February 7, 2016 | 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 |
Do you want to break out of the meaningless cycle of materialism? Or do you feel like you have nothing to be generous with? As we look at how the grace of God caused a chain reaction in the churches of Macedonia that overflowed into a wealth of generosity, we can respond to God’s grace by offering our whole lives back to him.
January 31, 2016 | Luke 5:1-11 |
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus called Peter to get a fresh, new vision for life by following Him in every area of his life. We can get Christ’s fresh vision for our lives by following Jesus in everything. Jesus had a vision for Peter’s boat, his nets, and for his fish. And Jesus has a vision for your stuff, your occupation, and your life’s purpose. Will you follow him?
January 24, 2016 | Ephesians 5:22 - 6:4 |
The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that it was God’s plan to bring everything into submission under Christ, so that everything in heaven and earth are united in Him (Eph. 1:10). It is in Christ that all things are made new! He then laid out the implications of how this new life in Christ would impact every facet of our lives, including the roles of the Christian family. We can experience this this new life in our families by being united in Christ and submitting to God’s plan for the family.
January 17, 2016 | Philippians 2:1-5 |
It can be difficult to have good lifelong relationships with family, with co-workers, and even with friends. Many of our relationships end in quarrel or just dissolve in indifference. God shows us through the cross that His relationship to us is selfless, unconditionally loving, and full of mercy and grace. He commissions us to do the same with others.
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he taught them that they could experience the joy of right relationships through knowing Christ. This is the secret. We need Jesus to give us peace within, before we can have peace with others. We can experience the joy of right relationships with others through Christ.
January 10, 2016 | 2 Corinthians 5:7 - 6:2 |
We all want to change something, but the problem is that it’s impossible to change ourselves without the help of the One who made us. This deep desire for a new and fresh you, is actually from God. In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he encouraged them them to fully become the new creation in Christ that God desired. We can experience the new life that God offers us through Christ.
January 3, 2016 | Joshua 8:30-35 |
What do you want to accomplish this year? Do you have financial goals, relational goals, personal goals? Have you put any thought into God’s plan for you this year? In the book of Joshua, God led the Israelites into the promised land and then instructed them to begin this new phase of their existence as a nation by pulling away and renewing their covenant with the Lord. We too can proceed into this new year by renewing our dependence in Jesus Christ and our obedience to his will.
December 27, 2015 | Joshua 3-4 |
When you look back on the previous year, was it everything you hoped for? Was last year something you want to forget? Here is the more important question: are you looking back at last year and forward to next year through God’s eyes? God told Joshua to prepare the Israelites to enter the promised land by following him by faith and remembering his faithfulness in their past. We too can remember God’s faithfulness to us and commit to follow him.
December 20, 2015 | John 1:1-14 |
Christmas carols. All of us have our favorites. I don’t know what mood you’re in this Christmas. Perhaps because of this warm North Carolina weather you’re singing along with Bing Crosby: “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” Or maybe you’re missing someone this Christmas and you’re humming along with Elvis: “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you.” Whether it’s a white one or a blue one, there’s just something about Christmas that makes us want to sing.
When did all of this caroling begin? It was a little over 2,000 years ago when Christ was born and an angelic choir sang “Glory to God in the highest” to an audience of shepherds in Bethlehem. Faithful followers of Jesus have been singing ever since!
December 13, 2015 | Luke 2:1-14 |
What would move you to “fall on your knees” in worship today? Many of us have lost the wonder and worship of Christ’s coming. For some the holidays are a reminder of the empty chairs at the supper table this year. Or of the trials that challenge us to fall short of our expectations for the perfect Christmas season. But the carol, “O Holy Night”, inspired by Luke’s gospel, invites us to contemplate the story of Christmas anew
December 6, 2015 | Matthew 1:18-25 |
In Matthew’s gospel, he showed that the birth of Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament’s promises. Writing to a predominantly Jewish audience, he desired to give them the hope that they had long awaited. We too can experience this hope that we have been truly searching for. In today’s passage we will study the fulfillment of God’s promise to send His Son who is Emmanuel, God with us. Today we will see three ways to experience “God with us” in our lives.