Elements City Church Podcast

The Apostle Paul unpacks this image of adoption for us as believers in Jesus. As he’s calling us to remember our new given identity. God’s adopted you - and that changes everything! If you have now come to know Jesus, your most defining moment isn’t who threw you OUT — but WHO has taken you IN.

Not only has faith in Jesus freed us from condemnation. The EMPOWERED life is God’s Spirit now living within us. Influencing and helping us to become more and more what we’re intended, rescued and created to be…and become.

What some have called the greatest chapter in the Bible (Romans chapter 8) begins with a declarative bang - a shout of relief for those who, in faith, are now in Christ. We are rescued and released from condemnation and no longer face the charges deserved. God has freed us, for He is FOR us through Christ...and this changes everything.

Baptism is an important step in the journey of every follower of Jesus. It is a moment the Believer is commissioned publicly as a disciple of Christ to go and make more followers of Jesus. Jesus set the example for us in this regard, but the baptism of Jesus holds far more weight than many Christians realize — something seen as we examine the narrative of Scripture.

Easter invites us to keep seeking Jesus - he is alive and loves to be found…he still loves to seek and save the lost - those looking for truth and hope.

As we enter into Holy Week we face again the reality of the battle we’re in. The enemy wants to sideline us by reminding us of our sin and our brokenness. The devil will try to grab a seat at your table, to influence you, but you can resist giving him a seat. God has a table prepared for just you and Him. Jesus has secured our victory so we can remind ourselves of our new identity in Him and WHO is really with us and for us.

Have you ever been in a tug-a-war? Think back to P.E. class in middle school? Remember. Now, do you ever feel a similar tension in your life? Like you’re in a tug-a-war in your attempt to follow after Jesus in the midst of the culture and world in which you live? We must recognize the battle we’re in and RESIST the lies with truth and continue to lean into the practices of Jesus. We must live out 1 Peter 5:8-9.

The final practice to help us live unhurried lives is Sabbath. There’s a reason Sabbath is one of God’s Ten Commandments for us to observe. Regularly practicing Sabbath helps us resist the cultural pull to busyness, while creating margin for us to engage in spiritual formation. Sabbath, ultimately, is one of the best paths to becoming more like Jesus and growing as a disciple of Jesus.

We do these practices like (slowing, simplicity, silence, solitude, sabbath and more) in order to grow the fruit of the Spirit within us and cultivate compassion like Christ within our hearts. We don’t want to grow old and grumpy, as followers of Jesus we must grow our compassion like his! Tonight we look at 4 practices we can do to help grow our compassion.

We live in the culture of busy, of noise, of many voices and distractions - in the land of constant connection and our A.D.D. culture that swirls nonstop around us. And yet, the life rhythms of Jesus invite us to find more of our identity and purpose in him through the practices we see him engage in: solitude and silence. They aren’t for the faint of heart - but they will greatly reshape the heart of a disciple within you.