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1/1/2006 – According to Your Faith, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 38:14 minutes As believers in Jesus Christ, we are a part of a community who lives by faith. Faith is defined in the book of Hebrews (11:1) as the substance of things hoped for, the conviction/assurance of things not seen. By faith, we believe that God desires to build His Kingdom in us and through us. He wants to rule in every aspect of our lives. This includes our hearts, minds, and relationships. But, it also includes our bodies. Faith involves believing that God can restore and bring healing. Audio - 4.48 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   1/8/2006 – Bear Hug from a Manger, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 52:05 minutes In an age when rulers were given titles like “savior” and “lord”, the true Savior of the world was born. The birth of Christ brought about a Kingdom that looks very different from the way the kingdoms of this world operate. In a lowly manger, God declared that his Kingdom was not of this world and that his love and salvation would embrace all of human kind. Audio - 6.10 mb High-Quality Audio - 24.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   1/15/2006 – Fear Not - It's Good News, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 40:03 minutes Like the shepherds whom the angel of the Lord spoke to, God wants us to know that we do not need to be afraid of Him. His character in the person of Jesus Christ displays His love for us. The message of His love is good news! Out of this abundant relationship with Jesus, comes a desire to share this good news with others. Audio - 4.69 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.7 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   1/22/2006 – The Power of Weakness, Brenda Salter-McNeil  –  sermon length is 47:117 minutes God’s kingdom is paradoxical. The paradox is displayed in how God uses our weaknesses to make us strong. In spite of our weaknesses, God uses us to bring about His kingdom. The things in our lives that we see as weaknesses or stumbling blocks are actually opportunities for God to reveal to us his power and strength in us and through us. Audio - 5.54 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.1 mb Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   1/29/2006 – A Pigeon, a Lion and Deep Magic, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 39:38 minutes God’s love and mercy for us is fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ did not come to hold back the wrath of God; rather He came to deliver us from the bondage of Satan. Through sin, we are made slaves to Satan’s dominion. However, through Christ’s death on the cross, we are bought back from the power of sin and death. The sacrifices of the Old Testament remind us of the consequences of sin and point to a time when Christ would pay the price of sin for all who choose to believe in Him. Audio - 4.64 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.5 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/5/2006 – Holding the Hope, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 51:18 minutes In our world today, we are exposed to so many things that can cause us to be worried or anxious. Yet, in Christ we have hope that this life is not all that there is. In Christ we can have hope and know that he can bring peace into our lives, even in the midst of living within a terrifying and hopeless world. As believers in Christ, we have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us to help us live out Christ’s hope to those who fear in this world. Like Simeon, we know that God keeps his promises, and that he has revealed his son, Jesus, to redeem all humanity and to give us peace. Audio - 6.01 mb High-Quality Audio - 24.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/12/2006 – The Lord's Messiah, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 47:39 minutes According to the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, the Messiah would be anointed to be three things: 1) a priest (mediating God-Israel relation) 2) a warrior (liberating Israel from oppressive powers) 3) a king (ruling Israel in truth and justice). These were the expectations of the first century Jews. Jesus came and fulfilled these expectations but did so in an unexpected way. He was and is all these things, but in a way much different, and far deeper, than Jews at the time understood. He “over-fulfilled” the expectations. Audio - 5.58 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/19/2006 – Remembering What Matters, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 35:27 minutes Life can become very busy, and it is easy to lose focus. Everyday realities and problems can disrupt our relationship with God. We are constantly bombarded by little things that can bide for our time, and divert attention from what really matters. As believers in Christ, communion is one of God’s ways of reminding us of what really matters. Communion helps to us to remember what Christ did for us and refocuses our lives towards him. Audio - 4.15 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.6 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   2/25/2006 – A co, Annie Perdue-Olson Audio file coming soon. High-quality audio file coming soon.   2/26/2006 – Offensive Good News, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 40:55 minutes The message that Simeon gives Mary has a heavy, ominous tone, as he predicted that Jesus would actually cause many to fall and that people would speak against him. This prophetic message establishes the fact that the good news of the Gospel is much more than set of encouraging thoughts or beliefs, but in fact it is offensive in nature. It offends because it challenges the lives of those who hear it to live a different way. Audio - 4.79 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/5/2006 – A Piercing Sword, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 40:17 minutes For disciples of Christ, the Word of God cuts and divides. God sees us for who we really are, and his desire is to mold and shape us into this person. God desires to carve away and remove anything that is sinful in our lives. He wants us to grow and may place new convictions on our hearts in the process. Our job as followers of Jesus is to humble ourselves, repent, and allow God to mold and shape us. Audio - 4.61 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/12/2006 – Lessons From Anna, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 41:58 minutes Anna was a woman that God used to speak to the people about Jesus the Messiah. It is significant that scripture records in this verse and in other parts of scripture that a woman was given a word of prophecy that was for all people (not only other women). The issue of women in church leadership is one that is debated in evangelical circles. However, scripture demands we look more closely at what it says about women leading in the church. Audio - 4.92 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.6 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/19/2006 – Lessons from Anna II: The Heart of Worship, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 36:04 minutes Worship is the essence of the Christian life. Anna, an example for us today, lived a life that was characterized by worship. She worshipped God night and day. To worship God is to simply behold and express the beauty of Jesus Christ, and to be transformed by this beauty. God's love was expressed most clearly at Calvary, when he gave his Son as a ransom for our sins, so that we could be free and have a relationship with him. Worship is speaking, singing and living in this reality and then being transformed by it. Audio - 4.22 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   3/26/2006 – Kingdom Secrecy, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 45:33 minutes Anna was a widow who spent most of her life in the temple fasting, worshipping and praying to God in solitude. Through the world’s eyes, she was not considered important, visible or successful. However, in God’s Kingdom, she was considered a hero and a success. Anna’s life is a testimony for us as believers, because she was exactly where God called her to be. She was obedient and faithful to the calling God specifically gave her. Audio - 5.34 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   4/2/2006 – Creating the Laser Beam, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 55:21 minutes Prayer is powerful and effective. It is an important and necessary act of spiritual warfare for the believer. Throughout scripture, we are shown that prayer can change the outcome of situations. Believers are therefore called to pray, not solely out of obedience, but with a sense of urgency and faith. God uses our prayers to bring about his will on earth as it is in heaven. He has chosen us to be co-laborers with him to fulfill his purposes. Audio - 6.48 mb High-Quality Audio - 25.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   4/9/2006 – When God Doesn't Come Through, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 49:48 minutes Anna was a woman who dedicated her life to prayer and fasting. She understood how prayer works in our complex world. As followers of God, we know that prayer is powerful and effective. However, it can sometimes be difficult to have faith that prayer really makes a difference, especially when our prayers are not answered in the ways we expect. It is important to consider how to reconcile our disappointments with the scriptural promises of prayer. Audio - 5.8 mb High-Quality Audio - 23.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   4/14/2006 – The Lamb of God, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 32:35 minutes Audio - 3.82 mb High-Quality Audio - 15.2 mb   4/16/2006 – New Insights or Same Old Nonsense?, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 45:31 minutes Christ’s resurrection is miraculous! The claim that a human being rose from the dead, and is God, is very difficult to comprehend. We’re used to people dying and staying dead. Our culture is looking to new insights and reasons to disprove and disbelieve the validity of the Gospels and the resurrection of Jesus. However, the New Testament Gospels make the claim that Jesus is God, and that he indeed rose from the dead. In contrast to recent discoveries, like the Gospel of Judas, the New Testament Gospels have been proven historically accurate, and have withstood the test of time. Even with all of the historical evidence, we still, by faith, have to make a choice to believe. We can either believe that Christ was a liar or a crazy person, or we can believe that Jesus is God and that he indeed rose from the dead. Audio - 5.33 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   4/23/2006 – Prayer is for Real, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 51:47 minutes Prayer was a way of life for Anna. She worshiped and prayed both night and day. As believers we know that prayer is powerful and effective. However, sometimes it is hard to know how to pray. It can become difficult to concentrate and feel that prayer is real. The example of Anna and others throughout scripture teach us three basic principles for an active and meaningful prayer life. Audio - 6.07 mb High-Quality Audio - 24.2 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   4/30/2006 – Beyond Drive-Thru Christianity, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 46:49 minutes Prayer was a way of life for Anna. She prayed with patience and an expectation that God would come through. We, however, live in a fast-food society that tells us to “have it our way” with little investment and immediate gratification. Prayer is not a fast-food, drive-thru experience. Rather, just like a three course meal, it takes time and patience to develop a meaningful relationship with Jesus. There are three basic courses to a good meal with him. Audio - 5.48 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   5/7/2006 – Prayer Games, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 49:20 minutes The prophetess Anna understood the importance of praying with others. She spoke to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Today, we often live our lives isolated from otheres and are too busy to align ourselves with other believers. Anna shows us that being involved in a community of believers is an essential part of our walk with God. By looking at what Jesus taught in Matthew 18:19-20, we can learn three practical guidelines for cultivating a deeper fellowship with others in prayer. Audio - 5.78 mb High-Quality Audio - 23.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   5/14/2006 – The One Who Understands, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 46:43 minutes As Christians we believe that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. While some groups emphasize his divinity and others his humanity, we realize that both are essential to the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, because Christ was fully human, we realize that he can fully enter into our human experience. He did this to identify with us and to bring redemption. As human beings one of our deepest needs is to be completely known and understood. For this reason, it was essential that Christ fully entered into our human experience so that we can be assured of his ability to relate to us in every way. Audio - 5.47 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.9 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   5/21/2006 – You Ain't No Cinderella, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 32:15 minutes As Christians we believe that God, out of love for us, set-aside his divinity and became a finite human being in order to bring humanity to redemption. Despite knowing this truth, we can sometimes feel as though God sent Jesus to live and die among us as a sort of “fallback” plan. The common view of the cross can sometimes become a “plan B” theory. However, the idea that God sent Jesus after every other effort had failed, is not Biblical. Audio - 3.78 mb High-Quality Audio - 15.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   5/28/2006 – The Gospel of Groundhog, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 32:45 minutes Jesus grew in wisdom and he impressed the teachers of the law with his insight when he was only twelve years old. This wisdom and insight was not based upon a reservoir of head-knowledge. He was not impressing people with the facts he had stored up from studying. Instead he was demonstrating insight into life. He had understanding and he grew in this understanding. God wants to use a difficult marriage or a frustrating work environment to teach us something. While he is not the source of these troubles, he is wise enough to know how he can take advantage of trials to refine us and give us wisdom. Audio - 3.84 mb High-Quality Audio - 15.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   6/4/2006 – Hope in the Midst of Chaos, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 46:06 minutes The message of John the Baptist came into a chaotic period of history. In the middle of this chaos were the people of Israel. They did not know what their future would hold. To these people, John the Baptist proclaimed a message of repentance, an invitation to change one’s focus from the chaotic nature of circumstance to the God who was coming to bring salvation. Hope is only found in the saving actions of God, the faithful one who completes what he started. Modern life is characterized by chaos. In the midst of this chaos we need hope, solid ground on which to stand. Jesus is our only hope; he is the only consistent factor in this crazy world. Audio - 5.40 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.6 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   6/11/2006 – The Foundation of Wisdom, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 34:40 minutes Jesus is the perfect, sinless human being who models what human existence in God's kingdom should look like. He demonstrates a life of increasing growth and learning in the ways of God. Jesus lived a life where he learned from his life experiences and gained insights into what life is really all about...all to God's glory. As we live like Jesus, we are to have lives where we, too, increase in growing in wisdom. Audio - 4.06 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.2 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   6/18/2006 – Washed and Ready, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 39:20 minutes Baptism is a crucial element of the Body of Christ, the church. It's been a staple among Christians for literally thousands of years. In his third chapter, Luke makes implicit and explicit points that shed light on the Kingdom of God, including the significance of baptism. Luke's writing shows him to be a good and serious historian. Like other historians of his time, he used the reigns of important rulers, like Caesar and Pilate, to let the audience know the time and date when he’s writing yet he chose to focus his perspective on God's activities in human history, specifically the coming Messiah. Audio - 4.50 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   6/25/2006 – Just Do It, Brenda Salter-McNeil  –  sermon length is 37:40 minutes There comes a time in everyone's life where the wine runs out, when the excitement ends, life turns out to be less than you thought it would be or your accomplishments feel empty. Based on John 2:1-11, the questions that were raised are, "What will you do?" "Where do you go?" and "Who do you turn to?" Mary shows us that in a crisis the person you want there and to whom you turn is Jesus. Audio - 4.4 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.3 mb Presentation Slides   7/2/2006 – Baptized into the Revolution, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 35:02 minutes The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed (see Mark 4:30-32). It is a revolution that is quietly growing, but will one day come to full fruition. Christ has planted the seed by first coming to redeem us. He will one day return to reap the harvest, purging the world of all that is inconsistent with his Kingdom and restoring creation as it was meant to be. As followers of Christ, we have the opportunity to participate in this future Kingdom reality, today. Like John the Baptist, we are preparing the way of the Lord. One sign of this mustard seed revolution is seen through the baptism of believers. Audio - 4.01 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   7/9/2006 – Don't Go Down with the Ship, Annie Perdue-Olson  –  sermon length is 39:10 minutes Our world is often filled with stress and trials. As discouragement builds in our lives, we have a natural desire to build up defensive walls to protect ourselves from being hurt by a hurtful world. Unfortunately, these defenses can lead toward increasing self-centeredness, frustration, and even unbelief against God. The biblical author of the “Hebrews” letter understood this behavior pattern well. In chapter 3, the author uses a tragic story to speak a word about something important and urgent: the need for encouragement. Audio - 4.59 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   7/16/2006 – Renouncing Satan, His Works and His Pomp, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 40:10 minutes Baptism is a public confession of faith in Christ. It is a renunciation of living the way the world lives, with all of its lures and traps, and pledging to live a life that is solely for Christ. It is a life that is radically distinct from the ways of the world. One of the first mentions of baptism following Christ’s resurrection is found in the book of Acts (2:37-38). In this passage, the apostle Peter speaks to those who just heard the “good news” of Jesus, and tells them to: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Audio - 4.70 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.8 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   7/23/2006 – Buried and Risen with Christ, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 34:45 minutes In a section of his letter to the church at Rome, the apostle Paul speaks about the Kingdom of God and how human life is shaped by that Kingdom. This is emphasized in the way Paul uses baptism in his discussion. He encourages his audience to look upon their baptism experience to recall who they really are and to whom they really belong. Our baptism actively demonstrates the burial of our old lives without Christ as well as the renewal of our lives in Christ. Audio - 4.07 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.2 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   7/30/2006 – Calling Down Fire, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 32:58 minutes The kingdom of God revolution is all about revealing God’s radical love and “good news” to the world. A central aspect to this kingdom is the Spirit of God operating within believers in empowerment and comfort. It is the first thing that John the Baptist mentions about Jesus and his ministry… “He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). The Spirit of God is spoken of throughout the Bible and has been commonly referred to as the Holy Spirit, which is the third person in the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit). Audio - 3.86 mb High-Quality Audio - 15.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   8/5/2006 – The Spirit, the Kingdom and Politics, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 44:58 minutes Following a recent article in the New York Times, Scott revisited some of the questions raised by Greg in his sermon series, "The Cross and the Sword." As a new pastor at Woodland Hills, he told about how he first learned of the sermon series and the responses people had to it. Discussing the differences between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God, Scott pointed out that as Christians, we are to belong first and foremost to God's Kingdom, while still being engaged with what is happening in the world, but laying aside political differences when it comes to the body of Christ. Audio - 5.27 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.0 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   8/13/2006 – Igniting the Kingdom, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 26:59 minutes When Jesus came, as prophesied in this passage by John the Baptist, he ignited a kingdom fire. This was much more than a social or a political restructuring so that people could have better lives. This kingdom fire came to work from the inside out. It starts with the heart, then moves outward into actions and lastly into social and political structures. Audio - 3.16 mb High-Quality Audio - 12.6 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   8/20/2006 – Being Beautiful, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 39:19 minutes There are various opinions about what it means to be a Christian. One thing that does not get mentioned often is the idea of being "beautiful." The truth is that the Kingdom of God is a reality of beauty. And Jesus, who is the King of that Kingdom, is also beautiful. When Kingdom reality is lived out by people who have completely dedicated themselves to God, there is an obvious attractive quality to it. God is calling all of us to be beautiful...just like he is beautiful! Audio - 4.61 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   8/27/2006 – Living "Under the Influence", Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 36:15 minutes Jesus’ kingdom-bringing life was so powerful because Jesus was continually being guided by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus’ followers can demonstrate the beauty of God’s kingdom. As we seek to remove "clutter" from our busy lives, we can experience more and more of the Holy Spirit's transforming influence daily. Audio - 4.15 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.5 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   9/3/2006 – Dove Power, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 43:31 minutes The heart of God's kingdom is revealed in Jesus Christ as being a unique, holy and beautiful kingdom. Jesus did not come as great ruler, who cast judgment upon humanity and used his power over others. Instead, he came as a humble servant who ultimately sacrificed his life for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be open to the choice of being in relationship with God. As Christ's followers, we are called to be a participant in this kingdom and to follow His example. Audio - 5.10 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   9/10/2006 – The 77-Fulfillment Savior, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 37:15 minutes Some people think that the genealogies of Jesus are outright boring. In reality, there is a wonderful truth communicated in those lines of names. The truth is that Jesus is not only the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, but also the hopes for the entire human race. As Christians, we can live in that truth today! Audio - 4.36 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.4 mb Presentation Slides   9/17/2006 – The Birth of a New Humanity, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 39:54 minutes When we think of the biblical characters, Adam and Jesus, we often think of them simply as individuals. We do this because we are accustomed to thinking according to Western individualistic categories. However, as we dive into the genealogy described in Luke, we are faced with the concept of holistic solidarity, where individuals cannot be separated from the “organic reality” of a larger whole. It is through this solidarity that Jesus becomes the “New Adam” and provides the way for the creation of a New Humanity in Christ. Audio - 4.67 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.7 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   9/24/2006 – The Growing Giant Jesus, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 44:19 minutes An important reality about being a follower of Jesus is that you are always a part of something that is larger than yourself. This is because followers of Jesus are in the Body of Christ, a collection of people who have completely dedicated themselves to the Kingdom of God. Not only is there interdependence between the people who make up the body, but there is also our link to the Head of the body, Jesus himself. What this means is that the way that we see Jesus and his ministry will affect how we see ourselves as well as our mission in the world. Audio - 5.19 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.7 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   10/1/2006 – The Temptation of Practical Goodness, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 38:54 minutes When people think about “temptation”, they often think about thoughts or behaviors that seem obviously evil or negative. Because of this idea, it is sometimes assumed that temptation is something that can be easily avoided. What people forget is that something does not have to be evil in order to be a temptation. Sometimes, there may be several options to choose from that seem good, but that pull us away from what God would want us to do. Audio - 4.56 mb High-Quality Audio - 18.2 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   10/8/2006 – The Crown of Beauty, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 36.29 minutes This weekend, we started our "Beautiful Life" series! Sometimes, the state of the world can make life look so ugly, but God is a beautiful God that wants us to understand that life was meant to be enjoyed as beautiful. God wants to give us "beauty" in exchange for the "ashes" of our everyday existence and give us crowns that let us know who we were created to be in God. Audio - 4.27 mb High-Quality Audio - 17.1 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   10/15/2006 – Shattered Beauty, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 45:47 minutes When we read the Gospels, some of the words of Jesus may seem a little unrealistic to us. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus actually speaks about people not being worried about how they shall get the things that they need to live, like food and clothing. Many of us spend a significant amount of time trying to secure the things that we need to survive. So when we see Jesus’ words, we find it hard to believe that he could really mean what he said. Perhaps the reason that we have such a hard time with Jesus’ words is because we are not truly understanding what he was saying. Audio - 5.36 mb High-Quality Audio - 21.4 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   10/22/2006 – Remembering the Forgotten Beauty, Dwayne Polk  –  sermon length is 40:39 minutes When we look are our hectic lives, we can sense the pain and despair that we often feel...but we never stop to think about what has really caused the problem of our shattered beauty. One important problem is that we have forgotten beauty related to the Center of the Kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants us to create "spaces for God" so that we can experience the matchless beauty of Jesus in our daily lives, and then, see our own beauty! Audio - 4.76 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.0 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   10/29/2006 – A Place to Belong, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 43:16 minutes Every human being is designed with basic yearnings and desires. One of our most basic desires is the need to connect with one another. However, in the overwhelming demands of modern life, we often do not listen to or even acknowledge these desires. Our lives and relationships look more like fragmented pieces than complete and meaningful masterpieces. To live out a beautiful life of belonging in God's kingdom is to live in covenant community with one another. Audio - 5.07 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.2 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   11/5/2006 – Experiencing the Meaningful Life, Annie Perdue-Olson  –  sermon length is 43:03 minutes Meaning and purpose in life. It is a longing and yearning that we all have. We want to make a difference and leave a mark in this world. The problem is that we don’t believe we are beautiful. To experience meaning in this life requires believing that God has wonderfully and beautifully made us. As we recognize our beauty we are then able to share this beauty with others. Audio - 5.0 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.8 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   11/12/2006 – The Beautifying Faith, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 46:50 minutes Living out the beautiful life of God’s kingdom requires living by faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Our main job in life is to be receptive, and by faith, willing to follow God’s leading in our lives. It is a life of vision and purpose; that does not settle. Audio - 5.50 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.0 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   11/19/2006 – The Beauty God Has Begun, Scott Boren  –  sermon length is 43:01 minutes This weekend concludes our six-week series entitled “Experiencing the Beautiful Life.” Over the course of the last few weeks we as a church have to begun to discover the deep yearnings we all have for more meaning and purpose in life. We have started to seek out a new way of doing life that connects us more deeply with God and with others. As we conclude the series, we look to God to continue the good work and bring about its lasting completion. Audio - 5.04 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   11/26/2006 – Resisting the Devil, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 44:30 minutes We live in a war zone! It is a world that is ruled and co-opted by evil schemes and plans, brought forth by a real enemy, Satan. It is into this world that Christ came to bring forth a new Kingdom, not of this world, but expressed through the radical beauty of God’s love. As believers in Christ, we are participants in this new Kingdom, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist the lies and temptations of this world. Audio - 5.21 mb High-Quality Audio - 20.8 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   12/3/2006 – Competing Faiths, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 48:05 minutes Every human being faces temptations. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted. After being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was tempted by the Devil. There are a number of reasons to suggest that the scenes of Jesus' temptation played out within his mind. That does not mean that the temptations were not real. In fact, all temptation begins within the thoughts and emotions of the mind. Audio - 5.63 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.5 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   12/10/2006 – Putting Away Childish Things, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 34:52 minutes We are constantly tempted to focus our time and energy meeting the expectations of other people instead of meeting God's expectations for our lives. This is an extremely strong temptation! Even Jesus, as Messiah, was expected by others to act and be a certain way. But God has given every one of us a unique identity to receive. The goal of our Christian life is to grow into and manifest this God-given identity, so that we can reflect His love to others. Audio - 4.08 mb High-Quality Audio - 16.3 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   12/17/2006 – VIM Past the Attack, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 41:24 minutes God’s love is perfect. As disciples of Christ, it is important to know and accept that God loves us. It is from His love that we are able to return love to God, ourselves, and then others. However, we have an enemy that wants to keep us from understanding and receiving this love. Audio - 4.85 mb High-Quality Audio - 19.4 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide   12/24/2006 – Christmas Service, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 59:50 minutes Christmas is a time of both celebration and reflection on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the use of Christmas hymns and carols, we are reminded of just how amazing God’s love for us is, and of the sacrifice Christ made for us all by dying for our sins and redeeming us. Audio - 6.85 mb High-Quality Audio - 27.3 mb Presentation Slides Individual Study Guide   12/31/2006 – Life is not JUST a Test, Greg Boyd  –  sermon length is 47:13 minutes All humanity faces temptation. Part of being completely human is to deal with times of strong temptations. Jesus was fully man and fully God, therefore, His humanity allowed Him to face these temptations and to overcome them with the same tools He has given us-God’s word. Jesus was “led into the desert by the Spirit”, but once there he found that part of this wilderness experience was to be a time of testing and temptation for Him. Audio - 5.53 mb High-Quality Audio - 22.1 mb Presentation Slides Covenant Group Study Guide Individual Study Guide