How do we grow strong as the family of God? As we grow, differences in our foundations become evident and cause us to be unsteady, but that is not how God made us. If we pursue God together with our foundation built only upon Jesus, we can stand firmly and withstand any hurdles that come our way.
Read MoreBefore accepting Christ, we start from a place outside God’s family, even if we are a part of the church. We are excluded when we are outside a relationship with God. But God brings us in to bring us near to Him and be a part of His family and nothing can take it away.
Read MoreWhen we consider our place in the family of God, we need to understand that our position has responsibilities, but also privileges, and opportunities. To be a a family member, you should be involved and invested in the ministry of the church and have a heart for the things of God.
Read MoreEach of us is not called in isolation— God chooses to call us alongside other members of the church, including pastors, to work together towards a goal He has established. We have a shared salvation and a shared calling, so value our partnership with others to advance the gospel.
Read MoreIf we claim to be a faithful follower of God, as members of His Church, it should be evident in the way we live our lives. God has called us to gather together with others; that’s what it means to “be the church”—to love and serve others. Consider the ways your participation in the gathering of church members affects the spiritual development of others. Skipping the gathering of the church means neglecting not only yourself, but also the love and care of your brothers and sisters in Christ,
Read MoreAs Christians, when we are saved we are brought into God’s family. The fact that we are made by Him, saved by Him, and adopted into His family shapes our own identity as His people. But when we go out in the world, how do we carry His name? Are we doing and being what God created us to be?
Read MoreEach of us has death in our background, but through God’s gift, Jesus was sent as our savior to be the hope for us all and offer us new life. When we accept Jesus and depend on Him in all areas, we wear our salvation outwardly, and it is evident in how we live our lives by faith with the Lord’s will above our own.
Read MoreAs humans we always have a drive to seek understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. In this introduction to Aspen Park’s 2023 theme, Identity, we focus on people as God’s creation— what it means that we are purposefully made by God in love, and designed to find meaning through His truth, not in the pressures of the world.
Read MoreAs we are children of God, we must learn to walk in the light. Although we may occasionally trip and fail, we don’t want to stumble aimlessly in the darkness of the world, but instead get up and try again and follow the path God has set forth for us.
Read MoreAll around us in society today are attempts to lead us astray. The darkness of worldly things purports to be the solution to the emptiness you may feel in your life, but God’s reality says otherwise— true fulfillment comes only from His light.
Read MoreA new year means renewal, and in many ways, starting life anew. Just like newborn animals look to their parents to learn about the world and imitate their behaviors, we should be childlike in our imitation of God. We should find opportunities to mirror God’s great love, to follow His example, and replicate it in our own lives.
Read MoreWhat does it look like to be changed through Christ? The behavior we are told to reject is normal, easy, and natural, but God gives us the power to be different and it is only through Him the old or dead can be made into a new life.
Read MoreAre we living a moral life according to God’s law and spirit? We must do the things He has called us to do, not for our own edification, but for the building and strengthening of the church. When we put away our old lives, we begin a new life in Christ.
Read MoreWhen we keep our eyes on Christ and use our gifts for the purpose with which we have been tasked, we experience significant changes within ourselves and our relationship with the church.
Read MoreWhen we keep Christ at the center, we are unified in our directions and the church body grows to the glory of God. Each of us are given a specific opportunity to glorify God through our individual skills and abilities. God has given us these gifts because He wants to use us!
Read MoreGod has purposed each of us with a calling, that we know Him and make Him known to others. But are we living or walking in a manner that is worthy of our mighty calling? What does a worthy life look like?
Read MoreThe mystery of God is grace for us all beyond our own imagination. Discover how God’s mystery can be realized in each of our lives by understanding God’s love. When we know God’s grace, we are able to live in such a way that everything we do will be for His glory and honor.
Read MoreSometimes God works in our lives in a way that is counter to our own preconceived ideas or experiences. It can be hard to fathom God’s mysteries, but we can know when we trust God, He has what’s best in store for us.
Read MoreGod’s grace shapes how we live daily. God is always working in our lives and reveals Himself to us in a unique and special way. It is through Christ in you— that God’s righteousness should be expressed within us, who are so unrighteous, is deeply mysterious.
Read MoreWithout Christ, we were excluded from the Kingdom of God. But Jesus is the answer, bringing near those who are far away. His unifying peace welcomes in those who feel like strangers or outsiders into His family.
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