Element Christian Church of Santa Maria

We are to mirror God in His moral excellence as well as in other ways. The basic call of a believer in Jesus in this world is to be a reflection of the character of God.

In the Old Testament God steps in and gives His people a command that is supposed to put check into how far they are allowed to go in retribution. He tells them An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, meaning the punishment should not exceed the offense...but as always, Jesus takes it deeper, beyond the law.

The Bible grounds all love in God’s covenant love for His people as it’s foundation. In contrast with our consumer culture, the Bible teaches that the essence of marriage is a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other.

Watch Eric & Terri's story at: https://vimeo.com/99337996

Let your language be an authentic representation of who you are in Christ. The point of language is to communicate honesty…Because our God has communicated clearly in the person of Jesus.

Fathers have one of the most important tasks in all of society and it’s a tremendous responsibility. We are to humbly lead our families by loving our wives, delighting in our children, disciplining when necessary, and preach the gospel to them through our words and actions. We are to be willing to push back against a culture that is slowly trying to usurp the father’s authority in the family and give our God given roles to the public institutions. By the grace of God may we lead our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and train them in the way they should go and not become lazy and expect the churches, or schools, to do the parenting for us. We are not just training our kids to be successful, we are fighting for their hearts and minds since they are not just warm bodies but souls as well!

In the end, we are to model God’s grace towards us in the way we parent our own children and point them to our perfect heavenly Father, the one whom we can cry ABBA! Father!

What does the God of the universe does with killers and whores? He invites them to dinner and dances with them. It is the ultimate display of grace and our understanding of that fact should be shown in the response of our gratitude.

Jesus paid every last penny we owed for our forgiveness at the moment of the cross, understanding His grace is how all of our relationships will be restored.

Jesus is not announcing the termination of the Old Testament’s relevance and authority, He is showing forth the entire point.

We are all called to partner with Jesus in the renewing and proclamation of His name and His greatness. His hope, His healing as salt and light in the world.

It is abundantly clear in scripture that God is a Father, and as a Father He sets His perfect example in love. He loves us even when we are unlovable, comforts us when we are broken, pursues us when we are wayward, lets us fail when we need to learn the hard way, and uses everything in our life for a teaching opportunity. He is a perfect father who gives His children what they need, not just what they want. As children of the Almighty God, it is our responsibility, duty, and joy to teach others the way God has taught us. This is especially true for those of you who are parents: God has placed a great blessing and a great calling on your life. Be diligent to discipline and graceful in your approach to parenting. Keep Jesus in the center of your life as God, and not the blessing (your children) He has given you. In all things imitate Christ so that many may see your good works and come to know Jesus.