Christians are not called to specifically make new year resolutions as a mandatory exercise. However, we tend to practice it nevertheless, due to cultural norm. But Christians are to approach this as a spiritual discipline primarily, and not just for physical wellbeing.
Blaise Pascal once said – “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” In this passage, we learn how to find our satisfaction and fulfillment only in God.
Most of us in theory accept the ten commandments, but in practice observe only the nine commandments. The most neglected commandment by Christians is on observing the Sabbath. In this passage, we learn how God designed Sabbath for His people, and why it still remains to be observed by Christians today.
Christians in the Bible and in general have often been convicted of the foolishness and evilness in being quick to practice what is prohibited by God. How can Christians be wise and understanding people? How can they prevent from making the same mistakes again and again? In other words, how can they be obedient to God? Listen to the sermon to find out.
As human beings, we all experience stress, anxiety, fear and worry. This is also a reminder that we cannot control everything in our lives. This reveals our limitation, but also should point us to the God of the Bible. In this passage, we learn through the trials of David, how to handle stress in a way God commands.
If depression is prevalent in the world at large, it is even more so in the church. Depression is a common struggle Christians experience because of their own failure to grapple with the situation in life, and also their limitation or inability in controlling the outcomes which they never expected or wanted to avoid at all cost. In this passage, we learn the characteristics, causes, and the cure for depression, as we see David battling with it.
The unity of the church refers to the union of the people of God, bound to Him and to one another by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s that One blood which saves God’s people, and this same truth produces unity that transcends race, culture, age, and social status. Gospel, when truly embraced, will transform us and pursuing unity among the saints becomes an inevitable reality. In this passage, we learn how pursuing unity in the Kingdom of God is part of gospel witness, and also necessary to experience joy in Christian life.
Our culture is obsessed with the concept of productivity and fruitfulness, so much so that we now have apps on our phones to suggest us of what’s best next, and it is most often focused on the use of time that results in monetary benefit or up-skilling ourselves. It is a kind of “precious” commodity that is meant to satisfy us and bring a sense of joy and fulfillment. But the Bible has a very different approach to the use of time, one that produces spiritual growth, maturity, and see the need to ultimately glorify God and find our true joy in Him. In this passage, we learn what it means to live wisely for God during these times, and see what kind of fruitfulness He calls us to live.
We usually express gratitude through praise when someone helps us at a time of helplessness. We also bestow honor and praise to someone who is very prominent in the society. So our praise of someone is often dependent on what they have done for us, or who they are as a person. What if the God of the Bible is both generous or kind towards us at every situation in our lives and also the Greatest in this entire universe? In this passage, we learn how we need to praise God and the importance of doing it.
Corporate Worship exists primarily to honor God, to remember His promises, to praise Him for who He is and for what He has done for us. So if the worship is all about Him and not about us, then we’re required to do so in a way that He has commanded us to worship Him, not the way we think He should be worshiped. In this passage, the Apostle Paul confronts disorderly worship practices in the church, and gives us instructions on how to worship God decently and in order.