Tag: life

Beginning to Live with Love

Matt Erickson2 Comments

Beginning sermon slideThis weekend at Eastbrook Church we concluded our series “Beginning to Live.”

My message this week was called “Beginning to Live with Love” and focused on how the resurrection of Jesus reveals the love of God while also bringing power into our lives to love others.

I spoke from 1 Corinthians 13, which is a very familiar Scripture text, but is still so powerful. The basic outline of the message is as follows:

  • A Life Not Worth Living
  • The Beginning of it All
  • The God Who Loves Us and the Us Who Responds to God
  • The Us Who Loves Others and Others Who Respond to God
  • What Really Endures

You can listen to my message at the Eastbrook web-site here. You can also follow the RSS feed for Eastbrook sermons or follow Eastbrook Church on Twitter or Facebook.

||40days|| week six: live

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The||40days|| journey of Lent has taken us along the road of acknowledging difficult things in our lives, turning from them, listening to God’s voice, and then following Jesus, our Leader. This week, we continue the journey with a focus around the theme: ‘live.’

At times, it might be easy to mistake the journey of these ||40days|| as only difficult or painful. We might be tempted to view confession, repentance, and sorrow as ends in themselves. But that is not Jesus’ way. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost in order to bring us back into life with God. We hear Him say these very powerful words:

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)

Following Christ moves us through self-denial into deep and true life.Read More »

Saturday Prayer 20

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For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14)

Lord, You are my God. In all that happens in and around my life, I turn my meditations to You – the only God.

Who is like You? Who is good and living like You? Who is patient and merciful like You? Who is righteous and just like You? Who is faithful and truthful like You? There is no one. Not in all the earth or in the expansive universe is there to be found any other being like You.

Around and within each moment, You are already here. I listen. I stop. You are already here. Like air that surrounds me unnoticed yet fills my lungs and brings me life, You are here bringing me life. Like sunshine that steadily glimmers over the waking earth bringing light and warmth, You are here lighting my life and warming my soul.

I rest and am still in Your presence.

[This is part of a series of prayer posts in 2012 that began here.]

Saturday Prayer 19

Matt Erickson1 Comment

You know me, Lord, completely
no whim, desire, or thought escapes You
honestly, that makes me nervous at times
You see the best of my dreams
and the worst of my longings

in all the scurrying around of my life,
in all my internal rush and hurry,
come and search through my life, God
find out everything about me
and then lead me on the pathway of eternal life

[This is part of a series of prayer posts in 2012 that began here.]

Saturday Prayer 18

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Lord,

there is no one like You
You are worthy of praise and glory
for You created this world from nothing
with a word You brought forth all the wonders of creation
and in Your ultimate Word, Jesus the Messiah,
You brought the wonders of new creation
to our sin-wracked earth
I praise You for Your power to create
I praise You for the wisdom of Your ways
I praise You for the beauty of Your creativity
I praise You for Your mercy to me, others, and this world

[This is part of a series of prayer posts in 2012 that began here.]