Valuable

When we first started attending the church we are currently attending during this transition time, the interim pastor was doing a sermon series called "Signatures". He spoke of the different names of God. One week, the signature was "Zoe".

In that sermon, Pastor Emery had three points.

~ Eternal life is redeemed life. (Colossians 1:13-14)

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. (The Message)

~ Eternal life is abundant life. (John 10:10)

~Eternal life is unending life. (John 3:16)

One of my favorite parts of the sermon was when Pastor Emery gave a definition for the word redeemed. He said REDEEMED: set free from that which depreciates my life. I thought that that was just the loveliest way to describe redemption. I'm rescued.

Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

I love that because Jesus is the one who has redeemed me, I am His kin. All my ways, are set aside and my worth and value is found in who I am IN Him. He appreciates my life in that all things that take away worth from me, are gone.

What a beautiful picture.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
(NLT)