Building on the Cornerstone

Week 4 of the Embrace series turns to 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 to remember an extremely important ministry that we as Christians are called to – a Ministry of Reconciliation. God brought His son to this world to reconcile us with Him. As ambassadors of Christ, we too are called to be reconcilers – to deliver the Love of Christ to all people. This means we need to be listeners – to set aside judgment and prejudice – and listen to each other and share the message that you matter to God. You matter to me. We need to reconcile our differences by holding on to the unity that we all share – we are all Loved by Christ.

Old habits die hard; old hatreds die harder. You probably can relate – that old habit that creeps back into your life when times are hard. That old vice you thought you had figured out returns. Feelings of hate and prejudice, especially those seeded deep in our minds, can come back to the surface. And our actions impact those around us which can lead them down our broken path.

These struggles are nothing new. Paul calls out Peter as he watches Peter throw back up old racial divides (Galatians 2:11-21). Building walls and creating barriers is very easy, but this is not how Jesus lived or the message we are called to carry. As we listen to Dr. Tony Evans put it, “your identity first is in your Christ and in your Christian commitment – because Truth overrides tradition”.

Embrace: the Problem with Us and Them

Part two in the Embrace series explores the problem with Us and Them. So often in our discourse today we divide the world into US and THEM, where we are right and they are wrong. It is so simple to view people who are different from us as not being fit or worthy or equal.

In Acts 10, Peter’s world view is turned upside down by God. The lives and laws of a devote Jew and a Roman centurion could not be more separate. Yet God uses these two to show His love for all. Listen to this encounter, as Peter comes to see that God’s love is available for all people. As Peter says “God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.” (Acts 10:28-29)

Imagine if we could also trust in God more than our own understanding and tradition. If we could just see the best in one another. Imagine what the world would be like.

Embrace: Learning to love one another regardless of color.

The purpose of the series is to examine places in scripture where race was a dividing factor. Race continues to be a source of division in our world. As Christians, we must allow Jesus to show us how to deal with this issue. In part one of the series, we look at the encounter of Jesus, the Jew, and a Samaritan woman at a well (John 4). Two peoples that go to great lengths to avoid one another sit together in the middle of the day around a well. How does Jesus reach her heart?

This is an exciting series, one to challenge our own hearts. Join us for the next few weeks as we explore how explore how Jesus wants us to love one another regardless of labels.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

The parable of the sower, shared in Matthew 13, tells of different hearts. The hardened heart, the emotional heart, the distracted heart,  and the soft, prepared heart. And it’s the prepared heart that allows for the deep roots to become established. Listen to this and reflect on where your heart is today and where you want it to be.

Matthew 13