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What would the world look like if the dominant leadership style was servant leadership? What would the country look like if the main interest of those in leadership positions—government, municipalities, schools, churches—were to out-serve one another and their constituents? Can you imagine it?
The heart of servant leadership is putting the needs of others ahead of your own while pursuing their good. From the moment we are introduced to Elisha in the Bible (1 Kings 19), we see this about him.
In our final week of this series, Pastor Dave will use the story of Elisha in the Bible to show us the meaning and beauty of servant leadership. As a concept, servant leadership came about in the 1970s. And yet, well before the business world could articulate a leadership theory, there were characters in the Bible who lived it out as a model for us to embrace and live by. How can we all embody servant leadership as our own leadership style? -
What does it mean to be a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper? Which one of those do you think requires the most courage?Abigail in the Bible shows us what real peacemaking can achieve; she saves the lives of her entire family! But puts herself at great risk to do so. Most of the time, being a peacemaker is much harder than being a peacekeeper; because it means sticking your own neck out on the line and that’s hard for anyone unwilling to lead with peace to do.But we would want someone to lead from the front for us, right? Someone willing to go for peace and the greater good for everyone. And that’s what we should be praying for when we pray for our leaders, and ourselves.
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When you think about the leaders in your life, be it your boss, a parent, teacher, governor, or president; do you wish for them to lead with hubris, or humility?Hubris leads a person to inflated self-importance, which in turn leads to pride and over-confidence. Humble leadership, as demonstrated by Moses in the Bible, necessitates a person putting others before themselves, and not relying entirely on their own way of thinking. In the story of Moses, he is face-to-face with God on numerous occasions, and each time Moses realizes that his leadership is weak without God. When we look at Moses’ life, we see a man of humility—even if his story isn’t always that way. This week, Pastor Dave looks at Moses’s response to his father-in-law’s instructions in Exodus 18, and various other parts of the story of Moses, to learn what leading with humility looks like.
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At a time when our world is so divided and strained, it’s important for us to remember that, as Christians, we’re commanded by God to pray for our leaders; no matter who they are, or if we like them!
In the lead-up to the general election in the USA, we’re bringing you an important series about leadership, praying for leaders, and how we might incorporate some of the qualities that matter to God into our own lives and leadership.
In week 1, Pastor Megan Marshman uses the story of Deborah in the Bible, an inspiring judge and prophetess in the book of Judges. Biblical Deborah is an example of a leader who retains her integrity throughout. What does it look like in our own lives to retain our integrity in leadership? Let’s explore that. -
It’s likely that at some point in your life as a Christian you have wondered how to pray. Perhaps it’s how to pray for something specific, how to pray a more powerful prayer, or simply “how can I pray to God and will He hear me?”When you have a relationship with God, just like any relationship, communication is an essential part of it. God wants you pray and speak to Him. Yes, He already knows everything that is on your mind and heart; but communicating that to Him helps your own heart and partnership with your loving Heavenly Father.This week, Pastor Thomas shares how to pray, and listen to, God. How to pray privately, regularly and genuinely. And it’s really not complicated! We look at Matthew 6:5-13.
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When we think about all the religions in the world, what makes Christianity the one we want to be a part of? Perhaps you’re wondering if all religions ultimately teach about the same God - and how many gods are there? Don’t all religions basically teach about love and are equally good (or bad, depending on your POV)? There are so many questions. But that’s what we’re here to answer today: how Jesus makes the biggest difference in our lives because of the relationship with God He offers us. We seek to address the heart of this question: our desire to see everyone get into Heaven. Let's look at the book of John, chapters 14 and 15, to help us understand and answer this question.
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What does the Bible say about sex? Let’s talk about it! American culture and the American church have missed the mark on what our sexuality is for and how to use it. From the falsely liberating sexual culture of the modern era to the condemning and damaging messages of purity culture, no wonder the students and young adults in our church are confused because, if we’re honest, a lot of Christian adults are too.
It might seem odd, but God really does care about who you sleep with and gives us all great guidance on how to be wise with our sexuality. Advice designed to help us live fully into our potential and purpose, caring for our entire being; mind, body and soul.
Pastor Shawn teaches this week on what the bible says about sex. -
How familiar are you with the phrase “do as I say, not as I do?” Almost all of us have heard that said at least once, right?! Now how do you think you do with saying one thing but living another way? Think about how you present yourself to others and how you really live.Many people are critical of Christians, and for good reason. Christian hypocrisy is responsible for countless hurts to masses of people throughout history and even now. How can we claim to love others when so many who represent Jesus use the Bible or their faith to inflict pain? In week two of our series exploring and answering questions our kids are asking, pastor Megan Marshman addresses questions about hypocrisy in the Bible and the church. We walk through Matthew 23:1-7 and Romans 3:21-24 to see what the Bible says about the danger of hypocrisy and how we all need Jesus to help us.
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Welcome to our new series, which seeks to shed light on and answer the hard questions kids and young people are asking about Christianity. We start with a question that is seen as divisive but shouldn’t be: What role do Christians play in justice, specifically in pursuing racial justice and racial equality?
Some people don’t feel this is an area Christians should be concerned about. But God created everyone and loves us all, so we should reflect Him and love everyone, too. In our love, we want everyone to enjoy equality at all levels, even if it means sacrificing something ourselves.
We are living in the post-George Floyd, post-Covid Asian racist attacks era. Racial justice concerns all of God’s children, beginning with the cultural mandate in Genesis 1 (26-28), where God commands humankind to care for the earth and all that is in it.
Pastors Dave and Thomas demonstrate God’s heart for justice, how the early church promoted and lived into this life of justice, and how we, as followers of Jesus, can engage in justice now.
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Have you ever considered your spiritual gifts? Are you wondering what spiritual gifts even are?! God has given each person unique skills and talents, including you! But why has God given everyone spiritual gifts? So that you, and each person in the church, can contribute in unique and awesome ways to live out the mission–the purpose–of God’s Kingdom on earth.Pastor Dave explains why volunteering in church community, also known as serving, is so important to God’s plan for your life, and how you make a real difference in the world. Learn about how you can discover and use your own spiritual gifts to play your part in the church, your community, and the world!
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This week, we’re asking: What good is knowing the Good News if we’re not sharing it? We’re often hesitant to share our faith with others because it seems too hard or too tricky to navigate, or we worry about how we will be perceived. Pastor Dave shows us how we can practically begin sharing faith with those around us through the B.L.E.S.S. model; an easy-to-follow way to live out the “great commission”, sharing the Good News, and relieving our fears around sharing faith.
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New to Willow? Go here to find out more about our church and to see more great teaching: https://www.willowcreek.org/visit/Do you want to discover new joy, set aside shame and guilt, and live relaxed in the midst of stress, mistakes, and fatigue? Sounds pretty good, right?!In the final week of our Summer Book Club series, we hear from our very own teaching pastor, Megan Marshman, who shares brilliant insights from her new book, Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing.
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New to Willow? Go here to find out more about our church and to see more great teaching: https://www.willowcreek.org/visit/ We’re so excited to welcome best-selling author, transformational speaker and leadership coach, Ryan Leak!In our Summer Book Club series this week, Ryan teaches from his new book, How to Work with Complicated People. His book provides strategies for effectively collaborating with nearly anyone - and who couldn’t use that?! Let us know what you learn in the comments below!
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It’s the first of our three-week Summer Book Club series, and we start off with author, preacher and Director of Theology and Research for Proverbs 31, Joel Muddamalle!We’re excited that Joel is with us to teach from his new book, The Hidden Peace: Finding True Security, Strength, and Confidence through Humility. We hear how Biblical humility can help you overcome insecurities and grow in self-awareness to step into all the wonderful things God has for you!
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Oh boy. Here we go. It’s the book of Revelation (strap in for a wild ride)!A dragon, a white horse, a beast or two, trumpets, a woman clothed in the sun—what is going on? Read the book of Revelation and without any context or understanding, it may seem like it was torn from an epic science fiction novel. Typically this leads to two approaches: 1) those who think of it as a blueprint for the future, (yikes!) or 2) those who simply won’t read it because it seems like too much to try to understand (relatable).However, with context and an acceptance that the book of Revelation’s entirety cannot be fully explained, we can begin to see just how hopeful, necessary, and thrilling this book actually is! Pastor Megan Marshman takes us through it!
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Have you ever overheard a conversation only to realize it was about something completely different? Context is key—in life and in reading the New Testament Letters! There are a lot of apparent contradictions throughout the Letters, some people point to this as a reason to disprove the Bible. But understanding the context and realizing the purpose of each letter, for the people it was written for at that moment in time helps clue us into the differences.
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What are the Gospels? They are books of the Bible that provide historical narratives documenting the life and work of Jesus and the creation of the early church. It is in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts that we see God come to earth as a human, in Jesus. They also show how, as Christians, we are to live and love others as one of God’s children.
Last week we learned about the prophecy books of the Bible. This week we see how Jesus came to fulfill those prophecies! -
The prophets in the Bible did some pretty strange things to grab the attention of God’s people and bring them back to Him. Understanding the prophetic books can be tricky if you don’t know the historical setting, so let’s use them as a framework for cultivating a relationship with Jesus, not simply religious adherence.
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The Bible lays out fantastic principles for living, but even following them all doesn’t promise a life free from pain. We’ll explore the Wisdom literature to discover how we can seek wisdom, follow it, and find principles for life anchored in Christ.
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Did you ever do something you knew you weren’t supposed to? Like, rebel against your boss, your parents, God? How did your boss or your parents respond? Probably not great.This week Pastor Megan Marshman covers the History books of the Bible: and, more closely, the book of Ruth. Ruth’s story in the Bible is set during a very dark moment in the history of Israel, where God’s people were rebelling against Him, doing what they thought was right by them. But what Ruth’s story shows us is that God’s plan will prevail. Humans can’t derail the progress of God’s grand design; as much as we might try!If you’re looking for biblical hope, the book of Ruth offers just that.
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