The word "church" surfaces many emotional reactions. Some consider it boring, others a benign social gather, and a growing segment views church as bad for society. In God's Big Story, however, church comprises the fifth chapter and describes God's Christ-like, mission-driven, spirit-empowered, diverse, virtuous, and imperfect people. For the church to excel in her vocation, she must reawaken to the work of the Holy Spirit within her.

Chapter 3 of God's Big Story tells of God's long-suffering relationship with His people, Israel. Covenant is the official term for the way God related, a friendship he initiated, sustained, and refined. The first half of the message summarizes the Old Testament. The second half teases out implications, especially the role God's people play in reflecting him.

We all love stories; they inspire, entertain, and orient us. But not all stories are created equal. God's Big Story (told in 6 chapters in the Bible) transcends them all. It begins with Creation, showing how all things originated with God who is orderly and wants overflow.

Leadership and pastoral ministry sometimes feel like they're at odds. Best practices and business principles have crept into the church, helping it run more smoothly as an organization, but sometimes at the cost of personal care. The local church is God's flock, he wants shepherds to care for it his way: more delight than duty; more generosity than greed; more service than aegis. This sermon is filled with pastoral confessions and biblical insights on spiritual leadership.

"The End is Near." The line often sends chills up on the spine. However, when Peter says it, he does not intend his readers to cower. Rather, he implores his readers to go out with a glorious bang, shocking the world with their self-restraint, self-sacrifice, and solidarity.