Series Introduction
Everyone loves a mystery. Or so the saying goes. One mystery novel writer explained it like this: “It’s in our human DNA to ask why—to solve the puzzle, to discover the secret. It’s what pushes humanity forward. Everyone wants to be the first to figure it out.” He continues, “What else do we love about mysteries? The crime gets solved, the bad guy is captured, and justice is swiftly meted out. Most humans possess an innate desire for wrongs to be righted. While life rarely offers what we crave, good mysteries do.” In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul, a follower of Jesus, wrote: “We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began” (NIV). In this series we will explore the mystery of God solving the problem of our brokenness and the mess of this world that satisfies our craving for wrongs to be righted forever.
The Power in Weakness
Sunday, February 2 – Only the strong survive. That’s the theory this world operates under. As followers of Jesus we are often drawn into the power struggles of this life. In our families, our work, and in our culture. Today the mystery revealed is this: the apparent weakness of the cross is God’s power to save us from a life of striving for position and control. As the mystery of God’s power through the weakness of Christ is solved in us each day our lives open to the limitless possibilities of God’s love. This love is then released into our relationships and our world.
Glory in Humility
Sunday, February 9 – Our culture worships fame and fortune. From “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” to “Dancing with the Stars” we are glory hounds always on the hunt for more. It is the search for the significance we lost in the beginning when humanity decided they could do life better if they were in control. The mystery revealed today is that the glory we seek comes in humility of Christ crucified. In Jesus we are restored to a right relationship with God that opens the way back to the eternal life for which we were created. “We have received…the Spirit of God that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
Many But Only One
Sunday, February 16 – Strife and division are the norm in this world. We see it all around us everyday and sometimes it creeps into our life together as followers of Jesus. The church is too often influenced by the culture in which we live. The mystery revealed today is the certainty that there is one God, undivided and that all we do is under his watchful care. He is at work through us for one common purpose: to grow us into fruitful service, to build us into strong and sturdy people for all the world to see his love for them in us.
Majesty Not Myth
Sunday, February 23 – In an era where the accusation of fake news is heard almost daily it is hard to know what is true and what to believe. A lie or a half-truth repeated long enough and loud enough can become generally accepted as fact. The mystery revealed today is this: no word from God recorded in the Bible “was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Therefore Peter, one of the first followers of Jesus, can confidently announce “we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we are eyewitnesses of his majesty.”