Living in the Lord
As we walk through life, we'll encounter difficulties - and in those...
Have you ever done the ‘right’ thing for the wrong reasons? Jesus reserves some of his harshest warnings for the people in his day who held their religious actions up as a status symbol, yet their hearts completely lacked care and compassion for others. Jesus calls us to examine our heart - it’s ‘why’ we do what we do that matters far more than the ‘what’.
It’s easy to become fixated on the darkness in our world and become discouraged. Jesus is quick to remind his followers that true blessing comes from keeping our eyes fixed on his light, always remembering that the Kingdom of God has overcome all the powers of darkness.
One of the most amazing aspects of having a relationship with the Lord is that we can communicate with Him at any time through prayer. Jesus gives his disciples a model for what a conversation with the Lord should be like: praising Him for who He is, repenting of sin, asking for His provision, and yielding our desire and will to His. Through this simple model, we’re encouraged to seek God in prayer at all times and in all circumstances.
Can too many ‘good’ things keep us from a ‘great’ thing? Sometimes we can get so caught up in our day-to-day tasks - all of which can be ‘good’ things - that we miss the bigger picture of simply spending time in the presence of the Lord. In a world filled with ‘worthy’ distractions, how do we prioritize our time to grow in relationship with Jesus?
Christmas is a chance to remember the amazing gift we have in Jesus Christ - a Savior who calls us to draw near to Him, no matter our past or what struggles we might be walking through. Through His death and resurrection, we can receive the ultimate gift of grace and mercy for all eternity.
Christmas brings a hope unlike anything our world can offer. Jesus is God Himself, come down in the flesh, to be born a humble baby, sacrifice His life for our sake, and rise from the dead to give us new life. Because of who He is and what He’s done, we can receive this incredible gift of mercy and grace as we look forward to the day when Jesus will return to rule and reign as King forever.
Have you ever had your seats upgraded at a concert or a game? We love it when we get to ‘draw near’ to something great. The author of Hebrews encourages us to “draw near” to God, and Jesus is who makes this closeness possible. For those who have ever felt distant from God or walked through a season of loneliness, this invitation is an incredible gift - made possible through the life, death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
When life gets hard, it can feel like God is distant. But the truth of the gospel is that God came down to us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived among us as a man, experiencing all the emotions, temptations, triumphs and heartbreak that we experience. He laughed, He cried, He got angry, He loved friends and lost friends. It means He knows exactly what it’s like to experience everything we experience in life. At the same time, in His perfection, He lived a life we couldn’t live: a life without sin. He’s a perfect Savior because He is Emmanuel - God with us.
The season of Advent is when we look both back and forward at the gift of Jesus. We look back and give thanks for the gift of Jesus our Savior, born as a baby 2,000 years ago to live among us and pay the penalty for our sin once and for all. We also look forward in anticipation of the day when Jesus will return to make all things new and to rule and reign as King for all eternity. As the Christmas season brings all kinds of distractions and challenges our way, the Bible is clear in its encouragement to “hold fast” to the truth about Jesus: that we were lost in sin, but Jesus came to make us alive in Him. There is no greater hope to look toward than Jesus!
When Jesus says, “love your neighbor”, who comes to mind? We probably first think about the people we choose to reach out and help because we already have compassion for them. But what about the people who are harder to be around, or the people we might consider our enemies? In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus gives us a radical picture of what it looks like to look past our preferences, cultural barriers and politics, and simply show love and care for others, period.
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Sermons by: Thomas Slager
Taking Out the Trash
We can easily get our priorities out of order when our work, family...
Be Like Jesus
Jesus gives us the ultimate model of how to use the power we have to...
The Reality and Responsibility of Following Jesus
God's gift of salvation in Christ carries with it a responsibility to...
Obstacles and Opportunities
What do you do when things don't go according to plan? The truth is...
Can We Trust the Bible?
If the Bible is true, it will have the ultimate impact on our lives...
The Ideal Evangelist
We live in a broken world full of people looking for answers. Our...
The Ideal Family
When our marriages and families take the place of God in our lives...
The Ideal Christian
Christianity isn't a religion, it’s a relationship. While some would...