Restoration Church

What does it mean to follow the way of Jesus in a world that often teaches us to values power, status, and self-preservation? Philippians 2 calls attention not just to what we believe, but how those beliefs impact the way we relate to one another. Together, we find our way forward through a cruciformed way of life – a life marked by a power found in the most unlikely place: humility. (Philippians 2)

The letter to the Philippians is written in a moment of suffering and uncertainty. Paul is imprisoned, and the outcome of his trials is not yet clear. So he begins with a reminder: not only is God present and at work in his suffering, he has a joy and hope that even death itself cannot touch. So how can we anchor our hearts in a truth like this today? (Philippians 1)

What is the Church for? What role do we play in the world around us? This week we’re giving our attention to our mission as a Church – a mission driven by a profoundly liberating truth: God is already present and at work all around us. So what does it look like to slow down and join His restoring work right where we are? 

We are daily discipled to divide and devalue those who are different from us. But in the Church, we are called to something radically different: a oneness that does not require our sameness. Through the reconciling work of the cross, Jesus has brought togehter a new kind of family, a people who meet people where they are, practice hospitality, and build bridges across boundaries in the name of Jesus. That’s our fourth core value: we are bridge builders. 

So what is Church, anyway? To some it’s an hour on Sunday. To many, it’s a building they find themselves in a few times a month. But in the New Testament, the most prominent and persistent metaphor for the Church is family. The call to know our fellow believers as brothers and sisters wasn’t just sentimentality. It was solidarity. This week we’re exploring why we seek to love one another like family by growing out roots down deep in the love of God. 

Our second core value speaks not simply to what we believe, but who we are becoming as we believe it. What unites us at Restoration is a commitment to walk together toward wholeness in Christ - a commitment that fosters humility and solidarity because while we are far from arriving, we are well on our way with Jesus. 

What kind of church do we want to be? That’s the question that sits at the heart of our vision series, Restore. In the weeks ahead, we’re exploring five core values that shape everything we do at Restoration – and we’re inviting you to live them out with us. This week, we’re continuing our focus on our first value, We are Jesus-centered, by speaking to how our focus on Jesus shapes our culture of belonging. 

What kind of church do we want to be? That’s the question that sits at the heart of our vision series, Restore. In the weeks ahead, we’re exploring five core values that shape everything we do at Restoration – and we’re inviting you to live them out with us. This week, we’re beginning with our first and most foundational value: We are Jesus centered.

We live in a world that constantly tells us to do more, accomplish more, and carry more—but Jesus offers a very different invitation to those of us who are weary and burdened. What if the thing we most need isn’t something else to accomplish, but something we need to learn to receive? (Matthew 11:28-30)

James 1:5 tells us that if we need wisdom, we should ask – because God gives it freely. That’s good news, but it begs a question: how do we know if what we think we’re hearing from God is actually his wisdom? How can we tell the difference between God’s voice and our own desires? In this message, we’ll explore how we can know the difference – and what it means to draw near to God as we do.