During his earthly life, Jesus trusted in the Father to sustain and guide him. Jesus also submitted to the Spirit of God to move through Him to touch the lives of the people. In this way Jesus provides for us a model of living by the Spirit of God. Today, we will consider the dynamics of this truth through employing the life-story of a young man named Brian. Today, we hope you will savor the amazing grace expressed in a very personal Jesus. MP3 download.

 

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The Background

Brian was a typical suburban teenage guy in the 11th grade. Brian was growing up in a family of achievers. Each had his niche in life firmly established. Brian’s dad was a ladder-climbing businessman. Brian’s mother was the ever-present keeper of the house, juggling schedules with the skill and detail of a mechanical engineer. Even Brian’s younger sister was smart and, to Brian, “almost” as popular as he was.

The Change

Through a series of events, Brian became a follower of Christ through the faithful witness of a friend. It seemed that overnight Brian had changed. Brian noticed that he would get uncomfortable with certain friends telling “those” jokes. On the basketball court, Brian became painfully aware of how often …

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In the teaching on Sunday, Jan.24.10 in a message entitled: Jesus, Just Hype or Incredibly Human; I made the point that the difference between Jesus and you is one word – “trust.” The following images are meant to display how Jesus displayed similar emotions and desires that all humans have. The difference is that Jesus’ emotions and desires are rooted in His trust in the Father while our emotions and desires are rooted in trust in ourselves. This is exactly why Jesus never sinned because He trusted in God and not Himself. This is exactly the opposite of what Adam and Eve did and every other human (other than Jesus) who has ever followed them….

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It says in Hebrews 2:14-15,18:

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery… 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

This section of Scripture conveys an extremely personal Jesus. A Jesus that is incredibly human. When it comes to the humanity of Jesus, we often buy the hype of a superman-like Jesus …

 

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If you have kids you face the challenge of equipping them in the new media saturated world. We can all relate that we don’t want our child to be “that kid.” You know, the kid who was never guided by his or her parent(s) to develop a filter for life. One of the crucial starting points in equipping a child with a filter is to see the clear and urgent need to help your child. This filter is not only about making God-centered choices, but also learning how to discern the landscape of modern culture. When teens see other teens slamming down media through all means possible, your child better have some perspective that you have …

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Most Christians have a grasp that Jesus is the Son of God, but have a very weak understanding regarding the humanity of Jesus. Questions like, “Does Jesus really understand my feelings?” or “Can Jesus really relate to my situation in life?” often are never even considered. Today we will consider ten emotions that Jesus experienced that we also experience. We will see Jesus, up close and personal. MP3 download.

 

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Sunday (1.10.10), the first week of our “Personal Jesus” series, we laid out the ground-rules for considering the humanity of Jesus Christ. How do we keep the balance of the divinity of Jesus while at the same time not minimize the humanity of Jesus? Where is the dividing line? In order to give a solid, time-testing answer, I appealed to how the church solved this issue in the passed.

Wrong Answer #1
The Nestorian Heresy

The Council Nicea (in 325) had declared the church’s belief that God is one in essense and three in person, the “Trinity.” The next attack on the faith centered on the Person of Christ.
Nestorius became a religious leader (patriarch) of Constantinople in …

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Have you ever noticed that the questions regarding to the identity of Jesus during his time on earth never related to whether or not Jesus was actually a human? It was obvious. Jesus was a person like any other person. The driving questions about Jesus during his day related precisely to his spiritual relationship to God. However, have you noticed that today the reverse is more often the case? We simply resort to whitewashing over difficult situations in life with the overarching banner that God is in control. While it is certainly true that God is sovereign over all of creation, the Bible also paints a picture of Jesus being intimately involved in our lives, right down to the …

 

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Stand to Reason posted some interesting excepts from Brit Hume on the Fox News Channel:

Then, Brit didn’t back down on ‘O Reily:

Although I don’t know what exactly Brit’s belief system entails, I must give Brit props for sticking to his guns and pointing our that Buddhism does not offer the objective forgiveness that Tiger so desperately needs. The type of forgiveness we all need. The type of forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Addition #1:

Brit Hume clarifies and explains even more so the unique solution Jesus offers …

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This morning my incredible wife, Vicki, led the family in a devotion related to how we will use our time in 2010. It served as fertile soil for me to process some thoughts regarding how things we desire may affect the upcoming year. While I know that sinful desires will inhibit my ability to grow stronger in my faith this year, I do not think that sinful desires are the primary inhibitor in the potentiality of my spiritual growth in 2010. While it is true that the object of my desire can be evil: to kill someone, to steal, etc. I more often find that my real struggle is when the object of my desire …

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