Awakeningchurch.com

The term "Christian" was originally a derogatory label. It first appeared in Antioch, one of the largest, most ethnically diverse, affluent, and influential cities in the Roman Empire. The Gospel of Jesus took root in Antioch, making it a central hub for the early Church. This church became the first multi-ethnic congregation in history. Observing these Followers of the Way, the Antiochians called them “Christians,” meaning "little Christ." They did so because they acted so much like the Christ they proclaimed. Fast forward 2,000 years, and the word “Christian” sadly has little connection to being Christ-like. What happened? How do we return to Jesus’ vision for being His followers?

This Sunday we are closing out our series, “Encounters with God”. Each week of this series, we have looked at people in Scripture who had personal encounters with God. It is a beautiful thing to be able to have this catalog of God’s faithfulness at our fingertips, and an even more beautiful thing to be assured that the God of the Bible still wants to meet with people today. As we seek to meet with God in our everyday lives, the stories in the Bible are able to inform and encourage us. This week we’ll take a look at Jesus calming the storm and see how we can navigate the storms in our own lives alongside our Savior.

Many of us can feel like the Christian life is nothing more than an exhausting pace of trying to do better. But what if living under the leadership of Jesus isn't about trying, but trusting? Join us this Sunday as Executive Pastor, Dave Smith, directs our attention to Jesus's profound promise, "I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

As we seek to meet with God in our everyday lives, the stories in the Bible are able to inform and encourage us. This week we’ll hear from Ashley Pansoy, Awakening’s family pastor, as she walks us through God’s encounter with Moses at the burning bush. Join us as we see how we can experience the extraordinary presence of God in our ordinary day to day lives.

Life is busy, isn’t it? There is so much to do and so little time. There are so many things we intend to do and want to do but never get around to doing them. The urgent has our full attention, and important things take a back seat. And over time, little by little, the love that started out as a blazing fire has all but gone out. How do you rekindle the passion in your marriage when you feel like the love has died out? Join us as we take a look at the specific things you can’t afford to put off in order to have a flourishing marriage.

As we seek to meet with God in our everyday lives, the stories in the Bible are able to inform and encourage us. This week we’ll hear from a revered guest, Carolyn Taketa, and she will walk us through God’s encounter with Hagar. Join us as we talk through experiencing the goodness of our God and his ability to make everything beautiful.

One of the challenges of marriage is that life is constantly changing. You change jobs, move to a new city, or add kids to the equation. All of these, no matter how good, add stress to the relationship. Unfortunately, we tend to move through all these changes without realizing that, at each stage, our marriage needs specific reinforcement to support the added strain. In fact, every new season of your marriage almost always requires a new rhythm for your marriage. We tend to get stuck in marital ruts as we bring old rhythms into new seasons. How do you break out of a rut in your marriage? Join us as we identify key practices to strengthen your marriage in the midst of the stresses of life.

As we seek to meet with God in our everyday lives, the stories in the Bible are able to inform and encourage us. This week we’ll take a look at Jesus healing paralyzed man and discuss what it means for God to meet us exactly where we are and give us more than we need.

What you build with matters. The quality of the materials has a direct impact on both the beauty and the longevity of what you are building. A beautiful marriage that withstands the test of time requires quality building materials. All too often, couples invest significant money, time, and energy into their wedding day but invest very little in their marriage. As a result, we tend to have beautiful weddings but not too many beautiful marriages. Join us for part 2 of Marraige Material as we look at the essential materials to build a great marriage.

The foundation, in large part, determines the overall success, sustainability, and stability of a structure. The foundation of your marriage is the most important part of your marriage. Every person who says “I do” longs for a beautiful marriage that ends happily ever after. However, many marriages are built on a foundation that will not stand the test of time or withstand the storms of life. Join us as we identify the faulty foundations we often build our marriages and how to begin building on a foundation that will support an enduring love for a lifetime.

At Awakening, we believe that teenagers are not just leaders of the church of tomorrow, but leaders of the church today. We are so excited to live that out by giving them the opportunity to lead us in worship, in service, and in opening God’s Word. Join us for a peek into what God is doing in Awakening’s youth group, a vision for discipleship, and a service full of fun created and led by students. You're not going to want to miss out!

This Sunday is highlighting our partnership with Foster the City, an organization that believes that vulnerable children and families are near to the heart of God and that the Church has the responsibility and resources to care for them. From the stories of the Patriarchs in Genesis to the words of Jesus, and from the gospel preached by Peter to the explanations by Paul, the heartbeat of God's concern for the marginalized and oppressed is undeniable. This Sunday, we will be welcoming Kylie Middlebusher from Foster the City as she preaches and shares with us how everyone can make a difference for children and families in foster care!

We are so excited to celebrate all the Awakening moms and mother figures this Sunday! We will have sweet gifts and a photo booth where you can grab a family photo that will be edited and sent to you. We will also be welcoming Liz Ditty as she teaches about the tension, torture, and the gifts of waiting.

At Awakening Church, our vision is to be a strategic training center raising up the next generation of world changers. Protégé is a nine-month immersion in leadership development for those devoted to investing in the lives of others and committed to integrating their talents, abilities, and character into living a Christ-centered and missional life. Protégé Sunday is the day where we get to hear from, be led by, and celebrate protégés in the program!

We live in an age of anxiety—the dailiness of life presses upon us. Uncertainty, fear, worry, stress, and trauma invade our peace of mind. We have come to live with chronic anxiety as a normal and expected thing. Is this just the way life is? Is there any relief, any hope? Can we break free from the downward spiral of anxiety? Jesus of Nazareth is the most non-anxious presence in human history. What if peace isn’t a distant reality but a here-and-now invitation of Jesus? Join us for our new series, “ANXIETY,” as we learn from Jesus how to experience peace in an age of anxiety.

Shame and anxiety often form a destructive partnership in our lives. Every one of us hears the voice of shame at some point. It whispers that we are failures, fundamentally flawed, and unworthy of acceptance and belonging. It taunts us with thoughts like, "If only you were smarter, more attractive, thinner, or more successful." As shame casts its shadow, anxiety follows, an unwelcome intruder asking, "Will I ever be enough?" and "Is this how it will always be?" How does Jesus encounter us in the midst of our shame and anxiety? What hope does the Gospel offer against the burden of shame we bear?

We live in an age of anxiety—the dailiness of life presses upon us. Uncertainty, fear, worry, stress, and trauma invade our peace of mind. We have come to live with chronic anxiety as a normal and expected thing. Is this just the way life is? Is there any relief, any hope? Can we break free from the downward spiral of anxiety? Jesus of Nazareth is the most non-anxious presence in human history. What if peace isn’t a distant reality but a here-and-now invitation of Jesus? Join us for our new series, “ANXIETY,” as we learn from Jesus how to experience peace in an age of anxiety.

We live in an age of anxiety—the dailiness of life presses upon us. Uncertainty, fear, worry, stress, and trauma invade our peace of mind. We have come to live with chronic anxiety as a normal and expected thing. Is this just the way life is? Is there any relief, any hope? Can we break free from the downward spiral of anxiety? Jesus of Nazareth is the most non-anxious presence in human history. What if peace isn’t a distant reality but a here-and-now invitation of Jesus? Join us for our new series, “ANXIETY,” as we learn from Jesus how to experience peace in an age of anxiety.

There are few things in life where we feel like they are fully finished. There always seems to be more to learn and grow. Every relationship can go deeper or get better. In our careers, there’s the incessant need to keep advancing. We live not in the DONE but in the DOING, ever striving and rarely arriving. And we feel this spiritually: I need to DO ________ to experience peace or find hope and meaning. Jesus from the cross utters some of humanity's most important words– It is Finished. What if purpose and peace aren’t found in what you DO but in what God has already DONE for you?

Who do you trust? Is there someone you trust fully? Trust is difficult, isn’t it? Even the closest people in our lives hurt us, let us down, or been untrustworthy. What about God? Can you really trust God? The truth is we want to be in control. The problem is we have far less control than we care to admit. Jesus' final act on the cross wasn’t to take control but to entrust himself into the hands of His Heavenly Father. What if the freedom you always desired wasn’t found in having more control but fully entrusting your life into the hands of your Heavenly Father?