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Cast the Net on the Other Side

Adam Hopkins

October 22, 2023

Living the Christian life often requires us to obey the calling of the LORD, even under difficult circumstances. Although we might believe we are not qualified or able to serve God's Kingdom in the ways He has led us, we rest assured that God knows what He is doing, and it is He who empowers us by His Spirit to accomplish the works He has ordained for us since before the beginning of creation. Often when we obey God in faith, He will bless us. Sometimes though He does not. But His leading for us is always for our own eternal wellbeing and the benefit of those whom God has called us to serve.

Jesus – Redeemer and Restorer

Brian Hupp

October 8, 2023

By His sacrifice of His own life on the cross in our place, Jesus has redeemed us out of slavery to sin and the curse of death that sin brings with it. But our justification by the shed blood of Jesus is just the beginning of the process of sanctification through which God is perfecting us into the image of Jesus to make us ready for the culmination of His redemption of us unto eternal life. As we pass through His sanctification we will experience times of great triumph, but we will also go through periods of spiritual drought and outright rebellion against God - possibly even falling back into those same sins out of which Jesus first rescued us. In such times, our great enemy will attack us with lies - even causing us to question our salvation in Christ. But Jesus our Redeemer also stands ready in such times to be our great Restorer - bringing us back into fellowship and continuing His process of sanctification within our hearts by the power of His indwelling Spirit striving against the weaknesses of our fleshly selves.

Matthew 16:1-12

Brian Hupp

September 24, 2023

Some of the Sadducees and Pharisees demanded a sign from Jesus to demonstrate the He is the Hebrew Messiah, but He refused to give them a sign and departed from them. Later He warned His disciples to beware the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They thought that He was speaking about the leaven of earthly bread, but He chastised them saying to remember His provision of bread in the feeding of the 5,000 and later the 4,000. Then they realized that He wasn't speaking of actual leaven, but the spiritual leaven that is symbolic of the sinful false teaching of Israel's religious leaders. Of course, the same warning is applicable to the false teaching in the Church today.
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