God’s Radical Compassion

We are going to be, as the video showed – talking about compassion.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity to be in Your presence. As we are livestreaming here – I pray that You would open our hearts to hear from You. Give me the grace I need to share. Your word is so incredible and You are so amazing – to share these character qualities of yours – I can only scratch the surface ...

I’m going to do a commercial for 2022 Grace Summit – what we’ll be doing through the messages and other ways.

Walter Brueggemann is an Old Testament scholar who has categorized the Psalms into 3 life-stages. This creates a life cycle of personal faith. As we understand these stages, we will know where to go when we are in need.

Orientation

Disorientation

Reorientation

He is speaking of our relationship with God.

Think of order ...

Playlist at Grace Summit December 26 2021Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You that we have gathered together over these weeks to celebrate Advent – Your coming. Thank You that You became human to take away our sins. Thank You, Lord, for Your love for us and the joy we can experience in You. Speak to each of us, even though we are not gathered together. Encourage us, as the New Year approaches, that we might live ...

Luke 1: 39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

This Advent narrative will focus on the connections between Mary and Elizabeth and Jesus and John. Mary and Elizabeth share many spiritual ...

Luke 1:26-28 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting ...

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19

Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately.

20 When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him ...

We are in Ephesians – last week, we ended on chapter 5, verse 18:

Ephesians 5:18 18 Do not get drunk on wine,

which leads to debauchery.

Instead,

be filled with the Spirit,

Paul is making a contrast between being drunk/filled with wine and being drunk/filled with the spirit!

What do you allow to control or influence you? Alcohol influences our thoughts and behavior – and Paul is saying that God’s Spirit needs ...

Ephesians 5:3-14, Paul talks about putting off the old self – the ways of the Gentiles – and putting on the new self, the life in Christ – and then:

Ephesians 5:15 15 Therefore be careful how you walk,

not as unwise men

but as wise,

16

making the most of your time,

because the days are evil.

17 So then do not be foolish,

but understand what the will of the Lord is.

So what ...

Today we have some very practical things in today’s message – but we can’t forget the three main themes we have been talking about through Ephesians

The themes are “In Christ Identity” – We can’t deal with anger if we don’t know our ‘in Christ’ identity.

Christ’s Victory over Evil – like with our speech and other instruction here – through Paul’s instructions on these things, we participate in Christ’s victory over ...

Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.

Last week we talked about using our gifts. This is not about “HOURS SERVED” – but using our gifts as we can.

The purpose is PEOPLE – equipping the saints for the building up of the body of Christ.

There will always be a need for the meeting of needs of people.

A five-star restaurant ...