In light of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, we’re holding a combined worship service at 11am. We’ll be holding our full Aletheia Kids experience in this service. So, join us this weekend as we remember the sacrifice of those who have fought for our freedoms. See you this Sunday at 11am!
Next Sunday (June 2) we’ll be back to our normal 9:25am and 11am services.
We are holding our very first Life and Doctrine One-Day Seminar!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY?
DO YOU NEED TO FIRM UP YOUR FOUNDATIONS?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHERE TO GET STARTED WITH GOD?
Life and Doctrine is designed to do a few things…
Perhaps you’re already a Christian, but you want to solidify your foundations. Perhaps you’re not a follower of Christ, but are interested in exploring Christianity. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are, or what your spiritual background is. If you’re interested in Christianity and discussing faith and practice, then Life and Doctrine is for you.
This One-Day intensive seminar will be on Saturday, May 4, from 9am to 4:30pm. It will be held in the Theater of the Cambridge YMCA. The cost of the event will be $20, which will cover your book and your lunch (which will be catered by Panera Bread).
View Aletheia Web Map in a larger map
Register for the Event Here…
Join us for service of Remembrance of Hope
On Sunday, April 21, at 9:25am and 11am, we will be holding a special Sunday gathering to remember and pay tribute to the victims of the bombings of Boston, and find hope in God. You’re invited to join us to this special, powerful time of worship, prayer, and faith.
What are the Details?
When: Sunday, April 21. Two services will be offered at 9:25am and 11:00am
What’s Available for my Kids? We will be offering our full Aletheia Kids experience for children up to 12 years old in the 9:25am service, and nursery service for 0-2 year-olds in the 11am service.
Where: Aletheia Church (820 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02139)
View Aletheia Web Map in a larger map
As many of you know, yesterday at 2:50pm, two bombs rocked our city to its core. Since then, many of you have responded gracefully and heroically. Also, many of you have asked how we, as a church, are responding.
Immediately after the attacks yesterday, our leadership team was in contact with the city counsellors of Boston and Cambridge. We let them know we were here and ready to assist when the time was right. Since then, we’ve been in touch with other pastors and leaders, coordinating next steps.
Here’s what you can do right now…
Pray
Pray for our city. Pray for the Mayor, Councillors, Police officials, FBI, and leaders. Pray for Christ to be exalted and wisdom for them.
Talk to Your Neighbors
See how they are doing. Ask them what they need. Pray for them, right there. Tell us how we can specifically help them
Donate Blood
Our city needs it. Get to a hospital and donate some.
Attend Park Street Church’s Prayer Vigil
Today at 12pm, Park Street Church will be open for prayer. Take a moment and participate if you’re able.
As a church, here is what we are doing in response, and how you can participate…
City-Wide Prayer
Wednesday night (April 17) at 6:30pm, we are going to be joining other local churches for a gathering for prayer. This event will be held at The Villa Victoria (map). Immediately following the event, we will be taking a prayer walk around the downtown area, speaking with people about their experience, and offering prayer. Please join us for this powerful time of gathering and scattering.
Service of Remembrance and Hope
We will be suspending our normal teaching series to speak about this event, tragedy, and a Christ-centered response to it. We feel this would be a very appropriate event to invite anyone to. That’s Sunday at 9:25am and 11am.
If you have any thoughts or ideas, please don’t hesitate to ask. Also, you’re welcome to check out Pastor Adam’s response to this tragedy.
We love you, church. Pray for your city, now more than ever.
HAVE A BAD HABIT YOU JUST CAN’T BREAK? NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERN YOU CAN’T OVERCOME?
The gospel doesn’t only give us eternal life off in the future, but abundant life now. In this powerful seminar, Jim Critcher, Executive Pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Chantilly, VA, will be leading us through a practical life seminar to give men and women biblical keys to victory over sinful habits, hurts, and hangups.
GREAT, WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?
The seminar will be on Saturday, April 13 at 9:45am – 2:30pm. The cost is $15, and will cover materials and lunch.
REGISTER!
On Sunday, March 24, Aletheia is launching a second service!
We are really excited about the growth that God has allowed us to experience. But what we’re more excited about is the opportunity we have to tell more people more about Jesus.
Join us on Sunday, March 24, as we launch our second service at 9:25am. During this service, we’ll be offering the full Aletheia Kids experience. This is giving us a real open door to bring the truth, grace, and changing power of the gospel to more people, for the glory of God and the good of all.
Here’s how the services will break down:
9:25am Service – Full Aletheia Kids
11:am Service – 0-2 Year Olds (nursery) Only
So, if you’re a later comer, why not serve during the first service? If you prefer the early service, then hang around a bit longer and help out during the next one. If we all pull together, then we’ll watch God do something much bigger than ourselves. God is moving, so let’s throw all in with him and serve as more people come to know Jesus.
ROOTS: THE ROOTS OF REDEMPTION IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
Unless we have a working knowledge of Genesis, Jesus Christ makes almost no sense.
In this series, we will be walking through the major narratives in the book of genesis, with a particular emphasis on the roots of our redemption found in jesus Christ. as you will see, the promise of god to redeem for himself a covenant people are deep, profound, and solid. come and explore the roots of your redemption in the deepest possible sense—in the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis.
DOWNLOAD THE E-BOOK
In order to serve you as your read through this massive book, we’ve written a brief study guide. You can read it on your iPad, iPhone, or e-reader, as you track along with the teachings on Sunday mornings. This will also be the guide we’ll be using in our Community Groups, so check it out. Download the E-Book here.
Also, you can purchase a printed copy on Sunday mornings for $10.
I am watching over my word to perform it. (Jeremiah 11:12)
I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, (Psalm 51:6).
I, the Lord, do not change. (Malachi 3:6).
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20).
Have you ever worked on a project with someone who wasn’t dependable? Because they were flaky, you couldn’t depend on them. When they worked, their work was good, but you couldn’t really depend on them to be the same person or do the same job from one day to the next. Sound familiar? Maybe you know someone like that. Or, maybe you are someone like that.
We began be seeing that God is, and today we end by remembering that God will. All the different attributes of God, all of the acts of God, and all of the will of God will be accomplished. We do not have to doubt. We do not have to fear. There is no need for worry. God will be himself forever, and he will never, ever stop accomplishing his will.
This has two implications. First among them is this: because God will, we can. Who wants to work for a company that’s crashing? Who wants to sail a sinking ship? The fact that God will always remain fully himself gives us great confidence when we seek to do his will. He won’t leave us. He won’t change his mind. He is watching over his word to perform it. Therefore, working with him is always 100% guaranteed to bear fruit.
Additionally, we can rest. Because God will never change; because his plans never fail, we don’t have to be anxious. Rest is possible, because God will. Even when we don’t God will. Even when we fail, God will. Even if we’re incapable, God will. He looks into the world and says with full assurance, “My counsel will stand. I will accomplish my purpose.”
The life, death, resurrection, and promised return of Jesus are proof positive that God will. Will what? Will save, will love, will be uncompromisingly himself … will stop at nothing to see his people redeemed. As we stare wonderingly into the attributes of God, may our hearts be ever convinced that the God we’re coming to know is the God who will never change, forever reign, and will always be fully himself.
Only when our hearts are captivated by the God who will can we fully be what he’s calling us to be. We can work because he will work. We can rest because he will accomplish. We can know him because he will always be the same.
Eternal God, thank you for doing and being all you will do and be. Thank you that you do not change. Thank you that you will always reign. The more I see of you the more I know I can work, because you will work with me. The more I work with you the more I can rest, because I know it is you who will accomplish your will. So God, I rest all my hope and peace in you. You will, so I can.
Praise you, God. Amen.
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Number 23:19)
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (Psalm 51:6).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
Our culture is preoccupied with truth. We’re the kind of people who love to get to the bottom of things. We like our 20/20 exposé specials. We want to know the inside scoop. We value people with lots of degrees who’ve studies the facts. In short, we want to know that what we know is true.
But what about who we know? Are we as concerned that who we know is true?
This question may sound strange to you, but it wouldn’t sound strange to Jesus. Jesus introduced himself to humanity using a word that up to that time had never been attributed to a person. He called himself truth.
This makes us squirm a bit. We’re used to fact-truth. Truth comes in bullet points. We read truth on paper. We can’t know truth as a friend, can we? After all, truth is definitely propositional. That 2+2=4 is a fact that is true, but impersonal. I’m not friends with 2. I don’t get angry at 4. But Jesus says something fundamentally mindblowing. He says that he is truth.
God is not like us. He doesn’t lie. He doesn’t exaggerate. He tells the truth, because he is the truth. All truth derives from God, because God is the truth. He doesn’t just know truth “out there,” as though “2+2=4” was hanging out before he got around to creation. He is truth. And this fact is extremely important to us.
First, it means that any real search for truth will find its fulfillment in Jesus. Jesus has revealed himself to us full of grace and truth. That means that he’s knowable, and is inviting us to know him too.
This also means that lying is a big deal, because it isn’t just something God doesn’t like, it’s opposed to his very nature. Therefore, God wants his people to be gracious truth-tellers, just as Jesus was.
Finally, God’s truth-ness means that we can truly know him. Knowing God isn’t a game. It’s not a religious manipulation. We don’t have to worry about the next 20/20 special uncovering something false about him. If we know Jesus, we can be at peace in our souls. We know the truth, and in knowing him, we are now free.
…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-7).
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (Revelation 8:3-4).
“If God already knows everything that’s going to happen, then why pray?” Sometimes this question comes from an honest curiosity. Many times, however, it comes from our own hearts when we feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling. “After all,” we begin to think, “God’s strong enough to get his will done without us. So, it doesn’t really matter, does it?” This is the first step down a slippery slope that leads to our spiritual apathy.
Does God know the future? Yes. Does God control the events of the future? Yes. Does that therefore mean that we shouldn’t pray? No. Why? Because God is a listening God, and he delights to act in history in response to our prayers.
The times of the kings of Israel were marked with great highs and some startling lows. In the midst of this roller coaster, God made a promise to his people. If they would humble themselves, turn from sin, and seek him in prayer, God would listen. The same is true today.
But of course, we don’t believe that God will really just listen to us. That’s why we decorate our simple cries to our Father with extra, superfluous, religious language. We don’t really believe that God is good enough to know us and our needs intimately. We work those religious reflexes in a vain attempt to get God’s attention. What we don’t realize is that this lack of faith in God’s listening skills actually shuts his ears to us.
Christian, God is listening. He hears and he answers your prayers. “But I’ve been praying for years and he still hasn’t come through.” Now think of that for a moment. If my children ask me for something, I will often say, “Yes, but later.” Why should we be surprised if God says the same thing. Sometimes, God tells us “no,” and other times, “yes.” Whatever we pray, we always get an answer, because God has a will concerning everything we bring to him.
In Revelation, we’re told that our prayers arise before God like sweet smelling incense. Another image is that these prayers fill up bowls, which God pours back out when he answers us. What’s the point? The point is that God takes our prayers seriously. He hears. He listens. And, because of Christ, we know that he responds. The promise he gave us is that our “heavenly Father already knows what we need.” He has provision prepared for our prayers. Let us then happily and humbly ask him.
Memorial Day Weekend Combined Worship Service
May 23, 2013
Sodom’s Fall
May 23, 2013
God’s Covenant (Gen. 17-18)
May 16, 2013
Memorial Day Weekend Combined Worship Service
May 23, 2013
Life and Doctrine One-Day Seminar!
April 25, 2013
Service of Remembrance and Hope
April 17, 2013
Bringing the truth, grace, and changing power of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the good of all people.