Post #250 - and appropriately a sermon...

Today's post is the 250th post on the blog.  Thanks for reading along.  Appropriately, the 250th post is a sermon post.  Here are the notes for this week's sermon.  As always, you can get the audio and notes in PDF at sermons.heritagepark.org.

Christmas 2010

Joy

Romans 5.2-5

Rejoice:  you’re under only grace

• Some think God relates to them on the basis of their performance.
• If you are in Christ, you are under grace and only grace. 
• Anything and everything that comes to you is Father-filtered and for your good.
• We have a bedrock of firm footing:  God is for us. 
• The realm of grace reminds us this isn’t all there is, leading to joy in what will be. 

Rejoice:  your trials have purpose

• Endurance – the ability to stick to something.
• Character – tested, hammered, proven that glorifies Jesus.
• Hope – the same hope for what will be.
• No matter our trial or reason for it, God is with us.