Imagine that you gave a magnanimous gift to someone: a house, a car, a kidney! In response, the person casually mentioned to another that he felt some vague sense of general gratitude. That wouldn't be enough. Even though you didn't give the gift to receive something in return, that kind of gratitude wouldn't be enough. We have received from God the greatest possible gift: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The gift was only possible because he gave up his Son for you. More than that, we receive daily evidence of God's grace. That's why Christians have more than some vague sense of general gratitude. Christians thank the giver. We seek evidence of God's grace and receive a tool to help us thank the Giver . . . daily.
Letters to the Seven has been a series where we hear from Jesus what he wants from his Church. He wants us to hold to our first love, to not give up amid suffering, to hold to the truth and not false doctrine, and to hold fast to his grace. The message we receive this week as we close out the series is to be on fire for the gospel and have an identity founded in Christ. What does that look like? Today learn from Jesus what he expects and how he promises to provide it to you.
To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,
go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.
The ancient Greeks had a proverb, pathemata mathemata, suffering is education. You've seen it. But it's not automatic. Suffering can make you more human or less human, more caring and compassionate or more hardened and bitter. What accounts for the difference? That's what Jesus taught the Christians in Philadelphia (not the home of the Eagles, but an ancient city in what is now Turkey.) We have a copy of the letter in Revelation 3:7-13. Through it, Jesus teaches us to endure and gives us what it takes to endure. We’re glad you’re with us today to receive good things from Jesus’ letter.
To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,
go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.
Twenty years Jim Collins wrote the bestseller, "Good to Great." Collins and his team researched companies that performed better than most for a prolonged period and determined the main reasons they became great. It caught on beyond the traditional audience of business books because, well, who doesn't want to be great? Jesus has something to say about that, too. In his letter to us, originally sent to the Christian church in the Turkish city of Sardis, Jesus tells us how his love and power explode in our lives. By any definition, that's greatness. We are thrilled you’re here to encounter Jesus today and pray for God to bless your worship.
To receive 250-word devotions on Revelation this week, Monday – Friday,
go to st-andrew-online.org/devotions.
Is tolerance loving? When a child decides she will dress herself for the day and her style is a mismatched hot mess, but at least she’s dressed, I'd say tolerating her choice is loving. If I tolerate the same said child's choice to then ride her bike down the middle of a busy street, I'm no longer loving. I'm reckless and have endangered her life. Sometimes love is intolerant. Today as we celebrate the Reformation, we hear from Jesus as he helps us understand how love means holding to the truth and sometimes being intolerant.