revolution is restoration July 7, 2009

Please join us at the Congress Theater for a unique look at a 2,000 year-old revolution. Music by Milano. You will not want to miss this event.

malcom gladwell: no peace via technology June 29, 2009

Last week we talked about the inherent weaknesses of Enlightenment 2.0 optimism. Malcom Gladwell makes this point in his review of Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson’s new book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”. Gladwell was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2005. Here’s a snippet of his response to [...]

sermon: triumph in the mind of a child June 23, 2009

The Biblical way of looking at the world is often childlike in its simplicity – so simple that it is often accused of being shallow and anti-intellectual. Paul reasons with the Colossian church that upon closer inspection it is alternative viewpoints that lack cohesiveness and depth.
06/21/09, Colossians 2:14-15, Preached by Pastor Aaron Youngren
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sermon: the record of debt June 9, 2009

How to Start a Cult, Part III. If you want to start a cult, consider the power of extortion.
Why is humanity plagued by fear, guilt, shame, and anxiety? If the Bible is true, then fear, guilt, shame, and anxiety are the most appropriate emotions for humanity to feel, given its circumstances. Rather than avoiding [...]

sermon: the badge June 5, 2009

How to Start a Cult, Part II. If you think you paid the cost for your membership, you will wear it like a badge. If you think Jesus paid the cost for your membership, you will wear Him like a badge.
05/24/09, Colossians 2:11-13
Preached by Pastor Aaron Youngren
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dwelling June 1, 2009

Four principles guide our calling in Chicago: Longevity, Movement, Dwelling, and Thriving. Last night we discussed Dwelling. Below are some notes from that session.

SYNOPSIS
God’s people dwell.
Followers of Jesus Christ imitate Him by leaving their places of comfort and security, and dwelling among those who don’t know Him.
PRINCIPLES
1.    We dwell in the world to imitate and [...]

sermon: fullness May 11, 2009

How to Start a Cult, Part I. Starting a cult is easy: Just convince your followers that fullness is found in more than one place.
05/10/09, Colossians 2:8-10
Preached by Pastor Aaron Youngren
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The Line Col 2 8-10 Notes

longevity: braces vs. back braces February 27, 2009

Lost Ground
Christians: We’ve got work to do. Scratch that. We’ve got a lot of work to do. And we’re going to have to do it for a long, long time.
Many recent studies confirm what most Christians already know: identifying oneself as a Christian is often a conversational Blue Screen of Death (or Beach Ball, [...]

one day we will see tractors January 26, 2009

Last Tuesday I tried to simultaneously prepare a sermon for Colossians 1:9-11 last week and watch a son of Chicago make history on Facebook/CNN. The text interacted remarkably well with the moment, and I was struck by the longing for fruitfulness and restoration evidenced by those present. See for yourself:
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Matthew Bullock is excited.
Richelda Kamara [...]

we are here to stay (but not put) January 16, 2009

More about our move, settling in, comparisons of the weather this week to the 9th circle of the inferno, and the like to come. For now, I thought I would post some notes from our first official gathering as a church this Sunday.
Our Aims and Identity
The Line is a movement of the People of God [...]