We can’t rejoice in the good news until we face the reality of the bad news. What is God’s wrath? Why is he angry? What are its effects on our world? This Sunday we’ll study the depth of our need so we can rejoice even more in God’s grace.
How do you view yourself before God? How does God view you? In Sunday’s passage, as Joseph’s brothers reluctantly return to Egypt, we’ll see that like us, their need for mercy was greater than they could have possibly imagined.
Can guilt be a good thing? The focus shifts in this Sunday's passage from Joseph to his 10 brothers, who have been covering up their guilt for decades. We'll see that guilt (and godly fear!) are essential steps along the path of repentance to receive the grace of God.
Ephesians 1 ended with a glorious declaration of God's immeasurable saving power at work in our world. But when we look around at the death and sadness and ungodliness the world today, sometimes it's hard to see evidence of God's power. Where do we see God's power at work today?
Our passage this week finds Jacob in the consequences of his sin: alone, running for his life, and with an uncertain future. Perhaps you can relate to some or all these feelings in your own life. Yet it is in this dark, lonely place where God graciously meets Jacob--and delights to meet us--with his amazing grace.
"It's not fair." We usually say it when we don't get something we feel like we deserve, or when we're comparing ourselves to someone else. Have you ever said this to God? In our passage this week, Jesus shocks the disciples with the "unfair" economy of his kingdom. Yes, God richly rewards his followers (19:29), but these eternal rewards aren't earned. They are received by a radically generous God who distributes them according to his will, not our own.
Have you wondered how the Law (the Ten Commandments) fits in with the Gospel declaration that we are saved by faith and not by works of the law? Huge parts of Christendom confuse us by failing to clarify the purpose of the Law. This confusion relates closely to the matter Paul is attempting to spell out in his letter to the Galatian churches, the recipients of this letter. Today we join Paul in attempting to explain the purpose of the Law and its relationship to the Gospel.
