Archive for June, 2010
Demonstrative Love
1 John 3:16-18 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in [...]
Read moreRelationship: Part I
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7 There are two key aspects of any relationship: honest dialogue and shared experiences. Both are essential. Dialogue without mutual experiences leaves you intellectually stimulated but [...]
Read moreRelationship: Part II
One way the apostle Paul described your new relationship with God was by the term adoption. In Paul’s culture, people were adopted when there was not natural, legal heir. Adoption gave the individual the permanent and legal name and all the privileges of a natural son or daughter. Freedom, in part, comes as you are [...]
Read moreRelationship: Part III
Both your identity and your destiny are wrapped up in your relationship with Christ. Discovering who Christ is and what He is doing is key to knowing how you should live. He desires to bring you alongside Him and make your life work. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30: Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out [...]
Read moreIdentity: Part I
Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created anew. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! 2 Corinthians 5:17 The Bible describes our life outside of a relationship with Christ as being “dead.” We are cut off [...]
Read moreIdentity: Part II
The apostle Paul began most of his letters to the early churches with the greeting, “To the saints.” Saints! When you read the letters and learn about some of the issues and problems those new believers were having, you might question Paul’s greeting. The word saint means morally blameless, “called-out one,” or “set-apart one.” Another [...]
Read moreIdentity: Part III
Another part of your new identity is that you are forgiven. God did not ignore your sin but in fact dealt with it through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Forgiveness was not free. Christ did what we could not do on our own. Throughout the Old Testament as God related to the nation of Israel. [...]
Read moreUnderstanding: Part I
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. Colossians 1:15 Paul, writing to a group of first-century new believers in the Roman city of Colosse, described the centrality of Christ in the world and in the [...]
Read moreUnderstanding: Part II
The term church means “called out ones,” or an assembly or popular meeting, especially a religious congregation. The word church can also refer to believers in Christ no matter where they are; it is not limited by geography. The “body of Christ” metaphor paints a picture of the church that suggests the way the church [...]
Read moreUnderstanding: Part III
Jesus is the revelation of God. By looking at Jesus, we can see God. The Old Testament is not merely a collection of history books, but a revelation of who God is. In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as He related to specific people and groups of people over hundreds of years. Through reading [...]
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