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Let a Little Light In
Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman

Let a Little Light In

Kyle Kauffman

Sin is like a nocturnal animal. It loves to hide away in the darkness. But the more we hide it away, the more sin tends to thrive and grow. It’s often only as we bring our sin into the light that it starts to lose its power. This is exactly what John is calling us to do in 1 John 1:5-10. It’s why confession to others can actually be a means of God’s grace in our lives. Confession acts to bring what was otherwise hidden into the light. This act loosens some of the power of sin and helps us to find support in our fight against sin. John tells us that confession of sin strengthens our relationships with each other in the church and strengthens our grip on the gospel. As we confess our sins we experience real (not fake) fellowship with one another and we experience the felt forgiveness that is ours in Jesus Christ. These things then give us greater power to fight the sin that is in our lives.

1 John 1:5-10

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The Freedom to Be Honest
Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman

The Freedom to Be Honest

Kyle Kauffman

One of the reasons we are prone to fake it and hide away our sin is because we don’t really believe the gospel. If we believe the gospel, then it should free us from having to act like we have it altogether or aren’t really sinners. The gospel is based on the very fact that we really are sinners who need a savior. The gospel assures us that we are accepted by God despite our sin. As those who are united with Christ, we are fully known and completely loved by our God. When we understand that, we are freed to risk being honest with other people because we don’t need their acceptance and approval. And the more honest we are about our sin the more we will have a community that displays what it feels like to be both known and loved by each other.

Galatians 2:15-21

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But First, God
Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman Let's Be Honest Kyle Kauffman

But First, God

Kyle Kauffman

Before getting honest with each other, we are meant to get honest with God. It’s pointless to start confessing our sins to one another if we have not first confessed our sin to God. Real confession and repentance start with realizing that our sin is first and foremost against God. We also recognize that our sin is not simply bad behavior, but rather a heart that is resistant to God. And we recognize that forgiveness and real change must come from God. So, we approach God with honesty, confessing our sin to him, receiving grace from him, and asking Him to be the one who cleanses us and changes our hearts. 

Psalm 51

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The Importance of Relationships
Come and See Josh Stalnaker Come and See Josh Stalnaker

The Importance of Relationships

Josh Stalnaker

Everyone craves relationship. the Bible is full of examples of people craving relationship in positive and negative ways. God exists in relationship as the Trinity and has existed like that for all eternity. John 1:35-51 introduces us to some of Jesus' first disciples and how they began following Him. In two instances (Simon Peter and Nathanael) individuals hear about Jesus through relationships they have with others. Not much has changed, people still follow Christ because someone they know introduced them to Jesus. Relationships give us the opportunity to use the craving we have been created with to introduce people to Jesus and to pour into others lives as they grow in the Gospel.

John 1:35-51

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Fullness of Life
Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman

Fullness of Life

Kyle Kauffman

We all have the desire for a life that is full, satisfying, and complete. But so often we look for life in the wrong places thinking that what we long for can be found somewhere other than God. Jesus came so that we might find life in God. Not simply so that we could treat God as an add-on to our already full lives. The more we come to truly know God the more we find our hearts and lives satisfied in him. Jesus came so that we might truly know God. In Jesus we find a God who is full of glory, full of grace, and full of love. It’s as we live to know this this God that we find the fulness of life we are longing for.  

John 1:14-18

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Newness of Life
Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman

Newness of Life

Kyle Kauffman

Jesus came to this earth, not simply because we need a good example to follow or a good teacher to give us spiritual pep talks. He came to this earth because apart from him we don’t really have life. He did not come to this earth simply so that we can have a day off in December, fun traditions, and a reason to give each other presents. If that’s all Christmas is, it’s just a distraction from reality that makes us forget our terminal condition. Jesus came to this earth to give life to those who are dead. John 1:10-13 exposes our desperate situation, holds out the hope of new life in Christ, and shows us how this new life is received and enjoyed.

John 1:9-13

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The Author of Life
Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman

The Author of Life

Kyle Kauffman

John 1:1-3 introduces us to the “Who” behind Christmas. In one of the most precise, powerful statements in the Bible, John tells us the one who came as a baby at Christmas is the God who created life (and all things) and gives meaning to life and our existence. John reveals that behind and at very center of Christmas stands the God who wants to be Known. This is why He created, this is why He took on human flesh, this is why He still speaks to us today. We find that Christmas supplies answers to some of our most important questions in this life like, “Why am I here? How can I find meaning for my life? Does God exist? If He does, how can I know Him and relate to Him? And so we find that Christmas challenges us to orient our lives completely around knowing this God.

John 1:1-3; 17:3

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The Light of Life
Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman Christmas Is Life Kyle Kauffman

The Light of Life

Kyle Kauffman

Light and life are intricately connected. Light is necessary for life to exist. Light enables us to see things as we should. Light exposes what would otherwise remain hidden. Light gives us hope in the face of darkness. When John declares that Jesus is the light, He is saying the exact same thing about Him. There may be all sorts of other places we look for ‘light’ in this life. But light that truly brings life, joy, and hope is only found in Jesus. We see our lives differently when we see that Jesus is the light. We walk through life differently when we see Jesus is the light. And we find hope in all the darkness of our lives when we see Jesus is the light. Jesus came at Christmas so that our lives might be connected to and illuminated by Him as our light.

John 1:4-9

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God's Heart For the World

God's Heart For the World

Kyle Kauffman

Do we believe that God truly loves the world? Do we believe it is God’s desire to save sinners? Do we believe that God does not wish for any to perish? It’s easy for the church to become inward focused and to lose its passion to see the gospel advance and sinners saved. But when this happens, we actually have lost our understanding of God’s heart for the world. Jonah is a book that displays God’s love not just for his people, but also for those who are not yet his people. We, as his people, are called to have the same heart that God has for the world. God is always moving outward in His love for people and he calls the church reflect his heart by moving outward as well. 

John 4:5-11

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Hearts Exposed

Hearts Exposed

Kyle Kauffman

Jonah’s response to the salvation of Nineveh is one of the most surprising parts of this book. How can Jonah be so upset that God chose to save Nineveh? Why would Jonah, who has been a recipient of God’s amazing love and grace, be so angry when God shows that same love and grace to others? Yet, even as we ask those questions, we are forced to see something of ourselves in Jonah. How often, do we as recipients of God’s grace live with an attitude towards others that is completely out of line with his grace? How often are we who have been saved, completely comfortable with the through that other will perish?  How often does our attitude towards the world (especially whoever we perceive as our enemies) the same as Jonah’s? We find in Jonah our own hearts being clearly exposed even as we also find God’s heart for us being clearly revealed.

Jonah 4:1-4

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