Thriving Through Persecution
God is on a mission to glorify the name of His Son, Jesus. There are times that God has chosen to use persecution to ensure that the gospel of His Son goes forth and that His Church thrives.
Acts 8:1-8
A Thriving Growth
Luke describes the early church as thriving with continuous growth as it is strengthened by the Spirit through the means of grace to fulfill the Great Commission – even in the face of severe opposition.
Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20
A Thriving Outreach
A look at the outreach of the church to Gentiles.
Acts 10:30-35, 39-48a
NOTE: Due to a technical problem this teaching was not recorded.
A Thriving Union
As Paul learned on the road to Damascus, we thrive not through our own righteousness, but because we have a vital unity with Christ and His Church.
Acts 9:1-6
Thriving By the Power of the Gospel
The Church exists because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, the primary means by which it continues to thrive is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:1-12
A Thriving Community
A thriving church is a true community, centered on Christ, awed by God’s power, showing practical love, living life together, and experiencing God’s favor.
Acts 2:42-47
A Thriving Spirituality
As the church, we thrive only by the grace of God which we experience through the means of grace. Therefore we must embrace and intentionally seek to cultivate that grace in our lives as part of the church.
Acts 2:36-42
A Thriving Power
A thriving church must be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to know and accomplish God’s call.
Acts 2:1-12
A Thriving Mission
A thriving, growing church understands that our mission propels us into all the world – from our local area to the farthest corners of the globe.
Acts 1:6-8
Building the Church for the Glory of God
We are called to build upon the foundation laid by the apostles so that we can help the Church grow for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 3:9-17
Vines That Choke the Church
Churches can not grow, produce fruit and multiply if they are divided by pride, walk in disunity with other believers, lack compassion for the lost, or are not willing to pay the cost to follow and serve Christ.
Luke 9:46-10:2
BRCC’s Vision and Church Planting
BRCC is called to glorify God by building and planting local churches that are biblically based, Christ-centered, caring communities, seeking to know Christ and make Him known.
1 Peter 2:4-10
The Power of Radical Commitment to Church Planting
God calls all of us to be part of church planting, either as radical supporters or radical planting team members.
Philippians 1:3-6; 2:19-24
Training Future Leaders
God calls the Church to train future leaders to guard the faith from error, spread the faith to others in their generation, and pass the faith on to future generations.
2 Timothy 2:1-2
The Great Claim, The Great Commission, The Great Comfort
As disciples of Christ, we respond to the great commission by the power of Christ and the comfort that He gives.
Matthew 28:16-20
The Mission of God
God calls His pilgrim people to go forth, promising to bless them so that they can be a blessing to others.
Genesis 12:1-3
Messiah’s Mosaic
The church is God’s nation, comprised of people from every nation and culture, and her primary allegiance is to God’s kingdom rather than each member’s preferred culture.
Galatians 3:26-29
God’s Sojourning Exile People (Part 2)
In this age Christians are sojourning exiles, serving with unbelievers in our common kingdom and culture, as we long for our heavenly home.
Jeremiah 29:1-14
God’s Sojourning Exile People (Part 1)
In this age Christians are sojourning exiles, serving with unbelievers in our common kingdom and culture, as we long for our heavenly home.
Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16
The Lord of the Rings – Understanding Sphere Sovereignty
Government has been given by God as part of the common kingdom of man to promote justice and maintain order, and Christians are called to pray for and submit to their government whenever possible.
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (Part 2)
After the fall, God instituted a distinction between the kingdom of man, the realm of common grace ruled through general revelation, and the kingdom of God, the realm of saving grace ruled through special revelation.
Romans 2:14-15
Giving Thanks for the Body of Christ
We are to give thanks for the faith and love of the body of Christ for as He is now revealed through the Church He will one day be revealed in person.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (Part 1)
After the fall, God instituted a distinction between the kingdom of man, the realm of common grace ruled through general revelation, and the kingdom of God, the realm of saving grace ruled through special revelation, in order to preserve the human race and redeem His people.
John 18:33-36
One Body, One Church, Doing Good
As the body of Christ we are called to entrust ourselves to our faithful creator by doing good as the Church.
1 Peter 5:1-11
Living as God’s Exile People
As God’s exile, sojourning people, Christians are called to resist sin and live lives devoted to good works, hoping that God will use these to draw unbelievers to the Gospel.
1 Peter 2:11-12