Category Archives: Word of God

I’m Thankful for the FREE GIFT of Eternal Life — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 14

I’m thankful for the FREE GIFT of Eternal Life!

If you are reading this, I have good news for you: Jesus Saves! I hope that you’ll read on and see what it means to receive the FREE GIFT He offers us in salvation. If you’ve already received the gift, keep on reading anyway and be reminded of what you’ve been given.

Let’s look at what it means to be saved, why we need to be saved, and how you can be saved.

What It Means to Be Saved

Imagine someone swimming who has gone out over their head and is drowning. They cry out for a lifeguard to help. Thankfully, the lifeguard hears them and is able to rush to their rescue, pulling them to safety on the shore. That person has been saved from drowning.

This could also apply to someone who has been stuck in a burning building and fallen unconscious from inhaling all the smoke. Firefighters are called to the building and discover them. The firefighter picks up this totally helpless individual, carries them out of the building, and gets them to the paramedics. The firefighter and paramedics have saved this person from certain death.

In the same way, God provided Jesus to save or rescue every sinner who puts their trust in Him. No matter what we have done or who we are, Jesus can save us. Through Jesus, we find salvation by and eternal life by putting our faith and trust in Him.

The Bible describes this in John 3:16 –

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Why We NEED to Be Saved

You might be thinking: well, it makes sense for someone drowning or trapped in a burning building to need to be saved, but what about me?

The Bible teaches us that all of us have sinned. Sin is an archery term that describes missing the bullseye. The bullseye is perfection and goodness. We might try to do right and good, but we fail at that. God is right and good, and our missing the mark or failing in this way separates us from Him.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the “wages of sin is death”. This means that our sin has earned us death and that there is nothing we can do to earn our way out of it. Thankfully, that is not the end of Romans 6:23; check out the full verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God has made a way for us! Just as John 3:16 tells us above, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. He died in our place and offers us life instead. That’s good news!

How You Can Be Saved

The only way for us to be saved is to turn from our sins (and the punishment we deserve because of them) to Jesus and put our faith and trust in Him. We turn from our sin because we realize that we are in trouble and deserve death because of them. We turn to Jesus because we realize that, just like the person who was drowning or trapped in the burning building, we cannot save ourselves. 

To put our faith and trust in Him means that we believe that Jesus fully paid the penalty for our sins and offers us forgiveness. The Bible teaches us that Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree (the cross)” (1 Peter 2:24). Here is how the Bible tells us we can be saved:

“if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

This is what it means when we say put our faith and trust in Jesus; we confess Him as Lord and give our lives over to Him, trusting that He knows best and acknowledge He is God, asking Him to take charge of our lives. We tell Him that we believe He is who the Bible says He is: the Savior who died for our sins and rose again. If we do this, not just saying some magic words but genuinely believing and seeking Him, the Bible tells us that we are saved!

Lord, thank you for offering salvation that is free to all who believe but cost so much at the cost of Your Son. Thank You for raising again and offering that life to all who believe and confess You as Lord. Thank You.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for the Kingdom of God — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 13

I’m thankful for the Kingdom of God!

If this world and its squabbling kingdoms were all that there is, how pitiful an outlook we would have. These kingdoms rise and fall. History is littered with powerful kingdoms, empires even, that were cast aside by greater or at least different ones. Museums are filled with relics of their once great splendor and glory, but I think one of my church kiddos from many years ago summed their glory up well when we were looking at some pictures of the ruins of the once great city of Ephesus: they’re ruined (they pronounced it rurnt, ha)!

The writer of Hebrews rightly tells us that we should be “grateful”, and we should. That word translated “grateful” in the ESV is better translated in the KJV as “have grace” because it is a pair of words that are related to the practice of saying grace before a meal, praying to say thanks and give credit to God for providing the food that is about to be eaten.

We are to say grace, praying and giving thanks to God for giving us part in His Kingdom and for His power in saving us and making us right before Him (Colossians 1:12-14, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

We are to say grace, coming before God’s throne in reverence and awe as King of kings and Lord of lords, presiding over His Kingdom eternally and toppling those that are shaken, sifted, and cast away like chaff from wheat (Psalm 2:10-11, Matthew 3:12).

We are to say grace, thankful to God for His strength and might — His consuming fire burning through everything, eventually leaving only His Kingdom (Deuteronomy 4:24, Daniel 7:13-14).

We are to say grace because this great God and king humbled Himself to leave His throne and become flesh for us that we might be saved and enter into His Kingdom (John 1:14, Philippians 2:6-8, 1 Timothy 1:15).

Lord, thank you for being a consuming fire and for that fire purifying those you save rather than burning us up as our sin warrants. Thank you for shaking the lesser kingdoms of this world and reminding us You are God and we are not. Thank you for letting us worship and praise You. I want to say “thank You” like we do over the food, our bodies for Your Kingdom. Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for God’s Forgiveness — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 12

These verses are a beautiful picture of God’s forgiveness and are good reminders for those who are saved to see what the “free gift of eternal life” is in light of the “wages of [our] sin” (Romans 6:23). We are going to briefly unpack these verses, and Lord willing, you will be moved to be thankful as well.

“He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities.” This is a beautiful example of the otherness of God. I know that term sounds weird, but when we talk about God, it is important to remember that He is not like us. This otherness is really linked to His holiness, meaning that He is entirely set apart and above us in His worth, splender, and perfection. God is God, and we are not. 

Human beings deal with each other according to their sin and iniquity. If someone has wronged us or someone close to us, it is likely that we will forever treat them differently because of it. Even if we forgive, we are quick to let folks know we won’t forget. If we catch someone in a lie, they will forever be defined as a liar (even though we have been guilty of the same). The sin is a defining point for us because we don’t want to fall victim of it again. Yet God does not deal with US that way. 

That “us” is very important here because it is a distinction from how others are dealt with. This is not the us v. them where we make ourselves to be righteous (Romans 3:10-12). No, this is referencing the difference between those who have believed and put their faith in God and have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) and those who have not (John 3:18). He does not deal with “us” according to our sin because Jesus has paid for our sin (1 Peter 2:24). Our sin does not define us because He defines us based on our relationship with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Romans 8:1). 

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him….” Here we see the otherness of God again. This is literally the 6,000 mile view, one that God sees easily from His vantage point that we might struggle with from ours. 6,214 miles above our vantage point is when the earth stops being the earth; that’s literally how high the heavens are above the earth. God’s steadfast love – His never-stopping, never-failing, never-giving-up, everlasting love – is astronomically greater than our human hearts can fathom or feature (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

This qualifies the “us” from the last section because the “us” is made up of those who fear the Lord – those who follow and worship Him, those who have been saved by Him (Psalm 25:12-14). It also builds on the last section specifically because it shows that God not only has decided not to “deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities” because He has paid the penalty for them (2 Corinthians 5:21) but did this because He loves us (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4-5). This love is foreign to us because in our sinfulness we want to repay evil with evil, sin with sin (Matthew 5:44-45, 1 Peter 3:9). God is different. He loved us and saved us from our sin when we were still in it – when we still deserved death and hell; that “demonstrates” how much higher His love is than ours (Romans 5:8).

“…[A]s far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” I love the contrast of imagery between the atmospheric levels of love in the last section and the global stretch of His forgiveness in this one. It is really cool to see how God specifically created the earth in such a way that it illustrates this, too. If His love requires a 6,000 foot view, His forgiveness requires understanding of what infinity is. You see, if you set out westward here on earth, you will go infinitely west. West will never start being east, and vice versa. God infinitely removes our sin from us. It is gone. Period. Finito. Over with. It is finished.

When Jesus forgives, He can allow Himself to forget because when He saves us He will not lose us. The eternal life He gives is, well, eternal. The change He produces in people’s lives is continual because it stems from His love and faithfulness, not ours. So, He doesn’t have to deal with us “according to our sins” because they have been infinitely removed. They have been paid for and we cannot repossess them. He has the receipt and is not taking returns. 

This is good news. It is nearly incomprehensible for us because we know the weight and evil nature of our sin (Psalm 51:3-5, Jeremiah 17:9). Yet He loved us and became the propitiation (wrath bearing sacrifice that trades the punishment due our sin for the favor due His Son) for our sin (Romans 3:23-25; 1 John 2:1-2, 4:10). 

What about you? Have you experienced the forgiveness of God? Will you stand before Him and have Him see Jesus’s blood and righteousness or stand before Him in your sin? 

Thank You, Lord, for offering forgiveness and salvation through Your Son Jesus.

Thank You, Lord, for Your astronomical love and the way you help us to see what You have done for us.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for My Friends — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 11

Friendship is something that I hope I never take for granted. It is something that I cherish more than I can express with words because, for many years, I did not have friends – at least not many or any at all who match the quality of today’s passage.

The imagery in this verse makes me picture entering a room and smelling something that reminds me of someone. You know how that works. God created our senses so that they work together specially for different purposes. The sense of smell is linked to emotion and memory – hearing, too, to a lesser degree – in a special way that one whiff can bring on waves of nostalgia, jog a memory, take you to a certain place, or remind you of a specific person. 

The “oil and perfume” here produces an emotional response or memory that makes “the heart glad”, and immediately takes that emotional reverie and ties it to the “sweetness” of a specific aspect of friendship. That aspect is the “counsel” of a friend.

Most of the time, when we think of what makes friendship sweet, “counsel” probably isn’t it. It is often the camaraderie of friendship or company. That is the counterargument that came to my mind. But God in His wisdom tells us that there is something better. This let’s us know that there is more to friendship than meets the eye – something sweeter than just what we want. God’s wisdom points us to friends who are willing to give us earnest counsel.

Now, some folks just shove their opinions in any old way. This ain’t that. Earnest counsel is advice or counsel that comes from a sincere place of intense conviction. This is not run-of-the-mill stuff but rather a rare willingness to be with people in tough times as well as good and offer help that they may not want but definitely need. This is not friendship that runs from disagreement but thrives despite it. This is friendship that loves in a way that will risk their own feelings to help the other. It is sacrificial and special. 

But keep in mind that counsel is not all this sort of friendship has to offer because friendships are more than its parts. As I write this, I am still overwhelmed by a show of friendship I experienced earlier in the week. Some of my friends whom I love and cherish dearly came to surprise me at a revival service I was preaching. They all have a lot going on in their lives right now. They are all tired. They are all stretched. Yet they decided to show they care and support me – despite their tiredness and busyness. They are friends that will offer counsel when I need it because they love me. There is a sweetness there that I am not conveying in my words because it is so intangible and unexplainable. You just know it when you’ve got it. In the same way that smells or sounds jog emotions is so vivid yet often unexplainable, this sort of friendship is something you know if you’ve got it. 

I’m thankful I do and hope I am half the friend they are to me.

Lord, thank you for my friends. Thank you for seeing fit to put us together and to build a bond deep enough to give needed counsel and broad enough to cover the range of emotions that our lives contain. Bless them and keep them, and help me to be such a friend to them. Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful to Have Hope in Christ — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 9

I’m thankful to have hope in Christ!

I don’t know what I would do if I did not have assurance that Jesus loves me and has prepared a place for me. It is too easy to get distracted by all of the trouble in this world — to get burdened and downcast — to get focused on myself and difficulties, faults, and failures. But God has made a way for me.

I think about the men and women Peter wrote 1 Peter to; he called them “elect exiles in the Dispersion”, writing to Jewish Christians who had been dispersed for various reasons, including persecution, all around the NT world (1 Peter 1:1-2). Here in 1 Peter 3:15, we see Peter encouraging them to be ready (prepared) to “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you”. Read that again. Peter wrote to people experiencing trials and tribulations and persecution and difficulties of all sorts — people who were a long way from home in foreign lands — people who had reason to be downcast and distressed and told them to be ready when people asked them why they had hope. This means that, despite their difficulties, they would not only have hope but that Jesus, their “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3), would have such an impact on their lives and their outlook that people would take notice and ask.

That’s good news!

As we saw yesterday, the hope that “has been poured out into our hearts” stems from God’s love and “does not put us to shame” (Romans 5:3-5)! That hope is in spite of our circumstances and proven through God’s faithfulness amid our circumstances.

So, tonight, whatever is bothering you or beating you down, whatever difficulties you are in the midst of (even if those difficulties won’t end today, tomorrow, or soon), know this, beloved Sojourner: this world is not our home, the troubles that plague us have an expiration date, and Christ the Lord gives us a hope that will carry us through and bring us home to Him. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Take Jesus’s.

In John 16:33, Jesus was talking to His disciples on the night He was arrested, tortured, and mocked before being crucified the next day. He told them about how He would send them a Helper, His Holy Spirit, and gave them hope by telling them that He would prepare a place for them in His Father’s house and praying for them. John 16:33 falls kind of toward the middle of that conversation.

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Those words give me hope. Peter was there that night, and the hope Jesus offered clearly impacted him as he wrote all those years later to dispersed believers dealing with trouble. I hope they help you as well. I hope you find hope in the fact that He has already overcome the world, your troubles, and made a way for those He loves.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful God Gives Hope in the Midst of Suffering — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 8

I’m thankful to God for giving hope in the midst of suffering.

Sometimes, we can be fooled into thinking that being thankful is all about happy things, but the joy we have in Jesus is not because we have no sorrow and trials but despite our sorrow and trials.

The way Paul talks about this in Romans 5 bridges the hope we have in Jesus to Him being “justified by faith” in Him (Romans 5:1). There is a peace that comes through Him saving us — a peace that settles eternal matters and gives a necessary eternal perspective on troubling temporal (and sometimes temporary) matters (Romans 5:2).

That does not make the temporal or temporary suffering easy, though. It just reminds us Whose hands we are in, Who has taken care of our future, and how He will carry us through to the end. The progression in Romans 5:3-5 illustrates this.

For those who are in Christ, suffering produces endurance because He will carry us through; His strength is enough to endure whatever we need to get through. Enduring through His strength produces godly character because more time spent with Him and being carried by Him makes us reliant on Him and grow more like Him. Becoming more like Him gives us hope because we are used to looking to Him — now not just in trouble but in everything. And looking to Him in everything is not shameful because that is how we are designed; we were never meant to be self-reliant but Christ-reliant!

So, today, has plenty of trouble. Our lives here on earth are full of troubles and suffering. The longer we live, the more those can multiply. But the longer we walk with Christ, the more we realize that He carries us through. In that good news, there is hope in the midst of sorrow and trouble!

Lord, thank You for taking care of me and mine. You know that I let trials and sufferings hijack my mind too often, but even in the midst of my forgetfulness and stupidity, you are still holding me together and carrying me through. Thank you for holding me together until I can remember who You are and that I belong to You, and I look forward to the day that my forgetfulness is overwhelmed by the memory and character You are producing in me. You know I have friends and loved ones overwhelmed in temporal and temporary trials and suffering. Please help them remember you carry them, too. Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for God’s Faithfulness — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 7

I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness!

Sometimes when Christ-followers say Jesus is our everything or that He is everything to us, it can sound a bit cliche. But for those who are in Christ, it is not just a statement we make; it is the foundation of our hope — the foundation of our life in Him.

When we are saved, He takes us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5). He takes our sin and exchanges it for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our old life passes away in His death and new life is born through His resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:17-24). He builds us up and establishes us (Colossians 2:6-7).

Not only is Jesus faithful in salvation, but He is faithful in keeping us and protecting us. Think about it: if we can trust Him to do what He says and save us — if He can bring us from death to life in Him, isn’t He powerful enough to protect us and “guard [us] against the evil one”?

The answer is yes.

As the author of Hebrews put it: “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). And I sure am thankful He is!

Thank You, Lord, for being the One who never fails, never lies, and never changes. When He say You will do something, You do it. When You promise, You fulfill it. When You love, You don’t let go. There is no one else in the universe faithful like You — definitely not us! Thank You for being faithful to build us up and protect us from evil. Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful That We Can Trust God — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 5

I’m thankful that we can trust God!

So many are filled with anxiety right now as they watch the election results roll in. Honestly, I feel it, too. But there is One we can trust no matter the outcome of this election, or if He tarries, the outcomes of the next or the next. His name is Jesus, and He is truly trustworthy.

I chose this passage today because it is a good reminder of why we should trust the Lord rather than put our trust in worldly things.

To trust in “chariots” and “horses” was trusting in military prowess. Their might is contrasted with the “saving might” of God’s “right hand” in v. 6 and compared to the way His people can continue to stand when their worldly trusts “collapse and fall” in v. 8.

Psalm 20 is appropriate as it is a prayer for their nation’s king. As we pray tonight for the King of kings to grant us the president we need, we can stand in our trust of the Lord. If everything collapses, we can stand in our trust of Him. He won’t move. I’m reminded of the lyrics of the hymn: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus / how I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.” The good news isn’t that we have proved Him but that He has proved Himself “o’er and o’er” and will again and again.

As you watch the election coverage — or if you are reading this once the results have come in, don’t put your trust in donkeys or elephants. They will all collapse and fail you one way or another. Put your trust in the name of the LORD our God. His name is Jesus — the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Potentate of presidents. He will never fall or fail.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for the Love of God — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 3

I’m thankful for the love of God! There is no other love like it. In fact, His love informs all other love — defines all other love.

In John 15:13, Jesus says that there is no “greater love” than one who will lay his life down for His friends. The day after He said that, He died on the cross for us, and proved that there is no “greater love” than His!

He loves us, and having experienced the love He has for us, we love Him in return. It is the same way that children learn what love is. They experience love from their parents and families, and they learn to reciprocate it. But it is not about the love we return. God’s love is so much more powerful and abundant than our meager offering back to Him.

I love the word that John used to describe the extent of God’s love here: propitiation. This is merely a big seminary or theology word. This is a Bible word. It describes a sacrifice that exchanges the wrath of God sinners deserve with the favor of God they don’t. Those who are saved experience the favor of God that His Son Jesus deserves because Jesus bore the wrath that our sin deserves. That’s love. And there’s no “greater love” than that!

Lord, thank You for loving me and all that You have saved. We don’t deserve Your love, especially not me, but I am thankful that You set Your affections on me despite my sin. Thank You for paying for my sin and covering me with Your blood. I love you, too, and long for the Day when we will be together forevermore.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

Songs for Sunday, November 3, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is the Lord’s day, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to gather with my faith family and worship Jesus!

Over the next few days, there will be a lot of fearmongering and confusion as our country heads into a major election. We should all be feeling the weight of this moment in our nation. But this does not have to be a hopeless time. The Lord’s day reminds us that He is alive and well and already victorious no matter the events of this world (Revelation 1:17-18, Colossians 2:15); it reminds us that our ultimate hope is not in earthly governments or leaders but in the King of kings (Revelation 17:14, 1 Timothy 6:15).

As we prepare our hearts to gather and worship Jesus tomorrow, let us reflect on 1 Peter 1:3-5, one of the passages we will be reading in our worship gathering tomorrow. Peter reminds us that, through Jesus, we have been “born again to a living hope”, “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading”. This promise is a steady anchor in turbulent times (Hebrews 6:19).

For Peter and his original audience, the Roman empire was becoming increasingly more dangerous for Christians. Persecution was about to begin a steady incline that would end up killing thousands upon thousands of Christians in the empire, even Peter and the apostle Paul. This “living hope” was what carried them through the persecution to the arms of their Savior in eternity. For us, Jesus is still our “living hope” and untouchable by politics, economies, and any uncertainties in the world.

That’s good news!

And that’s what we are singing about tomorrow as we take the time to pause, lift our eyes to Jesus, and be reminded that our hope is in Him. We’ll remind ourselves of the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord (Psalm 145:13), the power of His Kingdom (Daniel 7:14), and the mercy He’s shown us and will continually show us every day no matter what troubles come our way (Lamentations 3:22-23). We can take this time, like our brothers and sisters in Peter’s day and the centuries of terror and persecution that followed, to lift our voices in worship and trust to the One who truly holds the future and has already “overcome the world” (John 16:33)!

So, today in preparation for gathering to worship Jesus with our faith family tomorrow, let’s approach the throne of God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16) and lay down all of our worries, what-ifs, and the weight of the world before the King of kings (Psalm 55:22). He is sovereign, good, and faithful (Psalm 100:5). Let us do so with the knowledge that whatever Tuesday’s election outcomes, King Jesus will be just as sovereign, just as good, and just as faithful on Wednesday — and all the days until the Day He returns to bring us to Himself (Hebrews 13:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)!

What about you?

Do you have a church home? Are you planning on gathering with your faith family?

If you are in or around Grenada, MS, we at Christ Community Church would love to invite you to gather with us and to point you to Jesus!

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

  • Scripture | Titus 3:1-7 —

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

  • Scripture | 1 Peter 1:3-5 —

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.