Reflecting God - "Live Life To It’s Fullest" The Global Church of the Nazarene of Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Sunday, 27 December 2015 – Embrace Holy Living - Ephesians 4:17—5:2

Reflecting God - "Live Life To It’s Fullest" The Global Church of the Nazarene of Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Sunday, 27 December 2015 – Embrace Holy Living - Ephesians 4:17—5:2
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Ephesians 4:17 Therefore I say this — indeed, in union with the Lord I insist on it: do not live any longer as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking. 18 Their intelligence has been shrouded in darkness, and they are estranged from the life of God, because of the ignorance in them, which in turn comes from resisting God’s will. 19 They have lost all feeling, so they have abandoned themselves to sensuality, practicing any kind of impurity and always greedy for more. 20 But this is not the lesson you learned from the Messiah! 21 If you really listened to him and were instructed about him, then you learned that since what is in Yeshua is truth, 22 then, so far as your former way of life is concerned, you must strip off your old nature, because your old nature is thoroughly rotted by its deceptive desires; 23 and you must let your spirits and minds keep being renewed, 24 and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the truth.

25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, let everyone speak truth with his neighbor,[Ephesians 4:25 Zechariah 8:16] because we are intimately related to each other as parts of a body. 26 Be angry, but don’t sin[Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:5(4)] — don’t let the sun go down before you have dealt with the cause of your anger; 27 otherwise you leave room for the Adversary.

28 The thief must stop stealing; instead, he should make an honest living by his own efforts. This way he will be able to share with those in need.

29 Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them. 30 Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.

5:1 So imitate God, as his dear children; 2 and live a life of love, just as also the Messiah loved us, indeed, on our behalf gave himself up as an offering, as a slaughtered sacrifice to God with a pleasing fragrance.

Live Life To It’s Fullest" by Author: Jeremiah Bolich
Our worldview is important. Our understandings of happiness, love, success, and self-worth are all shaped by our worldview. Of course, the Christian’s definition of such topics is radically different than that of the non-Christian, for our worldview is different.

The Christian worldview is shaped by Jesus and His perspective. His understanding of “living life to the fullest” is ours also. Thus, the Christian and Jesus share the same perspective of life. Amidst all that bombards us in these days of self-fulfillment, we as Christians embrace a life fulfilled by Jesus himself. He is our life, and in Him, we are fulfilled completely. This is the natural consequence of living in Jesus’ perspective.
The world often boasts of a happiness and fulfillment that comes from their perspective of life. This boasting, of course, is in vain, for the only lasting happiness is in Christ himself.
I would like to challenge you today to allow Jesus to fulfill every aspect of your life. Live in intimacy with Him and you will find the joy and peace that you’ve always wanted.
Hymn for Today: "I want to be filled with the Triune God" by T.P.

1. 

I want to be filled

with the Triune God.

He makes me happy;

I want to be filled with Him.

(Repeat)

Refrain: So I will drink, drink, drink, drink, drink

that living water,

And I will eat, eat, eat, eat, eat

the tree of life,

And I will call upon His name,

O Lord Jesus!

’cause I want to be filled

up, up, up

Oh, I want to be filled

up, up, up

Yes, I want to be filled

up, up, up with Him.

Thought for Today:

"So imitate God, as his dear children;" Ephesians 5:1.

Please pray:May God be with the church as she begins to be revived to be the church to show love and peace to the world by fully including the Immigrants, Refugees, The Blacks, the people who are differently abled, and people who are different in their sexual orientation.
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