Look what HE started! Palm Sunday may mark the beginning of Holy Week, but this weekend we celebrate that Jesus started something that is still happening today. This weekend, as we wrap up our "Lent Means Love" series we celebrated that we are part of the "Love Revolution" with a study of 1 John 4:19.
I'm bored! I [Pastor Krause] remember the days when I would complain to my mom that I was bored - often during the summer"". I usually did not like her response: "Well, there are weeds to pull out in the garden. You could go do that!" It's strange how easily we can grow tired of the wonderful creation and life our loving God has given us. What's the problem? More importantly, what's the solution? This weekend we get down to our second last lesson in our Lent Means Love series as we study 1 John 4:10-11. God looks at us and His whole creation and never grows bored with us. Instead, He simply exclaims "I Love This!"
Don't believe in love. Live in love. Love is not just an idea or some distant concept. Love is an active reality that we experience and live out. This weekend we continued our "Lent Means Love" series by celebrating what "Love Does" with a study of 1 John 3:16.
How are you? Growing up we were taught that when we asked each other "how are you doing", we were supposed to care about and listen to the answer. Now it seems that phrase is just another way of saying "hi" because if you really want to know how someone is doing all we need to do is check out their social media status. This week we ventured into our third "Lent Means Love" study and worked our way through John's first epistle (chapter 3 verse 5). Our theme was "Absolutely" and that will make a lot more sense when you review the video. But let's just say it opens the door for us to consider who we are and who we want to be, but most of all, who Jesus makes us.
What difference does Jesus make? Jesus isn't just some distant figure to believe in. What He accomplished on the cross really matters today and every day. This weekend our study of 1 John 2:1-2 involved a study of some crucial Gospel concepts that will us to see that Jesus is the ultimate "Difference Maker (Advocate & Propitiate)".
Have you ever noticed most people think they will be happy once they get something (like money or control) into their lives? But the not-so-secret "secret to happiness" is actually getting rid of, letting go of specific things in our lives. Another word for this is catharsis - "the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions". This week we begin our Sunday Lenten Series - "Lent Means Love". We will be working through a series of lessons from the first epistle (letter) of John beginning with 1 John 1:7. Our lesson theme is: Let there be Light!