You were saved to serve. Christ saved us according to His grace and mercy. He transformed us from enemies of the cross to faithful and loving children. Christ’s great salvation produced a people who glorify His name through their faithful service and constant witness.

The commands of God necessitate the gospel. The Law of God and the commands of God were given to reveal God’s holy character, the sinfulness of man, and the need for a Savior. Without the commands of God, sin would be left undefined, and the sacrifice of Christ would make no sense. God’s laws are good and point to God’s gracious salvation.

Lovingly correct error. Truth is under attack from without and within the church. The church must stand for truth, identify error, and lovingly correct those who have wandered into falsehood. A love for God, for sound doctrine, and for souls compels the church to proclaim the Scripture and correct deviant doctrines.

Uphold the truth. The book of 1 Timothy calls the church to hold high and guard the truth of God’s Word. The world continually seeks to undermine and marginalize the gospel and the Scriptures. But Christ has entrusted His Word to His church and uses the church to both protect His Word and proclaim it.

God directs your life for good. The life led by God is a life of faith. It is a life that trusts God and His goodness amid the evils of this life. Believers will suffer for the sake of Christ, but God has a good plan for those sufferings.

Trust God and forgive! God’s people are called to forgive, for God has forgiven them much. When believers forgive, they extend the mercy of God to others, and they trust God to be the just judge. Forgiveness may be difficult, but it is an action of faith and obedience rooted in the justice of God.

Serve the merciful God of blessings. God blesses His people from His abundant mercy. We cannot command or demand God’s blessings; they flow from His grace. However, God blesses His people to glorify His name as a gracious response to their faith and obedience.

Look up to Jesus, and run the race of faith well! This message encourages the church to cast aside the weights that slow us down in the Christian life and look to Jesus as we run the marathon of faith. Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith, and He is the supreme example for us to follow. This message was preached as part of our Vision Sunday, where our church looked forward to serving the Lord together in the year ahead.

God’s judgment on sin is inescapable. The judgment of God is predictable and consistent. It flows from His righteous and just nature. There is no hope of escape from the judgment of God except through the escape God offers in Christ Jesus.

God blesses His people. God is the source of all blessings for His children and those blessings flow from His grace. He blesses His people because He chose to bless them. These blessings then overflow and impact the lives around God’s children.