Love Wins, Peace Reigns

When I was young, one of the popular ways to big farewell to someone as you parted company was to hold up two fingers and declare, "Peace!" It was a much shorter replacement for, "I'm leaving but I just want to wish you well and I hope you experience peace". We say this word when departing because frankly, wishing for it in another person's life is about the most we can do, practically speaking. Sure, we can pray for peace, encourage peace, and even exhaust our efforts in seeking peace for those around us. But we still can't PROVIDE it. No matter how badly we want peace for someone else, it is out of our control to give it to them. Yet, when the angels declared "peace" after Jesus' birth, and when Jesus later declared "peace" to his disciples after the resurrection, he was doing more than wishing. Jesus was GIVING peace. True peace, which is the peace of mind and soul, can only be found in Jesus. This week at Friendship, we'll look at the relationship between experiencing God's love for us, and living in the peace that was provided when Jesus came to this restless world. If you've been lacking peace in your life, don't miss this message!