Pastor Josh kicked off our advent series, “From Generation to Generation” with a kid-friendly sermonette by highlighting the generations of Jesus' ancestry from Matthew 1. In that long list of names, we remember the trauma and triumph of those who came before; each name holds a story and their story gives way to Christ’s story. What is your story? Who is part of shaping your story? And how are you loving and living to shape the next generation?
Read MoreIn the third week of our antidote to racism series, Rev. Josh RaderLee shares how he first became aware of his own individual privilege which opened his eyes to see racism as something that went beyond individual bias or internalized racism. But instead, we must actively let go of supremacy complexes that one way is better or normal. Remembering that deeming some people or cultures as "better" and "normal" requires that we dehumanize all those designated as "less than" and "abnormal"
Read MorePastor Josh wraps up Our Values series by highlighting how love of God, self and others informs every part of our values and theology. We will explore how we can be intentional to foster a deeper understanding of God’s love for us, so that we can grow in our love for ourselves and ultimately then extend that love to others. Many of us have been taught in fundamentalist forms of Christianity that we are inherently evil, bad, broken, and flawed. It’s hard to love yourself when you’re taught that you’re not loveable. It’s no surprise then that the same folks who are taught to believe they are inherently evil, don’t love themselves and in effect do a really shotty job loving others. Because they truly are loving others as they love themselves, which is not very much. So let’s recalibrate our love this Sunday!
Read MoreRev. Josh RaderLee wraps up a series on our values by highlighting our theological distinctives as a community. Many churches and denominations have a beliefs page, doctrinal statement or creed that defines who they are. However, as an interdenominational church, we are united by our shared values not our beliefs. Under the banner of these values that gives space for a lot of different theological believes to be held at Forefront. While there are common theological distinctives that many at Forefront may hold we do not expect anyone to ascribe to those distinctives to be apart of our diverse community of faith.
Read MoreThis sermon will focus on coming home - back to Forefront. Our church may have undergone some changes and may even have a different feel; however, it still has the same values and the same love. Exploring one of the Bible’s creation stories and the story of Cain and Abel, this sermon from Rev. Venida and Rev. Josh will be an opportunity for self-reflection as we redefine and reclaim home.
Read MoreRev. Josh Lee starts our Coming Home Series by highlighting the ways in which The Church has always been a messy progressive religon. He outlines how our views have progressed or differed throughout Scripture while also highlighting a disagreement had in the early church around the full inclusion of non-Jews. The Church of Jesus Christ has always been progressing, changing, adapting, and super freaking messy! But even amidst the mess some really beautiful things have been born when we allow ourselves to progress and embrace the mess!
Read MoreIn our third and final sermon of "The Path" series, Rev. Josh Lee borrows from Father Richard Rohr on how he describes our spiritual path as one of order, disorder, and reorder. This cycle is the historical Christian journey. Rev. Josh then shares 5 Things he does to reorder (reconstruct) his life and faith when it becomes disordered (deconstructed). This very practical sermon is full of helpful tools and wisdom in your journey through your spiritual path!
Read MoreHave you at one time believed something so strongly you could hear no other perspective? But then over time you could hear what you wouldn’t before and see what you couldn’t see before? In this message Rev. Josh Lee starts our new series “The Path” by challenging us to consider where on the path do we find ourselves? Perhaps like Saul, just having recently lost our formerly held religious convictions or perhaps like Ananias being called to give sight and compassion to folks who have previously persecuted us because we remember what it was like to once be in their shoes.
Read MoreRev. Josh Lee continues our "What Forms Us" series with this sermon on tradition. In this series we are gleaning from the founder of the United Methodist Church, John Wesley. John believed that as Christians we should allow our thinking, beliefs, ethics, and practices to be formed by four things (experience, reason, scripture, and tradition) In this message we focus on how Miriam brought her tambourine with her as she fled enslavement in Egypt during the exodus. Miriam choosing to bring her tambourine is a reminder to us that even as we leave faith traditions that have caused us trauma and pain there are still things worth bringing with you!
Read MoreHere's the start of our new sermon series, "Unapologetically Us". Rev. Josh Lee explores Jesus's habit of asking questions instead of providing straightforward answers. Jesus both engages people with questions who would have never engaged him and engages with people's questions who approach him.
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit calls upon us throughout life, yet, how often are we receptive to the whisper? Some may think they are not worthy to be addressed by the God they've come to know, so they sink away from those fleeting moments. Others know so little that they miss it. In this Sermon, Rev. Josh unpacks an inspiring story from Acts 8, when one of the shunned of society, The Ethiopian Eunuch, bravely follows the whisper.
Read MoreIn this opening week of the series we are invited to see God beyond cultural or biblical views of masculinity that change and differ over time; but instead to see God with a broader lens that draws from Scripture, tradition, reason and experiences. God is not and was not limited to Christ’s body. God manifests Gods self in both Christ's body while also doing so through the spirit, through creation, and through us humans who reflect the diversity and expansiveness of the imago dei... image of God!
Read MoreWatch Rev. Josh Lee preach on Easter Sunday 2022. Easter is a weird day because it’s filled with both grief and joy. Grief as a consequence of unnecessary government-sanctioned violence and joy, that death and violence won't have the last word. It’s because Mary stayed at the tomb with her grief… and wasn’t quick to rush home with the others that Mary is the first to see the risen Christ and experiences her sadness turned to joy.
Read MoreJesus encounters one man who’s born blind and gives him sight by spitting in the dirt and rubbing mud in his eyes. Jesus was operating at a time when being disabled meant being poor, unemployed, and excluded from mainstream society. What if Jesus didn’t pity this mans differently abled status, but he pitied the way society excluded and looked down upon him?
Read MoreWe aren’t the first generation to deconstruct or recover from church trauma… this has been apart of our human life cycle forever! In this sermon, Rev. Josh Lee focuses specifically on the wilderness season that Peter and the disciples found themselves in after Jesus death… full of questions, doubt, regret, uncertainty, perhaps certain of what they didn’t believe but unsure of what they do believe. Sunday we will glean from our ancestors on how they navigated reconstructing their faith after it all came crashing down.
Read MoreJesus experienced hunger and temptation during his time in the wilderness. Our wilderness experiences can be times of testing and preparation as the Holy Spirit leads us through various seasons of our lives. It's important to be patient through the process. Watch Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins speak about the positive sides of being in the wilderness for a while.
Read MoreHow many of us have been told our culture is too different, we are too young, too old, too fat, too differently abled, too divorced, too single, too queer, too feminine to participate in the full life of the church. Well, Jesus knows the feeling and he made a place for himself and others in many of spaces where people said he and we had no place.
Read MoreRev. Josh Lee draws from modern tips, personal experiences and wisdom literature in the book of Proverbs to discover some tips on how to steward our time and treasures (money) well. Where do we spend our money and our time? Do they align with our values? Long term goals? How might we realign and reassess as we enter a new year and find our way out of this pandemic?
Read MoreRev. Josh Lee takes the stage and explores the hidden message behind the Advent figure: the Donkey. Have you every felt left out or unappreciated? Have you ever been the ass in a Christmas pageant?
Read MoreThis Sunday we began a new series: "Hidden Figures of Advent". Community Pastor Rev. Josh Lee took inspiration from the story of the three wise men and how the coming light of a star led the men to find hope and relief in a newborn baby. Are you in need of hope and relief? What burdens do you carry?
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