Harvard Avenue Christian Church

Text: Matthew 25:31-46 Theme Verse: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) // So much of scripture, especially Paul’s letters, refer to fellow Christians as family – brothers and sisters. We live this out well as church […]

Text: Matthew 22:34-40 Theme Verse: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36) // I have often been advised, and in turn advise others, “Don’t do the math.” This turn of phrase is most widely used as a way of saying, “It’s complicated – don’t try to figure it out.” For the […]

Text: Psalm 23 Theme Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) // When all hell breaks loose in your life, what do you hold onto? What grounds you in such uncertainty if anything at all? The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most recognizable passage in all of Scripture. Many memorized […]

Text: Matthew 5: 38 – 48 Theme Verse: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Mt 5:38) // Psychologists tell us that revenge fantasies can be a healthy way of assuaging our feelings of victimhood when we are wronged. Jesus, on the other hand, […]

Text: Jeremiah 29: 10 – 14 Theme Verse: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11) // “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Interviewers love asking job applicants such things as do guidance counselor and life coaches. What are your hopes? Where do you see […]

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Theme Verse: “I appeal to you… that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Cor 1:10) // Paul’s plea was for everyone in the Corinthian church to “be in agreement,” to have “no divisions among [them]” and to “be united in the same mind and the […]

Text: Psalm 40:1-11 Theme Verse: “He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” (Psalm 40:2) // We’ve all been there. The moment we’re ready to turn in our resignation, suffocating under the stress of the job, and its only […]

Text: John 7: 37 – 44 Theme Verse: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:38b) // Flow. The word itself stops me in my tracks. There’s movement, yes, but not just any movement. It’s fashioned with a rhythm that maximizes potential. Something that flows coordinates with the elements around […]

We gathered for one worship service this morning, children and adults together. In a casual and lively atmosphere, we sang Christmas hymns and shared stories of waiting for things to happen. An intergenerational scavenger hunt drew together 20 cards with verses of scripture, telling the story of Anna and Simeon meeting the newborn Jesus at […]

based on Luke 2: 1 – 20 preaching: Rev Mark Briley

a Christmas Cantata (traditional worship) reader – Mike Moore Harvard Avenue Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, Orchestra: director – Kelly Ford

all-music worship at The Rising (casual service) The Rising Band: leader – Isaac Herbert

Text: Romans 15:4-13 Theme Verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) // The Human Library Project sponsors events around the world in which people of wildly different backgrounds and experiences volunteer […]

Text: Hebrews 6:13-20 Theme Verse: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19) // Hoping and waiting. Hoping and waiting. A child hopes for something tangible and repeats aloud the hope over and over again thinking he can speak […]

Text: Psalm 116 Theme Verse: “What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?” (Psalm 116:12) // Have you ever known a person who is always generous? They may or may not have the most material possessions. They may, in fact, have very few resources. Regardless, they have a […]

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Theme Verse: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10a) // People have worn themselves out in attempts to re-pay God for, well, everything. The spirit is noble: “I’ll pay my own way.” “No freebies.” […]

Text: Romans 1:8-17 Theme Verse: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” (Romans 1:14) // It may be the most awkward question in the English language: “What do I owe?” We often ask after we’ve received something of value. We are uncertain of the […]

Text: Luke 6:37-42 Theme Verse: “A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.” (Luke 6:40) // Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us are teaching something – just about all the time. What are people learning from us and about us […]

Text: James 1:19-26 Theme Verse: “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.” (James 1:25) // You might call the letter of James a practical primer for living faith. In a culture obsessed with […]