Posts with the category “ambassadors”

When Redefining a Word Begins Redefining the GospelRecently I had a conversation with another pastor that forced me to stop and reconsider something that many Christians assume they already understand.The subject of the conversation was simple: What is a disciple?At first glance, that might seem like a basic question. The church uses the word constantly. We talk about discipleship programs, discip...  Read More

After discussing why we don’t play baseball on Sundays, the next question is: What do we do on Sundays? The short answer is: We worship. Our Sundays are intentionally set aside as a time to prioritize our relationship with God and to remember the gospel. It’s a day for corporate worship, rest, and reflection.Biblical Conviction“What do you do on Sundays?” The question might seem simple enough, but...  Read More

Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter and address the big question. Is it a sin to play baseball on Sundays? Answer: No! We are not saying that it is a sin to play baseball on Sunday. Just like no one claims it is sinful to walk a certain number of steps on Sunday or perform miracles (as was accused of Jesus).So now that this question is answered and out of the way, why do we choose not to...  Read More

...  Read More

What if the One True Gospel of Jesus Christ changed you so much, that you no longer lived for yourself? What if the Saving Work of Jesus Christ—the Perfect Atonement for your sins—changed you so much, that you no longer desired to live like the world? What if the Love of Christ controlled you so much that you were compelled to persuade others to follow Jesus?It should. Your life should be transfor...  Read More

Cross-referencing 2 Corinthians 5:1 with Philippians 3:19-21 allows us to see the difference in mentality between the Ambassador and the unbeliever.Verse 19 clearly explains that the unbeliever sets his mind on the things of this world. His worth (“glory”) is found here on this earth. His “god” is everything that he can see here and now. The unbeliever is focused on what is temporary and worldly.B...  Read More

From the very outset of the Ambassador’s life, he sets his focus on “the things that are above.” The Ambassador recognizes that he is not of this world, and therefore should not live according to the things of this world. The Ambassador is in a foreign land, representing his King.We are reminded of this because our life is “hidden with Christ in God.” An Ambassador is a believer in Jesus Christ — ...  Read More

Chapter 5 leads us into verse 20, which says, “we are Ambassadors for Christ…” The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthian church and explaining what it means to be an “Ambassador.” Chapter 4, which we will look at soon, explains that even though he has experienced much difficulty in ministry, he “will not lose heart,” because he has this treasure within him that he must share (the G...  Read More

Being an Ambassador means that you understand that this earth is temporary. The Ambassador sets his focus on his future hope in Christ. The Ambassador looks not to the things of this world, but instead anchors his sights on the things that are above.Jonathan Edwards, a man who is known as the last of the Puritans, said this, “Lord God, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” May this be our focus as we ar...  Read More

“The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.  Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his serv...  Read More

As we come to the last verse of what is known as the Beatitudes, we encounter yet another verse on how to handle persecution. The purpose of the Beatitudes is to help the believer understand that the way to experience heavenly blessing is counter-cultural to the world’s idea of happiness. The believer in Christ must understand what it will cost to follow Jesus. And from the very beginning of Jesus...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

"Blessed" This is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. This is to find absolute peace in your life, no matter your circumstances. To be “blessed” is to understand that you have been given grace by a Holy God. Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), it is God who has chosen to make us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4). “For...  Read More

The beatitudes are most well-known for being found in Matthew 5:3-12, which is what we will be studying through this book. This word “beatitude” never appears in the Bible, outside of the subtitle, which is probably written above verse 3 in your English Bible. This word derives from Jerome’s Latin translation of the Bible, which would have been around 390 A.D. The word comes from the Latin “beatit...  Read More

In the first three verses of the Gospel of John, we can see an incredible amount of essential doctrines jump off the page. And, as we have stated in previous articles, these doctrines are foundational to the Christian faith. A few that are clearly observable are: 1) The Eternality of God, 2) The Supremacy of Christ, 3) The Triune God, 4) The Holiness of God, 5) The Doctrine of Election, 6) The Doc...  Read More

As we continue to look at this text, we must approach it with an understanding of the foundations of the Gospel message. As explained in the previous article, the Gospel begins with an understanding of the Holiness and Supremacy of the One True God. We recognize the greatness of God and His plan of redemption, which was established before the foundations of the world. This is an essential part of ...  Read More

Today we begin the 16th season of the OKC Ambassadors! We open up practice with our 9U baseball team, and we are very much looking forward to getting everyone together to lay the foundation of the team. Each year, on the first day together, we spend time establishing the goals, expectations and standards of what it means to be an Ambassador. This is a great day for us and a wonderful opportunity t...  Read More