It’s easy to experience life as a rat race for happiness. Who can get it first? Who can make it last the longest? Is joy any different? When we sing “Joy to the World,” are we singing for the world to have momentary happiness? Let’s hope not.
Thankfully, the joy of a Jesus follower is more than a fleeting happy thought. Even better: joy is from God. The pressure is off for us to manufacture happiness on our own. Instead, we partner with the Holy Spirit to cultivate our hearts to receive deep, lasting joy as a gift. Come Sunday to hear and experience more.
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This is work. It’s the work of Christmas — to strike a match not just for ourselves, but for our community, the stranger, the oppressed, the one left out. This Advent, we’ll be looking at how the flames of hope, peace, joy, and love - the traditional themes of Advent - call us to holy work. We must nurture hope, fight for peace, cultivate joy, and embody love.
During Advent we remember that the babe in the manger is the Prince of Peace – the one who will one day bring an end to all war and discord in us and in the world. Among the Lord’s last words to his disciples before his death are these: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27 NASB). And after his resurrection, he greets his disciples on multiple occasions, “Peace be with you.”
Yet when we survey the state of the world, the state of our relationships, or the state of our own hearts, we often find war, discord, and anxiety and may see no end in sight. While God’s peace is indeed available to us, it often involves commitment and struggle on our part to lay hold of it. We labor in hope that in our own lives and in the fullness of time the Prince of Peace might bring his peaceful reign to bear. Bring a friend this week and join us this Sunday as we press in to "fight for peace" together.
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This Advent, we're faced again with the choice of what we do when things go dark. Do we rush towards activity and busyness or do we slump towards isolation and sadness? Jesus, Light coming into the world as an infant, has a different invitation. With God, we can light a candle and ask for this season of night to be illuminated.
This is work. It’s the work of Christmas — to strike a match not just for ourselves, but for our community, the stranger, the oppressed, the one left out. This Advent, we’ll be looking at how the flames of hope, peace, joy, and love - the traditional themes of Advent - call us to holy work. We must nurture hope, fight for peace, cultivate joy, and embody love.
- Series Description -
This Advent, we're faced again with the choice of what we do when things go dark. Do we rush towards activity and busyness or do we slump towards isolation and sadness? Jesus, Light coming into the world as an infant, has a different invitation. With God, we can light a candle and ask for this season of night to be illuminated.
In our last talk of the “So You Want To Be A Christian” series we will dive into the topic of suffering. Nobody wants to suffer, but we all will at some point in our lives. Being a follower of Jesus does not disqualify us from suffering. As a matter of fact, Jesus himself suffered and was known as the man of sorrows.
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In our new series, "So You Want to Be A Christian?", we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. Each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
When we say yes to Jesus, we receive the gift of forgiveness that God offers us. And as we find ourselves in the story of God as those who are forgiven, we’re invited to join God’s Kingdom work by forgiving those who have sinned against us. Join us this Sunday as we continue our teaching series, "So You Want to be a Christian?" by considering how following Jesus involves receiving and extending forgiveness.
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In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we’re begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we’re humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we’ve been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
If someone were to make a movie of your life, what would the genre be? Action-adventure? Rom-com? Slice of life? Epic? You could probably imagine a few different versions. Which one do you think is true?
It matters a lot. The stories we tell ourselves-- the stories we live in and through--tell us what matters, what our lives are for. To be a Christian means, in part, to live into and through God’s story--the God of love who created us, loves us in our brokenness, heals, and transforms us.
- Series Description -
In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we’re begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we’re humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we’ve been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
Saying yes often looks like saying no.
“Drop your nets. Leave your boats. Come and follow me.” - Jesus
Why does following Jesus mean leaving certain things behind? Like any other decision, following Jesus involves a cutting off. It is, as Jesus says, a narrow path (Matt 7:13-14). To truly say yes to Jesus, we also have to give other people and things a no. This is uncomfortable and requires trust in Jesus that there is much kindness, much wisdom, and much power in the narrow way.
Come this Sunday to learn more about the strange gift of no.
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In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we’re begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we’re humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we’ve been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
When we say yes to following Jesus, what comes next? It can be tempting to think that the most important thing is to get rid of all the mess in our personal lives, or to immediately get to work doing important things for God. But the gospels give a simpler and more radical invitation: we get to know Jesus by hanging out with Him, and receiving the grace he abundantly offers us. Come this Sunday to hear Tina share more about the radical transforming power of hanging out with Jesus in the second week of our teaching series, So, You Want to Be a Christian?”
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In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we’re begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we’re humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we’ve been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
This Sunday, we’ll explore how our first step is to say yes. Not just yes to a task, but yes to a person — someone who calls us to himself and to his mission.
- Series Description -
In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we’ll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we’re begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we’re humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we’ve been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.
We started our Jubilee series with the people of God recently freed from slavery in Egypt. They were freed. Now they needed to stay free and free others, accomplished by practicing Sabbath and Jubilee! While the people of God didn’t always live out these practices, God always offered them rest and a reset, not just for themselves individually, but for their whole community.
In our closing talk, we’ll recap our series and then look at the end of the story. What does the fulfillment of Jubilee look like at the end of all things? It looks like a dwelling place of life, healing, and rest with our God. And the good news is that that Kingdom end is not just available at the end-- that final reality breaks backwards into our story right now.
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In the accounts of his life in the gospels, Jesus often says that the Kingdom of God - God’s rule and reign - is at hand. What is the history of this Kingdom though? Earlier in the narrative of Scripture, as God is forming His people, we learn about the concept of Jubilee. It’s a communal practice of release every fifty years--a societal reset meant to promote justice, forgiveness, and mercy. This communal loosening is all about not being our own masters, but letting the Kingdom, a Jubilee effort, master us. Does it seem like we need a reset societally? In our communities? In us? Let’s embrace the cry for Jubilee and let God’s good work reset, reorder, and reestablish our lives.
Jubilee sounds nice at first – Sabbath rest, freedom, and the expansive favor of God. But Jubilee also costs us something and inevitably brings offense. The favor of Jubilee extends to our enemies and threatens our sense of the portion of God’s grace appointed for us – more for them might be less for us. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry he is received with great favor, but that favor quickly turns to resistance when the offense of Jubilee becomes clear. In the end, the year of God’s favor is greater than we could ever have imagined. Come this Sunday, and bring a friend, to consider how, in the meantime, we must face “Resistance to Jubilee.”
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In the accounts of his life in the gospels, Jesus often says that the Kingdom of God - God’s rule and reign - is at hand. What is the history of this Kingdom though? Earlier in the narrative of Scripture, as God is forming His people, we learn about the concept of Jubilee. It’s a communal practice of release every fifty years--a societal reset meant to promote justice, forgiveness, and mercy. This communal loosening is all about not being our own masters, but letting the Kingdom, a Jubilee effort, master us. Does it seem like we need a reset societally? In our communities? In us? Let’s embrace the cry for Jubilee and let God’s good work reset, reorder, and reestablish our lives.
The Year of the Lord's favor continues even as it's clear that God's people are not practicing Jubilee as outlined in Leviticus. This week we'll study chapter 61 from the book of Isaiah the prophet who has a future vision of restoration for God's people-- the shalom we talked about three weeks ago. Isaiah carries Jubilee forward into God's future: the year of the Lord's favor isn't just an ancient practice but is also for us today.
- Series Description -
In the accounts of his life in the gospels, Jesus often says that the Kingdom of God - God’s rule and reign - is at hand. What is the history of this Kingdom though? Earlier in the narrative of Scripture, as God is forming His people, we learn about the concept of Jubilee. It’s a communal practice of release every fifty years--a societal reset meant to promote justice, forgiveness, and mercy. This communal loosening is all about not being our own masters, but letting the Kingdom, a Jubilee effort, master us. Does it seem like we need a reset societally? In our communities? In us? Let’s embrace the cry for Jubilee and let God’s good work reset, reorder, and reestablish our lives.
God rescued people from slavery in Egypt with signs, wonders, and miracles. God does the same thing today, and He encourages and equips us to go and do likewise: Get free. Stay free. Free others. And yet it’s easy for any of us to get trapped by constraints and to let others face the same fate of bondage. This is our reality.
God’s vision of Jubilee, a forerunner of God’s coming Kingdom, has something to say about this. The proclamation of Jubilee actually frees people, and it also forms free people. We need both - the release of people stuck in captivity and the formation of people who long for freedom, looking to God to secure it for themselves and others. This Sunday, Josh will share ancient words from Leviticus to teach us more about Jubilee and provide a timely opportunity for the Church to demonstrate Jubilee today.
- Series Description -
In the accounts of his life in the gospels, Jesus often says that the Kingdom of God - God’s rule and reign - is at hand. What is the history of this Kingdom though? Earlier in the narrative of Scripture, as God is forming His people, we learn about the concept of Jubilee. It’s a communal practice of release every fifty years--a societal reset meant to promote justice, forgiveness, and mercy. This communal loosening is all about not being our own masters, but letting the Kingdom, a Jubilee effort, master us. Does it seem like we need a reset societally? In our communities? In us? Let’s embrace the cry for Jubilee and let God’s good work reset, reorder, and reestablish our lives.
Rest is the way to a reset. Not just personally, but communally. Rest also requires trust. In Leviticus, God calls for a Sabbath (one day a week), a Sabbath year (the seventh year), and a Jubilee (the fiftieth year). This set apart time is not meant to be a burden, but a blessing. If we can trust the Lord that timing matters, risk rest, and then join Jesus in the reset, we can see more than just our own lives being made new.
- Series Description -
In the accounts of his life in the gospels, Jesus often says that the Kingdom of God - God’s rule and reign - is at hand. What is the history of this Kingdom though? Earlier in the narrative of Scripture, as God is forming His people, we learn about the concept of Jubilee. It’s a communal practice of release every fifty years--a societal reset meant to promote justice, forgiveness, and mercy. This communal loosening is all about not being our own masters, but letting the Kingdom, a Jubilee effort, master us. Does it seem like we need a reset societally? In our communities? In us? Let’s embrace the cry for Jubilee and let God’s good work reset, reorder, and reestablish our lives.
ECV was founded in 2007 with a call to seek the peace of our city and pray for it because in its peace we’ll find our peace. In 2025, it is clear our need for peace has not diminished. Our God of peace does not provide only an external peace for others but an internal one for us. Through the work of the Spirit, peace can spread throughout our communities from the inside out. It’s a beautiful integrated vision of communal wholeness that the Bible calls shalom. Are we ready to encounter the Prince of Peace, bringing our turmoil and chaos to him in exchange for a gift of peace that’s meant for more than just our own lives? Come on Sunday to learn and experience more and become a peacemaker today.
Throughout the Book of Acts we find accounts of how God speaks and acts in miraculous ways, even as the Apostles and the early church act with wisdom and boldness to bear witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit are normative in the pages of Acts, ever intertwined with considered action, bold preaching, and the willingness to suffer to bring the witness of the Gospel from the villages of Galilee to the imperial capital at Rome.
Come out this week and bring a friend to hear a talk entitled “Works of Power and the Progress of the Gospel” and consider how the witness of Acts bears on our life and witness today in New Haven and beyond.
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Among the most compelling stories in the Bible are several contained in the Book of Acts, written by the humble and gentle physician, Luke. In Acts, Luke tells the story of the birth and expansion of the church in the early decades following the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He tells the story of the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of other early saints. He tells the story of early opposition to the faith, of the first martyrs, and of the courage of early Christians in the face of resistance and even death. At the beginning of the book, the Christian community is limited to Jewish believers mostly in and around Jerusalem; by the end of the book, the church is growing and expanding among Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. Come out for this 10 week series and join us in living out in our own day and time what it is to be the church together.
The Book of Acts tells the story of the birth of the church and its remarkable expansion in the early decades of its existence. Central to that story is the crucial encounter between the Apostle Peter, an observant Jewish man, and Cornelius, a respected Gentile military officer, and his family. Through this encounter, the fledgling church-- and our church, too-- learns that faith in Jesus is not merely for Jewish people but for people of all nations who call on God in faith. Come out this week and bring a friend to hear more about "The Whole Church for the Whole World" and hear from a special guest and ECV friend about how God is working in Taiwan today.
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Among the most compelling stories in the Bible are several contained in the Book of Acts, written by the humble and gentle physician, Luke. In Acts, Luke tells the story of the birth and expansion of the church in the early decades following the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He tells the story of the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of other early saints. He tells the story of early opposition to the faith, of the first martyrs, and of the courage of early Christians in the face of resistance and even death. At the beginning of the book, the Christian community is limited to Jewish believers mostly in and around Jerusalem; by the end of the book, the church is growing and expanding among Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. Come out for this 10 week series and join us in living out in our own day and time what it is to be the church together.
What are the costs of following Jesus? Sometimes, it’s easy to think about our lives as our existing lives + Jesus. In this scenario, Jesus is a simple add on to what we are already doing. As we continue our series in Acts, we will be challenged by bold lives full of integrity that face staggering costs as they live for Jesus and live like Jesus even amidst intense pressures. After all, Jesus says true life comes through denying ourselves and taking up our crosses. What does that look like? Come Sunday to hear what that might mean given our own intense pressures in our personal worlds and the world at large.
- Series Description -
Among the most compelling stories in the Bible are several contained in the Book of Acts, written by the humble and gentle physician, Luke. In Acts, Luke tells the story of the birth and expansion of the church in the early decades following the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He tells the story of the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of other early saints. He tells the story of early opposition to the faith, of the first martyrs, and of the courage of early Christians in the face of resistance and even death. At the beginning of the book, the Christian community is limited to Jewish believers mostly in and around Jerusalem; by the end of the book, the church is growing and expanding among Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. Come out for this 10 week series and join us in living out in our own day and time what it is to be the church together.
Political power can seem threatening these days. Or overwhelming. Maybe just exhausting. The good news is that the history of the early church is full of stories of people faithfully following Jesus in the midst of conflict with the political powers of their day. Join us this Sunday Matt leads us further into our series on Being the Church, looking at the models Acts provides for being faithful in politically trying times.
- Series Description -
Among the most compelling stories in the Bible are several contained in the Book of Acts, written by the humble and gentle physician, Luke. In Acts, Luke tells the story of the birth and expansion of the church in the early decades following the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He tells the story of the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of other early saints. He tells the story of early opposition to the faith, of the first martyrs, and of the courage of early Christians in the face of resistance and even death. At the beginning of the book, the Christian community is limited to Jewish believers mostly in and around Jerusalem; by the end of the book, the church is growing and expanding among Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. Come out for this 10 week series and join us in living out in our own day and time what it is to be the church together.
If we’re interested in lives of generosity, we have to consider not just what or how much we give but also where we hold back from giving. God is invested in full lives of surrender where we let God steward all of our lives, including our finances and possessions. This Sunday, we will look at a tough tale in Acts 5 involving a couple who did not know how to be honest with God about their reluctant giving. Can we start this delicate conversation with God? Come Sunday to experience God’s Spirit and God’s wisdom as we learn how to orient our lives around God’s leadership rather than self-justification.
- Series Description -
Among the most compelling stories in the Bible are several contained in the Book of Acts, written by the humble and gentle physician, Luke. In Acts, Luke tells the story of the birth and expansion of the church in the early decades following the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He tells the story of the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of other early saints. He tells the story of early opposition to the faith, of the first martyrs, and of the courage of early Christians in the face of resistance and even death. At the beginning of the book, the Christian community is limited to Jewish believers mostly in and around Jerusalem; by the end of the book, the church is growing and expanding among Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. Come out for this 10 week series and join us in living out in our own day and time what it is to be the church together.