JR. Forasteros - November 13, 2016

Strength

[w]hole

Most of us feel as though we just don't have enough. But God calls us to be faithful with what we have - to use whatever influence, power, money or means we have as gifts from God to invest in the world around us. What does it look like to love God with all of our means?

From Series: "[w]hole"

How do we know if we're a whole person? Sin never begins full grown - it starts as seeds buried deep within us. Jesus told us a fully human life is one where we love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. After we explore what Jesus meant by those terms, we'll see how we can use each as a lens to investigate ourselves. We'll discover the seeds of sin hiding within us so we can pluck them out before they can grow to full bloom!

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What does it feel like when God is angry at you?

Off the cuff, you might wonder if hitting more red lights than usual is a sign of God’s wrath. But more seriously, when we hit hard times, it’s easy to feel like we made someone up there mad. When we get sick, or when we have one of those weeks, months or years when it’s one thing after another, we want to blame bad karma or say the universe is against us or question what we’ve done to make God mad at us.

It doesn’t help that, whenever tragedy strikes, there are plenty of pundits who want to make sure we know God’s to blame.

Every natural disaster, every national tragedy, you can find at least a few crazy Christians trying to explain how and why we’ve angered God so God threw a hurricane or tornado or airplane at us.

And in times of personal tragedy, that happens too. Well-meaning people put a gentle hand on our shoulder and ask if we are right with the Lord, implying that we’re probably not, and that’s why this is happening to us.

Is that what it looks like when God gets angry?

Well… no. Like all the best lies, this one has a grain of truth in it

But the idea that God is essentially Thor, throwing lightning bolts at those who cross him is just plain wrong. Understanding God like that makes us afraid, and it actually keeps us from responding correctly to God’s anger.

Let’s talk about what it looks like when God gets angry, and how we can respond to that anger. Because God’s anger – like every other aspect of God – arises from God’s love, a perfect love that casts out fear. And ultimately, God’s anger is about life and hope.

Join us Sunday as we learn how God’s anger can be good news.

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