Do you hate sin rather than just manage or tolerate it?
A heart submitted to Jesus knows that obedience, confession, and repentance are part of a daily walk with God.
Jesus, the Source of living water
When Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar that he would give living water to those who believe in him, he was very consciously and deliberately referring to himself as the subject and fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies.
Jesus wants to create a wellspring of life in you
Jesus wants and is able to create a new well of life within you. His promise is that "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst ... will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life"
Stewarding God’s anointing even through times of waiting
David was anointed to be king long before he actually became king of Israel. What can we learn from David about stewarding God's anointing upon our own lives?
Progress: becoming the mature body of Christ
Like watching a major road project (e.g. the Hexham bridge M1 bypass), change and growth in our lives can be hard to observe. But we can see over time that God is committed to our growth and maturity we will work with him. Pete Scazzero in his book “Emotionally Healthy Discipleship says this “Emotional Health and Spiritual maturity are inseparable. It is impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.” I feel that this is what Paul is saying in Ephesians. The Gentiles don’t know any different – they walk Indulgence, impurity, greed, sensuality. But he is speaking to Christ-followers telling them that they don’t have any excuses. He’s calling it out. Put off your old self with it’s deceitful desires Allow your minds to have Christ-like attitudes Put on the new self, created to be like God in righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:11-24
Sonship, Spirit, and Suffering
What does it mean for us who are in Christ to grow into the sonship in God’s family which is given to us in Christ? The gift of the Holy Spirit brings us into sonship in God, but he is also our mentor and the power by which we overcome sin, endure suffering, and learn to live in the power of God, the power that enables us to know his indescribable love. Romans 8:12-23 Ephesians 3:10-19
The incredible greatness of God’s power for us
The incredible greatness of God's power is available for those who believe in Christ, but we still wait for resurrection life in the age to come.
Be a branch! (of Jesus the true vine)
Jesus is the True Vine, and our job is to be branches that stay connected to Him, the true source of life and nourishment. From him our fruitfulness flows.
Pentecost – celebrating God’s power at work within us
Today we celebrate God's power at work within us as well as resting upon us, for both our inner life and our outward witness to be empowered by God's living presence.
Jesus’ living presence
All christians want to experience the personal presence of Jesus. The real question though is not whether he is here with me, but whether I know I am with him.