Church of the City New York

This Sunday, Pastor Jon continued our Manifesto of Fruitfulness series by exploring the fruit of repentance. Where we often mistake repentance for simply feeling guilty, regretting a decision, or fearing the consequences of our actions, biblical repentance goes deeper. It is a turning away from sin and a reorientation of our hearts toward God. Looking at Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 7, Pastor Jon unpacked the difference between worldly sorrow, which leads to defensiveness and self-justification, and godly sorrow, which produces a genuine desire to change and make things right. Repentance is not an invitation to condemnation, but an expression of God's grace, leading us toward forgiveness, freedom, and a restored relationship with Him.

This Sunday, Pastor Raegan Griffith continued our Manifesto of Fruitfulness series by looking at the fruit of seasons in Ecclesiastes 3. In the sermon, Pastor Raegan talks about how we often want life to keep moving up and to the right, but God has something to teach us in every season. Whether we find ourselves in a winter marked by waiting or loss, a spring of new beginnings, a summer of growth and abundance or a fall of letting go, each season has its own purpose. Rather than rushing through the hard seasons or trying to hold on to the good ones, we are invited to trust God with the season we're in and allow Him to form something in us through it. As we learn to abide in Him, we can trust that He will make all things beautiful in their time.

This Sunday, Pastor Ron Walborn continued our Manifesto of Fruitfulness series by looking at the fruit of spiritual gifts in 1 Peter 4:7–11. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not ours to keep or use for our own recognition. They are gifts of God's grace, entrusted to us to serve others, strengthen the Church and participate in his mission in the city. Pastor Ron reminded us that we need both the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit: the character of Jesus and his power at work through His people. Discovering our gifts doesn't begin with having everything figured out, it begins with obedience, as we step out to serve, grow in practice and learn to recognize what God is doing in and through us. The invitation is to fan into flame what God has entrusted to us, keeping Jesus, not the gifts themselves, at the center.

This Sunday, Pastor Billy continued our Manifesto of Fruitfulness series by exploring the fruit of praise and asking who or what receives our worship. In Hebrews 13, we are called to offer God a sacrifice of praise, but praise is more than words spoken when life is going well. It is a choice to declare God's worth in the midst of uncertainty, to practice gratitude when complaint comes more naturally and to speak openly about what he has done. Through the stories of Scripture, Pastor Billy reminded us that praise does not deny our circumstances or depend on a particular outcome. It is a response to who God is and what he has already done for us. As our lives are shaped by gratitude and our own encounters with Jesus, praise moves beyond private worship and becomes a public witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God.

This Sunday, Pastor Jon continued our Manifesto of Fruitfulness series by exploring the fruit of evangelism and what it means to share the good news of Jesus with the people around us. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes us as ambassadors for Christ, entrusted with the message of reconciliation. But how we share that message can look different from person to person. Whether through our own testimony, an invitation into community, honest conversations about faith or a prompting from the Holy Spirit, we are called to meet people where they are. Pastor Jon reminded us that evangelism begins with the heart of Jesus, who pursues those who are far from God and welcomes people in the midst of their brokenness. As we learn to share the hope we have found in him, we are called to do so with gentleness and respect, trusting that the work of bringing people to Jesus is not ours to accomplish alone.