Resurrection Sunday 2013 - Where is God's Power?

Where is God's Power?
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Jesus did many impressive miracles throughout His earthly ministry, but the ultimate demonstration of who He is was in His resurrection from the dead. Similarly, when the Apostle Paul writes about his own life in Philippians chapter 3, he expresses a longing to experience God's power - not through signs and wonders in this life but in his own resurrection to be with Christ. In the meantime Paul's desire was to pour himself out as Christ did for the salvation of all who will believe. That's the most incredible demonstration of God's power: firstly that He would be able to raise us imperishable and undefiled to be with Himself forever; and secondly that in the meantime He can help us to be so transformed in character that we don't live for temporary things any more but only that which will last.

Getting to the Heart of the Issue

Why do we argue and fight? Why do we lay awake at night stewing over what people have said or done or trying to work out what we're going to do about something? The answer according to James 4 is the desires that are within our hearts. It's because of what matters to us. In fact, when some things matter too much it can get a little ugly! We explore what the Bible says in James chapter 4 and Philippians chapter 4 about handling the conflicts that arise because of competing desires. There's nothing wrong with having desires - life would be pretty bland without them! However when desires go to war - growing from desires into demands - that's when we have a problem. Thankfully, it's a problem that God has the solution for!