An Expectation of Victory
God says in Jer. 1:5, "before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Can you believe that we have been appointed to change the world? Some say that "Humility is accepting what God says about you." I want to change the world. It’s just hard to walk in that kind of faith, the kind of faith that says I can do all things through Him, until I have confidence in who I am in Christ. That is something I have to remind myself continually.
Life can be full of bumps, bruises and surprises. Then we see wars, rumors of wars, escalating gas prices, political upheaval, a worsening economy, and corrupt judicial decisions. It’s enough to make us long for home – our real home. These are times that underscore the importance of being grounded in the reality and certainty of Christ’s ultimate triumph. Do you have an eschatology of defeat or victory? Some say eschatology doesn’t matter. It doesn’t?! What we believe about the future affects the way we live today.
The Purpose of Small Groups
We are Christ’s Home – The Purpose of Small Groups
Ephesians 2:11-13 & 19-22 (Msg) …It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God’s ways… hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ…Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything. …this kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what He is building. .. Now He’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
The Importance and Proper Use of Delegated Spiritual Authority in the Church
The Importance of the Church
It is through the church that God intends to accomplish His purposes. “ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11)

