2 Tim. 3:16-4:2
Jesus declared, “I will build my church.” How does he do that? Today we look at a foundational passage for understanding how Christ builds his church. This begins a four week study of what God is doing in and through the church at East Madison.
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The Authority of the Word in the Church Read More »
Isaiah 9:1-7
War and conflict is all around us. It occurs everyday–around our world and within our hearts. The Bible says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you” (James 4:1)? There is war in our world because there is a war within every soul. It ravages nations, people, and relationships. Our only hope is in One the Bible calls “The Prince of Peace.” This passage from Isaiah explains who he is and what he has come to do.
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The Prince of Peace Read More »
Isaiah 8
In Isaiah, darkness can be symbolic of sin and hopelessness. We see the dark clouds approaching, and they are upon us before we know it. As our nation reels from the horrific murder of innocent little children, the clouds appear more ominous than ever. How shall we make sense of what occurred? It is God alone who can shine into the dark. This morning, we try to understand why there is hope for those who walk in darkness.
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Darkness, Then Light Read More »
Isaiah 6
Living among a corrupt people, the prophet Isaiah’s job was to point out their sin and call them to repentance. But one day, God revealed himself in a unique way to the prophet, causing him to realize his own sin. At the beginning of this Advent season, we’re reminded of our sin and our great need for a Savior.
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Hebrews 7:23-25
The purpose of Jesus’ role as high priest was to save. What does it mean to be ‘saved’ by Jesus? And what are we being saved from?
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Various Texts
For different reasons, we don’t like change. But there is a change that is good. It comes about as God works upon our souls to transform us into the likeness of his Son. As he does this in one life after another, the church as a whole will be transformed. That’s because the church isn’t an institution; it’s the people of God. For example, not only will I have a distaste for pride in my own life, but also I’ll begin to humbly serve others in the church. As God transforms one, two, or three of the people in a church, then the whole church begins to change. God works this transformation within the Body by his Spirit through his Word.
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Hebrews 7:11-28
How do you become acceptable to God? Many people would answer that question by saying, “doing good things” or “obeying his commands.” Each of these ways are flawed because they’re performed by flawed people. Is there any way that we can approach a God who is perfect and demands us to be perfect? This passage teaches us that there is, and God has provided the way through his Son.
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Hebrews 7:1-10
Our lives are filled with religious devotion. Whether we consider ourselves to be religious or not, we’re all devoted to something. The Bible says that this is because God created us for worshipping him, and when we reject him as the object of our devotion, that desire for worship doesn’t disappear. Instead, it’s transferred to something else. And so we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of trying to satisfy our need for worship. It is ultimately a cycle that is destructive because it can never truly satisfy our deepest need for worshipping God. Only God can break that cycle, and he does so by giving us a high priest who offers the final sacrifice.
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Hebrews 6:13-20
We’ve all made promises before and not been able to fulfill them. Furthermore, we’ve all been on the receiving end of an unfulfilled promise. There are many reasons why promises aren’t always honored, but most of them have to do with our humanity. So what should we make of the statement in Hebrews, “God made a promise”? Perhaps many of us will still adopt the wait-and-see attitude even towards God. But the writer of Hebrews explains why God’s promises aren’t like human promises. Instead, God is completely trustworthy.
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God Made a Promise Read More »
Hebrews 6:1-12
The writer describes two spiritual conditions, neither of which are desirable. The first is spiritual immaturity. The second is rejecting the gospel of Christ. In this passage, we read of a severe warning to the church who is in the former group. Unless you move on towards Christian maturity, you are walking on a thin line that one day may lead to rejecting Christ. We explore this warning, trying to answer several questions that it raises.
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Those Who Have Once Been Enlightened Read More »
