25 Woods Lake Road, Building 8, Greenville, SC
As we celebrate our freedom as Americans, we remember those who have paid the price to keep us free. But how often do we celebrate the freedom we have been given through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross when He gave His life for us? He paid the ultimate price to set us free, and we owe Him a lifetime of gratitude and faithful service!
Have you ever felt disappointed in yourself because you let someone down? Even worse, have you ever felt the bitter sting of knowing that you let Jesus down? Peter experienced this when he denied Jesus three times… but thankfully that was not the end of the story. Jesus restored Peter and assured him that no failure is final with God! Whatever failures you have experienced, Jesus is waiting to help you rise from the ashes and find hope in Him once again.
Hours before His death, Jesus challenged His disciples to make sure their lives bore fruit… fruit that would LAST. When our lives come to an end, will what we’ve done be gone like fireworks exploding and then fading away, or will our lives bear fruit that will last for eternity?
When Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet, Peter strongly resisted because He was embarrassed at the thought of having the Lord wash his filthy feet. When we become dirty by sin, our shame makes us want to run and hide from God. Yet God longs for us to come to Him despite our dirt. Just as the father ran to embrace the filthy prodigal son and put a clean robe on him, so God longs to embrace us and wash us clean.
Have you ever found yourself facing a desperate situation… the clock is ticking… time is running out… and it seems like God is ignoring you? Has he heard your prayers? Will He ever show up? If you’ve been there, or you’re there now, take heart in today’s message from John 11 where a family learned that even though Jesus delayed, His delay brought about a far greater purpose than they could have ever imagined.
Jesus makes an almost unthinkable statement in John 9, that a certain man had been blind from birth for one reason — so that God could be glorified through it. How do we view the pain and struggles that come into our lives? Do we get angry at God for being unfair and allowing them to happen, or do we consider that perhaps God has a higher purpose He wants to bring about through our suffering?
When faced with the impossible problem of feeding the five thousand, the disciples were unable to come up with a solution because they failed to factor Jesus into the equation. And yet, in the hands of Jesus, one boy’s small lunch became a miraculous meal that satisfied thousands. What impossible situation are you facing today? Have you remembered to factor Jesus into the equation and leave room for a miracle?
Throughout history people have made many outrageous claims, but no one has ever made more outrageous claims than Jesus. If He were not able to back up those claims, He would be nothing short of a madman! And yet every single claim He made has proven to be true. What impact do His claims have on our lives today, and what decision have you made about this most important man in history?
There are people throughout history who have risked everything to follow Jesus. Nicodemus was one such man. Although he was a member of the Pharisees who hated Jesus, he was willing to risk his reputation to have an encounter with the Savior, and after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus was one of the men who helped bury Jesus. History tells us that he lost everything because of this, yet he was not willing to let anything hold him back from following the truth. Is there anything holding you back from following Jesus completely?
When we’re young, we all have dreams of how our life will turn out, but as time goes by, life looks very different than we ever imagined. Hardships and struggles set in, and often our own sinful choices leave our life tattered and torn. All our best efforts to fix it on our own leave us frustrated. It is only through an encounter with Jesus Christ that our old life can be transformed and exchanged for the brand new life that He offers to us. Have you had an encounter with Jesus?
God could have chosen any number of miraculous ways to announce the coming of the Light into the world, but instead, He chose a man named John the Baptist to spread the news. To this day, God continues to use ordinary people like us to spread His light into dark places. Are our lives touching others with the light of Christ?
God has been trying to get your attention! For centuries God tried to draw near to mankind by bringing His fiery presence to earth or by speaking through the prophets, but man continued to turn away. Then God sent His final Word to earth by wrapping Himself in human flesh and coming to live among us to show us the way. God has spoken to us through Jesus, and now we all have a choice to make. How have you responded?
