Amos
God doesn’t want us to destroy ourselves in our own sinfulness, but in our free will we sometimes leave Him with no other option. He wants to be with us in love. He wants us to choose to follow. Unfortunately, we are sinful. Life is a tug-of-war.
Amos
Coming to the altar isn’t about the show, it is about God and being humble before Him. Is God impressed by our fancy bands, our smoke screens and stage performances, and the size of our projection screens? Is God impressed by how entertaining the sermon is or how many
Amos
When people are raised to see their fellow man as a source for increasing their own wealth, society has a problem. We all struggle against sin, but the sin learned in the home can be the most difficult to root out. It is imperative that households don’t become breeding
Amos
If we worship a generous God, how can we justify hording His blessing? If I do not earn God’s love, yet He blesses me anyways, how can I justify demanding others to earn my love? It’s not a case of giving everyone what they want; it is genuine
Amos
Unfortunately, few people understand the concept of enough. I truly struggle in the right circumstance. Sit me down with a carton of peanut butter ripple chocolate ice cream and I can convince myself to eat the whole container before I feel I’ve had enough. Other people passionately acquire things.
Amos
Do I listen to God when He sends people into my life to chasten my action? Am I humble enough to receive rebuke or stubborn enough to demand my own way? Is my heart malleable or hardened? God presents six scenarios illustrating cause and effect: * For two people to walk
Amos
To whom much is given, much will be required. Jesus speaks these words when talking to His disciples in Luke 12:48. The greater context of His quote is a lesson about the condition of our heart, where we place our treasure, and how prepared we are to be with
Amos
Systems that focus wealth up the chain and create dependencies upon those with power are inherently contrary to God’s design. God is a God who sets people free. God empowers us to change, improve our being, and then live into our calling. He wants us to become like Him.
Amos
Whose sin is worse: the sin of those who do not know God or the sin of those who claim to know God but act apart from His ways? Those who know God are assumed to be in the process of understanding His ways more deeply. Because we are in
Amos
God calls us to value life rather than destroy it. After all, God sent His Son to die for us so that our life with Him would be preserved. Death is a natural part of the order of things, but intentionally destroying life for the sake of being destructive is
Amos
God calls us to respect life and uphold His order. This world is created by His hand; we should see Him in it. The people are created in His image; we should see semblances of Him in the people around us. Amos declares the Ammonites guilty. The Ammonites were descendants
Amos
If we want to live in righteousness, we should primarily be concerned with the condition of our heart. In Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus teaches that every tree is judged by its fruit. He also teaches that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.