Empowered by the Spirit, Jesus is full of the Spirit, and inspired by the Spirit. His primary role on earth is to serve the plan of the Father, and it is this special relationship and its implications that lie at the root of Jesus’ identity.
God’s breaking into the world leaves us exposed, giving us the option to either respond in humility forsaking our allegiances for a new commitment or hardening our heart in standing our ground and face judgment.
At only age 12, Jesus is already getting a picture of what his mission is here on earth. But instead of taking charge and building his army, he prepares for ministry by obeying Joseph and Mary.
How would you fill in the blank in this sentence: "If I had ___________, my life would really sing"? We might be tempted to say the Sunday school answer: Jesus! But if the gospel is true, and you have been born again, you already have him! And yet it's pretty rare to hear someone say their life is really singing. So what is it that could make the difference?
The gospel is good news to real sinners. It's not the powerful, the perfect, the put-together who are shoo-ins to the kingdom of heaven. How do we know? Look at the birth of Jesus!
Sometimes we see the beauty of grace immediately. Other times, the beauty remains hidden for a long time. But in either case, grace is still grace – undeserved FAVOR from the Lord.
What is the purpose of church? Is it that we have spotless theology? Is it that love our neighbors no matter what we believe? Or is it both?
It’s something we all struggle with; something that lies underneath all of our sin and rebellion… and yet no one thinks they have it.
WORDS MATTER PROVERBS 17:27-18:21 Good morning River City! We’re now just a couple weeks away from the end of our Proverbs series. We have two weeks after today, and then…
Is the gospel like a billboard – inviting, but powerless? Is God like a cosmic business owner, biting his nails hoping we will "stop in" for some of his "goods"? Proverbs 16 shows us the wisdom of understanding God's sovereignty in the world.