Paradigm

“Truth without love isn’t true, and love isn’t love without truth.”

A critical attitude will leave you in a wilderness spiritually. Attitude — pattern of thinking developed over a period of time. Criticism is when you focus on the perceived flaw of another person without any intention to help them. Check out the layers of criticism: it’s petty, self-exalting, and sinful. Criticism is often rooted in unforgiveness, bitterness, personal failure, envy, jealousy or some resentment going on in our heart. Reflect on Miriam and Aaron’s story in Numbers 12:1-12, where criticism led to dire consequences. God takes the criticism of others personally, and He judges it accordingly. Every sin is guaranteed to come prepackaged with some consequences. Choose encouragement and humility over criticism, for when you sow something, you will reap something. Seek cleansing and forgiveness from a critical spirit to draw closer to God’s presence. We will never reach a sinless life before heaven, but God is able to cleanse us of all sin. Confess it, renounce it, and you will find mercy.

Last night in our Numbers series we looked at contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6 teaches us that godliness + contentment = great gain. Godliness, or God likeness, means to be like Jesus. Paul is teaching that we cannot live in the promised land spiritually, while living like a pagan practically. We often want the blessings of God without the obedience to God, which doesn’t work. You cannot experience the fullness of God if you are not fully submitted to God. Contentment can be defined as satisfaction with God’s sufficient provision. Contentment is often not something that comes naturally to us, but a perspective and an attitude that we must learn; contentment is a choice. The secret to gaining contentment is to be dependent on Christ’s strength, and not on our own. These two together equal great gain, but verses 9-10 and 17 show us that loving money equals great loss. So how do we choose an attitude of contentment in a sea of covetousness? Seek it. Say it. Settle it. And show it. See what the Bible says is valuable

Continuing our series in Numbers, Pastor John calls on us to reflect on our habitual covetousness, which can be described as wanting the wrong thing or wanting the right thing but for the wrong amount, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons. Our society conditions us to want more, and more, and more. All of the tangible goods we collect might be keeping us comfortable but they aren't necessarily blessings from God. Numbers 11:7-35 teaches that it is easy to remember the false goodness of what you once had before Christ, but those desires bring an illusion of strength, making us uncomfortable in our weakness, and drying up the strength of our souls. Like the quail, the things of our own desires will be far and hard to get, whereas like the manna, the things from God will be so clearly in front of you and serve as a reminder that He is with you. Giving into an attitude of covetousness will: 1. Compromise your calling 2. Corrupt your perspective 3. Consume you This week, take some time to reflect on

Some days, weeks, months, or even years are going to be harder than the rest. Life can get real hard real quick and you can easily find yourself in the mental captivity of a complaining attitude. As Christians, we can quickly find ourselves fading from the presence of the Lord in these challenging seasons, but the key to continuing to serve the Lord with gladness is to come before Him with THANKSGIVING! If you're going through a challenging season or simply want to work on practicing an attitude of gratitude every day, Psalm 100:5 gives us three reasons we can always be thankful and grateful: 1. The Lord is GOOD! When you find yourself focusing on what you don't have, start by thanking God for what you do have. 2. His mercy is EVERLASTING! Remember, whatever is wrong won't last forever. Focus on the eternal! 3. His truth endures FOREVER! Your feelings are fickle, focus on His truth. If you never forget the goodness of His truth, you will never stop being thankful. "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everl

Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond. Last night, we started a brand new series in Numbers! Starting in chapter 11, we dove head first into the attitude of complaining. Anything that separates us from God is a sin, and complaining your way through life is an easy way to find yourself on the path to destruction. Complaining is harmful to your relationship with God, but also to those who surround you. Looking at it from the Father’s perspective, what do we really even have to complain about? You have a Father who desires to provide for you and who has freely offered the gift of eternal life. As Christians, everything we do should glorify God and that includes our attitude toward the day. https://www.bible.com/events/49219982 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at

In a broken world we are bound to experience or be affected by tragedy. As Christians, how do we respond? We can't "decide our theology on the 10th floor of Children's mercy" or decide our theology when we are in the middle of tragedy. We have to know the character of God and inform our emotions when tragedy strikes. As Christians, we have to: 1) Cling to the person of Christ 2) Learn to share our tears with others 3) Look to the resurrection for hope https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49216470 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships with other young adults. Subscribe to the ParadigmKC podcast and YouTube, follow us on Instagram &

We're wrapping up our 24 series by looking at what true wisdom is. James 3:13-18 shows us the difference between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. Worldly wisdom is of the earth; bitter, self-seeking, full of envy and lies, and only results in confusion and evil. Godly wisdom is from above; pure, peaceable, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy. The outcome is fruit of righteousness. To follow Jesus, we’re going to need godly wisdom. If we have gained wisdom from Him, let’s show it. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49212928 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships with other young adults.

God created work and desires for us to exercise wisdom in our workplace. As we exercise wisdom in our workplace, we are both able to honor God and be ambassadors for Christ to the people around us. This week Darrell Robinson gives us some practical tips on not only how to be excellent in our work but more importantly represent the church in our workplace. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49209336 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships with other young adults. Subscribe to the ParadigmKC podcast and YouTube, follow us on Instagram & Facebook, find our location, and learn more at http://paradigmkc.com/.

Every wondered how to make a Biblical decision about something that isn't explicitly in the Bible? The Corinthian grid can help you filter through the thousands of decisions you make a day by applying Biblical principles. When making a decision, ask yourself these five questions: 1: Does it bring me under its power? 1 Cor 6:12 2: Does this belong in God's temple? 1 Cor 8:18-20 3: Will this confuse or tempt other people? 2 Cor 8:9, 12-13 4: Does it glorify God? 1 Cor 10:31 5: Will I be proud of this decision at the judgement seat of Christ? 1 Cor 5:9-10 https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships wi

What is wisdom? Why do we need it? And where do we find it? Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; having insight. Wisdom is more than information or education, wisdom is seen in the application. Wisdom is understanding how to do something, and choosing to walk it out. It delivers us from folly, redirects our path, and determines our success. How do we get it? Fearing God, asking God, and reading His Word. Wisdom is the key to a meaningful life. https://my.bible.com/events/49202237 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships with other young adults. Subscribe to the ParadigmKC podcast and YouTube, follo

Pastor Phil joined us and reminded us that ​there are three trees that define all human history. 1.​The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil on which humanity fell. 2.​The Tree of Calvary on which humanity was redeemed. 3.​The Tree of Life on which humanity gains immortality. We are reminded of the goodness of God to make a way for us to live in communion with Him forever. How wise is our God who had a redemption plan all along! https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and build relationships with other young adults. Subscribe to the ParadigmKC podcast and YouTube, follow us on Instagram & Facebook, find our locatio

Last night we continued our Reforesting series by remembering which tree changed everything: The cross. Reading Romans 3, we can find three things we can confess: 1. I am a sinner. 2. Jesus is the Savior. 3. Salvation is for me, but not about me. Are you right with God? Has Jesus changed your life? We have all fallen under sin, and the only way we can have right standing with God is through Jesus. The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to bring glory to God, and to demonstrate His righteousness. Jesus was the payment that satisfied the justice of God, and the tree that changed everything was the cross that Jesus bore for us. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear m

In the first few chapters of Genesis, we are introduced to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and we find our greatest problem: sin. It’s easy to see the sin in the world, but do you see the sin in yourself? No matter how good life is, we are always bent towards rebellion. So many lies can uproot our faith– the lies that we’re removed from God, restricted in life, we can rationalize things, or that we rule our own lives. When we believe these lies, we are simply questioning the goodness and the character of God. After Adam and Eve had sinned, God already had the radical, redemptive plan to reforest what was broken, through his Son, Jesus. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49172787 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a rel

"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven up Earth." -John Wesley Maybe you are someone that is called to be a preacher, or maybe you are someone who is sitting under preaching weekly. Have you ever thought about the seriousness of preaching? If you are called to preach, you should be committed to unapologetically preaching CHRIST, and if you are listening to preaching, you should unapologetically reject preaching not centered on CHRIST. The Bible teaches that everyone who is called to preach will have stricter judgement. Those called to preaching should take it seriously, and those who are listening should take it seriously who they are listening to. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come &

Last night we looked at why we need the Bible. 1: The Bible is inspired by God. It is a book of prophecy, history, resiliency, and has changed people’s trajectory. 2: The Bible is Profitable. It teaches us, reproves us, corrects us, and trains us. 3: The Bible is effective. The Word completes us and equips us. God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. “In short, I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will constrain no one by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, the Word … did everything.” — Martin Luther https://events.bible.com/en-US/event/... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show u

Who do you follow, and who do you avoid in perilous times? Do you listen to the warnings of the Bible? Paul warns in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 who to avoid: those who are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unforgiving, slanderers, brutal; we must ask ourselves what on this list are we guilty of? Do we love pleasure more than we love God? “When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” — Viktor Frankl But who are we to follow? Paul’s life was worthy to be followed, and he acted as a mentor to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:6-11). Are you following those who are patient, loving, persevering, have faith and a purpose? If you’d like a mentor in your life, here are three next steps: 1. Pray for a mentor, and ask God for help. 2. Position yourself to get around people who can invest in your life, and get involved in a local church. 3. Make a proposal to a godly and spiritually wise person to meeting up with them. Lastly, Paul encourages Timothy to keep goi

In a debating and argumentative culture, how can we defeat distraction from the truth? 1: Be mastered by the Word of God. We are called to study the Word and take care of our soul by doing so. Hold tight to biblical right hand beliefs (Ephesians 4:4-6). Until the Word is changing you, you will look for truth in other things. 2: Pursue consecration in a culture craving compromise. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬-‭25‬. 3: Test your heart for tenderness and truth. Grow your competence of the Word, and lovingly lead people to know the truth. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49152109 Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a head

What’s the plan for Christianity? Live the strategy. The strategy of Christianity can be summed up into one word: Discipleship. Last night we looked at at the why, what, who, and how of discipleship. Discipleship is radical self-donation for the purpose of godliness and multiplication- to live out The Great Commission. Teach, show, and coach others through The Gospel. Remember God and His Word, for the Word of God cannot be bound. Finally, celebrate God’s faithfulness. He is always faithful, even when we aren’t. God is going to make disciples- will you be a part of it? https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professionals, and buil

Are you an unashamed believer? Do you have the 5 marks of unashamed believers? 1. Genuine faith 2. A clear gift 3. Fearless spirit 4. Enduring mindset 5. Unwavering grip First, having a genuine faith is the foundation for sharing your faith. Next, every salvation comes with a purpose for you life. Serve, and you might find your calling. Timidity is from the enemy; Satan delights in the cowards, but Christ delights in the courageous. What parts of your life have you sacrificed for Christ lately? Remember to hold tightly to the Word of God, which is one of the best sources for courage. https://events.bible.com/en/event/edi... Paradigm is a weekly gathering of Kansas City college and 20s-30s young adults who desire to see Jesus made known throughout the city! Want to come & see? Email us at paradigm@livingproof.co to give us a heads up so we can greet you, or just show up any Tuesday night at 7pm to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing environment, hear messages relevant to college and young professi