Our next series of sermons, starting in September, will examine the deep expectations that people have of God and their Christian faith and life.
The Bible contains many stories of faith and life, that prove to be a challenge to anyone who thinks that the Christian faith is one of ‘living happily ever after’. And yet that is the story that we are surrounded by in our culture – if only we did this, or bought this, or signed up for this, then our life would be so much better.
Whereas the Bible holds out the prospect of more than a simply better life, but a transformed life. God’s goal seems to be for us to be shaped and formed into the image of Christ – indwelt by the Spirit, learning to act as his apprentices, ready to be engaged on his mission. And all of that happens in the midst of our ordinary lives but demands a different expectation amongst believers.
The series will examine these expectations, remind one another of the nature of the world – it is fallen and infected by sin, so it is unlikely to be perfect – and the nature of being transformed by Christ.
The situations we will touch on are for many the furnaces where pure gold is formed through the development of the fruit of the Spirit built on the bedrock of Christian doctrinal truth.
I hope it can be practical, challenging, encouraging, and help you embrace your life, knowing that God is at work in and through you.
