We live in a world that demands fairness, and rightfully so. In the new “kingdom of heaven”, however, we live beyond fairness… we live generously…just like Jesus taught those who choose to follow Him.

No matter the circumstance, we all experience discouragement. And, because we are all different, we handle discouragement differently. When faced with these moments in our lives, how do we defeat discouragement?

Many are motivated to Christianity or to “eternal life” out of fear (of judgment, or “hell”); or rules (because that is what I’m supposed to do); or guilt. These are not wrong, but they are far from the ideal of what ultimately will compel us to live for a God and Savior who magnificently loves us.

We look at the “theological implications” of the “new creation” theme as presented in the Bible. Put a different way, how can we learn about our relationship with God in the “new creation” and what does this mean for believers in eternity?

We take a balanced look between the subjects of “grace” and “works”.

If ever there was a great example of a family – generations of them – the Rechabites is at the top of the list. God used this family as an example of children who honored their “fathers”, even generations later. We will do well to learn from their example.

Did you know that God designed the marriage relationship as the most intimate illustration of His divine image? And, if we are to reflect His image, we must shed our many worldly qualities of this “one flesh” relationship and live out His divine calling. Husbands and wives who do are truly “one”.

God has given us the gift of who to love and how to love. While that choice is ours to make (and He teaches us who/how to love… like Him), there are many other factors that are beyond our control. In the end, however, we will wait on the Lord for the ultimate reaping for sowing love in our lives.

This message focuses on the polarizing perspectives surrounding Christmas. May it bless both sides.

Not only do we not have perfect families, but you’d also be hard pressed to find a single family in the Bible (at least with enough information that gets into their family life) to find one even close. That doesn’t mean we can’t strive to be a godly family… and that’s the point of this series.