Ephesians 3:20-21

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Devotional Questions

1. Who’s strength are you relying on?
2. What does it mean to rely on Christ’s Strength? How does this impact you?

Oh Our Lord

Over All I Know

Cornerstone

Already-Not-Yet: Truth

The Kingdom of God is the already-not-yet state of truth and grace and life with God because of Jesus.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Devotional Questions

1. What does it mean that Jesus is the truth?
2. Praise God that he gave us access to himself through Jesus’ death on a cross.

Glorious Day

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Worthy of Your Name

Already-Not-Yet: Grace

The Kingdom of God is the already-not-yet state of truth and grace and life with God because of Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by Grace you have been saved through faith.

And it is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

not a result of works so that no one may boast.

Devotional Questions

1. How do we experience God’s grace in our lives today?
2. Why is it important that grace comes through faith and not “our own doing”?

Glorious Day (New Song)

Lord I Need You

King of Kings

Life: Already-Not-Yet

When Pastor Mike announced, the year theme he defined the Kingdom as the already-not-yet state of truth, grace, and life. So, in accordance with that definition and this year’s theme, I thought it would be interesting to look a Bible passages and think about these passages through this idea.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Questions

1. What does it mean to have eternal life?
2. How does having eternal life effect how you live today?
3. Why is eternal life part of the Kingdom of God?

Reflection

As you think about the answer to these questions, listen these songs. Think about the great eternal life that we receive by grace and how it effects our lives.

Here For You

Great Are You Lord

Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

New Song

King of Kings

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today,

that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.

Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,

loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him,

for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land

that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Issac, and to Jacob to give to them.

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

Living Hope

John 16:31-33

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home,

and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

In Christ Alone

It Is Well with My Soul

1 Peter 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire –

may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him,

you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Praise God! We have new life and salvation through faith!

It is always great to celebrate baptisms as we did this past Sunday. We got to hear the testimonies of eight people of how they have been changed through faith in God. They now have been born again to a living hope! It is true for everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So, in the songs we are singing this Sunday, we are celebrating that new life. We’ll praise God for the new life that we have through Jesus dying for our sins.

Nothing But the Blood

Great Are You Lord

Jesus Paid It All

Isaiah 28:14-18

“Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip through it will not come to

us, for we have made lies our refuge and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure

foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste’.

And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be

beaten down by it.

A Covenant Annulled

In this prophecy from Isaiah, it outlines our condition. We have made a “covenant with death” and an agreement with Sheol. It describes our fallen nature of sin where we trust the things of this world as a marriage where we have attached ourselves to lies and falsehood.

BUT, the Lord has a response to this covenant in verse 18, “your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agree meant with Sheol will not stand;”. Our covenant with death is a broken marriage. It will not fulfill us or satisfy us. What will satisfy us? A relationship with the Lord. His covenant with us will not be shaken like our covenant with death. His promises will remain!

As we celebrate baptisms this week, we celebrate our covenant with death that has been annulled. We have a new covenant with God through Jesus Christ. It is a covenant that has a sure foundation. We praise God because he is the one. The one above it all. The one who is enough for us. The one who would send His son to die on a cross so that he could have a relationship with us.

Exalted Over All

Over All I Know

Christ is Enough

The Father’s Love

Romans 5:8-11

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life.

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

A Simple but Profound Truth

Romans 5:8 is probably a verse that you’ve heard a lot. It is very simple and memorable but it also has a profound truth in it. As we heard Adam preach about the Prodigal Son these past few weeks, he talked about how the son was reconciled to his father. In the same way, we are reconciled to God by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is how He shows His love for us. It is the very cornerstone of the gospel. In the passage we see our response, “More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

All the Earth

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

Cornerstone

Praising the Name of the Lord

Oh Our Lord

John 8:12

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We praise God for who he is. He reveals himself to us through his word and one of the ways we see his character is through his name. You can see it through out the bible in verses like the one above. As you listen to the songs, listen to the names of Jesus.

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Worthy of Your Name

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