SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“The gospel is the report of the victory of God achieved by Jesus Christ over the hostile spiritual powers arrayed against humanity…The true gospel, the story of Christ’s victory, begins with Yahweh, God the Son, descending from the glory He shared with the Father eternally (John 17:5) to be made man. The incarnate Son of God then waged war against the hostile spiritual powers oppressing humanity, against the power of sin, and against death itself. Arising victorious, He asce

“God’s goodness is greater than our goodness. His wisdom is wiser than our wisdom. His knowledge of what we need for sustaining our body and healing our soul is more discerning than ours. Therefore, in the spirit of the petition of the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done,” we leave the concerns and desires of our prayers to the mercy of God. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8). Accordingly, it is a great comfort to cast our burdens on the Lord and

“It is important to note that the first two times Christ inquires of Peter, “Do you love Me?” He uses a form of the word agape, which denotes the highest form of sacrificial and self-emptying love, the kind of love God has for man and that man can develop only through maturing in God's grace. Each time, however, Peter is unable to claim such a lofty love. When Peter answers, “You know that I love You,” he uses the term philo, which is a lesser form of love, akin to brotherly

“Since the dawn of time, resistance to God has been the hallmark of the human race – the great problem plaguing every man and woman.” (OCPM 5/24/2017) “Every human being struggles with immorality, because at our core is our heart’s rebellion against God.” (David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons) “The rebellion of the world against God reveals several things…While union with Christ brings love, truth, and peace, it also brings persecution, because the world hates love and truth..." (Orth

“Sometimes we become apathetic about serving the Lord or hesitate to do good because we don’t see any results...Don’t let discouragement over an apparent lack of results keep you from doing the work of the Lord enthusiastically as you have opportunity..." (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:58) “If someone does not consider himself Christ’s servant, then he is free to set aside the need for self-examination…Christ’s faithful servants are like navigators: we need t

“…the diversity of the Bible is a strength. It reflects God’s love for diversity. One language is not superior, one people are not superior, one mode of writing is not superior. Rather, God intends for humans to learn from history books, from law, from poetry, from proverbs, from apocalyptic literature, and more. He can teach through a fisherman like Peter, through a theologian like Paul, through a statesman like Moses, through a queen like Esther, and through his own incarna

"God supports my faith, at its strong and weak points, through other faithful, whatever their strengths or weaknesses. Let me have an open heart today, and remember that God works through other people." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin) “If you read the Old and New Testaments, I don’t think faith was supposed to occur in an individualistic context. We’re supposed to see our family and community as part of us, and we’re supposed to see ourselves as part of them. What we do impacts others;

“As training prepares an athlete, so spiritual discipline prepares a Christian to exercise faith and enter the Kingdom…A balanced spiritual diet must include healing times of self-examination, repentance, and confession as part of our disciplines for spiritual growth.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, OCPM 8/25/2016) “Inner spiritual discipline will create a clear sense of purpose and humility in your own heart.” (Father Barnabas Powell) "Now, the Lord is not tel