Through and To

For as long as there have been people, there have been false teachings about how to find hope, healing, and wholeness. That is true throughout the Bible and is still true today. Plus, people are looking for hope, healing, and wholeness wherever they can find it. 

So, what are they going to hear? Some false, distorted version of the true message of Jesus, or that Jesus, God in flesh, made a way for anyone who calls on him to be redeemed - and all we need to do is choose to accept that gift and follow him? 

If you knew you only had a short time to live, what lessons would you pass on to those you love most? If you wrote them in a letter, who would it be addressed to? 

That's what we have as the book of 2 Timothy. As Paul nears the end of his life, he writes a final letter, containing three important life lessons, to his son in the faith.

Being citizens of the kingdom of heaven who reside in the empire requires being humble and obedient to the point of dying to ourselves and the narrative that surrounds us so we can find true life in Christ and, ultimately, someday, thanks to Jesus’ humility and obedience, receive the ultimate fulfillment of our purpose collectively as a church and, yes, also, of your special purpose as a child of God, made in his image, a person for whom Christ died and purposed for his mission. 

Paul points to the litmus test of that very calling in Philippians 2. 

When Jesus paid the debt for our transgression, everything that had transpired from before the foundation of the world, that was set in place for Jews, that they have been living into for millennia - that all became available to those who have been, until Christ, outside of the promises of God. Then, the craziest part, God equips us to bring that message to the whole world. 

Jesus does away with us vs them and commissions us into us for them. 

Sometimes, people say they're Christians, but their actions betray that profession. It's easy to think, "are they really Christians?" Paul writes to the church in Rome about this and we have a lot to learn from his words. 

There's a good chance their faith hasn't matured to a point, yet, where it impacts their daily living. So, how do we respond? Let's learn together. 

Not a sermon about money! Yes, but not because the church cares about your money. Because the church cares about you. 

Where is God in my suffering? How can He be good if there's suffering in the world? That's a deep question best answered through deep, personal conversations with trusted friends. 

BUT, as a starting point, let's lean into this: God is good AND there is suffering. He is sovereign in your suffering and can give purpose to your pain. 

The Bible contains some squirmy stories and sayings. You know, those things that make you shift in your seat a little because they're just a little too far outside your comfort zone. One of those squirmy places is Romans 6. 

We know slavery is a bad thing, so why does Paul talk about being freed from being slaves to sin only to become slaves to God? *squirm* 

As counter-intuitive as it seems, there is tremendous freedom to be found in making Jesus the Master (Lord) of your life. 

Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights in the physical presence of the Lord and came back to the Israelites with God's glory shining off him like a stadium light. He covered that glory with a veil so the Israelites wouldn't see it fade. Thousands of years later, Paul writes about people still covering God's glory with a veil...and that holds true today. 

Set aside legalistic rules-based religion and pick up a vulnerable, honest, humble relationship with Jesus, the only way to experience the unveiled glory of God. 

The greatest of all gifts is not a visible manifestation like prophecy or tongues or leadership. It's the quiet internal motivation that fuels all the other gifts.

Love is the only gift that lasts forever and it is the only way to really make an impact on someone's life. So, how do you know if you're loving people the way Jesus wants you to? 

Listen and find out.