9 Sermons Tagged "Gifts"

We have a unity (a strong relationship) both with God and with our fellow believers because we are called through the good news of salvation in Christ. We should conduct our lives out of thankfulness for the holiness God credits to us by serving others with the gifts God has given to us.

Jesus gave the binding and loosing keys to the church after his resurrection when he appeared to the disciples and other believers. We use the binding key (the Law) when someone is embracing a sin to show them they are damned to Hell and need a savior, and we use the loosing key (the Gospel) when they repent to forgive them of that sin and tell them Jesus is their savior.

Jesus told us that no one knows when he will come again, but still he instructed us to keep watch and be ready for his return. Unfortunately, today many people, even who profess to be believers in Christ, do not. But we can keep watch by being aware of what we cannot know, by hearing and reading God's Word, by using our spiritual gifts for God's glory, and by using the binding and loosing keys when reaching out to others.

We know from scriptures that the sacrifices given in the times of the Old Testament did not live; the animals were killed either just before or during the sacrifice. So how can we offer our bodies and our lives as sacrifices to God and still remain alive?

Is it the motivation for using our gifts? Do we know what it looks like? Do we see its great priority?

We are reminded of the gifts given by God's grace -- not just Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, but gifts that supply our every need -- which we then share with others.

It is a presence of many comforting gifts from God that Jesus gives through His Word with the Father and the Holy Spirit.