Christ-Centered Flourishing

Christ-Centered Flourishing

When my two adopted brothers first came to live with us they were noticeably underdeveloped for their ages. They were four and six years old respectively however in both physical stature and verbal development, they presented as two years younger. They were both very skinny, short and could barely communicate. You see their parents had severely neglected their needs. While they were not starving, per se, the lack of care and nurture meant that they were languishing. Their little bodies and minds were not getting what they needed to flourish.

Once they moved into our home their lives changed dramatically. All of a sudden they were receiving three balanced meals a day. They were getting regular exercise. And they were being properly attended to educationally, relationally, and spiritually. In short, they were being loved. And these two undersized boys began to grow. They physically grew and soon caught up with their peers. They grew in other ways as well. Their vocabulary grew exponentially. And over time they have grown spiritually. 

This Sunday we come to our value of being Christ-centered. In all that we do we seek to place the person and work of Jesus Christ at the very center. Or to put it another way, we believe what Jesus says in John 15:5, apart from me you can do nothing. Our vision as a church is to flourish in gospel relationships. And to spiritually flourish you must receive spiritual nourishment. If we do not receive such nourishment we will languish. We will be weak and ineffective in our Christian walk. However, if we abide by Christ's Word, Love, and Commands, we will experience Christ-centered flourishing. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and meditate upon John 15:1-11, Psalm 1, Isaiah 5:1-7, Hosea 10:1, Matthew 7:16-20, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 1:9-10, and this article on Union with Christ.

As we gather to worship our loving Father this Lord’s Day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Come Thou Almighty King,” the Acclamation of Praise “To God Be the Glory,” and the Hymn of Response “In Christ Alone.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives so that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!

Sermon Information

Text: John 15:1-11

Title: Christ-Centered Flourishing

Outline:

1. To Flourish We Must Abide in His Word.
2. To Flourish We Must Abide in His Love.
3. To Flourish We Must Abide in His Commands.

Sunday's Bulletin

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