CHILD of God

Message shared by Pastor Thom today about how God wants all of us to be His C-H-I-L-D, and a brief description of what that means...

1 John 3:1 - How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [3] Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Chosen – God the Father chose us in Jesus before creating all that you see around you. As we find our identity, purpose and passion in Jesus, we reflect his love. This was His pleasure and elation.

Ephesians 1:3 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Healed – Through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, we receive spiritual healing, the chains of incarceration are broken and eternal life is ours as we are lifted together with him in the embrace of the Father. By believing the truth (Jesus), we are set free to enjoy this relationship with Jesus, just as he enjoys relating to us.

1Peter 2:23 - When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Included – Jesus has purposed that we find our belonging in Him. It’s about relationship not religion. Jesus has included all of humanity in His life and love – because we “are,” we are wanted, accepted and loved.

Ephesians 1:11- In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. [13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

Linked – In Christ, we are all included by one Spirit into one body – the church. We are needed and wanted in the body and it is there that we find we belong to one another. We find friendship, support, encouragement and elation in communion with our brothers and sisters.

Romans 12:4 - Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Disciple – (Student) We are called to follow Jesus—to be his disciples, joining with him in helping other people believe the truth of who they are in Jesus and follow him as his disciples.

John 13:34 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

- Thom

One Solitary Life

Carol shared a great message last week at the van....

I want to talk to about justice and injustice. We all know someone who has been treated unjustly, or maybe it was you.

Acts 8:32-35 - "The place in the Scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation, His justice was taken away. And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you whom does the prophet say this, of himself or some other man? Then Phillips opened his mouth and beginning at this Scripture preached Jesus to him."

The Scripture the man was reading is Isaiah 53:7-8. I am here to preach Jesus to you.

One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village 

The child of a peasant woman 

He grew up in another obscure village 

Where he worked in a carpenter shop 

Until he was thirty 



He never wrote a book 

He never held an office 

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never traveled more than two hundred miles 

From the place where he was born 

He did none of the things 

Usually associated with greatness 

He had no credentials but himself 


He was only thirty three 

His friends ran away 

One of them denied him;
One betrayed Him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial
(He had no attorney - no one to represent Him)


He was nailed to a cross between two thieves 

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing 

The only property he had on earth 


When he was dead 

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend
(This is not the end of the story - He rose from the grave - He is alive!)



Nineteen centuries have come and gone 

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress 

All the armies that have ever marched 

All the navies that have ever sailed 

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together 

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth 

As powerfully as that one solitary life

Is there justice on earth? In our lives? Maybe yes, maybe not. True justice will be given when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. Luke 4:18 - Jesus came to earth "To heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed..."

He came to die for our sin so we could be forgiven and have a personal relationship with God, Creator of heaven and earth, and receive the gift of eternal life. We are here for around 70 - 80 years. Our eternal home will be with Jesus where there is no more pain or sorrow. No more tears.

- Carol