This Summer, we spent our Sunday mornings looking at key themes in the letters by the Apostle Paul. The series “13 Letters” gave us a chance to look at the astounding wisdom, experience, and hope Paul shared with his friends, churches, and, even now, with today’s followers of Jesus. These invaluable letters make up half of the Bible’s New Testament.
At the highest level, the letters provide us a compelling picture of what the early church looked like, what the first followers of Jesus wrestled with in their own lives, and how they lived in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Majors themes of faith, hope, and love are apparent. But as we listened on Sunday mornings, we also heard of the freedom, unity, and encouragement given to us through Jesus. Through our generosity, by living the Spirit, and in our relationships with one another, we can actually bring pleasure to God. We were challenged to embraced the mystery, to see Jesus throughout the entire story of the Bible, and to “honor the emperor” while remaining faithful to the true and better King.
A great resource to help you continue walking through the 13 Letters, and even the rest of the New Testament, is the “New Testament for Everyone” series of books from N.T. Wright (you can buy them individually or as a set). Also check out the great Bible Plans from the Bible App to help you make the Bible a daily priority. And of course, you can always go back and listen to these messages below or any past messages in our Series Archive.
Matt Carder - February 22, 2015
Our Journey Home, Pt. 1
Whether it's through learned behavior, experiences at church in the past, or other influences, it's very easy to develop a "transactional" relationship with God - one that views the reward of our faith something other than a relationship with God himself. These frameworks toward God rarely provide the rest and security we crave.
From Series: "Our Journey Home"
Home. It's the place we can come to after a long and grueling day and rest. It's the place where we don't have to be 'on', don't have to present our best selves, and know we're accepted for who we are. What makes home so refreshing however isn't just a physical location - it's the security and comfort the relationships inside of it provide. If we're honest, it's this same rest in relationship, this same feeling of home that Jesus invites us to in Him.
