Anderson Hills

The second person of the Godhead is the Son. Jesus is called by many other names in Scripture and fulfills many roles for us throughout our lives. This week, we’ll look at one name that helps us to develop and maintain a close relationship with Him: that of Friend. Understanding this friendship relationship is powerful. Jesus was and is eternally God. As God, Jesus represents the greatest friendship we can ever experience. Some struggle with the concept of “friendship” with Jesus; He is our King, not our Friend, is the sentiment. But friendship with Jesus does not diminish His glory nor does it diminish His authority in our lives. Jesus is both our King and our Friend, and we need to cultivate that friendship.

We tend to let our life experiences, relationships, culture, media and the world around us define who we are. We are pressured to use our jobs, financial status, successes, grades, appearance, and what other people say about us as the means by which we create our identity. If we have any hope of finding who we truly are, we must first know God, the giver of all things. When we go to the Word of God instead of all the usual means, we will find a description of who God says we are. However, a gap often exists between intellectually knowing these truths about who God says we are and living them out. Living out of an identity based on how God sees us and what the Father says about us frees us up to live confidently and with stability

We tend to let our life experiences, relationships, culture, media and the world around us define who we are. We are pressured to use our jobs, financial status, successes, grades, appearance, and what other people say about us as the means by which we create our identity. If we have any hope of finding who we truly are, we must first know God, the giver of all things. When we go to the Word of God instead of all the usual means, we will find a description of who God says we are. However, a gap often exists between intellectually knowing these truths about who God says we are and living them out. Living out of an identity based on how God sees us and what the Father says about us frees us up to live confidently and with stability

God, as our loving heavenly Father, desires to protect us from anyone or anything that could harm us. God is able and willing to use the vast resources at His disposal to provide protection to those that trust in Him. There is no other power in heaven or on earth that can do all that God can do. Although God has the ability to deliver us out of every physical calamity or trouble, it may not be His will to do so. Sometimes He uses these trials to purify us. We are protected in all things, yet we have the ability, by allowing our sin nature to rule us, to depart from the will of God. When we trust in God and willingly seek to obey Him, then we will be in a place where we enjoy His protection in our lives.

God, as our loving heavenly Father, desires to protect us from anyone or anything that could harm us. God is able and willing to use the vast resources at His disposal to provide protection to those that trust in Him. There is no other power in heaven or on earth that can do all that God can do. Although God has the ability to deliver us out of every physical calamity or trouble, it may not be His will to do so. Sometimes He uses these trials to purify us. We are protected in all things, yet we have the ability, by allowing our sin nature to rule us, to depart from the will of God. When we trust in God and willingly seek to obey Him, then we will be in a place where we enjoy His protection in our lives.

The first Person of the Trinity is commonly called “Father” because He is the initiator and source of heaven’s love. Jesus referred to God as Father hundreds of times, reminding us that He is the source of the Godhead’s good purposes for us. Jesus also emphasized the magnitude of the Father’s love for us and that He is the source of all heaven’s blessings. As we pursue knowing God as our Father, we’ll first look at His provisional nature. God’s intentions are to meet our every need. He knows what we need and longs to provide for us in exceeding measures. No matter how old we get, God will still be our Father. We never have to go through a season apart from His perfect provision.

The first Person of the Trinity is commonly called “Father” because He is the initiator and source of heaven’s love. Jesus referred to God as Father hundreds of times, reminding us that He is the source of the Godhead’s good purposes for us. Jesus also emphasized the magnitude of the Father’s love for us and that He is the source of all heaven’s blessings. As we pursue knowing God as our Father, we’ll first look at His provisional nature. God’s intentions are to meet our every need. He knows what we need and longs to provide for us in exceeding measures. No matter how old we get, God will still be our Father. We never have to go through a season apart from His perfect provision.

Often overlooked in the healing of the blind man is that Jesus used something as simple, earthy, and ordinary as mud to work a miracle. The man born blind moves from blindness to sight, both physically and spiritually. For the past 200 years God has used ordinary people in Anderson Township to share Jesus’ love to open the eyes of those who have not yet met Him. As we celebrate our church’s 200th anniversary, you will hear about our history and Methodist heritage from its beginning in the early 1800’s to the present. We will see how God used a group of ordinary people to share the gospel much like the people of the first church in the book of Acts

Often overlooked in the healing of the blind man is that Jesus used something as simple, earthy, and ordinary as mud to work a miracle. The man born blind moves from blindness to sight, both physically and spiritually. For the past 200 years God has used ordinary people in Anderson Township to share Jesus’ love to open the eyes of those who have not yet met Him. As we celebrate our church’s 200th anniversary, you will hear about our history and Methodist heritage from its beginning in the early 1800’s to the present. We will see how God used a group of ordinary people to share the gospel much like the people of the first church in the book of Acts

The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise to all who believe in His name as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. Even though Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He responded to the sisters’ call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead, and a perfect example of the incredible love God has for us. This miracle is a promise that all who believe in Him will live even though they die and those who live and believe will never die.