Ephesians 1 reminds us that our identity is not defined by our past, failures, or what others say about us, but by who we are in Christ. In Him, we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, covered by grace, filled with the Holy Spirit, and promised an eternal inheritance with God.

Loving others means building relationships that care for us, challenge us, and help us become more like Jesus. As we grow in faith together, God calls us to courageously share the Gospel with our oikos—the people He has placed in our lives.

In a world filled with noise, pressure, and endless demands, Jesus brings us back to what matters most: loving God and loving others. We grow in that love by planting God’s Word in our minds and rooting ourselves in spiritual habits that shape our hearts, helping us know God personally and become more like Jesus throughout our lives.

Hebrews 10 reminds us that, unlike the priests whose work and sacrifices were never finished, Jesus offered one perfect sacrifice for our sins—and then sat down because His work was complete. Through faith in Him, we can rest in the assurance that we have been made perfect forever, even as He continues the lifelong work of making us more like Him.

Jesus embodies the perfect balance of grace and truth—not as competing values, but as inseparable expressions of God’s character. As we learn to see reality from God’s perspective and submit our lives to Jesus, His gracious truth challenges us, transforms us, and ultimately sets us free.

Grace is a central theme of the Bible. God has chosen each of us to receive grace, we're transformed by grace into a new way of life, and we're called to choose grace in all other relationships and situations. 

Through Jesus, we see exactly who God is: full of both grace and truth. Jesus graciously meets us right where we are, but He also lovingly speaks truth into our lives—showing us that grace and truth aren't opposites, but work together to reveal God's heart and restore what has been lost.

Jesus' message to the church in Sardis is both a warning and an invitation: a church can appear healthy on the outside while being spiritually lifeless on the inside. Yet Jesus specializes in bringing dead things back to life, calling His people to wake up, repent, and reengage in His mission of reaching others with the life-saving Gospel before it's too late.

The book of Revelation reminds us that every church has strengths and weaknesses, and the Bible consistently shows how God’s people struggle to live out their faith despite knowing Him. In Revelation, Jesus both affirms what is good and challenges what is lacking, calling His people to return to Him with clarity and confidence in His patience.

In the book of Revelation, we learn that Jesus opens doors of opportunity and our job is to walk through them. As we're on this journey of life, watching for these chances, God looks and honors our perseverance.

We read in the book of Revelation that we're called to make sure our ethics on sexuality are aligned with the character of God, not cultural influence and persuasion. And, when it comes to sexuality, we are to value faithfulness, following alongside Jesus.

As we see in Revelation, Jesus introduces Himself to the church in Pergamum as the one who has the ultimate authority to judge both rightly and justly. In a city known as the region’s judicial center, this reminded believers that while Rome claimed the power of judgment, Jesus alone is the true Judge. He calls His church to remember that human power is temporary, but His righteous judgment and promises are eternal.

Today marks the kickoff of a series of events we do every summer called the Great Adventure where we seek to saturate greater Austin and beyond with the love of Jesus. We see in Scripture what is true today: most people want to see the world change, few know how, and even fewer try. When the world seems to be falling apart, it looks like it won’t be put back together. However, we have the opportunity to do that by sharing the Gospel. 

As we see consistently in Scripture, we're called to endurance in all circumstances. This endurance was modeled for us by Joseph, Abraham, and Moses, to name a few. Their faith carried them, and we're called to lean into our faith in this same way because in all times, we have a good God.  

Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for their endurance and faithfulness to truth, and yet he confronts them for slowly losing the love they had for him at first. As we kick off this seven-week series through Jesus' messages to the seven churches in Revelation, his call to remember, repent, and return invites us to consider whether our own love for him has quietly faded, even while everything on the outside still looks right.

Whether single or married, a parent or not, in leadership or behind the scenes, true fulfillment comes not from chasing status or identity, but from faithfully embracing where God has placed us and trusting Him to work through it.

When sin entered the first family in Genesis 3, it set off a chain reaction of hurt, shame, and broken relationships that still affects families today. But instead of walking away, God moves toward us—offering hope and redemption through Jesus Christ and inviting us to choose grace and restoration over perfection or cutting people off.

As we read in Scripture, children are a gift from God, entrusted to parents for discipleship. That looks like modeling a real and vibrant life of discipleship for your children and intentionally teaching them to love God’s Word.  

In Scripture, we see that God calls us to be less of ourself for the sake of someone else, whether we're married or single. And a significant part of this is how we communicate with one another. Because this can allow and encourage oneness or it can erode and obscure it.

When it comes to gender, we can and it's wise to look to authority outside of ourselves.  If we turn to Scripture, we see that there is intention and connection in gender, as well as value in His image. 

In this panel session, women share honest stories of practicing spiritual disciplines and the challenges, growth, and breakthroughs along the way. Be encouraged to take your next step with God as you reflect, prioritize what matters most, and pursue a deeper relationship with Him.

This session explores why spiritual growth requires intentional planning and how to build simple rhythms that lead to lasting change. Learn how to create a practical plan for spiritual disciplines and discover how consistency, prayer, and accountability can transform your life.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, marking His victory over sin and death. Because Jesus defeated death, we have the promise of new life, salvation, and hope.

This session explores Sabbath as a rhythm of deep rest and worship that restores our identity in Christ and frees us from striving. Learn what Sabbath is—and isn’t—and discover how practicing it can bring renewal, joy, and trust in God each week.

This session explores the biblical meaning of Sabbath and why it is a gift from God for people living in a culture of constant work and exhaustion. Learn how to practice Sabbath in a practical way by stopping, trusting God, and delighting in Him.

Scripture tells us to not repay evil with evil, but with good instead. We can repay evil with good because we trust that God's in control and He'll repay evil with justice.

This session explores biblical stewardship as faithfully managing everything God has entrusted to us—our time, talents, treasure, truth, and relationships. Learn how to invest your life in what has eternal impact and discover the joy of living as a faithful steward.

This session explores stewardship as a heart issue that goes far beyond money, shaping how we use our time, talents, relationships, and resources. Learn the Five T’s of stewardship and discover how faithfulness in small things reveals who you truly serve.

We have all be wronged in our life, and it's a common and natural response to what to re-pay a wrong with a wrong.  But what if we turned to the Bible for guidance in this area?  Scripture tell us to overcome wrongdoings with good. How can you put that into practice? 

We are all designed by God to truly come alive when we invest in someone else It's important to believe that God Himself has some things to ask of you, and that He has a design to make it work. So, lean in, trust in God, and do the work of investing in others.

Week 6 of ROOTED explores evangelism as faithfully proclaiming the good news and calling people to repent and trust in Jesus. Learn why the gospel was never meant to be kept to ourselves, overcome fears about sharing, discover practical methods (testimony, relational, lifestyle, apologetics), and understand that success isn't measured by results—it's measured by obedience.

Week 6 features a powerful testimony from someone who spent 30 years as an atheist before surrendering to Jesus in August 2024. Learn why we're commanded to share the gospel, how to overcome feelings of failure and unworthiness, and trust that our job is to plant seeds while God does the rest—because sharing Jesus is worth all the risk.

As Scripture tell us, we're not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Our lifelong pursuit is to become like Jesus. So, as we make decisions, we can weigh them against this measure: if they don't look like the cross; they don't honor Jesus.

Week 5 of ROOTED explores fasting—not just what it is, but why many of us resist it. Discover that fasting isn't about performance or perfection, but about presence with God, and work through honest questions about fears, control, and what we might be holding too tightly as we learn to rely on Him more than ourselves.

Week 5 explores fasting—the voluntary abstention from food for a spiritual purpose. Learn why Jesus commands fasting, discover four biblical reasons to fast (longing for His presence, realigning our hearts, changing our perspective), and get practical tips from 20 years of fasting experience to help you draw closer to God.

We typically don't process right and wrong rather first and worst. However, Scripture encourages us to do God's good, perfect, and pleasing will. And we should do this without focusing on others' behavior. When we focus on our behavior and/or problem, we develop better solutions, develop trust, maintain the value of integrity, and learn how good God is. 

Week 4 of ROOTED explores worship as our comprehensive response to who God is and His worth—how we tell Him we love Him. Discover what it means to worship in spirit and truth, hear a powerful testimony of worshiping God through a medical crisis, and learn how to practice the discipline of worship in our daily lives.

Week 4 explores worship as more than singing on Sundays—it's a heart posture of humble submission and adoration before God. Discover the four themes of worship (Thanksgiving, A Way of Life, In Spirit and Truth, The Ultimate Goal) and learn how worship aligns our hearts with God and enriches all other spiritual disciplines.

In today's culture, we have to cut through a lot of noise to remain focused on God's Word. To do this, we need to slow down, listen, think, learn, and most importantly — be in Bible and live out God's Word.

Week 3 explores prayer as conversation and communion with God that leads to deepening intimacy. Learn how prayer is more than a drive-through—it's an invitation to sit down and be with God. Discover the Lord's Prayer framework, how to bring anxiety to God with thanksgiving, and that God is doing something in us even when we can't see Him doing something for us.

Week 3 explores prayer as the catalyst to all spiritual disciplines. Learn the ACTS framework (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Seeking), discover practical tools for developing your prayer routine, and understand what it means to pray dangerous prayers that break you and remake you for God's purposes.

What informs your "truth?" Our information and interpretation may not always be compatible with the truth. However, God's Word and truth are reliable. So, it's important to listen to the Holy Spirit and to practice humility, obedience, and discernment when evaluating the truth. 

Week 2 of ROOTED explores Bible Intake as the foundational spiritual discipline. Learn the five facets of engaging with Scripture—hearing, reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing—and discover how God's Word transforms our lives and deepens our relationship with Him.

Explore Scripture reading as the foundational spiritual discipline through the concept of Christ as our "plumb line"—the only true standard for our lives. Learn from powerful examples of people who lived in God's Word, overcome common obstacles to daily Bible study, and discover how your spiritual discipline can impact the next generation.  

Note: This week's recording is audio only. Video will resume next week.

With all the competing voices and inputs in your life, it's important to turn to God's Word to define what is true about your life. With that, let God's people speak truth, even hard ones, into your life.  

Week 1 of ROOTED explores what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and introduces spiritual disciplines as relational pathways to knowing God. Discover the difference between being a fan of Jesus versus a true follower, and examine where you are in your journey with Christ—whether you truly know Him or just know about Him.

Week 1 introduces spiritual disciplines as invitations to deeper intimacy with God—things we "get to" do, not "have to" do. Explore the discipleship journey from Luke 9:23 (deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus) to becoming like Christ, and discover how these eight practices can radically transform your relationship with God.

We associate with people not like us not because we endorse everything about them, but instead we want them to endorse everything about Jesus! How can you step closer to people this week to help them step closer to Jesus?

Welcome to ROOTED: A Biblical Journey in Spiritual Disciplines! This introduction session explores discipleship as a lifelong journey of becoming more like Jesus through planting God's Word, rooting ourselves in spiritual habits, growing in relationships, and sowing the gospel. Discover how journaling can become a powerful tool for meeting with God and documenting your spiritual journey throughout this semester.

In Luke 10, we're reminded of the importance of loving our neighbors. This means being there for all of our neighbors, not just those that are "like us" in our minds. Because good neighbors are the only ones changing the world. 

The spiritual discipline of worship is the proper response to who God truly is. As you lean into and grow in your faith journey, consider how your worship life can be consistent and robust.  

God gives us tools and habits to help us change, such as the spiritual discipline of fasting. When we fast, from anything, God doesn't becomes louder; our mind becomes quieter. This way, we are more able to lean into God and hear His voice.  

As we kickoff the new year, we're going to take a look at the significance of prayer in our walk with God. Lifting up your heart in prayer to God, allows Him to both guide and ground your heart. 

If Jesus is truly God, we need to understand and believe that His wisdom is better than ours and that He is worthy of our worship. And, aligned with that, it's important to embrace His priorities of Bible reading, praying, committing to a local church, using our gifts to serve, and joining a smaller group of other believers. 

At Christmas, we remember that God didn’t stay distant—He came near. In the quiet of a manger, hope was born, love took on flesh, and light entered our darkness. This message invites us to slow down, reflect, and rediscover the wonder of the God who is with us.

In this message, we look at where Christmas takes place, and we see two big lessons. One is that God is able to keep His promises. And, two, that in the Christmas story, God is doing what He promised the whole time: freedom.

This Christmas season, how can you dwell on joy over stress? A few practical ideas are to spend time each morning in a gospel account, adore God in prayer more than asking Him or answers, and invite someone to church whose time might be full of reasons to believe.

Christmas has always been a welcome joy to distract from the stress of life; however, in many ways it's become another distraction, and not much more. This year, let's explore how can you dwell on joy over stress.

From start to finish, Acts is the story of ordinary people accomplishing an extraordinary mission not simply because they had a strategic plan or anything that we don't have. They were able to accomplish great acts through the divine work of God's Spirit. So, together let's be a church empowered by the Spirit and united on mission to share the love of Jesus. 

For Apologetic Resources, click here.  

As we see in Acts, at a certain point Paul didn't look for ways to share his faith because he saw everything as an opportunity to share his faith. Consider the impact you could have on the world with this obedience to God's call on his followers to share the gospel.   

In Acts 21, we see the importance of prioritizing God's will over our own earthly desires. We're called to maintain a steadfast faith and courage in all situations.  Simply put, in all things — lean on and spread the gospel.    

WBS Fall 2025 Week 9

Week 9: James 5:7-20

Acts: Week 10

Acts: Week 9

Acts: Week 8

Week 8: James 4:1-5:6

Week 7: James 3:13-18

Week 6: James 3:1-12

WBS Fall 2025 Week 8

WBS Fall 2025 Week 7

WBS Fall 2025 Week 6

God saves all kinds of people, even people we don't expect! Acts 10 helps us examine our own lives and possible ways that our beliefs may be too self-focused. We will not just look at a shift that God wants us to make, but how that shift could begin to play out practically for each of us.

WBS Week 5: James 2:14-26

As we look at Paul’s life in the book of Acts, we see ups and downs—heartache, shame, and restoration. Perhaps you can see yourself in this story because Jesus has called you out of our broken world so that you can go back into it to bring about positive change. One particular area to focus on is your oikos—the relational world that God has placed in your life.  

WBS Week 4: James 2:1-13.

MBS Week 4: James 2:1-13.

As Christ-followers, we see in Acts that any opposition we face—while not pleasant—makes sense. Jesus taught it, and the Bible records it. Acts is much like the Bible’s playbook for what to do with our faith in Jesus. That is to believe it, hold tight to it, and spread and share it with others.  

WBS Week 3: James 1:19-27.

MBS Week 3: James 1:22-27.

As we see in Acts, for those who seek to live a Christian life, credibility and compassion matter. We’re called to live changed lives, marked by moral consciousness, selfless compassion, and a passion to spread the love of Jesus.

Week 2: James 1:13-18.

MBS Week 2: All-In Living: Do Not Let Go of the Word

A study on Acts, chapter 3.

Week 1: James 1:1-12

MBS Week 1: All In Through Trials & the Testing of Our Faith

As we see in Acts, the same spirit and the same mission given to the first disciples are given to us today. So, how will we act on it? When the spirit comes and the gospel is preached, the Church is born. And this is what we, as followers of Jesus, are called to.  

As we begin our Acts series, you’ll see that the Book of Acts is preoccupied with Gospel advancement. Watch for God to move in the miraculous, the Church to move in conflict, and individuals to move to their oikos.

Sowing

Grow.

Root.