On Sunday church intern Dylan Sohie preached from 1 Corinthians 11:1. He reminded us that the Christian life is a life of imitation. Originality is overrated. We want our lives to inspire others to love and serve Jesus.
On Sunday, Pastor Eric reminded us that our greatest enemies are those we fail to recognize. We are influenced by what we listen to, what we sing, and what we read. Are those things Christian or are we being subtly led astray by our enemy? We need to be discerning. Discernment is a crucial skill in order for us to more fully live in the good of the gospel.
Pastor Eric preached from Paul's personal greetings in Romans 16:1-16. He reminded us that we cannot afford to be unaware of the saints who've gone before us. Otherwise, we may think our experiences are unprecedented rather than ordinary. As Paul wraps up his letter, he addresses a list of beloved saints who have done the extraordinary yet ordinary work of gospel ministry. And God has the same kind of work for us to do as well.
This past Sunday Pastor Dustin reminded us that God is preserving our diversity as we reach maturity. We are not all the same, and that is a good thing, even though it can create tension. God has provided everything we need to persevere as a community comprised of very different people.
On Sunday Kyle Houlton, our Santa Ana church planter, preached on John 1:35-51. He asked us to remember what made us decide to devote our lives to Jesus. He provided four glimpses of the glory of Jesus that make Him worthy of our allegiance.
On Sunday Pastor Eric preached from Romans 14:13-23. He reminded us that Jesus has made us free. We are free to do all kinds of things that bring us joy and please Him. But our freedoms can hurt our brothers and sisters. When they do, we are free to love them by restricting ourselves. We no longer ask, "What can I get away with?" We ask, "How can I glorify God while doing good to those for whom Christ died?"