Wartime Realities

I may feel exhausted or discouraged or wounded by events in my life, but do I recognize the underlying battle? ...
Keep ReadingA faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.
February 24, 2022 by Justin Edgar
"We fail to remember that God is as the Psalmist describes: an abundant fountain, a river of delights, a full house, a radiant light. The Psalmist knows God never operates out of scarcity. Where we must begin with Deeper is recognizing the ever flowing depths of the fountain of God. He is living water, because it is always abundant and always flowing. Scarcity mindset keeps us from going deeper, because we are afraid the safety net either isn’t there or doesn’t go deep enough. We won’t risk, because we can’t. We can’t possibly risk such things. There might not be anything left. There might not be any left for me. We are all like Goldilocks lamenting lost porridge, broken chairs, and occupied beds. But God always has room and always makes room. He is an overflowing fountain."...
February 17, 2022 by Emily Spare
Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting. But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.” ...
June 7, 2018 by Joanna Hinks | Category: Sermon Reflection | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, glory, sacrifice, victory, blog, Jesus, God, Story, Church, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Peace, Savior, Journey, Purpose, War, Revelation, Bookends, Patience, Endurance, Wartime, Christian Life, Struggle, Hardship, Satan
I may feel exhausted or discouraged or wounded by events in my life, but do I recognize the underlying battle? ...
Keep ReadingMay 17, 2018 by Carly Haynes | Category: Sermon Reflection | Tags: prayer, holy spirit, blog, Jesus, grace, God, promises, Church, Sermon Reflection, Sermon, Church blog, Communion, Genesis, Revelation, Bookends, People, Intercession, Aroma, Sweet, Pleasing, albuquerque, Albuquerque Church
“How long this world will suffer, how long I will suffer… Do you hear my cries? Do you know the brokenness?”...
Keep ReadingFebruary 1, 2018 by | Tags: Family, gospel, albuquerque, reconciliation, adoption, blog, love, culture, Jesus, God, Church, redemption, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Genesis, Nations, Heritage, Genesis 10
Living under the new covenant of Jesus’ blood, we also get to see the beautiful picture of Jesus drawing people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to Himself....
Keep ReadingJanuary 18, 2018 by Joanna Hinks | Tags: justice, sacrifice, hope, blog, Jesus, Mercy, God, Church, Church blog, Renewal, Evil, Creation, Genesis, Flood, Newness, New Creation, Attonement, albuquerque, Albuquerque Church
There’s nothing like a natural disaster to inspire people to ask deep questions about the meaning of life, justice, and the existence of evil and hardship. ...
Keep ReadingJanuary 4, 2018 by | Tags: albuquerque, faithfulness, faithful, hope, blog, Jesus, God, Church, Covenant, fear, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Promise, Savior, Creation, Genesis, Flood, Rescue, Rescuer, Noah, Rainbow
The rainbow is not a promise that life will get better after experiencing a storm. The rainbow is the promise that God will send a rescue, that God will be our refuge....
Keep ReadingDecember 6, 2017 by Chelsea Collins | Tags: albuquerque, advent, christmas, Jesus, grace, Mourn, Grief, God, Church, redemption, Comfort, Restoration, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Longing, Healing, Genesis, Celebrate, Revelation, Seasons, Holidays, Grieve, Old Testament, New Testament
I feel glimmers of joy as I walk the aisles of Target perusing Christmas decorations or when I’m driving in my car listening to 24-7 Christmas radio, but I also feel sad....
Keep ReadingNovember 23, 2017 by Josh Spare | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, gospel living, blog, love, Jesus, Church, redemption, Albuquerque Church, Sermon Reflection, Albuquerque Churches, Church blog, Savior, Genesis, Revelation, Gospel Life, Presence of Love, Redeeming, Live, Reminder
We look forward and say there is a better day coming because of Jesus. And not only do we look forward, but we hasten it by living today as a renewed people in the midst of that broken world. ...
Keep ReadingNovember 2, 2017 | Tags: albuquerque, power, glory, Jesus, Conflict, God, Story, Church, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Eternity, Narrative, Genesis, Energy, Fight, Battle, War, Serpent, Temptation, Adam, Eve, Purpose, Participation
September 28, 2017 | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, power, faith, goodness, Jesus, Context, Church, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Perspective, Trusting, Speak, Creation, Genesis
It’s not that God was any less present to them or working any fewer miracles of deliverance and preservation among them over those years; it’s just that they stopped seeing Him. They stopped recognizing His faithfulness to them. And I do the same thing. ...
Keep ReadingSeptember 14, 2017 by Emily Leslie | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, sacrifice, hope, love, Jesus, Relationship, Pain, God, Story, Christ, Life, redemption, Suffering, Restoration, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Healing, Narrative, Picture, Perspective
Sometimes, hard things happen, and they’re just hard, and no ah-ha moment comes later when you realize how every painful piece of the puzzle was indeed working together for your good. ...
Keep ReadingSeptember 8, 2017 by Carly Haynes | Tags: albuquerque, heaven, blog, Jesus, Mercy, God, home, Reflection, Comfort, Albuquerque Church, Sermon, Church blog, Lord, Peace, Hogar, Longing, Desire, Savior
I sit there and soak it up with a candle lit and music playing, because the orderliness of the house makes me feel in control and relaxed for the 5 minutes that it stays that way. Maybe heaven will smell like cleanliness and soap... ...
Keep ReadingAugust 31, 2017 by Josh Spare | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, idols, hope, rest, culture, Jesus, God, Church blog, Busy, Time, Weary
How often do I “rest” by binging on show after show? Or fritter my time away on silly articles on Twitter or Reddit? Or squander my Saturday on a unimportant book?...
Keep ReadingAugust 17, 2017 by Carly Haynes | Tags: gospel, abq, blog, love, Jesus, flesh, grace, Conflict, Relationship, Mercy, God, Sin, Church, Life, Racism, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Peace, Longing, Renewal, Evil, Humanity, Charlottesville, News
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul" -Mark Twain ...
Keep ReadingAugust 10, 2017 by Emily Leslie | Tags: Community, Fellowship, gospel, albuquerque, blog, love, Jesus, Mercy, God, Table, Hospitality, Compassion, Church blog, Communion, Host, Hosting, Gathering, Serving, Guest
This Sunday, as we unpacked hospitality, and love was intertwined in every part. Fear creates exclusive community, but love gives way to inclusive hospitality....
Keep ReadingMay 25, 2017 by Philip Noell | Category: Gospel | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, Worship, glory, trust, sacrifice, pride, blog, ministry, Jesus, Church, Life, humility, Albuquerque Church, Daniel, Church blog, Plans, Legacy, Goals, Accomplishments
You see, I’m not that different from Nebuchadnezzar. He wanted to build a legacy for himself, and he did. Just like him, I’m trying to build a legacy… And I’m anxious when I think that I might not accomplish these goals or, even worse, that having accomplished them I might see them taken away from me. ...
Keep ReadingMay 11, 2017 by | Category: Gospel | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, kingdom, king, rest, Jesus, Control, Identity, Church, Church blog, Glory Thieves
"There cannot be a God because if there were one, I could not believe that I was not He." -Friedrich Nietzsche...
Keep ReadingDecember 7, 2016 by Justin Edgar | Category: Gospel | Tags: advent, christmas, Jesus, Christ, Reflection, Come
Jesus sings us into a new mode of existence. Jesus sings the nations into submission. Jesus sings hearts into love. Jesus is Christmas in the room. The hope of Advent and the hope of Christmas is that Jesus Christ is in the room…...
Keep ReadingSeptember 20, 2016 by | Category: Gospel | Tags: Family, forgiveness, love, Jesus, grace, siblings, sibling, rivalry, brother, sister, adulthood
Wanting to be the favorite is a struggle in vain, as God has given us an even playing field, always coming from wretchedness, being made into His righteousness through adoption as sons and heirs of His kingdom....
Keep ReadingSeptember 2, 2016 by Justin Edgar | Category: Gospel | Tags: Family, Kids, gospel, rest, Jesus, grace, Relationship, Life, Parenting, parents
Maybe you vacillate between "having it all together" parenting and "I'm drunk" parenting. Maybe you want to fix your kids. Maybe you want to have compassion but don't, want to be interested, but aren't. Maybe you don't really know or aren't really sure, because you have checked out... Parenting does expose. It shows us our idols. ...
Keep ReadingAugust 19, 2016 by Justin Edgar | Category: Gospel | Tags: Family, marriage, gospel, sacrifice, love, service, Jesus, Relationship, God, Intentionality, Questions, Reflection, Connection, Devotional, Life
Practical steps for cultivating intimacy in marriage. ...
Keep ReadingAugust 11, 2016 by Justin Edgar | Category: Gospel | Tags: culture, Context, Cultural Context, Authenticity, Sexuality, Perceptions, Views, Jesus, grace, Mercy, God, Christ, gospel, Sex
Our priority as a church is to be a faithful presence of Jesus in a broken world, that we would live, speak and serve as the very presence of Jesus, and this includes in the area of sexuality....
Keep ReadingJuly 28, 2016 | Category: Gospel | Tags: marriage, love, Jesus, grace, Relationship, God, Expectations, Love Story, Sin, Disney, Story, Prince, Princess
We know the Disney movies that end in riding off into the sunset, living happily ever after, etc. As a child, my favorite parts were watching the prince transform throughout the movie. The beast, the frog, the thief became the perfect prince all while the girl remained sinless. I wanted this for myself......
Keep ReadingJuly 13, 2016 by Justin Edgar | Category: Gospel | Tags: prayer, Lament, US, Nation, County, World, Discrimination, Racial Sin, Injustice, Mourn, Mourning, Broken, Fallen, Mercy, Jesus, Pain, Hurt, Lamentations, Sorrow, Chaos, Apathy, Violence, Grief, God, Marginalized, Racist, Vengeful, Dallas, Texas, St. Paul, Minnesota, Baton Rouge, Baghdad, Istanbul, US Embassy, Saudi Arabia, albuquerque, abq, San Antonio, Valdosta, Georgia, Balwin, Missouri, New Mexico, Lamenting
Lament is to be a regular rhythm of our worship. Lament awakens us to the realities of our world and the disorientations of our life. This past week has seen violence and revenge along racial lines. It won't be done away with by a quick prayer. Lamenting helps us to remember and repent and cry out to the only One that can help. ...
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