We’ve been exploring the idea of a total reset in life – what Jesus described as being born again.  It presents a number of challenges to us in our modern lives which are so complex and interconnected.  What about our responsibilities, families, and so on?

Jesus is not talking about a life replacement, but reset and renewal.  A reset is different from formatting a computer.  One is destructive and wasteful, the other is refreshing and freeing.

We regularly talk about the world’s big story in these daily challenges.  We were created to know God be known by God, to have God at the centre of lives.  Then all humans rebelled against God, pushing him out of our lives.  This was the beginning of sin, a separation between humans and God stemming from our desire to worship and rule ourselves, rather than reliance on God.

Human history is filled with evidence of this separation from God.  What was God to do?  God could reformat, start over, and pretend it never happened.  But instead, we got a reset moment.  God stepped into this world as Jesus Christ, and pushed reset.

He makes it possible for us to reset our lives, and has begun to reset the entire world – with a fresh start known as the kingdom of God.

In our lives, we get a second chance to live in a close, personal relationship with God, when we start practicing the kingdom of God.

Having tried the alternative, living to ourselves, now we can live under God’s care and guidance once again.

Considering the rebellion against God in our past, God doesn’t say “forget about it”.  He sees, remembers, and does something about it.

The Kingdom of God is a reset world.  Not the whole world yet – we just see signs and glimpses of it in people, and in God’s direct action today.  We’re invited to start living into this now, and to become a glimpse of the kingdom of God in other people’s lives.

But how?  Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

We’ll see tomorrow what that means.

Question: Where do you see signs of God’s “reset” world today?

Reminder: Coffee hours are tonight tomorrow night at 7:30pm at Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters Store.  See you there!

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - May 19, 2014

Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer People

We introduced our Pioneer Story series with the story of Steve Jobs. This may be because I just watched the film “Jobs”, that chronicles his life from starting the Apple company in a garage, and growing it to what we know today. There’s a scene where the filmmakers go to great pains to show a transformation in Steve. It’s the early days of Apple in a garage. He is angry, having found out his girlfriend is pregnant, and he’s told her to leave his life. He says it’s her problem, not his. We then find him enraged before a mirror, tucking in his shirt, tidying his hair. His face hardens. The next few scenes are designed to show us he’s isolated, hardened and hyperfocused on his success as a businessman. His anger is driving him now. One of his former friends explains to another ,”Steve changed.” This was not exactly a change to be copied in our own lives, that’s not why I tell the story! Steve Jobs accomplished great things, but at great cost. And the turning point, according to this film, was that day his girlfriend said she was pregnant. We’re going to explore a life transformation this week, but one that was ultimately for the good of the entire world, and those who were transformed themselves. This was the transformation that happened in Jesus’ followers when they received the Holy Spirit. With the resurrection of Jesus, they were transformed from terrified failures into emissaries on a mission. With the day of Pentecost, that we learned about last week, the Holy Spirit arrived and transformed them into confident speakers riskily challenging the status quo We’re going to see how that kind of transformation can happen with us. We want to explore those times where people say someone changed, not becoming a hardened, ruthless person, but changing for the better. Jesus still changes lives today, and it’s still up for debate among many whether that’s good or bad. People changed by Jesus are still disowned by families, shunned in workplaces, even killed in some places in the world. Following Jesus entails a transformation not to be taken lightly. Question: Have you ever seen Jesus transform a life? What changed in that person? Was it for the better or worse, in your opinion? What did they do?

From Series: Pioneer Story | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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