Matt Reynolds :: John 11 :: 03.20.11
In our journey through John we have been looking at ancient encounters Jesus had with people, but also looking for modern day equivalents. This week we study Jesus’ extraordinary encounter with his dead friend Lazarus, in which Jesus resurrects his life from the grave with a word. Lazarus became a sign of the Kingdom of God. But how could we possibly find a modern day example of such magnitude? As we search, we begin to find stories in our city that point to the same power of resurrection still being demonstrated by Jesus to those who believe. What would it look like for our city to begin reflecting “the city which is to come” (Heb. 13:14) as Jesus resurrection power is poured into Atlanta?
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Matt Reynolds :: Encounters with Jesus: John 8 :: 02.27.11
Jesus came into the world as a great light exposing the darkness of the world. Throughout the gospel of John, Jesus is calling people to walk out of their personal darkness and into the freedom of His light. But let’s make it personal. What if Jesus approached you and exposed the darkness within you? What would He find? When confronted with the light of Jesus, we know our darkness cannot be hidden — even if no one else knows about it. How do you think Jesus would respond to your sin and shame?
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Buddy Hoffman :: Free to love? :: 07.04.10
Does Freedom matter? Is it Biblical? Freedom has been called a “dangerous idea”. What about liberty could be considered dangerous?
The words at the base of the Statue of Liberty read…
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.”
What is freedom? Why should we care? Is freedom a “spiritual yearning” placed there by God or a “sinful lust” to be independent?
Is it evil to yearn for liberty? Should we care for those without liberty? Is political freedom and spiritual freedom related? Is it a universal desire, or just representative of our culture?
Sunday we are headed into 1 Corinthians 8, and we will see what God has to say about this desire to be free, and the responsibilities that go with it.
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