Hebrews 13:5-6

Greed is the sin that promises us that if we have enough stuff, we will be happy.  However like all other sin, greed keeps us in chains bound under a desire that cannot be met.  Ultimately our true contentment is found in Christ which releases us to be generous to others. 

Hebrews 13:5

Greed is a dangerous, insidious sin that can creep into our lives in more areas than just money and possessions. Nevertheless, the Gospel challenges our excessive personal desires for more with the sufficiency of Christ, which in turn drives us to be generous because “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Hebrews 13:5

Greed demonstrates two personal faith failures. First of all, greed demonstrates a lack of trust in our heavenly Father’s care and provision for His children. Secondly, greed exposes our belief that Jesus cannot satisfy all our needs and desires. But Jesus demonstrated generosity at its fullest by giving His very life for us. Through our generosity we can honour his sacrifice and point others to His grace.

James 4:6-7

The sin of pride is often identified as the beginning of all other sins.  Lifting ourselves over against others, even against God is the source of all kinds of sins.  But God’s grace works in our lives to humble us, following the example of Jesus, and finding our exaltation in God.   

James 4:6-7

Pride is the original sin that loves to insidiously inhabit the hearts of any who will welcome it. Little do we sometimes recognize the deadly effects of pride as it makes us enemies of God. Through God’s grace we are invited to humbly draw near to God, as we reflect on how God, in humility, first drew close to us through Christ.

James 4:6-7

Pride – the essence and chief of all sins ... the root of all the vices known to man – is a sin that must ruthlessly eliminated from our lives. And the way that we make war on this deadly sin is through the virtue of humility – the same humility that is given us by Christ who humbled Himself that our sin might be forgiven. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6-7

There was pride in heaven; what hope is there for us on earth? Pride is a magnified and perverted view of self, is the root of all evil, and always precedes destruction. The only antidote to pride is a right view of God and ourselves and that is made possible through Jesus Christ, who not only shows us His supreme greatness but also the way of humility.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Christians “know” that Jesus loves them but the Apostle Paul wants us to KNOW that Jesus loves us, and the indwelling strength to live in light of that profound reality.

Ephesians 3:14-21

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul includes a beautiful prayer.  In it he outlines a progression for the Christian from experiencing the Power of the Holy Spirit to the Fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Paul prays for the church to know God’s love.  He recognizes that we need God’s power to live in Christ, we need his strength to understand what Jesus has done for us, and to live out the fullness of what he has done.  All of this is for God’s glory.