A 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.” ...
March 28, 2019 by Justin Edgar | Tags: heaven, Worship, Revelation
"And when we gather at City Pres we sing about this gathering in the future that will be different. We don’t look like it yet, but we still sing of it in confession and hope. In our ‘not-yet gatherings’ we confess our failures. We are a broken communion of called out ones in a broken world. But we also confess our hope. Our hope that this will be different. In ...
Keep ReadingJune 14, 2018 by Bronwyn Siebert | Category: Sermon Reflection | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, Idolatry, Deliverance, holy spirit, hope, blog, grace, Mercy, Sin, Church, Truth, Strength, enemy, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Encouragement, Temptation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Devil, Deceit, Threats, Revelation, Bookends
So here I sit, wrestling through this reality, all the while examining areas of my life where my worship is misplaced. How have I been duped? ...
Keep ReadingJune 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 31, 2018 by Josh Spare | Tags: albuquerque, Idolatry, pride, heart, blog, Church, Truth, Albuquerque Church, Sermon Reflection, Church blog, Revelation, Bookends, Believe, Repentance, Perceive, Conviction, Self-centeredness, Mercy, Temptation
...the Revelation of John for things to come points to a people so engrossed in their self-sufficiency that the thunder of heaven cannot turn their unrepentant hearts - how much like that are we? How much like that am I? ...
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 ReadingMay 10, 2018 by River Reifenrath | Tags: albuquerque, Sovereignty, hope, love, grace, provision, Mercy, Church, fear, Wrath, Albuquerque Church, Sermon Reflection, Sermon, Church blog, Picture, Genesis, Revelation, Bookends, Art, Impressions, Artist
My trials and suffering feel like the squashing of color and blurring of lines to the point that my portrait isn’t the perfect and skilled mimesis of what the world expects. Yet, there is so much more depth, so much more character. ...
Keep ReadingMay 2, 2018 by Emily Leslie | Tags: kingdom, glory, hope, grace, Grief, Truth, Sermon Reflection, Promise, Revelation, Bookends, Trial, Tribulation, Patience, Endurance, albuquerque, Church, Reflection, Albuquerque Church, Sermon, Church blog
Even in this chapter, of this overwhelming book, we see how all of scripture is brought together to accomplish the same plan that has been laid out in the Bible all along. ...
Keep ReadingApril 19, 2018 by Bronwyn Siebert | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, vision, faith, heart, hope, blog, promises, Reflection, sanctification, theology, Change, Albuquerque Church, Sermon, Albuquerque Churches, Church blog, Genesis, Revelation, Bookends, Growth, Reorient, Paradox, Head, Belief, Reframe, Gaze, Believe
I don’t have to deny or hide my weakness because the beauty of them is they point to a God who promises to make me new....
Keep ReadingMarch 29, 2018 by Rachel Whippo | Tags: gospel, albuquerque, blog, mission, Church, missional living, great commission, Albuquerque Church, Albuquerque Churches, Church blog, Calling, Revelation, Bookends, Encourage, Equip, Called, Missional, Matthew
Despite the fact that Jesus literally states in the verse that he will be with us “always, to the end of the age,” I often feel alone when confronted with the idea of trying to share the Gospel. ...
Keep ReadingMarch 23, 2018 | Tags: hope, God, promises, Church, Help, Come, Salvation, Promise, Intercede, Letters, albuquerque, doubt, blog, Albuquerque Church, Albuquerque Churches, Church blog, Healing, Revelation, Bookends
As broken as this earthly existence can be, there are eternal promises that break through and transcend the brokenness....
Keep ReadingMarch 15, 2018 by Carly Haynes | Category: Sermon Reflection | Tags: albuquerque, holy, blog, God, Church, God's glory, Renewed, Albuquerque Church, Sermon Reflection, Church blog, Revelation, Bookends, Transform, Make New, New Heart, New Name, New Identity, Set Apart
Much like the city of Pergamum, I followed the only way I had known, and in doing so I had no compass for my life......
Keep ReadingFebruary 22, 2018 by Rachel Whippo | Tags: Sermon Reflection, Genesis, Revelation, Bookends, Prophetic, Apocalyptic, bible study, blog, Church, Scripture, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Pastoral Letter, Understanding
The book of Revelation, I have found, as I’m sure have many of you, is one of the books of the Bible where I really have a difficult time getting the message from my head to my heart....
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 16, 2017 by Carly Haynes | Tags: marriage, albuquerque, heaven, blog, grace, Relationship, Church, redemption, Restoration, Albuquerque Church, Church blog, Calling, Healing, Genesis, Purpose, Adam, Eve, Revelation, Bookends, Harmony, Garden, Work, Vocation, Earth
What was once unending, immediate, and bountifully provided, within a few bites of fruit was now cursed with enmity, great pain, and toil. Marriage was once to be harmonious and is now divisive, pain is brought forth at the births of our children, God is farther away from us and we dig through thistles for fruit. ...
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