I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Notice that Paul couches the amazing Christian claim that “Christ died for our sins” in both Scriptural and historical language: “in accordance with the scriptures.”
Gospel
The Core of Christianity Is Christ
The Bible is gospel-centered. The Bible is not primarily calling you to be a good person, but to trust in the grace of God to make you good enough for heaven.
Knowing Christ In the New Year
This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3). It is common, as each year begins, for people to make New Year’s resolutions … which is not a bad practice. As we look back over the past year(s), it is appropriate to wonder if we accomplished what we should have, if our life was as useful and happy as we would like it to be — and then, as a result of that assessment, we resolve to do better in areas in which we feel like we have
When They Saw the Child, They Worshiped
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) There is a library full of lessons in this single verse of Scripture.
Why Such a Lowly Birth?
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Jesus was born when “the time came.” The time came, not just for the fulfillment of Mary’s pregnancy, but for the fulfillment of God’s pre-world plan to become a divine human being. Think of it! The Bethlehem prophecy alone (Micah 5:2) reminds us that God had hundreds of years to plan this event! How will
Christ, the Power & Wisdom of God
We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:23-25).
How God Calls Abraham, and Every Believer
Now the Lord said to Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) How does Abraham go from idolatry to being a believer in the one true God? God speaks to him! This in a nutshell differentiates Abraham’s story from that of his father Tera who was a Babylonian idolater (Joshua 24:2). God is the one who initiates salvation, God is the one who calls Abraham out of pagan darkness into the light of His truth. God’s redemptive work, like the Creation itself, begins with God
Jesus Died To Save Us From Our Own Solutions
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s true. You have seen someone trying to clean up their own mess before, and that this just ends up making things worse as long as they continue doing more of whatever caused the mess in the first place.
Living In Light of the Gospel
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). With these words, the Apostle Paul challenges his young protégé, Timothy, not to grow weary or weak as he endures for the sake of the gospel and the church in Ephesus. The church at this time was experiencing heavy persecution from the Ephesian culture around it, which had little interest in the gospel. But the church was also facing pressure from inside in the form of false teachers. The church, and Timothy, was pressed on all sides.
Jesus Came To Save Sinners
Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-16 The Big Idea: No matter who you are or what you may be feeling, the gospel of grace through Jesus Christ is worthy of your trust. 1) I thank him who has given me strength. 2) Grace, faith, and love are in Christ Jesus. 3) Christ Jesus came to save sinners.
Nothing But Jesus
Paul writes to the church at Corinth and says, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Really? Nothing but Jesus? In this letter, Paul is going to address sin issues, life issues, church issues, and interpersonal issues. Yet, Paul insists at the outset that he will only be talking about Jesus! How can this be? All these issues have their center and solution in the gospel. And we must learn, then, to center our thinking and living and faith-fighting in the gospel like Paul consciously did. Paul, in this passage, shares with us at
Entrusted With the Glorious Gospel
The church of Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the gospel of Christ. This is both a sobering responsibility and a beautiful privilege. It is not enough to identify and reject false teaching in the church. We have to embrace and foster affection for what is good and glorious and godly. This is how Paul addresses the issue of false teaching in his letter to Timothy.
Christ Jesus Is Our Hope
As Paul writes his first letter to Timothy, his opening words remind us that “Christ Jesus is our hope.” That’s what this letter is all about. That’s what the Christian message is all about. That’s what the Bible is all about. And so that’s what our lives should be all about.
Christ Sustaining You to the End
As we look to a new year in 2020, it is important to think about the things we should be doing better, especially in our service to God. We all probably need to be more diligent in Bible reading, prayer, persevering, temperance, self-denial … the list could go on and on. And it is good and appropriate to make resolutions to improve in some of these areas. But instead of talking about what we should be doing for God, this Sunday we want to consider what God is doing for us.
To Us a Child Is Born
Christmas is now world famous, and so the only surprise many people expect during this season is while opening presents. But in fact the manner of the Messiah’s coming was unexpected for many, even among those who looked for him — and he will continue to be a mystery to us today, if we do not know him through his word, the Bible.