Adopted By The King

This weekend we began a new series at Zebulon to celebrate Easter. This new series is called "Family Matters," & over the next few weeks we want to talk about things that are important to families because families are important. However, we don't want it to just be a list of tips & techniques to be a better spouse, parent, child, etc. Instead we want to demonstrate how embracing the truth of the Gospel & living the Gospel life will transform every part of your life, including your family.

So we began our series with the issue that matters most to us & our families. Before our families can be all that we want them to be & all that they could be, we first have to be a part of God's family. And the good news of the Gospel is that in Christ we're not only offered the gift of salvation we're also invited to accept the gift of a new identity.

"In Christ, God Doesn't Just Accept Us. He Adopts Us."

Romans 8 is one of the most beautiful chapters in all of Scripture, & in verse 15 Paul tells us that when we accept the truth of the Gospel, not only are we forgiven but we receive what Paul calls "the Spirit of adoption." It means that we are brought into God's family with full rights. It means we become co-heirs with Christ to the Kingdom of God. It means that our old identity is gone. Our old debts...gone. Our old obligations...gone. Instead Paul tells us in verse 12 that we have an obligation, but it's not a slavish obligation. It's an obligation to our Father, & it's an obligation to our family. It means we have a responsibility to be about what our Father would be about, namely loving & reaching the lost & making disciples out of sinners.

In Christ, we've been adopted by the King of the universe. We've been made sons & daughters of the Most High God through the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yes, when we turn to Christ in faith, trusting Him alone to save us, our sins are forgiven, & we are justified before God. However, in addition to that, we also are brought into a new family with all the rights, privileges, & responsibilities that come with it. Now that's Good News.

The Friday Five

I'm starting something new here at the blog that will do a couple of things. First, it will force me to be a little more consistent in producing content. Secondly, it will be a place where I can get the word out about stuff that I'm reading, watching, or listening to that I think you would enjoy as well. Every week I'll give you five things I think are worth checking out. It may be some music, a book, a quote, someone you should be following on social media, or something that you can completely nerd out to. I hope you enjoy it.

With all that said, here's the inaugural Friday Five.

1. Music: Adoption by Ghost Ship. This is not a new song, but I'm still surprised at how many people still haven't discovered Ghost Ship. This band is absolutely incredible. The depth of songwriting of this group is a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the "top 40" kind of Christian music out there. If you're into a singer/songwriter/Americana kind of sound, you have to check them out. "Adoption is a track off their new album "Costly," & it's great. In fact, our worship team will be opening our Easter services this weekend with it as we look at how Christ's death & resurrection invites us to be adopted into God's family.
2. Book: The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis. I recently re-read this one on a flight, & it's incredible. If you're only interaction with the Chronicles of Narnia is "The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe," then do yourself a favor & read "The Magician's Nephew." It's basically the back story of how Narnia came to be. An absolute must read.
3. Follow: The International Space Station on Instagram. If you're on Instagram this is one of the coolest follows out there. They make your landscape & sunset pics on Instagram look like bad finger painting. And considering it orbits the Earth at 5 miles per second, you can get a wide variety of shots.
4. Podcast: Signposts With Russell Moore. Sometimes navigating the tension between faith & culture is difficult. In his weekly podcast Dr. Moore addresses some of the issues in the news or that he's questioned about regularly. In a brief but thought provoking platform, Dr. Moore encourages Christians to think biblically & wisely about the issues of life.
   
5. Nerd Corner: Star Wars-The Clone Wars. People who know me know that I am a HUGE Star Wars fan. OK, I'm not a fan. I fall somewhere on the spectrum of nerd to super nerd. In the last few years I discovered Star Wars-The Clone Wars on Netflix. However, when I ask other people if they've ever seen it, I usually get either an "I've never heard of it" or "I assumed it was just as bad as the prequels." If you're a Star Wars fan, you need to watch this. It does what Episodes 1 through 3 failed to do: make you care. The characters are well developed, & the multiple episode story arcs are one of the best aspects of the show. Do yourself a favor & binge watch this great series.