Living Memorial

As we spend this weekend celebrating and considering the precious freedom we have that was paid for by the blood of those heroes who were willing to lay down their lives for us, may we never forget them, and may we never forget our Lord Jesus, who has given the chance of eternal freedom to all men and women from every tribe and tongue. He was the ultimate atoning sacrifice for us. Paul describes our state of utter wickedness and hopelessness in the Book of Romans before describing how Jesus has fully justified us by His death and resurrection. Then, as he states that God's mercy shown in Christ's sacrifice is still in our view, the apostle urges all believers to "offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (12:1). In other words, Jesus has already taken care of the penalty for our sins and we no longer must shed animal blood or present dead sacrifices to satisfy God. Instead, we must offer ourselves - everything we are and everything we have, including our very lives if compelled - to God to be used for His glory. This week at Friendship, we'll dig into what it means to be a "Living Memorial" to God, then take a look at the story of one who was just that. I'm talking about Esther. If you've ever wondered if God would make a way through your difficult circumstances, know that He may be waiting for you to offer up everything you have, and then you can watch Him work! Join us for this encouraging and challenging message.