God abundantly blesses those who seek to live obedient lives. Obedient living does not allow for “accidents” in God’s plan. He orchestrates events in our lives to bring us to Himself, even through our misery and hopelessness. In the book of Ruth, we see Him working out His perfect plan in Ruth’s life, just as He does with all His children.
Roman Catholic Church’s official position is that Jesus’ mother Mary remained a virgin for her entire life (perpetual virginity). The bible never affirms that, and instead notes about her children who came after Jesus. So Catholic church gives an inordinate amount of importance (and even worship) to Mary. Sometimes the opposite reaction in protestant churches to completely dismiss Mary’s life and godly character can be an extreme or incorrect position to hold. In this passage, we learn who is Mary, and what lessons we can learn from her submission to God.
Pleasing God is not an everyday word. It’s an idea that has little value in our self-focused, instant-gratification world. Regardless of trends, culture, or opinion, pleasing God through obedience—remains a vital part of our journey with Christ. In this passage, we learn what motivations we need to have in order to lead a life pleasing to Christ.
Christianity is the only religion or a worldview which teaches us that people who take refuge in Christ, people who believe that He is the only Savior of their lives, will overcome death and sin. These are two of the most powerful evils in our life which are inescapable, they’re very part of our existence. But God promises that He will deliver His people on the last day when Christ returns. In this passage, we learn that Christians will have victory over death and sin when Christ returns to take them home (heaven), but we also learn what Christians are required to do until that day comes.
Nominal Christians are those people whose life is not characterized by repentance, obedience and faith in Christ, but they’re found in the church gatherings just to maintain their religious status. It is necessary to examine our lives and see if our professed love for God stretch into action and showcase Christlike character. In this passage, we learn how we can forsake nominal Christianity and continue to walk faithfully in the path that Christ has called us.
As Christians we often misunderstand mission as going only to foreign lands, but overlook the immediate context where the Lord has put us. We change careers, places and take major decisions either because of external pressure or because of our internal desires. We’re prone to make too many changes without really understanding God’s will for our lives. In this passage we learn how God calls us to be faithful in our calling wherever he has placed us.
What is the purpose of life? Is it to have a happy marriage or a successful career? Or is it to do something good for your country? Is it just to love someone or something like sex & money? Our culture has often limited life’s purpose to these categories, beyond which there’s no quest for truth. But what does the Bible say about man’s chief end? Listen to the sermon, as we explore the grand narrative of life’s main purpose.