Second Corinthians leans into what can be the stickiest of things for us to give, money. What if the theology behind giving of our finances is less about money, and more about our heart? That anything we give is a concrete expression of a heart seeking to be generous, in light of the giver who gave it all to us.
In Romans 10, the apostle Paul makes an impassioned case that the gospel is good news for all people, but they need to experience it. Paul makes the case that as Christ followers it is our responsibility for the good news that we have been given, that gives us hope that grounds our lives, must be shared, embodied and expressed to people not just within our Christian community.
One of the core ways and places that we are called to express our love to others is through hospitality, which means the love of the stranger. We are to open our homes and lives to others, such that they experience the love of Christ through us and where we live.
At church we are called a covenant community, a community who thrives when its people look out for the well-being of one another. Romans 12 paints a picture of what this life in community, driven by the love of Christ, looks like; selfless, humble, passionate, grounded in Christ, and seeking the good of others in the community through active service and engagement.
This might be a characteristic of the Spirit that we need the most to remind us about: freedom. We all have woundings, struggles, and addictions that we face, and scripture promises that the Spirit at work in us can provide a freedom that we are not able to find anywhere else.
Life can be challenging on some days, and feel like we are running on empty. 2 Corinthians promises that the Spirit helps us, and also renews and refreshes us in the midst of all that life sends our way.
Romans 15 gives a dynamic picture to remind us that the Spirit is not just a helper somewhere out there, but a powerful advocate, support, and strength for us and all that life sends at us.
Intercession is not the most common word for us all to use, but means the idea of going between or on behalf of. One image of the Spirit in scripture is that the Spirit prays on our behalf, intercedes to God on our behalf.
This Sunday we will look at how the “love of stranger” is not only a biblical principle but essential to our call to share the gospel. Oftentimes we can view the work of outreach as the job of people with the gift of evangelism. But evangelism isn’t necessarily a gift, it’s a calling for every Christian.
One image we read is that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. What then does the Spirit at work in all of our lives concretely look like?
Scripture promises that the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives will make a marked impact in our lives. There will be evidence of God at work in us, in a way that marks our lives as uniquely driven by God.
A common question many have is how to best understand scripture, and what it means for our lives. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help us to understand and apply scripture to our lives.
Jesus told his disciples before he left that he would send another who would help to guide the disciples in their work and ministry. He also reminds them that not everyone will get or see the Holy Spirit as they would in this world.
Sunday we will focus on how the radical love of Jesus will transform our entire lives.
We are going to start our series where it all began, Pentecost. Jesus had promised a long awaited helper for the disciples (and us) who would fill them and guide them in his absence. We read that the Holy Spirit is a helper in the ministry that God has called us to in this world.
This week we finish our Ephesians series. Life can throw a lot at us. Ephesians moves to conclude with instructions for how it is that our faith can ground us, and guide us with all life sends our way.
This week we continue our Ephesians series. The second half of Ephesians 5 looks to how our homes and families change in light of our faith in Jesus. This might be one of the most quoted passages in conversation about men and women’s roles, and what scripture has to say about how we live and support one another.
This week we continue our Ephesians series. What does a Christian look like? Ephesians 5 looks practically at how as Christians our lives should look different from our culture in some core ways. That our speech, our relationships, and our relationship with money fundamentally change when we meet Jesus.