Day two of Blogging and lots to say!

Today was great! Firstly Amanda and I got stuck in traffic along arch hill which was quickly  followed by a coffee in Starbucks at Chiverton cross. Well this is all irrelevant.
Today I listened to a sermon by Dr Don Carson on Romans 3:21-26
 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.


So here are my thoughts after reading this passage and hearing Dr Dons sermon.

• The two most important things are the Cross and the resurrection.
• Sin is, first and for most, idolatry. As sinful humans we put everything above and before God, we show greater love for earthly things than for our Saviour and we marginalize God from our lives.
• The righteousness of God from the new covenant, is for all who have faith in Jesus Christ because all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. 
• We are Justified through Gods Grace and what Jesus did on the Cross.
• In the above passage God is the one who does the propitiating, not us!
• When Jesus is on the Cross He is showing Gods love and mercy but is also showing that God is just. He has previously left our sins unpunished but on the Cross he pours out all His punishment on His own son. He is Just!

What do you think?!?!?

My thoughts for today!

This afternoon i co-led an after school club. We looked at the story of Abraham and Sarah and focused on how Abraham relied on God for strength, and that with God anything is possible.
This got me thinking, how often do we turn to Christ for strength? Is it just me or do we sometimes go off and do our own thing and forget where our strength comes from. 
The verse we also looked at today was: 'I can do all things through Him who strengthens me' Philippians 4:13
I love this verse and I know that God is speaking to me through this verse. I find myself trying to get by some weeks on my own strength, and i realize that I just cant do it. After a week trying to live off my own strength i fall flat on my face, i feel exhausted, i want to give up and i just don't see the point. And every time this happens, God brings me back to the above verse. 
I urge you, therefore, brothers and sisters to trust in the Lord your God and rely on His strength each day.