed. The way we communicate and engage with each other is changing faster than we can process.
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“But first I want you to tell me this: do you know the power of love? Christ passed over all the marvelous works which were to be performed by the apostles and said, ‘By this shall men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” --St John Chrysostom
The idea of hospitality has challenged me over the past few weeks and seems to have culminated in the latest Vesper and Liturgical Gospel readings both regarding how we treat one another, and how we rely on the Holy Spirit to work in us, God to provide for us, and Christ to show us the way to be holier hosts (Luke 14:7-15, Luke 9:10-17).
A word often used for hospitality in the New Testament, philoxenia, combines the idea of loving as if you would love someone bound to you by blood or faith (philo) and applies it to a stranger (xenos).
Read MoreIt's the week 3 finale of the CROWNS OF GLORY: Lessons from an Orthodox Wedding Ceremony and this week we looked at the most controversial and most misrepresented portion of the ceremony - the instructions to the bride and groom.
TO THE GROOM: Do all that is good for her. Have compassion on her and always hasten to do that which will gladden her heart. Take care of her as her parents did in love and in humility… Remember that if you fulfill the divine commandments which urge you to look after your wife, the Lord will bless you in all you do…
TO THE BRIDE: You must honor and respect him, do not disagree with him but increase your obedience to him over what was commanded many times… Receive him with joy and cheer, do not frown in his face, observe all your obligations to him, and fear God in all you do… so the Lord will support you and provide for your livelihood and blessing will descend upon your house.
Wondering what all that means? Check out the video above and see for yourself.
This past week I preached about the importance of watching what we say. Why? “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)
Ouch! That’s a tough verse to swallow if we really take it seriously. In light of that, I remembered this post that I wrote originally three years ago which gets to the core of why watching our words is so difficult to do. Hope you enjoy!
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What’s harder: loving your enemies or loving your friends?
I know the question sounds like a no-brainer. It’s such a dumb question that it’s not even worth answering. “Of course it’s easier to love your friends than it is to love your enemies,” you’d say. How could anyone think otherwise?
Now before I get too deep into this post, let me say that I fully realize that my world isn’t the same as everyone else’s. I don’t live in a world where I’m persecuted for my faith. I don’t live in a world where I have to deal with prejudice because of the color of my skin. I don’t live in a world where I can easily identify one person or one group of people as “my enemy” (Cowboys fans excluded 🙂 )
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After His resurrection, Christ asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” And every time he answers "yes," Christ says:
“feed my lambs”
“tend my sheep”
“feed my sheep”
Because love is more than words.
Love does.
Often we assume that love is implied. We assume other people are secure in their own worthiness and we assume that they know our love for them. So at times when we admonish another, we are left feeling confused as to why they would lash out and walk away.
Read MoreWe wrapped up our 6 week Seasoning Life journey yesterday and the final habit is more of a mindset to live by, not an action to practice. And that is SACRIFICE.
What does sacrifice mean and why is it a non-negotiable requirement for a follower of Jesus? Because it is the summary of everything Jesus came to do and therefore the only appropriate way we can respond is by doing the same. Check out the video to see what I mean.
And don't forget to keep on practicing the B-E-L-L-S habits:
B - Bless
E - Eat
L - Learn
L - Listen
S - Sacrifice
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love it's the only thing that there's just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love,No not just for some, but for everyone."
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We decided to take a break from our current series on Confronting Conflict and instead we talked about the subject that is on everyone's mind on the 14th day of February...LOVE
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This January, like thousands across the country, I made a resolution to lose weight and be healthy. So after doing some online research, I made my way to the neighborhood gym to meet with the sales team. Having read a lot about how gyms try to rip you off with random fees and entice you with perks, I went in skeptical but feeling prepared.
The staff was welcoming, they gave me the best deal they could, and I signed up. However, not fully convinced that I would be the 10% that keeps up with their resolutions every year, I decided on a month-to-month membership. This allowed me an easy “out” when things got tough, but still made me feel like I was committed to my health.
Let me just say that this is not the first gym I’ve joined, or my first attempt to get in shape. Like most women, I’ve tried about 5 gyms and 5 other “at home” work out programs in an attempt to get in shape. This time, I told myself, it would be different.
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