We reflect and pray about the shift from partners to friends we explored this week.
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CloseRyan Sim - November 19, 2013
Tuesday - Study It - Grace - in Lifestyle
This week we’re exploring how following Jesus impacts our lifestyle by one principle: grace. Grace is one of the most important, life-changing aspects of Christian story. Here’s how the Bible talks about grace: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV) Here is an easy way to remember the meaning: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense A friend had a young child at home, and a baby on the way and his mother loved to help out by cleaning up the house. One particularly stressful time she was coming down to decompress the situation by cleaning up the house. My friend came home that day to find his wife madly cleaning up the house, before the mother in law arrived. She didn’t want her mother-in-law to see a messy house, even though she was there to clean it as a gift. We so often we think that we have to have cleaned up our lives before we can accept what God wants to give us. We don’t have to have sorted ourselves out before we can accept God’s free gift of forgiveness, his grace. When you ask someone why they don’t like Christianity…you’ll often hear “it’s just a bunch of rules.” I don’t need a book to tell me how to be a good person. If that was true, I wouldn’t want to be part of this religion either. But it’s not true…that’s the religion that Jesus came to get rid of, and not his hope for us. Here’s the version of Christianity that people are usually describing: Obey God’s laws God will accept you He’ll provide you with loving care He’ll give you a new status, as a servant of God. This is a law religion, the kind of thing the Pharisees liked to promote. Jesus didn’t have very nice things to say about that! The problem is – no one has ever obeyed God’s laws perfectly enough to earn God’s love. Actually, there was one person – Jesus. He knew our hopeless situation, and did something about it. Jesus was all about grace. This involves the same steps, but in a different order: God loves and accepts you…unconditionally God will provide you with loving care. He wants to be part of your life today, not some day in the future. God will give you a new status: Child of God adopted into his family You now return God’s favour with thanksgiving and living in his way. In grace…we are given God’s love, care and fatherhood as free gifts, even before having proven ourselves worthy, and that gives us a lot to live up to! Question: Where have you typically seen laws and rules in your faith? As the way to earn God’s love, or respond to it? Why? Reminder: Last week we talked about worship, and asked you to complete our online survey about worship here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8TS7K93 Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.
Related Topics: Grace, Law, Lifestyle | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Becoming Like Family"
This series looks at becoming “like family” with others learning to follow Jesus. We're exploring how the church is not a building, institution or event, but a community of people. It's important that explore what church means as we prepare to launch a new church in Ajax in 2014.
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
Wednesday - Study It - The Look | February 27, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - The Look | February 26, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - The Look | February 25, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Anger | February 22, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Anger | February 21, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Anger | February 20, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Anger | February 19, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Anger | February 18, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Law | February 15, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Law | February 14, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Law | February 13, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Law | February 12, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Law | February 11, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Light | February 8, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Light | February 7, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Light | February 6, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Light | February 5, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Light | February 4, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Salt | February 1, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Salt | January 31, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Salt | January 30, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Salt | January 29, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Salt | January 28, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Living Backwards | January 25, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act on It - Living Backwards | January 24, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Living Backwards | January 23, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Living Backwards | January 22, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - New Idea - Living Backwards | January 21, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Persecuted | January 18, 2013 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Persecuted | January 17, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Persecution | January 16, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Persecuted | January 15, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Persecuted | January 14, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Peacemakers | January 11, 2013 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Peacemakers | January 10, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Peacemakers | January 9, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Peacemakers | January 8, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Peacemakers | January 7, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - January 4 - God | January 4, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - January 3 - Generosity | January 3, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - January 2 - Grace | January 2, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
New Years Day - Groups | January 1, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
New Years Eve - Growth | December 31, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - December 28 | December 28, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - December 27 | December 27, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Boxing Day | December 26, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas Day | December 25, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas Eve | December 24, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pure in Heart | December 21, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pure in Heart | December 20, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pure in Heart | December 19, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pure in Heart | December 18, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pure in Heart | December 17, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Merciful | December 14, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act On It - Merciful | December 13, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Merciful | December 12, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Merciful | December 11, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Merciful | December 10, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Righteousness | December 7, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act On It - Righteousness | December 6, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Righteousness | December 5, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Righteousness | December 4, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Poor in Spirit | December 3, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Meek | November 30, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Meek | November 29, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Meek | November 28, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Meek | November 27, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Meek | November 26, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Those Who Mourn | November 23, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act - Those Who Mourn | November 22, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Those Who Mourn | November 21, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Those Who Mourn | November 20, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Those who Mourn | November 19, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Poor in Spirit | November 16, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Poor in Spirit | November 15, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Poor in Spirit | November 14, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Poor in Spirit | November 13, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - New Idea - Poor in Spirit | November 12, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Introduction to Daily Challenges | November 2, 2012 | Watch | Listen |