There are two areas of a believer’s life which show the world around them how serious they are about their relationship with Jesus. The first is the pursuit of personal holiness, followed by active participation in an authentic Jesus loving, Bible believing, Bible teaching, Bible practicing local church.
“What is the church?” Most people respond with some reference to a building, but what would be a more succinct answer? The church is not a building but is instead THE PEOPLE who gather at a building for the sole purpose of worshipping God.
The intent for this message is to remind you of a gift from God that is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s the single greatest gift you can receive and when applied daily is the single most impactful gift you’ll ever receive. Of course I’m referring to God’s gracious gift of The Gospel.
When you include regular prayer and fasting as part of your relationship with Jesus, you will not regret it. God is faithful, He is just, and He always fulfills His promises. Especially for those who are closest to Him. You want to be closer to Jesus, start praying daily and adding in fasting for more urgent matters.
All of us have caused harm to someone during our lives – even our new lives in Christ – either intentionally or unintentionally. Our sins can harm not only ourselves but often have widespread consequences for those around us – especially our loved ones. Likewise, the sins of others can have unforeseen impacts upon us. Every Christian needs to seek forgiveness for our sins not only from God, but also from those whom we harm through our sins. Even more importantly, we need to be committed to offer grace, mercy, and forgiveness to those whose sins hurt us. In this we model Jesus’ own love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
Our Father seeks those who are lost – apart from Him despite His infinite and enduring love. When the legalistic leaders of Jewish society condemned Him for consorting with sinners and outcasts, Jesus told three parables illustrating God’s diligent outreach to His lost children. Perhaps the most well-known of these is the parable of the prodigal son. But in fact all of us are lost and estranged from God before we finally come to faith in Jesus’ Gospel and call upon the Name of Jesus for salvation. None of us is “good” apart from God, as we learn from the illustration of the “good” son in this parable who was shown to be just as lost as his prodigal brother.
From the very beginning, God wanted every person to become more than what we ended up as. God wants us to be more than sinners. More than self-centered. More than simply good people, doing good things. Therefore, the plan was always Jesus. He wants every believer to embrace this idea of being made for more. Made for more than just this life here on Earth. Made for more than just your job. Made for more than just your hobbies. Made for more than just your struggles.
By the time we get to chapter 8 of Romans, we see that God has established a new purpose for those who choose to put their faith and trust in His Son as Savior and Lord.
Today, more than ever in history, Christians need to understand the significance of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their heart. Once understood, the believer will begin to truly experience, not just His presence, but also His powerful work. There is nothing more reassuring and peaceful in life than experiencing the powerful presence of God’s Spirit as He works in our daily lives.
When we take the time to consider Mary’s background, and the manner with which she managed the big assignment from God, we learn some things about her character and can use these lessons to help us grow in our relationship with God.
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
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2026
Mt. Freedom Baptist Church
