#Preachit joomla free#

This Article begins with a statement that we must believe that God’s justifying grace, or right mercy, cannot be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. This week Derek will begin our study of the second of the two articles we are exploring, Article 8, Christian Living. or who wouldn’t buy a certain kind of vacuum cleaner because it was a Dirt Devil.

When you were a kid, did you have parents who would let you go see movies with friends that other kids weren’t allowed to see? Or did you think your Mom and Dad were “overly protective”? The kind who wouldn’t let you have a computer because it had a ‘curser’. To prepare for this week, please read and meditate on the words of 1 John 4:7-21 and demonstrate your love for a friend or neighbor this week by inviting them to join us as we worship together this Sunday at 10AM both in person and online.Īnd I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Join us this week as we continue to explore our Statement of Faith on Christian Living. This week we’ll look at how God loves us and commands us to love one another. The closer I looked at the second greatest commandment, the more I realized that I’m probably not as good at the first greatest commandment as I thought I was. Honestly, I picked this topic early on thinking it would be easy.

#Preachit joomla free#

John says, “We love, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and he has demonstrated that love supremely in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Evangelical Convictions: A Theological Exposition of the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America). And love is the essence of that new life to which we are called. Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbor was the fulfillment of the law of God, for it is the perfect expression of the character of God. The poet Robert Browning once wrote, “Take away love and our earth is a tomb.” That is true, for if you take away love, you take away the presence of the very life of God. Philippians 1: 9-10 (MSG)Īnd it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. We have a great Savior, at the helm, praying for our protection (John 17:15), and He has already won the victory.

Until then we are equipped and called to combat the spiritual forces of evil with God's help. We have been brought into the kingdom of light, the heavenly kingdom that will one day be established on this earth.

Now that he has saved us, God has not left us to ourselves. The enemy has a plan: '.the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.' (2 Corinthians 4:4)Īs those who have had the veil removed, we now see the conflict between God and those who oppose him. However, the Bible tells us that a great conflict is occurring between God and all who oppose him, both natural and supernatural. So often we are prone to the deception that what we see with our physical eyes is all there is. Ephesians 6:11-12 (ESV)Īs we continue in our study of the EFCA Statement of Faith, Article 8 tells us, 'With God's Word, the Spirit's power, and fervent prayer in Christ's name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil.' For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.