Hamilton Hills Church

Are you "good enough" to get into Heaven? This is a common question that people struggle with.  The Bible is clear that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. There are is not one single person with a competitive edge, the playing field is level.  The Good News of Christ proclaims that we can all have freedom from our sins, and we can all have the powerful Spirit of God in our lives.

News is a part of our lives. It is what we rely on to make decisions. It informs us. News can make us move, pick a restaurant, choose a school, join a political party, or decide whether we visit family for the holidays. Have you heard the "good news" of the Bible? If you believe the good news is true, it will give you confidence and boldness to praise God every day of your life.

Are you good at time management?  Do you have time to balance everything in your life to perfection?  Often times, we can't  fit another thing into our lives.  And when it comes to sharing out faith with our Oikos, we think of it as adding another thing to our checklist.  In fact, it is not another item on our list, it should be in every part of our lives, especially the areas where we spend the most time. Reaching our Oikos is as simple as sharing what God has done in our life with the people we already see every day.

Has God worked in your life? Have you told other people about how God has provided for you? The bible is clear that the people in our life need to hear our story.  They need to understand how and why you believe in God. It is through  the sharing of our story that people will understand the transformative power of God's work in our lives.  Pray for God to help you have the boldness and courage to share your story.

We all have many opportunities to invest in other people. To help someone when they truly need it. And normally, these moments are inconvenient. God calls us to make investments in His kingdom, in His people. When we invest in God's kingdom it helps us find the joy of the Lord. Who is God call you to invest in?

God has put you where you need to be, and we are all called to reach people around us. The people in our lives are not there on accident, God has put them there. The Bible has many clear examples of how God used His people to reach their front row. As we continue our series, Oikos, we are learning how important it is for us to pray for others and actively join God in bringing them to Him.

People don't meet Jesus. They are introduced to Jesus. Have ever created a list of the people in your life that need to be introduced to Jesus? Making a list, and committing to pray for that list, are the the first steps to reaching the lost world. It is only thru you that people will learn about Jesus.

The entire world is a big place, but you world is pretty small. In fact the closest people in your life is about 8-12 people.  We are talking about people on your front row, those with a close-up view of your life. How will you love these people?  How will you reach out to them and share the message of Christ with them? Even when it is inconvenient, the Bible calls us to love others.

How does God build the church and bring new people to faith?  He uses all of us. The fact is, virtually all Christians find faith through a close friend or family member. This is the first message in our new series, and we invited Tom Mercer in to kick things off. He helps us understand how the people you're close to, your front row, is your "Oikos" - a term found in the Bible.

Do you love your church? If you do, there are some responsibilities that come along with that. If you love your church, God calls you to live in unity with others and be generous with His blessings. Sharing with each other and extending grace are a vital part in helping others see Jesus in you.