Podcasts about jesus christ as

Key Phrase-v. 20c- - . . . Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.- -ESV---Aim- To Love God in Jesus Christ-As the Liberated Church

Key Phrase—v. 20c: " . . . Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." (ESV)Aim: To Love God in Jesus Christ—As the Liberated Church

How does God demonstrate or prove His righteousness in the saving work of Jesus Christ-- As important why does He do so-- What part does the forbearance of God have in the historical accounts of human life and in our lives today--

How does God demonstrate or prove His righteousness in the saving work of Jesus Christ-- As important why does He do so-- What part does the forbearance of God have in the historical accounts of human life and in our lives today--

Title: Introduction to II Peter Text: II Peter Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1. I debated long about whether to actually get into the text this morning or whether to simply introduce the book and read it together and be done. I put that decision off until noon on Thursday, which was about as long as I wanted to wait in order to give myself enough time to exegete the text if I chose to include some portion of it today. However, given that it is mother's day and that the first two verses of II Peter are not as simple to interpret as they may appear. I have chosen to only dip our toes into II Peter today. I do plan for us to read the whole of the whole book as we have adopted the habit of doing for shorter books. So, I will need three readers in a few minutes here. Be thinking about whether that should be you. I'll not repeat any items from the introduction to I Peter today. If you are looking for information about who Peter is or date of the letter or even original audience information, you can refer back to the introduction of I Peter. But there are some necessary historical contextual items that we need to address with regard to II Peter. The first is the question of authorship. [Slide 2] Authorship: Just like in First Peter, the author identifies himself immediately. “Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ” As with I Peter, we do not have a question of authorship but rather a question of canonicity. If the author is representing himself as Peter even though he isn't Peter, this cannot be a book written under the inspiration of God. As widely accepted as I Peter was, 2nd Peter was one of the last books included in the canon of scripture. Indeed, it is fair to say that of all the books of the New Testament canon, II Peter has the least support for its inclusion. Of course, the flipside of that coin is, that of all the books not included in the New Testament canon, II Peter has more support than any. [Slide 3] So, what was the big hang up with II Peter? It all comes down to three big issues. 1.) No church father before Origen (AD 200s) quotes II Peter. 2.) Stylistically, II Peter is very different than I Peter. 3.) The II Peter and Jude conundrum You may be thinking… well, so. Who cares! Peter said he wrote it. Yes… but the early church in the late 2nd and 3rd century was saturated with pseudepigraphal (sue- deh- pig-ref-al) works where writers claimed to be someone they were not in order to influence doctrine. Gnosticism and Epicureanism were some of the greater offenders of this. There is actually quite a collection of gnostic gospels out there all claiming to have been written by this apostle or that apostle, to influence Christians toward their new belief. Peter was a popular pen name adopted by some of these authors. And so, a work that differed so sharply from I Peter, who everyone thought was truly from Peter, would have drawn a great deal of uncertainty from early church fathers. This explains their hesitancy to quote the work for fear of quoting a false epistle. Although the statement “no church father before Origen quoted II Peter” may be true, that doesn't mean that no other church father addressed the book. Eusebius, though recognizing the letter's uncertainty, affirmed the letter as legitimate in his list of canonical books. Furthermore, several early church fathers have quotations that come remarkably close to some things in II Peter. And after Origen we see church fathers such as Jerome, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianus, and Augustine all affirming the legitimacy of II Peter. [Slide 4] As the church fathers considered canonicity of each book they had different categories. Recognized, being those received by many witnesses as truly inspired works of God. Disputed books being those that seem to be truly inspired but there is much disagreement. Rejected books which were not inspired but extremely helpful books. And Heretical books that were doctrinally erroneous and often forgeries. II Peter was always in the Disputed category. It never went fully into the Rejected and certainly never went into the Heretical categories. Other books included in the “disputed” category were Hebrews, II John, III John, Jude, Revelation and James. As you can see, each of these 7 books with II Peter included, were later included in the canon of scripture. II Peter last of all. So even though EARLY church fathers may not of quoted II Peter, by the time the canon was scrutinized and received – II Peter was received with them. But what of the stylistic differences between I and II Peter? There are 50 some odd Greek words used in II Peter that are not used in the rest of the New Testament. Peter predicts his own death with surety. He speaks of the writings of Paul being scripture. All these supposedly point to a late date, a different writer or both. But similar arguments were raised against Paul being the author of the Pastoral epistles. In that case we wondered why the style would be the same when the purpose of the letter was so different than his other letters. Similarly, while I and II Peter are written to remind his audience of the truths they have confessed, the actions that Peter desires for his audience to live out in reference to that truth are very different. In his first letter Peter wants his audience to recall their true faith so that they would endure suffering blamelessly. But the occasion of II Peter is quite different. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that Peter's style would fluctuate, even widely, if such a purpose demanded it. Another item that is raised with regard to the legitimacy of II Peter is its relationship to the book of Jude. There are unmistakable similarities between the book of Jude and the book of II Peter. So much so, that if you were to seek out a commentary on the book of II Peter or Jude independent of one another – you'd be hard pressed to find very many. How do we explain these similarities? There are three options to us. 1 – Peter borrowed from Jude 2 – Jude borrowed from Peter or 3 – they both borrowed from a third source. So how do these options raise concern of II Peter being authentic? It is the same kinds of concerns that are raised by those who take issue with the similarities between the gospels. All of these arguments are not convincing. In any case – none of these three issues were strong enough to overturn the doctrinal fidelity and spiritual fruit from this book. That is why the church fathers received it into the NT canon and attributed it to the apostle Peter. So, we know Peter wrote this book sometime before AD 65. He is writing to dispersed Christians in what is now Northern Turkey. He writes primarily to wake them up with a fresh reminder of the truth that they have believed. But what pushed Peter to write to his audience again? And in such a short time after he wrote his first letter? What more would they need to know? [Slide 5] Occasion: What is clear in II Peter is that he doesn't speak of true faith enduring suffering blamelessly. He is not talking about insults or persecution coming from outside their covenant community. In many ways, the message of II Peter is far more dire and abundantly urgent. Peter deals with need for spiritual endurance for two very specific reasons. 1 – the future surety of false teachers leading people astray and 2 – the sure albeit delayed return of Christ. Therefore, his tone is noticeably more forceful and aggressive. Physical dangers from without the body required him to speak encouragingly and to command love and submission. Spiritual dangers from within the body requires him to speak harshly and decisively. You can see how such a pivot in purpose could lead to different style and tone right? Peter is addressing the war against their faith that is and will be waged in their very hearts. Peter addresses the certainty of what they believe, warns them of the coming apostates, and tells them to be prepared for the coming of their King – for he certainly is coming back. [Slide 6] Key Themes: So, what are some key themes within II Peter? 1.) God's grace results in godliness. 2.) God's absolute dedication and care for His people to rescue them from this evil age and transport them to His eternal and righteous Kingdom 3.) Human responsibility in displaying good works, holiness, and growing to be more like Christ as both an evidence for their true faith and in preparation for His coming. 4.) The certainty of judgment and God's ability to rescue His own through it and the certainty of His judgment upon those who are not truly His. He knows His sheep and He knows the goats. [Slide 7] Phrases to keep an eye out for: Allusions to Israel's history. Several examples arise to prove that God has a history of faithfully judging the world separating the righteous from the wicked and he does so without warning to those who are not prepared. Note the bookends of the letter – He desires his audience to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Note how much he talks about reminding them. [Slide 8] Theological Challenges and Controversial Topics As with every book we study there are some teachings and difficulties that we are going to run into. They will provide a challenge to some or all of us as we come to them. 1.) There is an ongoing tension throughout the letter of the sureness of God to keep His people but also human responsibility to obey. 2.) What is the fate of those who fail to obey? Are they blinded or nearsighted? Did they forget about their sins being washed or are they destroyed? Did Christ purchase them or are they lost? 3.) [Slide 9] Can we lose our salvation? 4.) Does the “spirit of prophesy” still exist today? 5.) Who are the angels that sinned long ago, imprisoned in chains now? 6.) Lot is righteous? Like really… he is? 7.) [Slide 10] What is happening in the spiritual realm that we don't know about? Angels refusing to rebuke “glorious ones” what is that about? 8.) Is it truly better to have not known the way of righteousness than to know it and reject it in favor of your sin? Should we not teach people the truth then? Is this losing salvation? 9.) Does Peter confirm a literal 6 day creation and worldwide flood? 10.) [Slide 11] Two of the most misunderstood concepts about God and the second coming. a. A day is 1000 years and 1000 years is a day b. He comes like a thief. 11.) Does Peter predict the end of the universe as we know it? 12.) If Peter can't understand Paul – what hope do we have? [Slide 12] Outline of II Peter I.) Greetings (1:1-2) II.) How to be sure of your calling and election (1:3-11) a. God's work (1:3-4) b. The Believer's responsibility (1:5-7) c. The result of assurance or amnesia (1:8-11) III.) The testimony of Christ has never wavered. (1:12-21) a. Peter has told them many times and they already know it. He will continue to remind them. (1:12-15) b. The disciples were not duped, they saw it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears (1:16-18) c. The apostles received the Spirit of prophesy to convey these things accurately (1:19-21) IV.) God's truth has always been challenged (2:1-22) a. The presence of false teachers and teachings has never been eliminated and are woefully destructive. (2:1-3) b. The flame of God's judgement both purifies the righteous and destroys the wicked. (2:4—9) c. The sins and judgment of the apostate (2:10-22) i. Their Sins (2:10-16) 1. Arrogance toward spiritual powers and authorities. (2:10-12) 2. Debauchery in their conduct (2:13-16) 3. Preaching empty words leading people astray (2:17-18) ii. Their judgment (2:19-22) 1. They are slaves to their own sin (2:19) 2. They have rejected freedom in Christ and are now worse than they started (2:20-21) 3. They prove who they really are by what they return to. (2:22) V.) The Lord's Return is sure (3:1-18) a. Peter's desire to wake them up with truth (3:1-2) b. The apocalyptic flood proves that God will judge the world (3:3-7) c. God's timetable is His own (3:8-9) d. His coming will not be anticipated by the unprepared. (3:10-18) i. It will be like a thief and will devastate (3:10) ii. Because of this they must prepare their hearts with holiness and anticipation (3:11-13) iii. In their anticipation and spotlessness they must remain patient since God's delay is salvation for their brothers and sisters (3:14-16) iv. Be on guard and grow (3:17-18) [Slide 13(end)] Read II Peter Well, having introduced II Peter to you, and getting a good jump on understanding the circumstance for its writing – let's read together the words of Peter, breathed out by God through him as he wrote to remind and forewarn his audience of the coming spiritual dangers. Let me pray and as I do you can come up to the mic here to read a chapter. Don't be shy – we'll need 3 readers today.

Understanding the Kingdom of God | Part 5A | The Misunderstood Gospel of Jesus Christ As most entrepreneurs know, a mission statement is defined as “a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.” So, what was the formal summary of the aims and values of Jesus? The first official words preached by Jesus in public, as recorded in Matthew 4:17 (NLT), are: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'” “From that time on.” Other versions say, “From then on.” This is to mean: from this moment and habitually after that. From there, Jesus' message was mostly about the Kingdom of God. All throughout the gospels, the Kingdom was the main message of Jesus. He would say: “The Kingdom of God is like,” “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?” “The Kingdom of God is,” etc. The gospels are saturated with Kingdom talk from Yahushua. Check this out in the King James Version Bible: The Kingdom of God appears 15 times in Mark. The Kingdom of God appears 31 times in Luke. The Kingdom of God appears twice in John. The Kingdom of God appears seven times in Acts. The Kingdom of God appears eight times in the rest of the New Testament. Now, you may ask, “What about the Gospel of Matthew?” Well, instead of ‘Kingdom of God,' Matthew used the term ‘Kingdom of Heaven'? The Kingdom of Heaven appears a whopping 32 times in Matthew! Matthew chose to use the term ‘Kingdom of Heaven' rather than ‘Kingdom of God' in order to avoid offending his target audience, who were mostly Hebrews. They have long preferred not to name or use the name of God. They did so to avoid breaking the third commandment, which says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” So, it is evident from the gospels that Jesus' main teaching and mission was to proclaim this “Good News of the Kingdom.” But what exactly was the Good News of the Kingdom? In this episode, we take a look and shed light on "the Misunderstood Gospel of Jesus Christ". Get your copy of Kingdom Fundamentals Here: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=comments&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnJ3YWJicmZpbjgzekVpWWlfSXlwckVIcnh6Z3xBQ3Jtc0tsWlhqTEJxSjhzVjBQZjZSTy1BMndfY2NkdGlFYmJCSXdfUEItQmJDTTRwNklwV0lqbDMtbFF0RnBVWi14V2liX1E0dklZNmdocVRQcWxIblRlQ2dzNjhKWFVYclloLXVSVUE5Q2RfWF9BWHh3c0ZDSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3pLiaIV&stzid=UgyFQG7S_0R8VMdE2NB4AaABAg (https://amzn.to/3pLiaIV)

How will you stand before a holy God--The only holiness that God will accept is His own. -Do you live separate from sin- -Never sugar coat mans condition outside of Christ.-When God saves someone He is preparing them for Heaven..--Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ-- As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance-- But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation-

-He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High.- The blessings here promised are not for all believers, but for those who live in close fellowship with God. -Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ---As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance---But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation---Because it is written, Be ye holy- for I am holy.--And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear-

Aim- To Love God in Jesus Christ-As the Redeemed Church--Key Verses-vv. 23-24- -The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.- -ESV-

Jesus Christ As the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, Pt. 5

Jesus Christ As the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, Pt. 5

Jesus Christ As the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, Pt. 4

Jesus Christ As the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, Pt. 2

We're going to finish Revelation 1 today. We have been looking at the descriptions of Jesus Christ which, of course, fits in with the very first verse, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…” As we come to Revelation 1:17, John is speaking here saying, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feel like a dead man.” So, John is overwhelmed with the picture and presence of Jesus. Some people ask, “Why would that be? Afterall, John was the disciple Jesus loved, he leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper, he spent over three years ministering with Jesus and he knew him better than anyone else knew him. So why in the world would he be overwhelmed in the presence of Jesus now?” Of course, if you have gone back and read the verses prior to this, you would see this is no ordinary picture of Jesus. John knew Jesus in His humanity and His glory was shielded. It was sheltered from us. We couldn't see it in its full manifestation. Even John couldn't see it, but now we see and now John sees it. When he is there in the very presence of his glorious Savior, he is overwhelmed. He just simply cannot stand up. So, he falls down like a dead man, “And He placed His right hand on me saying…” so, Jesus touches him and He says this, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” That's quite a sentence. Let's break it down a little. He says to John, “Don't be afraid, I am the first and the last…” remember, alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the beginning of all things, the consummation of all things. And, “the living one,” so He of course went to the cross and died for us, but He is resurrected. We have already seen that mentioned earlier in the book in this chapter. He says, “I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore,” so death could not defeat Jesus. Jesus defeated death. He did die. He died for our sins. To release us from sins He told us earlier, but at the same time He has overwhelmed death, He has conquered death and He is alive. Not just temporarily to go back to the grave like Lazarus. Remember, Lazarus resurrected from the dead because Jesus called him forth, but he went back to the grave. He died again. Jesus never would die again. He is alive forevermore. “…and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” So, Jesus is in charge of death and Hades. Death would seem in this book to speak of the physical death. Where Hades would be more in line with the idea of spiritual death and the place of the spiritual dead who do not know Christ. So, He has the keys to both of them and He is in charge of all things including death and Hades. Then Revelation 1:19, as we saw last week, is the index or table of contents you might say of the book, “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” So, this is our table of contents. He said write the things of which you have seen – these are the things in Revelation 1 that John is seeing right now, and the things which are – those will be the things we will see in Revelation 2 & 3, and perhaps Revelation 4 & 5, depending on how you look at that. We will see that later. And then, I want you to write about, “…the things which will take place after these things.” Those are the future events after Revelation 5, after the church age and the things that will happen in the Tribulation period and ongoing. So, that would be the table of contents, and this would be what is coming up in the book . . .

Sermon preached on 9/20/2020, covering Colossians 1:15-20. (The Preeminence & Supremacy of Jesus Christ) As we work through the text, I examined 3 major points from this passage. Jesus Christ is: 1. God the Supreme over all Creation 2. God the Sustainer of all Creation 3. God the Supreme over all the Church Thank you for listening. God Bless you!

In 1 John 5, John has written this letter to confirm and check yes or no of whether we believe in Jesus. Salvation is achieved only through our confession, our repentance, and our surrender. As we examine our hearts, has there been a time where we have confessed, repentance, and surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ? As a follower of Christ, we will know that we love God by the way we love of others and observe His commandments. There's a reason God has a set of rules for us to follow because He knows what lies ahead and He loves us. We learn how to follow His commandments by knowing His love. The closeness to the Father changes everything. Listen to this sermon from 1 John 5 in the seventh part of our In The Word - 1 John series.

As we begin our new series, The Ways of the Apprentice, We hear from Pastor Ron about what it means to be a disciple. We see that a disciple is a learner and follower, imitating that of their leader. What does that mean for us as followers of Jesus Christ?As we look at the two main components of being a disciple of Jesus, we learn how we too can follow him, be with him and be sent out by him. This week we are reminded of the commission given to us by God - to GO and MAKE disciples!To hear more about how you can GO, tune into todays message and make sure to follow us for the rest of our series, The Way of the Apprentice.

Question 10: How should you respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? As soon as I receive and believe the Gospel, I should repent of…… Continue reading → E12: Q10: How should you respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

1 Peter.       Talk 2.    1 Peter 1:1-2   In our last talk we:   Considered the background to the letter and the circumstances in which it was written Took a rapid tour through the whole letter Identified the main theme of the letter -                           present suffering perhaps, future glory certain   Background   Author Peter Date 62 to 64 A.D.   Circumstances Written to Jewish Christians who had been driven out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor Throughout the Roman Empire Christians were being tortured and killed for their faith and the church in Jerusalem was being scattered throughout the Mediterranean world   Peter was probably in Rome when the great persecution and the Emperor Nero began and was eventually executed during this persecution   Today we begin to look at the text of the letter by beginning with the opening two verses:   NIV 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles, scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.   ESV 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.   In some ways this is a typical greeting But it’s of special significance relevant to the circumstances in which it was written   Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ As we saw last time, Peter was writing to Christians undergoing persecution Note how Peter’s faith has matured since Caesarea Philippi   Matt. 16:22 Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you   John 21:18-19 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."   Acts 5:41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.   To those who are elect (chosen) Note that election is according to God’s foreknowledge See my comments in an earlier podcast on Ephesians 1.   But what’s the special relevance of the word chosen in this context? The next word is exiles. What a contrast! They may be exiles - rejects, but they’re elect exiles! All that is happening to them is part of God’s chosen plan for them   exiles of the Dispersion The word dispersion (διασπορᾶ) was commonly used to refer to the Jews who were scattered around the world, no longer resident in Israel. Peter now uses it to refer to Christians (who are now God’s chosen people - 2:9-10)   It would be easy to understand this negatively, but note the positive aspects of being scattered: The word literally means sown throughout God is scattering his people as seeds throughout the nations and he’s using persecution to do it. Compare Acts 8:1-4, 11:19   according to the foreknowledge of God the Father Of course, this refers primarily to what immediately follows - sanctification, obedience, sprinkling   But we’re reminded that God know everything in advance - even our suffering in the sanctification of the Spirit NIV through the sanctifying work of the Spirit To sanctify means to make holy The NT shows sanctification as both a completed act and an ongoing process   for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood   The Greek literally says: For obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ   The purpose of our salvation is obedience The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ refers to our initial salvation and to God’s provision for the ongoing forgiveness of our sins   May grace and peace be multiplied to you This blessing was particularly appropriate to Christians who were suffering It was through the gift of God’s grace and peace that they had been saved But there’s no limit to God’s resources. There’s plenty more grace and peace available.   The verses that immediately follow illustrate this wonderfully But that’s our subject for next time            

Show Notes For This Foundational Podcast: You are royalty! We often struggle with our identity When we were born again We were adopted into the family of the King of kings and Lord of lords He gives us the assurance that we are a member of that family An heir and joint-heir of Jesus  Christ An heir of the kingdom of God He gave to us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us To be assurance of that covenant You are a covenant son and daughter of Almighty God [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18BgQ-esWS8] Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love When we are born again God Takes out out of the kingdom darkness and brings us into the kingdom of His dear Son Adopts us into the family Gives to us the Holy Spirit Who is the seal, earnest, and guarantee of our identity and our position in Jesus Christ As royalty, heirs, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ As prince and princesses to the King of Glory Every time you feel His presence and touch it is an assurance that you are roylty Do you truly know your identity? Do you live everyday with the assurance of who you are Do you know how to walk and talk as royalty of the Kingdom of God   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving us a review. This helps the Foundational podcast reach more listeners.  Be sure to tell a friend about the Foundational blog and podcast, and share with them about the free Bible Reading Challenge journal they will receive when they subscribe to receive my newsletter! Grow in your relationship with Christ with these discipleship manuals: For more material on discovering your new identity, read my series here:  Discovering True Identity Agape Charis These three books are also available on Amazon in Kindle or Paperback. For more blog posts on your new identity: 4 Things That Happen When You Become a Christian The Power of a Renewed Mind What the Bible Says About Renewing the Mind How to Live as a New Creation How to Live Free From Your Past You Have a New Identity in Christ A New Year a New Identity The Most Important Choice Every Christian Will Make 3 Ways to Stand Alone in a Wicked Generation Called to Live in the Kingdom

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. -Psalm 139:23-24 Did you make it through Christmas with the family, friends, gifts, food, alcohol and football? With all of those distractions….were you able to celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ? As we come up on the new year, a lot of us have new hopes, new dreams, new goals. The world calls them New Years Resolutions. Now, If you are one of God’s children, its called “rhythm”….finding the rhythm of God’s will for your life. Now, this doesn’t mean you “pray harder”. I’m not even sure what that means. For most of us, “praying harder” simply means we tell God how to get on our program/agenda….I’ve done that for many years, and I can tell ya from experience that didn’t work out so well. It never does. So the question for us today, as we prepare for the new year…is how do we find the rhythm of God for our life?