Wow, it's hard to believe our "Glorious" series is just about over! Over the past few weeks, we've examined the breath-taking attributes of our glorious God. We've seen that...
-God is Faithful. Our faith is only as strong as what we put our faith in.
-God is Holy. His holiness convicts, cleanses and commissions us for service.
-God is Eternal. As the Great I Am, Jesus is always in the present tense.
-God is Good. Celebrating the Lord's Supper, we tasted and saw that He is good.
-God is Powerful. He has the power to do as He pleases.
-God is All-Knowing. Jesus sees every breath you take.
-God is Humble. And we're to have the same attitude.
-God is Sovereign. The Father sent the Son and now the Son is sending us in His authority.
-God is Near. How good it is to be near God.
And finally...
-God is Loving. Love is a verb.
It's hard to find anyone today who does not play fantasy football. And there is nothing more important in fantasy football than the draft. You pour over magazines, scouting reports, websites and TV shows to glean any tidbit of info that you can use to make the absolute best picks. You want that player who can do the most for you...score the most touchdowns, catch the most passes, run for the most yards.
But in the book of Deuteronomy, we see God make His number one pick in the draft...and it's anything BUT the best player. Check it out.
7 “The LORD did not choose you and lavish His love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!
8 It was simply because the LORD loves you, and because He was keeping the oath He had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such amazing power from your slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT)
God chose the Jewish people not because they were big, powerful, good-looking or lived in a great neighborhood. The Bible says that it was simply because He loved them. Nothing more. And because God loved them, He did something. He freed them from slavery in Egypt.
Love is a verb.
Let's take a look at Five Facts of God's Loving Acts.
-God loves GRACIOUSLY (Rom. 5:8)
-God loves SELFLESSLY (John 3:16, Gal. 2:20)
-God loves CEASELESSLY (Psalm 136:1)
-God loves SACRIFICIALLY (1John 4:10)
-God loves UNBREAKABLY (Rom 8:38-29)
God's love is always in action. That's because Love is a Verb.
What's our response? To live and love like God. Love is NOT a warm fuzzy feeling. It's action, always action.
Love is a Verb.
In Christ,
Jay
From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on September 7, 2008.
Showing posts with label Glorious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glorious. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Must See FRCC
Every summer, the TV networks announce their new fall schedule. Viewers find out when their favorite shows will be on. We also get a sneak peak at the new sitcoms, dramas and reality shows. With that in mind, I thought you might like a look at the Freedom River Fall Schedule.
Call it "Must See FRCC."
First of all, we'll continue our "Glorious" series for three more weeks. This Sunday we'll examine God's sovereignty with "Tell Them Jesus Sent You." The following weekend we'll take a look at the amazing love of God. Our next guest speaker, Justin Wredberg, will wrap up the series on Labor Day weekend.
Starting September 14th, we'll begin our next series called "Rebuild, Reboot, Redeem." This will be a study of Nehemiah. In this amazing book, the prophet Nehemiah heads up a massive urban renewal project in the ruins of Jerusalem. I truly believe this could be a powerful study for FRCC at a very critical time. Talk about reality TV. This series will take us right up to the Christmas season.
Stay tuned for "Must See FRCC" every Sunday at 10 am.
In Christ,
Jay
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Jesus Is All the Power You Need
Power. Nuclear power. Electrical power. Political power. All power pales in comparison to our All-Powerful God.
Nebuchadnezzar found this out the hard way. As the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful people on the planet. He built his country from a third-rate Third World step child into a dominating superpower.
With a powerful military machine, he bullied neighboring nations into submission. Through an amazing domestic revitalization, Nebuchadnezzar brought his people up from the ashes. He ordered the construction of shipping docks, canals, aqueducts and temples. He built not one, but three opulent palaces. The king actually ordered that his name be stamped on every brick used in construction to make sure all would know of his power.
His most impressive accomplishment may have been a gift for his wife. His new bride was a native of the mountains. Nebuchadnezzar literally built her a mountain in the middle of the capital city, covering it with an amazing array of plants and trees. It became known as "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon," one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
But it all came to sudden end one day when the king walked along the roof of his palace. Daniel 4:28-37 says that a voice from heaven told Nebuchadnezzar that his reign was over. Almighty God cut the arrogant monarch down to size. If that wasn't bad enough, the King of kings humbled the King of Babylon, making him believe he was a cow! For seven years, one of the most powerful persons on planet grazed the pasture like a Holstein!
And after a humbling seven years, a broken Nebuchadnezzar realized God's power and might. "He has the power to do as He pleases." (Daniel 4:35b NLT)
God's purpose was to make sure that we would all know that only God is Almighty. But what does it mean that God is powerful? While we can't comprehend the full scope of His power, five "Power Points" may help us appreciate His omnipotence.
1-The power of God is UNSTOPPABLE.
For our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes. (Psalm 15:3 NLT)
"...with God everything is possible." (Matthew 19:26 NLT)
2-The power of God is UNIMAGINABLE.
Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)
3-The power of God is IRREVERSIBLE.
"From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse My actions." (Isaiah 43:13 NLT)
4-The power of God is AVAILABLE.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (Philippians 4:13 NLT)
5-The power of God is the GOSPEL.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles. (Romans 1:16)
Coming to some understanding and comprehension of the power of Almighty God has incredible consequences on our daily lives. Simply put, how powerful is your God? Sadly, it seems that so many of us end up worhsiping an impotent God with an impotent Gospel. If our Omnipotent God can literally speak the universe into existence from absolute nothing, then He is powerful enough to do a great work through us and in us!
John Piper sums it up best.
To be gripped by the omnipotence of God is either marvelous because He is for us or terrifying because He is against us. Indifference to His omnipotence simply means we haven't seen it for what it is.
As Nebuchadnezzar stated so simply 2700 years ago, "He has the power to do as He pleases."
Jesus is all the power you need.
In Christ,
Jay
From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on August 3, 2008.
Nebuchadnezzar found this out the hard way. As the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful people on the planet. He built his country from a third-rate Third World step child into a dominating superpower.
With a powerful military machine, he bullied neighboring nations into submission. Through an amazing domestic revitalization, Nebuchadnezzar brought his people up from the ashes. He ordered the construction of shipping docks, canals, aqueducts and temples. He built not one, but three opulent palaces. The king actually ordered that his name be stamped on every brick used in construction to make sure all would know of his power.
His most impressive accomplishment may have been a gift for his wife. His new bride was a native of the mountains. Nebuchadnezzar literally built her a mountain in the middle of the capital city, covering it with an amazing array of plants and trees. It became known as "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon," one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
But it all came to sudden end one day when the king walked along the roof of his palace. Daniel 4:28-37 says that a voice from heaven told Nebuchadnezzar that his reign was over. Almighty God cut the arrogant monarch down to size. If that wasn't bad enough, the King of kings humbled the King of Babylon, making him believe he was a cow! For seven years, one of the most powerful persons on planet grazed the pasture like a Holstein!
And after a humbling seven years, a broken Nebuchadnezzar realized God's power and might. "He has the power to do as He pleases." (Daniel 4:35b NLT)
God's purpose was to make sure that we would all know that only God is Almighty. But what does it mean that God is powerful? While we can't comprehend the full scope of His power, five "Power Points" may help us appreciate His omnipotence.
1-The power of God is UNSTOPPABLE.
For our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes. (Psalm 15:3 NLT)
"...with God everything is possible." (Matthew 19:26 NLT)
2-The power of God is UNIMAGINABLE.
Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)
3-The power of God is IRREVERSIBLE.
"From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse My actions." (Isaiah 43:13 NLT)
4-The power of God is AVAILABLE.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (Philippians 4:13 NLT)
5-The power of God is the GOSPEL.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles. (Romans 1:16)
Coming to some understanding and comprehension of the power of Almighty God has incredible consequences on our daily lives. Simply put, how powerful is your God? Sadly, it seems that so many of us end up worhsiping an impotent God with an impotent Gospel. If our Omnipotent God can literally speak the universe into existence from absolute nothing, then He is powerful enough to do a great work through us and in us!
John Piper sums it up best.
To be gripped by the omnipotence of God is either marvelous because He is for us or terrifying because He is against us. Indifference to His omnipotence simply means we haven't seen it for what it is.
As Nebuchadnezzar stated so simply 2700 years ago, "He has the power to do as He pleases."
Jesus is all the power you need.
In Christ,
Jay
From a sermon at Freedom River Community Church on August 3, 2008.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Time after Time
Ever since I was a kid, I've had an incredible fascination with time travel.
Whether it was a book like HG Wells' "The Time Machine," TV shows like "The Time Tunnel" or "Star Trek," or the uber-popular "Back to the Future" movies, I wanted to know what it might be like to travel through time. Admit it, you really wanted to hop in Dr. Brown's tricked out DeLorean and crank up the "flux capacitor"!
(On the other hand, my wife Debbie would list "time travel" as one of her absolute turnoffs. There's nothing like the mention of "the time space continuum" to set her eyes rolling and her feet to leave the room!)
So what in the wide, wide world of sports does all this have to do with Jesus? Honestly, just about everything. You see, over and over the Bible describes God as eternal. When I start to think about it, it makes my head hurt. What are the implications of a God Scripture describes as "everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 90:2)? Even the Lord Himself said to the Apostle John, "I am the Alpha and Omega--the beginning and the end...I am the One who is, who always was, and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8).
Join us this Sunday as we continue our series "Glorious" with a look at the eternal quality of God. I think you'll see that it has huge implications as we live our day-to-day lives. We might even fire up the DeLorean to 88 mph!
In Christ,
Jay
Whether it was a book like HG Wells' "The Time Machine," TV shows like "The Time Tunnel" or "Star Trek," or the uber-popular "Back to the Future" movies, I wanted to know what it might be like to travel through time. Admit it, you really wanted to hop in Dr. Brown's tricked out DeLorean and crank up the "flux capacitor"!
(On the other hand, my wife Debbie would list "time travel" as one of her absolute turnoffs. There's nothing like the mention of "the time space continuum" to set her eyes rolling and her feet to leave the room!)
So what in the wide, wide world of sports does all this have to do with Jesus? Honestly, just about everything. You see, over and over the Bible describes God as eternal. When I start to think about it, it makes my head hurt. What are the implications of a God Scripture describes as "everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 90:2)? Even the Lord Himself said to the Apostle John, "I am the Alpha and Omega--the beginning and the end...I am the One who is, who always was, and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8).
Join us this Sunday as we continue our series "Glorious" with a look at the eternal quality of God. I think you'll see that it has huge implications as we live our day-to-day lives. We might even fire up the DeLorean to 88 mph!
In Christ,
Jay
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Hello, My Name is...GOD!
The more time I spend with my wife Debbie, the more I find out about her, and the more I deeply I love her. After 32 years of marriage, I continue to discover new things about her. And when I do, I just appreciate and love her all the more.
So...why do we worship God?
That may sound like a silly question, but seriously, what makes God deserving of worship (or as the Bible says "worthy of praise")? How well do we really know Him?
It's kind of like my marriage. The more we discover about Him, the more amazed we are, the more humbled we are, the more we love and worship Him. That's exactly the reason we've taken on the new series called "Glorious." Over the next few weeks we'll examine the breath-taking qualities of our Lord.
We began with a look at His faithfulness. We must never forget that Jesus is the Rock! This past Sunday, JJ Swick brought us a powerful message about Christ's Second Coming, or "the Glorious Apprearing" as Paul described it (Titus 2:13).
In July and August, we'll take a look at God's holiness, His eternal nature, His goodness, His power, His all-knowing ability, His sovereignty and His ever-presence. As we come to understand more about our Lord, the deeper we'll love and worship Him.
Sunday, I invite you to join us for a look as we investigate the holiness of Jesus. What does it mean that He is holy? What impact does that have on my faith? What impact does that have on my life?
Curious? I sure hope so. See you Sunday for part 3 of "Glorious."
In Christ,
Jay
So...why do we worship God?
That may sound like a silly question, but seriously, what makes God deserving of worship (or as the Bible says "worthy of praise")? How well do we really know Him?
It's kind of like my marriage. The more we discover about Him, the more amazed we are, the more humbled we are, the more we love and worship Him. That's exactly the reason we've taken on the new series called "Glorious." Over the next few weeks we'll examine the breath-taking qualities of our Lord.
We began with a look at His faithfulness. We must never forget that Jesus is the Rock! This past Sunday, JJ Swick brought us a powerful message about Christ's Second Coming, or "the Glorious Apprearing" as Paul described it (Titus 2:13).
In July and August, we'll take a look at God's holiness, His eternal nature, His goodness, His power, His all-knowing ability, His sovereignty and His ever-presence. As we come to understand more about our Lord, the deeper we'll love and worship Him.
Sunday, I invite you to join us for a look as we investigate the holiness of Jesus. What does it mean that He is holy? What impact does that have on my faith? What impact does that have on my life?
Curious? I sure hope so. See you Sunday for part 3 of "Glorious."
In Christ,
Jay
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Rock Solid
A recent survey by by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed both ridiculous and disappointing facts about American faith.
In one of the most absurd stats, one in five atheists surveyed declared that they believe in God. Hmm. Seems like the atheists might want to rethink their entrance requirements. On the other hand, 57% of evangelical Christians hold that many religions can lead to eternal life. What!? It's further proof that we need to have a much better understanding of the foundations of our faith. Or should I say THE Foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ.
That's exactly the reason we're starting our new series "Glorious" at Freedom River. We're going to look at the attributes of God and what impact they have on our daily lives. We begin with His faithfulness.
Over the past couple of decades, a destructive cancer has infected our society. It goes something like this: Your faith is as strong as the strength of your belief. In other words, if you believe strong enough in something, it WILL come to pass. What a huge pile of garbage!! Yet millions of people have fallen for the lie. The real truth...
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.
An examination of the Old Testament book of Lamentations reveals a lot about God's breath-taking faithfulness. The prophet Jeremiah is utterly humbled and broken over the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Thounsands of people slaughtered. Hundreds of thousands taken prisoner. Thousands more die on a death march through the desert. Jeremiah was on the brink of giving up. Until...
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!" (Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT)
When you read Lamentations, you have a front-row seat for a Texas Death Match between Jeremiah's growing unbelief and faultering faith. And just as faith is about to tap out, something amazing happens. Faith wins! His faith pulls off this incredible "come-from-behind-only-Vince-McMahon-could-write-something-so-ridiculous" victory. His faith wins because of his tag team partner. God's faithfulness. It was Jeremiah's faith in God's great faithfulness that's the difference. Remember...
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.
There are many examples of the faithfulness of Jesus in the Bible, but let's look at 8 "Faith Factors."
1-Jesus is faithful to NEVER CHANGE (James 1:17).
2-Jesus is faithful to FORGIVE (1st John 1:9).
3-Jesus is faithful to SAVE (John 6:39).
4-Jesus is faithful to TRUST (Titus 1:2).
5-Jesus is faithful to DEFEND (Psalm 46:1).
6-Jesus is faithful to FINISH (Philippians 1:6).
7-Jesus is faithful to BE THERE (Matthew 28:20).
8-Jesus is faithful to RETURN (Mark 13:26).
As we go through many changes at Freedom River, we need to remember that Jesus alone is faithful. No matter what else happens, He will never leave us.
We must trust in Christ. Jesus is the Rock. He will never change.
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in. Put your faith in Jesus. He is the Rock.
In Christ,
Jay
From a sermon at Freedom River CC on June 29, 2008.
In one of the most absurd stats, one in five atheists surveyed declared that they believe in God. Hmm. Seems like the atheists might want to rethink their entrance requirements. On the other hand, 57% of evangelical Christians hold that many religions can lead to eternal life. What!? It's further proof that we need to have a much better understanding of the foundations of our faith. Or should I say THE Foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ.
That's exactly the reason we're starting our new series "Glorious" at Freedom River. We're going to look at the attributes of God and what impact they have on our daily lives. We begin with His faithfulness.
Over the past couple of decades, a destructive cancer has infected our society. It goes something like this: Your faith is as strong as the strength of your belief. In other words, if you believe strong enough in something, it WILL come to pass. What a huge pile of garbage!! Yet millions of people have fallen for the lie. The real truth...
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.
An examination of the Old Testament book of Lamentations reveals a lot about God's breath-taking faithfulness. The prophet Jeremiah is utterly humbled and broken over the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Thounsands of people slaughtered. Hundreds of thousands taken prisoner. Thousands more die on a death march through the desert. Jeremiah was on the brink of giving up. Until...
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!" (Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT)
When you read Lamentations, you have a front-row seat for a Texas Death Match between Jeremiah's growing unbelief and faultering faith. And just as faith is about to tap out, something amazing happens. Faith wins! His faith pulls off this incredible "come-from-behind-only-Vince-McMahon-could-write-something-so-ridiculous" victory. His faith wins because of his tag team partner. God's faithfulness. It was Jeremiah's faith in God's great faithfulness that's the difference. Remember...
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in.
There are many examples of the faithfulness of Jesus in the Bible, but let's look at 8 "Faith Factors."
1-Jesus is faithful to NEVER CHANGE (James 1:17).
2-Jesus is faithful to FORGIVE (1st John 1:9).
3-Jesus is faithful to SAVE (John 6:39).
4-Jesus is faithful to TRUST (Titus 1:2).
5-Jesus is faithful to DEFEND (Psalm 46:1).
6-Jesus is faithful to FINISH (Philippians 1:6).
7-Jesus is faithful to BE THERE (Matthew 28:20).
8-Jesus is faithful to RETURN (Mark 13:26).
As we go through many changes at Freedom River, we need to remember that Jesus alone is faithful. No matter what else happens, He will never leave us.
We must trust in Christ. Jesus is the Rock. He will never change.
Your faith is only as strong as what you believe in. Put your faith in Jesus. He is the Rock.
In Christ,
Jay
From a sermon at Freedom River CC on June 29, 2008.
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