Tonight, we look at Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, the first time Jesus predicts His coming death and resurrection, and Jesus’ powerful teaching about denying self.
Messenger: Brian Hopkins
Jesus told a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob that God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Most of us at least now and again enter into wholehearted worship overwhelmed by God’s Spirit, but to worship God in Truth we must come to a point of awe at God’s worthiness to be worshiped. Only then can we fully enter into the spirit of worship which God desires from us.
Sometimes, it seems we can’t feel the presence of God in our hearts even though as born-again Christ followers we know that His Spirit dwells in us. At times like these we need to remember the words of Psalm 22:3 which says God is enthroned in the praises of His worshipers. We can draw closer to God and experience His presence more intimately by joyfully offering Him the praise He is due.
The wise men from the east give us the example of how we can find renewed joy and encouragement at Christmas time – by seeking and worshiping Jesus with all our heart.
This is part 2 of our review/recap of Matthew chapters 1-14.
Paul wants us to recognize how blessed we truly are as believers. Paul provides some foundational truths about our faith and works to help us understand how these truths can help us grow stronger as disciples of Jesus Christ. God has blessed us with our salvation through Jesus Christ. He has blessed us in our relationships. He has blessed us in our families, both at home and in our churches. He has blessed us with a new identity in Christ. He has blessed us with an eternal inheritance. Paul wants us to follow his lead and give praises to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because He “has blesses us in Christ with every blessing in the heavenly places”.
We will pick back up with our study through Matthew’s Gospel on Sunday Evenings. This video is a recap designed to bring everyone back up to speed.
This message begins a new series focused on Paul’s epistle to the churches surrounding Ephesus. It’s no secret that Christians are called to be different. We are to be “new” and not hold on to the “old”. In Ephesians Paul teaches what it’s truly like to be different. We live in a world of rapid moral decline. Therefore, as followers of Jesus Christ, we must train ourselves to function differently than the world. We must learn to fully commit to living a surrendered life and allow the power of God’s Spirit to help us walk in God’s ways and not our own.
None of us are perfect and all of us need God’s power to help us make it in this world. The holy ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two of the greatest gifts given to us directly from Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Baptism allows the believer the opportunity to announce to the world that they have given their heart and control of their life to Jesus. It symbolizes death to self, burial into Jesus Christ, and resurrection into a new life. Participation in the Lord’s Supper helps us proclaim the death of Christ as necessary for our salvation and proclaim our anticipation for His eventual return. Participation in the Lord’s Supper requires us to be in right relationship with Jesus and unifies the bride of Christ, His Church, together around the supper table of the Lord.
Jeremiah’s story provides us with a picture of how Jesus’ ministry would unfold. Not only was Jeremiah a prophet called by God to speak truth to His people, but he also served as a “type” of Christ that would help us learn and grow in the discipline of perseverance. People who persevere make the right choice, they stand by their convictions, they make sure their character remains intact, and they refuse to compromise on God’s truths.
