Wanderer/Restorer
Though this week’s passage has some serious implications, it’s also home to one of the Bible’s most beautiful truths that “God has ordained that his elect will persevere and he has ordained that it is a community project!” (John Piper)
Faithful/Faithless
Prayer is simply acknowledged helplessness—a confession and petition to God to move. Prayerlessness, then, is simply arrogance—a misguided view that we are capable of transcendent things on our own.
Truth/Lies
Being “imitators of God” (cf. Ephesians 5:1-2) means, among other things, that our words should be like his — life-giving and truthful. Our speech is to be invisibly oath-laden and transparently honest.
Church/Temple
Jesus was the reality the temple was supposed to point to all along—the real place where Heaven and Earth united (e.g., John 1:1-2; 14; 2:13-22). Now, as his body, the church, we are the new temple and emissaries of the Kingdom.
New Gathering Location!
After a lot of prayer and searching, we’re so excited to announce that City Parish is moving our Sunday Gathering location to McDowell Elementary starting on Sunday, July 23, 2023!
Patience/Endurance
Knowing that the Lord Jesus is coming back and that he will rightly rule and judge and undo all the evil that has been done gives us the motivation for patience and endurance as we navigate the everyday stuff of life.
Arrogance/Humility
The sovereign King of the Universe — the one in control of holding it all together — voluntarily gave up control, took our place in judgment by dying for our sins, SO THAT you and I could know that ALL THINGS are under his control!
Condemning/Serving
James says this gospel-driven humility will be manifest in us as we turn from our prideful sins. First, heeding James’s question, “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” we will leave judgment to the Judge—the Judge who can also save (4:11–12).
Worldliness/Godliness
God bestows not gifts only, but the enjoyment of them: but the enjoyment which contributes to nothing beyond itself is not what He gives in answer to prayer; and petitions to Him which have no better end in view are not prayers.