At Destiny Church’s weekend gatherings, we’ve begun a series in Colossians. These thoughts are taken from Jesus: The Crux, The Point – First Place (listen).

In Colossians 1:15-20, which is considered by some to be the most important Biblical passage about Jesus, Paul sweepingly proclaims the magnitude of Christ’s greatness.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Even as our hearts fill with wonder at at the Creator who holds all things together with His preeminence, there is an unusual nugget in this passage. Verse 18 says, “And he is the head of the body, the church.”

When I was a teenager, I was very independent and never liked to admit that my parents were the ones calling the shots. If I was told I couldn’t go on an outing with friends, rather than just say, “My mom says I can’t go,” I’d come up with an excuse like, “No, I don’t want to come. I’ve got something else going on.” I was trying to act like I was in control, rather than admit who the true authority was.

I think sometimes we in the church treat Jesus the same way. We know He’s the leader, but we kind of want to pretend we’re the ones with all the great ideas.

There is a reason Paul listed Jesus’ headship of the church amongst a resume of His all encompassing greatness. To Jesus, His transcendence in the church has equal value to his transcendence over rulers and authorities.

Jesus wants to be the the one leading the church. But that doesn’t mean just orchestrating the Sunday service. The church is people. It’s us. He wants to be the head of our lives.

For us, it is a GOOD thing that Jesus is the one in charge. His ways our higher than our ways. Instead of trying to run the church and our Christian lives by our own smarts, we can rest in the pattern that Jesus has laid out for us. There is a safety in Jesus’ leadership that is truly glorious.

At Destiny Church’s weekend gatherings, we’ve begun a series in Colossians. These thoughts are taken from Jesus: The Crux, The Point – Prayer & Position (listen).

When my husband and I first began to look for a full-time ministry position, we were basically fresh out of Bible school and what little ministry experience we did have wasn’t much to brag about. When we interviewed with churches, we didn’t know what questions to ask, because we honestly didn’t know what we were getting into.

In our job hunt, we were contacted by a Pastor who was looking for a youth pastor. As much as we tried to appear professional, we had no idea how to do the position he had available. In spite of Bible school and some fill-in work in our church’s youth group, we had little practical experience to draw on.

We were not qualified for the job. But that Pastor found grace in his heart to hire us. He looked past our present inadequacies and saw what we could grow into. He declared us qualified before we deserved that recognition.

This is how God is. He declares us qualified for something we could never attain in our own power.

Colossians 1:12-14 is the conclusion of Paul’s prayer for the church, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Because Jesus purchased our forgiveness on the cross and redeemed us with His own blood, we are given a position we could not achieve on our own merit.

When my husband and I took that ministry position, the Pastor acted as if we were qualified. I’m sure we gave him headaches at times, but he treated us as if we were veteran youth pastors. His graciousness allowed us to grow and excel in the role he had given us.

Even more, when the Father qualifies us, He sees us as sons and daughters, as saints, as overcomers. We are empowered to thrive in the new position in which He’s placed us.

We must shift our own thinking to agree with what the Father has declared us to be. We are not who we were. Our identity has changed. Our flesh is put to death. Our spirit has come alive. We are a new creation. We are washed clean. We have a fresh start.

This is the position we have been given through Jesus. Now run with it!

At Destiny Church’s weekend gatherings, we’ve begun a series in Colossians. These thoughts are taken from Jesus: The Crux, The Point – Faith, Love and Hope (listen).

Paul opens his letter to the Church in Colossae with appreciation for what he’s heard about them:

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” – Colossians 1:3-5

It’s always a curious experience when we overhear someone talking about us. A candidly expressed opinion about our character can be more telling then months of personal introspection.

The word on the street that Paul heard about the Colossians was favorable. Their reputation was that they had faith in Christ, love for the saints, and hope of heaven. Quite an impressive resume.

What is our reputation?

Faith is more than believing Jesus exists. It’s life-altering conviction. True faith in Jesus will have an outcome of fruit. It will change the way we walk out our day. Do we have a reputation of faith?

Jesus commanded us to love one another (John 13:34-35). This means we forgive freely. We don’t hold bitterness. We love each other like we love our own life. We lavish love to those around us. Do we have a reputation of love?

Hope placed in our treasure in heaven keeps us undisturbed by the economies of this earth. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, person or situation to fix things for us, hope places our confidence in Jesus. Do we have a reputation of hope?

Before we become discouraged by aspects of our reputation that fall short, Paul shares the secret of the Colossions’ success:

Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,” – Colossians 1:5-6

We can’t strive or strain to produce a good reputation. The Gospel, the message of Jesus is what works the faith, love and hope in our lives.

It all comes back to Jesus.

Matthew 8:16-17 describes a night’s work for Jesus: “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

When sickness crosses our life-path, we tend to hunt out the Bible passages that offer hope of healing. But there can be a nagging worry in the back of our minds, “What if this promise isn’t really for me? How do I know if I’m one of the ones that will get healed? Does Jesus even still do this, or was healing only while He was on earth?”

The passage in Matthew 8:16-17 can fill us with hope when we read that He healed all who were sick, but the concern arises when we start looking at the earthly reality that all don’t usually get healed. So maybe that was just for then?

No. Everyone got healed that day, not simply on a whim of God, but because something much deeper was transpiring. Verse 7 explains, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The passage Matthew was referencing is Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Lest we think that the healings done that long-ago day were the ultimate fulfillment of the messianic prophecy, Peter expounded on it further in his first letter, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Peter wasn’t referring back to the time when everyone in a village was healed. Rather, he was writing to persecuted Christians in Asia Minor. Men and women who had never met Jesus in the flesh and were walking out their faith long after Jesus had ascended into heaven. They didn’t need nice stories. Peter was offering them a present hope.

He was reminding them that Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy, the healing He had purchased on the cross, was for them in their moment of need.

Across the ages, Peter is still assuring us that our healing was bought through Jesus’ sacrifice. There is no question of whether we are a chosen one or if healing is still for us. On the cross, it is already finished. It is already yours.

On Saturday, January 7, we held our official Grand Opening service. What an amazing time of meeting new people and encountering Jesus. The worship time was powerful and every chair was filled. We are grateful for a wonderful night of declaring who we are and why we’re here. A few people took a few photos and some video clips, which are posted below. Also, if you’d like a recap of the message, please read Sin, Grace and Trying Hard.

Thanks Scott, Phillip and Dalila for the photos/video!

This blog is taken from Chris Davis’ message Where Are Your Accusers at a recent Destiny Church gathering. Listen to the complete message here.

John 8:1-11 contains one of the more scandalous stories of the Bible: The woman caught in adultery. Essentially, the religious leaders dragged a woman out of bed and brought her to Jesus for judgment, figuring they could make him look like the bad guy, no matter what He decided. Jesus exposed the evil in their own hearts by a simple statement, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

His poignant words cleared the room, leaving Him face to face with the woman. Their conversation has brought hope to countless sin-smeared people ever since:

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

This is beautiful grace. Though guilty, she was given favor with God. She was extended mercy she did not deserve.

And she was told, “Go and sin no more.”

We tend to take one of two directions with that last line, when we apply this story to our own guilt which has been nullified by grace.

Some of us look at it almost as if Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you… have a nice day!” We view it through a lens that implies God doesn’t really care about sin. As if He really just want everyone to get along and not make a big deal out of nothing.

Others of us view Jesus’ last statement as a heavy command. We envision Him sternly replying, “I’ve been nice to you, but you’d better not do it again.”

Neither of these extremes are accurate. God isn’t neutral about sin. He hates it. (Psalm 45:7) But He also doesn’t demand sinlessness by our own sheer willpower. All our trying to be good will never be enough to win God’s favor. (Ephesians 2:8)

Jesus wasn’t saying, “Don’t worry about it,” nor was he saying “try hard.” What Jesus was offering the woman was freedom from the hold that sin had on her. He was showing her a grace that liberated her from bondage and empowered her to sin no more.

That’s what grace does for us as well: It enables us to live free from sin. Grace is never an excuse to sin. No, it is a rescue and the ability to walk away from the sin.

Romans 8:1-4 explains it like this:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Movie trailers are tricky things. We use them to decide if an upcoming movie is interesting to us. However, trailers are full of marketing, and they don’t give us all the facts. Hollywood loves to put all of the thrilling scenes, the funniest punchlines, and the most impressive special effects into the preview. When we actually watch the whole movie through, it’s often not all it was touted to be.

Especially kid movies. The commercials are full of funny punch lines and silly antics to convince the parents that, even though the movie is centered around a talking chipmunk, they might enjoy it along with their children. Having sat through tons of kids movies, I can assure you this is rarely the case.

John the Baptist acted like a movie trailer for Jesus. John 1:6-7 says about him, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”

John was a preview God sent to show us how Jesus would change everything. He prepared Jesus’ way, quickening our hearts for the goodness of the coming Savior. John’s message was full of the highlights. He proclaimed, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17)

But unlike many Hollywood movie trailers, John’s preview wasn’t exagerated.

As John did, we are also called to be a truthful movie trailer for Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 4:5 we are told, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Those around us watch to see what a relationship with Jesus is like.

We aren’t supposed to fudge the facts. We don’t have to imply that the Christian life has no problems or that we never make mistakes. There is no pressure to present ourselves as the perfect Christ follower.

We simply show who Jesus is. We truthfully portray how He mends broken and imperfect lives and makes us new. We display the goodness of Jesus.

When the full movie comes to town, when Jesus invades their lives, those who’ve seen our preview will be ready to encounter Him.

A contentious point of Christian faith is Jesus’ declaration that He is the only way to God. For some, it seems to rankle that God has chosen a single method and backed it up with an emphatic, “Because I said so.”

Which He has every right to do.

But Jesus wasn’t just throwing down a power trip. It wasn’t, “Do it my way, or I’m not playing!”

When Jesus said He was the only way to God, it was because every other way was insufficient to accomplish the task.

A lot of of us were without power last summer when Louisville had that big storm. Everyone made do with flashlights and candles and trips to the coffee shop to borrow their wi-fi. But when the power came back on, we didn’t call LG&E and say, “You know, I’ve decided I don’t actually want electricty. I’ve discovered flash lights and candles and they’re powering my house just as well as you did, so I’m going to go that route now.”

Just like electricity is the only way to have power in our home, Jesus is the only way to God. Other methods may leave us feeling kind of happy for a season, but they won’t actually bridge the divide between us and our Creator. Not anymore than candles were able to run my refrigerator after the storm.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5

Light is the only thing that can make darkness disappear. There is no other solution. The light that is in Jesus defeats the darkness that is in us. He is the only option, the only thing that works.

So forget trying to power your whole house with a flashlight. It will never get the job done. Embrace the true Light and watch the darkness disappear.

The past few weeks at Destiny Church, we’ve been talking about abiding in Jesus. Read previous posts on abiding: Abide (the how-to guide for fruit) & Abide: Resting in Who Jesus Is.

Staying connected to Jesus isn’t meant to be a difficult or stressful experience. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 11:28-30 that serving Him is restful.

But there are things that can make it really hard to abide in Jesus. I’m not talking about expectations that He places on us, but rather burdens of our own making. Things like sin, unforgiveness, pride, distractions, or unbelief.

And then there is fear and shame.

John 5:21-34 tells the story of a woman who society, law and religion considered “unclean” because of a sickness she’d suffered from for twelve years. She wasn’t allowed to go to church. She wasn’t allowed to mingle in polite society. And whenever she touched someone, they too could not go to church, etc. for the rest of the day.

Somehow, she worked up the courage to push through a crowd to reach out and touch Jesus. When she did, she was completely healed. Twelve years of sickness were gone. But the shame of who she was and fear of what would be said to her was still there.

Jesus knew that someone had touched him and been healed, so he began questioning the crowd. The Bible says, “The woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.”

She probably expected Jesus to be aggravated. Maybe He’d say, “Man, now I’m unclean for the rest of the day. Thanks a lot.” or “Ew. What did you touch ME for. Gross!”

Instead, she encountered the real Jesus. He proved all of her fears false. He eliminated all of her shame. He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Not only had He healed the disease, but Jesus also healed her heart by renaming her from “unclean” to “Daughter.” He spoke peace to her tortured soul. Her fear was erased by Jesus’ love.

Fear and shame hold us back from reaching out to Jesus. But when we bring our wounded hearts to Jesus, like the woman in this story, He heals our hearts as well. He promises this in Hebrews 4:16 (NLT), “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

God is not out to get us. He’s not an overbearing Father that just nags and fusses. He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.

Fear and shame are not our portion.

Abiding is.