JR. Forasteros - September 7, 2014
Take a Risk
We live in a world that doesn't know how to disagree well. As a result, we form circles of people who largely agree with us, who see the world the way we do and reinforce our beliefs and ideas. Even in the Church, we tend to group with people like us. But according to Paul, we need people who are different from us. And our spirituality should connect us with people who aren't like us. If Church is one more place that affirms our divisions, we're doing it wrong.
From Series: "Branches"
No matter how much we enjoy the weekend worship experience, sooner or later, we stop growing. That's because we need more than great music and an engaging message. We need to connect with other people who are on the same journey as us. Learning we're not alone as we try to follow Jesus changes everything, and that's what Branches is all about. In a Branches group, you'll find people who've been where you are, who know the joys and pains of building relationships, work and figuring out your calling, raising a family, leaving a lasting legacy. They're people you can join with in figuring out exactly how the new life Jesus offers us changes our whole world. If that sounds too good to be true, it's not. Becoming part of a small group is the single best way to pursue a thriving, life-changing relationship with God. This is Branches. And big things happen in small groups.
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The year was 2005. The biggest movies of the year were Star Wars Episode III, the fourth Harry Potter movie and a superhero reboot called Batman Begins. Gwen Stefani was insisting she ain’t no Holla Back Girl while the Killers were insisting they were Mr. Brightside and Kanye West was warning to keep on the lookout for Gold Diggers. In 2005, Comedy Central launched the Colbert Report, a few people started watching a new little website called YouTube, and Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch. 2005 was the beginning of George W. Bush’s second term as president and the year Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
And it was the year a group of young Christians began meeting in a living room in East Dallas. They wanted to do church differently than they had before, in a way that felt more welcoming, more relevant to their daily lives. They wanted that old time religion, but in a way that made sense in the cutting edge world of 2005. They called themselves Renewed Life Church, but they would soon become known as Catalyst Church. We’re going to talk about Church today – what it is, and what it’s not.
What does it mean to be Catalyst – this particular church, and how do we relate to the larger Church, to Jesus?
