Sierra Community Church Sierra Community Church

What would it look like for our lives to shift from a “what if” mentality to an “even if” commitment?  The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego captures this profound truth. God is capable of saving his people from anything in this world, but even if he doesn’t, his people are not to worship idols even if the alternative is death.

How do we interact meaningfully with a world that seems contrary to everything we believe? Like Daniel we do not have to compromise our beliefs by sacrificing our civility in our interactions, by condemning others with whom disagree, nor do we just throw in the towel, because of our fear of confrontation.

We are sojourners, living in exile in a modern day Babylon. Exile is an important theme throughout the Bible. It is the consistent human condition apart from God. Every day we need to ask God for the wisdom to live faithful lives like his kingdom was here as it is in heaven.  That’s what Jesus taught his disciples to pray for. To be in, but not of this world.

 

Paul has been through a lot in the book of Acts! Beatings, shipwrecks, whippings, imprisonment; just to name some of it, and despite it all the Gospel cannot be stopped.  The book of Acts ends quite abruptly with no official ending, which seems to make a profound statement that the book is not  about Paul or Peter or Barnabas, but about the continuing of the story of God redeeming his people into a life-giving relationship.

Have you struggled with senseless suffering in the face of a loving God?  How would you defend the idea that God does accomplish things in suffering? This Sunday's message dives into the theological complexities of suffering through the story of Paul's trip to Rome and gives us a better understanding of how the problem of evil and suffering works with a loving and good God.

Dedication in Deuteronomy 6 means...listening to God's voice, loving God with everything you are and worshiping the Lord alone.  Which makes you wonder, is it the greatest commandment?