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Peter and John meet a man along the way as they were heading to temple. The only thing that they could give him was the name of Jesus Christ and told him to stand up and walk. The man was healed and we know this story, but what happens next? Peter tells of the goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the crowds. Peter and John were committed to share the good news of Jesus as they went out.
In life, we encounter moments of despair, confusion, and limitation. It is during these times that we may feel lost, spiritually blind, and unable to move forward. Yet, it is essential to remember that it is in the in-between where Jesus shows up most powerfully. He bridges the gap between our struggles and ultimate transformation. Jesus is our in between.
We come to celebrate and commemorate the greatest victory in history - the resurrection of our Savior! Let's gather together to lift our spirits in fellowship, share uplifting stories, and sing joyful hymns that remind us of the hope and renewal that come with the message of Yes, He is Risen! Bring your friends and family, and let's rejoice in the triumph of Jesus Christ!
On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus did not assemble an army to fight against those who were seeking to kill Him. He sat with HIs disciples and showed them exactly how He was going to forgive, to show mercy. May be someone has betrayed you in the past. How did you handle it? Jesus showed us to handle it with compassion. It’s not easy, however in the strength of Jesus Christ forgiveness does come.
There was an urgency in Jesus’ statement, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Why? Because He calls us out into the dark world to bring the light of His life, death, and resurrection so that all may know the salvation of the Lord through no other means than Jesus Christ. Let us have the same eagerness to sit down with the Ones in our lives that need to know the Lord’s suffering in order for them to have a relationship with God.
You’ve maybe heard it said that “God’s NO is not a rejection. It’s a Redirection.” God’s goal for you is to become more Christlike and often, we take a number of turns that take us off God’s intended purpose and we need redirecting. The thing is, we don’t yet see things clearly, we know things in part, and we struggle perhaps in the wrong direction, but we will, one day, “will know fully, even as we are fully known” by God. Isn’t it amazing that we can hand over all our past, present, and future to a God who knows us and desires the best for us?
As followers of Christ, we are to continue to walk and be focused on Him. When you look at the world, it is easy to become afraid or lose hope. But in Christ, we have hope now until the end when He returns. This hope comes to us as Emmanuel, God with us. It is this blessed hope that came in a cradle that we focus on through the cross that gives us the gift of eternal life.
This Sunday Advent begins. We start it off with a new 4-Week Sermon and Study Series called, The Fullness of Time. Let us take this time to prepare our hearts and homes to once again remember the reason for the season— Jesus Christ come to earth to set the captives free. Isn’t that worth waiting for? We tend to not like to wait. It’s like being a kid waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. Sometimes waiting seems to take so long. We know Jesus was worth the wait. He came and will return. Let our hope, joy, and love grow as we begin this Advent Season.
We can rejoice knowing that it is through the righteousness of Christ and our faith in Him that we are redeemed people of God. We find out this week it takes perseverance in faith to stay on track, to set our eyes on the goal of knowing Christ. There will be some who come along our pathway and try to lead us off the mark set before us. Let us remember we are people who are growing in their knowledge of Christ and growing in our understanding of just how powerful God is. It is in His strength we find the assurance to stand firm, to press on, to journey toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
As we continue with our Places of the Passion Sermon Series, we find ourselves at Golgotha (the place of the skull) or we may know it as Calvary (Latin meaning skull). The cross is never easy. It is repulsive and ugly. A symbol of the worst kind of torture, injustice, and brutality. And yet it is the central symbol of our faith. Join us as we venture to the cross and find there faith and love intersecting and announcing triumph.
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