25 Woods Lake Road, Building 8, Greenville, SC
Imagine being brought to trial for committing a horrible crime, and being given the death penalty. Then suddenly, someone jumps up and says they want to die in your place. The judge agrees, but orders you to perform the execution! Could you do it? In a sense, that’s exactly what we did to Jesus. It was our sin that put Him to death and made Him suffer God’s judgement! How often do we remember just how much He loves us that He would willingly die so that we could live?
No matter how well you did in school, there is one test you will never pass, even if you spend a lifetime trying. Because of our sin, none of us will ever be able to pass the standard of God’s perfect Law of holiness, and failure to do so brings death! We were doomed without hope until Christ came and fulfilled the Law perfectly on our behalf, and then He willingly took the judgement for our sins upon Himself. What amazing love! If you are still trying to earn your way to God, why not receive His mercy today instead?
We were created to glorify God with every thought, every word and every action. But our sin has caused us to glorify other things more than we glorify God. As a result, we have lost peace with God, which robs us of peace within, which destroys our peace with others. That baby in the manger came to restore this broken peace with God so that we could once again have peace within and peace with others. and to give us a new heart that would desire to glorify Him above everything else. (Audio difficulties on this recording)
Our lives are fueled by hope. The decisions we make, the goals we pursue — in fact everything we do is driven by the hope that our efforts will make life better tomorrow than it is today. Often we search for hope in all the wrong places. We mistakenly think that we will find hope in a new relationship, or by having a particular experience, or if our current circumstances were different. But none of those things can ever give us hope. There is only one place hope can be found. Have you found it yet?
Scripture promises a new heaven and a new earth for followers of Christ. Peter reminds us of how this promise should impact our lives today. The goals that we are striving for in the future will always impact our choices in the present. Knowing that we will one day see Christ should motivate us to live holy lives here and now. Are we looking forward to that day, and are we living expectant, intentional holy lives in light of it?
Anyone watching Moses during the middle years of his life would have concluded that he would never amount to anything. He was a murderer and a fugitive who ended up living in a desert. Surely he had completely ruined his chances of ever being useful to God. Yet, behind the scenes, God was using all these things to prepare Moses for one of the most important assignments in the Bible. Are there failures, fears or disappointments in your life holding you back? Those may be the very things God uses for your greatest service to Him in the days to come!
Are there situations in your life right now that have brought you so much pain or fear or discouragement that you are beginning to doubt God’s love and faithfulness? Do your prayers sometimes feel like they are falling on deaf ears? No matter how long you may have to wait for an answer, you can be absolutely certain of this: God’s providence is at work behind the scenes, orchestrating all things for His ultimate glory, and you can trust Him through it all.
Many people spend their lives searching for something to fill up the empty ache they feel inside. They look for fulfillment in relationships, career, money, status… yet they soon realize that those things are not the answer. That emptiness every person feels inside is there for a reason, and that’s because sin separated us from God and left us incomplete. There is only one way to satisfy that empty longing forever, and today’s message tells us exactly how.
Jacob had ruined his life. He had lied to and cheated his family, and now he was about to pay! When his brother threatened to kill him, Jacob fled for his life, and while running away from his sin, he ran straight into God! Surprisingly, God met Jacob in love, and it changed his life. Sometimes we also try to run from the consequences of our sin, but we must remember that God’s love is greater than our sin! He longs to restore us to Himself if we will just surrender.
For many people, Christmas is their favorite time of the year. They enjoy fireplaces, hot chocolate and gatherings with family and friends. But for others, Christmas is the most difficult time of the year. For them it stirs painful memories of a broken relationship, or a loved one who is no longer alive. When Jesus came into the world, He brought us the gift of comfort. If you’re hurting today, you don’t have to suffer alone. Jesus longs to give you this gift of comfort!
If we’re not careful, it’s easy for all our hopes and prayers to revolve around us. “God, please take away these problems… give me more money… a happier marriage… a nicer house…” While there’s nothing wrong with having hopes and dreams, we often fail to realize that our greatest needs are actually much deeper. Jesus came to give us a brand new kind of hope, one that truly satisfies and lasts forever! Is your hope in Him?
We do everything we can in life to avoid sorrow and grief, but there is a certain kind of mourning the Bible tells us we ought to do. We are called to take the reality and wickedness of sin seriously and mourn over it. Our hearts should be broken over our sin, knowing that it grieves the heart of God. This kind of godly sorrow is good and right because it leads us to repentance, which in turn, leads us to joy and comfort and peace with God.
