Messages From Trinity Galewood

Being a Christian is not about joining some kind of holy huddle, separated from the world. God’s grace is not given to us only for our good, but for the good of others. “Through Jesus, God is building a community of believers who will bring glory to His name.”

A lot is made of identity these days. We are told to be who we are. But who are we really?

In the opening lines of his first letter Peter addresses Christians as “elect exiles” two terms which, by worldly standards, seem to be at odds.

Following Jesus means embracing an entirely different way of living; one in which we turn our backs on the ways of the world and embrace the ways of His kingdom. But what does that look like?

The book of Acts ends in a rather abrupt way: with an ending that really isn’t an ending. Paul is in Rome continuing to preach. What does this mean? Why is it here? The answer is quite simple: the mission goes on.

One of the things that we sometimes miss when it comes to the mission is the beauty of what takes place when someone experiences the grace of God. Acts 16 contains a series of small stories that paint a larger picture of the better life God gives us through Jesus. By listening to the Spirit, Paul meets the spiritual needs of the Macedonian people by calling them to faith (Lydia), freeing them from darkness (the demon-possessed girl), and extending grace and hope in the face of personal failure and fear (the Philippine jailer). God still desires to give that better life to others through us. Will we go and help?

Sadly, we often have a hard time seeing the mission beyond our own walls or communities, preferring our own narrow spheres to the culture-crossing, boundary-breaking mission of the Kingdom of God. But God’s grace is not bound. He leads us, by His Spirit, to bring Good News to everyone,

The members of the early church were animated by the very Spirit of God as they pursued the mission of God together. And this shaped every aspect of their common life. Just as they had received God’s power, God’s presence, and God’s grace, so they extended grace and gave the gift of presence to others. Their story was one in which each person saw themselves as a part of a much larger community, extending God’s grace in tangible acts of generosity, service, and visible acts of witness to the wider world. And the result was not only that needs were met, but the message of Jesus spread outward to others. It is a beautiful picture of common life animated by the grace of God that speaks volumes to the world about the God we worship. It is what it looks like to be a part of a much larger community, one which we continue to be a part of to this day.

The first thing that we see about the early church is that they were called and empowered by God to be a part of a much Bigger STORY!

Easter is Just the Beginning