Tenth & Broad Church of Christ Podcast

Blessed Assurance: Dying to Love

The Apostle John reveals three key marks of true Christianity: believing in Jesus, walking in obedience, and loving fellow believers. In 1 John 3:11-18, he exposes two dangerous lies about love that our culture promotes. First, that love comes later after we get our doctrine right, when actually love has been foundational from the beginning. Second, that love comes naturally, when true Christian love is actually supernatural and only possible through God's Spirit. Real love follows Christ's example of laying down His life for us, moving beyond words to concrete actions that serve others in practical ways.

Blessed Assurance: Search and Destroy

Jesus didn't come to earth just to show love and mercy—He came on a search and destroy mission against sin and the devil's works. According to 1 John 3, real Christians don't take sin lightly because they understand it separates us from God. We can't settle for sin management, constantly asking for forgiveness while never addressing the root problem. God's plan required two moves: His incarnation as a sinless man to take our place, and our rebirth through being born again. When we receive a new nature in Christ, we react differently to sin—like a sheep that flees from mud rather than wallowing in it like a pig. This doesn't mean perfection, but it means progress in our walk with God.

Blessed Assurance: In His Image

From the beginning, God created us to bear His image and share in the family resemblance. When sin entered through Adam and Eve's disobedience, we lost that image and experienced shame and separation from God. But God chose to pursue us rather than abandon us, sending Jesus to restore our capacity to bear His image. Through faith in Christ, God adopts us as His children and begins transforming us from the inside out. This isn't just about forgiveness - it's about being remade into God's likeness with ever-increasing glory. One day we will see Jesus face to face and be completely like Him, with no shame or reason to hide.

While We Wait: Show Love

During seasons of waiting, Christians are called to demonstrate love that goes beyond feelings to active service. Jesus modeled this radical love throughout His ministry by putting others' welfare first, even loving His enemies. When we show love to others - whether family, strangers, or those who oppose us - God counts it as love shown to Him. True Christian love seeks the good of others above our own comfort, serves those who cannot repay us, and extends grace to those who have wronged us. This love transforms our waiting periods into opportunities to live out kingdom values now.

While We Wait: Choosing Joy

Life is filled with waiting seasons that can easily lead to anxiety and impatience. However, we can find joy during these times by focusing on two powerful truths. First, we can rejoice in God's incredible mercy, which becomes most evident during our trials and is ultimately demonstrated through Christ's incarnation. Second, we can choose to be joy for others who are also waiting by offering simple acts of kindness like genuine smiles, using people's names, and showing sincere interest in their lives. These small gestures create ripple effects that extend far beyond what we can see, transforming both our own experience and the lives of those around us.