Sunday, February 19, 2017

perpetual conflict

“We cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety. . . . Believers are in perpetual conflict with their own unbelief." [John Calvin]

Monday, February 13, 2017

Kidisms

Frances (age 6): "My favorite color is green...and turquoise and magenta."
Madeline (age 4): "My favorite colors are all the colors of the rainbow."

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Sermon Notes | Colossians 1:1-8 | Your location is in Christ.

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit."

[Colossians 1:1-8]

* faith, hope, love = trifecta of the gospel

Colossians cuts through the noise and tells us what everything's really all about.

The phrase "in Christ" is used 38 times in Colossians.

What are you centering your life on? Jesus is the only worthwhile one we should orbit around.

The truest thing about you is that you're in Christ. This changes everything.

How much can others see that the gospel is changing you? Are you a hopeful person? Do you find yourself distrusting Jesus and others? The gospel frees us to hope, to love, to trust, to have faith.

Jesus might call you to give up certain comforts.
Hospitality means you might give up your comfort to make others feel more comfortable.

The good life is a Person.
Your location is in Christ.

in each sister and brother

If God comes down to earth through [the] Son made flesh, then we ascend toward heaven through Jesus present in each sister and brother for ...