Most people in Boston don't worship Jesus. Many don't understand and are even hostile to our faith. How do we persevere and not hide or give up in the face of persecution, not to mention the sufferings day-to-day life? Jesus has an encouraging word for the church in Smyrna, and for us.
"Everything will be alright." Are you sure? This Sunday we come to the conclusion of the focus on Jacob's life in Genesis. You might think that this story would end well--Jacob is in the Promised Land, reconciled with his brother, and grown in his faith and character. Instead we find betrayal and death. We'll recap chapters 25-35 and consider the significance of this sad conclusion.
"You shall not murder." Well that's pretty simple and easy, check! Finally we come to one of the 10 commandments that we don't have to worry about. Right? Not so fast. Sunday we'll see how these four little words have vast application not only to our world but also to our own hearts.
Like with many public events and people, there are many perspectives about the significance of Christ's death. However, the only interpretation that matters is God's. In the events surrounding the the death of his Son, we'll see God's take on this event--what is really going on--through the cries and miracles and ministers surrounding this death like no other.
We conclude our Memento Mori sermon series this week exploring the problem of loss and grief. We've seen how death affects our identity and our purpose but how do we respond knowing that everything in our life--including our very lives--is temporary? How do we look at death not flippantly on the one hand or hopelessly on the other, but biblically?
