Paul closes out his letter by somewhat threatening the Corinthians, saying he's going to come and be harsh with them if they don't get some of their sin issues dealt with. He also invites them to test themselves to see if they are truly in the faith. 1 John helps us with that test.
Resurrection Sunday – As Peter and John visit the empty tomb, there are three ways of "seeing" that happen. First, just a glance. Second, more investigation. Third, seeing with the eyes of the heart. In similar fashion, there are three ways of seeing Jesus today: Either he is "a" savior; he is "the" Savior; or he is "your" Savior.
With every trial, Paul gets to bear witness in front of men more and more powerful than before. First the mob, then the religious leaders, then Governor Felix and Governor Festus, and in this passage, he is now in front of King Herod Agrippa and his wife Bernice. But Paul is staying rooted in saying the resurrection of Jesus is the reason he's on trial, and continuing to anchor himself in that truth.
Paul stands trial before Felix the Governor, and gives his defense. Felix began to be very interested in what Paul was saying, and even brought his wife in to potentially fact check Paul’s argument. But all of a sudden, when Paul’s defense turned into sharing the gospel to Felix, the conviction was too much. Felix bailed, said, "I’ll be in touch later, maybe," and two years later, he is out the door leaving Paul in prison for the next Governor to deal with, never having professed faith in Christ.
For most of us, our home is the place we feel the safest, the most secure. That’s pretty normal and to be expected. But home can be taken away from you by any number of events or circumstances. So where then do you look for security, for rest, for peace, for refuge? David points to only one place, one Person who can provide that for us.
Resurrection Sunday 2024 – In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul is unsatisfied with knowing ABOUT Jesus – he wants to press on, reach out, and pursue KNOWING Jesus, which includes, knowing the power of his resurrection.
Peter, John and the healed man end up spending a night in jail and then being put on trial before the Sanhedrin. But it’s not only in the miraculous where the Holy Spirit is evident. Peter stands up to speak, and he is filled with the Holy Spirit to boldly confront these religious leaders with their sin. What will their response be?
Jesus warns the disciples that when he goes back to the Father, the “world” (anyone who rejects Jesus as God’s Messiah) is going to turn and aim their hostility at Jesus’ followers instead. But even though they will face all kinds of hardship, they can be confident that they are never alone. The Counselor will be right there with them wherever they are.
If you’re seeing a counselor, the idea is that you’ve called in someone to help you do something you are unable to do on your own. To help you. To intercede for you. An advocate that fights for you. That’s the word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit. So, according to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is like having a perfectly wise Counselor, who knows everything about you and everything about God and his commands, his plan, and his will, which means he’ll only ever give you perfect advice, inside of you to help you live your life and obey Christ’s commands. You never need to schedule an appointment!
Is there a right way to be a parent? Is there a way of raising children that is in fact "God's way"? Or is it up to us to figure out the best way on our own? In this message, Pastor Steve Hall leads us through how Jesus' life, death and resurrection informs the way we think about parenting and grand-parenting.