What does God think about…..? You can fill in the blanks with every possible issue of life. God does have an opinion on any subject and his is the one that matters above anyone else’s. As followers of Jesus we care about God’s view in all circumstances because we are to live each day to please him. We are decidedly different than the world is in this. We have been transformed by Christ and we have developed a new perspective on things because our minds have been renewed and are now focused on speaking and acting for Jesus. We are witnesses of Christ to the people around us.
There are lots of social and lifestyle issues that you will be confronted with from time to time that require a clear response. Are there things that make you feel uncomfortable as a Christian because you realize that they don’t line up with what you know is right before God? This can be anything from unethical practices that you are expected to sign off on to moral behaviour that seeks your approval. Have you ever felt unequipped to explain what you believe to be the proper choices and why? That can happen to any of us and that’s why it’s so important to always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us about our rock solid faith and godly convictions.
The Bible is our go to book in all matters. For many things there is clear direction to guide us, while on other matters the Holy Spirit helps us to discern what choices do line up with God’s word. That’s why teaching and studying the Bible is a priority for us as a church family. We need to train ourselves daily to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, the holy and unholy. The more you do this the clearer the answers come to the most important question, ‘What does God think about….?’
This Sunday I will be presenting an ‘Exploring the Issues’ teaching. We do this a few times each year to address practical issues that we face as Christ followers. Our goal is to identify issues that are affecting society at large and require a Christian response from us and then unpack these issues and develop a Biblical approach. Our topic this week is ‘A Christian Response to Homosexuality’. I know that many of you want to know how to approach this subject as Jesus would, with truth and grace. I will clear up some of the myths about the gay lifestyle and look at what the Scriptures do say. There is a lot of material to cover and I hope to have time for questions and comments. We will, as always, follow up at CP1 on Wednesday with further discussion about this topic.
I’m looking forward to spending this time with you in worship and the word. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit continues to fill us with his presence, love and power so that we can be equipped to share Jesus’ love to our world that needs to meet and know him.
See you Sunday…..
Pastor Del