Viewing entries tagged
acceptance
Peter is famous for being the disciple who denied Jesus three times. Later, however, he demonstrated incredible courage in the face of persecution and eventual death. This message looks at what changed him and how we can develop convictions and courage in our lives today.
We can work hard and get a promotion only to learn that our company is facing bankruptcy or moving offshore. The randomness of life’s circumstances can leave us discouraged and frustrated. This message looks at how we can experience joy even when life seems to be out of our control.
So much of our lives can be traced back to a hunger for acceptance. We devote ourselves to people and causes to show that we’re worthy of acceptance. And we fixate on things that we’ve said or done that might threaten our acceptance. But how does God see us? How can we know if God will accept us? What standard does He use? This message looks at one of Jesus’ famous stories about a Pharisee and a tax collector and considers what it teaches us about our yearning for acceptance and the grace God offers us.
Most of us want to lead useful lives. We want to accomplish things. We want to bring light into darkness. If we have children, we want to nurture them in ways that will bless them. But there are things we can do to undermine our impact. This message looks at the mindsets that are critical to making the most of the influence God has given us.
Some people will look to Jesus, but try to approach Him as a peer, on their own terms. They pick and choose the teachings that they already agree with. This message looks at a group of people who chose to accept Jesus’ hard teachings and in so doing found life and hope that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.
