First Friday Fellowship

So many of us on the journey to coming to Christ, have resisted or stalled for many reasons, but, mostly because Satan has an amazing way of reminding us of just how unworthy we truly are.

Every sin we have ever committed, we allow to come flooding back into our minds. We become acutely aware of how undeserving we are of a Savior.

The truth is, there’s not one of us that deserves salvation. There's not one of us that deserves to be forgiven.

BUT… because of the price that Jesus paid, WE CAN HAVE IT.

If God can do what He chose through someone like Rahab, then what do you think He can do with us?

The Bible tells us that that all have fallen short of the glory of God, and ALL need a Savior. 

We're sick. We're broken. We need someone to mend those wounds.

And those wounds… Those deep wounds… can only be mended by one… And that is JESUS himself. 

If we have not yet come to Christ, we need to recognize that we are sick. We will die in our sins, and we will be condemned forever. 

Unless, we get to the ONLY doctor that can truly heal. 

Come to the doctor who heals and saves, and be truly released from the eternal sickness that plagues all of mankind. 

In Jesus’ name. AMEN!

What does it mean to, “Work out our salvation with fear and trembling”?

Jesus was/is patient and loving and kind, but also, and maybe even more importantly, ZEALOUS, and STRONG, and FIRM. Jesus IS NOT our homeboy. He probably had a pretty big dose of what the world today might call, “Toxic Masculinity.” 

As the modern Christian Church, at least in our rush to embrace a Doctrine of Grace, we have become really comfortable attempting to making Christ like us, and a lot less comfortable making US LIKE CHRIST!

God is not interested in a social club that we call church. God is interested in real change that occurs in the deepest, deepest parts of our hearts.

Jesus is the one who loved us so much, that in spite of our love of darkness and sin, He still chose to die in the most horrible way possible, to be the perfect sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sin, and to deflect God's righteous wrath, so that I can be saved, and you can be saved. 

When we recognize that THAT perfect man, God incarnate, chose a horrible death, chose to be the perfect sacrifice, that a perfect and righteous God demanded so that we could be saved, when we understand that, THEN we will get on our knees, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 

When you've been in a relationship with God for a long time, you've most likely experienced some amazing examples of His presence.

He's answered prayers for you. You've watched Him move into people's lives, and people literally have become different people, and you've been amazed to witness it.

But, what happens when the answer is “NO!”? What happens when we pray and fast and beg… When we know our motives are right, and our heart is right, and the answer is still “NO!”?

God knows everything that must happen to fulfill His perfect will. And lots of the time, some of these things might end up being extremely painful, in the short term.

But always, our delivery and salvation is coming, and the pain of this life is quite temporary. Even when He says “NO!”, He is saying “YES!” to the joy that He is bringing with Him, for each and every one of us that believe.

We must trust Him in the pain, as we trust Him in the joy.

#jesus #love #truth #truth #obedience

I talk way too much.

Freedom isn't free.

There's a price… and the price to real freedom… True freedom, is actually in SERVANTHOOD.

While the world tells you it's time to “Get yours,” and “You have a right to be happy,” the paradox of freedom, is that this freedom is not found where no demands are being placed on our lives, or where worldly pleasures with no accountability are filling our time.

The wisdom of God speaks completely differently.It is only through complete SUBMISSION to the will of God, a willingness to become a true servant to His demands, do we actually become, permanently become free.

Matthew 16:24-25 / Luke 22:25-27 / Galatians 5:13-14

We all seem to have an incessant, narcissistic belief, that somehow, we humans are the arbiters of spiritual truth We often feel as though it is up to us to teach the unwashed masses. 

Well… The Bible has some things to say about we teachers. 

What makes Jesus different, is that it’s NOT what we do that determines whether or not you can be saved. It is, instead, WHAT JESUS DID, that allows us to be saved. And this unwarranted, unmerited GRACE, is very difficult for us as humans to get our minds around. Our nature wants so badly to believe that what we did or do, contributed to our salvation. “We deserve it.” We can't help but need to feed the deepest, darkest recesses of our heart, where the vanities and pride hide themselves. We always find a way to take credit. Which basically means we claim that we earned our salvation. 

What does the Bible tell us about being the authors of our own salvation? 

The bible simple states that we must: Repent, surrender control, be baptized and watch Him change us from the inside out, as we stay in relationship with Him.

HE changes us. HE makes us. WE DON’T make us. If we try to earn a trip to heaven, we’ll fail. We can never be good enough.