Bishop Joseph Berry – referring to the gospel (Luke 14:16-21)
The man who sits down to the banquet and selfishly enjoys its light and warmth, with never a thought of the hungry multitude outside, is a caricature of a Christian. He has caught not true vision of his Lord; nor have the fires of Christian evangelism been kindled in his heart.
He may be a church member, but he is not a Christian … is anyone a real disciple of Christ who is not swayed by this consuming passion?
Quote:
“Even when life may be difficult, we should thank God for all He does for us which we do not deserve.” –Billy Graham
God willing, let’s all meet in our Worship Service tomorrow morning … then, it’s time for us to Count our Blessings received from Him – One by One.
John 1:12-13
To all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. —
We live in a time and culture of rights. "It's my right to ___." Just fill in the blank. But we don't have a right to be God's child. We are given that right by God's grace. This right came to us at great cost to God. Jesus' came to earth, lived, died and was raised from the dead. We receive this grace through faith: God gives us new birth as we trust in Jesus as Lord and we are baptized and reborn through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7).
To be born of God, to be born from above, to be born "again" is the gift of adoption into God's family and brings us all the rights of heirs in God's house (Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:1-7). So let's not take this grace, this blessing, this adoption, this right for granted! We are God's children right now (1 John 3:1-3). Let's give thanks for this grace and live like we belong.
Prayer
. Lord, I need Your wisdom and understanding. I have tried for so long to operate with my own wisdom, and it just isn’t good enough. Help me to live a faithful, innocent life, free from fear and sin and worry, trusting in Your provision and protection. You are able, Lord, and I am not. Forgive me for trying to run my life and make my plans without consulting You for wisdom, understanding, guidance, and direction. Lead me, and I will follow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Message No: 6692]
The man who sits down to the banquet and selfishly enjoys its light and warmth, with never a thought of the hungry multitude outside, is a caricature of a Christian. He has caught not true vision of his Lord; nor have the fires of Christian evangelism been kindled in his heart.
He may be a church member, but he is not a Christian … is anyone a real disciple of Christ who is not swayed by this consuming passion?
Quote:
“Even when life may be difficult, we should thank God for all He does for us which we do not deserve.” –Billy Graham
God willing, let’s all meet in our Worship Service tomorrow morning … then, it’s time for us to Count our Blessings received from Him – One by One.
John 1:12-13
To all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. —
We live in a time and culture of rights. "It's my right to ___." Just fill in the blank. But we don't have a right to be God's child. We are given that right by God's grace. This right came to us at great cost to God. Jesus' came to earth, lived, died and was raised from the dead. We receive this grace through faith: God gives us new birth as we trust in Jesus as Lord and we are baptized and reborn through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7).
To be born of God, to be born from above, to be born "again" is the gift of adoption into God's family and brings us all the rights of heirs in God's house (Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:1-7). So let's not take this grace, this blessing, this adoption, this right for granted! We are God's children right now (1 John 3:1-3). Let's give thanks for this grace and live like we belong.
Prayer
. Lord, I need Your wisdom and understanding. I have tried for so long to operate with my own wisdom, and it just isn’t good enough. Help me to live a faithful, innocent life, free from fear and sin and worry, trusting in Your provision and protection. You are able, Lord, and I am not. Forgive me for trying to run my life and make my plans without consulting You for wisdom, understanding, guidance, and direction. Lead me, and I will follow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Message No: 6692]
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