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But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ evenwhen we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5). You want it. But you don't always get it. You try to take it. But then you lose it. And just when you think you have it, things get out of it. Control. I want control. I'm one of those p...
Keep ReadingFor we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). The good news just keeps coming. This past Sunday, we declared, "He Is Risen!" Jesus has conquered the grave. By His selfless sacrifice, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. We were once dead in our s...
Keep ReadingFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). I'm definitely not a green thumb, but I love having plants in my home, especially my favorite ...
Keep ReadingGod saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT). For the past 6 or so year...
Keep ReadingAs for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins following the ways of the spirit at work among the disobedient gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath ... For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephes...
Keep Reading"Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lor...
Keep Readingin a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (I Corinthians 15:52). Paul shares that when the trumpet sounds, all who have died will be raised from the graves with heavenly bodies. We will be changed. For Christians, that will be the most life-altering experience that...
Keep ReadingTherefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you knowthat your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15: 58). Before diving into this study on 1 Corinthians 15, I felt like I already had a handle on the Good News of Jesus. Jesus died for our sins. He was buried, and three...
Keep ReadingGod gives us the victory [over sin and death] through our Lord Jesus Christ, [so] alwaysgive yourselves fully to the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:57-58). How often has the weight of past mistakes robbed you of present joy? Maybe we don't want to call those mistakes sin, but once we realize there is a God who calls mistakes for what they really are, those sins feel even hea...
Keep ReadingTherefore, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,for you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). It can be rather hard to know exactly what to do with Easter. Christmas is so much easier: stars, manger, magi, shepherds, people we can relate to (Mary, Joseph) Santa, fir trees, presents, sleigh bells tingling, ches...
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