Three and a half months ago we started studying this passage with the same verse that we will end with today, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Everything that has ever been done for mankind, from our...
Author: City of Refuge
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Hannah’s Story: The Power of Toil
We’ve all been told that we appreciate and enjoy things more when we have had to work for them rather than just having them handed to us. We are also familiar with the saying “Good things come to those who wait”. My question today is that, if working and waiting produce good things then why...
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II Corinthians 5:14-21 “The Compassion of Reconciliation”
In the last weeks we have talked about God’s pursuit, we have talked about God’s pleading, we have talked about the ministry of reconciliation and we have talked about the heart that is required to rightly deliver the message of reconciliation, today we will talk about the message itself. In Luke 6:45 Jesus said “The...
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Philippians Bible Study: 1:1 “Servants and Saints”
This week we moved into the first chapter of Philippians concentrating on Paul’s introduction. In a few simple words Paul reveals intimacy in friendship, equality in relationship and humility in community. My hope and prayer is that we will find, in these few words that the church is in need of leadership but has no...
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II Corinthians 5:14-21 “The Heart Behind the Message”
In verses 18 and 19 of our text Paul said that God has given “us” the ministry of reconciliation and that He has “committed” to “us” the message of reconciliation. As those who have been reconciled to God through the work of Jesus we have not just had our sin removed and the Holy Spirit...
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Philippians Bible Study: Introduction: “A Postcard from Prison”
Tonight we begin our study of the book of Philippians by way of Acts 16. In Acts 16 Paul begins his first missionary journey without Barnabas as his partner. His first two steps are “blocked” by the Holy Spirit and then, in a vision, Paul and his team are directed to go to Macedonia, their...
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II Corinthians 5:14-21 “Are We Living as if God is Pleading?”
Two weeks ago we started this verse and discussed being ambassadors. An ambassador for Christ must be compelled by the love of Jesus, must follow the example of Jesus and must be fully committed to the message of Jesus. For me personally, the most compelling statement made in this entire passage is “as though God...
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Hannah’s Story: When Unmet Desires Attempt to Drown Out Love
Recently while I was reading I Samuel I was struck by the description of one of the wives mentioned in the first chapter, Peninnah is referred to as Hannah’s rival. These women shared a husband, we can talk about the culture of the time, what was permitted and what was simply because of the hardness...
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II Corinthians 5:14-21 “Pleading Ambassadors”
In today’s text Paul makes a declaration of identity about himself that also points to all of us. He writes “we are ambassadors for Christ”. This passage that we have been studying for the last couple of months is coming to a crescendo, it is reaching its highest point. Paul has told us who he...
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II Corinthians 5:14-21 “The Ministry of Reconciliation”
By the desire of God, through the work of God and because of the love of God we have been reconciled to God through Jesus. I know we have talked about this a lot throughout this study but I believe we can’t overstress the fact that from the beginning, every single action that God has...