Resolved: To Abide in Jesus in 2022
As we plan different goals we’d like to achieve in the new year, let me encourage you to abide in Jesus through his word and prayer! Do you have a plan to do so? Happy New Year!
Archive for year: 2021
Looking Back as We Continue Forward
The entire chapter of Leviticus 23 discusses the feasts the people of Israel were commanded to observe. These feasts were celebrations that had various purposes. One purpose for the feasts was to cause Israel to pause, reflect, and remember the faithfulness of God. Have you set aside any time to look back on the faithfulness of God this year? Maybe over the next couple of days, you will, for indeed he has been at work!
Hard Stop
The anticipation of the Christmas season is palpable. Year by year, it flies by and ends with a sudden hard stop. You may be left thinking, “Now what?!” as the new year ushers in and hectic schedules ramp back up. Daustin Kratzer takes us to the stories of Simeon and Anna as they meet a week-old Jesus at the temple. What can we learn from them as we consider life after Christmas?
Nothing Like This On Your Bucket List
What’s on your bucket list? We hear of all different kinds of experiences that people would love to one day do. Mary perhaps had the experience that tops them all. Imagine being with her and Joseph as Jesus is placed in their arms for the very first time. Mary is told all sorts of things considering her son–who is the Savior of the World. Mary now holds the one who holds all things together. No matter what might be on your bucket list, nothing can compare to knowing Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Christmas Bokeh
The glory of Christmas is Jesus and Jesus alone! Pastor Josh Wilson of Storyline Church in St. Louis helps us look at the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2. Here we see that God uses the characters and circumstances to make sure that we see the main focal point is the birth of the Savior, the Son of God, Jesus. Merry Christmas!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
God and sinner reconciled! The message of Christmas is good news. How does this occur? The answer is in the names given to the Son of God at his incarnation. He is given the name of Jesus because he is the one who will save his people from their sin comes as Emmanuel-God with us. Let’s not let the season go by without reflecting on the grace of Emmanuel. Christ has come!
Obedience (Greater Than) Knowledge
The Sermon on the Mount concludes with Jesus giving a final admonishment to obey his words as doing so is wise. We rarely lack the knowledge to do what is right; we need to obey. Obedience is better than knowledge.
The Heart of the Matter
Pastor Jeff walks us through today’s passage as Jesus continues teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven in the Sermon on the Mount. As he begins to wind down, he gets to the heart of the matter. Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is not merely about knowing the right things or doing the right things. It’s about having the right heart. A heart forgiven and changed by God.
Check the Carfax
Dan Cabal walks us through Matthew 7:15-20 by illustrating this passage by reminding us of the process we go through when considering buying a used car. If you inspect the vehicle, listen to it, look under the hood, and drive it, the car will tell you about itself. The same is true for people. The fruit of our lives gives evidence to our character and heart. Check the carfax if you want to know what kind of person someone is!
The Wide Road of Louisville
Jesus talks about the way to life being narrow. In fact, in John’s gospel, he declares himself to be the way, the truth, and the life. Jonathan Copeland encourages us to point people to the narrow path, the only way, of Jesus and reminds us that the mark of success in evangelism is faithfulness.
