April 2025 Sermon Highlights and Key Takeaways:
Once and For All: Christ's Redemptive Work
The April theme series entitled, "Once and for all: Christ's redemptive work,” delved into the profound significance of Jesus Christ’s all-encompassing sacrifice. This series emphasized that Christ's death was a once-for-all act that fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant and established a New Covenant of grace and eternal redemption. And this has once again invited believers to reflect on the depth of Christ's love and the assurance of salvation that His redemptive work provides.
Sermon Summary and takeaways:
Our Law-ish hearts, His Lavish Heart
This message reminded Christians that even if we fail to please God, He understands. Jesus knows our weaknesses and He understands (Hebrews 4:15). He co-suffers with us in our struggles. He is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes (Hebrews 5:2). The only thing that is required of us to enjoy His lavish heart is to come to Him (Matthew 11:28). We do not have the burden of earning our place in God’s heart by living up to the law. Instead, we can find rest in a Savior whose love earned a place for us.
Takeaway:
In Jesus, we have a friend who deals with our struggles and sin with grace ‘cause His love is not bound by the law.
Our law-ish hearts will weigh us down, but God’s lavish heart will always let us experience the fullness of His grace. We shou;d never grow weary and law-ish because we have God, and we only need to come to Him. He is very near to us, and He has once and for all taken away our sins and suffering. He is truly a wonderful friend that we can always turn to for comfort and peace.
Truly, great is the Lord’s love and mercy. Though humanity is bound to sin, He is bound to forgive. There is hope for those with repentant hearts - as He rejoices, embraces, heals and forgives those who don’t deserve it, yet desires it.
Saved and Secured: Living in the confidence of Salvation
The second week of the theme series taught us that God doesn’t want us to live in doubt. And that He wants us to live in confidence with the assurance of salvation. And that basis of our assurance is our faith in Christ who died for us. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Takeaway:
As we believe and put our faith in Christ’s resurrection, we have the assurance of salvation. We can live in confidence and freedom as we keep our communion with the Lord.
The Resurrection
The message shared on the 3rd week of the month’s series highlighted the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. Because He rose from the dead, our faith and preaching is not in vain, we are not false witnesses, and we are bound by our sins no more (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Thanks to the gift of His resurrection that we are forgiven, redeemed and nothing we do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.
Takeaway:
The Lord’s death and resurrection is life-transforming. We can live in hope knowing that surrendering our lives to Him will never be in vain. May we live our life for His glory because He is worthy.
It was Jesus, after all
The month-ender message highlighted the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. And from these stories, it can bring to mind that Jesus has always been with us and for us. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, knows us personally and deeply cares for us. As we reflect on our daily lives, may we recognize Jesus’ presence everywhere, in every aspect of our life.
Takeaways:
Jesus knows us well. He understands our feelings and cries. He knows us by our names. By getting close to Him and remembering the same power and miracle he holds, we can also get to know Him more. It was Jesus, after all.
This sermon series serves as a poignant reminder of the depth of God's love and the transformative power of Christ's redemptive work. It calls believers to live in the light of this truth, embracing the freedom and responsibility that come with being recipients of such grace.