Student Sermon Reflection::Heb 13:10-13

Tweet

David began preaching this week from Hebrews 13:10-13 by stating simply: “people in love will go to great lengths to be with, and enjoy, the person that he or she loves”. This isn’t a lofty concept, as we have close loved ones for which we will spend greatly of ourselves to be with. In verses 10-13 God likens His Son to the sacrificial lambs to be burned outside the camp, after the shedding of blood for the covering of the sins of the people. Vs. 12: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood.”

As one that’s stirred up by missionary biography, I love the story of the missionary to Ecuador, Jim Elliot. As I read through hundreds of pages of his journal entries, it was clear that Christ was his treasure, the love of his life. How so? In Jim Elliot’s words and actions he craved to join Christ where He is, outside the camp. For Elliot, this meant his physical death, for the sake of the Gospel, for his great Joy and God’s Glory.

If our love is Jesus, we will yearn to be close to Him. Lord, may we be a church that begs: “Let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured.”

-- Lanny Jones – C3 Student

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