The Way of Forgiveness
Today, we see that The Way of the Cross is also The Way of Forgiveness—not only receiving God’s mercy but learning to extend it to others. The parable of the prodigal son teaches us about forgiveness from three perspectives: the one who needs it, the one who struggles to give it, and the Father who offers it freely.
Clothed in Christ
As people who have been clothed with the love of Christ in baptism, we are called to live in that love every day. Christmas is a great reminder of that love, but how can we carry the joy of Christmas into every day? In Christ, we are clothed with compassion, freed by forgiveness, and we persevere in peace.
You can’t choose your family…
Before we call others crazy, Jesus calls us to take a look at ourselves first. He reminds us that Satan is powerful, but he has been defeated by an even stronger opponent who then freely and graciously invites us into His family.
The bigger picture
As we continue in this season of Easter, we celebrate the victory that Christ has won for us over death and reflect on what that means for how we live our lives here on earth. The apostle Peter delivers a sermon which describes how the people denied Jesus and had him killed, yet somehow it was all according to God’s plan to bring life to the world.
The Gospel
Today is the day we set aside to celebrate the fullness of the Gospel—that Christ died, was buried, and was raised for the sins of the world. Today, we remember that we have received the Gospel, we stand in the Gospel, and we are being saved by the Gospel.
How to gain your brother
Jesus often speaks in riddles and cryptic language, but not today. Here, He offers some practical advice for resolving conflict and encourages us with His promise to be present, even with all our issues.
All-in faith
All three of Jesus’ interactions—calling Matthew, healing the woman, raising the dead girl—involve very similar things. All three involve social outcasts, Jesus not only calling but also following, and Jesus’ powerful touch.
Knowing the way
In John 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. These words from Jesus are known as the ‘farewell discourse’ which is actually a very poor title. These words are focussed on arrival rather than farewell and it is not a discourse but a proclamation of the gospel.
NOVO 2023: What we are
The first of four messages on NOVO 2023, based on the theme, ‘The Bigger Picture.’ We tackle the question of what we are as human beings.
Fear, forgiveness, and faith
The disciples were first forgiven their own sin before they were equipped and sent out to forgive. May our risen Lord do the same with us.