Church of the City New York Jon Tyson

This Sunday, Pastor Suzy continued our new sermon series, Defiant Joy: A Study Through Philippians by looking at Paul’s prioritization of the proclamation of the gospel. We find Paul rejoicing at the end of this text because the gospel message was still being advanced even while he was in prison. Paul’s letter should not only encourage us to reassess and reorder our own priorities around the glorification of Christ, but also strengthen our courage and resolve to share the gospel in every circumstance.

Guest Pastor Banning Liebscher gave a word about the importance of guarding our hearts against the lies of the enemy. Jesus came to connect us to truth and bring us freedom and abundant life, so the enemy’s main strategy against us is to disconnect us from truth through lies and lead us into a life of bondage. By keeping a vigilant watch over our hearts, meditating strategically on God’s Truth, praying consistently, and liberally casting our cares and burdens on the Lord, we can disrupt the enemy’s schemes to keep us from the life freedom Jesus has for us.

This Sunday, Pastor Suzy continued our new sermon series, Defiant Joy: A Study Through Philippians by looking at the Work of God. As we continue in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we quickly see that, even though he is in prison, he is still able to rejoice. Paul’s source of defiant joy was in the work of the everlasting God, not in the work of any one man. As believers, we can share in this confidence and this joy, that God is always working in us, through us, and around us to bring forth the Good News of the Gospel.

This Sunday, Pastor Jon kicked off our Summer series, Defiant Joy: A Study Through Philippians. The apostle Paul is writing to the church he planted at Philippi, a community dear to his heart, and through the themes spiritual mentoring through his own life’s examples, defiant joy unshaken by circumstances, steadfast unity in the Spirit, and a reorientation around the worth of the person of Jesus, Paul reveals the secrets of the art of living a life of flourishing.

This Sunday guest Pastor Guy Wasko gave a teaching on the importance of Seizing Divine Moments. Through part of Jonathan’s story in 1 Samuel, we learn that sometimes God is asking us to just show up with nothing but an expectation that He will move.

This Sunday, Pastor Suzy continued our ‘Seeing Jesus’ series with the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus outside of His tomb, and revealed how we can see Jesus through our despair. We meet Mary in the depths of her grief, distressed from the loss of Jesus, and find she is on the edge of giving up hope. Through her encounter with Jesus, we are reminded grief in this life is temporary, because Jesus has defeated death and made our hope secure in Him.