Épisodes

  • He is Good | The Tree, the Temple, & the Curse | Mark 11:12-21 | Coleton Segars

    He is Good | The Tree, the Temple, & the Curse | Mark 11:12-21 | Coleton Segars
    Sep 22 2025
    Coleton walked through Mark 11:12–21 in a “documentary style,” scene by scene, showing how Jesus’ actions with the fig tree and temple symbolized God’s judgment on empty religion and pointed toward Jesus as the true and better temple. 1. The Fig Tree: Looks Alive but is Diseased • Jesus curses the fig tree not because He expected fruit out of season, but because fig trees always produced early figs (paggim) before leaves. • A leafy fig tree without fruit symbolized decay and disease. • The fig tree was a living parable: Israel (and the temple) looked full of life, but inside was barren and corrupt. Author Quotes: • James Edwards: “Once a fig tree is in leaf one therefore expects to find branches loaded with paggim in various stages of maturation. This is implied in verse 13…” (Pillar New Testament Commentary). • Tim Keller: “Growth without fruit was a sign of decay. Jesus is simply pronouncing that such is the case here.” (Jesus the King). • Hosea 9:10: “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.” ⸻ 2. The Temple: Corruption in the House of God • The temple was busy with sacrifices and money changing, looking religiously alive, but it was full of corruption and exploitation. • The Court of the Gentiles (where nations could worship) had been turned into a marketplace, blocking people from encountering God. • Jesus overturns tables, declaring the temple a “den of robbers.” • The fig tree mirrors the temple: full of activity but fruitless in righteousness. Author Quotes: • William Lane: “The sale of animals in the Temple forecourt was an innovation of recent date and was introduced by the High Priest, Caiaphas in A.D. 30…” • James Edwards: “The leafy fig tree, with all its promise of fruit, is as deceptive as the temple, which, despite its religious activity, is really an outlaws’ hideout…” ⸻ 3. The Withered Tree: The Old System Passing Away • The next day the fig tree is withered to its roots, symbolizing the end of the temple system. • Jesus’ death and the tearing of the temple curtain marked the new way of access to God—through Christ alone. • Jesus has done what the temple never could: provide full forgiveness of sins and direct access to God. Author Quote: • James Edwards: “The fig tree thus symbolizes the temple: as the means of approach to God, the temple is fundamentally—‘from the roots’—replaced by Jesus as the center of Israel.” ⸻ 4. Jesus Reverses the Curse • In Genesis 3, Adam was cursed by a tree and covered his shame with fig leaves. • In Mark 11, Jesus curses the fig tree, showing He will reverse the curse. • On the cross, Jesus covers our shame with His blood. Author Quote: • Cyril of Jerusalem: “In this way the curse laid upon Adam and Eve was being reversed.” (Catechetical Lectures 13.18). ⸻ 5. Application for Us Today Coleton gave two warnings and one encouragement: 1. Beware of being a leafy tree without fruit. • Religious activity without true spiritual fruit is empty. • Genuine faith in Christ produces fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.). 2. Beware of becoming a corrupt temple. • Just like the priests rationalized sin, we often say: “I know what God says, but…” • Our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit, and corruption comes when we disobey God’s Word while justifying our choices. 3. Give Jesus access and authority over every area of life. • Don’t hold back hidden areas. • Through Adam came death, but through Christ comes life in all its fullness. • He wants to bring blessing and restoration wherever sin once ruled. Author Quote: • 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here.” ⸻ Discussion Questions 1. What does the story of the fig tree teach us about the difference between appearance and reality in our spiritual lives? 2. How can we tell if we are producing real spiritual fruit and not just leaves? 3. In what ways might the modern church (or our personal lives) look like the temple—busy, impressive, but lacking true worship? 4. Why is it easy to rationalize sin with “I know God says, but…”? How do we guard against that? 5. What are the “hidden markets” in your life—areas you’ve not surrendered to Jesus’ ...
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    40 min
  • He is Good | Jesus is King | Mark 11:1-11 | Coleton Segars

    He is Good | Jesus is King | Mark 11:1-11 | Coleton Segars
    Sep 15 2025
    Coleton preached on Jesus’ triumphal entry and how Jesus seeks to make two central claims: 1. Jesus is the Messianic King — the crowd’s actions and the fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) show that Jesus openly claims the kingship. He accepts royal honor (“Hosanna,” cloaks, branches) and—when challenged—refuses to silence the praise, even saying that if the people were quiet “the stones would cry out.” N. T. Wright: “You don’t spread cloaks on the road –especially in the dusty, stony Middle East!–for a friend, or even a respected senior member of your family. You do it for royalty. And you don’t cut branches off trees, or foliage from the fields, to wave in the streets just because you feel somewhat elated; you do it because you are welcoming a king.” Jesus claim to be King forces a decision: is Jesus merely a helpful healer/teacher, or is He your sovereign King who rules your life? C. S. Lewis: “A really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus is: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man yet said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic (like a man who says he is a poached egg)—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” We have to choose to receive or reject Jesus as King. 2. Jesus is not like other kings — unlike Roman triumphs that display conquest, prisoners, and plunder, Jesus rides a colt (a sign of peace and humility) and is followed by people He’s healed and freed. His reign looks like liberation, restoration, and sacrificial service, not domination and bondage. David Guzik & Dr. David L. McKenna “A Roman Triumphal Entry was an honor granted to a Roman general who won a complete and decisive victory and had killed at least 5,000 enemy soldiers. When the general returned to Rome, they had an elaborate parade. As a symbol of bloody conquest, they chose a prancing horse at the head of a processional that included his warriors, a shackled contingent of the conquered people, and an extravagant display of the treasures that the army had taken by force. The procession ended at the arena, where some of the prisoners were thrown to wild animals for the entertainment of the crowd. Now we understand why Jesus is so specific about His entry and the animal He rides. In the symbol of the foal of a donkey, Jesus predicts His role as the King. Jesus makes His triumphal entry on a donkey—a symbol of peace, not war; of humility, not pride. Behind Him comes (not prisoners but), an entourage of disciples and a rabble of common people whom He has healed and set free. They serve as the trophies of His conquest—not won by bloody violence, but by relentless love.” Why it matters: if Jesus is truly your King, He gets to govern all areas of life (money, marriage, speech, media, anger, forgiveness, political loyalties, etc.). That means surrendering personal control and letting his values shape decisions and habits. If you resist that rule you may still experience a Christian language of forgiveness and blessing but not the transforming reality of Jesus’ kingdom — a kingdom characterized by love, freedom, reconciliation, generosity, and joy even amid suffering. Coleton closes with a pointed question to wrestle with: Is Jesus your King? and invites people to examine which kingdom’s traits actually define their life. ⸻ Practical takeaways • The triumphal entry publicly declares Jesus’ kingship — it’s not optional or merely symbolic. • Jesus’ kingship is servant and liberating, not coercive or violent. • To truly follow him means handing over areas of life where you still rule, and allowing his kingdom fruit (love, peace, patience, generosity, freedom, reconciliation) to grow. • Evaluate life by asking: “Whose kingdom am I experiencing here?” If it’s not Jesus’, return and make Him King. ⸻ Discussion & Small-group / Personal practice questions Use these to help people put the sermon into practice — mix of reflection, confession, and action. 1- Read Mark 11:1–11. What detail(s) jump out at you this time that you hadn’t noticed before? Why might those details matter? 2. Coleton says Jesus forces a choice: King or not. What makes accepting Jesus’ kingship hard for you personally? 3. Take one area of your life (money, marriage, parenting, social media, anger). Describe which kingdom (Jesus’ kingdom or the ...
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    38 min
  • Culture of Celebration | Luke 15:11-32 | Coleton Segars

    Culture of Celebration | Luke 15:11-32 | Coleton Segars
    Sep 7 2025
    Coleton preached on the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15), showing how it illustrates God’s heart for celebration when lost sinners come home. He tied this story to the church’s vision of cultivating a Culture of Celebration, alongside Gospel saturation, pursuit, blessing, and belonging. Main Idea: God is the most joyful Being in the universe. His heart is full of celebration, and His people are called to reflect that joy so the world can see what He is really like. A culture of celebration not only honors God but also draws others to Him. Why We Need a Culture of Celebration 1. Celebration shows us what God is really like • From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture shows God’s joy, feasts, songs, and festivals. • Jesus entered the world with joy and left His disciples with joy. Heaven itself rejoices over one sinner who repents. 2. We pass on what we love and enjoy • People naturally share what excites them (sports, hobbies, food). • If Christians only pass on duty and obligation but not joy and delight, the next generation will miss the fullness of life in Christ. • Celebration helps us pass on the joy of knowing Jesus. 3. Celebration shows sinners it’s safe to come home • The prodigal son expected rejection but was met with a feast. • Many avoid God because they fear rejection. • The church must embody God’s joy-filled welcome, making it clear that repentance is met with celebration, not condemnation. Practical Applications • In church life: expressive worship, prayer nights, baptisms, community parties, fun days, block parties, feasts, and celebrations of answered prayer. • In personal life: throw parties when God answers prayers, create “redemptive calendars” of God’s goodness, and intentionally celebrate as families. • The goal: when people experience joy-filled gatherings, they should walk away thinking, “I didn’t know Jesus was that good. I could follow this Jesus.” ⸻ Discussion Questions Understanding God’s Heart 1. When you picture God, do you naturally think of Him as joyful? Why or why not? 2. How does the father’s response to the prodigal son reshape your view of how God receives sinners? Personal Practice of Celebration 3. What is one way you can create a rhythm of celebration in your home or with your friends? 4. What has God done in your life recently that deserves a party or a joyful remembrance? Passing On What We Love 5. What do you naturally get excited about and pass on to others? How could you do the same with your joy in Jesus? 6. How might your joy in Christ become contagious to your children, friends, or neighbors? Mission & Hospitality 7. If someone far from God attended one of our gatherings, would they feel celebrated? Why or why not? 8. What practical step can you take this month to invite someone into the joy of life with Jesus? ⸻ Author Quotes from the Sermon Charles Spurgeon: “This age does not generally sin in the direction of being too excited about God. However, we have sinned so long on the other side. Perhaps a little excess in the direction of zeal might not be the worst of all calamities. For, it is a mark of Christ’s presence when the church becomes enthusiastic.” Dallas Willard: “We will never fully understand God until we believe that He is the most joyful Being in the universe.” Richard Foster: “Celebration is at the heart of the way of Christ. He entered the world on a high note of jubilation… He left the world bequeathing His joy to the disciples.” “It is a danger of devout Christians to become stuffy bores… Celebration adds a note of gaiety, festivity, hilarity to our lives… Celebration helps us relax and enjoy the good things of the earth.” Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz): “Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It’s as if they are showing you the way.” Thomas Aquinas: “No one can live without delight and that is why a man deprived of spiritual joy goes over to carnal pleasures. Because the church has deprived people of the joy of God, the world looks good.”
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    46 min
  • Culture of Belonging | Acts 2:42-47 | Coleton Segars

    Culture of Belonging | Acts 2:42-47 | Coleton Segars
    Sep 1 2025

    Coleton continued the series on the cultures needed in the church to see “the fame and deeds of God repeated in our time.” After exploring the **culture of the Gospel**, the **culture of pursuit**, and the **culture of blessing**, this message focused on creating a **culture of belonging**. Drawing from **Acts 2:42–47**, Coleton showed how the early church lived in deep community—devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, and meeting one another’s needs. This kind of belonging allowed people to experience healing, not just through miracles, but through love, acceptance, and connection. Coleton contrasted the transformative encounters people had with Jesus—like Zacchaeus, Matthew, and the Samaritan woman. None of them were healed by dramatic miracles, but by an encounter with Jesus’ love that removed shame, restored dignity, and changed their lives completely. That’s what he longs for the church to embody: a place so full of love and welcome that people are healed inwardly. He explained that belonging is not passive; it requires **time, intentionality, and words of life**. Real connection happens when people are deeply known, when hospitality is practiced, and when members invest in each other with encouragement and truth. Belonging heals wounds of isolation, anxiety, addiction, shame, and self-doubt. Practically, Coleton shared how the church is aiming at this: building men’s, women’s, and youth connection teams and events, pursuing membership, hiring a Women’s Pastor, and intentionally committing to practices like prayer, communion, and caring for needs. He challenged the church to participate by: 1. **Getting to know people** (not just surface friendliness). 2. **Doing for others what you want them to do for you** (practicing hospitality). 3. **Investing time** (because deep relationships require showing up and consistency). 4. **Using words of life** (speaking encouragement and truth that bring healing). Coleton closed with stories and research showing how **connection heals**—from addiction recovery research, to relational studies, to stories of transformation through affirming words. He called the church to embody belonging so that entering the community feels like encountering Jesus Himself. --- ## **Discussion Questions** ### **Understanding the Message** 1. Why do you think Acts 2:42–47 highlights fellowship, breaking bread, and meeting needs alongside prayer and teaching? 2. What do the stories of Zacchaeus, Matthew, and the Samaritan woman reveal about the power of simply being welcomed by Jesus? ### **Personal Reflection** 3. When have you personally experienced deep belonging in a church, family, or friendship? How did it impact you? 4. Where do you feel the greatest temptation to hide—shame, weakness, or struggles? How might belonging in community bring healing there? ### **Living it Out** 5. What’s one step you can take this week to get to know someone beyond surface-level friendliness? 6. Who in your life needs to hear words of life and encouragement from you this week? What might you say to them? 7. How could you invest more intentional time into building relationships within the church? --- ## **Quotes from Authors in the Sermon** * **David Bradford, Ph.D. & Carole Robin, Ph.D.** – *Connect* > “In exceptional relationships, you feel seen, known, and appreciated for who you really are, not an edited version of yourself… Someone you’re in an exceptional relationship with knows what’s really going on with you because that someone really knows you.” * **Max Lucado** > “Something holy happens around a table that will never happen in a sanctuary… Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing.” * **Jeffrey Hall (University of Kansas study, 2018)** > “It takes about 40–60 hours of time spent together to form a casual friendship, it takes 80–100 hours to transition to calling each other a friend, and more than 200 hours to become ‘close’ friends.” * **Brennan Manning** (Story of Larry Mulaney) > “It would be hard to describe in words the transformation that took place in Larry Malaney after that interaction… In the face of cursing and taunts his father affirmed him with a furious love, and changed the whole direction of his son’s life.” * **Peter Scazzero** > “When we look for goodness and beauty in one another and speak honest words of life over one another, we become God with skin on for the other. Affirmations heal wounds, cover shame, and communicate how God sees us — as infinitely valuable and lovable.”
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    44 min
  • Culture of Blessing | Acts 2:42-47 | Coleton Segars

    Culture of Blessing | Acts 2:42-47 | Coleton Segars
    Aug 25 2025

    Culture of Blessing Sermon Summary (Acts 2:42–47) Coleton continued teaching on the vision of the church: to see the fame and deeds of God repeated in our time by developing followers of Jesus. This vision requires a certain kind of culture. Last week, he emphasized a culture of the Gospel and a culture of pursuit. This week, he focused on cultivating a culture of blessing. Culture of Blessing A culture of blessing is one where followers of Jesus: • Understand their identity as God’s people called to bless the world. • Recognize their unique gifts given by the Spirit to bring flourishing where there is chaos. • Actively live out their calling so that others experience God’s goodness through them. Biblical Foundation • The First Commission (Gen. 1–2): Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth, rule it, and bring order and flourishing. • The Promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 22:17–18): God promised Abraham’s descendants would bless all nations. • Fulfillment in Jesus (Gal. 3:16): Jesus is the promised offspring who brings blessing to the nations. • The New Commission (Matt. 28:18–20): Jesus calls His followers to multiply disciples and bring spiritual renewal to the world. • Equipped by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 2:10): Every believer is gifted for the common good and created for good works prepared in advance. Historical Examples of Blessing • The Early Church: Outsiders marveled at Christians’ love in caring for the poor, orphans, the sick, and prisoners. Their lives made the gospel visible. • The Clapham Sect (18th century): William Wilberforce, John Newton, and others used their resources and influence to bless society—ending the slave trade, reforming prisons, starting schools, improving labor laws, and even protecting animals. Modern Examples of Blessing • A church member (Colin) comforting someone in the middle of a panic attack, bringing God’s peace. • A Starbucks worker intentionally making coffee to the glory of God, hoping people would “taste” God’s goodness. Application for Today • Blessing is our identity and purpose in the world. • We are called not to wait for someone else to act but to live with expectation that God has positioned us to bring renewal. • Every act—whether teaching, building, counseling, cooking, or studying—can be done to God’s glory so others encounter His presence. • As a church, opportunities to bless include local and international missions, prayer, using spiritual gifts, and serving in ministry teams. Coleton urged the church to embrace their calling as co-heirs with Christ, stepping into the works God has prepared for them, so that the city of Memphis and the nations might experience God’s blessings through His people. ⸻ Discipleship Discussion Questions Understanding the Message 1. How does the biblical story—from Genesis to Jesus—shape your view of what it means to be a person of blessing? 2. Why is it significant that blessing is both our identity and purpose as followers of Jesus? Personal Application 3. What unique gifts, skills, or opportunities has God given you that you could use to bring flourishing into someone else’s life? 4. How might you approach your daily work, tasks, or responsibilities differently if you saw them as ways to display God’s glory? 5. Where in your life right now do you see “chaos” that God might be calling you to step into with His blessing? Community Application 6. What can our church do to strengthen a “culture of blessing” both inside and outside our walls? 7. Which mission or ministry opportunities (local, international, or church-based) could you step into this year to bring God’s blessing to others? ⸻ Quotes from Authors • Alan Kreider, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: “They looked at the Christians and saw them energetically feeding poor people and giving proper funerals to those who couldn’t afford them, caring for orphans who lacked property and parents, and being attentive to aged slaves and prisoners. They interpreted these actions as works of love. And they said, Vide, (look!) Look how they love. They did not say, ‘Aude, listen to the Christian’s message’; they did not say, ‘Lege, read what they write.’ Hearing and reading were important too. But we must not miss the reality: the pagans said look! Christianity’s truth was visible because it was embodied and enacted by its members.”
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    39 min
  • Gospel & Pursuit | Luke 19:1-10 | Coleton Segars

    Gospel & Pursuit | Luke 19:1-10 | Coleton Segars
    Aug 18 2025
    Coleton preached from Luke 19:1–10, the story of Zacchaeus, to show how Jesus transforms lives through love, not guilt or fear. Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector despised by others, was radically changed when Jesus chose to stay at his house. His response—giving to the poor and repaying those he wronged—demonstrates how experiencing Christ’s love leads to deep transformation. Coleton emphasized that this is how the gospel works: it is God’s power to change us, not our willpower or religious effort. Many try to change through fear, guilt, selfishness, or striving for God’s approval, but true transformation comes only by experiencing His love. Two Cultures Coleton Wants for C3 Church 1. A Culture Saturated with the Gospel • The gospel reveals God’s deep love for us. The more it saturates our hearts and minds, the more it transforms us into people of forgiveness, generosity, and love. • This also corrects our distorted views of God. Jesus revealed the Father as merciful, kind, and gracious, not condemning or distant. • Practices like communion, confession, discipleship groups, preaching, and worship exist to root us in God’s love and remind us that with Him we are safe, forgiven, and deeply loved. 2. A Culture of Pursuit • God invites us to seek Him, and He responds to those who do. Scripture testifies that He rewards those who pursue Him (Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 6:33). • Pursuit is about encountering God in the present—not just being grateful for salvation in the past or hopeful for heaven in the future. Like the people Jesus healed, we can have present-tense testimonies of how He works in our lives today. • Coleton called for building rhythms of prayer, worship, discipleship, and spiritual practices so that seeking God becomes natural. These create space for God’s presence, power, and blessing to shape us. Ultimately, Coleton’s vision is for C3 to be a church so different from the world that stepping into it feels like culture shock—an environment formed by the gospel and pursuit of God where lives are continually transformed. ⸻ Discipleship Group Discussion Questions 1. Zacchaeus’ life was transformed not by fear or guilt but by experiencing Jesus’ love. How have you personally experienced God’s love transforming you? 2. Which of the four “religious motivators” (fear, guilt, selfishness, or trying to earn God’s love) do you most struggle with? How does the gospel (how God actually loves you) free you from that? 3. In what ways has your view of God been distorted in the past? How does Jesus reshape that view? 4. If someone asked you today, “What has Jesus done for you recently?” what story would you be able to share? 5. Pursuing God requires intentional effort. What practices (prayer, Scripture, accountability, worship) help you stay consistent in seeking Him? Where are you struggling to pursue Him right now? 6. How can your group help each other create a “culture of pursuit”—seeking God not just individually but together? ⸻ Quotes from Authors • Leon Morris: “The gospel is not advice to people, suggesting that they lift themselves. It is power. It lifts them up. Paul does not say that the gospel brings power, but that it is power.” • Greg Boyd: “Despite our sin our creator thinks that we are worth experiencing a hellish death for. It was for the joy of spending eternity with us that Jesus endured the cross. In other words Calvary reveals our unsurpassable worth and significance to God. At the core of our being, this is what we long for.” • A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: “Why do some people ‘find’ God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His Presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Certainly the will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites. All He has ever done for any of His children He will do for all of His children. The difference lies, not with God, but with us.” • Craig Dykstra: “Practices are the nuclear reactors of the Christian faith, arenas where the gospel and human life come together in energizing, explosive ways. Practices create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us.”
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    49 min
  • Fame & Deeds In Our Time | Habakkuk 3:2 | Coleton Segars

    Fame & Deeds In Our Time | Habakkuk 3:2 | Coleton Segars
    Aug 10 2025
    Our Vision is: To see the fame and deeds of God in our time by developing followers of Jesus who are committed to practicing the way of Jesus. This vision is drawn from Habakkuk 3:2 and Matthew 28:18–19—a call to believe God can still act in powerful ways today and to commit to discipleship that actually practices His teachings. ⸻ Reason 1 – We must still believe God can and will act in power today • Habakkuk had only heard of God’s miracles but prayed to see them in his time. • Scripture is filled with examples (Noah, Caleb, Joshua, David, the woman with the issue of blood, Bartimaeus) where belief in God’s power preceded experiencing His power. • Many Christians stop expecting what they haven’t experienced. Their experience becomes the authority rather than Scripture. • The more we believe God can work, the more we tend to experience from Him. • A.W. Tozer taught that we move toward our mental image of God—if we think He is small, we will live as if He is. ⸻ Reason 2 – God responds to hunger, not apathy • Tozer again: Complacency is the deadly foe of spiritual growth—“He waits to be wanted.” • Biblical examples (Israel in Egypt, Judges cycle, David’s cries, 2 Chronicles 7:14, James 4:8, Matthew 5:6) show that God acts when His people cry out and earnestly seek Him. • Hunger means craving, longing for God’s presence and work. • The lie that “God will do whatever He will do, no matter what” is unbiblical—Scripture calls us to seek Him if we want to experience Him. ⸻ How we pursue this vision – By developing followers of Jesus • In Scripture, it was always the committed followers—those who put Jesus’ words into practice—who experienced His power. • Examples: • Peter obeying Jesus to cast nets and catching more fish than he could handle. • Lepers healed “as they went.” • The early church praying and seeing Peter freed from prison. • Stephen, Ananias, Peter—each obeying Jesus and seeing miraculous results. • Luke 6:47–49: Those who hear and obey are like houses on rock—secure, strong, and unshaken. • Many call themselves Christians without following Jesus, and thus miss experiencing God’s power. • Jesus calls for disciples, not just “Christians.” Discipleship is not about morality for morality’s sake, but about obedience that unlocks God’s powerful work. • Commands are not rules for being “nice”—they are invitations to experience God’s presence and power. ⸻ Call to Response Coleton invited the church to respond in specific ways: 1. Pray for God’s fame and deeds to be repeated today—in healings, conversions, reconciliations, miracles. 2. Obey any specific word from God—don’t delay obedience. 3. Move from nominal Christianity to true discipleship—repent and follow Jesus fully. 4. Cultivate hunger for God—because God responds to hunger. ⸻ Men’s Discipleship Group Questions 1. In what areas of your life have you stopped expecting God to move because you haven’t experienced Him working there yet? 2. How does your current “mental image” of God affect the way you pray, act, and take risks for Him? 3. Men often value results—how can we grow in valuing hunger for God even when results aren’t immediate? 4. What is one concrete step of obedience you believe Jesus is calling you to take this week? 5. How can we encourage each other to actually practice Jesus’ words instead of just talking about them? ⸻ Women’s Discipleship Group Questions 1. Habakkuk prayed, “Repeat Your fame and deeds in our time.” If you prayed that today, what specific things would you ask God to do? 2. Where in your life has your experience been louder than Scripture in defining what you believe is possible with God? 3. What does “hungering for God” look like in your season of life right now? 4. Think of a time you obeyed God despite uncertainty—how did you see Him move through that? 5. What’s one way our group can pray with you for God to “repeat His deeds” in your family, relationships, or community? ⸻ Author Quotes from the Sermon 1. Abraham Heschel: “Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.” 2. A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and what we, deep in our hearts...
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    42 min
  • He is Good | Persecution, Prayer, Faith | Mark 10:46-52 | Coleton Segars

    He is Good | Persecution, Prayer, Faith | Mark 10:46-52 | Coleton Segars
    Aug 4 2025
    Mark 10:46-52 Coleton taught on the story of Bartimaeus, highlighting three key themes: Persecution, Prayer, and Faith. 1. Persecution: Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus despite being rebuked and told to stay quiet. Coleton emphasized that faith in Jesus will sometimes annoy others or invite persecution. We can silence opposition by stopping, but doing so risks missing out on what Jesus wants to do in our lives. When we press on despite resistance, God not only works in us but often transforms our persecutors, turning opposition into partnership for the Kingdom. 2. Prayer: Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus prayed honestly and personally, asking for sight. Coleton reminded us that God delights in hearing our voices, no matter how small or self-focused our requests seem. Prayer is both sharing our hearts freely with God and praying His promises back to Him, believing He wants to fulfill His Word in our lives. 3. Faith: Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.” Faith is more than belief—it’s belief put into action. Bartimaeus cried out, came to Jesus, and asked for healing. Our faith impacts what we experience from God because He waits for us to respond to Him in action and prayer. The invitation is to keep calling out to Jesus despite opposition, to pray openly and according to His promises, and to act on what we believe so that we experience His power and presence. ⸻ Discussion Questions Persecution • When has following Jesus brought misunderstanding, ridicule, or pushback from others in your life? How did you respond? • What might it look like for you to “get louder” in your faith instead of backing down? Prayer • If Jesus asked you today, “What do you want me to do for you?” how would you answer? • What is one promise of God you need to pray over your life this week? Faith • Where in your life do you believe something about Jesus but haven’t yet acted on that belief? • What practical step can you take this week to turn belief into action? ⸻ Quotes from Authors Used in the Sermon • Tertullian: “We (Christians) are not a new philosophy but a divine revelation. That’s why you can’t exterminate us; the more you kill the more we are. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” – Apologeticus • Pastor Shen Xiaoming: “Exactly, and your opposition forces us to be dependent on Jesus. Your opposition makes us love our enemies. Your opposition makes us hungry for an authentic faith. And that beautiful white hot faith spreads everywhere and delivers people. If you really wanted to get rid of the church, you should let us do whatever we want, and then we would compromise and become weak like the American Church.” • Richard Foster: “In prayer we allow ourselves to be gathered up into the arms of the Father and let him sing His love song over us.” • Charles Spurgeon: • “It glorifies God to use His promises… Plead the promises of God. Open your Bible, put your finger on the passage, and say, ‘Lord, this is Your Word; fulfill it to me.’ This is the kind of praying that has never yet been met with repulse.” • “Whether we like it or not, asking (in prayer) is the rule of the kingdom. ‘Ask, and you shall receive.’… If the Royal, Divine Son of God cannot be exempted from the rule of asking that He may have, you and I cannot either.”
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    40 min