A few years ago, as I was reading about the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Booths, and all the animal sacrifices required, I thought about a funny thing that happened years before and how a sarcastic teenager reminded me about the cost of our redemption.
Also, what does a law about keeping our word have to say about God’s view of authority, and how do we demonstrate our obedience in this area to our children and others?
“I might as well live it up. I’m going to hell anyway.”
Sometimes it’s said jokingly.
Sometimes defiantly.
And sometimes it comes from a much deeper place:
Hopelessness.
Maybe someone knows he is living contrary to God’s Word but has decided change is impossible.
Maybe he believes he has sinned too much.
Gone too far.
Made too many bad choices.
Or perhaps that person is you.
Jeremiah encountered people with a strikingly similar attitude.
God called them to turn from their evil ways.
Their response?
“That is hopeless!”
So they decided to keep going in the direction they were already headed.
But was their situation really hopeless?
Or had hopelessness itself become another excuse not to repent?
That question matters because our hearts can deceive us in more than one way.
They can tell us we are fine when we are not.
But they can also tell us there is no hope when God is still calling us to turn to Him.
Today we’ll look at whether anyone can truly go too far for God to forgive, what genuine repentance involves, and why hopelessness should never be allowed to have the final word.
We’ll also see God’s faithfulness to those who continue following Him in an evil world, the danger of trusting our own hearts, and why giving and receiving encouragement matters so much.
As I mentioned in the introduction last week, I have had a desire for some time to really dig into the book of Colossians. And this year I’m one of several teachers who will be taking our women’s ministry through this powerful little epistle. So I thought I would share some of the truths we are learning with you all, as well.
Colossians is all about Jesus. It calls us to worship Him, understand who He is, and live in light of that truth. It’s both theological and practical. And it contains one of the most quoted and most taught portions of Scripture, especially when it comes to Christ.
Studying the book of Colossians will help us answer some very important questions. For starters, what does it mean when we say that Jesus is preeminent? That He is sufficient? And how should we live in light of who He is? So, I hope you will come back each week and grow with me through Paul’s letter to our first-century brothers and sisters.
Today we’re going to look at how He is preeminent and sufficient. And what it means that we should preach the gospel to ourselves.
Was the Cross a Cosmic Overreaction? Last night our pastor asked the question, “What do people think about the Cross?” What do people think about the Cross? What do you think about the Cross? What do I? Perhaps...
