Are You Shining the Light
Last week I talked to you about the new identity God’s people have because of their relationship with Jesus. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Being a Christian is to have a new identity. The Bible uses lots of metaphors or imageries to help us understand who we are and what we are supposed to do. We are Christ’s ambassadors in this world…
When you become a follower of Jesus you made a transition from death to life, from your old self, to a new self in Christ; you transition from darkness into light.
A New Identity
When you were born you were given a family name, an identity. If you end up in prison, you lose that name and your identity becomes a number. When you travel to other countries, you must have a passport which tells the immigration agent where you are from. Certain jobs give you new identities by which people would identify you. For instance, officer so and so, Doctor…x, NCIS, NYPD, ect. They are not just known by their names, but also by what they do.
The Supremacy of Jesus
When you go over a bridge you exercise great faith in the structure of the bridge, the cables, steel and concrete which keep the bridge from collapsing. Our beliefs function as the structure upon we build our lives. Our beliefs determine our behavior or actions; in other words, how we act or behave is governed by what we believe. When you examine your lives and you realize you live in fear and insecurity, when you feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges; then I must ask you to ask yourselves, “what do I truly believe?”
Facing Giants
Today two football teams will be facing each other; at the end of the day one will rise victorious and the other defeated. The champion is the one who overcomes the challenges the opposing team will throw at them.
We all face challenges in life. In order to move forward in life, you must overcome challenges. You either overcome them or get overcome by them. Giants were impeding the Jewish people to go and take possession of the land God had promised to them. That was what was keeping the Israelites from enjoying their inheritance. After 2 years and about three months Israel made it very close to the land of the promise. (Nu.10:11). God commanded Moses to send out spies to inspect the land. Twelve men from each of the twelve tribes. They were to spy out the land for 40 days and bring back report.
Challenges in Ministry
You and I face challenges in every area of our lives. As long as you live, you will have to battle against things in order to accomplish your goals. You will come against obstacles, barriers on your way to accomplishing your goals. In the Christian race you are running, you will be challenged to quit. Growing in Christ is no walk in the park, it requires determination and hard work. The church of Christ will face a great many challenges in her attempts to fulfill Christ’s mission.
Don’t Neglect Your Calling
Our church is going through the election of elders and ministry leaders. Which get appointed every three years. In most evangelical churches today, you hear the word elders to refer to the leadership of the church. It’s clear to me that there are still people who don’t understand the role or function of elders. We made a pamphlet to guide you and remind you of the biblical qualifications for elders. The Bible also tells us what they did, and we will be looking at a passage in which there are three words to help us understand the biblical functions of elders.
Overcoming Distractions
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Rush hour is when Inspector Lee meet detective Johnson. Johnson was practicing defusing a bomb as the clock was ticking and she needed to make a decision and had only 15 seconds. She then gets distracted by Carter and ended up cutting the wrong wire and booom “I have bad news Johnson, we’re all dead. “I was distracted sir” “Distractions are going to occur in the field, this is why we call this practice. If you can’t handle pressure, then quit.”
How Bad Do You Want It
At the beginning of the year people tend to make resolutions; pledges or plans they would like to achieve. These are things they have been thinking about but have never been able to accomplish. People talk about quitting smoking, losing weight they gained during the holidays, eating healthier, taking on a new hobby, working on their relationship, going on vacation, etc. How many of us would include in our list growing in in your relationship with Christ?
How Would You Respond Part 2
For some the Christmas celebration would continue until January 6th Some have started to take off their decorations and getting ready for valentine’s Day. People respond differently. We have seen the responses of people in the Christmas story. How are you going to respond to Jesus? What are you giving Jesus today; this new year that begins tomorrow?
How Would You Respond
Tomorrow there will be lots of happy children after they open their gifts and see their long-awaited present. There will also be disappointment in the faces of those who won’t receive what they have hoped. The Christmas season can be a time of celebration for some, but also a time of sadness and disappointment for others. People respond in so many ways to this season. Christians try their best to keep Christ in the celebration.
Extremely Favored
It’s funny to see how some kids respond when they open their gifts and it’s not what they have asked for or expected. Some become extremely happy or extremely disappointed. I have heard kids pray at school that they get everything they want for Christmas. Usually when we pray, we would like God to intervene on our behalf. To help us, guide us or give us something we need.
God’s Final Word
There are so many means of communications; people use all kinds of devices to communicate with others, radio, phone, letters, symbols, text, face to face communication. Communication is a very important thing; a relationship would not thrive if there is not good communication. With all the technological gadgets and developments, we have today, you can communicate with someone across the globe; Seeing soldiers wish Merry Christmas to their families via a phone or computer camera. Nevertheless, nothing replaces face to face interaction; to see the person in front of you is priceless.