Arvada Covenant Church

Against the Current

Victoria and Her Sensual Secrets
May 20, 2007 • Pastor John Martz

Missionaries in Muslim countries tell us that their greatest fear is that young converts to Christ will choose to study in America, for they find that they lose 80% of those young Christians to the overwhelming sensualism of American culture for which they have little preparation. While there is certainly an appropriate celebration of God’s good physical gifts, the constant bombardment of and appeal all of our senses in almost bacchanalian terms makes a genuine focus on Christ ever more of a challenge.

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21:20 | MP3 | 56kbps | 8.6MB
 

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Discipline in an Undisciplined World
May 13, 2007 • Pastor John Martz

One of the greatest challenges parents face in modern America is setting boundaries and instilling a sense of discipline in the home and in the lives of their children. Even though it is often spoken of derisively, the Protestant work ethic has been a big part of what has made this country what it is, and is directly tied to a sense of self-discipline. While it can be (and has been) carried to unhealthy extremes, dynamics like obesity and debt reflect an increasing unwillingness of Americans to reign in their appetites.

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20:11 | MP3 | 56kbps | 8.1MB
 

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Priorities in a Multi-Option World
May 6, 2007 • Pastor John Martz

We tend to think of multiple options as a uniquely modern phenomenon, but Paul and many in the early church had to distinguish the most important from the important, and discern how the Spirit wanted he and his colleagues to prioritize their missions efforts. In the same way, we as individuals and families need to be proactive and purposeful in filtering through the myriad options that are presented to us each and every week, and make sure that the priorities of the Kingdom are not being squeezed out in flurry of activity that fills our days.

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23:03 | MP3 | 56kbps | 9.2MB
 

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The Lure of Power
April 29, 2007 • Pastor John Martz

Americans are raised to believe that everyone loves a winner, and no one likes a loser. While hard work and the pursuit of excellence are good Christian virtues, they can all too easily morph into the pursuit of power and greatness in a way that promotes the individual and not the Kingdom of God. The ideal of the Kingdom is not domination, but servanthood. And the dominant image of the Kingdom is a towel and basin.

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22:46 | MP3 | 56kbps | 9.1MB
 

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Consumerism
April 22, 2007 • Stacee Eggers

America's answer to the ache in the human heart is most often consumerism. Buy more and you will be happy. Obviously we are and must consume things in order to live and stay alive, but the problems can be found in the ism. Not only will consuming more fail to fill the ache in my heart, I am more than consumer who needs to be manipulated into purchasing ever more stuff. Contentment, says Paul, comes not from what buy or put in our belly, but from who we are in Christ and our relationship with Him.

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31:07 | MP3 | 56kbps | 12.5MB
 

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Individualism
April 15, 2007 • Pastor John Martz

As Americans we steeped in the myth of the rugged individual from the moment we are born. But as followers of Christ we are not just individual believers, we are part of a community of faith that is both local and global. In Peter's terms we are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." This bent towards the individualism distorts our reading of Scripture, and our understanding of many aspects of the Christian life, from baptism to accountability through to marriage and life in the church.

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28:27 | MP3 | 56kbps | 11.4MB