Feb 26
2020
A Word Against Death
"Friends we don’t come to church just to be enlightened or informed by God’s word. We come to hear our Great King speak through ambassadors speaking on his behalf (aka Justin). This word spoken is so alive that it creates the reality of which it speaks. When we hear about the dry bones of Ezekiel 37 coming to life we aren’t just reading about a future reality or a far off concept. We are seeing (or hearing rather) it happen before and to us. Church is ground-zero for where the new creation is breaking into this world here and now. Don’t miss out!"
"What are some reasons we stop lamenting as adults? Maybe there’s a sense that we don’t want to be a bother to others - after all, they have their own difficulties, many of them worse than ours. Is this situation really important enough to seek help from other people, let alone from God? And then of course there’s the way we as a culture idolize self-reliance and independence. Asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness, and it’s somehow virtuous to solve your own problems by your own strength. Or maybe we stop lamenting because we increasingly realize that our problems aren’t something that other people can readily fix. Whether it’s a medical condition, a broken relationship, or a struggle with sin or addiction, why would we lament if we don’t have hope that something or someone might help?"
"I showed up to a Sunday morning service recently where Pastor Justin spoke the words: “Never stop starting,” and I am really trying (and often failing) to apply that throughout my life. This is the message of the Gospel: through Jesus we are always given a fresh start. He is there to cover our sins and our failures so we are free to “never stop starting,” to never stop being renewed, we're allowed to fail."
"One of the most consistent questions in my Christian walk is “what do I need to do?” Confronting that head on is Isaiah 30:15, one of the most comforting/convicting passages in the Bible for me: “For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not.”