Bringing Relationships to Life

You Gotta’ Have Faith

Too many Christians think that faith is something that they must produce on their own. They do not realize that faith is a gift from God. They live lives of defeat and frustration when they try to produce something that only God can give them.
So, how do they get this faith? This is the topic of this sermon.

O Lord, Why Are You So Far Away?

God has great plans for us. So, why is it that those great plans and God Himself seems to be so far away? Could it be that you are doing something that is keeping you from what God would like to give you? This message explores areas in your life that separate you from God and His plans.

The Meaning of the Cross

Mankind was created in God's image. He was created in peace with God and longs to restore that peace. His efforts to make peace with God have come from creating religion rather than re-establishing the relationship. So, God did for man what he couldn't do for himself.
The relationship created by the work of the cross gave man victory, peace, forgiveness, purpose and life. It seems too good to be true but how could anyone not listen if it could be true? This is the meaning of the cross.

The End in Mind

We should take precautions to protect our children and ourselves in schools and churches. These actions are merely prudent. However, this will only address the symptom rather than the disease. Jesus said that we would have tribulation in this world. The world is full of evil and that evil will find a way of committing heinous acts. This could bring us to despair if not for the fact that Jesus ended the previous statement with, "But be of good courage, I have overcome the world." Jesus is the answer to the evil in the world. He has given us the responsibility of sharing Him with the world. He has promised that we would do more than He did by seeing more people come to know Him. People are changed by a relationship with Jesus. The responsibility is on us to share Him with the world.

The Just and the Justifier

Is Jesus sacrifice on the cross an act of God's justice or an act of God's mercy?
The answer is "yes." Justice is served when Jesus died on the cross. Mercy was given to us because Jesus died on the cross.
God gives us mercy every day of our lives. That won't be true when we leave this world.
Our works will never earn us our salvation but they will definitely earn us our condemnation.
God is both the just and the justifier.

There Is a Fountain

The Ark of the Covenant contains the Ten Commandments. They represent the righteousness of God and stand as a condemnation against all mankind since all have sinned. The Ark is covered by a lid called the "Mercy Seat." Jesus is that Mercy Seat whose blood would be spilled to quell the wrath of God. He has been put forward by God to be a propitiation for those who receive Him by faith. The story is one that bring peace to the believer for there is no peace in the lives of those who have no relationship with God.

The Glory of God

We were created in God's image. That image included His glory. Sin caused that image to be marred. We have fallen short of His glory. Yet, God seeks to restore His glory within us.
So, Jesus is justifying us by giving a gift without regard to what we do. Jesus died for everyone: even the people who will never trust in Him. He died for those who were making themselves His enemies. Thus, He redeems us so that we will again reflect God's glory.

But Now

We all have markers in our lives. We were in school and we graduate. We didn't have a job and now we do. We get a dog. We get married. These markers tell the story of what we were (or what we were doing) and now.
Paul has been telling us that we cannot become righteous by the law. No one can seek justification on their own record. However, now, with the presence of Jesus Christ we can be righteous for we accept His righteousness when we accept Him.
Jesus paid it all so that we would become His. The price wasn't paid and now it is.

Can We Handle the Truth?

The bill lies unpaid on the dresser. The lump in your breasts is never examined. The feelings of guilt are never resolved. Many times we don't do anything because we do not want to face the truth. We don't want to face the fact that we can't pay the bill. We are afraid of what the doctor will tell us if we get examined for the lump in the breast. We keep hoping that the feelings of guilt will just go away.
Eventually, we all have to face the truth. Sometimes we face them when its too late.

God Looked Down

When God looked down He saw humanity in desperate need. We needed a Savior. When God looks down now, He sees humanity in desperate need. We need the Savior.