Book: John

Without repentance, our hearts can grow hard & will turn away from God. Sin is deceitful & will trick you into thinking you are safe to continue living however you want. If there is any relational distance between God & you due to sin, drop everything that stands in your way & restore your relationship.

On the cross, God with us died for us. The One who was present was now absent. The Word that became flesh & died became the Savior who rose again & was glorified.
God came near but is still far. God came to our present but remains in our future. Jesus is the antidote to absence.

We want a Jesus who accepts the life we like to live. We want a Jesus who blesses us with material goods. So, we shape Him into our likes. But when we form Jesus into our own image, He is not Jesus. When we make Jesus present in our image, Immanuel may become absent.

The presence offered through a relationship with Jesus is what we most require while on this earth & what we need when we leave it.

Christmas is coming to understand because of what I’ve done, I’ll never get to God. So, God came to me. He died on the cross and what He asked in return is all of me, complete ownership.

Rejoice for the Light of the World has already Defeated the Darkness.

But the “peace” that Jesus gives is the experience of a deep inner calm, rest & confidence that is untouched & unmoved by adversity, opposition, circumstances & persecution. Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ.

Jesus promises peace to those who believe in Him. Even those who faith is weak at times. And Jesus promises victory to all who are His, because He has overcome the world. He promises wisdom & understanding to all who seek His truth. We all need it, because we still live in this world where there will be problems & difficulty for all who faithfully follow Christ.

Series: He’s the King  Week 3: Hope, Tracy Marsh youth…