The Greatest Treasure

The Greatest Treasure

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Rick Warren, and the Scripture is Colossians 3:1-2  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
 
What is the purpose of life?  In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.  One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.  We were made by God and for God, and until we figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.  Life is a series of problems: Either we are in one now, we're just coming out of one, or we're getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in our character than our comfort.  He is more interested in making our life holy than He is in making our life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life.  The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.  Believing that our greatest need is to be happy, safe, and fulfilled is all about us, and we believe, deep down, that were entitled to whatever we think we need.   God wants to reveal Himself as the greatest treasure the human heart could ever imagine and to draw people into a relationship with Him that utterly delights our souls.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Religion vs Christianity

Religion vs Christianity

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the short excerpt is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Religion is if I do good, then I'm accepted.  I get in to heaven!   Christianity is that because I'm accepted and already in, I do good.  In Christianity, Jesus has done it all for you. He is the sacrifice so you're completely pardoned in Him.  He is everything, which means, "It is finished," which He says on the Cross. 

 

There are a lot of ways of doing good.  The secular person says, "I'm going to live a good life.  That way I know I'm a good person and can really feel good about myself."  The religious person says, "I'm going to do good so that God will take me to heaven."  It's basically the same thing, and you're going to find it a grind.  All of  your good deeds are really about you.  You're not about the people you're helping .  You're just doing it because you need it.

 

The gospel puts a power and joy in your heart.  You're already in and accepted and loved so why are you helping people?  Because you want to be like the One who did all that in love.  Joy and gratitude result,  and you're doing it for their sake, not your sake. 

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

 

Good & Valuable Or Sinful & Worthless

 

Good & Valuable Or Sinful & Worthless

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the scripture is Ephesians 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

When we are living by the law and believe that we must earn our way to heaven, this is the mindset.   "Either I'm good and I'm valuable, or I'm sinful and I'm worthless.   If I'm living up to the expectations and obeying all of the rules and doing right, then I'm good and valuable."  Then when things go wrong we are angry toward God.  "I hate you!  How can you do this to me?  God, you owe me a better life than this!"

 

But if we're not living up to our standards when living by the law, then we feel sinful and worthless.  When things go wrong we get angry at ourselves instead of at God.  We say, "What an idiot!  How did I do this?  It's all my fault!"  We just beat ourselves up!

 

The gospel doesn't say that we are either good or valuable or sinful or worthless.  It says that we are very sinful and absolutely valuable in Christ.  Because we know that we are sinful, when bad things happen, we don't complain.  We know that it is not a punishment.  It must be because of some other broader and bigger plan. 

 

When we live under grace and not under the law, we understand and embrace that we are very sinful and absolutely valuable in Christ.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining