New Life Philly

You are designed, not for common use, but to be a Holy Vessel that brings great glory to God. Romans 12:1-2  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be ab...

God decides how he wants to save his people.  His Way is always better  than what we can imagine. Exodus 6:6-7  6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will b...

When you take Jesus death for granted you miss the life he died for you to have. Jonah 2:1-10  1 [ a ]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord,     and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,     and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the depths,     into the very heart of the seas,     and the cu...

The God of creation took your sin on the cross and so we are no longer guilty, but innocent in the eyes of God through the power of Jesus Christ. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know...

Jesus lets us know there is an invisibility, a secretness to the Christian life that only God sees and that only God can reward. “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the stre...

Only the Jesus kind of love demonstrates the true character of God 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44 We'd love to connect with you https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/people/forms/224507 Would you like Prayer today? https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/p...

As Disciples of Jesus, we are called to restrain ourselves from in-kind personal vengeance.  Apprentices of Jesus are called to Spirit-empowered restraint.  But in doing this we are also called to undermine, expose, and call out all forms of injustice, cruelty, and inhumanity - even at risk to ourselves. 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  39 But I tell you, d...

  In dealing with the issues of divorce and oaths, Jesus is giving us a deeper wisdom by which we can properly respect and value other people. Divorce 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ n 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced wom...

A biblical framing of stewardship helps us to functionally emphasize Godly usage of money and de-emphasize wordly usage as we are forced out of our indifference about money.  ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.’ LEVITICU...

When you seek for sexual fulfillment outside of God’s design it will never give you what God designed it to give you. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you...

The message of the world around us is that messy lives and messy people should be cleaned up and thrown away so we can pursue happiness. But God in his infinite mercy and wisdom did not eliminate the mess of humanity. He chose a path of suffering that leads to redemption, glory, and joy. He invites us to follow him on this path. This means giving up a normal life and pursuing a messy life. Luke 17...

We are called to be Jesus’ followers, but we have settled for being Jesus’ believers.  The truth is that believing without following really doesn’t mean much.   Psalm 133 Behold how good and pleasant it is, when God’s people dwell together in unity. It is like precious oil poured out on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if...

Embracing our profound unknowing is paradoxically the only way to grow in the true knowledge of God.  7 Deep calls to deep            in the roar of your waterfalls;           all your waves and breakers           have swept over me.         8 By day the LORD directs his love,           at night his song is with me—           a prayer to the God of my life…..      11 Why, my soul, are you downcast...

The gospel is our message, our ministry and vocation and most importantly our treasure. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We'd love to connect with you https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/people/forms/224507 Would you like Prayer today? https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/people/forms/382423 We pray the New Li...

Jesus Birth was Holy Ghost Conceived, was Graciously Received, must be Savingly Believed.  22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).  24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. We&apo...

Jesus is joy to the world and Jesus is joy for you. Jesús es alegría al mondo y Jesús es alegría para ti.  8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that wil...

True peace can only be found by following King Jesus 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your min...

Christian Hope is rooted in Jesus Christ, comes from enduring suffering and never puts us to shame. Romans 5: 1-5  Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our suffe...

The true mark of disciples is that they follow King Jesus closely. 4 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? We'd love...

God Prioritizes Reconciliation Over Religion  23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Now’s The Time 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you a...

Matthew 13:31-32 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Our commission is to live as apprentices of Jesus who subvert every worldly power structure tha...

True righteousness is not merely avoiding murder but cultivating a heart free of anger and contempt, allowing God’s love to flow through us in all our relationships. 21You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You will not murder” and “Whoever murders will be guilty by the court.”  22And I say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be guilty by the court; and whoever calls h...

God’s law is the story of his saving love. Other ways of understanding it,  will totally miss the mark. Matthew 5:17-20 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until...

Jesus announces that it is the good deeds of kingdom people that helps to facilitate the salvation of the lost.  Matthew 5:13-16  13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Ne...

To be a Kingdom Peacemaker is to walk a difficult path, but the reward is great! We'd love to connect with you https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/people/forms/224507 Would you like Prayer today? https://newlifephilly.churchcenter.com/people/forms/382423 We pray the New Life Philly Podcast encourages you today!  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube at NewLifePhilly.