A Growing Church, A Growing Need
God is the One who causes the Church to grow, but He uses His children, people, just like you and me, to build it. As God’s children, we are called to actively participate in meeting the needs and providing the ministries that will help people grow spiritually and mature and in Christ. Today we will look at the early church in Acts and Ephesians as our example and model.
Discipline in the Church
Church discipline in our world today is virtually nonexistent. Some churches have gone through negative experiences when they have tried to implement discipline, so they have chosen to back off from biblical mandates. Pastors and church leaders often choose to ignore the topic out of fear of offending anyone. Church leaders don’t want to make any waves, lose people, or be considered legalistic, judgmental or anti-grace. The Church has chosen to look the other way in honor of people at the expense of the honor and righteousness of God.
Restoring Your Joy
This life is filled with challenges and difficulties that drain the joy out of life if we don’t learn how to stay focused on Christ. The believer's joy and the joy of Christmas is centered in Christ. He is our reason for joy; not only at Christmas but all year long.
Renewing Your Relationships
A Reason to Rejoice
Did you know that Christmas is a very depressing time for many people? An article written by a director of the California Department of Mental Hygiene warns: “The Christmas season is marked by greater emotional stress and more acts of violence than any other time of the year.” For many, Christmas is an excuse to get drunk, have a party, give little, get out of work or school, spend money, overeat and give into selfishness. However, the Church, each believer in Jesus Christ, has a reason to rejoice.
Anticipating a Great Future
Somehow life just never seems to turn out like we imagined. The routine and mundane are accompanied with pain and great disappointment. We may often wonder if it will ever get any better. Today we will see that we can have hope to believe that there is a great future ahead.
Seeing What Jesus Sees Pt 1
Have you ever wondered what God thinks, dreams or imagines? What does Jesus see when He dreams about us or imagines what we could be and do? Whatever that is should become our vision.
Seeing What Jesus Sees Pt 2
“A vision foretells what may be ours. It is an invitation to do something. With a great mental picture in mind, we go from one accomplishment to another, using the materials about us only as stepping stones to that which is higher and better and more satisfying. We thus become possessors of the unseen values that are eternal.” – Katherine Logan
A Call to Dedication
There are few things in life that are really worth dedicating your life to because dedicating yourself to any cause can be costly. You need to make sure that your purpose is worthy of your dedication. Today we will look at an extravagant dedication made as an act of worship, thanksgiving and praise to God. Is God worthy of extravagance? He is worthy of our dedication and we should dedicate ourselves and our earthly things to Him?
The Great Invitation
What is the most exciting invitation that you ever received? Was it to a wedding, some special party or possibly to some influential persons home? How did it make you feel? Did you find it hard to keep from telling people about the invitation and who it was from?