Why is hospitality important? It was the way that Jesus lived, it was the way the early church operated. Embracing the other, opening up a seat at our tables. Jesus knew the power of hospitality to heal the hurting, so we do as he did.Matt Toney tarafından oluşturuldu

Discipleship is an important part of God's vision for The Well Church. It's the process by which we are transformed more into the likeness of Jesus. Through Discipleship, we acquire head knowledge about Jesus, we do what he says, we imitate him, and we disciple other people. The church is where this happens in relationship with Jesus and with other…

The 8th Miracle of Jesus from the book of John is his resurrection. The resurrection can be difficult to grasp because it defies human reason. John's gospel helps us make sense of God's "full circle" plan to bring all of creation back into a state of shalom. (peace, wholeness) The seven miracles before the resurrection echo the 7 days of creation. …

In John 4:43-54, we see a Roman official beg Jesus to heal his son. Despite the shallow faith of the people of Galilee, Jesus healed him at the right time in the right place. From this story we see that miracles can inspire our faith, but our faith shouldn’t depend on miracles. This second miracle in the book of John also communicates deep truths a…

In John chapter 6 we see the miracle of Jesus walking on water, and we reviewed the juxtaposition of the Exodus story from Jewish tradition. What we learn from this miracle is more about trusting God to have full control, especially in overwhelming situations, emphasizing the importance of naming the storm, recognizing its temporality, and finding …

In John chapter 5 we see Jesus heal a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. He asks the man, “Do you want to get well?” Jesus isn’t asking him truly if he wants to get better, but instead is speaking to the reality that sometimes it’s easier to resign ourselves to live with our issues than to heal from them. It may be easier to find comfort in w…

In John 4:43-54, we see a Roman official beg Jesus to heal his son. Despite the shallow faith of the people of Galilee, Jesus healed him at the right time in the right place. From this story we see that miracles can inspire our faith, but our faith shouldn’t depend on miracles. This second miracle in the book of John also communicates deep truths a…

Explore the transformative narrative of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, as depicted in John 2:1-11. This profound story reveals Jesus' glory, encouraging belief beyond a mere magic trick. Symbolizing union with God, the text connects weddings and wine to themes of shalom, renewal, and abundance. In times of upheaval, the narra…

In the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids found in Matthew 25:1-13, everybody is waiting for a giant celebration of love and excitement at a wedding set to begin at any minute. The bridesmaids have a major part in a wedding celebration, but as we read, some are foolish and have no oil for their lamps. The metaphor of light shows up a lot i…

If our attendance in church on Sundays doesn't bring about love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control throughout our week, then none of what we do matters. How do we make certain that the drive the meet the deadlines of our world doesn't overcome our drive to meet the needs of our world? In looking at Je…

Some people stumble upon the Kingdom of Heaven, while others seek it out. All are offered citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.— The treasure. The "Pearl of Great Price." What will we do with it? Will we sacrifice everything for it? Even in the faces of those who think we’re foolish? Will we find our new identities in it and leave the past behind? …

In "The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant," Jesus teaches that the righteousness required of us in the Kingdom of Heaven is that we are to extend the same extraordinary grace he shows us to those who wrong us. This parable challenges us to ask ourselves if we truly understand what Jesus did for us on the cross, and more importantly, if we've been …

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of three parables told in succession. It's important to look at all three for context and find that there is something to learn from each of the characters, including the younger son, older son, and the father. We've been taught to read this story as if we are one of the sons and God is the father. But in the …

Waiting is one of the most difficult things we are asked to do as disciples of Jesus. But these parables assure us that The Kingdom of Heaven is on the move, under the surface, growing in the good soil. The Kingdom changes everything as it works its way through the lives of those who choose to follow Jesus. May we be people who WAIT patiently as we…

Jesus was a master storyteller. His parables teach his disciples about his kingdom and mission, but their meanings are cloaked. The parables are designed to “attract and inspire” some and “threaten and repulse” others. As disciples in 2024, we are invited to use our minds and ask ourselves what these parables can do in the lives of those with “ears…

The way we approach the new year often sets us up for failure. We hope to leave the previous year's struggles in the past, starting fresh with a clean slate. Unfortunately for us, the hand we've been dealt that we haven't quite dealt with will play out in the year to come. Whether 2023 was the worst year or the best year you've ever had, the way we…

The presence of the Wise Men in Jesus’ birth story prompts us to ask ourselves some profound questions that can amplify our love for Jesus. What or who drew us to him? Why do we love him? And does what we bring to him confirm who he is?And- As we reflect on the whole Christmas story as recorded by Matthew and Luke, our love for Jesus is amplified b…

This portion of the Christmas story speaks to a time and place where the world was under the illusion that it was at peace. The Christmas story deepens our joy because we see God working within a broken human system to rescue the world.That shepherds were the first people to hear the news of Jesus’ birth deepens our joy as we realize Jesus truly ca…

Joseph was a righteous man of faith who came from generations of imperfect people with messy and difficult stories. Men and women who give us faith that our stories will be redeemed. They were included and used as vessels to bring about Immanuel- God with us. Joseph thought he was following God’s plan for his life. He had done it all right. He had …

Do you feel exhausted today?Do you feel insignificant today?Do you feel lifeless today?Do you feel that the world is upside down today?Jesus still causes the weary world to rejoice.Jesus still exalts the humble and moves through them to accomplish his purposes.Jesus still does some of his best work in the margins of society through those who are of…

We look at The Lord's Prayer as a guide to our community prayer and worship service.Well Church tarafından oluşturuldu

As he closes out the Sermon on the Mount teachings, Jesus emphasizes that his disciples have the dignity of a choice to either follow the teachings and make him the Lord of their lives- or not. Following these teachings offers the narrow road to life, while not choosing to follow them leads down the wide road to destruction.As his disciples living …

In this section of the Sermon on Mount teachings, Jesus instructs his disciples to not to judge others. In other words, we are not to play God and are instead to examine and attend to our own blindspots. We are to remember our place when we pray as we respectfully, but boldly ask God to meet our needs. Jesus also requires more of his disciples than…

In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus addresses our scarcity mindset. He tells his disciples that they are to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Practically, this means keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, seeking the kingdom FIRST, and being humble, doing good, and being generous with our possessions. By putting these things into practice, we will…

At the beginning of Matthew 6, we see Jesus address three practices that he expects of believers- giving, prayer, and fasting. These things are expected, and the new righteousness in the Kingdom of Heaven requires that we do not do them for human praise. God doesn’t need you to make a show of giving to his people. He sees. God doesn’t need you to u…

When Jesus commands that we not resist an evil person, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and love our enemies it seems to fly in the face of logic. Does Jesus want us to submit to evil? To cower in the face of injustice? Join us as we dive deeper into the ethic of Jesus and the way of peace.Matt Toney tarafından oluşturuldu

In the Sermon on the Mount teachings, Jesus says he is the fulfillment of The Law. The challenging teachings found in Matthew 5:17-37 reveal the root causes of many of the symptoms we see plaguing society. Jesus provides a “Way of Transformation” (Richard Rohr) for life in the Kingdom in regards to murder, adultery, divorce, and oath taking. In a c…

“The Beatitudes” is a powerful list of the types of people who will be able to see that Jesus’ teachings are good news. They represent the upside down ethics of the Kingdom of Heaven. As students of these teachings in 2023, we should read them and ask ourselves how we benefit from the status quo. Which of these convict us and prompt us to turn back…

The Sermon on the Mount is a selection of Jesus’ teachings that serves as “A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Amy-Jill Levine) We need several “keys” if we are to unlock the meaning of these beautiful and challenging lessons. They will help us live into the Kingdom of Heaven NOW, even while we wait for it to be fully realized. Welcome t…

In life, there comes a point when the familiar schemas we've clung to no longer serve us. They become confining, insufficient, and we can no longer pretend they suffice. It all starts with acknowledging our involvement in harmful systems, repenting, and accepting the grace that God eagerly offers. Let's embrace the concept that we don't have everyt…

Mental illnesses are some of the most common health conditions in the United States, and many faithful Christians struggle to be mentally healthy amidst the challenges of life. Instead of being a safe and healing place for struggling believers, the Church has often bypassed mental illness or shamed people for being unwell. How can the Church come a…

Our parents are our original givers of our identity and sense of self during our formative years. Our roots have shaped us in all kinds of ways. Our roots matter. But how do we reconcile a past of trauma within our family of origin? What does it mean to honor our mother and father, especially when we've been harmed by their actions, or lack thereof…

One of the broken schemas that came into the world as a result of cosmic sin was Patriarchy. Humanity abandoned God’s perfect blueprint for the relationship between genders and suffered as a result. All throughout our story, God has never stopped reminding us of his better way. Through Jesus, we see the perfect expression of God’s plan for his sons…

Fear is a great motivator and a terrible teacher. So much of our faith, especially for the church in the west, seems to be built more on the fear of hell rather than the person of Jesus. This fear-based approach to the Christian walk has had significant impacts on the way we view God, interact with our neighbors, and ultimately trust & follow Jesus…

We all grew up in systems or environments that have shaped us into who we ultimately became. Our formative years are filled with spoken or unspoken rules, expectations, norms, assumptions, or beliefs. So as we confront our "house" that molded us, we learn to address the things that are actually making it difficult to live healthy, joyful lives as a…

One of the great mysteries of the Gospel is that when we make the decision to follow Jesus, we are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God. This means that we are co-heirs with Christ to the new creation. We often forget this and shrug off our birthright for things that don’t last. We also fail to trust God, despite his many promises. …

Have you ever experienced a “mountaintop moment” with God? A moment when you felt God’s power and presence in an incredible way? Sometimes, despite the confidence and assurance we feel in those moments, our humanity gets the best of us. Our egos take over. We listen to the wrong voices. We reduce God to the spectacular. The prophet Elijah experienc…

We live in a very reactive time. We have a tendency to think that whatever someone else does to us, we are fully in our rights to return harm to them in even more damaging ways. Peter makes many errors along his journey walking with Jesus, but what we see in scripture when he messes up, is a lesson that whenever we can admit our weakness, we discov…

While it's sometimes easy to judge people in the Bible for making the mistakes they do, but we often find we are capable of making the same type of errors. Abraham and Isaac are people we revere in scripture, yet fear drove them to make questionable choices. While their ministry could be considered successful, their actions caused lots of pain for …

Well here we are. At the start of a new season here at The Well. New seasons bring all kinds of feelings and states of mind. Grief for the end of the previous season, uncertainty about what lies ahead, hope for what lies ahead. Excitement. Despite the parting of ways, just like in Acts 15, we see the gospel continues on. We believe this next season…

A life of love is never a waste. While we may not see the full power of love this side of heaven, Paul tells us that every action done in love will echo into eternity. God will bring an end to everything else, even the good things of the Spirit, but love is eternal. So we are called to run after the way of love with all we have, because love never …

There is a lot of evidence in the scriptures that we serve a God who is naturally oriented against injustice. The concepts of anger and compassion can be so closely linked. Is it okay to be angry and filled with compassion at the same time? Perhaps when there is a sacred presence, these two emotions actually fuel the same desire: to see love and he…

When we see ourselves being jealous, boastful, arrogant, inconsiderate, or self-seeking it is a sign that something is off in our heart. We have stopped considering others and instead we are competing against them or using them to fill up our own sense of worth. But when this failure to love shows up it is a sign of a much deeper problem, not with …

Love is not a feeling, it a decision to seek to do good in a world of sin and evil. Following the most excellent way means that we choose to let go of our records of wrong and we are not quick to come to our own defense. Instead we choose to bear with others and show mercy in order to reflect the heart of God so that we might live and love like Jes…

In a society that had become obsessed with wealth, status, and power Paul writes a powerful word on how to live in the most superior way. He issues the warning that when we pursue persuasion, wisdom, and sacrifice apart from love our lives become noisy, meaningless, and useless. If love is not the driving force in our lives then everything we do is…

John writes to the church in Leodicia, he sends a powerful message of being lukewarm that applies to us even today. While it's possible to be poor and somehow be rich, it's also possible to be very rich and still somehow be very poor. And it leaves us with one very important question – What do I have that I can use to make someone else's life bette…

At face value, Jephthah looks faithful. But as we dig deeper into his story in Judges 11, we learn things aren't quite as they seem. As we see, Jephthah soon became the very evil he was fighting against. The same can be said for us when we are so bent on being right, that we forget the humanity and Jesus' command to love; we become a people who bel…

We are created by relational God to be in relationship with other people. We are taught by Jesus to be kind, loving, and generous to all, and we read lots of instructions in the New Testament about how we are to treat one another. If living in relationship with other people is part of the Christian journey- why is it so hard?! When difficult people…

Do you own your stuff, or does your stuff own you? For many of us, we have more stuff than we know what to do with, and yet we continue to just keep buying more. But Jesus tells us life is more than the accumulation of material wealth. While the world tells us more is more, the Christian discipline of simplicity can help set us free from our consta…

There are so many things demanding our time: work, family, leisure, friends, entertainment…it is easy to feel overloaded and rushed. Then when you try to add in growing deeper with God it feels impossible to fit it all in. But to be a follower of Jesus is a demanding call. Jesus does not want SOME of your time, he wants ALL of your time, because we…