Christ-like Character, Part 2 – by Jake and Abigail Graham

June 14, 2026

Sermon recap:

Submission often creates a tension between our desire for control and God's call to surrender. Jesus modelled perfect submission to the Father throughout His life. From his earthly relationships (Luke 2:48–52) to his ministry (John 5:19; 6:38; 8:28; 12:50), His life was rooted in obedience. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46), Jesus wrestled honestly with the Father's will, showing that submission is not always easy or effortless. Yet his love for the Father enabled him to surrender fully. In contrast, Adam and Eve chose autonomy over obedience (Genesis 3:6), revealing humanity's ongoing struggle with submission.

Our submission to God must come before resisting the devil or addressing other spiritual challenges. James 4:1–11 teaches that quarrels, selfish ambition, friendship with the world, and even slander can flow from hearts not fully surrendered to God. Submission is not a one-time decision but a continual posture. Frank Laubach's practice of regularly asking God, "What do You want said or done in this moment?" illustrates a lifestyle of daily dependence and surrender.

Submission to God is also expressed through submission to one another. Jesus demonstrated this by washing his disciples' feet before commanding them to love one another (John 13:1–17, 34–35). Mutual submission requires gratitude, humility, and a willingness to lay down the burden of always getting our own way (Ephesians 5:20–21). It means taking the concerns and perspectives of others seriously and discerning the difference between personal preferences and essential gospel truths. True submission reflects Christ's servant-hearted love.

You can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel (the lesson starts at 46 mins).

Jesus the Reconciler, Part 2 – by Erick and Vida Li Sik

September 13, 2026
Because Jesus reconciled us to God through the cross, we are called to pursue reconciliation with God, one another, and the world around us.

Jesus the Reconciler, Part 1 – by Danie and Adri Vos

September 6, 2026
Jesus reconciles us to the Father and teaches us to extend his grace, helping us forgive one another, heal relationships, and walk together in peace.

Embracing Divine Tension: Pendulum Swings (Part 10)

By Justin Renton • September 2, 2026
The physics of the pendulum Picture an old grandfather clock in a quiet hallway. Its long brass pendulum swings steadily: tick, tock, tick, tock. Now give that pendulum a hard shove to the right. It does not simply glide back to the center and stop. It races right past the middle and sways just as far to the left. Left to its own momentum, a pendulum never rests at either extreme; it finds peace only when it hangs still at the center, held by gravity and its fixed point. The church behaves in much the same way. Push her too far toward one side of a truth and she does not gently settle into balance, she swings. Often for a whole generation toward the opposite error, and then back again, wounding people at both ends of the arc. And here is the crucial thing the clock teaches us: the pendulum comes to rest not by being frozen in place, but by being held. Balance is not the absence of force; it is the fixed point that keeps opposing pulls in tension so that the weight can finally hang still.
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