Restoration Church - Chicago, IL: Recent Episodes
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Lois preached on of our church Values: “Advancing the Kingdom of God”. She reminded us of what the kingdom is , who it is for and what advancing the kingdom looks like.Jesus is the King who reigns over the whole world. His kingdom is for all who long and wait for God,
David closed out our Divine Fellowship sermon series with a message from 1 John 5, highlighting the blessings of fellowship with God and others. He emphasized the assurance of salvation, confidence in prayer, and the call to encourage and support one another through authentic Christian fellowship.
As we celebrated independence day weekend and reflected on the freedom that many men and women gave their lives for, Anthony reminded us of the ultimate freedom that was bought for us by the blood of Jesus. In Him we have freedom from sin, guilt, shame, and death. He paid the ultimate price so we can be free and have eternal life in Him.
David continued our Divine Fellowship Series speaking from the second half of Chapter 4. Here John urges us to be a body that practices Love in action.
Hue continued our Divine Fellowship Series from 1st John speaking from chapter 3 verses 1-10.
Dave continued our “Divine Fellowship” series building on the themes of what our fellowship with the Father and His Family, the church looks like.
Hue spoke from the second half of 1 John chapter 1 continuing on the Divine Fellowship series.
Hue kicked off our new sermon series on the book of 1 John, speaking about our Divine fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit and exploring what authentic, biblical fellowship looks like within the church community.
Hue closed chapter 2 speaking about the unveiling of the new temple. He reminded us that we are living stones and christ is the corner stone upon which His church is built.
David spoke from Ephesians 2, reminding us of God’s great gift of grace, what that means for us and how we ought to respond. We are to receive the gift with gladness, use it for his Glory and not lose sight of our past and where we would be without His grace.
Hue shared a gospel message about what the resurrection of Jesus means for us and our Salvation in Him!
Joel reminded us of Jesus’ example of serving those whom he loved and his call to Christians to love and serve one another despite our differences.
Toby closed out our mini series about the values of Restoration speaking about pursuing the prescence of Jesus
Thomas shared about Jesus’ mandate to his disciples to share the good news of Salvation through him and make disciples wherever we go. He encouraged the church to= take advantage of opportunities that are presented to us and not miss out on the joy of bringing people to encounter the living god.
Lois shared about God’s goodness and provision of community to His people. United with Him and with His people, God’s design is for us to practice biblical community, loving Him and loving one another.
Hue continued our mini series on the Holy Spirit speaking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Hue started our mini series on the Holy Spirit, explaining who the Holy Spirit and emphasizing His roles in our everyday life.
Hue concluded our Kingdom of God sermon series from Mark speaking from chapter 16. He reminded us of the resurrection of Jesus which is the only gives meaning and purpose to our lives and that He is alive and seated on the right hand of the Father.
Mark and Cindy encouraged the church, as we prayed in new elders, about the giftings that God wants to release and unlock through leaders and lay members of the church alike, to build and equip the body of Christ to stand against the strongholds of the enemy and take ground for His Kingdom.
Mike exposited on three significant attributes of Jesus as illustrated in Mark 14. He described Jesus as ‘Supremely Paramount,’ emphasizing His ultimate authority and importance in our lives. Additionally, He serves as our ‘Gracious Propitiation,’ highlighting the immense grace He extends to us through His sacrifice. Finally, Mike pointed out that Jesus is ‘Divinely Positioned,’ underscoring His intentional and purposeful role in the divine plan for salvation.
Hue shared from Mark 13 urging us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and focus on our mandate of the great commission rather than getting caught up in speculations about end times.
Hue continued our MARK: The kingdom of God series speaking from Mark 11 about the the Kingship of Jesus and yet his humility baffled all human expectations causing us to reframe our perspective to things that are eternal.
Anthony continued our Mark: The Kingdom of God series speaking from Mark 10. He pointed us to Jesus’s words as he teaches us how we must approach the father and how we can the inherit the kingdom; by becoming like children! We can not earn this inheritance with our works but we must receive it openheartedly.
Hue reminded us of the true meaning and the joy of Christmas, the birth of the promised Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hue spoke about the grace of giving reminding us of Grace of God, and His call to us to trust him completely, relying on Him for provision, and give generously acknowledging that everything is from Him and to Him.
Vanessa spoke from Mark 9, emphasizing the urgency of the hour. Jesus directs His disciples to the humble faith of the demon-possessed boy's father, while they are distracted by their own ideas of the kingdom of God. Vanessa urged us to look to Jesus, believe in His words, and continue with confidence and obedience.
Ryan preached from Mark chapter 8, continuing our Kingdom of God series.“Declaring Jesus as the Messiah and Savior is not just a statement of fact; it is a statement of confidence that needs to reside over every area of our lives.”
Hue spoke from Mark chapter 7, emphasizing the important message that we must prioritize our relationship with Jesus Christ over the various cultural and traditional norms that often distract us. In Mark 7, Jesus clearly calls out the Pharisees, who were overly preoccupied with adhering to cultural traditions and ceremonial laws, ultimately losing sight of the true essence of God’s commands and the heart behind them.
Hue continued the 'MARK - The Kingdom of God' series from Mark 6, where Jesus' authority was doubted in His hometown. He urged us to remain confident in our authority in Christ, resist discouragement, keep our hearts open, and boldly pursue our mission to advance God's kingdom.
This week Chanelle spoke about expanding God's Kingdom through Spiritual Maturity. This involves undoing of sin's effects by teaching a new way of living in Christ. We are called to grow the Kingdom. To fulfill this, we must focus on: 1) Abiding in Christ, 2) Bearing the Spirit's fruit, and 3) Doing Jesus' works. By staying steadfast, cultivating Christlike character, and stepping out in faith, we will see the Kingdom advance in power and glory.
Hue spoke from Mark Chapter 5 reminding us about the authority we have been given in Jesus, and encouraged us to step out in boldness and faith, fully trusting in Him.
Hue continued our ‘Mark’ sermon series speaking from Chapter 3. He encouraged us to live like we belong in the kingdom of God, be in tune with the Holy Spirit and pray with faith and authority.
Hue continued our "MARK" sermon series, speaking from Chapter 2, urging us not to be fans but followers of Jesus, who take him at His word and step out in faith and obedience.
Steve encouraged the church, speaking from Mark chapters 4 and 6, to weather through the storms of life by keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus.
Mike kicked off our new sermon series "Mark: The Kingdom of God", introducing us to the book of Mark. Mark emphasizes the urgency of the Gospel and the invitation to the Kingdom of God, which is at hand.
Hue reminded us of God's faithfulness to Restoration over the last 8 years since it was plated and the values on which our church is built and we continue to uphold.
Hue finished our two part sermon series on 'Prayer' explaining and emphasizing what it means to praying prophetically.
Hue started off our two part sermon series on Prayer speaking about the importance of Prayer which is the crucial foundation for all believers.
“An encounter with God is something that changes us and never leaves us the same”Vanessa shared about the importance of having an encounter with God although our faith is not based in experience and feelings.
Hue spoke about who the Holy Spirit is and why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Joel finished out our Courageous Living sermon series from Joshua, preaching from chapter 10 urging us to inqure everything of the Lord for every decision and to make his Glory known to everyone.
“Humility, Honesty and Honor are essential to holiness and holiness is essential to walking with God and walking with God requires courage.”Kalena continued our courageous living series on the book of Joshua speaking from chapter 9 challenging us to live according to the call to a life of humility, honesty and honor.
Hue encouraged us to be bold in sharing the gospel and to not be ashamed of it. It is not about us or our message but the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
“There is no Suddenly for God, only Gradually”.Caleb encouraged the church to trust God’s plans and purpose as well as His timing and be faithful throughout the process. God works little by little but we often tend to want it all at once. But God invites us to see the bigger picture and rejoice in the process as he prepares us little by little for His big plans!
Hue spoke from Joshua 6 encouraging us to pursue after God’s calling and to heed and carry out His instructions with faith and conviction, seeking his vision and and promises, trusting what He has for is so much better than we can ask or imagine,
Mike spoke from Joshua 5 about what it means to enter into God’s promises. It involves faith, obedience and complete surrender despite circumstances.
Hue continued our Courageous living series and spoke from Joshua 4 reminding us to look back and recognize all that God has done for us and press forward trusting for more.
Toby spoke from Joshua chapter 3 about how Courageous leaders Equip, Encourage and Lead by example.
What we focus our minds on is what shapes our view of reality.Ryan continued our Courageous living series speaking from Chapter 2, alluding to Rahab’s courage look unto God amidst troubling times.
Hue kicked us off with our brand new sermon series “Courageous Living” from the book of Joshua.
Living ready for the Lord’s return comes from an outward and spiritual expression of a positive and God-centered mindset.
Hue continued our sermon series on 1 Thessalonians and spoke from chapter 5 about the need to encourage and build one another in the body of Christ.
Hue continued the 1 Thessalonians series and shared from chapter 4 about the need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
“To know Jesus is to Know God”Jesus does not point us to the way of life. Jesus IS the Way, the Truth and the Life. HE is the light of the world and the bread of life. HE is the resurrection and life. Jesus is not pointing us to something other than himself.Listen to the message now on our website or through Apple podcasts. Restoration Church- We are a local church located in Irving Park, Albany Park, Old Irving Park Chicago.
Hue Spoke about our call to generous giving to those in need and one another with cheerful hearts and unconditionally as an outworking of our faith in Jesus who is our gift and the ultimate example of God’s Generosity towards us.
“Understand that I HAVE a special gift- and that I AM a special gift to the body of Christ”Steve and Teri Barr are trusted friends of restoration and they encouraged the church to follow Jesus’ example of humble service and use our gifts to serving Christ and one another wholeheartedly with humility and enthusiasm.
Vanessa continued our sermon series from 1 Thessalonins and spoke from chapter 3 about Pauls encouragement to the thessalonians to grow and abounding in love for each other and others around them.
“The word of God” is the entire message of Jesus Christ including its implication for our lives”John 1:1 walked us through Pauls ministry in Thessalonica from Thessalonians 2 highlighting the Paul’s encouragement for the church to be transformed by God’s work which is at work in those who believe.
Hue kicked off the new sermon series on 1 Thessalonians. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church is a great reminder for the church to work together as a team to do kingdom work with unity and power of the holy spirit and his Word.
Anthony Spoke about seeking God amidst our doubts and questions. God hears us and speaks a calming and assuring voice into our darkest moments. We can trust Him as he reaches out to us to pull us out of the pit because he loves and values us.
Worship is the proper response to God’s revalation. Paul calls believers to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice in light of God’s incredible mercy , as an appropriate response . This is our true and proper worship. Wholehearted, unreserved devotion to Him in response to a proper understanding of God's unfailing love for us His unwavering faithfulness.
The Christian mandate of proclaiming the Gospel and advancing the Kingdom of God is at core of our identity and misssion as a Church and it shapes our vision and values . Hue shared about pushing back the darkness and taking ground against the enemy by shining the light of eternal life, evident through Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit, as we advance the Kingdom of God.
Mike spoke about what it means to be part of a biblical commuity. God calls us to live in community, to contunually meet together and fellowship within a local church.
Hue reminded us about the importance of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas which is centered in Christ- God’s greatest gift to us. He alone is our hope and salvation!
“The Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth comes understanding”. Thomas and Danyil sahred about the importance of gaining and applying wisdom. Christ is the wisdom and power of God, and God alone is the giver of wisdom. “The call to wisdom is the call to Christ”
The church is a spiritual household and 1 peter says that we are “living stones”. Each of us have a unique gift and contribution to bring that is significant for the life of the Church.
Hue reminded us about God’s heart for His people. God’s biggest desire for us is to offer us the gift of salvation and be in fellowship with Him. He then invites to join him in restoring and redeeming all things according to his great plan!
Ken and Michelle shared about the heart of God for his children and His tender, fatherly love for us. They also gave some practical tips on living by the spirit, in tune and communion with God.
Ken Spoke about the Gift of Salvation and preached the Gospel powerfully by reminding to look to Jesus and what He has done for us.
Eph 5:21 exhorts us to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ”,. Hue expounded Paul’s instruction for husbands to love their wives, wives to respect their husbands, emphasizing the importance of doing so out of reverence for Christ.
Hue spoke from Ephesians 5 about our transformed lives from darkness to light marked by faith, obedience and spiritual mindedness.
Hue spoke from Ephesians 4:17-31 urging us to turn away from our old ways and instead to be” made new in the attitude of our minds, putting on the new self so we can fully live into God’s calling for us- to become like Him and live a life of holiness and righteousness.
This week we we started chapter 4 in our Ephesians series. Ryan echoed Paul's words "urging" us "to live in a manner worthy our calling". We are called to be ground and established in God's love, to live in unity and love with his body, the church.
This week we finished Ephesians chapter 3. Hue spoke about the immeasurable love and power of Christ working within us. We must continue to be strengthened in our sensitivity to His Spirit so we can learn the unknowable love of Christ.
Mike spoke from Ephesians 3 about the mystery revealed by God. Paul speaks about this mystery which compelled him to share it with everyone, the mystery of Christ through whom God brought us into his family!
Ephesians 2:11-22 lays out the different stages of our position before God. Once we were without God, separated from Him, excluded from His covenant and promise. But God, brought us into his fold through Christ and reconciled us with Himself and partake of his inheritance.
Vanessa spoke from Ephisians 2: 1-10 about the human condition of being spiritually dead, pulled by the world and ruled by Satan. But God, saved us by grace through faith beacause of his great love for us!
Hue spoke from Ephesians 1:15-23 continuing on from last week.
“Growing in our revelation of Jesus leads to knowing the hope which God has called us to“
This week Ryan spoke about Provision, Path and Purpose from Psalm 23: 2-6 continuing on from last weeks message about our Position based on Psalm 23:1.
Ryan spoke about what it means to say that “ the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want”. This implies a posture of daily surrender to God, complete obedience to Him and a maintains a close relationship with him through prayer and meditation of His word.
“Our ability to persevere in faith is dependent on our revelation of the worthiness of Jesus.” How do we know that Jesus is worthy? Kalena spoke form Hebrews, where we are reminded that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses through the ages who have testified of his faithfulness and worthiness. We can persevere through every season as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
“We are in the Business of Restoration!” Last week Jody encouraged us to share the Good news of the Gospel with our neighbors. The Good news of reconciliation and restorationwith God who wills for ALL to be saved. Our neighbors are everyone who we find ourselves amongst and we have the mandate and privilege to share God’s love with them.
Summer is officially about to begin and as the weather warms up, so do the people as they are out a lot more in parks, beaches, and public spaces. As a church of witnesses of the goodness of God and the revelation of Jesus, we can take advantage of these opportunities to share about what Christ has done for us and point them to the Lord and King!
Hue reminds us of the amazing memorials of what God has done in and through Restoration Church throughout the years. God’s presence and guidance has helped us to stay steadfast and focused on him from it’s humble beginnings through challenging times during COVID-19, and see Him at work, building his church and experiencing his manifold blessings.
Hue spoke about the importance of having a vision in our lives in order for us to live a purposeful and meaningful life. Having a godly vision means to have a revelation of God. Having a godly vision helps us know our destination and gives us clarity along the journey, provides momentum and hope of the inheritance that awaits us. It is the only way for us to truly find our identity, and it defines how we lead our lives, as we focus on Jesus and seek his vision for our lives.
Toby spoke about the spiritual gift of encouragement and teaching. God’s promises are our biggest source of encouragement which gives us courage and confidence.Teaching is a spiritual gift that often comes with the weight of being in positions of visibility and attention but even more responsibility that is often invisible. Teachers are students first, and teach not only through their words but through their actions and how they lead their personal lives.
Mike addressed the gifts of service and mercy as listed in Romans 12:3-8. As Jesus is our example we were encouraged to pray for ways to show service and mercy, ponder our motives, and persevere in each. And, as with all things, we are to rely on God’s strength.
This week Vanessa spoke about the gift of prophesying. The Gift of prophesy is not about foretelling the future, directing and correcting others, but about tuning into the heart of God, to listen to Him, and stepping out in faith and obedience to encourage, edify and build the church.Listen to the message now on our website or through Apple podcasts. Restoration Church- We are a local church located in Irving Park, Albany Park, Old Irving Park Chicago.
This week Hue spoke about the spiritual gift of leadership. The gift of leading is one of the spiritual gifts in Romans 12:3-8. Biblical definition of leading means to motivate others to work together to achieve a common purpose or goal; to advance the kingdom of Jesus.Listen to the message now on our website or through Apple podcasts.Restoration Church- We are a local church located in Irving Park, Albany Park, Old Irving Park Chicago.
This week Hue spoke about the gift of giving. We are called to live generously and give cheerfully, not out of compulsion but with gratitude as a response to the revelation of Jesus and our complete reliance in Him.
This is the first sermon of the 6 part sermon series titled ' GIFTED" based on Romans 12:3-8.Hue spoke about about identifying and stewarding our unique gifts in order to work together to strengthen the body of Christ. The key to unlock our gifting is our availability. “Our greatest ability is our availability to be used by God”.
Hue shared about the significance of Easter or Resurrection Day, the resurrection of Jesus.Resurrection of Jesus mean 2 things1 – His death was an acceptable sacrifice for our sins – the sins of mankind2 – Jesus did what He said He would do and He is who He said He is – the Son of God
Hue spoke on how to resist the evil around and within us, which are the works of the devil, by putting on Jesus, relying on him and drawing from him.
Vanessa spoke on what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and we were encouraged to seek this filling every day.
Hue’s message on prayer helps make this spiritual discipline practical to everyone. Prayer is essential to having a relationship with God, so above all else we were encouraged to pray often!
Mat Philip was with us this Sunday and he preached on eldership and the calling of the elder’s of the church to guide, guard, and govern. We are so thankful to him and his wife Sheetal for ministering to us!
This week’s message explored the questions, “What is faith?” “What should we have faith in?” and “How should we have faith?” We were encouraged to act in faith by putting our trust in the person of Jesus. We were also challenged as believers to be intentional in praying for and seeking out opportunities to share our faith with others in our lives.
This week’s message answers the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?” We all have sin and we all are in need of a savior. Jesus was the Savior we needed. He lived the perfect life we could not live and He went to the cross, taking on the punishment for all sin.
This week’s sermon answers the question, “Who is Jesus to me?” We all need to grow in our revelation of Jesus because no matter how long we live we will never know all there is to know about Him. This revelation is so important because it will dictate the life we live.
Hue launched our new series, “The Basics,” with the encouragement that God has a plan for our lives much bigger than we could come up with ourselves. The blueprint for the plan is Obedience, Courage, and Perseverance. God’s plan has also always been to use the local church so we must remain rooted rather than try to go it alone.
Hue kicked off our two-part Christmas series, “The Promised Savior,” and encouraged us to guard the inheritance we have because of what Jesus has done for us.
Hue encouraged us to reflect on the gift of God’s grace during this giving season. We need to know why God has given us His grace so we can receive it and release it into the world.
Mike preached on the story of Joseph and how God was faithful in keeping all of His promises. Joseph trusted God even when circumstances seemed hopeless. Joseph obeyed God, accomplishing His purposes which turned what man intended for evil into good!
Hue took us through the life of Gideon and challenged us to have the kind of faith that knows God is with us and will accomplish His purposes through us; just as He said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”
Hue preached on the life of Jacob and his transformation of faith that changed him from being a taker to a giver. God will always surpass our expectations so we can trust Him in all things including our giving.
Diamond took us through the life of Moses whose faith inspires us to have confidence in God rather than fear.
Toby took us through Abraham’s faith journey including the testing of His faith and we saw God’s faithfulness to Abraham at every point in the journey.
Vanessa kicked off our new sermon series, “Heroes of the Faith,” by taking a look at the life of Noah. We were reminded that favor was on Noah simply because of God’s grace and that Noah did all that God commanded him.
Hue wrapped up our three-part series on the Holy Spirit by reminding us of the gifts of the Spirit and that their purpose is to benefit the Church.
Hue’s message “Potential vs. Production” encouraged us to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and daily living so that we could live the potential of the exceptional and “greater things” Jesus spoke about in John 14:14 rather than just produce good works. This is the only way we will truly glorify Jesus- if we are filled with the Holy Spirit!
Hue’s message “Potential vs. Production” encouraged us to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and daily living so that we could live the potential of the exceptional and “greater things” Jesus spoke about in John 14:14 rather than just produce good works. This is the only way we will truly glorify Jesus- if we are filled with the Holy Spirit!
Hue launched our three-part sermon series this past week. Follow along with us starting here with Part I.
Hue launched our three-part sermon series this past week. Follow along with us starting here with Part I.
We are so thankful for the Krueger’s ministry to us at Restoration as we celebrated our 6th birthday. Terry preached the Gospel powerfully from Luke 15.
We are so thankful for the Krueger’s ministry to us at Restoration as we celebrated our 6th birthday. Terry preached the Gospel powerfully from Luke 15.
Hue encouraged us to pursue Biblical Fellowship by devoting ourselves to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer (Acts 2:42).
Hue encouraged us to pursue Biblical Fellowship by devoting ourselves to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer (Acts 2:42).
Mike encouraged us to pursue true worship by living lives and having hearts of total surrender to God.
Toby encouraged us to study the Scriptures and see how they inform our everyday lives, help us to live faithfully, and share our faith with others.
Hue finished off our three-part series, The Significance of Jesus by emphasizing the Christology of Jesus.
Vanessa encouraged us to find our identity in Christ and in our sonship or daughtership to the Father.
This Sunday we were encouraged to pursue a greater revelation of Jesus to bring His glory everywhere!
When Jesus calls a follower, He calls them to total transformation through discipleship. By living a lifestyle of discipleship we discover the faith that moves mountains and weathers the storms of life in perfect peace. In this sermon Ryan highlights the Apostle Peter in Acts 12:5-6 and surveys the book of Mark to uncover the process of development that a disciple goes through in relationship to Jesus.
We are thankful and blessed for this word brought by Chanelle Rossouw for our church. Chanelle is gifted in the prophetic and gives a very clear explanation on what the prophetic is and how we can partner with God’s words to us.
Mark and Marie Bailey were with us this Sunday and they were so encouraging! Mark challenged us to invest in shared faith by partnering together in prayer and trusting to see God move. We are so thankful for the message they imparted to us!
Hue wrapped up our John series after over a year in the book with chapter 21. We looked at Peter who jumped out of the boat, leaving everything behind, to go to Jesus the moment he recognized Him. This was after Peter had betrayed Jesus and Jesus received him with complete forgiveness. Hue encouraged us to be like Peter and follow after Jesus without hesitation because we know who He is and we know He is trustworthy!
This week Hue preached on John’s account of the resurrection of Jesus in chapter 20. This event changes everything in history and proves that Jesus is Lord. We were encouraged to share about Jesus’ resurrection at every opportunity!
Diamond shared on the account of Jesus’ crucifixion found in John 19. Jesus was a model of grace and willingly gave His life for all. We can all be imitators of Jesus and give of ourselves graciously, so others can know Him.
Vanessa wrapped up John 17 where Jesus is praying for His disciples to have unity. As followers of Jesus we should be united by our love and worship of Jesus and the Father’s love for us. This will also unite us in our heart and mission and keep us from distractions.
Jesus continues to pray for His disciples. He prays for their protection from the devil and through unity with one another!
Jesus concludes His Farewell Discourse with a prayer for His disciples and this includes us.
We celebrated Resurrection Sunday being reminded of the hope that we have in Jesus because of His resurrection! There is nothing else in life that can sustain our hope. Everything else will fade away. What Jesus offers is eternal.
Jesus wraps up his farewell discourse with his disciples, giving specific insight into what the future holds for them. His words are no less relevant for Christians today as we learn that we have a God who always lays out His plan while speaking to us individually regarding the Heart of the matters we face. If we aren’t hearing Him clearly, perhaps our perspective needs adjusting. This perspective encourages us to turn our attention to fellowship with Jesus first.
Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for what they will face as they share the message of the Gospel after He returns to the Father.
Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for what they will face as they share the message of the Gospel after He returns to the Father.
In this section of the Farewell Discourse the disciples are warned that the world will hate them. This is true for us as well as we are also disciples of Jesus. When we encounter hate from the world we can be reassured that Jesus is with us, because He gave us the Holy Spirit, and we are therefore capable of continuing to obey Jesus’ commands even in difficult circumstances.
Jesus asks His followers to keep His commands so that they can remain in His love, experience the joy of Jesus, the friendship of Jesus. This is how God’s plan will be made known.
As Jesus prepares to leave His disciples He uses the analogy of the vine and the branches to encourage His disciples to remain in Him. As we are also Jesus’ disciples, His prized possession, we can know that these words are also for us. Jesus promises that if we remain in Him whatever we ask for will be done. When this is lived out in our lives we will bear fruit and this will bring glory to the Father.
Jesus is giving a farewell discourse to His disciples and He is assuring them that He will be leaving them with His presence. Even when He is physically gone, they will never be alone. We can believe the same thing as we are disciples of Jesus. He will never leave us alone and the Advocate- the Holy Spirit- is with us.
In this passage, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to His followers. The Holy Spirit being part of the Trinity is God and we should revere Him as such. He is a comforter- an advocate- and He is in every believer.
Jesus has been faithful and shown Himself to us. We must believe in Him for who He has shown Himself to be and not ask for more signs. We must also love Him for this love will empower us to obey His commands!
The command Jesus gives His disciples to, “Love one another as I have loved you,” entails more than meets the eye. Ryan discusses the relationship between love, faith, and sacrifice as it relates to carrying out this command in the local church in order to fully experience the glory of God and to bring that glory into the world.
We can have hope going into the New Year, because Jesus is our hope and He is always with us!
Thank you Paul and Minda Nichols for coming and encouraging us to truly be the church that Jesus is building!
“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” These are the words of Jesus in John 12. Vanessa encouraged challenged us to really follow Jesus. to pursue fellowship with one another to strengthen our faith especially in the hard times, and to know that we carry the light of the world in us everywhere we go.
Just as Jesus asked those grieving the death of Lazarus, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So the same question can be asked of us. If we believe we will follow Jesus, do the things He asks of us, and then we will see the glory of God!
In John 11, after the death of Lazarus, Jesus grieves alongside Martha and Mary. Then Jesus comforts them with the truth of who He is. He tells them He is the resurrection and the life and they express faith in who He says He is. Do we believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? Who we believe Jesus to be changes everything!
Even when we are going through a hard season we can know that it is for the glory of God. We must live from a place of having this revelation. When we do we will worship Jesus through the hardship and we will have confidence that there is victory in Him!
We must believe that Jesus is who He said He is- the Son of God. In John 10 we see there is conflict over who Jesus claims to be. Jesus stands His ground using Scripture. In the same way we need to study the scriptures so we can have a strong foundation and know the good works that God has called us to do.
In the first half of John 10 we heard that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He is also the gate to the fold. As the gate, He is the only way to eternal life. As the Good Shepherd, He cares for us, His sheep, even to the point of laying down His own life so that we might have life and have it to the full. His sheep know His voice and they follow Him. Will you follow Him?
Vanessa challenged us with the question, “Do we love Jesus enough to keep Him first?” Even just busyness can get in the way of us prioritizing Jesus. We were encouraged that if other things had taken Jesus’ place as Lord in our lives, that we could simply come back!
Tyrone Daniel was with us this past Sunday and challenged us to continuously say, “yes,” to Jesus! Thank you Tyrone for always reminding us that Jesus is above everything and is worthy of our obedience and submission to His Lordship.
We are surrounded by darkness in the world we live in and as a result, we experience suffering. In John 9 we see this in the account of a man born blind who was healed by Jesus. We see as Jesus explains to His disciples, that this man’s suffering had a purpose to ultimately glorify God. We also carry this purpose. Jesus is the light in this dark world and He is in us. We must believe in Him, go out sharing His light, and resist and persist through the darkness.
Hue reminded us of our vision and values as Restoration Church. We are committed to pursuing Jesus and His presence through His Word, we practice Biblical community, and we desire to advance God’s kingdom by sharing the gospel. In doing these things we will be fulfilling our vision which is to, “Glorify Jesus Everywhere.”
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37b-38 In John 7 Jesus compared His Spirit to a river of living water. If we believe in Him, His Spirit is in us, and this river will flow in us and from us. It refreshes and brings life everywhere it flows. As you go about your life, remember that you carry this river of living water with you and let the Spirit work in and through you!
Toby shared from John 7 and we saw that Jesus’ timing is not always our timing, but it is perfect. We were encouraged to trust His timing, His divine teachings, and His mission.
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) This was Peter’s answer when Jesus asked the disciples if they too would leave as the disillusioned multitudes had. These words should resonate with us. We should believe and know that Jesus is the only one we can turn to because He came to save us! And just as Jesus persevered because of the joy set before Him, we who authentically follow Jesus will do the same!
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:27) These were Jesus’ words of encouragement to the crowds that had been following him for the signs He was performing. Jesus told them He was the Bread of Life and that in Him was eternal life. He told them that the work of God was to believe in Him. We can apply this to our own lives by believing in Jesus and laboring first and foremost for food that feeds our soul. We can do this by reading the Bible, contending against the enemy through prayer, and fighting sin daily. This is the only thing that will last forever.
In this passage we heard about the Pharisees who had a love for the scriptures, but missed their whole point; that they were pointing to Jesus. Rather than realizing that Jesus was their salvation they were trusting in their own knowledge of scripture to save them and grant them eternal life. We must read the Word of God with a love for God rather than a love for knowledge and our own efforts to be saved. This will strengthen our faith in Jesus the only one who saves and gives us eternal life!
The Father has given Jesus complete authority as they are one and function in complete unity. Jesus brings life and those who accept His salvation will not be judged and will have eternal life!
We must keep the cross and the testimony of Jesus before us. Just as John the Baptist testified, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” So must we bear witness to Jesus, declaring His testimony to the world. He has made us free!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are for all believers. When we know them and their function we are able to implement them practically to grow in our faith, build up the body, and bear witness to Jesus.
Hue shared on the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment as we continue our series on the Holy Spirit. These gifts are meant to build up the church and bring glory to Jesus. Let’s “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Cor 14:1) so we can fully walk into all that God has called His church to be.
Let us be reminded that when we declare “Jesus is our Shepherd” -it is to acknowledge that Jesus is our caretaker, our provider, and our protector throughout all the seasons of life.
The actual act of praying requires humility and vulnerability. Praying also allows the Spirit of God to speak to us, and through us, in ushering God’s will and His Kingdom into our everyday lives.
We yearn to be the church full of prayers as Biblical prayer is a conversation, richly saturated with love, between man and God.
Thank you Ken for joining us in celebrating the significance of Restoration’s 4th birthday in giving thanks and honoring the people around us.
As we run with endurance, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, because He is our prize and our reward! He is our hope!
Through Hebrews 11, we remember the example of those who were faithful before us, we acknowledge that this world is not our home, and instead look forward to eternity with our Saviour.
“…since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on…” (Hebrews 10:21-24)
Now is the time to put our faith into practice. Trusting God, fixing our eyes on Jesus and looking ahead to what He has called us to. Because He who promised us is faithful!
While the Old Covenant bears many similarities to the New Covenant, their differences are what make the Old Covenant obsolete. Tune in to hear why the New Covenant’s mediator, sacrifice, and promised outcome make it a better than the Old and how this all relates to us today.
God swore an oath to a new covenant because He, through His grace and mercy, wanted us to have a better covenant with Him. He spoke of the “coming days” of this better covenant, which was the coming of Jesus, through Jeremiah hundreds of years prior.
Jesus is greater than all the previous High Priests because He came from the order of Melchizedek, the first Priest of God Most High (Gen 14:18). Take comfort in knowing that Jesus is able to save us completely and always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25)
Thank you so much for bringing a word of encouragement to Restoration! We put our trust in Our mighty God because He is able AND He is Sovereign!
All followers of Jesus Christ, we have been commissioned to share the gospel and bring glory to Jesus. The best and easiest way to achieve that purpose is to obey His command to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34-35). We will be supernaturally lifted onto a platform to share the gospel to everyone when we radically love one another (1 Cor 13) as Jesus has loved us.
Having assurance of our salvation is not something we can only hope in. We can know for certain the inheritance that awaits us as God’s children.
God has a plan and purpose for each of us because “all the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to to be.” (Ps. 139). Restoration was birthed to be a place where people are rescued, restored, redeemed and eventually released to walk fully into what was ordained in His book.
Our revelation of Jesus and our relationship with Him will transform us into true followers of Jesus. Let’s continue to lean into our revelation, and relationship, of Jesus so we can be “transformed into his image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Cor 3:18). This is one of the values God has called Restoration to be: People who are continuously being transformed in order to shine as a light in the darkness for His glory!
Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus has restored relationship with the Father, a purpose, a destiny, and a bright future in God. We are free from the past, hopelessness, guilt and shame. What is our response? Pray! And share with others about Jesus.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Restoration has been given a Banner by God to display His glory over our neighborhoods and the nations, as no local church should exist just for the sake of existence. In order to fulfill His great purpose, one of Restoration’s mandates is to help bring light to the darkness and set people free by sharing the Good News.
We all impact the nations when we work together by partaking in the different roles within the local church. Hence, we will all get to enjoy the inheritance that have been set aside for us from our King.
We may try to plan out our life and have it all under control, but we don’t always end up where we expect. God may have a different plan for our life, but His plan is greater, and we can trust in Him to provide our steps even when we don’t see where He is taking us!
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) We celebrate Christmas because through the birth of Jesus, we now have a Living Hope for all mankind.
Let’s remind ourselves, and each other, of God’s amazing gift to all mankind this Christmas! Jesus is our Living Hope! Thank you, God, for sending your Son!
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church. Ephesians 1:22 Jesus is the center and focus of our worship and we worship Him simply because of who He is. When we center our lives around Jesus, we receive Heaven’s perspective and can be encouraged, strengthened, and refreshed from being in the presence of God.
God’s grace is absolutely necessary for us to faithfully walk into the calling He has intended for each of us. Jesus dying on the cross is an example of God’s grace in action. Once we have that understanding, “giving” is no longer about us giving what is ours to God, but it becomes our response of gratitude - the same as our response of gratitude in our worship/lifestyle for His grace over our lives.
Let us be the people who fulfill the law of Christ: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind - and love your neighbors as yourself. This is how others will know that we belong to another Kingdom, The Kingdom of God, through our submission to the Law of Christ.
Jesus set us free from condemnation, guilt and shame, fear of punishment and sin, and we no longer have to conform to the pressures of our culture or worry about what others think. We are free! But, Paul exhorts us to use our freedom for good - to love and serve one another and those around us. Oh how we need to be with the Father, to be filled by His love, in order to love those around us!
Paul lovingly takes the Galatians through a story from the Mosaic law to show how they (and we) are saved through the promises of God, not by human effort.
We desire to be people committing all of our hearts to Jesus. This is where the Spirit of His Son resides (Gal 4:6, 2 Cor 1:22). Therefore, we can only live as transformed people by allowing our hearts, through the leading of His Spirit, to set the vision for our lives. Only then, will we be able to truly call ourselves followers of Jesus; when we are led by His Spirit.
Through God’s grace, and Christ’s redeeming work on the cross for our sins, we no longer have to live under the law. Through faith, we are no longer imprisoned, but our sin is now imprisoned as we get to live free in Christ.
We desire to truly live as people who have been set free and rescued into the Kingdom of God! Living as the church who has been transformed and finds her significance in Jesus will bring restoration to people around her. As each of us is living out this mission at Restoration, we will join with all other Christians around the world to eventually bring glory to Jesus everywhere.
Thank you Tyrone Daniel for reminding us to find our significance in Christ! “ Our revelation of Jesus determines our mission and our mission determines our local church.” We desire to be people living for the King and His Kingdom!
Paul uses the example of Abraham to debunk the belief that people can be declared righteous by God based on their own actions and reinforces the fact that true righteousness comes only through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. This righteousness is available to all nations!
We have been justified by the faithfulness of Jesus, His finished work on the cross and are FREE from guilt and condemnation. We are free from sin and outward conformity and can come before God because of Jesus alone.
The truth of the gospel is powerful, unchanging, and must be preserved. Galatians 2 encourages us to always maintain the truth of the gospel in order to fully live in the freedom Christ has purchased for us. Just as Paul has done for us, so we must do the same for others.
We are uniquely created and called. Like Paul, we can all grow in intimacy and revelation as we journey with Jesus.
God has a spacious place for us and we enter in by faith, receiving all that Jesus has won for us. Because of Jesus we are co-heirs with Christ and can live finding our joy and hope in Him, despite our circumstance. We can dream big in Him, not living in fear of the unknown or wishing for what’s familiar but trusting in our big God and His good plans for our lives, moving into the more He has for us.
Understanding the love our our Heavenly Father will strengthen, refresh, envision, and encourage us through the tough times. Jesus went to the cross, per our Heavenly Father’s will, because He understood “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). Let’s follow Jesus’ example and draw upon our Father’s love for everything that we do.
Jesus brought a kingdom that was upside down, and inside out. The first will be last and the greatest will be the servant of all. When we are faithful in the small things, God leads us into and entrusts us with more.
The world defines inheritance as material goods. Our future inheritance is so much more than that. It is to stand before our God and receive “the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Tim 4:7). Be encouraged and lean into Him as we move beyond worldly inheritance in order to appear before God (Ps 84:7) to receive our everlasting inheritance.
James encouraged us to be faithful in the “suspended seasons” and to stand and fight for the unity of our local church by honoring one another. Fight now for what is coming and fight now for now, because how we walk into our inheritance is flavored by our faithfulness with the right now. When we do this our local church becomes dangerously effective for the Kingdom.
God always fulfills His promise! We see His faithfulness through the humanly impossible birth of Isaac, which brought joy to Sarah and Abraham. This is a foreshadow to another miraculous birth of Jesus two thousands years later, which brought joy to all mankind! Let’s tune our ears and hearts to hear God’s specific promise for each of us!
Thank you Ken for reminding us that God desires to speak to us. God wants us to know that we are dearly loved and treasured by Him. The way for us to know that is through recognizing His voice, from all the other voices, and listen to His voice.
God called Abraham his friend. In Genesis 18 we can see how the posture of Abraham’s heart and his response to different seasons in his walk of faith, prepared him for an encounter with the Lord.
Thank you Jody for breaking down the stigma of Evangelism. It is simply about us bringing unification to our Heavenly Father and his children! Let’s continue to invite everyone and anyone into this eternal unification because we have been given permission, and empowered, by God Himself.
In our series on the life of Abraham, God came and revealed Himself to Abraham in a new way. As the All-sufficient One! And God is all-sufficient for us too. He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever; like Abraham, we can put ALL our trust in Him. HE is our great reward, so let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and trust completely that our God is in control and believe Him for the impossible in our lives.
Genesis 16 teaches us to be constantly inquiring of God! God doesn’t want us to make just a rational decision, but to come to him for leading and guidance in making our decisions. Being a friend of God is not about doing the right thing, but it is all about having intimacy with Him.
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Let’s emulate Abraham and be known as the people who have complete faith in God. Let Him always be the source of our encouragement, strength, wisdom, conviction, and guidance. Seek to hear Him always in all circumstances.
As Abrams friendship with God becomes ever deeper, we see Abram’s actions begin to reflect the heart of God in all that he does.
Thank you to James and Jesi Lusk for sharing with us about their upcoming adventure as they say “Yes” to God. The process of saying “Yes” was made easier through the revelation of who God is. As we come to know who God is, we know who we were and who we are in Christ. This revelation of God made the saying “Yes” easier! Watch out NYC. This great city is about get wrecked even more, through the Lusks, by the ever advancing Kingdom of God!
Let us follow Abraham’s example of living a generous lifestyle for God. He trusted in God’s promise, His provision, and His generosity. This revelation allowed Abraham to have an open-handed attitude with Lot because he trusted in the Lord, and not in the outcome of Lot’s decision.
As Jesus called us to be His friends (John 15:13-16), let’s learn from the first person whom God called Friend - Abraham (Is 41:8). In Genesis 12, we learned that Abraham actively obeyed God. Let’s emulate this attribute, obedience through action, as it will enable us to walk fully into the promises of God and be called Friends of God.
The most important revelation we have, is our revelation of who Jesus is. Let’s keep our passion and love for Jesus alive and be a church that is captivated by Jesus. Our revelation of Jesus will keep us from dry Christianity and going through the motions. David pursued and longed for the presence of God, even when his own son was trying to kill him. (Ps. 63) We also can run into the Presence of God and receive grace and mercy in our time of need. (Heb. 4:16)
Let’s get back to God’s original design and function of the local church! His way is always perfect and better than our ways. It is the same with His original intention for the church (Eph 3:10) as it transcends culture, generations, and geography. God’s design for His church is always perfect and better than any model man can come up with in building His church (Matt 16:18).
One of the values at Restoration is to advance His Kingdom. We believe this “value” is also applicable to all Christians everywhere as it is the “commission” from our King to all followers of Christ. The most effective, and impactful, way is to be transparent to those around us at all times while constantly making Jesus the focus and center of our lives. This can, and should, be done through the various people we interact with on a regular basis.
Having an Assurance of Our Salvation will allow us to confidently live with a Kingdom mindset, live with a pioneering spirit, and live as people on a mission. God has given us, individually and the church, all the gifts that we need to boldly embark on a mission to share the Good News and advance His Kingdom.
God is calling us to experience the the glory of his presence, to hear and awaken to His call, turn to him, and celebrate with others, and rejoice in the fellowship of His presence. As we unfold the story of Joseph, we can see that he is one who stood firm to experience the presence of God in such a fruitful way. God desires that you enter into his presence, and be filled with overwhelming joy. How will you experience God?
As we come to know Jesus more, as God, King of the universe, creator and sustainer of everything, and Savior of the world, we find our security and identity in Him (Heb.1:1). Knowing Jesus, gives our lives purpose and identity. We are loved, accepted, called, chosen by Him, not defined by our past, or the things that have happened to us. So instead of asking “Who am I?” our question should be, “Jesus, who are you?”
We have not only been given eternal life through our faith in Jesus, which in itself is more than what we deserve, but our Heavenly Father has also declared us as righteous and justified before all of creation. Let’s encourage each other to share this amazing Good News and live as people who have been justified from guilt, shame, lies, or condemnation of this world. Live truly as followers of Jesus, people who are justified, loved, and well-pleased by the One True God!
Take comfort in knowing that God is always with us, through our salvation, because it is in His nature and His character! We have been reconciled with our Living God the moment we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have become one with the God of the universe just as Jesus is one with the Father (Jn 17:21-23).
Let us all have complete assurance of our Salvation through Jesus! It is because our lives as Christians are dependent upon our understanding of the Salvation we have received through Jesus. The more assurance we have of our position as God’s people, the more we will be able live with conviction and boldness in following God’s word. Therefore, as we live each day with the Assurance of our Salvation, we will freely share the Greatest News Ever to those around us.
Thank you Steve for reminding us that we are saved from death, slavery, and condemnation STRICTLY because of God’s great love for us. It is by grace, through faith, that we have salvation so no one can boast in their own good works.
Thank you to Cindy Booth for her encouragement through the story of Jacob to set up memorial pillars in order to remind us of the promises that God has made.
Thank you Jesus for this incredible journey as we reach our 2nd birthday! Our desire is to praise God and keep on preaching the Good news! Restoration is celebrated when Jesus is glorified and lifted up. Therefore, we will always celebrate Him until Jesus is glorified everywhere!
Vanessa preached on the Holy Spirit and reminded us that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible teaches He is a seal, guaranteeing our inheritance, our advocate and helper and we are to live continuously filled by the Spirit!
John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Its through a deep trust in Jesus that living waters will flow from within us and we experience greater peace and joy. We can rest secure knowing our God is who He says He is and He will do what He said He will do!
Man was made for worship, and our lives will be formed and molded by what we consciously or unconsciously choose to worship. When we worship God, it transforms us and causes us to greater reflect His character and His ways.
The Kingdom of God, which we can only have through Jesus Christ, is worth far more than anything we have possessed or ever will. Let’s not lose sight of our eternal inheritance through keeping our focus on the King and His Kingdom.
Our respective local church family is where God has specifically and intentionally put us for this season. Jesus is building His Church through us serving Him within our local church family. It is where we grow and mature together. We are committing to being part of His plan and serving Jesus when we commit to the local church family and serve Him by bringing forth our time, gifting, and finance.
God instructed ALL followers of Jesus Christ, through Paul, to commit ourselves to prayer, to pray that God may open doors for the message of the mystery of Christ, and to pray for us to share it clearly. These instructions are from our Heavenly Father’s desire to communicate with us and for others to know His love for the world.
We are called to live differently as followers of Jesus! This passage provides instructions on the roles and functions for different members within the family. The one over-arching objective is to live for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ regardless of our different roles.
We are now royalty, through Jesus, living in the Kingdom of God. Let's clothe ourselves with outfits deserving of people who are holy, chosen, and dearly loved. These are the outfits of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, love, peace, and thankfulness.
When we focus on the love and goodness of our magnificent God, it will be easier for us to rid ourselves of the “earthly nature”. Having an understanding/revelation of Who Jesus is and His sacrifice for us will give us the strength and courage to put on our “new self”. Thank you Jesus!
As we set our hearts and minds to be with Jesus, let our hearts be the compass that points toward Jesus and our minds be the path that takes us to be with our King Jesus. Let’s encourage each other to be steadfast and stay on course in the knowledge that we are always protected by the mighty King of the universe.
Sometimes our understanding and expectations of God's plan for our life contradicts our life experience. When our hope is deferred and disappointment sets in, we can be tempted to turn away from Jesus, But, His love will not allow us to become derailed from His call on our lives. He will pursue us and restore us.
Luke 15 speaks to the heart of God for the lost and the great lengths He would go to for them to be saved. We are also called to share the love of Jesus with those around us and make room in our hearts for those who do not know Him!
We are called to be followers of Jesus Christ. As we reflect the true image and love of Jesus to those around us, others will come to truly know the church of Jesus Christ.
Just as Jesus sharing the water of life to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), the church built by Jesus will be "messy" as she will be comprised of people from different backgrounds. We are to follow Jesus' example in acknowledging sins, but don't let those sins keep us from sharing the love and goodness of Jesus Christ.
We are reminded of the significance of Jesus' Resurrection. It is an unprecedented and undeniable proof of Jesus' power. His resurrection was God's acceptance of His sacrifice as payment for our original disobedience, which led to the consequence of mankind's spiritual death. As we chose to accept Jesus, we will have freedom and spiritual life for all eternity.
Nehemiah was God's servant to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Just as God restored Jerusalem in phases and in fullness, He seeks to restore every aspect of our lives.
Paul reminded us that we are now free from human rules. Human rules were created by people to please people. We are called to submit to higher rules, which are from God. We will live in freedom when we live to please God.
Paul lived His life to make the mystery of Jesus known, "Christ in us! The Hope of Glory". Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, not a denomination, religion or philosophy... and our greatest joy is the intimacy we have with Him. We build our lives on Jesus! ~ the truth and hope of the gospel and God's love for us.
Jesus "brought" us into the Kingdom of God through His ultimate obedience. He reconciled us so we can be presented, before all creation, as "holy, without blemish and free from accusation". This status has already been reserved for us, "IF" we continue in our faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope of the gospel.
Jesus, the uncreated Creator, died on the cross for us so we can be ONE with Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It is easy to obey and submit to Jesus through who He is and what He did.
We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of the one who is before all things and in him all things hold together!
Thankful for the wisdom and understanding from the Spirit and trusting for endurance, patience, and gratefulness to the Father whom has rescued us from the dominion of darkness.
Colossians 1:1-6 - What is the true message of the gospel? Jesus is the only one who saves, nothing more and nothing less. This message is being proclaimed and lived out in Colossae in such a powerful way that it, the true message of the gospel, was being heard far and wide.
Amazing Grace - Jesus came into the World for us so we can reclaim the life that was meant for us since creation. He is with us!!
The fatal consequences of man's disobedience and the incredible impact of Jesus' obedience
We have freedom when we submit to God. In our lives, we chose to submit to God, to self, or to the Devil.
Worship is our expression of reverence, adoration, and admiration to God through our revelation of Who He is!
The "Great Commission" is just another reminder, among many reminders throughout the history of mankind, for us to be a witness and proclaim His goodness to everyone!
There is power and wisdom in The Word - it heals us, it cleanses us, it matures us, it refreshes us, it works faith in us, it guides and leads us!
Thank you Steve and Debs Sudworth for a timely reminder! Boasting only in the cross of Jesus Christ!!
What is salvation? Why do we need saving? Qualifications of Jesus? Who can be saved? How can one be saved? Pray for salvation and share the gospel!
Jesus' death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice for ALL people everywhere throughout all time!