In-person in Colorado Springs, we often speak of encountering God—but what if the encounter wasn’t “out there” at all, but “in here”? Chris Berglund powerfully reminded us that the Gospel isn’t an invitation to work harder—it’s a call to live from the finished work of the cross, deeply rooted in our identity as God’s temple.
Shadows Meet Substance
Throughout the Old Testament, God gave exacting instructions: the ark had to be built precisely, priests had to follow patterns, and each sacrifice pointed to deeper realities. But “everything outside the boundary of Christ is death and separation,” Chris said—because those rituals were never the goal; they were a God-given map leading us to the ultimate temple: you and me—His living, breathing, glorious body.
Rest, Exchange, and the Beloved’s Inheritance
Drawing from Hebrews, Chris reminded us: the Sabbath wasn’t just a day off—it was an invitation into rest in Christ’s finished work. That rest is not laziness—it is entering an exchange—our striving for His fullness. The Lord invites us to stop striving and abide, to come into the place where His life is no longer external, but flowing IN & THROUGH us.
A One-New-Man, Born from Blood
Chris highlighted the Exodus and the Passover lamb: one lamb, one altar, one people, no longer many but uniting into one body that bears the name of God’s firstborn Son. Like Israel emerging as a singular people, we are invited into a new corporate identity: Christ in humanity—one New Man conquering the darkness because the covenant lives in our veins.
Increase of Christ Means Expansion of His Life Through Us
It’s easy to think increase means more of Him; Chris challenged that notion. Real increase is Christ having more of us. It means more of Jesus expressing Himself through your hands, your tongue, your decisions. It’s not about building programs—it’s about saying, “Lord, I yield.”
Shadows Removed, True Life Exposed
Using Amos 9, Chris reminded us that God is calling a cleansing of all that’s mixed in—religious impurity, pride, self-made systems—in order to restore a Melchizedek priesthood of righteousness. He’s shaking out what’s inauthentic—every hidden motive, every compromise, every pastoral strategy that flows from flesh rather than the Spirit.
The Cup in His Hand: A Wine for the Wedding
Drawing from personal encounters and Song of Solomon, Susan Berglund also shared about a wedding-wine reserve held in God’s hand. This “cup” is an invitation—a calling into deep intoxication with His love. Not the cheap wine of religious duty, but the rich, glorious wine of intoxicating communion that transforms us into Christlike vessels.
🔍 Reflection Questions
- Rest or striving? What would it look like to trade effort for exchange, your performance for His presence?
- Messy mix or holy boundaries? Are there areas of religious mixture or self-generated ministry that need cleansing so Christ can reign?
- Corporate union or solo sojourn? How are you participating in the “one-New-Man” reality of the Church as Christ’s body?
- Intoxicated by love? What would happen if you began this week with the posture, “There’s a cup in Your hand—fill me”?
🌱 Join the Journey
