Journey Church Amarillo

Vision Sunday

Listen as we explore our vision, To Be a People who Abide, Follow, and Make Room for Jesus and the Gospel

Blessed and True Trinity

The Trinity is the foundational Christian doctrine that God exists as one being in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This isn't merely a theological theory but essential to understanding creation, salvation, and relationships. The concept is rooted in Scripture through the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), declaring God's oneness and references to 'the Name' applied to Jesus, indicating his divine identity. While no perfect analogy exists for the Trinity, understanding it helps us experience God's three-in-one love and models perfect unity for our relationships with others.

Abide

Jesus invites us to abide in Him, a vital connection that enables us to produce spiritual fruit like love, joy, and peace. Abiding begins with setting our default mental focus on Christ rather than worldly concerns. It involves embracing our primary identity as God's children above all other roles, and cultivating a genuine desire for a relationship with God. Without this connection to Christ, we cannot produce spiritual fruit or experience the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Road Trip Pt2

In Luke 7:11-17, Jesus encounters a widow's funeral procession for her only son outside Nain. Jesus demonstrates true compassion by seeing her grief, feeling her pain deeply, and taking action by raising her son from the dead. This miracle was unique because it came without any request or demonstration of faith—it flowed purely from Jesus' compassion. As followers of Christ, we're called to mirror this compassion by truly seeing hurting people, allowing ourselves to feel their pain, and taking concrete action to help, remembering that genuine compassion always combines emotion with action.

Jericho Road Pt1

Who are 'those people' you find hardest to love? On the dangerous Road to Jericho, Jesus shattered expectations by making a despised Samaritan the hero of his most famous parable. The shocking truth? We're called to show compassion to everyone—especially those we'd rather avoid. Remember: we were once the wounded traveler, and Jesus stopped for us. How might your 'Jericho road' look different this week?

Level Up Parenting

Our actions profoundly impact those watching us, especially children who learn faith by our example rather than our words. To guide children toward faith, we should let them witness our struggles appropriately, carefully choose who influences them, recognize the vital role fathers play in faith development, and pray constantly for them. Children often follow the path their parents model, making it crucial that we demonstrate authentic faith in our daily lives. Though we cannot force children to follow God, we can show them what following Him looks like through our responses to life's challenges.

Level Up Generosity

Generosity extends far beyond financial giving, encompassing our time, affirmation, resources, and money. When we reduce generosity to just finances, we risk falling into transactional Christianity or overvaluing wealth. True generosity reflects God's heart—giving what is most valuable to us, just as God gave His Son. We demonstrate generosity when we share our time (our most irreplaceable resource), offer blessings and affirmation to others, share our resources to meet needs, and give financially to support our church and community. This generous spirit acknowledges Jesus as Lord over everything valuable in our lives.

Level Up Work

Working for the Lord transforms our approach to our careers, shifting our focus from pleasing people to honoring God. Scripture instructs us to work 'heartily as to the Lord,' meaning with our entire being. This perspective helps us maintain excellence even under difficult bosses or in jobs we dislike. When Christ becomes our true boss, we find the strength to either endure challenging situations or make necessary changes. Ultimately, whether digging ditches or running corporations, our work finds meaning when done for God's glory rather than human validation.

Level Up Stewardship

Managing money as Christians means recognizing that all resources belong to God and are entrusted to us as tools for His glory. Three key principles can guide our financial stewardship: learning to manage money well, learning to be content, and learning to ask God for more. How we handle finances reveals our character and spiritual maturity, serving as a testing ground for greater responsibilities in God's kingdom.

Level Up Blessing

Being a blessing to others reflects God's fundamental nature as a blessing God, with over 400 biblical references supporting this characteristic. Blessing can take many forms, from giving gifts and showing courtesy to making a phone call or offering kind words. The New Testament word for blessing, 'eulogo,' combines 'good' and 'word,' emphasizing the power of positive speech. In our critical world, blessing requires intentional actions, careful word choice, and sometimes simply being present for others during their struggles.