Our salvation is not earned. Struggling with sin as a believer does not mean you aren’t saved. But, as Pastor Ray examines this much debated passage in John, we are reminded of what the life of a true believer looks like. It’s not perfection by the standards of the law, it’s redemption by the fulfilment of the law in Jesus. It’s freedom from the oppression of sin because He has given us power to resist. If we truly received His salvation, how can we remain in that lifestyle of sin?

God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. As Pastor Ray points out in today’s message, God loves to use imperfect humans to carry out His will and purpose in this world. We often believe the lie that we aren’t good enough to be used by God. We feel His call, and we cower, thinking there’s no way we can accomplish it. On one hand it’s true; we cannot accomplish His will alone. But, when we boldly step out in faith, trusting that the Holy Spirit will work through us, we will be amazed at what He can do.

Sin only brings destruction. Many people view God’s intolerance for sin as a bad thing, but it’s because of His great love for His creation that He hates sin and its destructive power. As believers we can look forward to the day when Satan’s power is rooted out of this world. As Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, God is waiting till just the right time. In His great grace, He’s patiently waiting for more people to come to know Him and accept His gift of salvation from sin and eternal death.

Life can feel so complicated sometimes. The world tells us there are a thousand different roads leading to contentment. Yet we continually find ourselves disappointed and questioning where we took a wrong turn. In today’s message, Pastor Ray reminds us that there is only one way to true, heart level peace. Jesus is the way. Following Him doesn’t mean life will be all smooth sailing. We will experience the pains of this mortal life, but He will be there, lighting our path and giving us hope for the future.

The religious leaders longed to bring Jesus down. They not only wanted to discredit Him, they hated Him so deeply that they wanted Him dead. But God wouldn’t allow it until the time was right. We also face hatred and opposition in our world. Sometimes it’s at the hands of man, but more often it’s at the hands of our enemy, Satan. As Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, we can take heart in knowing that God will come through and make all things right in the end.

We bring joy to Jesus’ heart! What an amazing thought! In the garden of Gethsemane, He was full of dread for what He was about to experience, praying there was some other way. But, as Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, there was no other way. The only way for Him to redeem us from guilt and oppression we were born into was to die on the cross. While He dreaded the pain of bearing all of mankind’s sin and being separated from His Father, He found joy in knowing what it meant for us.

When we think of Martha, the story that often comes to mind is of Jesus reprimanding her for her bad attitude towards her sister’s supposed laziness in the presence of Jesus. As Pastor Ray points out in today’s message, this passage reveals that Martha was a success story. The story didn’t end at her reprimand. She took Jesus’ teachings to heart. Instead of a means of gaining status in God’s Kingdom, her works became a loving, joy filled act of sacrifice out of love for Jesus.

Often times we look at the examples of Biblical figures and put them on a pedestal. We view their acts of worship and service as beyond what we are capable of. As Mary poured out her incredibly valuable ointment on Jesus’ feet, she demonstrated an extreme love and devotion that we simply can’t imagine. As Pastor Ray helps us to understand in today’s message, we can learn a lot from her example. We need to examine our lives, and take everything, even the things we hold dearest and lay them at Jesus’ feet.

Whether you’ve been in love, or you long to be in love, all of us can imagine that moment when you’re with that special person. The world fades away, and your senses are filled up with the sight of them, their smell, their touch… That’s all you can think about. As Pastor Ray examines the account of Mary pouring out her perfume on Jesus, we get an image of the extravagant love of a worshipper. The cost didn’t matter. She didn’t care what others thought. She was at the feet of the Messiah, and that’s all that mattered.

The timeline of Scriptural prophecy defies common logic. Skeptics frequently argue that there’s no way the prophecies of the Old Testament could have been written before the events of the New Testament because they are simply too accurate. As Pastor Ray explains in today’s message, the down to the letter accuracy of Old Testament prophecy testifies to God’s sovereignty. God is the Creator of all things, including time, and He is not captive to its constraints.