Consumed Christmas from Southbridge Fellowship on Vimeo.

Orphan Sunday_SOUTHBRIDGE Video from Southbridge Fellowship on Vimeo.

Southbridge Serves – 2011 from Southbridge Fellowship on Vimeo.

Tim Keller – Interview Session #3 from Vintage21 Church on Vimeo.

I remember when I used to lie in bed at night and think those thoughts, wondering if all life would be was climbing some seemingly never ending ladder of achievement, but there is more. There truly is only one thing that will bring true satisfaction in life and that is a real relationship, not religion, not a belief system, not mental acknowledgment, but a real relationship with someone who would and did literally die to know you. Jesus Christ died for you. While we were still sinners, He died so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a relationship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ the Son. That is eternal life (not a ticket to heaven, but real life here and now).

There is more than the daily grind, more than our greatest achievements, more than mere moments of happiness, there is more. You can have it through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

John 17:3 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Admit you are a sinner in need of a Savior.

Believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again to pay the penalty for your sins.

Call upon Jesus Christ as Lord and you will be saved.

However, the gospel does not stop there. That is the beginning. The gospel should have an impact on every area of our lives. From the time we experience salvation we should never stop experiencing the gospel. It takes shape in multiple contexts. The gospel should change the way we do everything we do. Read the New Testament. Our marriages are pictures of Christ love for the church. Our giving is a demonstration of giving generously and of our best (God giving Jesus). As we work we have one boss as we work as if we were working for the Lord and not for men. In relationships we are commanded to forgive as Jesus Christ forgave us. What if the gospel really applies to every area of our lives? Is it for non believers only?

Some helpful resources that I recommend when you are thinking through your own personal finances are:

Surviving Financial Meltdown, by Ron Blue and Jeremy White (I mentioned this book a couple of times during this series).

Money, Possesions, and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn (A great book as a resource for a biblical perspective on finances).

The Treasure Principle, by Randy Alcorn (A short book that contains God’s investment strategy).

I would also recommend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. I have not completed it, but I have listened to some of the talks. Southbridge is also offering some small group classes called: The Road to Financial Freedom as a follow up to this series. You can sign up for those by emailing crown@southbridgefellowship.com.

Ron Blue in his book Surviving Financial Meltdown recommends these web sites for your personal finances:

www.masteryourmoney.com

www.mymoney.gov

www.crown.org

www.360financialliteracy.org/life+stages

He has more, but these should be useful.

During the invitation I asked people who wanted to trust Christ to raise their hand (because of the lighting in the theater I can’t see everyone), but hands went up in both services (I obviously cant see anyone in the video venues, but we had record high attendance in the video venues as well). It was such a blessing during the second service when I first asked people to raise their hands several went up, then after talking about the gospel for a second or so longer it seemed like a flood of hands went up. All of heaven was rejoicing not because hands went up, but because hearts were surrendering to Christ. Because He defeated death He can offer us life. Praise God for doing what only He can do and changing lives.

Later in the day I found out that one of the children in Bridgekids trusted Christ too and some people have made themselves known so they can get help with taking the next steps in their spiritual journey now that they have trusted Christ.

We praise God for doing the impossible in changing a heart from being without hope and without God to being made new in Christ. He has risen from the dead and raises us from the dead too!

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, that no one should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.