Paul clearly loved the church at Philippi. In verse 4, Paul says that he always prays with joy when he remembers them. They have partnered together in joy and sorrow as they work towards the building of the church and their individual relationships with the Lord. He longs to see them and yet does not […]
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Be Loved “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness.He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 “I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.” – Psalm 84:2 “And so we know
Be Known “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” – Psalm 139:1 “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” – I John 4:7
You Belong Each year we look at three core statements for Beloved church. Belong, Be Known, and Be Loved. Today we look at Belonging. “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing
ECCLESIASTES 9 The beginning of chapter establishes a truth that may seem depressing. All of us will die. Whether we are good or evil, wise or unwise, we are all faced with our own mortality. Every culture in history has wrestled with the question of what happens after we die. We tend to shy away
ECCLESIASTES 8 The chapter starts with the question, “Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter?” Wisdom is a subject of many of the Old Testament proverbs and books. A point is made that Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom. What is wisdom, in light of God? Godly wisdom
ECCLESIASTES 7:15-29 As we continue chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, we run into some challenging ideas. In verse 15, the teacher says he has seen the righteous life cut short and the unrighteous live long, prosperous lives. It may not seem right, but we see it all the time. There is a reason that the phrase
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ECCLESIASTES 5 We were blessed to have Derrick Sekamalira, our partner from Kampala, Uganda, lead us in teaching Sunday. In Ecclesiastes 5 the teacher starts the chapter establishing the sovereignty and seriousness of God. He is the holy, powerful creator God, and our words before him should be careful and honest. If we vow something
ECCLESIASTES 4 To start chapter 4, the teacher begins with a passage about oppression and oppressors. The oppressed have no comfort, and the oppressor has all of the power. The teacher saw this imbalance of power. Do you see the oppression going on in the world today? In big and small ways, people find themselves
ECCLESIASTES 2 THE EXPERIMENT The Experiment. This Sunday, we looked straight into the mirror that Ecclesiastes holds up to us: a mirror that reflects not only our endless pursuit of happiness but also the emptiness we often find in the very things we chase. We saw the difference between theoretical knowledge and lived experience. The