Plan of God
“God has a plan.” You might have been told this in the midst of...
What do you make of Jesus? Sooner or later everyone will face that question. The story of Nicodemus reveals the character of Jesus as he patiently and lovingly opens Nicodemus’s eyes to the truth about who He is and why He came. Jesus does the same for us - drawing near to us, meeting us where we’re at, and offering a free gift of grace and mercy if we surrender our lives to Him. Are you ready to recognize Jesus as Lord and accept the gift?
One of the first announcements of Jesus’ ministry was by John the Baptist, calling Jesus “The Lamb of God”. It’s an important reminder that this baby born at Christmas arrived with a very important and specific purpose: to become the sacrifice for our sin. Our substitute. Jesus is far more than a great teacher, healer or prophet. He is God’s perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of all who believe. He is the Lamb of God - our one and only Savior.
Waiting for anything is hard, and waiting on God can be especially difficult. In our impatience, we often take matters into our own hands, putting our hope and trust in our own strength instead of patiently waiting on God to move. The Christmas story reminds us of the patient, eternal perspective God wants us to have. 2,000 years after His promise to Abraham, the Savior arrived - the perfect fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem His people, and our eternal hope in the here and now.
The life of John the Baptist is a perfect picture of the Advent season. Even before he was born, God had chosen John to be the voice of his generation to announce the arrival of the promised Messiah - the Savior of the world. The story of John’s birth is an encouraging look at God’s sovereign plan, and the humble servants who received God’s call on their lives with reverence and awe.
For the Christian, baptism represents a public identification with Christ. Through the waters of baptism, we reenact the death and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing the new life we've been given.
Pride comes all too easily for most of us. We want others to see us as strong, self-sufficient and in control. But the Christian life is an exercise in recognizing our weakness, and in humility, relying on God for all things. When we put our faith in an all-powerful God who loves and cares for us, we can put our pride aside and boast in our weakness, giving thanks to the Lord who makes all things possible.
What does it look like to surrender our finances to the Lord? Of all the areas of life we allow God to be in control of, our money is often the very last. But the generosity God calls us to isn’t one of begrudging obligations. On the contrary, 2 Corinthians 9 tells us that being generous with the gifts God entrusts to us will result in joy and thanksgiving as we see lives transformed and the God’s Kingdom expand here on earth.
Because of the gospel, we look forward with certainty to an eternity in perfect relationship with Jesus. This promise of things to come is meant to give us an inextinguishable hope, no matter what challenges we might face in this life. But this promise is also meant to motivate us to share the hope of the gospel with others as ambassadors for Christ in the midst of a lost and broken world.
The Bible says the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a light that illuminates the darkness of our world of sin and brokenness. Even though we will struggle against the darkness we encounter each day, the hope we have is in the eternity with God to come - an eternity purchased for us by the sacrifice of Jesus himself. Knowing we have this treasure that can never be lost, we can live boldly within a broken world, bringing the light of the gospel with us everywhere we go, sharing it at every opportunity.
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church opens with a reminder of how God works through times of suffering. God’s design for the church is that we would comfort one another in challenging times, giving others the same comfort we’ve received when we’ve walked through similar challenges. It’s a beautiful picture of how we can love one another.
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Sermons by: Sunday School
Suffering
If God is good, why do we have to go through suffering? It’s a question...
Provision
In a culture that constantly tries to convince us we need more, the...
Awe & Wonder
How often do we stop to take in the miracle of God’s creation? In His...
Dangers of Materialism
God’s blessings often come through simple acts of obedience rather than...
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an incredible act of our loving and merciful God. As...
Confession and Repentance
The story of David and Bathsheba reminds us that everyone can fall into...
Holiness of God
God’s holiness is a reflection of His perfect nature. He is the creator...