Word in Five

Laban teaches us that one day every knee will bow before Jesus and confess that he is Lord. It's so encouraging that the LORD can draw a straight line with a crooked stick, so we mustn't despair even when we mess up. Following Jesus, we will never be empty handed and nothing can separate us from God's love.

When it seems like God is nowhere to be seen, we can be certain that he is watching over us just as he said he would. Jesus was crushed for our sins and has totally defeated Satan so we can be absolutely confident in him.

If God is for us, who can be against us? We know he is for us because he has not spared his Son, but has given him for us. Therefore we can serve him by working hard and doing the right thing in every situation knowing that he sees and cares about injustice.

Beware of blind spots - that's why we need church life! Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He gives rather than takes. He is gentle and kind.

Even if we are faithless, God remains faithful, he cannot deny himself. He can draw straight lines with crooked sticks which is good news for crooked sticks.

God is so kind. He moves towards us and enables us to serve him even when we have made some unwise decisions in the past. We need to remember his kindness and not have an attitude of being entitled. He has forgiven us such a huge debt in his great goodness.

Leah learned about the One who loves her with an everlasting love and will not let her go. May we know and experience his loving care - the God who sees and hears.

Jesus is coming again and we will all hear his voice and be raised to either life or death. We need to hear his voice now and cross over from death to life.

Jesus has ascended! He has all authority as our king. Therefore we can pray boldly, be confident of our security and keep going telling people about him because he will build his church.

Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. It impacts everything!

Hallelujah! What a Saviour! He bore the curse for us.

What a friend we have in Jesus. He gives and gives and gives of himself and is concerned for us as his people.

We have a gentle king who says "come to me for rest". He is not a taker, but a giver. He did not come to be served, but to serve. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

God is for us! What a truth. But how do we know? Because he gave Jesus up to die for us. Does guilt trouble you? Look up and see Jesus at God's right hand in heaven. We are more than conquerors!

Five big words - foreknown, predestined, called, justified, glorified - true of us in Jesus Christ!

Let's have the right view of our suffering. It is never hopeless and in it we can be sure that it will one day be far outweighed by the good life to come of God's glory. We join with creation in groaning as we await Jesus' return and as we do, God's Spirit turns our groans into prayers that God hears!

What a privilege to be adopted into the family of God and be his children! What rights we have and what responsibilities. And he wants us to know we are his children.

We do not face any condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus. We have been set free to do good works for God and one day our bodies and souls will be completely delivered from all the effects of sin!

The Christian life is an ongoing battle with sin. We love Jesus and want to do what is right, yet so often find ourselves doing wrong things. How we need to ask him for help to do the right thing, remembering that we have his Spirit and can say "no" to sin. And one day we will be fully delivered from every sinning again when Jesus returns!

God's commandments (and any law) can make us think about doing the wrong thing. The problem isn't with the commandments - it's exposing our hearts - and that's actually a good thing because it should drive us to Jesus!

In Jesus we have been released from being married to our old way of life that leads to death - we have died to that marriage. We are now married to Jesus so our desires totally change and we can love God and love our neighbour! May it be so in our lives.

We are under new management in Christ. Set free from a cruel commanding officer who promises a lot but only pays us death to belong to a new master who gives us the gift of everlasting life.

We need to know who we are in Jesus and then be who we are in the strength he gives us!

We are queued up in one of two lines - either Adam's line or Jesus' line. The lines couldn't be more different. One is a 'dead' line. One is full of abundant life. Praise God that he sent a second and last Adam, Jesus Christ!

We have peace with God. We have a hope that will never disappoint. God has poured his love into our hearts - and what a love it is!