Ethos Church

There may not be an adequate way of truly explaining the importance of God’s word in our lives and what it does to us when we choose to live by it. It is an experience that changes us. Daily it is up to us to determine if the world or the Word will be the basis for how we live our lives. When we have an attitude that gratefully receives, humbly accepts, and intently embraces the truth of God’s Word; we are partnering with God to establish His kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heart-breaking needs, is whether those who are identified as Christians will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ. Steadily learning from Him how to live the life of the Kingdom of Heaven into every corner of human existence.” – Dallas Willard

We hear the language, “follower of Jesus” all the time, but what does it really mean? Put simply, it means we reorganize our life around three goals; to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, and to do what Jesus did. That’s it. But that’s an entire life’s pursuit. It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s not about trying, it’s about training, and it’s not just an event on a Sunday, but a “way” of life in community around the teachings of Jesus. To live this way means we need to be transformed, from the inside out. Through teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit, we learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus, not simply a Christian.

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

One theologian was asked, “If you could describe Jesus in one word, what would that be?” His reply, “Relaxed.” As we continue leaning into knowing God in a personal way, we cannot neglect the role that rest plays in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Rest does not mean you don’t do anything; it means you learn to do the right things. In fact, for many of us, following Jesus may entail changing the pace of our lives. In this teaching we learn that to experience Gods presence we have to walk at God’s pace. The goal is to keep in step with Jesus - not far behind, not out in front – but rather, step by step.

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”

The beauty of the Bible is that it is literally God’s very words. When we pause and view this book as God actually speaking to us and revealing His wisdom and truth to us, it fully alters our approach and how we read and grasp it. This book now takes on a whole new identity to us. Hebrews 4:12 says that, “the word of God is living and active and full of power…” When we approach the Bible as living and active, we can begin to meditate on the scriptures in a new and life-giving way. We become active participants of His Word.

Continuing in our series “Christmas…more than just a nice story”, we dive into the hope the prophet Isaiah was pointing to in Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah describes the son to be born as, “Mighty God.” However, we learn that mighty looked a lot different than anyone expected. Jesus doesn’t impose His will and take over as many expected, instead He simply submitted to the will of the Father. This even resulted in the sacrifice of His own life. Jesus sets forth an example for us, and what it looks like to live in humble obedience to God. However, this is often a challenge for us for a variety of reasons. The key for us to overcome the challenge this presents is to look at the reason we celebrate Christmas, the love of God exemplified in the sacrifice of His one and only son.

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Christmas can be a very difficult season for many people. It can highlight the loss of a loved one, reawaken old family drama, or even make us painfully aware of our loneliness. But even in that darkness, we can have hope because Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor who guides us from a position of authority. It may feel intimidating to approach God with your problems. What if He ignores you? What if He rejects you? What if you only receive judgement instead of mercy? These questions may seem reasonable, but they stem from thinking that God is like an angry boss, rather than a Wonderful Counselor. When we approach God with our problems, our sins, and our hopes; He sympathizes with our weaknesses and is eager to help us.

Jesus wants us to come to Him with our problems, our joys, our questions, and our hopes. He is both willing and able to help and heal us. But we have to come to Him in full honesty, be willing to change, and be ready to do what He says. In Him, we have a guide that is better than words can describe. Loosen your grip on your secrets, your fears, and your determination to follow your own counsel and allow Jesus to guide you. When you hand over your life to Jesus, light will overwhelm your darkness.

“For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

What if the uncertainty of life with the new coronavirus could be one of the best things to ever happen to our spiritual formation? What if, when we tell the story of our life in old age, and people ask what it was that made us who we are, we boldly answered, “living through 2020”? Control is often the issue underneath so many of the issues that block, hamper, or derail our spiritual formation into people of love, joy, and peace. Fortunately for us, God never intended for us to be in control. Consequently, He guides and leads us the best when we surrender complete control into His hands.

As we enter this week of Thanksgiving, we enter a time where we naturally pause and think about what we are thankful for. It is easy to rattle of the normal things like family, health, job, and friends, which are normally the things that first come to mind. But what if for a change we stop and reflect on who we are thankful to and not just on what we are thankful for?