Posted: 2013-06-09 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 4:1-11

Posted: 2013-06-02 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:26-29

For those of us at Portico, it can be easy to not turn aside toward those in need. It is easy enough, frankly, to not encounter human need with the starkness that the priest and Levite did. Arlington, for the most part, is a pretty nice place, as are many of the surrounding towns. If you don’t choose to enter certain neighborhoods, you may not even see the immigrant family that struggles to put food on the table. If you don’t go out of your way to get to know your neighbor, you may never know of crises of unplanned pregnancy or domestic violence from which you may only be separated by a single wall or strip of lawn. Additionally, in this fast-paced area in which we live, it is easy to fill our lives with work, family, friends, and even service to the church. We may feel that we have little time or energy left to look around for the real physical and spiritual needs that exist just outside our field of vision.

In contrast, a look at Jesus’ life reveals a special affinity for those in need. In Luke 4:18, quoting Isaiah, he declares, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” When John the Baptist asks if Jesus was the one who was foretold, Christ responds by pointing to his ministry of meeting the physical needs of the blind, the lame, and the lepers, and the fact that “the poor have good news preached to them (Matthew 11:5).” While all who do not have a relationship with Christ are in need of His mercy and saving grace (and so were we before we knew Him!), the ministry and Gospel of Jesus have always had a special connection with those who are physically or emotionally broken. This is the ministry He has left for us to do.

As a church, we are learning to respond to this powerful and fundamental calling. Church members are investing in Latino children and families in North Alexandria through Casa Chirilagua. Dozens of you filled baby bottles with change to support Assist Pregnancy Center as they walk with women and families through unplanned pregnancies. We are excited to be taking our first international missions trip to India this fall to explore what we hope will be an extended partnership with a church with a huge vision for church planting and orphan care. As our friends at Casa put it so well in their mission statement, we are learning together to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is a mission that Jesus gave us and these are just some of many possible ways to live it out. How will you respond?

Read more about our ministry partners here:

Casa Chirilagua

Assist Pregnancy Center

Vision for India

Posted: 2013-05-26 10:00:00
Passage: Exodus 32:1-14

Posted: 2013-05-19 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:26-29

Posted: 2013-05-12 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:26-29

Mercy is something we need to take seriously. Why? Well, how about the fact that it’s biblical? I could quote verse after verse that talks about mercy or acts of mercy. We can keep it simple though: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36 ESV). It doesn’t get much clearer than that. And it is even more mind-blowing to me that Jesus is talking about being merciful to our enemies here. Our enemies! How much more are we then to care for those closest to us?

Here at Portico Arlington we view mercy as an overflow of God’s grace, not an obligation. Jesus saved us by His infinite mercy and, in response, we are so “jazzed” we want to do the same for those around us. We also believe we are all family and we want to be there for one another. I personally like the way The Message translates Proverbs 17:17: “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.”

The first line, if you will, of extending mercy at Portico is in and through our Community Groups. Where else do we get a better idea of one another’s needs and struggles than in these weekly gatherings? The second line for administering mercy at Portico is through our Mercy Fund. The Mercy Fund is kept separate from the regular operating budget of the church and is overseen by Matt Hoyt, our Deacon of Finance, and me. All of the monies contained within the fund are strictly dedicated to caring for those in need. In fact, thanks to the amazing generosity of those who have contributed to the Mercy Fund, we have already been able to help some folks through very tough times. Praise God!

As I said, mercy starts at the Community Group level. So, the first step, if you are not yet in a group, is to consider joining one! (You can find out more about our groups here.) Step two: if you find yourself in need, talk to your Community Group leader about the areas of your life where you are struggling. All of the leaders are there to serve and care for you as shepherds of God’s flock (1 Peter 5:2 ESV). If there is a need that is greater than what can be addressed at the Community Group level, your leader will coordinate with us to see how we may be able to help through the Mercy Fund. Above all, I want to encourage everyone to pray, especially for those who are struggling within our church family. Remember and trust that God moves mightily through the prayers of His people.

Posted: 2013-05-05 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:19-25

Posted: 2013-04-28 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:15-18

Posted: 2013-04-21 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:10-14

After Peter preached his sermon on the day of Pentecost, we see the infant church in Jerusalem exploding with growth. Newly minted disciples of Christ were joining together for the purpose of worshipping God. These new family members prayed.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 ESV)

Prayer was a way of life in this community. Community prayer should be a way of life for us. I don’t think anyone would argue against making prayer a normal part of how Christians gather, but it can be awkward. Praying aloud in a group can be daunting. Our thoughts, needs, and cries of help to God are no longer our own. They belong to the community. And that’s where they belong. We are called to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). Prayer is a powerful way to do that.

An easy way to engage in corporate prayer is in a Community Group. Community Groups at Portico Church Arlington devote part of our time together each week to praying for one another. I am always encouraged and amazed by how God answers the prayers we lift up together!

Prayer in community keeps us dependent on God and connected to each other. Use these last days of our By Name initiative to establish a lifelong habit of community prayer.

Posted: 2013-04-14 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:6-9

A sanguine through and through, I am tempted to bite on spring’s promise of supreme satisfaction, hook, line, and sinker. It is easy to get caught up with the things of this earth when the earth itself is springing up to meet us. But I want my soul riveted over more than a Trader Joe’s bouquet of ranunculus, don’t you?

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ- that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.”
                                                                         Colossians 3:1-2 The Message

Skimping on prayer, neglecting the Word, and ditching out on community for the sake of a soirée might feel like freedom at first, but then we pay: shallowness, preoccupation with trifles, powerlessness, superficial relationships, vulnerability to sin, and a frightening loss of interest in worship and the things of the Spirit. Jesus Christ is our spring of life and living water (John 4:13). Turning from Him to Christless leisure makes the soul parched.

The beauty of spring was intended as a prelude to the real drama of heaven, and a foretaste of the real banquet, not a substitute (Revelation 21:23). As the weather around us shifts into glorious warmth, may the barometer of our souls rise in adoration, devotion, and worship to the One and Only, Jesus Christ.

God is not after an elimination of our desires, but rather a redirection and maximization of them. God knows what will bring us the deepest and most profound experiences of explosive enjoyment. Believe it or not, it’s not the brand new patio set from Crate and Barrel. He offers us Himself, and nothing less (Matthew 11:28). The question is, do you want Him?

Ladies, this Saturday, April 13th from 9:00-12:00, I’d like to invite you to join me for a morning of worship and teaching at an event we are calling, SHIFT: Into the Glorious. The competition for your coveted brunch slot is fierce, I know, but I’m asking God to give you a hunger for His Word that trumps buttered toast, and an appetite for the things that are above that surpasses a trip to Starbucks. Rest assured, coffee will be provided! Bring your Bible and a willing heart, and together we will go to God for the shift in our thinking that we so desperately need.

Posted: 2013-04-07 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 3:1-6

1 Timothy 4:7 says, “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

This passage tells me three things of importance:

• It is possible to train yourself for godliness.
• Training yourself in godliness is a valuable endeavor in every way.
• Training yourself in godliness holds promise for this life and for eternity.

Are you training yourself for godliness? If so, can you clearly identify when and how? If not, what might you need to change?

My heart was stirred and left with a deep impression several years ago at my grandfather’s funeral. The service was opened up to anyone who wanted to say a few words about my grandfather. Many people came up and told stories and shared about the man my grandfather was. The last person to speak was a little 85-year-old man who came from the very back of the room. It must have taken him four minutes to walk to the front as we all waited in silence, only the sound of his walker clunking with each step. He stood in front of nearly 200 people at the service and shared remarkable words. He said, “Phil Legge was the most disciplined man I’ve ever known.” He paused, to compose himself, and continued with a gravity that was palpable in the room, “I…am…so undisciplined.”

I don’t remember his statements past those words because I was so taken aback. I was amazed initially that an 85-year-old man would confess this in front of so many. Beyond that, I could hear in his voice that his own lack of discipline was something that he greatly disliked about himself. I can only imagine how many times through his 85 years of life that he said to himself, “one day, I will be disciplined.”

Many of us operate out of a faulty notion that godliness in our life will one day magically materialize when we are 35, 45, 55, or 85 years old. We have a future vision of ourselves as much older, wiser, more mature, and of course, much more disciplined. “One day,” I tell myself, “I will be more godly than I am right now.” Yet few of us actively engage in the practice of spiritual disciplines, training ourselves for godliness as Paul says.

We incorrectly believe that time alone is sufficient for sanctification and maturity to occur. This idea is contrary to Scripture and inconsistent with reality. It is impossible to live a godly life without living godly days. A godly life ten years from now will only happen through the practice of disciplines like prayer today.

One hope I have for the By Name Initiative at Portico is that by engaging in daily prayer  we might, together as a community, cultivate the spiritual discipline of prayer. Make no mistake, it is a discipline. There are times, just as in physical training, that we do it even when we don’t want to.

So how do I motivate myself biblically to discipline myself for godliness, even when I don’t want to? How does one typically motivate oneself to work out, exercise, to get on the treadmill, to pass up that dessert? We think of the reward. We ponder the benefit of improved health, mood, and physique. So, we get in the car, drive to the gym, change into workout clothes, and get on the treadmill. The reward fuels our discipline.

The same principle applies in spiritual disciplines. Paul says, “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” There is a reward, a promise in this life and the one to come. This reward is not of some value; it is of upmost value. What is that reward? 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “for to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people.”

Our hope and Paul’s hope is set on the living God, our Savior. Through the discipline of prayer, or any other spiritual discipline, we are pursuing God Himself. Praying in pursuit of a self-righteous routine is not what we are about. God Himself is our reward and knowing Christ is our treasure. Do not give up! Press in to know Christ and pray today.

Posted: 2013-03-31 00:00:00
Passage: John 20

Posted: 2013-03-29 00:00:00
Passage:

My daughter recently started playing Lacrosse. She has several friends on the team and the coach is the father of one of her friends. All told, it is a wonderful opportunity for my daughter to be involved in a team sport, learning the importance of team work and getting physical exercise at the same time. Despite all of this, admittedly, I was hesitant to sign her up for the sport. Why? I’ve never played it! I grew up playing a wide range of sports including basketball, soccer, and football, but never lacrosse. It’s completely outside my base of knowledge, and I feel inadequate to instruct my daughter on the rules, techniques, and skills of the game. It grates against my pride and my perfectionistic tendencies.

I find that, when it comes to sharing our faith, living a missional life, and being witnesses of the risen Christ, many of us feel a sense of inadequacy. We are so preoccupied with our presentation of the gospel that we lose sight of its central message. We fear being rejected by others and we allow that fear to cripple and paralyze us from sharing the gospel with boldness. We focus on our own weakness more than we focus on the strength of Almighty God. In an effort to avoid failure, we settle for silence and do not share the good news. How about you? Do you struggle to share the message of Christ? If you do, is it because you are trusting in your ability to communicate effectively more than you are trusting in God’s effectual saving power?

The central message of the gospel is that Jesus saves, not you! The good news of the gospel is that you are not the good news.

My exhortation to us as By Name and Holy Week intersect is that we ponder the all-sufficient saving power of Jesus. From Friday’s cross to Easter’s empty tomb, may we embrace the evidence that Jesus alone has the power to save. You and I need the righteous life of Christ, the perfect death of Christ, and the victorious resurrection power of Christ. The gospel assures us that we are free to fail because Christ has won for us. The gospel encourages us that we are free to be weak because Christ is strong for us. The gospel reminds us that we are free to receive because Jesus paid it all. From beginning to end, salvation belongs to the Lord. You do not have the power to save yourself, your family, your friends, your neighbors, or your co-workers – but Jesus does.

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

The gospel is not a proposal. It is a power. It will not be your perfect presentation that brings about salvation in someone’s life. You cannot make someone believe! This truth should make us feel helpless in the best possible way. The understanding of our inability to save ourselves or anyone else should usher us into a radical reliance on the almighty ability of Christ. In Christ, we are free from being a slave to our own strengths and weaknesses. Heralds of the gospel possess humble, yet confident hearts. Humble because we know who we are, but confident because we know who He is.

This Easter, as you pray for God’s grace to break into people’s lives, I want to encourage you to receive the same grace. Easter and By Name are not about your best effort, but about the best and perfect effort of Christ alone. You do not have the power to save but, praise God, Jesus does. Trust in His strength. Obsess about His perfection. Put your confidence in Christ and not in yourself. Pray with boldness and share the message with courage, knowing that salvation belongs to the Lord.

Posted: 2013-03-24 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 2:17-21

Posted: 2013-03-17 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 2:15-21

Do you have a heart for lost people? If you do not, do you want to?

Prayer. The word that invokes a response in most everyone. Thoughts immediately fire off: I don’t pray enough. Does prayer really work? I tried praying before. I feel guilty about my prayer life. How do you pray? I’ve never prayed before…

Generally, most people find the spiritual discipline of prayer a challenge at best, completely elusive at worst. Even the late, great preacher, Martin Lloyd-Jones said that “prayer is very difficult, probably the most difficult thing in the Christian life.”

While prayer can be difficult, one thing is sure:  we are called by our Savior and the Holy Scriptures to do it. Yet we should not pray out of duty or religious activity; indeed, our joy is at stake. Jesus says in John 16:24: “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” If we take Jesus at His word, why wouldn’t we pray?

The early church began with and was continually fueled by prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42). My desire is that Portico will always be a church passionate and committed to prayer. To this end, beginning this Sunday, March 10th, I am calling us to engage in a six-week prayer initiative, during which we each commit to pray every day for at least one person, By Name, that the saving grace of Jesus would break into their life. This six-week period of intercession is both a time to grow in faith and grow in the discipline of prayer. Throughout the six weeks, we will provide encouragement and additional resources on prayer and sharing the truth of the Gospel.

Prayer, though it can be as simple as a helpless child’s prayer, is the highest and holiest work to which a man or woman can rise. Prayer is an exercise that plumbs the depths of the soul and climbs to the heights of God. Do not be disheartened or overwhelmed at the onset. Let’s join together and lift our prayers day-by-day to our good heavenly Father, having hearts full of expectation that He is going to move in ways that are abundantly more than we could ever ask or think!

^“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Posted: 2013-03-10 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 2:15-21

Posted: 2013-03-10 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 2:11-14

Posted: 2013-02-24 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 2:1-10

Posted: 2013-02-17 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 1:11-24

Posted: 2013-02-10 10:00:00
Passage: Galatians 1:6-10

Posted: 2013-02-03 10:00:05
Passage: Galatians 1:1-5

Posted: 2013-01-27 10:00:00
Passage: John 13:1

Posted: 2013-01-20 10:00:00
Passage: 2 Cor 5:18-21

Posted: 2013-01-13 10:00:00
Passage: Ephesians 2:12-16

Posted: 2013-01-06 10:00:00
Passage: Psalm 150

Posted: 2012-12-30 10:00:00
Passage: James 2:14-26

Posted: 2012-12-24 17:00:00
Passage: John 1:1-3,14

Posted: 2012-12-23 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 2:1-15

Posted: 2012-12-16 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 2:1-7

Posted: 2012-12-09 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 7:1-10

Posted: 2012-12-02 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:37

Posted: 2012-11-25 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:27-36

Posted: 2012-11-18 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 21:1-4

Posted: 2012-11-04 10:00:00
Passage: Luke 16:13

Posted: 2012-10-28 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:20-26

Posted: 2012-10-21 09:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:17-26

Posted: 2012-10-14 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:12-16

Posted: 2012-10-07 09:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:6-11

Posted: 2012-09-30 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 6:1-5

Posted: 2012-09-23 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 5:33-39

Posted: 2012-09-16 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 5:27-31

Posted: 2012-09-09 11:00:00
Passage: Matthew 28:19

Posted: 2012-09-02 11:00:00
Passage: John 20:19-22

Posted: 2012-08-26 11:00:00
Passage: Colossians 3:1-10

Posted: 2012-08-19 11:00:00
Passage: Romans 6:1-11

Posted: 2012-08-12 11:00:00
Passage: John 20:1-18

Posted: 2012-08-05 00:00:00
Passage: 1 Cor. 15:3-20

Posted: 2012-07-29 09:00:00
Passage: Romans 8:29-39

Posted: 2012-07-22 11:00:00
Passage: Romans 8:16-30

Posted: 2012-07-15 11:00:00
Passage: Romans 8:12-17

Posted: 2012-07-08 17:14:47
Passage: Romans 8:1-13

Posted: 2012-06-17 00:00:00
Passage: Luke 5:17-26

Posted: 2012-06-10 15:43:46
Passage: Luke 5:12-16

Posted: 2012-06-03 00:00:00
Passage: Luke 5:1-11

Posted: 2012-05-27 14:23:58
Passage: Luke 4:38-44

Posted: 2012-05-20 19:46:44
Passage: Luke 4:31-37

Posted: 2012-05-13 09:00:00
Passage: Luke 4

Posted: 2012-05-06 14:32:00
Passage: Luke 4:1-13

Posted: 2012-04-29 17:12:05
Passage: Luke 4:9-13

Posted: 2012-04-22 13:57:01
Passage: Luke 4:1-8

Posted: 2012-04-15 11:00:00
Passage: Luke 4:1-4

Posted: 2012-04-08 11:00:00
Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:14-19

Posted: 2012-04-01 15:12:58
Passage: Luke 12:1-15

Posted: 2012-03-25 11:00:00
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Posted: 2012-03-18 13:46:55
Passage: 1 Corinthians 7:12-24

Posted: 2012-03-11 00:00:00
Passage: Matthew 5:27-30

Posted: 2012-03-04 15:38:41
Passage: Ephesians 5:22-33

Posted: 2012-02-12 14:35:20
Passage: Luke 3:21-22

Posted: 2012-02-05 12:59:57
Passage: Luke 3:15-22

Posted: 2012-01-29 16:23:22
Passage: Luke 3:7-14

Posted: 2012-01-22 14:30:13
Passage: Psalm 139:13-16

Posted: 2012-01-15 15:38:59
Passage: Luke 3:1-14

Posted: 2012-01-08 15:03:34
Passage: Luke 2:40-52

Posted: 2012-01-01 00:00:00
Passage: Luke 2:20-40

Posted: 2011-12-11 17:12:27
Passage: Luke 1:46-56

Posted: 2011-12-04 14:21:16
Passage: Luke 1:18-38

Posted: 2011-11-27 14:09:10
Passage: Luke 2:5-17

Posted: 2011-11-20 17:46:04
Passage: Luke 1:1-4

Posted: 2011-11-13 23:03:32
Passage: Jonah 4

Posted: 2011-11-06 11:00:00
Passage: Jonah 4

Posted: 2011-10-16 11:00:00
Passage: Jonah 1:17-2:10

Posted: 2011-10-09 18:20:17
Passage: Jonah 1:5-16