We all reach for something we can actually recognize and hold on to—some concrete person or presence we can truly know, not just a philosophy about. That hunger is exactly what John 1 puts its finger on: the Word who was with God in the beginning became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Are we looking for the right thing and do we understand the right “time” for it? As we get everything synchronized for Christmas, the author of Hebrews encourages us to be synchronized with Christ.
We need something that lasts, not just a temporary banner of God’s love. Fortunately, that’s exactly what God provides for us.
Jesus shows us both His nature and a recognizable “name” so that we can understand Him — and understand what we really need to know.
Pastor Tim continues our series “Follow Me” thinking about our calling to godliness, what that has to do with legalism and, maybe, even a little discussion of ballpark nachos. We’ll sort it all out by going to James 1:21-25.
Whatever looks triumphant—the people and things we hold out as the absolute measure of concrete, dependable success—still meets death that tramples it. Isaiah warns that rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the Lord will perish. What then are we going to hold onto?
Grace saves us—we don’t deserve it, can’t earn it, and have no grounds to boast about it, as Paul makes plain in Ephesians 2:8–9—so what does it look like when a community of undeserving people actually lives that out together as the church God is building?
Most of us pray “thy kingdom come” without stopping to ask whether the kingdom we’re actually building day to day is God’s—or our own. That tension sits at the heart of Matthew 6:10, and Daniel 4 shows just how far God will go to get our attention when we forget who’s really in charge.
We too often forget that the source is joyful and accept the far more mundane or depressing secondhand source.