The Garden | San Antonio

Our series on discipleship, Walking Home, continues with a look at what it means to practice our faith. Pastor Caleb turns to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. What is a Christian? Many of us define faith by what is done, but if we start with activity before identity, we will miss growing into what we're called to be. The love of God, as Paul shows, is the ground of our being. It gives us purpose, guides all our activity, and must always be our greatest priority.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1 Corinthians 13⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NIV)⁠⁠⁠If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Pastoral Resident Nate Garza continues our series on discipleship, Walking Home, considering the topic of transformation. What does it mean to be made new? When the Spirit works in us, what is evidence of change? Looking at Paul's words in his letter to Titus, we discover the power of a heart regenerated to love like Christ and a mind renewed to think like Christ.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Titus 3:1-8⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠⁠this link⁠⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Continuing our series on discipleship, Walking Home, Pastor Caleb looks at the other side of following Jesus. Looking at Luke chapter five, we see in Jesus' call to Peter and to Levi – two very different men who see the Lord and take him at his word – that to "come and see" we must "leave everything." The sick and the sinful find in Jesus hope for today and for tomorrow. With his life in us, we can embark on a transformative journey, where old selves, prior hopes, and former glories are exposed and removed with each step taken after Christ.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Luke 5:1-11, 27-32⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click ⁠this link⁠, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

We begin a new series on discipleship, Walking Home, with a look at Jesus' invitation to follow after him, given to his disciples in the Gospel of John: "Come and see." His call helps us to set aside many contemporary misconceptions of following him, and we see in his words that a life of faith rests on a foundation of relationship, that no amount of activity or experience could compensate for distance from God. Pastor Caleb looks at this passage and four keys to healthy discipleship.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John 1:35-51⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠If you would like to join us through this eight-week series as we work through a parallel discipleship course from our friends at Practicing the Way, please click this link, and we'll get back to you quickly with sign-up information and free resources. And for more ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our series through Jesus’ Beatitudes continues with a look at God’s promise to the peacemakers. Pastoral Resident Nate Garza shares the meaning of Jesus’ statement by walking us through the Old Testament story of Jacob and Esau. As we see in their separation and eventual reconciliation, the peace of God that comes to us is meant to flow through us as well. Being a peacemaker requires spiritual preparation, willingness to rise to a moment of establishment, and a commitment to hold space for ongoing growth and healing.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Genesis 33:1-11 (ESV)⁠⁠⁠For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Continuing our series through the beatitudes, Kingdom Come, Pastor Caleb takes a look at two interrelated promises from Jesus. He tells his disciples that the merciful will find mercy and that the pure in heart will see God. Walking through the biblical witness, we find that God sees us long before we can see Him, and from His compassion flows mercy that clears the eyes of our heart to begin to witness the glory of His work in us and around us. Far from a one-time experience, we find that in faith we step into a state of salvation, where we depend daily on the mercies of God and are shaped more and more into sharers of the life we receive with Him. As we see God in the depths of our need, so we will show God where others look deeply for His rescue.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1 John 3:1-3, 16-18⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

In part four of our series Kingdom Come, Pastor Caleb looks at Jesus' fourth beatitude, where he tells his disciples that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. The context of Jesus' words involves a physical hunger, with many in his audience suffering from Roman oppression and the corruption of religious leadership, but the yearning Jesus is speaking to goes far deeper than a growling stomach. The promise of being filled is for those who are starving for God's presence, who need Him to order and to heal and to reconcile and to redeem. To those who bring their deepest hunger to God comes a love eternal and overflowing, one that pours out daily on the desperate and faithful, and through them to a dry and broken world.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Psalm 63:1-8⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Continuing Kingdom Come, our series through the beatitudes of Jesus, our pastoral resident Nate Garza looks at the kind of meekness God blesses and what it means for followers of Jesus to rely on the strength of the Lord at work – in us and in the world he calls us to.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Psalm 37:1-11⁠⁠⁠ (NIV)⁠⁠⁠For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our series through the beatitudes of Jesus, Kingdom Come, continues with God’s promise to comfort those who mourn. Pastor Caleb walks through this vow, echoed throughout scripture, and shows how hope in the Lord yields comfort not just in a far off, eternal reward, but here now in the presence of a God who weeps and works for us. Even more, so abundant is the comfort we find in the depths with God, that those who receive it become those who provide it to a world in mourning, awaiting His redemptive work.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matthew 5:4⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠Psalm 139:7-10 (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2 Corinthians 1:3- 5⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.