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Living for Jesus

25
Mar

Jesus, the Cross, and You

Jesus, the Cross, and You – This Sunday! – https://t.co/rha3CzQFE4

Last Sunday we began our three part Easter series with the message, Jesus Before the Cross: Jesus Through the Eyes of Others. We asked ourselves the question, “How do I see Jesus?” Judas called him a man of “innocent blood.” Pilate’s wife called him a “righteous man” and even Pilate was “greatly amazed” and said, “what evil has he done?” Do you see him as the Christ, the Messiah, the sinless Savior?

This Sunday, we see Jesus at the Cross. We’ll be studying Matthew 27:27-56 and realizing together the price of our salvation. And you’ll realize how much God loves you when you understand “You Through the Eyes of Jesus.”

Something to ponder:
How can we compare worldly worth/value with biblical worth/value? In a nutshell, I see many people trying to earn worth in the eyes of others. But God, even though we are dead in sin and separated from him, has given us value. Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death was made not because we earned it or deserved it but because God chose to give us worth and value and desires to redeem us,
John 3:16 reminds us that God loves you, even before you believe in him.
Ephesians 2:1,10 – though we were spiritually dead God has made us alive through grace when we receive him by faith. He then sees us as his workmanship, his “work of art.”
As Mike Philips states:
“Our worth is imputed through the death and resurrection of Jesus. That is the greatest aspect of Justification.”

As we remember Jesus’ death on the cross this Friday and celebrate his resurrection this Sunday, let’s meditate on this simple truth: When Jesus looks at you, he sees your worth and value and died to rescue you from the penalty and bondage of sin. Not because you earned it or deserve it but because he chose to.

Who are you inviting to hear God’s message of hope and love?

Pastor Mike

15
Jan

How do you describe your church?

Big? Friendly? Just right?

There are many ways to describe your church but the most important word (and maybe the least thought about) is “biblical.” Is our church actually the kind of church that God wants us to be? Do we have HIS stamp of approval? I truly believe that if we set our hearts on being the kind of church that God wants us to be then He will draw people to us. Not just a crowd but fellow seekers, fellow followers, fellow servants who desire to leave it ALL on the altar.

So what should we seek to be as a church? We call them the Bayside Essentials. They’re not just what we should be as a church, they are what YOU should be as a follower of Christ.

The Bayside Essentials

1. Worship Christ

  • weekly worship – Exodus 20:8

2. Walk with Christ

  • spending time daily in the word and in prayer – Psalm 119:165
  • weekly classes/small groups – Colossians 2:7
  • be baptized – Matthew 28:19-20

3. Work for Christ

  • serve others – Romans 12:11

 4. Witness for Christ

  • invite, encourage, share – Philemon 6

 5. Waiting for Christ

  • watching for his return – Matthew 25:13

Take time to read each of these verses (hover your mouse over them and they should pop up)

Get involved in a bible study, small group, accountability relationship

Make the commitment to put first things first. Jesus first in my priorities, my heart, my schedule, my desires.

 

09
Oct

Preach the Word

I don’t know of a single pastor who isn’t stirred and challenged by the apostle Paul’s words to his younger apprentice Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

[4:1] I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2] preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. [3] For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, [4] and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. [5] As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

I’m sure everyone has their favorite parts to this passage but here are mine:

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07
Oct

7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Preaching

This week I attended the Preach the Word Conference at Venture Church in Los Gatos, California.

Here are 7 questions to ask yourself before preaching by Francis Chan

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25
Sep

Why “Forever” is Important in Our Christian Walk

We live in a world of broken relationships, broken promises, and broken commitments. In this world it’s easy to become bitter and cynical. “Words mean nothing to me,” might be your cry as you recount the number of times you have been hurt.

But God wants you to know that His words are true. His words bring healing. His words are meant to inspire and encourage.

Ten times in the Bible we are reminded that God “will never leave us or forsake us.” NEVER! I’m a cynic, I don’t easily trust. But when I read these words and realize that they were  spoken by God I can’t help but feel blessed. Our God says, NEVER.

The other word that God gives to us is FOREVER. Used in a promise it is a great reminder of our unending position in Christ. The word FOREVER is used hundreds of times in the Bible but one of my favorites is found in Psalm 23:6,  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,  and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

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16
Sep

Thoughts on Grace

Grace – Gods Riches at Christ’s Expense

Grace – God’s undeserved and unmerited favor

You are pulled over for speeding. You are guilty. The officer lets you go with a warning – that’s mercy. But if the officer gives you a ticket and then gives you the money to pay for it – that’s grace.

No matter how hard we try we will fail. Grace is God’s solution for our imperfection and not our rebellion.