Micah continues the Wells and Fences series by providing context for Jesus usage of parables in his teachings. The kingdom of God is not bombastic, but rather grows slow and steady like a mustard seed.توسط Awaken Community

Awaken continues our series on wells and fences by inviting us to consider perhaps a more difficult message to absorb in this political season and climate. Micah discusses the dehumanization of others when we label them "enemies" and points to Jesus who offers a better way.توسط Awaken Community

Awaken returns to a recurring series that has become a cornerstone of our community. Micah provides an intro to the Wells and Fences series and the importance of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.توسط Awaken Community

Awaken is back at St James for both gatherings to continue our formational targets series. Micah discusses the nuance of listening for God's voice in the midst of our own.توسط Awaken Community

As a community we take a moment to create space for all the hard things being held, both individually and collectively. In the midst of our grief, we hold fast to the promises of God, the comfort of the Spirit, and the hope found in Jesus.توسط Awaken Community

Micah takes a look at the story of Thomas in John 20:19-29. While Thomas is often labelled as "The Doubter", this story is intentionally included in John's gospel as an encouragement to those with doubts. Even as Thomas expresses his doubts and makes his request known, Jesus moves towards him and meets him where he's at.…

Micah looks at the character of Judas and the different accounts we have of his life and death. How does someone this close to Jesus make the decision to betray him?توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks at Romans 13 and the instructions to the Church to submit to the governing authorities. What does Paul have in his pocket when he writes this to the Church of Rome? How are we to understand these verses for our time and our day?توسط Awaken Community

In a follow up to last weeks message, Micah shares his thoughts on the trustworthiness of the Bible, and the position in which we hold the Bible as a faith community.توسط Awaken Community

Joel Lawrence shares about the origins of the Bible, and offers his perspective on how this book came to be and its purpose as God's word and a revelation of God's self. This is Part One of this discussion, and we would highly encourage you to listen to Part Two as you engage this topic.توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks at Genesis 27 and the story of Jacob and Esau, but also of Rebekah. Rebekah hears a word from the Lord and works within the systems of her time to move the story of God forwards.توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks at Genesis 22 and God's request to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.توسط Awaken Community

We celebrate the high school students who have completed the first Confirmation Class of Awaken!توسط Awaken Community

Micah returns to the Formational Target of Pilgrimage and shares about Awaken's experience on the Urban Camino.توسط Awaken Community

Sam Randall speaks on listening and the importance of asking good questions. What does it mean to be a good listener? What does it mean to listen and ask questions like Jesus?توسط Awaken Community

Micah wraps up our series on Generosity looking at John 8 and the generosity of things less seen. Will we be people who are generous with our assumptions, with our compassion, and generous towards ourselves?توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks a few core principles about giving towards the church, or any organization. Do you align with the organizations mission, vision, and values? Do you trust the leadership? Does participating in the community bring value to your life? If so, do you invest in a way that is regular, proportionate, sacrificial, and cheerful?…

Micah looks at Luke 14: 25-33 and Jesus's words about our relationship to our stuff. What Jesus is saying goes beyond dollars and cents, instead addressing the influence that Mine'ing has over our lives.توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks at Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 and how we can choose to engage the world. Do you hold your hands open, ready to give, receive, and be present with all that is happening around you?توسط Awaken Community

Deuteronomy 24: 17-22 - God tells the Israelites to build generosity into their very way of life. To provide care for the most vulnerable among them, lest we forget the generosity we were made from and made for.توسط Awaken Community

Pastor Jenna rejoins us after her parental leave and the birth of her son Caden. Today, she explores Genesis 17 and the promise given to Abram and Sarai and the name that is used for God in this passage - El Shaddai. Please note that this message includes themes of parenthood and childbearing. We recognize that these themes can evoke both joyful an…

Micah provides an honest reflection on the significance of Easter and the importance of faith in a story that can at times feel unbelievable.توسط Awaken Community

Micah looks at John 12:12-19 and the paradox of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, not with weapons and war, but in peace and sacrifice.توسط Awaken Community

Matt 13:10-23 Micah explores the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew and what it means to truly listen/hear & understand.توسط Awaken Community

2 Corinthians 8:1 -2: Paul urges the church in Corinth to follow the lead of the Macedonians, who’s desire for goodness was matched by their willingness to give so that the work would be seen through.توسط Awaken Community

1 Kings 19:11-18 - Elijah flees to the mountains for his life, desperate to hear God's voice. God shows up in ways he does not expect, as a whisper of care and provision in the midst of hardship. Micah walks us through the heart of listening and the significance of its practice.توسط Awaken Community

2 Sam 12:1-13, David listens to Nathan the prophet and repents when confronted with the reality of his sin. Are we listening and willing to HEAR correction when it comes to us? What does it take to be a person who is willing to sit in the discomfort of being wrong and repenting instead of defending?توسط Awaken Community

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Guest speaker Jim Bear Jacobs sheds light on the complexities of Galatians 3 and Paul’s vision for a kingdom of God that does not recognize difference. How does this vision, written by someone within the dominant culture, impact those who find themselves outside of it? Jim Bear illustrates the difficulty of this passage with powerful stories of the…

1 John 4:7-12, John says "no one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." Multiple times in John's gospel he says that no one has seen the father and has this idea of the "invisible" God that is made known in Jesus. In so far as we love one another, the image of God lives in us and in the …

1 John 3:11, 16-18, 4:18-19 - We begin in love, we don't work for it or earn it or attain it...IT IS. Because this gift is ours to receive/participate in, we should love others which begs the question: what is love and who gets to define it?توسط Awaken Community

1 John 1:5-10, 2:7-11, God is light and that light has appeared. If God is trustworthy and true, then following and seeking after them should lead us to a love and light that illuminates the world around us. How do you know when you’ve seen and experienced it?توسط Awaken Community

The book of 1 John taken outside of it's context can sometimes be counter productive to the heart of the gospel. Micah discusses the fundamental differences in our understanding of 1 John if God's revelation to humanity is limited to what's in the Bible and not also open to the continuous work of the Spirit in us.…

1 John 1:1-4, Awaken kicks off a new series on the book of 1 John, 11 years after Awaken's first journey through the text. Micah provides the background and context for the book to set the tone for the rest of our exploration together.توسط Awaken Community

Micah brings our Journeys of Christmas series to a close with the arrival of Jesus into the world.توسط Awaken Community

Luke 2:8-20, The shepherd’s journey from the fields to the manger. Micah introduces the different interpretations of who the shepherd's might have been and how that affects the deeper meaning of the story. How much more powerful is the story when it happens exactly as the angels described?توسط Awaken Community

Matt 2:1-12 - The Magi’s journey to Herod and then eventually see the Christ child themselves. Micah unpacks myths about the magi and then draws attention to the religious leaders and how differently they respond to the reality of the christ. What is religion or faith without a physical embodiment of our beliefs?…

Luke 2:1-7, Joseph & Mary journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. What happens when home no longer feels like home? Micah discusses the difficulty of leaving places that feel safe like home and the beauty of the spiritual journey through the process.توسط Awaken Community

Luke 1:26-45, Mary journeys to visit Elizabeth and come to grips with the reality that she was going to bear the Christ. Micah invites to consider the human Mary, the woman who carried a child out of wedlock in a patriarchal society where that would have been a tremendous risk and danger.توسط Awaken Community

Matthew 1:18-25 - Joseph goes through a journey that invites him to accept what the Holy Spirit has done in Mary. He accepts Mary as his wife and discovers the difficult role he must take as a righteous law abiding man in a culture whose laws might challenge his convictions.توسط Awaken Community

Luke 1:5-22 & 57-64, Awaken kicks off a new series preparing us for the season of Advent. Micah starts with Zechariah’s journey from unbelief to belief in the Angel’s words about his son named John. He highlights the significance of a man that is silenced and what happens in the space that created.توسط Awaken Community

Micah introduces pilgrimage as the final target in the Formational Targets series. This is an invitation to inhabit our lives in a particular way that includes awareness and intention about the spiritual journey happening all around us.توسط Awaken Community

Micah takes us through our next formational target - Impact. How do we choose to invest our time, energy, and resources individually and as a community? We’ve been entrusted with working and tending to one another and the world around us.توسط Awaken Community

Micah brings us back to our formational targets series by emphasizing the importance of learning through the journey of faith. He highlights the significance of engaging different perspectives, understanding lenses that inform those perspectives, and maintaining a posture of curiosity in our day to day lives.…

Genesis 1:11-13; 26-28; 31 - Steve Wiens talks through how God created trees to bear fruit and keep bearing fruit the same way humans were made to plant seeds and bear fruit. “Awaken is uniquely called in this season to plant seeds for a future where many will be nourished and given rest underneath the branches.”…

Stephanie Williams O’Brien takes Awaken on a journey through Mark chapter one and the deeper meaning of Jesus inviting the people to repent and believe - “turn toward God and step into the new Kingdom reality”.توسط Awaken Community

While many are at Covenant Pines this weekend for the church retreat, Micah continues our series on the formational targets and this week he discusses the importance of sacred community in our efforts to grow closer to God and one another.توسط Awaken Community

Micah unpacks the second of Awaken’s formational targets, listening. “Hear O Israel the lord thy God is one". What does the voice of God sound like and what does your own voice sound like? Spiritual maturity is holding both and paying attention to the many ways God can speak to us.توسط Awaken Community

Awaken begins a new series that seeks to unpack what healthy spiritual formation looks like. We begin with the importance of liturgy. Liturgy is ceremony and ordered intention. It is the work of the people, accessing collective memory and doing something together. Liturgy consists of sacred times that are set apart for the people of God throughout …

Chapter 13:29-31, Nehemiah ends with a very honest and sobering reality. They kick out the foreigners and Nehemiah reforms the practices of the sabbath, marriage and what happens in the temple. Why do we keep returning to this pattern? How might our interpretations change when considering this from a marginalized perspective?…