Fellow brothers and sisters,
I hope you are finding some rest and relaxation this winter break. I know that I had a great time being home with family and celebrating Christ’s birth. TCX was an amazing time of fellowship and rejuvenation in my faith. God is always faithful to bring us back to him even when we drift away.
I want to encourage you all to remember your first love, Jesus Christ. I have had the chance to discuss the book of Ephesians with a friend and he reminded me of my identity in Christ. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-6
If those verses don’t get you stoked, I don’t know what will. Basically, you and I are dreadful sinners and apart from Christ we are Dead! Like zombies!! I find it amazing how I so easily revert to living under the law and think that I need to try harder to overcome sin. But you and I know we cannot bridge the gap between our sin and God. God knows we are desperate helpless human beings, that is why Jesus Christ bore all of our sins so that we can experience Life!
Finding our identity in Christ and realizing our need for him is the only way to experience that life! So, I encourage you to remember God’s great love for you and his desire to be with you. I understand that winter breaks can be a desert for our spiritual lives but remember that you are alive with Christ! Christ literally lives in you, run back to your loving savior every day, and experience freedom from living under the law.
I love you All! 🙂
Your brother James