The Gift of Jesus

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus This Week: Anger & Forgiveness Sunday, December 23, 2012 Led by Eric Gintert Righteous Anger Mark 3:1-5 Jesus looked on the religious accusers with anger for their hardness of heart. He was angry because they were sinning against God. We too should be angry when we see someone doing something ungodly. We should have godly anger. Instead, we take our anger, which is and emotion, and turn it into action that causes us to sin. Jesus took his anger and turned to heal a man. He didn't lash out by disregarding those around Him. In his anger he did righteousness. Mark 11:15-17 Jesus was angry, not because of broken tradition... He was angry because the religious were defiling His Father's house. Even though there is anger, there is still forgiveness. Even though there is forgiveness, there is still discipline. There must be an equal balance (Proverbs 11:1). If God is love then God must hate. If God loves children...

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus This Week: Trust & Obey Sunday, November 25, 2012 Led by Eric Gintert Romans 1 - All people are wretched and sinful. Romans 2 - The law doesn't redeem the guilty. Romans 3 - All have sinned and fallen short. Romans 4 The Jews proclaim Abraham to be the "Father of our Faith" but they don't understand what that faith is. It doesn't matter what the majority says or what religious leaders think. It's "what saith the scriptures?" Works are worthless. Trusting in the work that God does and the justification of the ungodly makes a person's faith to be counted as righteousness. Abraham was counted righteous before he was circumcised. it wasn't the works that made him righteous, it was his faith in God's forgiveness and grace that redeemed him. Abraham is not the "father of the Jews" through the works of circumcision, but the father of all who put thei...

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus This Week: All Have Sinned Sunday, November 18, 2012 Led by Eric Gintert Romans 1 - All people are wretched and sinful. Romans 2 - The law doesn't redeem the guilty. Romans 3 Paul is a Jew and he is asking what advantage there is in being a Jew. Does it make a person more holy because they are Jewish? Are they more righteous in God's eyes because they are Jews? God uses the Jews to glorify His name but this doesn't make them sinless and any safer from damnation It is their unbelief in Jesus that make their faith in God of none effect. We want God to judge others righteousness and have pure justice, but we don't want Him to use that same judgment and justice on us. We proclaim our unrighteousness to be righteous but God will judge and take vengeance.  Paul (or Saul) believed that by murdering the true believers in Jesus was doing God a service. So, is he justified before God then, because he had good ...

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus This Week: Thou Art Inexcusable, O Man Sunday, November 11, 2012 Led by Eric Gintert "Thou Art Inexcusable, O Man!" Romans 2:1-29 We judge others (pass sentence and accuse) for the same things the we ourselves are guilty of. God's judgments are always according to the Truth. If God's judgement are always according to the truth, then aren't we all guilty? We can pass sentence on others for their trespasses, but do we really think that we can escape God's judgment on us because "we aren't as bad as they are"? God is longsuffering and patient... if He wasn't we would all have NO hope. The goodness of God leads to repentance. God WILL render to every man according to his deeds! God is not a respecter of persons... He will punish all the guilty and honor every righteous person, regardless of ethnicity, background, religious upbringing, etc. Those who are without the law will peri...

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus This Week: Darkness Sunday, November 4, 2012 Led by Eric Gintert Who is Jesus to You? Savior? What does that mean? Savior from what? Lord? What does that mean? What does it mean to be Lord? We need to be lightened! Psalm 34:1-5 "They" (in verse 5) are the humble who want to exalt the name of the Lord. "Him" is the Lord. They looked unto the Lord and they were lightened and not ashamed. On judgment day, some will look on Him and be ashamed but others will be able to stand before Him completely unashamed and justified. Are we asking and seeking to be lightened by Him in all issues: politics, relationships, etc? Darkness came before Light... Genesis 1:1-2 Before there was light, there was darkness. Before we can know and understand the great mercy and grace that the Lord has given us, we must first understand all the filth, guile, wickedness, and sin that we have taken part in. We must understa...