Posts by Pastor Jeff (Page 3)

Week 2: Gospel Basics Passage: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 (click to read passage) Do you believe that God has the power to transform a terrorist? Could God change someone who is so captured by evil that his purpose in life is to hurt and destroy people? As Christians we believe the Gospel has the power to transform. It has the power to transform the proud to become humble. It has the power to transform those who hate to those who love. It has the power to transform rebels into children of God. Paul was one of those people who were transformed by Christ. If you read the book of Acts, Paul’s story is mentioned three separate times. Paul’s experience with Jesus led him to passionately pursue Christ’s purpose for his life. Initially, Paul was a person who was raised and trained as a Pharisee. He was someone who zealously studied the Torah and tried to apply its rules into his life. He traced his lineage to the tribe of Benjamin and trained vigorously under one of the leading rabbis of the time, a man named Gamaliel. When Christians were on trial he voted to allow them to be stoned to death. He was present when the first Christian martyr Stephen was killed. He even went to foreign cities to try and find believers of Christ to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem to be put on trial for blasphemy. But God met Paul on the way to one of these cities. Jesus revealed himself to Paul in a blinding vision and spoke to him. Paul was knocked off his horse and was unable to see for a time until a Christian named Ananias healed Paul in Jesus’ name. After some time, Paul not only believed in Jesus, but focused his zeal and energy in proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. The very person who persecuted Christ was now risking his life to proclaim Christ. For the rest of his life, Paul would preach the Gospel, teach the church, and help people to understand the significance of what Jesus had done. He would acknowledge that God had used him, but would always recognize that God was the one who had mercy on him. Why did God do this? Why did God choose Paul and show him such mercy? Perhaps God knew the good that Paul would do? Or perhaps it was because Paul had the intelligence, the education or the language ability? No- it was nothing within Paul himself that God needed. God could create anyone with these skills. Paul himself would not boast in his skills. Paul himself said in verse 15, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”. In other words, Paul considered himself the worst of sinners. But God showed him mercy so that, “Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who believe in him for eternal life.” If God has the power to change Paul, God has the power to change you. If you struggle with pride, with anger, lust, bitterness, gossip, selfishness, entitlement or anything else, the Scriptures tell us that God has the power to show you mercy and has the power to change you. For some changes, it may happen quick. There are testimonies of dramatic changes in a person’s life. For others, it may take a lifetime. Paul used his own life not in a way to boast about himself, but to put Christ on display. May the Holy Spirit give you faith to believe and trust that as Jesus changed Paul’s life; Jesus can change yours too. Questions for Reflection: What is an area of your life that you struggle with? What is a weakness or stubbornness that your family or friends have been pointing out to you? Have you gotten used to a certain way of doing something that you can’t imagine living without it? Do you believe that God has the power to transform you? What holds you back from believing? What are some ways that God has already changed you?

Weekly Pastoral Reflections

Posts by Pastor Jeff (Page 3)

The Religious Leaders Confront Jesus (Week 4, Day 3)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple (Week 4, Day 2)

The Triumphal Entry (Week 4, Day 1)

To Give Eternal Life (Week 3, Day 6)

To Be Our Substitute (Week 3, Day 5)

To Take Away Our Curse (Week 3, Day 4)

To Seek and Save the Lost (Week 3, Day 3)

To Be Our Mediator (Week 3, Day 2)

To Be with Us and Save Us (Week 3, Day 1)

An Example (Lent: Week 2, Day 6)