On this first Sunday of Advent, we begin in the beginning. The Triune God created the heavens and the earth and then He made His children to live with Him. Yet, temptation invaded, and for the first of many times His children exchanged joy in their Maker for something else. How would God respond? How would He deal with His children after their first wandering? His reaction in the garden, in His later advent and today is consistent. He’s a gracious God!
Many people we know are without hope in their lives. Jesus actually gave a prayer request that more “laborers” would be sent to them. Could we be the answer to Jesus’ prayer request for more laborers? If we were, what would that look like?
Why are some people so generous? What moves a woman, man or child to cheerfully share their food, home, clothing and money? Jesus observed that a woman who had been forgiven much loved much by generously anointing Him with her expensive perfume (Luke 7). While there are many motives for giving, in this message we consider gratitude to God for His grace as divine fuel for generous, sustained and joyful giving.
God’s vision for the church is love. Love for God, love for neighbor and love for one another. In this message we discover how to keep loving one another earnestly and with joy. More importantly, we learn why this command to love one another has implications that reverberate from the local church to the ends of the earth and beyond!
Why do so many followers of Jesus gather consistently with a group of friends during the week? After meeting to worship God together on the 1st day of the week why would anyone in their right mind add another commitment somewhere on the 2nd through the 7th? One of the many reasons why Christ followers have come together beyond Sunday for the past 2,000 years is to help one another live with and follow Jesus in all of life. Or, as King Solomon described it to his children, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”
In the beginning, God gave us weeks. Then He gave us instructions on how to use them. When Jesus came, he gave us freedom to use weeks at our own discretion. The early church chose to gather on Sundays because Jesus came back to life on the first day of the week. On that day, he shared the good news with his disciples and they acknowledged that it was with great sacrifice that the gap between us and God was bridged. The same thing happened again a week later. Over 100,000 weeks later, the same thing is still happening.
Though we know prayer is important, it is easy to neglect it for many reasons. Busy schedules, tiring workloads and feelings of inadequacy. When God became man, He taught about prayer in ways that brought freedom. In this message we consider some of Jesus’ instruction on prayer and are encouraged to grow in the habit of simple conversations with God.
Busyness, work and increasing responsibilities can keep us from one of the greatest gifts in life – the habit of delighting in God’s Word. In this message from Psalm 1 we are reminded of the rewards afforded to those who cultivate the daily habit of delighting in God’s Word and we consider practical steps to grow in this essential habit for all followers of Jesus.
Omnis enim quicumque invocaverit nomen Domini salvus erit. In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. Omnes enim peccaverunt et egent gloriam Dei. In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. Omnis enim quicumque invocaverit nomen Domini salvus erit.
On the night before His crucifixion Jesus extended a new invitation to His followers, “Abide in Me.” To abide means to live in a close continual dependent relationship with our resurrected Christ through the presence of his Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in him. In this message we discover move about this beautiful way of life and the…