Give Up, Give In, or Gain Godliness

Give Up, Give In, or Gain Godliness

Have you ever felt like giving up or giving in?

Life brings pressures overwhelming and hard to endure. Successes, sufferings, or a mix of both squeeze us in directions like walking through the proverbial "valley of the shadow of death." Shadow darkness brings a sense of loneliness accompanied by despairing thoughts and emotions that can be physically exhausting. Pressures then reside outside and inside us creating an intense gravitational pull to pursue the quickest solution to escape.

But the pull seems inescapable, and we either want to give up or give in. Giving up becomes a way to quit and walk away from something. Giving in stays and goes with the flow. Neither work out in the end as helpful and interestingly the domino effect happens when those around us begin to give in or give up, leaving us in a perpetual cycle.

Good Friday and Christianity

Good Friday and Christianity

Jesus died on a Friday in history (to resurrect on Sunday). He either is a myth, legend, liar, lunatic, or Lord. If he's Lord, that makes that Friday a Good Friday. But, we don't worship a day of the week nor wait for a day of the week to worship him, we worship (life poured out) him. This is not nostalgia or wishful thinking. This is not blind faith or a leaping faith. This is trust in what is. This is trust in who exists.

Men, Where Are You?

Men, Where Are You?

As a friend, Christian, father, husband, pastor, and broken-sinner, I am utterly shocked at the weakness of men, especially those claiming to be Christian men. I have been one. You may be one. And so, envision me as a sincere friend like friends of mine, willing to lose everything to see you changed, with backbone conviction, staring you straight in the eye with full understanding of what has happened in your life, with an unwavering, deep, and slow voice saying, "You are weak."

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. King Solomon in Proverbs 27:6

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A Challenge to Younger People

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A Challenge to Younger People

If God does not inspire you, then someone or something else does. God exists or he does not. As he does exist, he created the world and life to inspire you to trust him. There is too much evidence and revelation for the existence of God in which outweighs the horrific evils and abuses in the world. And in history, an old, wise king that turned his back on God, wrote to the younger generation about his mistakes:

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A Challenge to Older People

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A Challenge to Older People

God calls you -- the older in any generation -- to be believers in him. Believers are those that fear or stand in awe of him as more impressive than success, suffering, tragedy, money, fame, relationships, or anything else this world values or devalues. God's word ties in the need for people growing older in age to also grow humbler in trust of him. By that, the older generation becomes people who transfer more than mere money, habits, etiquette, resources, jobs, talents, and so on. They transfer the object of their faith. They transfer to the young the challenge, call, and command to fear and follow God -- the creator, sustainer, and savior of life and the world.

God Is (Trinity)

God is. He exists. He is the only self-existing one with no beginning or end. He is the eternal source, creator, sustainer and sovereign ruler of all life. He is one divine nature (being; essence) in three person unity (trinity): the Father, Son and Spirit. He is perfect with no wrong, sin or evil found in him or from him. Evil is descriptive of anything or anyone separated from and lacking relationship to God. God is holy, completely separate and distinct from all else. God is described with countless more characteristics and attributes including good, loving, truthful, just, supreme and glorious.

Example passages to reference:
Genesis 1:1, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17 and 28:19; Jude 20-21

God Creates (Creation)

God created the entire universe and world by his spoken word, will and design for his pleasure, good and glory. God used six days to create by his power, process and pattern. God designed mankind to be in his image, likeness or similarities. God's design for mankind include being spiritual, relational, physical and emotional in order to enjoy him, his creation and one another.

Through the first five days of creation from space, galaxies, stars, sun, moon and planets to the earth's oceans, land, animals, insects and so on, God intended mankind to learn of his greatness, grandeur and glory. On the sixth day, God created the first human, a man he named Adam. God commanded Adam to manage and work the created world, and within this God created the first woman, named Eve, to be his helper and wife. God intended their names to reveal the beginnings of mankind as Adam, means from the earth or dirt, and Eve means the mother of all living.

Humanity lives in God's constant reminder of who he is, his creative power and his purpose for the world to trust him.

Example passages to reference:
Genesis 1-2; 1 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 1:3 and 11:3

God Rules (Supremacy, Sovereignty and Providence)

God reigns and rules over (supremacy; sovereignty) as well as guides and engages (providence) his creation, knowing from beginning to end -- everything and everyone. He sees and knows all, and he acts upon his own desires, character, attributes, purposes and plans. Nothing or no one directs or redirects him, though he listens and loves as the greatest one to exist and rule. All nations are to hear, trust and follow him. His creation, including mankind, learn to humbly submit to, fear (awe) and follow him.

 

Become a person inspired by truth and love today to make life, disciples, and churches all about Jesus.

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Sundays: 2022 Teaching Series
Sundays: 2022 Teaching Series
Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2021?
Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2021?

We are starting our Sunday sermon series in Revelation, which is the Bible’s last book.

Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2020?
Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2020?

We are:

  1. completing the “Relationships: Inspired by truth and love” series by February and

  2. then digging into 1 and 2 Corinthians to answer, “What is the most important thing in life?”

Read more on “What should I expect on a Sunday gathering?”

Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2019?
Sundays: What are we teaching through in 2019?

We will take time during Sunday gatherings to go through:

  1. How to teach kids (on Sundays and in the rest of life)

  2. Hebrews (in the Bible's New Testament)

  3. Relationships (family, friends, dating, engagement, marriage, divorce, re-marriage, death)

Sundays: Teaching through Hebrews
Sundays: Teaching through Hebrews

In the Spring of 2019 after our current teaching through the Bible’s Luke and Acts about Christ and Christianity, we will be going through another New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews quotes a lot from the Old Testament and a book that helps people understand the connection between Christ and salvation (i.e. being a Christian) as well as Christ and the Old Testament (i.e. was Jesus ever mentioned before he came to the earth?).

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Two Marriages by T4G
Two Marriages by T4G

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

Believing Differently by T4G
Believing Differently by T4G

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

A Prisoner Set Free by T4G
A Prisoner Set Free by T4G

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

Love People, Not Evangelism by T4G
Love People, Not Evangelism by T4G

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

Skepticism and Depression Because of a Brother's Death Turns to Trust in Christ by a Sister's Love
Skepticism and Depression Because of a Brother's Death Turns to Trust in Christ by a Sister's Love

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

Willian and Danica are brother and sister, growing up in a Christian home, later walk through the death of their brother and the pain of missing him. They grew up with parents that "were dedicated to the Lord and taught us who Christ was" and in a "Christian high school and Christian college and going to church." William shares about how he "mentally agreeing to the idea of God ... all those things led me to believe that I was a Christian."

What is the Highest Good in Life?
What is the Highest Good in Life?

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

Caleb meets Billy in a college philosophy class, as Billy had been looking for more than mere knowledge to get a degree but searching for knowledge that affects real life. Billy searched Plato's Republic among other historical philosophers and literature looking for the answer to, "What is the highest good in life?"

More Than A Fairy Tale by T4G
More Than A Fairy Tale by T4G

Watch 1 of several T4G recorded testimonies of people unashamed of the gospel and convicted to love those around them in order that they would come to know and trust Christ Jesus. As some of the videos reveal, not all respond in faith, but we continue to love regardless of their response because God continued to call us to believe in him.

The above video features Michael having been in a tutoring situation to Steven, and how the gospel humbles us to love beyond barriers like ethnicity and language. Michael became unashamed of the gospel and was transformed to love because of God's gracious work in him to consider asking Steven if he would like read and study the Bible. Steven replied yes and wondered about the stories. More time seemed to focus on explaining the language, but that still did not stop Steven from learning about the Bible, history, God, and the gospel of Christ.

Skepticism Turns to Trust in Christ Jesus by Jim Munroe
Skepticism Turns to Trust in Christ Jesus by Jim Munroe

I Am Second interviews Jim Munroe, one who had a developed skepticism of God knowing that sometimes things are fake and used as a show since he's a magician. Jim Munroe's skepticism turned to trust in God, and Munroe uses the life story of the blood transplant he endured to cure his cancer. The life story truly is a natural way to describe the spiritual truth of how Christ Jesus becomes our eternal substitute for salvation in reconciling us to God through the cross and resurrection.

Gospel-Centered Living
Gospel-Centered Living

Nothing is like Christianity because of what's at the center, Christ Jesus, and we believe that's good news (gospel).

If something else takes the center of Christianity, Christianity then falls apart. The strength, power and life of Christianity is the rock solid truth of God in three persons - the Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Within the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God spoke the world into existence. Therefore, Christians believe in the only, true, breath-taking creator of the world.

Without him, we have nothing. Disbelieve him and Christianity becomes charitable organizations of brainwashed people wondering aimlessly through the world speaking and believing gibberish. Even in self-less acts of kindness exists the self, known more as self-centeredness.

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Listening: The Forgiven by Zimmerman Band
Listening: The Forgiven by Zimmerman Band

A great song capturing the turning from and turning to. We turn from sin and our sinful state to God the one who's drawing our faith to be in him. This is repentance, a turning and transformation, for God's purposes and will.

Listening: Awake My Soul by Zimmerman Band
Listening: Awake My Soul by Zimmerman Band

C.S. Lewis said that our desires for things that harm us are not too strong, but our desires for God are too weak. That is what this song means to us. We want god to awaken us deeply, and remind us that He is worth waking for.

Listening: Hopefully Broken by Zimmerman Band
Listening: Hopefully Broken by Zimmerman Band

Christian musician artists, Zimmerman Band, brings the truth and love of God via the gospel to bear on our hearts, realizing the reality of the world and ourselves that we are broken with him as our hope. Therefore, we are not hopeless in life; rather, filled with great hope -- him.

Listening: The Books of the Bible Song
Listening: The Books of the Bible Song
Listening: Sweet Victory Song
Listening: Sweet Victory Song

I feel thorns where my crown was
(I be weak but I'm alive)
From the dusk until dawn yeah
(I'll survive 'cause I got) sweet victory
Nobody can take it from me sweet victory
'Cause I got (sweet victory) yeah

Featured
Singing: Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
Singing: Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
Singing: Give Me Jesus
Singing: Give Me Jesus
Singing: O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
Singing: O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
Singing: We Look to You
Singing: We Look to You
Singing: I Lay It All
Singing: I Lay It All
Singing: All Creatures of Our God and King
Singing: All Creatures of Our God and King
Singing: He is Our God
Singing: He is Our God
Music: Original Piano Arrangement of Amazing Grace by Adam's Road
Singing: Church Sing-Along Songs by the Village Church Set 1
Singing: Church Sing-Along Songs by the Village Church Set 1

Featured set songs:

  1. God Alone
  2. Warrior
  3. Now to Him
Singing: Church Sing-Along Songs by the Village Church Set 2
Singing: Church Sing-Along Songs by the Village Church Set 2

Featured set songs:

  1. Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
  2. God our Rescuer
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