Anderson Hills

Many of the prophecies about the coming Messiah include messages of hope and promises of freedom. This hope would be embodied through God's Servant known as Immanuel, who will come to deliver God’s people from the bondage of sin and the grave. What is Messianic deliverance? It is the freedom Jesus imparted through His death on the cross. Although lies and demonic strongholds can still hinder our walk (mostly through our allowing entry), Jesus reveals the truth that we are no longer slaves to their power. To live in the freedom Jesus came to bring, we need to eradicate lies and replace them with God’s truth. Jesus wants nothing more than for us to accept His gift of a fully redeemed life.

Jesus came into the world to bring healing and wholeness. He touched the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf, the mentally unstable, and He healed them. By touching them, Jesus made them whole and set them on a journey of holiness. Wholeness means a deeper commitment to God, a more constant awareness of the indwelling Christ. Physical, emotional, and spiritual healings can be catalysts to living the kind of abundant life Jesus came to bring. Though there remains suffering in the present time, the healing miracles of Jesus show that the Kingdom of God has come, even if not to its fullness. As we experience healing and wholeness, we need to be ready to minister to our community so that its brokenness might be healed

Jesus came into the world to bring healing and wholeness. He touched the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf, the mentally unstable, and He healed them. By touching them, Jesus made them whole and set them on a journey of holiness. Wholeness means a deeper commitment to God, a more constant awareness of the indwelling Christ. Physical, emotional, and spiritual healings can be catalysts to living the kind of abundant life Jesus came to bring. Though there remains suffering in the present time, the healing miracles of Jesus show that the Kingdom of God has come, even if not to its fullness. As we experience healing and wholeness, we need to be ready to minister to our community so that its brokenness might be healed

Scripture tells us that angels brought good news to shepherds watching their flocks, but good news of what? The Gospel of Good News is really about a person, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked on this earth to offer an alternative to a humanity devoid of real hope. This Jesus of Nazareth, who died on a cross in order to redeem humanity, announced Himself as coming "to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus was born a Savior, and He came to save us in ways we often overlook. The Good News of salvation is about far more than having a ticket to heaven in the future; it’s about God's grace appearing in the personhood of Jesus, restoring us into a healthy relationship with Him and with others on earth .

Scripture tells us that angels brought good news to shepherds watching their flocks, but good news of what? The Gospel of Good News is really about a person, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked on this earth to offer an alternative to a humanity devoid of real hope. This Jesus of Nazareth, who died on a cross in order to redeem humanity, announced Himself as coming "to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus was born a Savior, and He came to save us in ways we often overlook. The Good News of salvation is about far more than having a ticket to heaven in the future; it’s about God's grace appearing in the person of Jesus, restoring us into a healthy relationship with Him and with others on earth .

God called Abraham to become the father of the nation of Israel. The mission of Israel was to point other nations, all peoples, to God. God wants all people to come back to Him. God gave Israel a land and God allowed them to have kings. The first king was Saul who failed to represent God. God then chose David as king. David did represent God well, and even though he sinned grievously, he repented and captured the heart of a gracious God who is available to everyone. Now David is old and dying and passes the leadership baton to Solomon. Solomon, who started strong, ends poorly. His heart became divided and because his heart was divided, his kingdom divided

God called Abraham to become the father of the nation of Israel. The mission of Israel was to point other nations, all peoples, to God. God wants all people to come back to Him. God gave Israel a land and God allowed them to have kings. The first king was Saul who failed to represent God. God then chose David as king. David did represent God well, and even though he sinned grievously, he repented and captured the heart of a gracious God who is available to everyone. Now David is old and dying and passes the leadership baton to Solomon. Solomon, who started strong, ends poorly. His heart became divided and because his heart was divided, his kingdom divided

In this part of The Story, we discover that David has it all. Everything he does turns to gold. He defeats enemies time and again, shows kindness to Mephibosheth, and expands his kingdom. The world is at peace and David is at rest in his palace. Then we learn that David lets down his guard and makes tragic choices that cause a pivotal shift in David’s life, his family and his kingdom. When we sin, and we all will, we must admit our sins honestly to God, live with the consequences with dignity, and experience the forgiving, restoring grace of God. When we are confronted with sin, let’s be like David and repent.

In this part of The Story, we discover that David has it all. Everything he does turns to gold. He defeats enemies time and again, shows kindness to Mephibosheth, and expands his kingdom. The world is at peace and David is at rest in his palace. Then we learn that David lets down his guard and makes tragic choices that cause a pivotal shift in David’s life, his family and his kingdom. When we sin, and we all will, we must admit our sins honestly to God, live with the consequences with dignity, and experience the forgiving, restoring grace of God. When we are confronted with sin, let’s be like David and repent.

Our world judges on externals, by how we look on the outside. God does not make judgments that way, He looks at the heart. God also wants his people to resist judging on externals. This week, we see this truth in the anointing of David as Israel’s king. There are many lessons we can learn from the life of David. We learn from the early years of his life that we all need at least one person who will see our great potential to be what God wants us to be. Just as David was underestimated by others, we too can expect to be underestimated; we often underestimate ourselves. Just as David went through a season of testing, God will test us as well, to develop our character and integrity