Righteousness Through Faith

Romans 3:21-24 - A beautiful explanation of life found in Jesus Christ. Righteousness, not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is. We all have the same disease - unrighteousness caused by sin - and the antidote is exactly the same - Jesus. We all need the same amount of grace - an infinite amount - from Christ. Redemption is so sweet!

BELIEVE.

And The Winner Is...

"Kung Fu Panda" is our movie winner! Thanks to everyone (130 total) who weighed in with their preference. Don't forget that the OneLife Time Movie Night is this Thursday at 7pm at OneLife Center. Hope to see you there. We will be providing popcorn and water. If you would like to bring other snacks, feel free.

Take A Moment

Easter is over but the power of the resurrection is just as real today as it was yesterday. Take a moment to remember what God does you for you every single day. He has provided resurrection power for your life through Jesus Christ.

Here are a few pictures for our time together on Saturday yesterday. It was a good evening.

A Sabbath Day Unlike Any Other

Imagine what the disciples of Jesus must have been thinking on the Sabbath Saturday after their Lord had been crucified and buried. Some must have thought - Was I a fool for believing? Others probably wondered - What do I do now? And others - Tomorrow will be here soon, what then?

Indeed, tomorrow always does seem to come. What does your tomorrow look like in the reality that Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Does it make any real difference in your life? If Jesus was coming back again tomorrow, what would you do different in your life today?

The Cross

Jesus went to the cross as God's plan of redemption. On the cross, He took on the sin of all humanity. He is our sin offering. At 9:00 am on a Friday morning, after hours and hours of trails and torture, the cross crucifixion was initiated. He hung on the cross for 6 hours until He was physically dead. At 3:00 pm, He gave up His Spirit and He simply stated, "It is finished." Jesus had obediently completed His duty in bodily form He had been sent to fulfill.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NIV) "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

John 3:16-17 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 19:30 (NIV) ^... Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Praise God.

Thank You

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to our Easter "prep night." It was a blessing to be able to do the work of the Lord last night as His church body. Passing out 750 door hangers and filling over 1000 eggs with candy may not seem like much and in the physical world it really isn't. But in the spiritual world it is HUGE! I believe that God used us last night to make a difference in this world that will last for all of eternity. It just doesn't get any bigger than that.

Thanks for serving God.

Remember Jesus

Jesus many times would remind His disciples to remember Him. But on the Thursday before He was crucified, He would remind them once again as they ate together for the last time. At that very moment, Jesus ushered in a new way of life, a new covenant, with His people. A "new covenant" because the "old covenant" written in the context of animal sacrifice was being replaced with a covenant that was written in the context of Jesus Christ.

Jesus the very next day would become the ultimate sacrificial lamb for all of humankind. God thank you for your new covenant that was written in the broken body and the spilled blood of Jesus Christ.

Take some time today to remember the "new covenant" of Jesus Christ. (Luke 22:1-38)

Holy Week Journey

How is your "Holy Week" journey going? Remember to take some time this week to "travel" with Jesus on His last week in human form on this planet and engage with what God may want to teach you along the way. Remember that there some suggested "Holy Week" scriptures and questions in the Think It Through for this week.

Enduring Well

Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to endure well the race that God has put before us which includes, well, all of life. But the key is Christ. Jesus is the one that will strengthen us to endure well.

I've been thinking about "my race" and what God would have me endure well in. The following is just a partial list:

• My relationship with God
• My marriage
• My family
• My health (physical, emotional, spiritual)
• My work
• My ministry
• My finances

What is the race that God desires for you to endure well?

April Fool's Day Thought

Just a simple thought on April Fool's Day.

Deuteronomy 4:6 (NIV)
Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."

After reading this verse this morning, I thought how ironic it is that as a nation we have an entire day set aside for foolishness. Not to be a "kill joy" or anything, but I wonder what would happen if, as a nation of people who follow Christ, what would be the effect if today we choose God's wisdom over our own foolishness? Not in a self-righteous way but rather in a Godly way out of obedience to Him - in a way that honors Him as the true source of all wisdom.

I sat with my 11 year old son this morning and I hadn't really thought about the fact that it was April Fool's Day, but we talked about choosing God's wisdom over our own and applying it to our lives instead of foolishly living our lives according to our flesh and our desires.

God is good all the time and His wisdom is right all the time.