Harvest Community Church of Huntersville

In Psalm 81, God's covenant community was called to celebrate the festivals together. The way God spoke to them then is similar to how He speaks to us today.

Just as painters display their splendid work on canvases, God also has several -canvases- where He displays his glory. Psalm 19 is a song that praises God for this and calls on him in response.

In his letter to Philemon, Paul demonstrates how the gospel impacts our relationships by encouraging Philemon to welcome Onesimus back to him no longer as a slave, but as a brother. We see Paul act like Jesus as he offers to pay Onesimus's debt in order to reconcile him back to Philemon.

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we see what God has done to call people into his family and how we should live as followers of Jesus. Because of that calling and all that God, in His grace, has done, we should live in such a way that the echo of our lives leads people to Jesus.

How would you answer someone if they asked you how you knew jesus rose from the dead or why it amttered- Today's Easter message based on 1 Corinthians 15 addresses both of those questions.

Is everyone equal- Is everyone treated equally- Our culture stresses equality a lot. In the first century, the Apostel Paul wrote a letter to the church at Rome stressing that all people, Jewish and Gentile, are equal -under sin- and are saved in exactly the same manner. Romans shares powerful results of this good news, the Gospel.

After one or two other letters not given to us in the Scripture, Paul writes the church in Corinth again, to remind them of some important things and update them as to a situation in the church. He encourages the believers in the Gospel and reminds them of his sincere love for them.

The first-century city of Corinth is often compared to current cities in America--known for trade and wealth but also for immorality. To the church he founded in this city, the Apostle Paul wrote a living letter that twe know as 1 Corinthians, and its 2000-year old advice is still very relevant today-

Only a few month after receiving their first letter from Paul, the church in Thessalonica received a second letter from him. As persecution of the believers in Thessalonica continued and false teaching was spread, Paul encouraged the believers to stand firm in their faith and in their hope for Christ's return.

Sometimes living the Christian life brings great difficulties and opposition. That was true for the church in Thessolonica, and in this -living letter- the Apostle Paul praise God for their faith and encouraged them to persevere in living to please God, especially in light of the return of Jesus. It works today for us too-