Book: Acts

Hope isn’t in following a bunch of rules, a bunch of laws trying to live up to a standard that we cannot live up. Our hope is not in some ritual act. Our hope is not in what family were born into. Our hope is in the fact that God did something great for us. What we couldn’t do, Jesus did. We need Grace.

 Jesus alone is the Way to because He alone is the Truth about God and He alone possesses the Life of God.

At the core of Christmas is an offer that has been made by God. And the question is, will you accept or doubt His offer? … You must personally repent of your sin. You must personally receive Jesus. You must personally commit to follow Him all the days of your life. And this is good news. Why? Because you don’t get a better offer.

Imagine if we (MSBC) became the place that served one another. Imagine if we became that place that, rather than thinking just of ourselves we thought about the other people around us more than we thought about ourselves.

This parable makes it clear that if we love our neighbors only when it requires no time, energy, money, or risk, we will never love our neighbors as ourselves. All love is costly.

Unfortunately, the reason you & I are not more blessed is because we still actually believe it is more blessed to receive than it is to give.