What Other People Think Matters to Us

 

We would like to believe we are self-assured of our convictions, that what other people think of us regarding what we believe to be most important in life does not matter. But deep down, we know it does. If someone we respect belittles or criticizes something we value, our thinking is challenged. And usually, we either confront that person and a debate ensues or we walk away and dismiss their opinion as being uninformed and maybe even just plain stupid. What we most often do not do is research and reevaluate the reasons for which we hold to our principles. 

Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a long time, maybe it’s been only recently you’ve put your trust in Christ as your Savior and Lord. Regardless of how long you’ve identified yourself as a Christian, you’ve realized that you live in a world that is at best, apathetic towards Jesus and at worst, hostile to him. The One you value most in your life, the majority of people you spend time with think he is completely irrelevant. What makes it even more unnerving is that many of these folks are very moral, they are enjoyable to be around, they’re educated and successful. It is impossible to live long as a Christian and not ask, “Is what I believe about Jesus true?”     

For the last four weeks, each Sunday we have studied the eternity changing implications on our lives of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. One last, but extremely essential question needs to be raised, “Did Christ really rise from the dead?” More than 5 billion people living today believe he did not. What are the solid, convincing reasons we believe he did? If you are unsure of those reasons, join us for our worship service this Sunday. Discover why the best response to the question, “What happened to the crucified Jesus” continues to be:

“He has risen!

He has risen indeed!” 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Hard Questions

Hard questions make us squirm. They are not usually difficult to answer in the sense of being complex and hard to understand, rather, it’s a moral issue we would much rather ignore. We know the truth, but we don’t want to admit it because if we answer honestly, we’re going to have to confess we’re not quite as perfect as we think. 

A few weeks after his resurrection from the dead, Jesus had breakfast with his disciples on the beach of the Sea of Galilee. After they had finished eating, Jesus took aside one of his more influential followers, Peter. For most of Jesus’ ministry, Peter had been considered if not the leader of the 12 apostles, one of those who were closest to Jesus. But when his loyalty to Jesus had been questioned, Peter failed miserably. In fact, he failed the test three times within the space of a few hours. 

The conversation Jesus had with Peter consisted of one hard question: “Do you love me more than anyone or anything else in this world?” It was a question of commitment; it was a question meant to confront Peter with who was #1 in his life. Considering recent events, that was the hardest question for Peter to answer. It forced him to face his own moral helplessness and depend completely on the mercy and grace of Jesus. 

“Who do you love most?” It’s a question Jesus asks us all. As the one true God who came in human form to execute the Rescue Mission for all of eternity, he has the right to ask us that question. He comes to us not as a genie, or a guru, or an advisor, or even a buddy – he comes to us as Savior and Lord. We receive him as such, or he can do nothing for us. 

“Who do you love most?” If you’re having difficulty answering that question, join us for our worship service this Sunday. Together, let’s see how the resurrection of Jesus Christ helps to answer that hard question. 

                                      Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am 

Something to Live For

 

“Unless you have found something in life to live for that is more important to you than your own life, you will always be a slave. For all another man needs to do is threaten to take your life to get you to do his bidding.” ^{Martin Luther King Jr} 

These words are a strong challenge to the current thinking of our prosperous culture which emphasizes personal comfort and pleasure as the primary goal of life. They also echo Jesus’ warning that if we do not give up our life for him, we will end up losing it. 

After Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to his disciples and gave them a mission: “As the Father sent me, I am also sending you…Go and make disciples of all nations!” Those disciples took their mission seriously – all but one was executed for carrying out Christ’s mandate. 

The mission Jesus gave his first disciples continues to be the same for his followers today. What a privilege! What an opportunity we have to live a meaningful and noble life! As a sense of futility and apathy continues to seep into the soul of so many people, Jesus offers a powerfully positive reason to get up every morning convinced our lives make a difference – that we very definitely have something to live for! 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Questions and Answers

 

Not too many of us would be so bold as to claim we always have our lives under control. Things happen that we don’t expect causing us to not only feel out of control, but very much confused as to how to deal with what is going on. We all live through times when we doubt ourselves and feel disoriented. 

The followers of Jesus Christ had all sorts of questions after his crucifixion and very few answers. To say they were confused would be a huge understatement.

·         Why did he apparently let himself be executed?

·         There were so many times he could have just walked away. Why didn’t he? 

·      What would be the point of voluntarily allowing oneself to be crucified?

·         And what would happen to his followers? The same thing – death on a cross?

·         Was there any other option besides to go home and pick up life where they left                 off  when Jesus of Nazareth burst into their lives?

Questions, questions, and more questions.

But Jesus didn’t leave all those questions unanswered, and he doesn’t leave them unanswered today. If you feel like you are in a black hole of doubt about yourself and what you believe, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. The significance of Jesus’ resurrection shines an incredible amount of light on the frustrating darkness of not being able to make sense of what is going on in our lives.

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am