Gospel Life Sermons: Recent Episodes
Gospel Life Church
Weekly sermon messages from Gospel Life Church in Puyallup Washington. At Gospel Life, everything is about and for the God-man, Jesus Christ! Our vision is to make disciples that make disciples and plant churches that plant churches. Our mission is to preach the gospel and help connect its transformational power to everyday life!
The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!
The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. However, as we read 1 Samuel 8, it’s clear that the disease of our sin blinds us from accepting Him as our King and we end up placing all of our hope in everything but Him. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!
Jesus final words in John’s Gospel account are: “You follow me!”. The life of following Jesus is a call to humble obedience and a life of complete dependance upon His grace. As His disciples we fall short of that call all the time. Knowing this, Jesus starts and finishes this book with the same call; “Follow me.” Revealing that no matter how many times we sin and fall short of glorifying Him, He never stops calling us to Himself.
It’s finally here! Jesus is alive! In John 20, we learn that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and, beginning with Mary, we start to see the mourning, confusion, and chaos of the disciples be suddenly and decidedly transformed into celebration, confidence, and clarity when they see their resurrected Lord. The resurrection of Jesus Christ changes our perspective because it changes our lives!
John 19:31-42 is so much more than just a transition passage between the death and resurrection of Jesus. Instead, John uses the space between the cross and the empty tomb to give us evidence verifying the death of Jesus Christ so that we can know that our faith is both trustworthy and true. With that, although my faith may be tested, I can trust that the the cross has been tested as true.
The symbol once used to intimidate people and kill them, would eventually be used as a symbol for an invitation for a right relationship with God. The symbol once used for shame and suffering, one day, would be used as a symbol of salvation to anyone who would believe and put their faith in God. The cross was once used for hell on earth, but today Christians see it as the door to eternity in paradise with our Savior who endured it and conquered it! We can’t forget the cross, we can’t ignore the cross. We can’t dismiss the importance of the cross for God’s plan for us through Jesus!
In John 19 we will finally arrive at the crucifixion. Jesus will be flogged, beaten, falsely accused, and hung on a cross to die. The entire Old Testament was leading up to this moment and everything in human history changes because of it. However, John mentions another character at the end of John 18 that helps us truly understand the death of Christ - Barabbas. Why? The story of Barabbas accuses us, pardons us, and ultimately tells us how we can be set us free. Why? Because I am Barabbas.
If we were honest, we all struggle with trying to control things in our lives. Jesus is inviting us to trust in His sovereign rule and reign over all things and set us free from our addiction to control. We have believed a lie, when we start trying to rule our own lives and those around us. Jesus has come to give us the TRUTH, about who He is and what He has done, to help us trust Him and enjoy the freedom that comes in Christ alone.
If there was a Gospel Truth found in today’s passage it would be redemption. Redemption is not found in us or anything in this world. Redemption is only found in Jesus! The enemy doesn’t want you redeemed. He doesn’t want you to be reconciled with God or His people. The enemy wants you distanced and destroyed. Jesus predicts Peter’s failure, Jesus experiences Peter’s failure, then Jesus redeems Peter’s failure.
In John 18, the story of the cross begins to unfold, and Jesus will be captured, beaten, imprisoned, and murdered. However, just when it look like things are spiraling out of control, John wants us to know that Jesus is in control of each and every part of it. Jesus is choosing this path because He knows that this is the path that will rescue us, and if Jesus was in control of this story, I can always trust his redemptive purposes for my story today.
There seems to be many things in our society that are causing division within the church. Jesus prayed for us the night before He went to the cross and asked the Father to make us one, as they are One. Jesus then bled and died to purchase our unity with Him and our unity with one another. We are called to display His glory by being united in Him. It is where we will find our joy and it is our witness to the watching world, that the Father sent His Son to save sinners.
In part two of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, we learn that Jesus is asking the Father to preserve our unity and our faith with His joy, His protection from the enemy, and His Word. Two thousand years after this prayer, the Christian continues to have great hope when trials come because we know that Jesus has already given us everything we need to stand firm and to stand together for His glory!
As we arrive at John 17, Jesus shifts from a posture of teaching to a posture of prayer, inviting us into an intimate conversation that He has with His Father mere hours before the cross. And while His prayer includes many things for us, John 17:1-15 shows that it is not about us. Instead, His prayer is all about glory and we learn that the glory of Jesus causes everything else to fade into the background because of Him.
Like the disciples, we easily misunderstand Jesus when our belief is shallow. When we assume the “good news” is about our immediate problems and our vision of the good life, we are going to be disappointed, confused.
However, a robust faith is led by the Spirit to see what God has done in Christ—the world is overcome and we have direct access to the Father—only then do we have peace and confidence in the middle of trouble, and that is truly good news.
We might be tempted to think that joy is found in the absence of sorrow, but Jesus tells us that true joy is found in His presence! Which means that we can have true joy, even while passing through some of life’s most sorrowful circumstances. As believers in Jesus, we have His Spirit alive in us and that is our guarantee of an eternity in His presence, where we will have infinite and indestructible joy!
As we approach the conclusion of John’s Gospel account, Jesus becomes remarkably intentional in his interactions with various people in the story. John skillfully draws our attention to these face-to-face encounters with Jesus. Whether it’s the intimacy of Jesus’ prayer for the disciples in the garden, his dialogue with Pilate regarding kingship, or his compassionate care for Mary by the tomb after his resurrection, each person approaches Jesus with their own agenda. And every time, Jesus brings the transformative power of the gospel to bear upon their lives – whether resulting in whole-hearted transformation or turning away in outright Jesus journeys toward the cross, he purposefully engages with specific individuals. In this, we are invited to recognize that each interaction, every miracle, and each spoken word serves as a personal invitation to us, the readers, to believe and find life in Jesus’ name (John 20:30-31). Join us as we journey with Jesus to meet each character along the way; not overlooking the good news that Jesus has come to meet with you and me as well. And as we journey with him through the cross, we are invited to find true life in Him on the other side!
When people say ‘church’ many different things tend to come to mind. For some, church brings up images of stained glass, potlucks, and pews while others might view the church as religious, irrelevant or detached. Additionally, many of us that go to church tend to define our perspective through the lens of our experiences and we rarely consider God’s design for the church and our role within it. With that, we invite you to discover an incredible truth with us: God designed the church to be all about Jesus. Jesus leading it, Jesus over it, and Jesus through each and every part of it. Join us as we celebrate God’s design for the local church and learn how membership, the roles of both deacon and elder, and our mission all celebrate God’s good plan to celebrate His Son through His church!
When people say ‘church’ many different things tend to come to mind. For some, church brings up images of stained glass, potlucks, and pews while others might view the church as religious, irrelevant or detached. Additionally, many of us that go to church tend to define our perspective through the lens of our experiences and we rarely consider God’s design for the church and our role within it. With that, we invite you to discover an incredible truth with us: God designed the church to be all about Jesus. Jesus leading it, Jesus over it, and Jesus through each and every part of it. Join us as we celebrate God’s design for the local church and learn how membership, the roles of both deacon and elder, and our mission all celebrate God’s good plan to celebrate His Son through His church!
When people say ‘church’ many different things tend to come to mind. For some, church brings up images of stained glass, potlucks, and pews while others might view the church as religious, irrelevant or detached. Additionally, many of us that go to church tend to define our perspective through the lens of our experiences and we rarely consider God’s design for the church and our role within it. With that, we invite you to discover an incredible truth with us: God designed the church to be all about Jesus. Jesus leading it, Jesus over it, and Jesus through each and every part of it. Join us as we celebrate God’s design for the local church and learn how membership, the roles of both deacon and elder, and our mission all celebrate God’s good plan to celebrate His Son through His church!
When people say ‘church’ many different things tend to come to mind. For some, church brings up images of stained glass, potlucks, and pews while others might view the church as religious, irrelevant or detached. Additionally, many of us that go to church tend to define our perspective through the lens of our experiences and we rarely consider God’s design for the church and our role within it. With that, we invite you to discover an incredible truth with us: God designed the church to be all about Jesus. Jesus leading it, Jesus over it, and Jesus through each and every part of it. Join us as we celebrate God’s design for the local church and learn how membership, the roles of both deacon and elder, and our mission all celebrate God’s good plan to celebrate His Son through His church!
Jesus spends quite a bit of time inviting his disciples to abide in John 15:1-17 and then, in the following passage, we learn why: a storm of persecution is coming. Jesus wants his followers to know that they’ll be excluded, hated, and even abused for knowing Him but He also wants us to know that the story will never end with persecution. Through persecution, we can know Jesus more and make him known through it!
Friends of God! What an amazing truth for those who are in Christ Jesus. Even though Jesus is only hours away from being arrested, beaten and crucified; His focus is still on loving His disciples. He is giving them the pathway to fullness of joy…and it is to ABIDE in Him and love one another the way that He loves them! By this the Father is glorified!
In the Old Testament, Israel is portrayed as a fruitless vine, a metaphor that Jesus changes by Himself becoming the Vine. As the ultimate source of life, Jesus ensures that those connected to Him will bear fruit. This fruit manifests as love, joy, and a profound understanding of and submission to the Father, permeating all aspects of life from relationships to emotions. Fruitfulness originates from the Vine, not from our own efforts, leading us to acknowledge autonomy as the heart of sin. We must be cautious against admiring independence, as it signifies disconnection from Christ. Jesus admonishes us that while God nurtures those who bear fruit, those who are disconnected from Christ are fruitless and face severe consequences. We were made for dependence on Christ, recognizing His strength as the sole source of fruitfulness.
The word ‘love’ is used in our culture to describe our attitude toward a wide variety of things. We love our family, we love a spouse, we love food, we love sports, we love traveling, and we certainly love our pets. With so many loves, it’s no wonder that we have a difficult time understanding what Jesus means when he invites us to ‘abide in his love’. Join us as we read John 15:9-13 to learn what real love is and discover what it means to abide in the perfect love of Jesus Christ.
True life, love, and joy stem from The True Vine, Christ Jesus. Though Christ and His Spirit, God intends to bear fruit in the hearts and lives of His believers.
John 15 is a call and a command to stop living life in our own strength.
Jesus knows that apart from Him we can do nothing, so He is helping His disciples by telling them, to abide in Him! If they do and if His Word is abiding in them, then they can ask whatever they wish and it will be done for them. Jesus is telling us how we can bear much fruit, have fullness of joy and live for the glory of God…it all comes by ABIDING in Him!
Is the Holy Spirit a feeling, a force, a ghost, or a genie? There are many misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the Holy Spirit in our culture and if you’ve ever felt confused as to the ministry of the Holy Spirit you are not alone! Thankfully, Jesus clearly introduces us to the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-31 and we learn that the Spirit preserves our faith and protects our unity by teaching us, convicting us, and reminding us of Jesus.
If your road is different than what you expected, if it includes more difficulty and pain and loss and confusion than what you thought would be in store, take heart! Jesus tells us that the path ahead is the same as the path you first started on - it’s the path of faith where life is found! This passage invites us to place our faith in a specific Savior who promises to do very specific things and to know that when the road ahead looks rough, Jesus gives us a perspective, promise, purpose and path to get us through.
In this passage Peter will ask 2 ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ that all believers have. Jesus, where are you going? Jesus, why can’t I follow you now? Jesus’ answers reveal our need to be obedient in our waiting to be with Him in heaven, and also to be rest assured that our salvation is sealed with Jesus even in the midst of our failures!
We are commanded to love one another the way that Jesus loved us. To love those inside the church with a selfless, sacrificial and forgiving type of love. We are told that the world will know that we are truly followers of Jesus if we do love one another. Praise God that where we fail, Christ succeeded on our behalf and that we remain in His love even when we fail and fall short of loving others!
Judas is cast as the ultimate villain in story of Jesus’ journey to the cross, but have you ever wondered what caused him to betray the Son of God? The gospel accounts invite us to examine Judas’ journey to this moment and as we do, we’ll discover that Judas’ path isn’t that different from our own. However, there is hope. Because Jesus Christ rose from the grave, the shame of our sin can be covered by the cross and reversed by the resurrection!
Many of us have heard about Jesus washing his disciple’s feet but this story can feel pretty removed from our context and leave us uncertain as to how we might apply this in our everyday lives. Thankfully, feet washing in John 13:1-20 is about so much more than the disciples getting a pedicure. Jesus washes his disciple’s feet as a picture of his love, a promise of his cross, and an invitation for how we might love one another as followers of Jesus on this side of the resurrection.
At Gospel Life, Biblical Soul Care exists to help people understand their sin and suffering Biblically by applying the good news of Jesus Christ to their lives by faith. We invite you to hear the vision for what Biblical Soul Care looks like for our church family and to discover the gospel motivation of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 that makes this all possible through Jesus!
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
That light is the promised Son of God and He will shine His light into the darkness, as He becomes flesh and dwells among His people.
And He will defeat the darkness and bring eternal life, by dying for His people.
It’s the final curtain call on Jesus’ public ministry and from this point forward He will only speak with his disciples, his accusers, and His Father. As he retreats to walk the lonely road to the cross, John wants us to understand why Israel chosen to crucify rather than believe God’s Son and he wants us to see that our unbelief isn’t a problem with our eyes or our eyes. Instead, unbelief is always a problem of the heart.
Jesus, The Light of the world, is on His way to the cross. He knows the weight of sin that He must carry and the wrath of God He must endure. Even though His soul is troubled, He longs to bring glory to His Father. The time to defeat darkness is now and it will take Him being lifted up on a cross and dying! The light shines into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
Right after Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem, Jesus makes it crystal clear to His disciples that His glory will demand his death – and that the Father will use his death to bring the most glory to Christ and many into His kingdom. However, this passage also shows us that the road to the cross is required for each of us as well. If we love our life, we’ll lose it...but if we lose our life for Christ we get His Way, His Truth, and His Life forever.
John 12 places us 6 days before the Passover Feast and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Pharisees want to murder Jesus. Not only this, but we learn in the passage that Judas has decided to betray Jesus and hand him over to death. However, as the heat turns up on Jesus, John presents us with an alternative response: worship. In this story, we witness Mary treasure, adore, and anoint Jesus at great cost to herself. In this we’re invited to see that Jesus is a better treasure than any of our earthly pleasures.
God will accomplish all of His purposes and nothing or no one can ever stop His plans. Jesus is moving towards the last week of His earthly ministry and is in complete control of all that will happen to Him; for His glory and the good of His people. We see in these verses that God's purposes are always so much bigger and better than our plans.
The story of Lazarus invites us to join Mary and Martha on the pathway of mourning but it certainly doesn’t leave us there. In John 11:38-44, we learn that Jesus always keeps his promises when puts his power on display for all those that would believe! Jesus drives back death, reverses sin’s curse, and commands Lazarus to wake up and walk free in the power of the resurrection! Thankfully, this resurrection hasn’t just been given to Lazarus. Because of Jesus, we too are invited to wake up and walk free when we place our trust in Christ!
When we lose someone we love and are filled with grief and sorrow, sometimes we get angry with God and wonder why He did not heal our loved one. We usually believe that true love shows up for us in our greatest hour of need and helps us. Jesus shows us in this text, that true love (His love) does show up, but not always to sustain physical life. His main goal is to display His Glory, so that we might BELIEVE in Him and have ETERNAL LIFE.
Jesus saves His people through His Word and when we’ve saved we are safe, secure, and satisfied in Christ. However, Jesus invites those that haven’t believed His words to consider his works – to examine them, to understand them, and to see that they validate His claim to be the Savior of the World. Ultimately, life comes to those that receive Jesus’ words and believe Jesus’ works and we invite you to do both with us as we trust and follow Jesus.
The Good Shepherd provides everything His sheep need to flourish and follow Him. He gives them His presence, His peace, His protection, His provision and His promises. No matter how many times His sheep wander away, He always goes after them and brings them back home. His goodness and mercy chases them down all the days of their life. And because of His sacrifice for them on the cross, they will be with Him forever.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd that pursues, protects, and provides for His beloved sheep. He calls us, he goes before us, he takes us to good pasture, and he guards us from all spiritual harm. He even lays his own life down for us giving us forgiveness, freedom, and the promise of eternal abundant life through Him. At the end of the day, Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we’ve got nothing to fear when we know that He’s near.
In Jesus we have the ‘death of death’! From John 8:51 Jesus says, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.’ Even in the midst of those that want to see Jesus killed, He gives His followers a promise that they will literally remember forever! The life we have with Jesus today will never end!
True disciples are those who abide. 'Abiding in God's Word'...is trusting that truth and freedom are found nowhere else but in Jesus! So stay with Him-all your life!
John chapter 8 is a tale of two sinners: a woman caught in adultery and a group of pharisees who didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus did not distance Himself from either-instead He brought conviction. The woman drew near to her savior and called Him Lord, while the pharisees continued in unbelief and wanted Him dead. Since Jesus is the light of the world, His conviction can bring life! As we turn from our sin and put our belief in Jesus we can walk in that light!
The wonderful story of Jesus interacting with the adulterous woman in John 8 is filled with controversy, confusion, and plenty of misunderstanding about what this story is even about. However, we consider where this fits in the storyline of scripture, we discover that this story reflects wonderful truths of the gospel to us that will comfort us, call us, and change us to live differently!
After arriving in Jerusalem during the most important spiritual festival of the year, Jesus announces his mission as the Messiah and invites the crowd to find true spiritual life through belief in him. However, instead of seeing the crowds believe, what John describes is a scene of division where everyone has developed their own opinion about who they believe Jesus to be. Some will dismiss him, others will accept an altered version of him, while others will reject him entirely. As we read, we’re invited to consider the question: will you believe in Jesus?
Like the people in Jerusalem, we often set our own expectations and we think we’ve considered of the best outcomes that will satiate our thirst for things to be made right. Jesus brings us better news. When we encounter good news of the Christ sent by YHWH, we (like the Jews) must set aside our expectations and be accepted into God’s plan to make all things new starting from within us. Our lives are not better because of Jesus, He is our life and he gifts us the Spirit as our daily source of life—like a well of water springing from within us. The alternative is to be forever thirsty.
As a people of Jesus, we celebrate the truth. Belief is knowing the truth of Jesus. Unbelief is not believing what He has said to be true.
We confuse Bible knowledge with actual spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is submitting our will to the will of our Heavenly Father. Jesus did this perfectly for the glory of the Father and for our everlasting joy with the Father.
The disease of self-righteousness convinces us that we’re right, that everyone else is wrong, and that the world would be a much better place if everyone just listened to ‘me’. By God’s grace, our self-righteousness is always incompatible with the agenda, mission and righteousness of Jesus and this passage invites us to consider who we will choose to rule our lives - Jesus Christ or ourselves?
The local church is given the great honor and responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus with the world. And so we go, stepping toward our neighbors, our communities, and the unreached to tell them what we've discovered ourselves: Jesus saves!
The Church is called to display the glory of God in the local community that God has placed them. It's everyday Christians living everyday lives in everyday places for the glory of God. We can live loved, embrace where God has us, fight our sin, and bless others because of Christ alive in us and when we fall, we can cling to the Savior that loves us and changes us for His glory.
Peter is making it crystal clear that to be Christian is to be part of the local church and the climax of this chapter are verses 9 and 10 and it’s here that Peter answers the question, “What is the church?” The church is NOT a building you go to. It’s NOT an organization you join. It’s NOT a service you attend or a charity you support and definitely NOT a social club or a place for political promotion. Instead the church the rescued and redeemed people of God who are chosen and called to be God’s Local Mission!
In the doctrine of Sovereign Election, we see; The Father‘s plan to love us, The Son’s plan to rescue us and The Spirit’s Guarantee of God’s forever grace. Jesus makes it clear that we can only come to Him if the Father draws us to the Son. And Jesus will save all those who come to Him and never cast them out!
In this passage Jesus tells us about the bread of life, the only ting substantial enough to quiet our spiritual craving and satisfying enough to fill up our souls. He stands in front of a crowd and says in essence. The only way to live is to eat the bread of life. In doing so, Jesus makes the first of seven 'I AM' statements and claims that a rich and satisfying life can only be found in Him.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 might be familiar to us but this story isn’t about fish or loaves - this story is all about Jesus! John wants us to see here that Jesus is amazing...that He’s God, that He’s good, and that He provides like nobody has, can or ever will.
We are much like the religious leaders that Jesus is addressing in this text.
We fail to love God and we seek the praise of man, instead of living for the glory of God.
Thanks be to Jesus, for Glorifying His Father perfectly, so that we could one day be with Him in Glory!
People of hope make great witnesses to the grace and glory of Jesus in a fallen and broken world full of people existing without real hope and the assurance of real and eternal life.
The resurrection of Jesus does not mean hope for all people. Hope is only for those who hear Jesus’ words and believe them by choosing to trust Him through faith and repentance.
The healing at the Pool of Bethesda is a celebration of Jesus’ compassion and a demonstration of Jesus’ power. Both His compassion and His power put His divinity on display for everyone to see and yet a group of religious rule-followers use this miracle to plot his murder. The question then must be asked: how will we respond to the compassion and power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
Suffering has a unique way to bring us to Jesus, but the ultimate goal in life, is not the elimination of suffering, but instead the ultimate goal is Jesus. When we trust Jesus by clinging to His promises, we are then able to enjoy the power and presence of Jesus even while we suffering and as a result enjoy His rest!
Jesus is THE Savior of the World. Faith brings us to seek Him and His word draws us to know Him. Nothing is outside of His saving grace.
Evangelism is an intimidating thing for many believers and something we either misunderstand or avoid entirely. Jesus invites us to consider the joy of evangelism in his interaction with the woman at the well and we’re invited to look to Jesus, share Jesus, and be satisfied in Jesus as we tell the world about him!
Today’s text follows Jesus offering living water to a woman at the well – but in doing so – Jesus first needs to expose her deepest issue that will keep her from receiving it – SHAME. Shame covers people and constantly says to people, “you didn’t just do wrong, BUT you are wrong.” And this is how shame becomes our identity and keeps us from receiving living water. When “I am wrong” becomes WHO I AM–hiding becomes my reality. So here Jesus uncovers shame in this woman her, so she can truly receive real life in His name!
We are all searching for satisfaction and we try to find it in hundreds of ways. Jesus offers all of us, who are weary from the sins we commit and the shame we carry, true and lasting satisfaction. He offers us Himself and if we have Him, then we have Life, that is full and eternal.
Our attitude toward the truth determines the outcome of our lives. If we don’t love the truth, if we resist it, we resist salvation. But if we do love the truth then we embrace salvation and we receive the reward: the crown of life.
So much of our anger, sadness, coldness, critical-spirit, and refusal to forgive arises because we’ve forgotten who we are and we’re expecting the world to treat us like we’re the groom, but it’s not our party, it’s not our story! JESUS is the groom! Jesus is the Hero! And John knew this and that’s the secret! John is content in life and full of joy because he’s accepted the reality that it’s not about JOHN – It’s ALL about Jesus and for Jesus! and this is the secret to his contentment and peace!
John 3:16 gives us the good news of what we can saved for but John 3:17-21 invites us to consider what we can be saved from. In this, the gospel doesn't just give us hope for eternal life-the gospel also gives us God's promise of salvation from the punishment and power of our sin!
John 3:16 is spoken by Jesus himself and is part of a “night-time” conversation that Jesus is having with a religious leader named Nicodemus. In an authentic dialogue with Jesus, Nicodemus (the main religious teacher in all of Israel during the time of Jesus) is having his whole perception of God and having relationship with Him flipped on its head. In short, Nicodemus is learning that salvation has been and will continue to be based upon God’s grace, his work and the work of man is to believe!
If the Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then it is very important that we understand WHAT believe means, HOW belief happens and WHO belief is given to. Jesus addresses these things in this passage and shows us that WE ARE BORN AGAIN and brought to BELIEF by grace and grace alone.
Jesus does not deal kindly with extra biblical requirements or religious obstacles to enjoying the relational realities of the New Covenant with God made possible through His life, death and resurrection.
Jesus delivers to us a NEW COVENANT by his perfect life lived, substitutionary life died and bodily resurrection from the dead – all of this is a gift of grace, to be received by faith, that when received makes sinners supernaturally children of God.
Biblical Soul Care is the process of entering into a loving relationship with another person to help them understand their sin and suffering biblically and apply the good news of Jesus Christ to their lives by faith. We all need this type of care and every believer is called to extend this care one another. Join us as we learn what this looks like, why it matters, and what it means to be a church equipped to care for one another’s souls with the good news of Jesus!
The suffering of Jesus our Savior didn’t begin on the cross, it began at his birth and continued to all the way to his death, and it was all for our redemption and salvation.
Darkness is everywhere and we get discouraged when we consider the sin, suffering and evil of this world. We need something to light up that darkness and it can’t be our Christmas lights, our cell phone lights, or our spotlights. We need the True Light, Jesus Christ, to come and at Christmas we remember that this Light has broken through the darkness! And if Jesus is the Light, you and I don’t need to live in darkness any longer.
We chase empty things this time of year that leave us feeling disillusioned and without hope. This season, may we instead worship Jesus in His righteousness and be filled with joyful hope as eternal citizens of his Kingdom. He is our true north.
What happens when we try to be our own little kings and queens and what happens when we place our hope in the rulers of this earth? We don’t have to look any further than the book of Isaiah to learn that brokenness, sorrow, and despair follow those that try to rule their own lives. However, there is hope! In the midst of their sin, God gives his people the promise of a Wonderful King, a Mighty King, an Everlasting King, and a King of Peace that will rescue them forever from their sin. The Christmas story declares that Jesus is that King and that God's people can surrender today and have hope for tomorrow because of the Kingship of Jesus Christ!
Jesus here calls His first disciples. They are not who we would choose, if the goal was to get your message to the whole world through them. But He shows His great and glorious grace, by choosing the weak and foolish things in this world to shame the strong and wise.
In children’s books, John the Baptist is usually portrayed as having long shaggy hair, a scuffled beard and he’s often seen eating a steady diet of wild honey and dried locusts. All this may be true, but God’s Word wants us to know that his appearance certainly wasn’t the most important thing about him. This passage shows us that John the Baptist was the last prophet pointing to Jesus and it will help us see why that matters, why he pointed to Jesus in the first place, and what that means for us today.
The good news that God would provide a way for sinners to be reconciled to himself was first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised the seed of the woman would be born who would bring victory over sin and its inevitable effects - death. Then the rest of the OT traces this promised seed of God, all the while reminding us of God’s grace and mercy and sovereign plan to provide salvation for sinners and healing for sufferers. In short, the gospel story did not begin with the birth of Jesus – no – the gospel story began long before. And this is why John does not begin is gospel account with the birth of Jesus – he’s wanting his readers to see Jesus not as the beginning of the gospel but how the gospel is embodied and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
John doesn’t start his gospel account with a genealogy, a background, or even the story of the birth of Christ. John’s gospel starts with this: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...” John wants us to know from the start that Jesus is God and he uses John 1:1-13 to give us 19 more doctrinal statements about the person and work of Jesus Christ in order that we might believe and have life through His name!
The King has given his servants resource and charged them to "engage in business until I come." Having woke up this morning and seeing that He hasn't yet returned means there is more business to do!
How will you use your money, calendar, and energy to engage in Kingdom business until the King returns?
This story and subsequent parable invite us to consider how God’s grace forms, fuels and guides God’s people to love generously. In fact, Jesus Christ came to save big sinners and when those big sinners receive God’s grace, the worst of sinners become the most generous saints!
A disciple becomes generous when they remember the gospel that contains the power to propel them to distribute the mercy and grace they are regularly receiving from God - to the glory of Jesus and good of others!
Matthew 28:16-20 is Jesus' commission to His first disciples and therefore it is also His commission to His church ever since. Which means if you're not a Christian this morning, this is Jesus' life purpose for you; for us in our community. TRUTH: No one has ever been chosen to just be a recipient of the amazing grace of God has also been commissioned to be an instrument of that same work of grace as well.
Everyone is born with an innate sense of justice because we’re all gloriously made in the image and likeness of God – WHO IS JUST! But the truth is we all want the offender to get what is coming to him because we all desire for JUSTICE to be served. Now this is good, but when we choose to accomplish this ourselves it’s condemnable wrath. The good news is that Jesus took our wrath along with every other condemnable sin when He absorbed the perfect just wrath of God on His cross at Calvary. Which means we can trust that every injustice will be set right in God’s timing when Jesus returns and as a result can let go and be delivered from the unbearable burden of wrath by the grace of God.
The dictionary definition of laziness is the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy. It’s idleness, apathy, indifference or complacency. This means that laziness might be bigger than most people think at first and therefore could possibly expand to who is a sluggard. Laziness is a lack of productivity, but also excessive productivity in the wrong direction!
Pride is the most deceitful, dangerous and deadly sin. God promises to crush it wherever He finds it. Jesus took our pride upon Himself on the cross, where he was crushed in our place. Through His humble obedience He defeated Pride and gives us His humility to be accepted by ther Father.
The world will tell us that we can define sexuality on our own terms and serves us the narrative that sex exists solely for the purpose of making us feel good. This caters to the sinful desire of lust in each of us and teaches us to dishonor image bearers and disregard God in the process. Thankfully, our God provides a remedy for our lust and a way for us to honor Him with our sexuality! Join this conversation with us as we experience freedom in Christ and teach the next generation about the goodness of our God as it relates to this important topic!
When we think about greed we might envision a money hungry executive or plotting bank robber but biblical greed isn’t that simple. Greed is both the love of money and the trust in money, the belief that money will make you happy and the use of money to get what you want. The problem with greed is not that we worship money but that we worship what money will give us and Jesus wants to redeem our idolaltrous relationship with the good news of His gospel and a relationship with Him!
The way of the wise aligns our heart to Jesus and gives us full satisfaction. The way of self leads to overindulgence that suffocates our satisfaction and leads us to despair. The gospel frees us to direct our hearts to the way of Jesus.
Envy is the byproduct of discontentedness. And when we envy, we make clear our lack of faith in the gospel! Trusting and following Jesus – Believing the gospel – living life according to the Scriptures, following the Holy Sprit in your daily living, will lead you into a life satisfaction, purpose, meaning, value and worth. And this is what the book of proverbs is all about. Read Proverbs 14:30. It’s the gospel!
Proverbs shows the beauty of wisdom and how it guides us to live well in God’s world. Unfortunately, we all pridefully turn from wise living and go against the fear of the Lord, which the Bible calls foolishness. Jesus came to destroy Satan, the great fool, to die for our foolishness, and to give us his Spirit of wisdom.
Receiving and treasuring wisdom will lead God's people into a healthy fear of the Lord and an intimate knowledge of God. This receiving and treasuring wisdom are gifts of grace, flowing from the disciplines of Listening to God with Humilty, Praying to God with Expectancy, and Pursuing God with Intentionality. When God’s people celebrate their rescue and cultivate their relationship with Him by clinging to Jesus, supernatural wisdom will naturally flow from their new hearts into their everyday lives.
What voice are you listening to? God makes the voice of his wisdom known to all of us, but we must choose between listening to His voice or listening to the voice of the flesh, this world, and Satan. One voice leads to life and rest while the other voice leads to death. This passage invites us to ultimately look to Jesus, the wisdom and perfect revelation of God, and to filter every decision in our life through a relationship of faith with Christ.
Wisdom is important, but impossible without looking to God and then to others first. Even the wisdom of Solomon is just a shadow of the perfect wisdom of Jesus. We worship him for who he is, and this powers our purusuit of it.
The outworking of repentance and faith is being devoted to fellowship, serving, generosity, and mission within the context of the local church that always extended into the community for the advancement of the kingdom and the glory of God.
Using imagery and illustration, Jesus confronts an affluent culture right between the eyes. Jesus here, is showing the self-reliant, great love and unmatched grace – this is really good news! – he’s wanting to set them free. He’s exposing their sin of self-trust that is deceiving them, so that they can enjoy something so much better. This whole section is grace – it’s a grace-filled, loving rebuke from Jesus to people whom he loves and lived, died, and rose again for – so that they could enjoy life abundantly – which is a life of need and dependence not self-reliance and independence.
On the surface that church at Philadelphia was the weakest of the seven churches. They were smaller, had a less distinguished reputation, and had been beat up by religious oppression, physical trials, and hardship. However, they had been consistently faithful to Jesus Christ. Knowing this, Jesus knows their condition and gives no rebuke to this church, only promises of comfort. This letter gives more promises to this church than any of the other letters and Jesus wants them to know that they're his, that they're loved, and that they have a secure future in his kingdom.
Religion and reputation possess the great ability to blind people to their need for real righteousness, and as a result are powerful illusions falsely assuring salvation. In other words, Religion. Even participating in a church community can provide a good life and a clean reputation. It can produce NICE people, but what if God demands more than nice? What if his standard is much higher? What if he requires a deeper transformation; a regeneration?
Jesus came to us the first time, FULL of Grace and Truth. His church is called to represent Him on the earth until He returns a second time. We the church must not cling to just one aspect of Christ, but seek to Declare His Gospel and Display His Glory, by the way we LOVE one another in WORD and DEED.
Jesus commends the church in Pergamum for keeping their eyes on him in a evil city that actively persecutes Christians. However, they’ve let a little too much of the world into their beliefs, actions, and daily lives and Jesus is calling for them to change. Thankfully, he gives them exactly what they need for that type of transformation: Himself!
Suffering is an inevitable part of life, so either we face it in fear and grow bitter in our heart, or we see it as grace and run and cling to Jesus!
Jesus knows everything, and because He is faithful and loves His people intimately and unconditionally, He will not allow anything to keep them from enjoying the gifts of His grace!
How do we disciple the next generation? We love God personally, repent regularly, teach scripture practically, and participate in church together faithfully.
Jesus changes everything and by design each local church is a tool of grace; a vehicle of remembering, intended to battle our forgetfulness, so we can enjoy Jesus and participate in the building God’s Kingdom in our community!
The grace of God contains the power to completely transform a human life! Not only does faith in Jesus provide security for the future, but because Jesus not only died for sin, but also lived, the grace of God contains the power to change everything. Jesus changes everything.
The death of Jesus Christ is the turning point of the biblical storyline and human history. On the cross Jesus is abandoned, punished, and killed for us and believer’s are declared holy, blameless, and above reproach because fo the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on their behalf. We are called to cling to this essential doctrine as believers and remember this hope of the gospel in our everyday lives!
The grace of God contains the power to completely transform a human life! Not only does faith in Jesus provide security for the future, but because Jesus not only died for sin, but also lived, the grace of God contains the power to change everything. Jesus changes everything.
The Father’s Will, Purpose, and Plan is to UNITE all things in Christ. Satan's will, purpose, and plan is to cause disunity however and wherever possible. We fight the good fight of faith, by standing firm in Christs strength and striving for UNITY in the church, in our homes and at work. Jesus HAS ALREADY DEFEATED the enemy and now we can stand firm in HIM and IN HIS FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS.
The gospel changes our view of work, our standards for work, and even makes our daily work worship unto Jesus for the glory of God and our joy as His chidren. This is such good news, because most people spend the majority of their life working and if we see it as a necessary evil or as a place to find our identity, we will miss God’s design and gift of working for our true Master Jesus Christ!
Parenting, like marriage is another opportunity for gospel connection. First we’re all children with parents. Second, many of us are parents of children. And third, we belong to a church with tons of kids, therefore even if you don’t have kids, you have a parenting responsibility in this local family of God.
Marriage has been made to be the ultimate relationship and as a result, people who are unmarried, have a tendency to feel as if they are lessor than – as if marriage is somehow the ultimate goal. But the Bible doesn’t speak about marriage in ultimate terms. In actuality, marriage according to God isn’t the ultimate destination or even the ultimate relationship – marriage is only intended by God to be a pointer or a signpost directing us to something greater: the ultimate relationship with Jesus.
My hope for us Church, is that we would wake up and actually want holiness; that we would walk in love by putting on thanksgiving, obedience, and in all this—rest in Christ by the Spirit. As we grow in holiness, we will grow in love, we will grow in knowing Christ, and we will grow in showing God to the world.
What does the Christian life look like and how do you live it? Paul calls the Ephesian church to look different than the rest of the world by remembering and applying the finished work of the gospel to their everyday lives. How do they do this? The answer is the two-step Christian walk of faith and repentance.
A healthy church will be unified and diverse, with maturing people who are full of worship, are incredibly welcoming, humble, grateful, sacrificial in their serving, and excited about discipleship for the glory of Jesus.
Paul prays for God’s power, because he knows that without God moving and providing the power of His gospel – there is no way – the church of Jesus would ever be whom God saved them to be in this world and do what they are commissioned to. So, this section is a great reminder that we must have POWER if we’re ever going to mature as followers of Jesus, and POWER to comprehend the love of God if we’re ever going to be truly be unified as a local church.
Our world is divided by race, culture, politics and socio-economic status. However, the greatest divide that existed in biblical times was the separation between Jews and Gentlies. This text tells us what Jesus Christ has done about this divide and how his cross saves the stranger, reconciles the enemy, and builds all of God’s people together into a united church that proclaims Jesus Christ to the world!
Our need for salvation is so great that it took the totality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Healthy followers of Jesus understand their ongoing need of the gospel and the great help they have access to contained in the riches of God's grace.
Knowing God is about living with HOPE, knowing your WORTH as a person, and living with extremely POWER each and every day in a fallen and broken world. Knowing God = HOPE, WORTH and POWER; these are three things that everyone needs and is trying to get in this world! But these things are only Christian things!
The key to Christian living begins with a BIG view of God. When believers in Jesus begin to see the more-ness of the gospel, it will propel their growth and maturity of faith.
Experiencing the peace of God flows from being convinced of the love and grace of God that contains the supernatural power to transform sinners into saints - making the unfaithful, faithful in the eyes of God.
The story of the wise men is about so much more thancamels, gifts, and a star. In fact, Matthew 1:1-12 introduces us to the kingship of Jesus Christ and invites us to consider if we will receive, reject, or ignore him. Come adore Jesus as King with us and see how this beautiful passage points us there!
Jesus, God's Son and very imprint of God's nature, who upholds the universe by the word of his power, came to us in humility to bring us the good news message of God's Kingdom - that God sent His Son to save His people from their sin and to reconcile us to himself and others. Jesus is a friend of sinners and he has come to set us free! This is whom we adore, worship and celebrate with expectant hope this Christmas!
The greatest enemy of the human heart isn’t Satan or evil or injustice. Our greatest enemy is our pride and we need to be rescued from ourselves. At Christmas, we celebrate the good news that Christ came to conquer our greatest enemy with the most effective weapon possible: his humility. O come let us adore the Conquering Servant, Jesus Christ!
The Apostle John catches just a glimpse of glory of Christ in heaven and is blown away. We too must be blown away by the glory of Christ and respond in joy-filled praise
Jesus didn’t show up unannounced; a whole company of prophets spoke. Throughout history, prophecies not only specifically pointed to the surety of his coming, but also made specific promises about what his coming would produce forevermore!
Giving is a Christian invention. It’s a Christian endeavor. Giving is a God thing, so when God’s people give sacrificially, consistently and regularly, and are committed to giving for the sake of others without reservation for the glory of God, the building of Jesus’ church, the advancement of the gospel and good of others, it’s the most pure picture of the nature and character of God in a fallen world. When God’s people are free of the love of money (what the world is chasing and looking to for satisfaction, security and meaning), but instead are filled with the supernatural love of God, God’s glory is put uniquely on display with great effect. COMMITTMED, REGULAR and PERSISTENT GIVING is one of the most powerful witnesses and evidence of the existence of God.
The point is that God’s grace is so good, so rich, so satisfying, and so full it will not only provide enough for you to live, but it’s will also be more than you need to live so that you can reflect that same grace to the people all around you, “increasing your harvest of righteousness”. God’s grace is sufficient and abundant so we can participate in building the Kingdom of God that will last forever! So, the challenge for us is not our wealth or lack of it, but our belief and obedience!
Gospel Generosity isn’t some generic financial principle or a legalistic rule for Christians to follow. Instead, Gospel Generosity follows a plan to give faithfully, trusts God’s promise that he’ll always provide for his people, and gives so that God’s mission advances and others are blessed! Ultimately, we can be generous because Christ was first generous with us!
If we’re going to understand 2 Cor. 8-9, we must understand that Paul and Luke share the same theology and are preaching the same gospel and are making the same gospel implications for daily Christian living! If you’re just joining us – these two chapters contain Paul’s extended motivational plea to the Christians at Corinth to check their hearts and to make sure their professed faith matches their commitments! He calls this commitment – “PROOF OF LOVE” Vs. 24: “Give proof before the churches of your love”
Jesus makes clear in Matthew 6 that seeking God first in everything and with everything, is where true life is found and enjoyed. Therefore, First Freedom is about two things: it's about our giving TO (the vision of our church in this next season) and it's also about our giving FROM (the condition of our hearts), as we’re looking to Jesus and experiencing the amazing grace of God.
Jesus makes clear in Matthew 6 that seeking God first in everything and with everything, is where true life is found and enjoyed. Therefore, First Freedom is about two things: it's about our giving TO (the vision of our church in this next season) and it's also about our giving FROM (the condition of our hearts) as we’re looking to Jesus and experiencing the amazing grace of God.
What do we do when we’re troubled, stuck, afraid, or anxious? The answer to that question will tell us a lot about the state of our heart. Thankfully, the good news of Jesus invites us to find peace in Christ when we remember God’s character, trust God’s promises, take a step forward by faith, and worship the Lord!
GOSPEL COMMUNITY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What tends to disrupt your peace? Why? 2. How have you tended to respond when that happens? How did that go for you? Who was impacted? 3. What gospel promises could help reorient your heart to worship God when that happens and what will you do the next time it takes place to honor God and trust Him?
Underneath the debilitating emotion of fear is idolatry, and the sin beneath idolatry is a functional disbelief in the goodness and amazing grace of God.
GOSPEL COMMUNITY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is your heart idolatry? 2. How are you going to remove it? 3. In what way is Jesus a better God than that idol?
The world we live in is a scary place – We Need a Shepherd. We need someone bigger, stronger who has more authority to lead us, guide us, protect us, and keep us, and even carry us home.
GOSPEL COMMUNITY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. How are you dealing with your fear? Are you prone to try and get control, or run and hide? 2. "Where", "to what" or "from whom" are you looking for joy and life? 3. In what way can you begin to trust in Jesus today?
Fear is a great tool, used by Satan to combat the Kingdom of God while trying to divide and distract and disorientate the church of Jesus Christ! But Jesus said something in Matthew 16 – “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail.” This is only possible when you FEAR NOT.
GOSPEL COMMUNITY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What desire is truly ruling your heart? What is that desire producing in your life - fear or faith? 2. How can the love of things in the world ruin rather than enrich life on this earth? 3. Of the trials we will likely face as we follow Jesus, which concerns you most? Does it worry you? How does Jesus expect you to respond to this worry (from Luke 12)?
Psalm 96 was to be used in Jewish cultures as a call that would summon the people to celebrate God’s rule over all of creation, and as a teaching tool that would show the people who should love and worship him. We'll take a look and see how Psam 96 reminds us as NT Christians, why and how our worship shows non-worshippers about the God we joyfully follow.
The greatest legacy we can give as worshipers of Jesus is to show non-worshipers why and how we worship Jesus.
We live in a world filled with fear! People are afraid due to numerous circumstances that currently surround us – political, social, medical - Horizontal fear is overwhelming our world and is just as evident inside the church as it is outside.
As believers, why do we live in fear like the rest of the world? Because fear is a byproduct of trusting in self, looking at self, and relying only on the resources “I” can muster up. Fear in a believer is a function of forgetfulness; and to the degree that you and I forget who God is, who we are as his children, and what we’ve been given by His grace, fear becomes our default emotion.
So what is the solution? The only solution to fear is fear - the fear of the LORD! When a believer experiences this vertical fear in such a way, it begins to overwhelm the very real, horizontal fears of this world. And if we can truly run to God, receive his Word, and grow in fear of Him, we will be able to make decisions not from horizontal fear but from faith!
This Psalm is about the pathway to peace while living with trouble in a jacked-up world.
Trouble is real. It's in me and all around me. BUT GOD... He uses trouble to show us our sin so that we can run to our Savior. This promotes worship of Jesus in us and bears fruit before others so they too can be saved, helped, comforted and cleansed.
JESUS IS THE SOURCE of TRUE HAPPINESS! All that He is. All that He has done for us. All that we are IN HIM! All that He PROVIDES for us NOW! And ALL that He PROMISES us for our FUTURE.... THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE and UNCHANGING!!! And IF our Happiness is ROOTED in Christ... Then it can be TRUE and UNCHANGING as well!
Psalm 117 is the shortest song in the book, but it is packed with a powerful promise. God is the Creator and Ruler over all nations and all people groups and as the One true and living God, He cares for His people and is faithful to keep His promises to them. Where do we turn to interpret our circumstances in a world and culture that celebrates and praises people over God? This Psalm is a reminder that we can have gospel confidence and hope that because of God's steadfast and unfailing love, He is and will continue to save and redeem men and women from all the nations, for His glory and kingdom!
Nothing will drag us into disillusionment quicker than envy, jealousy, and comparison. In our social-media-driven world that’s an easier place to end up than ever. But Psalm 73 shows us the way out of disillusionment and into devotion. It begins with beholding the ‘better-ness’ of Jesus.
In a world where power is praised and dominion over others is demonstrated, Psalms 8 is a declaration that King Jesus will demonstrate His power and dominion through the weakness of His people. And that His majesty will be on display as He defeats our enemies - of Satan, sin and death - through meekness and humility as the King of Glory dies in our place on the cross.
Psalm 119 is both a celebration of the immense value of scripture and a picture of how the Word of God points us to a relationship with the God of the Word himself! In fact, our posture toward God’s Word will often reveal something about our relationship with the Lord and in this we need Jesus to change our hearts, anchor us in his truth, and show us how all of scripture points to and makes much of him!
God illuminates His holiness and our need for a savior. David’s request to be washed clean by, and through, God (as his high priest) is foreshadowing, and ultimately fulfilled, in Jesus.
Real refuge in times of trouble is not experienced by fighting against it or fleeing from it, but only from knowing that God rules, God sees, God judges and God rewards those those who cling to Him by faith in Jesus.
Every single benefit we get to enjoy, has come to us through the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. When we forget Him, we cease to Praise Him... We will worship Jesus only when we remember what He has done!
The bible is the story that points to God’s forever victory over sin through His Son Jesus, so why would the bible dedicate more than 1/3 of the Book of Psalms to lament? Because depression should be expected in the life of a believer. Depression isn't the result of weak faith, it's the result of living in a sinful world; in a body that has been broken by sin.
Psalm 77 sets a model for us in how we can go to God in seasons of lament, despair, and sorrow; from looking inward to self, to looking toward God, remembering and declaring who He is.
This Psalm is meant by God to reel us back into the grand biblical narrative – the story of God, so that we see our place (once again) and by his grace, remember our testimony of salvation, be reminded of his healing and also reflect on his redemptive leading into freedom, rest and peace. This call to COME is so we will once again prioritize God’s command to corporately gather and worship Him, as the rescued and redeemed people of God and in doing so find what we all long for: rest in Jesus!
Great Enemy #1 is Temptation and Great Enemy #2 is Evil, or the producer of evil – The Evil one: Satan himself. Therefore, “Lead us NOT into Temptation, but deliver us from evil” is first an acknowledgement or reminder that we’re in a very real spiritual battle and second, we NEED God’s protection from them both or we may unwittingly become participants in Satan’s strategy – sadly opposing God’s work and will in this world!
True forgiveness is a choice; it is made possible by love, and it completely absorbs the sinner of blame for their sin at great cost to the offended. With this in mind, Jesus invites us to experience the freedom of forgiveness from the Father and to then graciously extend it to others in love.
Give us this day our daily bread teaches us that God designed physical needs to point to our deeper spiritual and truest NEEDS. Our need for daily physical sustenance is a faint echo of and intended by God to be our daily – if not moment by moment need of spiritual sustenance and satisfaction from God.
“Your Kingdom come, Your Will be Done on earth as it is in heaven” is the most dangerous prayer we could ever pray. This prayer is calling us to submit to the will of our Father and give Him complete control of our lives; trusting Him with everything and for everything. Which is why I’m convinced that most Christians and most churches never truly pray it.
All things in Heaven and on earth exist for the Glory of God and the for the Praise of His Glorious Name. This first petition of “The Lord’s Prayer” is the foundation for the other 5 petitions that come next. Jesus is not just teaching us How to pray and Who to pray to - but what prayer is for - namely, that our Father be honored, esteemed, exhalted for Who He is and How He loves us! Jesus not only prayed like this, He lived His entire earthly life for the Glory of His Father!
Prayer is a posture of receiving God himself – the great reward! Because of Jesus and by faith in His finished work, believers can be in the presence of God, convinced that we are safe and secure in our Heavenly Father’s presence. We don’t need to beg or plead for anything as orphans, but we can trust that our dad loves us, that He has a plan, and that He's using the things in this world to transform us and change us as He establishes His forever kingdom here on earth. Prayer then, is an invitation to let the revolution of the Kingdom of God begin inside you, so that the overtime it can flow through you, out into the world to bring about transformation and healing to others.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has secured a living hope for everyone who has placed their trust in him! This is the living hope of eternal life, a living hope that endures through trials and suffering, and a living hope that is possible through an actual relationship of faith with the risen Lord!
In the lives of those who live BY FAITH, there is a race that we are all called to run! It is not only the weight we choose to carry that can slow us down, but the sin of unbelief and trying to run it alone, will always keep us from running well. We the church must run the race together, looking to Jesus, who ran the race perfectly for us! Who finished the race in our place! Who is calling us to follow Him, by choosing the cross before the crown!
The Christian life is often like a car: it needs fuel to go, it needs a driver, it needs a motivation, and it needs a resource by which to empower it. The Bible calls that resource FAITH; and Hebrews 11:29-31 gives us three stories to show us one big idea: that our faith is fueled when we apply God’s Word and his promises to our specific situations.
The storyline of Scripture rests squarely on the promise of a coming Messiah. Therefore, the author of Hebrews demonstrates that Moses’ mistreatment ultimately pointed to Jesus – the suffering Servant (from Moses’ vantage point) – was to come to forever redeem the people of God! Which is why Moses, himself, in Deut. 18 wrote that a prophet would come who was greater and would fulfill all of the promises of God! All of the covenant promises of God (as 2 Cor. 1:20 states) “find their YES and AMEN in Jesus Christ!” Moses had fearless faith because his faith was anchored in this reality!
GIVING FAITH is the intentional passing down or giving away the opportunity for another person to have faith! It involves living life in such a way that faith in God is showed and shared! It’s not just a passing down of information about God, it’s a way of living that upholds or reveals where your hope and help comes from!
Sacrificial faith lives from what God has said through his WORD. This kind of faith rests and relies upon what God has already done and lastly, this kind of faith entrusts the future to God’s care.
Though the world says "seeing is believing," for the followers of Jesus, "believing is seeing." It is by faith that we set our gaze ahead of us, looking to Jesus (who sits at the right hand of the throne of God) and to all that He has promised and prepared for us. This is how we glorify Christ in our living and in our dying: by seeking Him and desiring His kingdom; trusting that who He is and what He promises us, is far greater than anything this world can offer us.
Do you ever have a hard time believing in the promises of the gospel? We talk about them, proclaim them, and celebrate them, but sometimes it's hard to convince ourselves of them when we're walking through life's circumstances. In the same way, Sarah struggled to believe God's seemingly illogical promise to her. But the story of Sarah shows us that faith isn't about believing in the promise, it's about believing in the God who makes the promises.
A Trusting Faith is a faith that acts. It moves and responds to the call of God. It’s a faith that bears pain, sees growth and leans on the character of God. A Trusting Faith is a faith for real life.
Walking with God, therefore, is not dependent upon the strength of our faith to hold us and keep us close to God, but on the strength of God and his promise to never leave us or forsake us and provide all we need to live in this life for his glory and our joy.
God requires perfection, therefore the only way to be in a relationship with a perfect and holy God is to be perfectly righteous from your birthday to your death day.
BIG IDEA: Christian faith relies upon and relates to God completely banking on the full and finished work of Jesus.
Christian faith is banking on the promises of God to be certain and sure and we know they are because they’ve been completely fulfilled in and through the person and work of Jesus! Therefore, Jesus is the only certain place because he’s the only certain one to direct your faith.
Ring in the New Year this Sunday with Gospel Life Church!
This will be a time to “Reimagine the Church” and see the need in 2021 to love, serve, and pray for our church. We will be hearing about the next few years and how we will be praying for God to move in our church. This service will be family-style, include communion, and consist of singing, being reminded of the gospel, celebrating Jesus, and being encouraged by relationships.
On our final Sunday of 2020 and last week of our study in James, we see our need for Christ once again. Whether we are in need of healing or we are dead in our sin, we have a God to run to. James reminds us to ask for prayer when we are sick and listen carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. We also see our responsibility as disciple-makers to purse people and help "Sinner's Back from Wandering". Through the Lord working within us we can save people from the death they deserve to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for their sins. Hallelujah.
We're living in an unprecedented time in the history of the world and this reality brings with it uncertainty, anxiety, and for many hopelessness and fear. Thankfully we worship a God who speaks plainly and precisely and is willing to meet people in the chaos by generously providing a sure and steadfast hope. The Book of James boldly reveals an unshakable God who freely gives and graciously provides a path for His people who are daily experiencing the reality of a fallen, broken world. James does not hide from problems or encourage pretending, but instead showcases the plan, power, and authority of God that is clearly fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. Please join us in our examination of James that practically and faithfully reminds Christians how to live with certainty amid uncertain times.
Advent and the celebration of Christmas is a glorious reminder that our past, present, and future hope does not rest on our willingness, but on the willingness of the ONE from whom the angels sing, the shepherds worshiped, and the kings searched for on that first Christmas morning. Christmas is a declaration of the willingness of Jesus!
The promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, was born on Christmas day to save sinners and destroy death forevermore. This is what we celebrate during the season of advent! The one lawgiver and judge, Jesus Christ, is the only one who can save sinners and destroy death, and He did this through his perfect life, substitutionary death, and triumphant, bodily resurrection! Jesus is the only Judge who can save and destroy. This became a reality for you and me when Jesus was born on Christmas morning.
We celebrate God's calling, provision, and grace of sending off our first church plant, Sufficient Grace Church. SGC will be located on the South Hill of Puyallup and will be led by elders, Noah and Jeremy, and elder candidate, Andrew. Gospel Life will be sending off a little over 100 people from our body to start the new work. God is good! It's all about Jesus!
James presents this section for anyone who’s ever been in a fight before and is given to us as a way of helping us understand what’s really going on when you and I begin to experience conflict. Wars among us are caused by wars within us. Conflict in my life is caused by conflict in my heart. The flesh carries out what the heart wants.
Godly wisdom cannot be attained from intellectual effort or practical experience, but instead, it's received from time spent with God and walking closely with Him by faith. Godly wisdom, unlike worldly wisdom, sees things from an eternal perspective. Godly wisdom’s foundation is faith in the eternal promises of God. Therefore, the source of God’s wisdom is God himself, so to receive it, we must become saturated by God through our time in the WORD of GOD, time in prayer, and daily functional dependence on Him to survive living in this world. Wisdom from God is received by people who know their need for Him!
James continues his examination of the relationship between faith and works by exposing the tongue, which represents our speech and communication. He paints a detailed picture of the wicked potential that we can expect from our tongue. This description allows us to see that our tongues are a window to our fallen hearts that need saving and renewing. When our hearts are redeemed by Jesus, our tongues can be used to declare the gospel, encourage believers, and praise God.
Real, saving faith by grace through faith in Jesus always produces the good fruit of mercy! Authentic faith is visible, expressive, and active. The people of God show loving care and concern for others.
Our world is polluted because of the sin of partiality – it’s everywhere and in everything. Therefore, every Christian and every church must consistently examine their personal lives and corporate practices, so they can remain free of this devastating sin that destroys lives, uses people, and leads to idolatry. When they do, they’ll remain to be SALT and LIGHT in their community as God intends.
In this section of Chapter 1, James is NOT writing to tell us what to do to be saved. Instead, he is telling us what saved people do. We are deceived, at some level, if we think we love Jesus and the Gospel without telling others about the One we love. You can have perfect doctrine in your head but worthless religion in your heart.
God is winning and working in our world by advancing His Kingdom. God’s people are re-created by God’s grace, and therefore, empowered to participate in His work of making disciples and planting churches through their doing.
During the trials of life, we are most vulnerable to temptation – each temptation becomes a test of our faith, to either trust God, follow Jesus, and grow in maturity OR to be deceived to take matters into our own hands, give way to sin, and experience death.
Riches have a way of insulating and protecting us from needing and relying upon God. They have a unique way of keeping you from finding your hope and security in God’s promises alone. Money doesn’t make good on its promises, but God ALWAYS makes good on his promises!
Trials in the Christian life are not times when we’re supposed to know exactly what to do. This is why James assumes two things: we will need wisdom when we meet trails of various kinds, yet we lack wisdom. That’s why he’s telling these believers and us today to ask God for it. In our asking, we’re not letting God down, actually it’s the exact opposite. In our asking, we’re reaching out to Him and in doing so, we’re declaring our need and dependence on Him, which will result in the glorious experience of His generosity, goodness, and grace once again!
Trials and suffering are both inevitable in this world, BUT GOD intends to use both to deepen the faith of His people, make them more like Jesus, and prepare them for eternal glory.
In the final section of the letter, Paul addresses some poor behavior by some in the Thessalonian church. He teaches that a church is a family. As a family, we must take ownership for one another to encourage and correct.
When the people of God shift their sight line down to lesser things and move their eyes off of JESUS, their God and King, the One who is in complete control, the One who is winning and working even in and amongst what is fallen and broken, they will become like everyone else living in the fallen, broken world. They will be overwhelmed with the chaos, consumed with the fear of uncertainty, fighting over non-essential things with each other, experiencing perpetual anxiety, and as a result, live sadly without hope!
Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians that what they believe about what God has done, what He is doing, and how he is doing it will dictate their response during times of uncertainty. The Gospel says because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, God will give me the truth, faith, and response to stand firm. Stand firm because God is VICTORY.
Paul continues discussing the end times with the Thessalonian Christians. He explains what will take place before the Day of the LORD, including a rebellion and the coming of the Man of Lawlessness. This man has great power from Satan. Paul reminds us, however, that Jesus destroys this man with just his breath.
Paul addresses suffering, justice, and judgement. Jesus uses suffering to sanctify us. God is a God of justice. There is a judgment coming. We can have Jesus take the weight of God’s judgment or we can take the weight of it ourselves.
Paul begins his second letter to the Thessalonians with a general greeting. He commends them and praises their increasing faith in God and love for one another. We see that as their faith grows so does their love for each other.
When the disillusioned and confused meet Jesus, He illuminates their minds to see Him as the fulfillment of the inspired Word of God and opens up their hearts to receive His substitutional suffering and subsequent glory that provides true satisfaction for the soul, purpose for living, and the only hope for everlasting life!
Humans have no power outside what an omnipotent, all powerful God measures out to them. We can continue to argue, divide, fret, and fight over impotent governments and leaders, or we can place our hope and trust in a powerful, ALMIGHTY GOD, whose theocracy includes the bride of Christ – the Church. When the political meet Jesus, they are silenced, because they’ve encountered true power and authority!
A man named Zacchaeus encounters Christ. Zacchaeus is a wealthy and important man but hated by his own people. Jesus sees Zacchaeus and calls him by name to enter into a relationship that proves to be life changing for Zacchaeus.
Jesus demonstrated from the cross what His Kingdom was all about. He lovingly gave Himself up and poured Himself out for the sake of self-centered sinners.... to make them sons and daughters of GOD! The call to live for Christ the King.... is the call to spend our lives pouring ourselves out... not filling ourselves up.
Jesus is dealing with the dangerous and very real temptation of busyness for all people, specifically those inside the church. People are prone to celebrate competence over character, doing over being, being busy over resting, and relying on self rather than repenting. God’s people need a loving correction to deliberately decide to consistently and daily enjoy Jesus!
This parable is Jesus’ way of proclaiming the Christian position and helping God’s people understand their role in their community that’s overwhelmed with pain and suffering. Jesus is not saying that one can merit or earn God’s mercy by performing acts of mercy, but rather, that those who are truly God’s children, objects and recipients of His mercy, will be conduits of that same mercy toward others! In other words, showing mercy to one’s neighbor is evidence of having received the mercy of God.
Desperation born out of sudden or prolonged circumstances often results in a helpless and hopeless reality. This is first and foremost manifested by the hopelessness presented by our sin and separation from God. Our lack of control causes us to seek answers and relief from anywhere. Jesus meets those suffering in their helplessness and hopelessness to offer help and hope in Himself, the answer to those that will believe in Him.
The Scriptures show us that oppression of various kinds - demonic, spiritual, and racial - exist because of man's sin. The sin from oppression is often met with more sin due to our depravity. Jesus meets those that are oppressed, saves them, and gives them a calling to give the oppressed world a glimmer of His kingdom where all sin and oppression are eradicated.
Without the chaos, struggles, trails, failures and difficulties of life God’s people will never grow to be what God has created them to become. The uncontrollable and unmanageable storms of life are part of the process of spiritual growth for every believer. The storms of life are God’s grace that provide opportunities to grow God’s people functionally in their faith.
When the broken and burdened meet Jesus, they encounter the power and holiness of God. At the same time, they experience unconditional love, abundant mercy, and glorious, life-changing grace. Jesus removes burdens of guilt and brokenness of shame while supernaturally granting those who run to Him a new heart, a new life, and a new future!
When the sick meet Jesus, their eyes are opened to the magnitude and depth of their sin, the kindness and compassion of their Savior-God, and His ability to provide forgiveness and newness of life. This realization moves the believer to repentance, adoration of Jesus, and worship of God in their everyday life!
Luke's Gospel account is gritty and intended to present Jesus clearly and concisely, so that you can make your decision about Him - a decision that cannot be made flippantly or without careful consideration of its life altering impact. The Gospel of Luke is the perfect place to begin if you're considering the claims of Christianity, longing to grow in your faith, or desiring to connect Jesus more deeply and intimately to your everyday life.
The world is full of lies, sin, and instability, but God provides us hope through the cross of Christ. God saves, sustains, and shapes His kids to the end!
God does not choose anyone because of merit or status but simply to display His power and glory by demonstrating grace, so that His grace can become evident in a broken and hurting world!
The resurrection of Jesus showcases God's supreme ability to take a situation intended by mankind for evil and turn it into the ultimate good.
START by working through the Devotional Guide FINISH by watching the 8-minute activity video
On this Good Friday, you will have the opportunity to open your Bibles, walk through the story of the crucifixion, learn why Jesus came to die, and discover what Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross.
On the cross, Jesus performed the ultimate act of love and that act genuinely accomplished something for the sinful enemies of God. The Son of God absorbed the just wrath of God on our behalf, taking away our guilt and enabling us to receive the perfect righteousness of Jesus.
God become flesh in order to fulfill the sacrificial system. He came to provide a true sacrifice, one that would completely atone for human sin. Jesus, the God-man, came in order to show what it means to have a “open ear” to the commandments of God. Jesus obeyed perfectly - His merits completely righteous and His righteousness a provision for sinners to stand before their holy God so that “in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Psalm 40 records this conversation for our benefit. In it, we see the sacrificial system as an example of God’s grand plan to make what was designed to point to a Rescuer, intentionally declared obsolete because it would be replaced by something far better and completely permanent - God in flesh, Jesus, with the Word of God both in His ear and on His heart!
Even when God’s people repeatedly and predictably cower in fear, reject His Word and choose to live in rebellion and lack of faith, God will NOT EVER abandon them. God keeps His promises! If He says I will never leave you or forsake you, He will never leave us or forsake us. Our God keeps His covenants forever!
Often times God leads His people into places, situations and scenarios that according to human reason, are impossible situations without a rational way of escape. BUT GOD…
This biblical narrative in Genesis sets the tone for every other salvation account in the Bible. It’s showcasing the reality that God saves people by His own doing and by His mercy and grace keeps people from what they rightfully deserve. It’s a foundational “BUT GOD”.
As we wrap up our final week in Philippians, we receive an exhortation from the Apostle Paul as he encourages us to hold fast, consistently remember and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. By being recipients of gospel generosity through the finished work of Jesus, we become a gracious and generous people who love, serve, care and give faithfully to gospel ministry for the building of the Kingdom of God in our local community.
This section of Scripture is the “how to live out” the exhortation given in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world...”
Namely: To understand our Union WITH CHRIST, to rejoice always IN CHRIST, to pray with thanksgiving TO CHRIST and to set our minds ON CHRIST by meditating on His Word. This is how we not only have the peace of God, but also see that the God of Peace is with us!
After calling the Philippians church to remember that they are right with God through their faith in Jesus, Paul comforts them in the process of their sanctification with a reminder of the promise of their glorification. He’s saying, “Don’t get stuck looking at yourself or the world around. Look ahead to the promise that Jesus is coming back!” With that in mind, the Philippians can ‘forget what lies behind’ and ‘press on toward the goal and prize’ because they know that Jesus will one day fully and finally set them free!
The Bible is relentless about the contrast between works righteousness (self-righteousness) and faith righteousness. Wherever we find a sense of our own righteousness, we’re not resting in the perfect righteousness of Jesus. And perfect righteousness is what we need to truly be “right” before God and therefore is the only real righteousness there is.
Working out what God has already worked in by his grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus, is the lifelong process of sanctification that will be attractive to a watching world, provide opportunities to share the gospel, and produce gladness and joy in the heart of the believer.
Philippians 2 tells us that unity in the church is demonstrated when believers grow in humility and that humility is grown when believers look to and worship Jesus Christ. When we see that Jesus gave up all that He deserved to give us what we don’t deserve, we’ll stop worshiping ourselves and look to Him. This is the key to local church unity: gospel-centered humility.
Life and death are two very powerful events. They posses great power and have the ability to influence how we live our life on a daily basis. What you're living for is greatly influenced by your view of death and if your living to avoid death you’ll miss out on the real, eternal and abundant life that is promised in Jesus Christ!
Having the right Kingdom perspective is the pathway to contentedness, satisfaction and maturity that honors God, advances the gospel and leads others toward a relationship with Jesus Christ!
We begin our Philippians series with a look at Acts 16:11-34 to discover how the Philippian got started. Then after approximately 10 years, while being imprisoned, we read and hear Paul pour out his love and joy for the Philippian church, affirming them in their gospel growth and maturity: being enamored by the grace of God, celebrating the diversity of its people, loving God's Word and practicing it, being generous with its resources and serving each other faithfully so that the gospel of Jesus Christ can go forth in their community!
In a world filled with anxiety, urgency, distraction and apathy, we long for an end to the suffering we experience and encounter all around us. Christmas is a time to remember and celebrate the expected, promised and fulfilled birth of Jesus – the King who has come to bring us the PEACE, JOY, LOVE and HOPE we long for this season and throughout the year. This week we remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came to dispel the darkness and make us whole.
Bad theology is the precursor to Idolatry (false worship of God). Idolatry is always followed (sooner or later) by unthinkable immorality that produces perpetual death, decay and devastation. Humanity is incapable of ruling itself in a way that produces life and peace. Jesus is the King we all need.
PARENTAL NOTE This sermon contains graphic content as it relates to the events portrayed in Judges 19-21. Please be advised that the topics discussed in this message may not be suitable for all ages.
Doing what was right in their own eyes led the Israelites to an erosion of God’s revelation in their life. This opened the door to minimizing His commands, devaluing His sovereignty and then ultimately completely dismissing Him as God. They turned to false worship, “living by common sense” which yielded no hope, no satisfaction, no salvation, and no life. False worship needs more than a clean up, it needs repentance. Jesus is the King we all need.
This week we look at Samson’s life and death. We see that Samson was a perfect representative of the people of Israel during this time in the history of the Judges. Samson had no interest in serving God, only himself. God had to create a reason for Israel to be saved from their captivity. Do we see our need for rescue?
God’s grace is never maxed out. Israel was stuck in sin, too mired to even see God’s grace, and yet He was working behind the scenes, creating a deliverer for His people. In times that we are stuck in the fog of life, we can rest assured God is working behind the scenes, ensuring our salvation and rescuing us through His ultimate Deliverer, Jesus Christ.
People who are more influenced and shaped by their culture and common sense than the Word of God will sadly relate to God wrongly and not enjoy His amazing grace, abundant provision, and miraculous victories, but instead introduce devastation and tragedy into their lives. But God... in His great mercy, sent His Son, Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, to be our Substitute and Deliverer and make a way for us to be reconciled to God through His death and resurrection.
This week, as we continue in the Book of Judges, we see how pride promotes self-reliance and self-preservation. When someone tries to live under the weight of self-preservation (as we see in the life of Gideon) they’ll pursue vengeance, commit idolatry, live a life of hypocrisy – all of which will eventually lead to personal and communal death. But God... sent Jesus - the only leader to start well and finish well. Let’s look to Him and Him alone!
In part two of the story of Gideon, we see God intentionally intervening and humbling the Israelite army in order to demonstrate His power, through them, for His glory. Only God is faithful and able to deliver His people. Only God can bring about victory while deploying weak and broken vessels to further His mission - so that we can experience more of Him, through Jesus, in profound and powerful ways - for His glory and our joy.
God calls Gideon, "O mighty man of valor" and raises him up to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. God promises Gideon His provision, power, and presence. Throughout the story of Gideon, we are reminded of how even in our small and weak faith, God is faithful to keep His promises. Who God IS and who we ARE does not depend on how we feel, but on the finished work of Jesus. Praise God!
God invites His people to be on mission with Him. When we are obedient to His call we get a front row seat to experience His glorious might, His supernatural work and His magnificent victories. God delights in using His children not only to further His mission, but to grow their faith. What does it look like to trust and follow God by faith? Denying self and laying down our own agendas to participate with God. When we fail to join Him willingly, we miss out on the glorious work of His gospel in our generation.
FAMILY SERVICE SUNDAY: The first three chapters in the Book of Judges tell us the story of how the Israelites were stuck in a cycle of self-reliance where they wanted to be rescued from their circumstances more than from their own sinful hearts. This week, we are invited to identify where we have a tendency to do the same thing and learn how our inside-out struggles require a Savior that can actually save us from ourselves!
Each judge we encounter in Chapter 3 of the Book of Judges, Othniel, Ehud & Shamgar are here in God's Word to point us to Jesus. Othniel’s clean-cut, flawless-ness is intended to be a pre-shadow of the only truly flawless One. Ehud’s “left-handed-ness” made him an unlikely savior, but nobody was a more unlikely Savior as Jesus. And nobody was more of an obscure outsider than Jesus, not even the judge Shamgar. Being despised and rejected led Jesus to the cross in the ultimate act of deliverance of God's people and by His death even Roman soldiers got saved.
God’s people are commanded by God to intentionally remember all the works of God together, from the time they rise to the time they lie down. This is so we can learn and grow in our personal trusting and following of God in our lives as we help others do the same. When we neglect to do this, and succumb to "common sense" or half-hearted discipleship by placing other things as more important than God, the generation after us misses out on seeing and experiencing the grace of God in our lives.
There is no automatic passing on of faith from one generation to the next, there must be an intentional passing on of the gospel.
Just like in the Israelites' day, when common sense (“subjective rightness") is your guide, the door to compromise swings wide open and through that door is moral deterioration that will lead you down the path of unfaithfulness and disobedience to God. But God is faithful to keep His promises even when we are not.
PART 9 - THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS
Christians aren’t called to separate themselves from the world or cast judgment on the world. Instead, Christ calls Christians to grow up in the world and bring the gospel to the world!
PART 8 - THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
On the surface, consistent and daily repentance looks and feels bleak or like you’re taking a step back in your Christian journey. But repentance is the way we make progress in the Christian life. In other words, pervasive, all-of- life (consistent and daily) repentance is the best sign that a person is growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus.
PART 7 - THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
Jesus tells us that we NEED to pray and to NEVER give up praying continually & constantly. We all must, and are given permission to come humbly and vulnerably to God for help.
PART 6 - THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Jesus is showing us that we get to participate in the building of the Kingdom of God. That God has invested his work into us.
PART 5 - THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE
Listen to Pastor Rob's interview with Pastor Noah as they share some exciting news about church planting on the South Hill!
Keep listening for Part 5 of our Parables of Jesus Series: Surrendering to Jesus is the most natural, no-brainer act you will ever do – like both individuals in these parables – but will only be something you do if you’re convinced of the gospel – that it truly is of the greatest value because it contains the power to save, to heal, to rescue, to redeem, to restore and to satisfy you always!
PART 4 - THE PARABLE OF THE NARROW DOOR
Is Christianity inclusive or exclusive? Acts29 Pastor Mark Smith from City Church Dublin describes how Christianity is the most inclusive exclusive world religion according to Jesus' words and the truth of the gospel in Luke 13:22-30.
PART 3 - THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST Jesus is rebuking the leaders of Israel for their refusal to respond and repent. He tells them the Kingdom of Heaven will be for those who respond to the King’s invitation and come on the Kings terms. The way to enter into the kingdom is by repentance and faith in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.
PART 2 - THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR The greatest evidence of salvation are eyes that see personal sin, a heart that confesses that sin and an excitement for and continual embrace of the grace of God!
SERMON SERIES SUMMARY: Some sections of the Bible give us grand theology. Some move us to grateful response to God. The parables of Jesus ask us if there has been any real difference in our lives. Join us this summer as we look into the parables of Jesus and discover the good news throughout several New Testament accounts that will impact and transform our daily life.
PART 1 - THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD God is Generous, this is who He is, but His generosity has a tendency to expose our hearts, reveal how different He is from us and makes clear the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #8: I AM PERFECT, BUT NOT YET There is a tension in the Christian life between who we are in Christ and what we struggle with every day as believers in Christ. On the one hand, we are already perfect because of what Jesus has done for us. However, on the other hand, we are not yet perfect and still battle against the power and presence of sin. The doctrine of progressive sanctification tells us that God promises to grow us up into the image of Christ by inviting us to put off anything opposed to Christ and put on our new identity in Christ. This is our role, putting off the old self and putting on the new self, and in that, God promises to be the one that makes us more like Jesus.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #7: I AM A SERVANT People who receive, consistently and daily, the grace of God; overflow that love back to God and toward others using all they have in the place where God has placed them!
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #6: I AM A SAINT The true identity of every Christian is not defined by sin, but by Jesus and His finished work and this is why you can in confidence say: I am a saint!
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #5: I AM A NEW CREATION Being morally good will not suffice – only new creations In Christ are gifted entrance into the Kingdom of God.
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #4: I AM AN ADOPTED CHILD OF GOD Through Jesus we have become adopted sons and daughters of God. This adoption comes with the massive benefits of a new family. It has effects in the past, our present, and our future.
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #3: I AM JUSTIFIED Justification says that we are right with God, by grace alone, through faith alone - in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone.
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #2: I AM IN CHRIST To be “In Christ” means that we can now find our identity in someone other than ourselves. If we’re left to ourselves, our identity is defined by sin. It’s who we are. However, “In Christ”, Jesus becomes our representative, we’re invited into a relationship with Him, and we can look forward to an eternity where we get to enjoy Him forever! All of this comes to us because of Jesus, through Jesus, and in Jesus for the believer.
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
SERMON SERIES SUMMARY: Every human being is wondering and asking the question, "Who Am I?". For those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus and are trusting and following Him, we have been given a sure and certain answer to this existential question. During this series, we will discuss this important question as we discover eight glorious truths about our true identity in Christ and how these truths contain the power to transform daily living for all who believe them.
GLORIOUS TRUTH #1: I AM A CREATURE We are creatures created by God who need God, are dependent on Him for everything, therefore without Him we have no hope in life, no ability to thrive and will be left void of any real meaning and purpose.
*This series is loosely based on the book, "Who Am I: Identity in Christ" by Jerry Bridges. Click the link above to view and/or purchase on Amazon.
The Bible is the most trustworthy book in history. It has been preserved by God for you to have knowledge, insight, and understanding of who God is, what He has done, and who you get to be because of it.
Looking for hope horizontally will leave you empty, unsatisfied and afraid. But looking for hope vertically will fill you and satisfy you because it brings with it inexpressible joy now and forevermore.
The devastation of our sin goes beyond what we are experiencing in this fallen and broken world. God is not OK with our sin and we shouldn’t be either. What we do with our sin has implications for all things in our life. We can keep it, carry it or we can cast it upon Jesus.
Jesus was arrested and went alone into illegal and illegitimate trials. He was mocked, betrayed, abandoned, abused, met with vicious words, spit on and punched so that you and I can be forgiven, cleansed, redeemed and given real and eternal life! Will you turn and trust in Jesus?
The anger and love of God are not mutually exclusive, you cannot have one without the other.
Jesus celebrates Passover with His disciples and introduces a whole new way for us to relate to God - through the New Covenant.
In Christianity, it’s easy to think that just because we’re going to church, reading our Bibles, participating in community and even believing and saying the right things about God that we’re being faithful and that we are right with God. But this week’s passage reveals that proximity to Jesus, does not guarantee faithfulness or salvation.
Trusting and following Jesus is vital to the Christian’s walk and faith. But this world is full of distraction and temptation that is intended to keep us from doing so. Therefore, Jesus' words here are meant to serve as a reminder to keep our eyes on Him. For He alone is the only one who can save us, redeem us, restore us, protect us, defend us and keep us safe and secure until the end! Therefore, Jesus is telling His disciples over and over to be on guard and stay awake so that they’re not led astray from trusting and following Him.
The scribes who have tried to trap Jesus since the beginning of His earthly ministry have been silenced and dare not ask any more questions. The Teacher now turns the tables and questions the students to expose their ignorance of the Scriptures. Then He exposes their hypocrisy and evil deeds. Jesus promises that the religious system of that day will crumble and be destroyed as He is going to the cross in a few days, to set the captives free!
The Greatest Commandment is not meant to inspire us, it’s meant to crush us. In this, we’re reminded that only Jesus can fulfill the law of God’s commands and that the only way to live as God intended us to is through God’s Spirit alive in us!
The ultimate answer to LIFE now and forever more is not found in being right, doing right or even being convinced of the right thing. No, REAL and ETERNAL LIFE along with TRUE and LIVING HOPE is found in the RESURRECTED LIFE OF JESUS. The empty tomb verifies all of Jesus’ teachings and His ultimate authority regarding life and death.
Religious leaders try to trap Jesus with a public question. Jesus demonstrates that he holds all knowledge. He also shows that he is focused on His Father and not on the religious or political standard.
We must embrace the reality that even as Christians, we are susceptible to the deceit of sin in our daily lives and consequently prone to spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness leads to narcissism, self-reliance, isolation and a false gospel, none of which have the power to save.
Forgiveness embodies the very nature and character of God, therefore when a person has been truly saved, rescued, redeemed and restored through their forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ, they will have a desire and God-given ability to forgive others.
The Triumphal Entrance, The Temple and The Tree: The only way to get all we long for, desire and crave is to identify, turn over, curse, abandon and leave for dead all other fruitless and incomplete ways and trust in another way.
Jesus is On Mission to the cross. He has a following which is customary for teachers. Those following Jesus were so focused on learning they were quick to tell outsiders to “SHUT UP” so that they could hear Jesus better for their own selfish goals. Rather if they were aligned with the God-Man-Jesus they would care about what he cares about first; other people. Bringing other people into relationship with HIMSELF (His Bride) was Jesus legacy and the great commission he gave the church leaders after his ascension.
In order to be great you must become least. A servant of all to all. The position of the greatest in the kingdom has been filled by Jesus. He lived to serve, not to be served. The goal as disciples is not to be GREAT but to emulate Jesus the great in being a servant of all to all.
Jesus came not to be served, but to die. He was born to die. He came to give his life as a ransom for many.
A rich man has a difficult encounter with Jesus. He learns that Jesus’ kingdom does not operate like any other kingdom.
Marriage is a sacred union established by God, intended to glorify God. Marriage is the venue where God grows His people in their understanding of His unbreakable love as they express that covenantal love one to another through their spiritual, physical, and emotional intimacy throughout their entire lives.
Discipleship cannot be compartmentalized or limited. It flows into and makes demands on every area of the disciple’s life. Trusting and following Jesus impacts everything.
In Mark 9:38-41, Jesus teaches his disciples two things. First, to practice discernment in their interactions with others that are claiming to do Christian work. And second, to demonstrate humility in that discernment knowing that all kingdom work done in the name of Jesus is done to make much of King Jesus! Take the time to study this passage with us this week and ask Jesus to be your Truthful Teacher!
Christian Discipleship is NOT about you and me, it’s about our lives exalting Jesus and honoring God. Both of which will only take place when we die to ourselves and humbly and sacrificially give our lives away for the sake of others expecting nothing in return.
Why do Christians struggle to trust in the power sufficiency of Christ? Much of the time it is because we live life out of our own abilities instead of looking to the only One Who is able! Looking unto Jesus, the Chief and End [or object] of our faith and asking Him for HELP, is how we overcome doubt and deal with unbelief.
Perfect faith and moral righteousness is impossible for us and if you wait for that, you’ll never come into the presence of God – and experience Jesus! All Jesus requires is that you admit you’re NOT RIGHTEOUS and that you NEED HELP! And when you say that, you are approaching God in worship!
Our Creator God is a healing God and this is perfectly exemplified in the person and work of Jesus Christ. During this short five week series, we’ll witness Jesus providing physical healing for some, but preparing to provide freedom, redemption and forever healing and restoration for all who place their trust in Him.
There is an already and a not yet of the gospel. Jesus lived a perfect life in the place of your imperfection, died a sinners death that we deserved, and rose to life securing new life and forgiveness of sin and the confidence of spending eternity with Christ forever. And here we are; having the work of Christ already accomplished on our behalf, and yet we are wrestling with the sin and struggles in our lives. And in the midst of the our pain and struggle, Jesus is the Christ, and he alone has the power to clean our mess.
We believe that the more diverse our church community is, the more it reveals Jesus and reflects the magnificent and glorious reality of the fully realized Kingdom of God. Therefore, we must pursue a culture of diversity!
If a church is truly committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ that church will also be a church planting church. Church planting is a natural byproduct of discipleship!
The church is called to discipleship and discipleship is all about multiplication; more people meeting Jesus and learning how to trust and follow Jesus, so that more people can meet Jesus and trust and follow Him too. This sermon presents some common reasons why many Christians struggle with discipling others.
Practicing your faith is just as vital as believing the right things. Relationships are God’s litmus for you to evaluate what you truly believe. Real relationships are God’s venue for transformation. Therefore, we must embrace and learn to enjoy our relational reality in Christ.
Pastor Rob takes us back to the roots of the Protestant Reformation with a message discussing the first core value of Gospel Life Church: Reformed Theology (The Five Solas): Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (the glory of God alone) and why these facets of Reformed Theology are relevant not only to Gospel Life Church, but to all of us in out everyday life.
We all have an idea in our minds as what hospitality is and looks like. How does the Bible define hospitality? Very simply, love for strangers. It sounds much easier than it is, opening our homes and our lives to the strangers in our own communities, to show them the love that Christ has for them.
What does the church that is redeemed and rescued look like? And how do they interact? They give God the glory through affirming and recognizing His work in one another.
It is not our perfection that displays the glory of Christ to the world around us. But, our loving acceptance and forgiveness of the imperfections of others towards us; because, the perfect one Jesus has forgiven all of us all of our sins against Him. Enabling us to be free to forgive others when they sin against us, by the power of the Holy Spirit; but, if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ the righteous, He is the propitiation for our sins.
Living a gospel shaped life of humility is rooted in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ who came down low to seek, save, and humbly serve those who would deny "self" and follow Him. It is only through His truth and His grace that we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to live out the gospel and view others as more important than ourselves.
Biblical hope is a rock-solid conviction of faith in the future promises of God, a steadfast anchor in an unchangeable and immovable Almighty God. What is your source of life and hope? Is it the Word of God? What is your greatest hope? Is it to see King Jesus face to face in all of His glory? How do you create a culture of hope? By remembering to preach the truth of gospel to yourself daily AND by reminding others of His promises and helping them connect the transformational power of the gospel to their everyday life.
When we focus on the physical we’re going to miss the spiritual. Far too often we are so focused on our physical wants or needs that we forget God’s providence in the current and the past. And in those situations, God has given us stories to reference His faithfulness when physical circumstances get tough.
As adults we take pride in our independence and in our ability to do life on our own. Unfortunately, this same pride makes us proud before God and we find it rather easy to do life apart from Him. Jesus offers another way; the way of humility and dependence and complete reliance upon a Good Father who loves us very much.
Jesus is the promised Savior few want, but all need. He saves broken desolate people from themselves and eternal damnation. He has the power to make desolate hearts and lives flourish no matter the past, place, or circumstance.
There are no accidents. God's timing and presentation are always perfect and always personal. Jesus gives you exactly what you need, when you need it. Because he knows you intimately; loves you deeply, and wants to experience the joy of his salvation more than you ever will.
God's grace is completely sufficient, all-satisfying and runs in surplus. Therefore, there is enough grace to go around.
We often try to clean up our lives and our hearts through external methods like exercise, reading, going to church, and even ministry. Jesus turns the tables yet again by saying nothing you do on the outside can fix what's inside, you can only fix the inside from within, through faith in Him.
How often do we forget about Jesus in our day to day, moment to moment routines? Probably more often than not. Jesus is still there, we may not see him or recognize him, but He is there, walking on the stormy waters our lives.
Jesus commands us as His followers to love one another, not for our sake for but His, so that OTHERS may know that we His followers. In the context of the church, this means community and membership are paramount. So that we disciples of Christ can love those around us as He loves us.
The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is about so much more than just fish and bread. Instead, this story shows us that Jesus is on a mission to use under-resourced and inadequate people like you and me to point the world to Himself.
You are either for Jesus or against Him. You are either helping forward the mission of God and participating in the expanse of His kingdom or you are NOT. There is no middle ground. Which side of the line are you on?
What’s keeping you from experiencing freedom and fullness of life? Human reason, fear, and religion keep lots of people from receiving the grace of God that is provided to us in the person of Jesus. Jesus enters into our world and promises to set us free and give us the abundant life we so desperately long for. His only requirement is faith; will you trust and follow Him?
We celebrate Christmas because the Most High blessed us with the presence of His Son, the God Man, the embodiment of holiness, grace, mercy, justice. On this day, Easter, we look upon the cross that the same God who sent his Son as the divine emissary to Earth, that same God allowed His Son to be put to death, nailed to a wooden cross in the most spectacular display of grace, forgiveness, and love that could not have been imagined, so that we who were once destined for death may have eternal life.
Discipleship is the call for every Christian. Do you believe it? And if so, what motivates obedience to this call? It’s a one-word answer, Mercy! Remembering and rehearsing God’s unwavering mercy in your life will lead you to proclaiming the good news of Jesus to others!
We often feel when life is utter chaos that God has lost control and we question his love and sovereignty. The Lord of all, in His love for us, allows the chaos so we can find and appreciate true life in Him. At the crossroads of trust and fear, consider that the opportunity to turn and trust in Jesus. Because, when you do the great all-powerful God of the universe has promised to rescue you and give you abundant life.
We don’t understand everything now, but one day we will. We don’t see all the fruit of our gospel labor now, BUT one day we will! We cannot see the entirety of the Kingdom of God now, but it’s growing all around us and one day we will experience it in all its fullness as it completely realized! Have Faith!
Have you forgotten who you are? Jesus said, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God." There is a direct correlation between the acceptance of our identity as beloved children of God and thriving in our walk with Jesus and truly loving all those around us.
In a dark world we struggle to see the light, often we just ignore the light and walk farther into the void. This week we affirm that our God is the God of light. He is the light that pierces the darkness, illuminates our path, and fills the void. Join us as we bask in the light that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and allow Him to break the shackles of darkness in our life so that we can live in the freedom that is His Holy name.
Being a Christian is more than being good and acting nice. It's not even primarily about keeping the rules and being "moral". It is being forgiven through trusting in the work of Another. In Mark 4:1-20, Jesus distinguishes who the insiders and the outsiders are in the Kingdom of God and it all boils down to who hears. "He who has ears, let him hear." Are you hearing rightly?
The last message in our series on the "almighty dollar"; we deal with giving and the motives behind our charity. The Bible has very strong opinions on what and how to give of both our money and time. Yes, the Bible gives us guidelines on how much to give; but, even stronger are the issues of the motives and heart behind our giving. Join us as we explore the heart behind Christ-centered charity.
If we look at our bank statements what do they say about our hearts? The Bible gives us much insight on how to analyze our hearts, and our spending habits are a big indicator. Do we spend our money to gain temporary satisfaction or are we directing our hearts and worship to the one true Lord who can fulfill our every need?
What we do with the money God gives us is both an issue of wisdom and worship. Getting out of debt is certainly wise, but if we don't address the foundational issues of our hearts, if we don't examine our worship, there is a good chance we'll end up back in debt again. Only a changed heart can fuel lasting and permanent change.
We live in a culture where success and money go hand-in-hand. The more money you have, the more successful you appear. But what if we're operating with a wrong view of success in the first place? Mark 10 reveals that Jesus has a much different perspective.
Money is a massively influential force in our lives. We chase it. We fear it. We manage it. We worry about it. We love it and we hate it. The reality is that money speaks loudly to us every day in our consciousness; you could even say that money has a god-like influence upon us. In Matthew 6, Jesus reinforced this truth and gives us a better option- Himself!
Jesus shows that people are more important than laws. He also declares that He is the Sabbath and true rest is found in Him.
Do you have a hard time interacting with God? Jesus has a word of truth, conviction and encouragement in Mark 2:18-22 for all those that struggle relating to the Almighty. In fact, Jesus invites us into a new way…a better way…and that way starts and ends with a relationship with Him!
Every person desires satisfaction, meaning, purpose value and worth. We all crave approval and long for acceptance. The deepest desire of every human heart is to find security, safety and significance, BUT the question remains – How do we get these things? Where are the found? Maybe a better question is in WHOM might we find what were looking for? A guy named Levi found life in a man who entered his world and said “Follow me” and that same man is saying the same thing to the rest of us. Give a listen and let Grace change your life too!
Jesus' life and ministry were surrounded with controversy. At the beginning of the second chapter of Mark, Jesus sparks flames of contention with status quo. The contents of Jesus' words and actions yet again strike deep at life in modern America. What are the great needs in your life? Jesus' response should have us questioning our hearts and motives.
At the end of Mark chapter 1, we read the encounter of Jesus healing a leper. If we’re honest, most of us are probably more like this guy with leprosy than we’d like to think. We're law-breakers, ungrateful, and outright disobedient – BUT GOD… who chose to meet him with grace, will meet us with that very same grace today. God’s grace is better than you could ever ask for or imagine and His grace has a name...His name is Jesus!
If Jesus doesn't TRUST and OBEY, every single one of us remains enslaved to sin, oppressed by Satan, bound in our guilt and shame, and chained to our shackles of self-reliance. But if He does, we have yet another reason to praise God and thank Him for sending Jesus!
This day in the life of Jesus is amazing and reveals how much God hates the effects sin has had on His world. But Jesus’ actions during this day not only reveal that He came to eradicate sin and death from the entire earth in a global sense, but He’s also on mission to eradicate sin and death from the tiny corners of your everyday life! If you’re suffering and/or struggling give this message a listen – let Jesus take your hand and lift you up!
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
After thousands of years, the "Snake Crusher", promised by God in Genesis 3:15 has arrived. And in this section of Mark Jesus begins His ministry of shining His light into the darkness... We who once walked in darkness and have been saved by His grace, are now called to shine His light into the darkness around us, Declaring His Gospel and Displaying His Glory.
Disciples of Jesus Christ submit to the authority of King Jesus, are obedient to His call and are allegiant to His mission. This was Jesus' call to His first four followers and this is His call to all of us today. It’s a high call and it’s has a great cost. How willing are you to trust and follow Jesus? Give a listen to Week 5 of Missionary God
Mark 1:9-13 describes an extremely important event in the life and ministry of Jesus. These verses reveal a necessary part of God’s plan of human redemption. During these 40 days, Jesus is shouldering the entire hope of humanity. We need a perfect substitute, one who can trust God perfectly, resist temptation and defeat Satan – Thank God we have One and His name is Jesus!
John the “baptizer” was a different kind of guy. His clothes and diet were weird and his message was unlike anything anyone had ever heard. He was sent by God to prepare the way for the WAY and this WAY is the way of grace. Grace is a message that’s counter-intuitive, hard to grasp, and oftentimes frustrating. It’s undomesticated, not tame, and beats to it’s own drum – kind of like John. Will you receive grace? Check out week 2 of our series, The Gospel According to Mark.
Two seemingly odd phrases appear in Psalm 23: "you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." The meaning behind this imagery is remarkable! Take a listen to Psalm 23 - Part 8 as Pastor Rob shares the encouraging and incredible truth revealed in this symbology!
In Psalm 23, David asks his Good Shepherd to "Lead [him] in the paths of righteousness" but what is the source, meaning, and practical application of this familiar phrase? Listen to Part 5 of our Psalm 23 series, as Kyle Rogers shares an incredible message on this notion of righteousness! It's such good news!
What a profound statement: "I shall not want." There is only ONE who can satisfy all of our wants, needs, and deepest desires - our GOOD SHEPHERD, Jesus Christ!
Check out Week 1 of our Psalm 23 Sermon Series as Pastor Rob unpacks "The Lord is MY shepherd" and how we, like King David, must remind ourselves that we ARE sheep!
The final chapter of Ruth paints a "happy" ending to the story we first read in chapter one. Is this just a fairytale ending, a story of good fortune, or does it point us to something much grander? Our lives, much like Ruth's and Naomi's, can seem discouraging, devastating, and at times even tragic. But as we read chapter 4 of Ruth, we are reminded of Paul's words of hope in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, "this momentary, light affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory". For every single person who is in Christ, our story DOES have a happy ending - beyond all comparison!
Redemption is costly. Redemption is a legal transaction. Redemption is transformational! To receive and experience the redeeming love of God, all you need...is NEED!
In the third chapter of Ruth we discover that Boaz promises to redeem Ruth, the widowed Moabite, and make her his bride. We hope you listen this week to discover how this incredible story points to Jesus as our perfect redeemer and how His promise of redemption invites us to find our security in Him!
In Chapter 2 of the Book of Ruth, we are introduced to a new character, Boaz, who is a stark contrast from the other male characters we've met so far in this story. Boaz is God's faithful and worthy man who extends an abundance of favor and grace to Ruth. Listen to week 4 of our series as Kyle Rogers shares the good news of grace for those who seek refuge under the shadow of God's wings!
Guest Pastor, Ryan Welsh, preaches through Ruth Chapter 1 and describes the rock-solid theology of Naomi and her belief that God EXISTS, God is SOVEREIGN, and God is GOOD. We see ourselves and our own story in Naomi as, we too, need faith to understand how these truths of God play out in everyday life!
In the grace of God, the road to nowhere may yet turn out to be the first leg of the long journey home.
Sex is misunderstood, misused, and frankly missing in many Christian marriages today. Rather than offer 5 tips to a better sex life, we need a redeemed understanding of the purpose of sex, a refocused commitment to the gift of sex, and deep gospel healing for the wounds caused by the misuse of sex in our world today.
Christianity is quite noteworthy, even unique, in lifting up singleness as a commendable way of life. Jesus and Paul embody a life lived in God's service as single adults. Single widows were paradigms of service and caregiving in the early church. Godly singleness, the so-called gift of singleness, was seen as a sign that our future is guaranteed by God, not by our family.
Men and women are image bearers, equal in dignity, value, and worth. God sovereignly gives unique and distinct roles to men and women within marriage, the family, and the church. Unfortunately, all of this has been corrupted by men and women. Fortunately, by God's amazing grace, the broken views and roles have been redeemed in and through the person and work of Christ. Only by understanding where we come from can we wrap our heads around the the beauty and distinctiveness of our God-given roles in Christ Jesus.
Carrying the power of truth in confrontations with your spouse must always be covered in love and accompanied with grace, which always has its focus on redemption. Using powerful words to the appropriate end is crucial. Spouses are to help each other grow into something more profoundly beautiful than anything they could create on their own. This is the way to use the pattern of God's loving redemption to affect change in marriage.
Friendship is at the heart of the purpose of marriage. When friendship is cultivated, it is a tremendous gifts to be enjoyed. Far from the inconsistent and self-centered type of friendship, marriage is meant to seal two friends in consistency, transparency, and sympathy. They are committed, open, and want to share each other's interests and heart-felt longings. The key here is that friendship cannot be focused on itself; it must be about something else, something that both friends are passionate about.
Love is a deep longing for the Object of love, Jesus Himself. When the Bible speaks of love, it measures it primarily not by how much you want to receive but by how much you are willing to give of yourself for the sake of another. To say that marriage is unrelated to service and self-sacrifice is an indicator that one does not fully understand or more likely has not experienced love Himself: Jesus. Far from the world's sentimental mirage of love, true love ignites, then stays committed to a future-facing, self-sacrificing love. This is the kind of love that actually kindles the passions of romance because romantic love is fueled by God, is sustained and is empowered by the Holy Spirit, who propels us to self-sacrifice and service.
What's worse than the prevailing impulse we all have to first serve and please ourselves is the fact that most of us are convinced that this impulse is ok. To top it off, many are deceived into thinking that not only is selfishness normal, but even necessary because everyone around us is looking to take from us. But Paul announces that Jesus' way of divine wisdom is death to that very impulse. We find true life, joy and refreshment in life and marriage when we act counter-intuitively and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, pour ourselves out for the good of others.
Marriage is a profound mystery and if this precious relationship is going to flourish, it involves both the husband and wife dying to themselves out of sacrificial love for one another. By God's grace, continual sacrifice will not only unveil the beauty of the gospel for all to witness, it will also lead each partner into a deeper union with their spouse.
We are relational creatures by design and relationships shape our lives more than anything else on earth. However, because of sin, every single one of us is relationally broken. We have relational wounds. We're in unhealthy relationships. And worst of all, we've been looking to the wrong relationships to fix us. In this marriage series, we hope to see marriages redeemed and relationships restored. This can only happen when we rest in the ultimate relationship for which our hearts were created: our relationship with God made possible through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Healer.
Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians with what sounds like a call to Christian faithfulness. This is not the case. Instead, Paul’s final remarks tell the Thessalonians that God himself will sanctify them completely and that His faithfulness alone will accomplish the great task of keeping them blameless. This is the miracle of the grace that is ours in Christ Jesus that God always works out what He has already worked into the lives of His adopted children. Only God Himself can empower you to live a holy life as you anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ.
Paul encourages the church of Thessalonica to submit to church leadership, love well, worship regularly, pray consistently, and be led by the Holy Spirit. As he does this, he is painting for them a picture of what a flourishing church looks like in an environment of hostility. A healthy and flourishing church is identified by how its people relate to one another and to God.
As Paul comforted the Thessalonians regarding the dead, he now comforts them regarding those that are still alive and gives them hope for when Christ return. His hope, as such, is three fold. He tells them that because they are 1) children of the light, 2) not destined for wrath but instead 3) destined to obtain salvation they have no need to worry about Christ’s return. God’s message about future events must influence how we live in our present circumstances.
Paul comforts the Thessalonians regarding believers who are already dead, affirming that they will not be left behind when Christ returns. Instead, when Jesus comes back, he will take with him those who are dead first and then those who are still alive. God’s promises about tomorrow give us hope for how we face today.
Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to continue to love one another and to work hard for the sake of unbelievers. A genuine love for others is reflected by how you live and work.
Paul tells the Thessalonians that sexual purity is both a private and a public endeavor. Not only does sexual sin harm the one doing the offending, it also harms those that are offended. Because God has called us to holiness, we must flee from any form of sexual impurity.
Paul’s affection for the Thessalonians moved him and caused him to long to join them in their suffering that he might encourage them in their faith.
The Thessalonians received the gospel as the divine Word of God as opposed to the created word of man. As such, they were equipped for great suffering and for persecution through the word of God, which was at work within them.
Paul’s ministry was above reproach, his message was true, and his method was pure. Authentic Christian leaders will reflect a genuine love for and commitment to the people they have been called to lead.
The Thessalonians had faith, love and hope because they had been chosen, changed, and transformed by God’s gracious work for God’s gracious work. The gospel of Jesus Christ will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow.
When the gospel of Jesus Christ is boldly proclaimed and lovingly connected to the hearts of real people, in real cities both will be transformed forever.