Leviticus details us a narrative about how God put his stamp of approval on a system whereby people could interact with him and engage in relationship with him. He did this through the efforts of a priesthood and made his dwelling place among his people. The whole Bible is a story about God coming to be with people and this is a key part of such a story.

Lev. 8 focuses on the presentation and preparation of the first priesthood to facilitate the processes of the tabernacle, but here we also see lessons about what God values and what it looks like to be people who help others relate to God. In the New Covenant all Christians are called priests and have work of ministry that we are called to in our priestly role. Lev. 8 helps us discover God's passions and desires for those he calls his priests.

Our relationship with God is directly connected to how we relate to people. God cares about what we do with material things because material things display opportunities for ownership and ownership is a key part of the authority of God and the authority he gives others. In this offering God gives a way to make things right when we've damaged his property or the property of others and the principle applies to us as we become aware that other people may have something against us.

On this Sunday we invited a missionary couple in development to come and share with us about the initial stages of their development and the next steps they are taking. The message of Leviticus is directly connected to God's mission to the nations - he has made a way for sinful people to have their debt paid for and to become clean before him in Jesus.

Leviticus is telling us a story about God's character and the nature of what God desires of humanity. The third offering reveals that God is not primarily interested in an arrangement in which we do things for him, but where we enjoy him and treat him like a person with whom we have an intimate relationship. The Creator of the universe longs for us to know him and love him and be known and be loved by him.

The "gift" offering was an offering that was intended simply to thank God for how he had provided for his people. It was an acknowledgement that "we have what we have because God has given it, therefore we must give some back as a thank you for his provision." This is foundational to relationship with God and was intended to ground God's people in a perspective of gratefulness and thanksgiving.

The responsibility of the Christian is to concern ourselves with doing that which is in the will of God, but what does this really mean? And how does it become possible to do such a thing if we do not have the mind or heart of God? The bible indicates that it is possible for us to discern God's will but to develop in this skill of discernment requires something of us.

This kicks off a series looking at the 5 offerings at the opening of the book of Leviticus and what those offerings reveal to us about what it means to be invited into relationship with our Creator. The first offering is not just instruction about process and procedure, it trained the Israelites to observe the kind of devotion that God desires of anyone who would walk in relationship with him.

Grief is a part of what it means to live in this world. It is not a thing to be avoided, but to be engaged. And the promise of Jesus is that there are blessings in God's kingdom to be extended to those who are grieving. This seems counter intuitive, because grief can be so painful and if not engaged rightly, it can be a threat to our soul. In this sermon we explore how we can find God's blessing in grief.

We are prone to discontent, especially in the current context that we live in. At the same time, the apostle Paul has written about what it looks like to learn contentment. So much of our spiritual and emotional struggle is the result of discontent. The Bible seeks to help us understand where true and lasting contentment lies.