We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - December 16, 2018
Immanuel Promised
This message is a meditation on the central hope that the story of Christmas represents. The gospel—or good news—of Christmas reaches higher and runs deeper than is scarcely known or felt in the hearts of people who busy themselves with the holiday. In a world that so often preoccupies itself with symptoms rather than causes, whether concerning depression or delight, the gospel of Christmas is a message that is sorely needed. With uncanny power, the bigger picture of Christmas touches lives weighed down by sin and its consequences, penetrating the core of humanity’s plight and representing its only real hope. On his quest to escape pain and suffering and to find meaning and purpose, love and joy, man discovers that the deepest longings of the human soul find ultimate satisfaction in none other than the One in whom they live and move and have their being. We will only be restless until we find our rest in God with us—this is the greatest representation of Christmas.
Scripture References: Isaiah 7:14
