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The second part of Jesus' statement in John 14:21 reveals that obedience and love for Christ impact two other parts of our spiritual life. Our love for Christ becomes tangible on the pathway of obedience to Christ. That pathway of obedience leads to the love of the Father for us. Now, we know that God's …
Continue reading "Obedience to Christ and Experience of Christ (part 2)"
Whoever has My commands and obeys them is the one who loves Me. Anyone who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them. (John 14:21) I find this verse inescapable. If I truly love Christ, then I will both know ("have") His commands and …
Continue reading "Obedience to Christ and Experience of Christ (part 1)"
Alan Hirsch first brought the following video clip from bestselling author and political adviser Jeremy Rifkin to my attention. In it, Rifkin investigates the development of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our society. One of the most powerful concepts that Rifkin highlights is that the drive to belong is a more …
This past Sunday, May 30, my message at Brooklife was entitled "Paralyzed," drawing from the story of Jesus healing the paralytic in Matthew 9:1-8. While much could be said from this passage, I wanted to focus in first on the authority Jesus has, which is a theme in the Gospel of Matthew, especially from the …
This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16) A lot of us are standing at crossroads in …
Matthew Erickson 