Sometimes help is...painful. Help may not always come like you ask, but help will come.
As we anticipate future events in our lives, whether positive or negative, one of the biggest challenges we face is the waiting.
Does it seem like Easter has made you new, or do things seem the same? Whether we see it in the moment or not, the resurrection really has made you new and as we dig into 2 Corinthians 5:17 we can gain a "New View."
Easter gives us new life! It's not just a one day event. We get to begin to embrace what it means to have "Newer Life" as well.
When you've been trying to fix it, trying so hard to make things better, but nothing seems to work...
...the resurrection of Jesus means that right now you can actually have a "Fresh Start!"
What will be remembered? God doesn't need us to be famous but He's also not afraid to shine through us. Go ahead and use that spiritual gift having clear in your mind what God would have you be "Famous For..."
As we go about our week, God will present opportunities for us to make a difference in the lives of others. Like the unknown man in our lesson today, may our words and behavior affect their lives and, more importantly, their eternities for His glory.
Rich Living!
There's a treasure that you don't need to hunt for to find. It came to you. Now the quest begins.
1) God's grace is not only His undeserved love for us, it's a beautiful trait of His character where He cherishes us and chooses to give us the greatest gift!
2) What if part of being truly rich isn't the acquiring money, a fancy house or expensive foods, but it's the lack of needing them?
3) What if a true treasure consists more of things like being loved and being able to love, having life and being full of goodness?
4) Jesus was willing to lack, to the point that He even died for us, so we might receive a treasure from God.
5) A gift is meant to be enjoyed, so let's live like we're overflowing with treasure. Let the quest begin!
Look At What You've Been Given!
No matter what was placed under your tree, you've received the most incredible gift at Christmas. Unpack your gift this weekend as we study 2 Corinthians 8:9.
Nothing left to give? You're in the perfect spot! Some days, and perhaps especially during these challenging times, we feel like we have nothing left to give. We've reached the end of our strength and don't know how we're going to move forward. That is when we are perfectly positioned to experience the power of Easter. This weekend we continue celebrating Easter with the message "Finish to Start" from 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. It's not just at New Year's when people resolve to change and start over. It seems whenever there is a new fad, a new diet program, or a new self-help process, people are compelled to change. So how's that working out for you? Maybe you are not one of the millions to start over and over, again. But maybe part of you is, or at least you have considered changing something in your life. What if I told you there is one thing that actually does change your life? I will tell you this weekend as we study 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 and see how Jesus' resurrection compels us to see life from a new perspective of "Not what, but why".