For more than a thousand years, Christians around the world have begun the Lenten season this way: with the sober acknowledgement that with humanity came sin, and with sin came death. We are free, but not required, to do the same.
Christmas Angels 2019
It's that time of the year again! And we are so excited for the opportunity to love and serve the children of Haiti. This year we will be joining with Haiti's Hope to serve the needs of the children in the mountains of Haiti.
For only $22 you can send a Backpack filled with goodies for the Holidays!
November 4 - December 16, 2019
Backpack Includes:
Shoes
Socks
Toys
Wash Cloth
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Carry Case
Candy
For more information please email mariadoud@risecommunith.org
By Tim Keller
The actual word “gospel” means “good news that is announced.” That makes it different from other religious messages, which might be called “good advice to be followed.”
The good news is that we are so lost and broken that we cannot find God or fix ourselves, so God has come to find and save us. To do that he became a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who lived an ordinary human life, distinguished only by the startling fact that he never did anything wrong. He kept all of God’s laws, both internally and externally, and having done so, he transferred all the credit for that obedience to those who love and trust him.
In addition to giving us the credit for his perfect life and obedience, Jesus went further and willingly took the punishment that was due to us for our imperfect, rebellious lives. Dying on the cross, he forgave those who were killing him. When he rose from the dead, Jesus demonstrated that death had no hold on him, nor on any who entrust their lives and souls to him.
The good news is that … God has come to find and save us.
Being reunited with God, therefore, doesn’t depend on our own efforts, or even the strength and sincerity of our faith. It is not the quality of our faith that saves us, but the quality of the One in whom we put our faith: Jesus.
The power of this free grace and acceptance into the family of God has a transformative effect in the life of any true Christian. Since we are no longer trying to earn God’s approval (making God the biggest and worst of all the taskmasters we’ve ever faced), we are free to love him out of gratitude and joy. Our obedience and “good deeds” become truly good for the first time, as they are motivated by thankfulness, rather than done to accrue “good behavior credit” with God.
Being reunited with God … doesn’t depend on our own efforts. It is not the quality of our faith that saves us, but the quality of the One in whom we put our faith: Jesus.
Slowly we come to resemble the master who has freed us from all our slave-driving addictions and compulsions. As he served a world which neither understood nor appreciated him, so we are called to serve our neighbors and our world whether they believe like us or not. Jesus called himself the servant of all and said that we, his followers, needed to serve others sacrificially if we are called by his name.
Where do I go from here?
Possessing a mere fascination about Jesus isn’t enough to fulfill, nor will it enact his life-altering work. Curiosity is good, but it should drive fervent searching. This can be done by reading God’s Word, and getting plugged into community in a Christian atmosphere with people personally invested in your growth.
We couldn’t be more thrilled that you’re ready to begin exploring the reality of Jesus’ resurrection in a logical, understandable fashion. We’d love to talk with you about your journey and get you connected with people who care about you, whether that’s at Rise or elsewhere.