Flex

A sermon and small group series about power

This seven-week series will expose our American preoccupation with power, and explore what the Bible has to say about power, autonomy, wealth, gender roles, race relations, family dynamics, and injustice. Jesus taught about and modeled an upside-down kingdom – where the weak are blessed and the powerful are held accountable for the ways they leverage their power and wealth. How are you flexing your "muscles?"

As followers of Jesus, our power should be used to serve others, not to get them to serve us.

RESOURCES

We encourage you to utilize these resources for our series. The content is designed to help you grow in community and individually, and also to share with others who might benefit from them.

DISCUSSION GUIDES

Discussion Guides for small groups are updated by the end of day on Friday each week and coincide with the sermon for that week.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

DAILY WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT VIDEOS

Our daily word of encouragement videos also reinforce what is taught on Sunday mornings. You can access our videos on social media, the home page of our website, in our enewsletter, and on our YouTube channel.

WORSHIP

Listen to some of the worship songs that we sing on Sundays from our Spotify playlist. It's a great way to engage in worship while you drive, do chores, or exercise, and it's also a way to fill your home with truth and peace and joy.
VENTURA MISSIONARY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
If you don't have a Spotify account, sign up for Spotify HERE.
We encourage you to use the RightNow Meida digital library for your own discipleship, and to share content with anyone in your life who is looking for hope, truth, and help in topics such as marriage, parenting, and other common life experiences. Do a search on our weekly topics and find some great supplemental material. There is also great content for kids! 

RightNow Media VIDEOS

RightNow Media is a digital video library you have free access to through Ventura Missionary.  For details and sign up information, click on the tab below.
ACCESS RIGHTNOW MEDIA
RightNow Media Videos on Power and Family:

Making Marriage Work  by Les and Leslie Parrott

The Crazy Cycle by Emmerson Eggerichs

SUPPLEMENTAL CONTENT

Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg  
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, Power by Timothy Keller
The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith
by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich
Networked Power Series (podcast)
by Mark Sayers 
Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power
by Andy Crouch
Real Power: Stages of Personal Power in Organizations by Janet O. Hagberg
A Theology of Power: Being Beyond Domination 
by Kyle A. Pasewark  

ARTICLES

POWER and FAMILY RESOURCES

MarriageWell Resource Page - MarriageWell is a ministry on our campus that provides support, resources, activities, and learning opportunities for couples to achieve excellence, intimacy, and FUN in their marriages.

Life, Love, Legacy/Parenting in the 21st Center - Messages on Parenting by Andy Stanley. One includes an interview with Andy's dad, Dr. Charles Stanley.

How to Serve Your Spouse with Truth, Love, and Grace - An article by Focus on the Family

Caring for Your Elderly Parents - An article by Focus on the Family
*PLEASE NOTE: Ventura Missionary Church, and our leadership (including Pastor Doug) does not endorse every idea or theological perspective in these resources; however, we have found them to be helpful resources in developing a well-rounded understanding  about our teaching series.