Day 3: Authentic Community Wednesday And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ~Acts 2:42, 44 The word “fellowship” describes something far more impactful – and far more costly – than two (or three or ten) Christians getting together for coffee. It describes the intentional sharing of life together: shared experiences, emotions, and resources. Authentic community is only possible when you choose to practice your spirituality (worship, prayer, mission) with others. What does...
Day 2: Rule of Scripture Tuesday Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. ~2 Peter 1:20-21 We submit our lives to God’s Word simply because it’s just that: GOD’s word. The Bible isn’t a collection of the best human wisdom, stories, predictions, and advice. It is the personal communications of the eternal God, shared in “baby talk,” so we can understand His...
Day 1: Gospel-centeredness Monday Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32 Read the story Jesus tells in Matthew 18:21-35. We all sin more than we realize. Even when our actions are right, sin often shows up in our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and motivations. If sin were a debt, none of us would be able to pay even the interest on it. That’s bad news. But here’s the Good News: Jesus paid our entire debt of sin for us. He forgives us by free grace. And forgiven people,...
Love This City: Charitable Prayers — Worship & Formation Resources
Text: Genesis 3; Amos 5:24 | Listen to Message The notion that God would punish literally every sin – including ours – is repulsive to modern culture. Truth be told, we don’t want a righteous and just God; we want a God who’s nice. [Nevermind the fact that a God who is unjust is not actually good, kind, or nice to the victims of injustice.] But we can count on this: God, by definition, is only and always just. Just: God always responds rightly to both good and evil because he himself is righteous. Key Verses: Genesis 3; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm...
Text: Genesis 2:3; Isaiah 6:1-5 | Listen to Message Our culture doesn’t think much about holiness – and they don’t think much of it, either. Holiness is associated with someone who’s “holier than thou.” It means religious piety. It means a lengthy list of rules and the No Fun Zone. Few are striving for personal holiness; perhaps fewer still are truly in awe of God’s holiness. Yet holiness is part of what makes God God. And without holiness, God would be neither worthy nor trustworthy. Holy: God is infinitely pure in all his perfections and works, wholly set apart from everything...
Text: Genesis 2:7; Habakkuk 2:18-20 | Listen to Message It’s one of the most obvious facts about God, but also one of the most underappreciated: he’s alive! We serve a living, personal God, and yet we often act as if he’s little more than a dead hero who wrote a book of rules we’re supposed to follow. God isn’t an abstract sovereign, impersonal force, cosmic force, universal energy, or simply the figment of someone’s overactive imagination. Living: God is a living, personal, relational, triune Being. Key Verses: Genesis 2:7; Job 12:10; Psalm 42:1-2; Jeremiah 10:1-10; Habakkuk 2:18-20; Matthew 16:13-18; John 11:25;...
Text: Genesis 1:31; 1 Chronicles 16:34 | Listen to Message Imagine for a moment a great and all-powerful God who was not good. He could – and probably would – use his infinite power in a capricious or cruel manner. He would be feared, but not loved or trusted. We would cower under his authority, but we would not desire to know him and enjoy him. So what a remarkable gift it is that God is both great and good! Good: God is both the standard and the source of all that is beautiful, virtuous, and beneficent. Key Verses: Genesis...
Text: Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 | Listen to Message God asks the father of the Jewish people, Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Is there any power or force in the Universe that can prevent him from doing as he pleases? Is anything impossible for him? The simple answer is no. Sovereign: As the Creator and Lord of all things, God possesses the freedom, power, and authority to do whatever he wills. Key Verses: Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 135:5-6; Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:34-35; Acts 4:24-28 As author/designer/artist/inventor/creator of the Universe, God has sovereign...
Text: Genesis 1:1 | Listen to Message The Bible begins with these words: “In the beginning, God.” We probably never pause to let the significance of those four words sink in. But here it is: In the beginning, before anything else existed, there was God – Father, Son, and Spirit – eternally existing in himself. Eternal: God never had a beginning and will never have an end. Key Verses: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Jude 25; Revelation 22:13 Though scientists, philosophers, and theologians continually debate the origins of life, the Bible is unequivocal in its assertion that God doesn’t have an...