How come Jesus does not spend his time telling people he loves them just the way they are and there is nothing they can do to make him love them more or less.
I was mulling over my thoughts about our vision for Newlife Church and I came up with some key concepts. We want the church to be diverse in culture, age and social level. We want all the gifts in operation. We want evangelism and growth, a strong teaching foundation, and a love and care for people that addresses the huge social problems of the city and gives hope to the hopeless.
“Even when you are old, I will take care of you, even when you have grey hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you; I will carry you and rescue you.” (Is 46:3–4)
We answer 12 common questions about the events leading up to Christ’s return, the day of judgement, and the age to come, with a focus on Matthew 24 & 25. We then consider what the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins really means, and how it challenges us.
John 3:16 is probably the best known verse in the Bible, but it has a hidden depth and richness that makes it (and the rest of the passage) well worth studying.
Even if you are a Christian, there are some deep challenges in this story. Jesus wants to keep challenging you until you really know who he is, and act accordingly.
After feeding the 5000 and walking on water, Jesus was asked to provide more food. The answer he gave was very strange, and resulted in many people walking away from him.
The stories from when Jesus walked this earth with us, show a man who experienced a full range of emotions, and was deeply empathic with those around him.
Hebrews 4 encourages us to experience this deep compassion as we engage with him in prayer.
Jesus highest teachings, given just to his disciples in John 14–17 come to a climax in his prayer at the end, and now we reach the very pinnacle of the prayer
John is very selective, but this is because he is very focused in the unique way he wants us to relate to Jesus as he suffers and dies on the cross, a way that we miss if we don’t follow his references
Light is a key theme in Scripture, and as we put together references from the whole Bible, we see a beautifully unified theme what brings hope, and direction for living.
If we can grasp the big picture of God’s plan for humanity, it will not only help us understand the Bible, but hugely empower and energize us for the Christian life.