Speaker: Bev Modlin
Scripture: The Book of Jonah

September 14, 2025 "What Is Your Nineveh?"

We'll start off by talking a bit about the Spirit - cuz that's where Paul starts. We are the church because of the presence of the Spirit.

Then Paul talks about how we are the body of Christ - that's the image he uses. The miracle of the human body is a complex wonder that shows us how every part is valuable, no matter how small or unnoticeable it might seem to us, especially if we feel that way about ourselves. So Paul is drawing the comparison between the human body and the body of Christ here. If you want to find community, a place to belong, a place where you fit in - this is it. The church, the body of Christ.

Then he talks about the Spirit giving gifts. ALL KINDS OF DIVERSE GIFTS. This is intentional divine diversity. 

So this is when you get the chance to think about where you might find a place to fit in - a place to use your gifts. All of us belong! All of our gifts are appreciated and needed here.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-27
http://bible.com/events/49496097

September 21, 2025 "Divine Diversity"

I'll focus on the phrase "foreigners and exiles" or, "strangers and aliens" to begin. We have all probably been places that left us all feeling what it feels like to be a stranger in a strange land. In the context in which Peter is writing to these early Jesus people, they felt like strangers in a strange land because of their connection with Jesus - they would have avoided cultic rituals and would have been seen as different - people would have been suspicious of them.

We definitely know what that's like. It used to be easy to give examples of this - us living in this culture. Now, it's extra difficult and weird - we now feel like strangers among our own Jesus people. This is where that video comes in. The images of violence being punctuated by the Lord's Prayer really just makes our skin crawl, if we think about the context of that prayer and who Jesus asks us to be.

So how do we make our way in this environment? Peter's answer - living stones. We need each other and together we remain connected to the cornerstone, Jesus. We need each other now more than ever in these "unprecedented times." We NEED each other.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-12
http://bible.com/events/49499623

September 28, 2025 "Living Stones"

The parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge. I'll start here by comparing Jesus' parables to the stories we read to kids at bedtime. Yes, they're a lot alike. Let's have some fun with it.

This parable really does make for a good children's book. Of course, we have all kinds of adult sized questions after hearing this story. No, we may not have any answers for these questions - but I always think it's a good idea to at least ask them - acknowledge them.

Jesus says that this story is about praying and not giving up. Not losing heart. What does it look like to lose heart? Let's imagine ourselves as the widow. What happens when we pray like the widow? 

Maybe the real miracle of prayer is that it changes us - makes us into the kind of people for whom injustice is never normal - makes us into the kind of people who keep showing up in the world where and when it's most needed.

Jesus then connects this to the word "faith." Faith and prayer have a lot to do with each other, I think. Maybe faith is the jet fuel for our prayers. Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe our prayers are the jet fuel for our faith. Whichever way it goes, faith - a trust that God is NOT like the judge - faith is the thing that keeps us showing up.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8
http://bible.com/events/49503020

October 5, 2025 "Prayer And Faith"

Speaker: Marlin Vis
Scripture: Luke 18:9-14
http://bible.com/events/49509609

October 19, 2025 "You Are Enough"

The Psalm talks about a way - a path - to lead a happy or blessed life. Let's start by talking a little bit about a path - the movement toward living a blessed life. We'll sum it up like this: living life with the divine is a constant oscillation between emptying yourself and allowing yourself to be filled again.

Emptying yourself - when you hear the definitions of the word "sinner" and the word "mockers," do they bring to mind any particular examples in current times? Maybe some people in powerful positions? Empty yourself of yourself. Empty yourself of everyone else's will for your life - including your own - in favor of the will of the divine.

Allowing yourself to be filled. Here we reach a discussion about the "law" of God - the torah. Scripture. When you hear "quiet time," it probably brings an image of a specific practice for you, or maybe something you thought you were supposed to be doing a certain way. Yeah, that's probably not what the Psalmist meant. Scripture wasn't meant to be read alone at 5 a.m. with a cup of coffee. It was meant to be read (and in the ancient world it was only read) in community. This is one of the ways we allow ourselves to be filled.

So in our effort to connect to the divine, we have two main resources that we pull from all the time. First there's the book of scripture, which we all think of immediately. But then there's also another resource, one that I won't spoil here, but you can think about it with us as you listen. The late great Rich Mullins has a great song about it. We're going to read those lyrics together and think about them in that context. 

Empty. Filled. To be emptied again - trees are full of grace bearing fruit for the benefit of others. Trees don't exist for themselves - they only exist to bless (give life) to creation. That's who we become.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6
http://bible.com/events/49512947

October 26, 2025 "Grace Bearing Fruit"

Let's begin by talking about Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Paul planted churches and then sent people like Silas and Timothy to check up on those churches. Way too many for Paul to keep track of all by himself. Then they would then report back to Paul and Paul would sometimes write them letters back to help them. So in a way, Paul was a kind of spiritual physician giving these churches regular checkups.  

It seems as though Paul's diagnosis for the church in Thessalonica was pretty good - it was a reasonably healthy place. He points out three things that make them spiritually healthy.

1) Their faith is growing. How could he tell? Who knows?! How can we tell if our faith is growing?  Faith is less about the things we believe and more about trusting in God. That happens at ReNew all the time, as we are challenged by one another to ask questions and examine difficult conclusions.

2) Their love for one another is increasing. Again, how did he know? How do you measure that? At ReNew, we can see that happening as we share our time together on Sunday, or participate in youth programs on Wednesday nights or Sunday afternoons, or organize and attend game nights, weed the garden, etc. We have fun together and we support one another when we need it the most.

3) They show incredible resilience. How do you measure that? We live in a world where it's hard to be a person of faith - our kind don't have the best reputation right now. It's hard to believe that God is actually renewing all things. There are all sorts of reasons to doubt, to give up on faith, to become cynical - and yet, here we are. We're still here.

We may not be perfect, but this place is in pretty good health.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
http://bible.com/events/49516294

November 2, 2025 "Increasing Our Love For One Another"

Yeah, this one's a tough one. Jesus gets all apocalyptic up in this place.  In this passage, the disciples and Jesus have just come from Samaria.  In Samaria, they would have been surrounded by people who were different from them in every way imaginable. So when they finally get to Jerusalem, they're feeling good. They're now on home turf. They see the temple and they're awestruck.

A bit about the temple. It was architecturally awesome, with large, impressive stones and the gilded walls.

But Jesus, yeah, he's not impressed. He's like, "Pretty soon this whole thing is going to be crumbled to the ground." They're looking at the same thing - but they don't see the same thing. The disciples see a picture - a symbol that God is with them on their side. They see a picture of spiritual and religious certainty and permanence. And Jesus says, "Yeah, that isn't quite true. You can't keep God domesticated. You can't keep God within anything you create." He brings disillusionment into their lives.

Disillusionment is necessary for the life of faith. That will lead us to some questions: What lies or illusions do we sometimes mistake for the truth? Who says, "I am he! I will save you!" - and why do we sometimes listen? Why do we cling to certainty and permanence when Jesus calls us to learn and grow and change and evolve? We need disillusionment - we need death, before the promise of resurrection, new hope and new life.

So how do we live when it seems like the world is falling apart? Jesus says, "Do not be frightened. Do not worry beforehand." Yeah, easier said than done. Well, we endure anyway - even when it seems like the world is falling apart. But HOW do we endure? We'll move to the table which might be the only symbol that will save us. Self-sacrificing, self-giving love. The table, where all are welcome - where we're all on the same level - where there are no hierarchies and everyone belongs. The table - where we all recognize that all of us are on the same team - made of the same stuff - in need of the same nourishment. So we receive from God that nourishment - and we participate in making sure that everyone gets that nourishment - gets what they need to live full healthy lives in the here and now. Even while we struggle.

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Luke 21:5-19
http://bible.com/events/49519653

November 9, 2025 "And Yet, We Endure"

This is the part where Jesus gets interrogated by Pilate.  

It's this weird little story that hinges on questions. Are you the king of the Jews? What is truth?  Are you the king of the Jews? Pilate wants to know if Jesus is going to lead a violent overthrow of the government. He wants to know if Jesus is a threat and eventually doesn't see him as a threat. But in reality, Jesus is a threat. Not to overthrow the government by violence - but he's a threat to violence itself. He doesn't play by those rules - he says his kingdom is from someplace else.

What is truth? Jesus' answer? Silence. He seems to be saying, I am the truth. You're looking at it. Truth is Jesus. It isn't a weapon to be used. It isn't something we possess - it's something we belong to. Jesus is the truth and everything he embodied. His way, his love, his grace, his mercy, his forgiveness. Jesus offers a whole different way of life for anyone who will listen.

This is something I think the world is ready for and in desperate need of. A new way of living - the question is, are we willing to live into it?

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: John 18:28-38
http://bible.com/events/49523153

November 16, 2025 "We Belong To Truth"

We're goin' Thanksgiving Mode on Sunday - gettin' into the gratitude groove. The words - thanks, thanksgiving, grateful, and gratitude - aren't in this psalm. But you can hear the word, the idea resonating underneath this entire psalm. It's an acrostic; each new line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It's an artsy fartsy way of communicating completeness - wholeness - fullness. Everything good that happens on this planet is because of the divine. It's all gift. We'll talk about two things:

Gratitude is learned - one generation will commend your works to another. Here we are stopping to talk about teaching gratitude from parent to child, etc.

Gratitude is theological - it's rooted in the very person and being of the divine. We'll talk about three different attributes of the divine given in this psalm: God is gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. God is powerful - the same God who created the universe is able to pick us up and transform lives. God is near - God is closer than the air we breathe - all we have to do is pay attention

Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Psalm 145

November 23, 2025 "Gratitude Is Learned"

ReNew Community: Following Jesus to renew lives that renew the world.
UP with God, IN with one another, OUT in service.

November 9, 2025 "And Yet, We Endure"

ReNew Ames

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