CITYLIGHTS Church Podcast

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || F R O M - R I N G - T O - W E D D I N G (PART 2)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 25

Jesus teaches his disciples that Heaven will be like a wedding. Because of sin, the world is divorced from Heaven but the Holy Spirit today is calling all people back to God.

In this parable, Jesus teaches about the gift we bring God at the Great Wedding. A master leaves gold for his servants to invest but one of them fearfully hides his portion in the ground.

What has God entrusted to you? If you trusted that Kingdom investment was always multiplied how would you invest in the Kingdom today?

IQ: Will you live a safe life or an invested life?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || F R O M - R I N G - T O - W E D D I N G (PART 1)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 22

Jesus gave several prophecies in Matthew to explain the future to his disciples. His primary picture to explain Heaven was a wedding; the Spirit, preparing the Church as Bride for her husband, Jesus. Sunday at CITYLIGHTS, we opened our final segment in Matthew, from the Ring to the Wedding. For three weeks we are asking: Spirit how are you preparing us for the Great Wedding of Heaven?

IQ: From the ring to the Wedding, will you wear your clothes or his?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || G R E A T E S T - T O - L E A S T (PART 5)

Timothy Bayne || Matthew 16

Like Peter, we have been called and given identity from God, yet in the same breath that we express gratitude and faithfulness, we live a life of self-focus. The way we spend our money and resources, how we fight for and chase success, and how we live our lives for the approval of others instead of the approval found in the finished work of Jesus all reflect this inner-selfishness. Join us as we conclude another chapter in our series Covered in Dust, look back at the way others interpreted Jesus' purpose, and understand how to get back on track with His vision for our lives. 

IQ: How can I die to selfishness and come alive to Christ’s selflessness?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || G R E A T E S T - T O - L E A S T (PART 4)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 20

The disciples initiate a conversation about greatness with Jesus that reveals they are more cultured in Greek than they are the Kingdom of Heaven. As westerners and Americans, we are heavily influenced by our culture concerning greatness. In today's message, we find one simple question that can free us from the tyranny of self and cultivate the Kingdom of God wherever we are.

IQ: What are the needs of the people around me?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || G R E A T E ST - T O - L E A S T (PART 3)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 19

How does your heart dream for the future? When a rich and successful man speaks with Jesus about discipleship, Jesus asks him a question that draws a line of discipleship for us: where do you dream without God?

IQ: Where do you dream of joy and power without God?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || G R E A T E S T - T O - L E A S T (PART 2)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 18

Jesus invitation to us disciples to ‘come and die’ does not mean to be passive, permissive, or apathetic in life. In Matthew 18, Jesus shows us how dying to self means confronting sin and setting boundaries in the church. Listen in as we discuss what dying to self looks like in a Gospel community.

Who is trusting you to lead them back to Jesus when they wander?
Who are you trusting to lead you back to Jesus when you wander?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || G R E A T E S T - T O - L E A S T (PART 1)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 16

We kick off this segment with an important discipleship conversation between Jesus and Peter. At first, Jesus affirms Peter for his revelation of Him as Messiah but then reveals to Peter a misconception of the kind of Messiah Jesus would be. The conclusion of this passage gives us important insight into where Jesus will lead his disciples for the rest of the journey and where Jesus is leading us as disciples today.

Intentional Question: Jesus, where am I losing my life by trying to save it? Where am I finding my life through losing it?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || D E A T H - T O - L I F E (PART 2)

Oliver Wong || 1 Corinthians 15

This Easter CITYLIGHTS celebrated the Resurrection with a spoken word from Darelle Dove and a message on how the empty tomb affects every day of our lives

IQ: If the tomb is empty, and death is the beginning, how will you live your life today?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || D E A T H - T O - L I F E (PART 1)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 21

Through history, God has used provoking and iconic images to communicate his heart to people. Initiating his final Kingdom proclamation in Jerusalem, Jesus enters the city on a donkey as crowds proclaim him as King. This image alongside the image of the crucifixion speaks loudly about the kind of King Jesus is today.

IQ: Do you follow and lead with an authority that arrives on a donkey and leads to the Cross?

C O V E R E D - I N - D U S T || F R O M - B L I N D N E S S - T O - B E L I E F (PART 5)

Oliver Wong || Matthew 13

Have you ever read Scripture and found it confusing? Jesus often spoke in mysterious parables to explain the unseen, and to speak past the head to the heart. In this message, we look at Jesus first eight parables and find one important theme to move from blindness to belief.

Intentional Question: How do the parables of the Kingdom guide you to live low, slow and sacrificial rather than fast, flashy and comfortable.