Sometimes it’s difficult to cut through the clutter with all the things that demand our attention. We will examine the timeless wisdom of the scriptures as we decipher what is the only thing that counts.
Christianity is about life, presence, and action. Jesus cared enough to be involved in the lives of those around him (both before and after his death and resurrection) and we can take comfort in the knowledge that, as he was before, he is also NOW!
Our summer interns share what they have learned over the last 8 weeks. They reveal the importance of relationships as well as a mature understanding of God’s timing not only for the next generation but also for the NOW generation.
When we look at some of the most famous/influential people in history, most of them started off as nobodies. The biggest nobody in history was Jesus who built his church on nobodies. Today we are reminded that, as Christians, we are just nobodies helping nobodies to find hope. That is the power of nobody.
In Ecclesiastes 7, we learn that wisdom is a good thing that is so powerful and universal that it affects everyone in the world. However, we are also reminded wisdom doesn’t involve living in the nostalgia of the past but rather looking ahead and planning for the future while living in the present.
In Luke 14 (15-24), Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a banquet. Banquets require invitation, preparation and attendance. Today, we are reminded that Christ has prepared a great banquet for us. Are you coming? Are you prepared?
In our world of advanced technology, it’s often difficult to determine what is real and what is not. The Bible talks about the importance of speaking the truth to our neighbors. In this vein, we are encouraged to seek the truth and reminded that the greatest truth that matters is what Christ did on the cross.
God wants our whole heart, mind, and soul. Not just lip service. praising him needs to be a deliberate act of gratitude not forgetting His faithfulness in our lives. To that end, we need to take time to contemplate and give thanks to God.
Though we often try to ‘earn’ our salvation by our actions, God doesn’t really ‘need’ anything from us. Thus, our worth to God doesn’t not come from what we can do for him but rather from just being who we were created to be. He created us to be his partner not his slave and He sent Jesus to demonstrate how to bring God’s kingdom into the world and be the perfect partner for God.
Just as shadows are not a reality of what they are reflecting, sacrifice (in the old testament) was a reminder of sin and not the actuality of forgiveness. Christ’s once (and for all) sacrifice was the real road to forgiveness and communion is our reminder of Christ’s bodily death and bodily resurrection. As Christ’s sacrifice required a bodily presence among us, so too our physical presence is required when joining together in order to build lasting relationships.