The Bible is unequivocally clear - we all sin. Today's text says if we don't face that reality, the truth is not in us. So knowing this, how are we going to walk as Jesus did? On this Indedendence Day, Al has some practical insight on how to deal with this uncomfortable challenge.
Matt asks why the Sabbath is so important to God - and points to the difference between 'resting from' and 'resting in'. The first everyone does. The second is an act of faith - in the good God of Genesis 1, who blesses and gives abundantly to his creation.
How do we find rest these days in the midst of our busy agendas? The story of Mary and Martha in Luke gives us a few clues about how to balance stillness and "busy-ness" in our lives. As most of us in this culture seem to be "Marthas", the picture for us might be a little confusing. Are we condemned because we tend to be eager to serve like Martha? No. But in spite of our endless to-do lists, really only one thing is needed. What is that one thing and how do we manage our time to see it happen.
It has been said that in the western world "we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship." Since we seem to be driven to be always doing stuff, should we not ask ourselves this profound question, "Which does God want more, our doings or our company?" In his new series of talks, we will see what God means by "rest" and we will each experience the peace of letting go of the demands of this world and just resting in Him. Today, we just stop!
Among all the elements involved in having a healthy relationship with God, perhaps the most significant is the proper handling of money. Under the Mosaic Law, how money was used could produce either blessing or curse depending on how well the Law was followed. Even if the letter of the Law has changed, the spirit of it has not changed. There is no escaping this fact - God still cares very much about how we handle the physical things He has entrusted to us; the principles still apply.
Here at City Church, as we become who we are in Christ, we are trying to be "real, relational, and religion-free." In order to be real we must believe that all this can come about only through the power of the Spirit. Today Antley helps us more fully understand that no matter how messy life is, we have to risk leaving the familiar and trust God completely for any of it to matter. The religion has to go in order to be real.
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