Do you believe in the love of Christ? I’ll bet you do. Have you experienced the love of Christ? I’ll bet you have. My question this morning is this. Have you grasped the love of Christ in its height and in its depth, in its length and in its width. To grasp means to seize, to hold on tight, to take to yourself, to bring close and not let go. It’s one thing to believe in the love of Christ. It is another thing to grasp it, to make it your own. I hope that my thoughts this morning will help you (and me) to grasp the height of Christ’s love. I pray you will be strengthened in your faith, rooted and grounded in love, deep in your hearts.

Genesis 1:26: On the sixth day of creation God said, “Let us make humanity in our own image…So God created humanity in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Every human being is made in the image of God. Therefore, every human being is to be treated with respect and honor. No one is to be treated as if they have no honor, no respect or no value. The writer of Psalm 8 looks at the heavens on a starlit night and is overwhelmed by the greatness of it all and says, “what is the human being that you are mindful of us, yet you have made us a little less than God and have crowned us glory and honor.” Every human being has been crowned with glory.

What do we do? We decide where God can get involved and where God has to stay out. Our secular age has infected us. Our secular age wants to corral God in the church, or in the family, or in private matters. God does not belong in the schools, in the courthouse, in the halls of congress, in the White House, on the football field, or in corporate board rooms. We do feel uneasy about a God who intervenes in the affairs of nations. And yet, that is the picture we get in Daniel, a sovereign God, a God who enforces the law with discipline.

What about human beings? I love the creation stories in both Genesis 1 and in Genesis 2. On the sixth day God creates human beings. What is the difference between the human being and the rest of the creation? Only the human being is made in the image of God. Dogs are not made in the image of God. Mosquitoes are not made in the image of God. Rainbow trout are not made in the image of God. But you are. You are made in the image of God. And God don’t make no junk. The very existence of human beings around the world means that the whole earth is full of his glory.

Christians in America are far too impressed with power and authority. We think we can end abortion by outlawing it. We think we can restore the santity of marriage by preventing homoesexuals from entering it. Wse think we can re-establish American sprituality by getting prayer back in schools and the ten commandments back on courthouse placques. We think we can rid the world of evil by killing terrorists. None of that will work. Here's why - the kingdom of God does not function that the way the kingdoms of this world function. As simple as power over versus power under. Power over is what Jesus menans when he says great men exercising power over someone. Power under is what Jesus means when he says ..but it shall not be so among you. Gives the example of himself. The son of man came to serve and give his life a ransom for many. IF the church can get power over...

“Lead us not into temptation.” What do we make of these words? God does not tempt us, nor does God lead us into temptation. That’s not a part of the very character of God. Commentators are in agreement that the word that is often translated temptation could instead be “trial” or “test.” Others suggest...