Grace Sagola Church

The Christian hope is resurrection. Until that day we are preserved in Christ by the love of God. This hope and love motivates us towards a work of preservation for those who belong to God. 

The Christian life is one of repeatedly encountering the patience of God. Perhaps the one area of our lives that we are most reluctant to yield over to God's sovereign control is our death. Yet, even here, we will find God's grace and patience to reveal His glory. 

The Christian life is lived out in a world that is saturated with pride, ego, and boasting. We can so easily become shaped by the attitudes around us that we forget to consider a submission to the will of God and remembering that we are only here for a short while. 

When we view our lives as interconnected by our faith, we will see the importance of presenting and passing on our faith to our loved ones. If life is a relay race, then our greatest challenge is a clean transfer of the baton.

The impending reality of death is one that our world fears more than anything. But for the Apostle Peter it affords a unique opportunity to invest in the lives of his loved ones reminders for growing in the faith. 

Without intention, we often adopt perspectives that aren't Christian. When getting old acquaintances, and in the context of joking about death, we will often hear people exclaim the phrase, "Its better than the alternative." Today we will see that it's only under very specific circumstances that that saying can be proven true. 

The danger of idolatry is one that will not go away for the believer. We must categorize it as the sin that it is, and flee from it by clinging to Jesus. 

John writes with direct revelation of God about the testimony of where eternal life is found. Because this life comes from God, it follows that we must experience it according to His design and purpose. 

Our presentation of God to others will influence their understanding of Him. Unfortunately, it is too easy for Christians to misrepresent God both accidentally and intentionally according to the world's designs and definitions. 

There are many voices out there that all claim to stand for truth or an expression of truth. How can a Christian know that they're living according to the truth today? 

The Apostle John's main concern is for the authenticity of eternal life found evidenced in the church. There is no greater example for the presence of God's Spirit than in a love for God's children that reflects the love of Jesus.

Belonging to Jesus means that we will live like Jesus. This process of transformational growth requires practice. For those who are born of God, we are led through this practice by God's Spirit. 

The reality of salvation for 1st century Christians was their adoption into Christ as evidenced through their participation and perseverance with God's family. 

For assurance of eternal life, John draws our attention to the key which is personal knowledge of God - a relationship with our Heavenly Father. This saving relationship is the source for discipleship in how we live and act, in what we love, and in defining who and whose we are. 

The Apostle John's emphasis to his readers centers around our Christian commitment to the family of God. The unity of the body is under attack - Jesus has taught us and shown us how to preserve that unity with love. 

The action of confession of sins is quite varied in today's Christianity. In John's first epistle he focuses on confession as the central ingredient for a discipleship that has eternal life. 

The world around us is fixated on self-promotion, self-posting, and selfies! Wherever there is someone to impress we'll find a temptation to pursue worldly strategies and strength. The Bible shows us another way... 

The follower of Jesus must find the fullness of their identity in Jesus. When this is our desire, we will find a corresponding growth in our discipleship as we are shaped by our efforts to rest in Christ Jesus. 

Sometimes well-meaning evangelists will make our faith sound too easy. They will offer promises without cost, and blessings without sacrifice. Jesus routinely spoke of Kingdom disciples having to "count the cost". We will see that keeping our eyes on Jesus is the answer to the question: "Is Christianity easy or hard?"

The miracle of salvation is that it is offered to sinners. When we were still enemies with God, Jesus died for us. It is His grace in salvation that moves us towards good works for His glory and praise. 

Our relationship with God will determine the characteristics of "dead" and "alive" in our lives.  According to our identity in Christ, we are united with him as presently "dead to sin" - and this reality, grounded in the facts of Jesus' resurrection, will result in new life now!

The dual nature of the person of Jesus is critical in our salvation and discipleship.  To be established in a full understanding of who our Savior is, will lead us into the discipleship resource of worship, that we might train our hearts according to the balanced truth. 

The Bible presents a picture of humanity that transforms throughout the unfolding of history. We will see that it is our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ that determines our truest identity. 

The goodness of God is everlasting. When we fail to ground our worship of God in His nature we will be like a boat tossed about by the waves. But when we anchor our worship of God to the rock of his being we will find praise and thanksgiving in abundance. 

The manifold nature of God's all-mighty access to us must be the main resource in our confidence in His justice. Not only does He know us fully, and not only is His judgment good, but He leads and loves us as well.