Own Your Faith

The difference between being a seeker of Jesus and being a follower of Jesus is followers are willing to pay the cost. We need eyes to see the cost and the willingness to pay the cost. When we visualize Jesus on the cross we must appreciate the cost in his sacrifice and its impact on our lives. If we are willing to mimic Jesus and endure the cost of following him, we will be on our way to a devoted life in Christ. Some people in the crowds that Jesus ministered to became a part of the group of 72 that he sent out to preach the gospel and cast out demons. They weren't afraid of the cost! Luke 10:1-17.

We continue our journey of discipleship and spiritual formation as we move from curious about the Lord to seeking the Lord in order to go deeper. God wants us to be more intimate with him, to know the depths of his truths and his love. We won't know those things on the fringes of faith.

The closer we walk with Christ the greater his impact on our lives and our impact on the lives of others. Too many Christians are comfortable staying hidden among the multitudes merely curious about Jesus rather than moving to seeking, following, serving, and leading for the kingdom. He is inviting us to be more than just curious about the Lord, but devoted to him. A journey to a devoted life begins with being more than a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word. James 1:22-25

The King deserves the reward for his suffering. A part of that reward is to be united race, class, gender, age, etc. as we take communion. It is not an individual exercise, but instead it is a practice or liturgy can turn our hearts toward each other in brother and sisterhood as well as toward Jesus in oneness with Him. 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

It has been said that you can tell the morality of a group of people (nation, culture, generation, etc.) by the songs they sing. Worship, when engaged with a whole heart, has the capacity to shape our desires for the kingdom.

One thing we all share in common that governs just about all our lives, we all have desires, and we all have practices (or personal liturgy)that form our desires. In this series we will delve into how worship services reorient our desires towards the Kingdom of God. In this message the word of God has an inherent quality to redirect our desires to "seek first the kingdom" (Matthew 6:33)...Hebrews 4:12

1 John 3:18 calls for us to live and love not just in word but also in deed. We can speak loudly with our mouths and even louder with our actions. With both words and actions we speak to others, we speak for God, and we speak against evil and sin in the culture. What do your actions say about your witness? Jeremiah 1

In this "selfie world" where seems to be this growing preoccupation with self we can lose sight of God's grace. Let us not be deceived into thinking that it is all about us, that we can achieve it all on our own, or that we even have to. Let us be mindful of God's activity in our lives. His grace is central to his redemptive work in and around us. The grace of God makes possible life after death. Ephesians 2:1-10

Christ the redeemer paid the price that offered us freedom. Too often we forget or do not realize that we truly are free in Christ, as Scripture tells us, "we have NO OBLIGATION to the flesh." Freedom is yours in Christ! Romans 6:17-22.

Jesus redeemed humanity through his work on the cross, but God's redemptive work is in progress. One powerful truth that the Bible proclaims is that in Christ we are "transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of Christ" (Colossians 1:13,14). God rescues, reconciles, and rewards us as we reorient our minds to align with his heart. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.