Student Sermon Reflection::Heb 13:7-9

Tweet

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor David was in Hebrews 13:7-9. When talking about verse 8, the point was brought up that we know what the Gospel was for us when we got saved and what it will be for us in the future but often we are not sure what the Gospel means for us today. We were reminded that the Gospel today is sweet and scandalous and I need to hear it all the time. He mentioned how Satan loves to blank out what Jesus is doing in me today because then I won't live for Jesus. We have set up "functional saviors" which are "foods which have not benefited those devoted to them". This reminds me of the sweetness of the reality that I cannot save myself and I need to lean on Christ and trust Him.

I am reminded not to forget about the sweetness of the Gospel because my eternal destiny is assured but find joy in that the Gospel is a wonderful, constant reminder of what I need to look to every day. The Gospel reminds me of God's grace and my unworthiness. Every day I give into the temptation that what I really need is something more than what Christ offers. I do this by choosing what I want over what Christ wants for me.

Christine Morrow - C3 Student

Student Sermon Reflection

Tweet

In this last sermon Pastor David began his series on “The Outsiders,” based off of Hebrews 13:7-13. Studying vs. 7, which tells the Hebrews to imitate the faith of their leaders, he posed the question, what makes a life worthy of imitation? In order to answer this question, though, we must first answer the question of why it is we find ourselves longing to imitate anything. This is because we are made in the image of God, built to reflect His glory. Unfortunately sin has broken that image, so we are called to imitate the great leaders of faith, Paul, Moses, Abraham, and ultimately and quintessentially, Christ. The Christian people are called away (like any of the great leaders) from the wisdom and ways of the world to the camp outside it, to the place we meet Christ.

In application, this begs its own question.
Q: Do I want to live a life worthy of imitation?
A: Yes.
Q: How?
A: Imitate the great leaders. I must study the leaders of the faith and pay attention to those around me who have been placed as Christian leaders over me. Then, much like when I was a freshman in college trying to figure out how to be successful for the next four years, do like they do (did). Do whatever it takes to be like Christ.

--Chris Ramos - C3 Student

Student Sermon Reflection

Tweet

On Sunday Pastor David encouraged us through Romans 4:16-25 to consider our present circumstances with sober minds and hearts while looking hopefully to all that God has promised us through His Word. So often I am guilty of trying to forge a false reality (denial) or “white-knuckle” my circumstances in my own power (determination). I find myself looking at the sin in my life and trying to pretend it isn’t really there, or worse—that I should give up the fight because I am a failure. Other times, I want to “pick myself up by the bootstraps” and fix my own problem.


In light of the message from Romans, my response should be:
a) to trust God in the wilderness and
b) to realistically consider where I am today and fix my eyes on Christ, the one who has promised that “He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.”

--Ryan Shelton - C3 Student