Beyond the Weekend: GOD IS...
People have a lot of thoughts about God. Some say he is angry and vengeful. Some say he is a buddy or best friend. But what does Scripture tell us about God?
Understanding the character of God matters. It changes how we meet him in our everyday lives. It changes how we understand the world around us, and his work in it. And it changes our prayer life and how we talk and hear from him. Understanding the character of God leads us to living lives of obedience and worship.
Join Pastors Aaron Buer, Jeff Manion and Brad Holmes in our 10-week series GOD IS ..., a study on the identity and character of God, and learn how your faith can grow as you know God better.
But God
Read: Ephesians 2:1-5 Listen: Ephesians 2
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5
The story of the Bible shows that people keep messing up. They constantly turn away from God. It started in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-7) and continues through the Bible and up to our day. It is this theme that the Apostle Paul picks up on in his letter to the church in Ephesus. After describing them as “dead in your transgressions and sins,” he writes two powerful words, “But…God.” With these two words, he begins to describe how God steps into the mess to rescue people.
Using beautiful language, Paul tells us why God would rescue people. His descriptions tell us who God is and how he acts with great love, is rich in mercy, saves by grace, raises us up with Christ and seats us with him in heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:4-6). The good news is that everything Paul says about the Ephesian Christians is true for everyone today who places their faith and trust in Jesus for forgiveness of all they’ve done wrong. It’s this gift of life that God pleads with us to receive. When we do, we have the power of his Holy Spirit living in us to live the life God has for us.
TODAY: If you have not trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, you can do so right now and begin your new life in Christ. If you have, take a few moments to thank God for all he has done for you in Christ. Paul’s list in Ephesians 2 is a great place to start.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Read Isaiah 34-36. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider how Jesus said he opened the eyes of the blind and made the deaf hear (Matthew 11:2-6).
