Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”
Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.” 2 Peter 1:12 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Repetition is the key to learning”
“Repetition is the key to learning” is a basic educational principle that every teacher is aware of, and it’s what Peter was referring to in 2 Peter 1:12. The more often and the more ways an important truth is taught, the better the learner will learn it and retain it.
As we turn the corner into April, and as we continue our theme of “Life on this side of the cross”, I want to pause and review some of the most important truths we have learned thus far. My approach has been to present the fundamental truths about life on this side of the cross in a sequential and progressive way, beginning with the incarnation of Christ and what that meant for the human race. Here are some of the key verses and topics we have considered so far:
Jesus ushered the world into a new and final age of human history. This age is different from any other there has ever been. There is now an entirely new way of being in relationship with God that was never possible before. (Matthew 13:16)
On the cross there was a great substitution that took place with Jesus getting all of our sins, and us getting all of His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We need Jesus to be our Savior, but we also must follow Him as Lord. (Luke 6:46)
We spent multiple days considering the tremendous impact the presence of the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. (Acts 2:1-4)
We learned about why God has left us here on planet earth instead of taking us straight to heaven once we were saved; and we learned about our role in His kingdom-building work here on earth (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
We spent multiple days considering the impact the followers of Christ are having around the world as we minister to lost and hurting people in His name. (Matthew 5:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23)
We learned that despite the opposition we face from Satan and his demonic hordes, even the devil’s best efforts cannot stop us. (Matthew 16:16-18)
We spent multiple days considering how we, the followers of Jesus, can and should be making a powerful difference for the cause of Christ in the middle of this worldwide COVID 19 pandemic. (Romans 8:28; Philippians 2:4; James 4:17)
We also considered the amazing truth that in Jesus’ own estimation, the combined efforts of His followers working in the world on His behalf would ultimately add-up to doing even greater works than He did when He was here on earth. (John 14:12)
And finally, we spent several days considering whether or not God Himself created and sent the COVID 19 virus upon the earth as some form of punishment, and how the pandemic relates to End Times prophecy. (Galatians 6:7; Matthew 24:36-39)
We actually covered much more than that, but there’s a summary just to remind us of the highlights of what we’ve learned so far. If you missed any of those lessons, or if would like to study them again, let me know and I will be happy to send them to you.
There’s much more to learn about life on this side of the cross and so tomorrow we will get back to it.
Oak Hill Baptist Church