God created life. But sin created death. And the inevitability of death is troubling. We have a variety of ways of coping with this reality, of protecting our minds from fearing it. We deny the inevitability of death or rationalize it to try to lessen its burden. But none of these things actually prevent it or our fear of it. Only one thing can truly alleviate our fear of death: the assurance of salvation, of life after death. The assurance of salvation is a helmet that protects our minds from fear.
"life" Tagged Sermons
Whether Jesus rose from the dead is the central issue of the Christian faith. If false, the implications are huge. If true, the implications are infinite. As we begin a new series entitled Living with the Resurrected Jesus, this message raises questions about the resurrection and then presents some of the many reasons to believe Christ is risen!
On this 4th Sunday of Lent we encounter Jesus at Lazarus’ grave. Tombs, vaults and cemeteries raise questions. Where is our loved one? What should I do as I consider my own mortality? Where is God? Jesus’ encounter with Lazarus and his family is not only the 7th sign in the Gospel of John and HIs greatest miracle (besides His own resurrection) on record, it is also a clarifying moment for all who ask these and other questions in the midst of death’s sting.
We have all probably heard a lot about what it means to follow Jesus. We are His sheep so we are to follow Him. But, how do we follow Jesus? If we truly want to follow Jesus and live the life God is calling us to – the FULL abundant life – we must listen to His Spirit in every area of our lives.
Do you ever get frustrated with God because He doesn’t work in ways you think He should? Do you ever wish God would do more to remove evil and darkness as well as violent and evil doers? If so, you are not alone. Apparently Jesus’ first followers felt this way as well. In this 2nd message from the parables of Jesus we discover what Jesus knew about God’s wise, though perplexing, plan as well as His extravagant patience in carrying it out.
Today we begin a new series looking at some of Jesus’ parables. A parable is a story that serves as an analogy for important eternal realities. In this message from the Parable of the Sower we discover that Jesus came to broadcast an eternal kind of life for us now. We also are challenged to both receive Jesus’ offer for life overflowing and to share it with others.