“Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in the midst of difficulties”

“Jesus is therefore not just God’s presence amongst us. He is God’s redemptive presence, sent to renew us, to complete God’s goal of moving history toward His full presence…All other temples fell short, all other competing life systems were defeated upon the cross- they would go on, but their game was up. Jesus, the new temple, was to birth a new kind of people of God, a new temple, built not of stone, but ordinary human lives, drawn together, transformed and filled with His presence”

“…the posture of contending flows from the truth that there is a great divine drama at play, there is far more than just stuff. God invites us to partner with Him, contending, and centering our lives around His mission in the world. This is a truth that is not just affirmed- it is walked out. Nets must be dropped. We believe with our feet, each step a choice to contend rather than simply live to consume.”