I had to make one of the hardest decisions I’ve made in the 4 months of OneLife Church. As the snow was still falling on Saturday, I really didn’t want to cancel but it became pretty obvious that the roads – and especially parking lots at the school – were only going to get worse. So we canceled. But it ended up being a great day in the history of OneLife anyway!

• We learned that the word can be spelled “canceled” or “cancelled.” Two Ls is actually the British spelling, if anyone cares to know!
• Instead of completely canceling (or cancelling), we decided to do our first ever web service.
• So my living room became “command central” and broadcast headquarters.
• Our creative director, Tyler, spent the night Saturday night to make it happen. And boy did he have to get creative!
• With only a camera and no tripod or lighting, he creatively used a coaster, upside-down trash can, the game Mad Gab, 4 lamps without lampshades, a bedroom door reflecting light at just the right angle, a dining room chair, and a blanket to get the perfect lighting conditions and camera angle.
• Maybe his new name should be MacGyver?!
• It wasn’t nearly as weird preaching to a camera as I thought it would be.
• We had way more people tune in on their computers than I thought!
• From what we can tell so far, over 125 people watched either live or on demand.
• I loved reading some of the responses on Facebook about families getting together in a bedroom or living room to watch and then discuss what we learned.
• This coming Sunday wraps up NewThru30 and I can’t wait!
• We’ll be having communion together for the first time ever.
• AND…Super Bowl Parties!
• Whatever you do, OneLifers, DON’T MISS THIS SUNDAY! You’ll be sorry if you do!

Today’s Key Verse:

John 10:18

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Sometimes I forget that Jesus didn’t have to do what he did. He did it willingly. He did it for me.

I think this is easy to forget simply because we take salvation and a relationship with God for granted. The only analogy that probably does it any justice is that of a parent to a child.

Does the parent have to give their children the best of everything that they can provide? Of course not! All a parent must do is keep their child alive. Provide food and shelter – that’s it. But what parent wouldn’t want to do more? Instead, most parents strive for the best clothes, food, house, education, and recreation that their money can buy. Many parents will even sacrifice their own wants and needs to provide for their children.

What Jesus did for us is similar, but yet more. He didn’t have to die for you and me. He chose to! How amazing, is that?! When I stop and think about that, I realize even more how incredible it is that Jesus chose to have a relationship with me. He chose to give up perfection in heaven to enter this world of work, pain, and death. And in doing so, he chose me. He chose you.

Today’s Prayer:

Thank Jesus today for choosing to give up his life for yours. Thank him for being willing to leave his home in heaven to give us the chance to live with him there for eternity. Ask Him to help you remember that your salvation is a gift to be treasured and to continually be thankful for.

Today’s Key Verses:

John 3:16-17

16″For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous verse in the entire Bible. Ive seen it on posters at sporting events, scribbled on bathroom stalls, and spray painted in graffiti. Its also one of the first verses that kids will memorize if they go through any kind of structured Bible memory program like Awana Club or Team KID (and if youve never heard of either, dont lose any sleep over it!)

This verse is famous for all the right reasons. It tells us exactly what we need to know about the Gospel message. God the Father loved the entire world so much that he gave up his prize possession so that anyone who believed in him would not be separated from Him ever again.

But its the next verse that I think really reveals the heart of God the Father. It also answers the questions of many critics. Verse 17 tells us that God sent Jesus to save the world, not condemn it. In other words, Jesus didnt come so that some people would go to hell. He came so that all people wouldnt! He came so that all people would have an opportunity to be in a relationship with God the Father rather than always and forever being separated from Him.

The idea of hell that scares most people is the idea of eternal fire. But what hell is really all about is being eternally separated from God and life as it was meant to be when it all started in the Garden of Eden. That life was one where relationship with God was the norm. Life was spent worshipping Him and enjoying his creation. That is what Jesus came to give to the world. He came to save us from the separation that would otherwise be there. He came so we would not be condemned to eternal death and separation from God.

Todays Prayer:
As you think about the second chance you have been given, thank God for giving his Son for you. Ask Him to help you understand and not take for granted the free gift of salvation that you can receive if you simply believe and put your total faith in Him. Ask God to help you be the difference in someone else coming to be a part of his family, too.

It’s the last week of NewThru30! Hang in there and keep it up!

Rodney Arnold
OneLife Church
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