DEAR CHURCH…
DOWNTOWN HOPE,
With the announcement and reception of the arrival of Jesus' rule and reign on the earth, people and communities, being filled with the very Spirit of Jesus, were given a new life to live, one marked by human flourishing. As these communities identified and oriented around Jesus as Lord, many areas of development were exposed. Paul’s letters to these forming communities were often about specific situations or growth areas for that local community or an individual. Codified and received by the church as God’s revealed word, these letters have been passed down over the centuries to encourage, challenge, and guide the Church of Jesus Christ.
Over nine weeks, we will be walking through Paul’s letters to Colossae, Titus, Philemon, and Jude in our Spring series called “Dear Church”. Each letter includes a main theme of encouragement that Paul challenges each community or individual to consider. We will be plunging into the depths of each of these letters to put ourselves in the place of Colossae, Titus, Philemon, and Jude that we might be encouraged, convicted, and transformed by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
- The Downtown Hope Theology Team
Contend For The Faith | Jude
June 19, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
In this message we conclude our series, Dear Church. The final letter we look at will be Jude’s letter. It is short but written with a sense of urgency to contend for the faith.
Who I See When I See You | Philemon
June 12, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
We all have preconceived notions about our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ - we tend to put people into boxes, neatly categorized based on social status, age, vocational position, race, ethnicity or behavior. But the gospel gives us fresh eyes to see our brothers and sisters in Christ the way that God sees them, regardless of their past, and even what they have done to us or to others. Discover how the gospel redefines how we see and relate to one another in the community of Christ in Paul’s letter to Philemon.
Doing Good | Titus 3.1-15
June 5,2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
The last chapter in Titus paints a powerful vision of doing good among our neighbors in our city and world. Join us this Sunday as Joey continues our series "Dear Church" and walks us through Titus 3.1-15 to discover the good we are to do and the ultimate source of goodness out of which our good comes.
Gospel Impact | Titus 2
May 29, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
Last week we discovered the importance of sound doctrine. This week we see the implications. Sound doctrine creates a culture of discipleship. In this message we rediscover the essence of life-on-life discipleship and how it paves the way for Gospel impact.
Sound Doctrine | Titus 1.10-2.1
May 22, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
Every community is like a plant with roots. The question is whether our roots will be shallow or deep, healthy or sick, strong or frail - the soil we are planted in will determine the health of our roots and the fruit of our community. In this message we walk through Titus 2.1 to discover a vision of what a church rooted in healthy doctrine looks like.
An Open Door of Opportunity | Col. 4.2-4
May 15, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
We have an incredible opportunity to participate in God’s work of Gospel Transformation by praying for gospel advancement and walking through open doors of opportunity. In this message we discover how we can participate in Gospel movement in our city as we look at Colossians 4 in our series Dear Church.
Risen with Christ | Colossians 3:1-14
MAY 8, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
The first part of Colossians pointed us to the preeminence of Christ. That understanding is critical for the second half of the book, which lays out how the risen Christ transforms how we live. If we’re going to experience Gospel Transformation, it will happen because we are focusing on something now that we have not been focusing on before. In this message, discover what Paul says we ought to focus on in Colossians 3.
Treasuring Jesus Is Supreme | Colossians 2
MAY 1, 2022 | JACOB SPRINGER
Our Dear Church series continues as we focus on Jesus is Supreme to the letter to Colossae. Last week we saw many ways we know Jesus is supreme, and this week, we will focus on treasuring Jesus as supreme. We will explore what it means once we receive Christ Jesus as Lord to treasure Him as the supreme wisdom and supreme substance.
Jesus Is Supreme | Colossians 1
APRIL 24, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
NEED BLURB.