Cottonwood Life

Looking For Purpose? Here It Is! Luke 4:17-19The Inaugural Salvation Message of Christ! The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me! Because He Has Anointed Me! • To Proclaim Good News to the Poor! God Targets Bankrupt Hearts! • To Proclaim Release to Prisoners; God Targets Our Strongholds! • To Proclaim Sight to the Blind! God Targets Our Darkness • To Set Free the Oppressed! The Shattered! • To Proclaim the Favorable Year of the Lord!

Jude 1:3-4 (NASB) 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Seven Reasons: 1) God Said it 2) To Silence the Opposition and Restrain Evil 1 Peter 3:15-16 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. Titus 1:10-14 (NASB) 10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circ

1 Peter 3:13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. What are we to do if the “normal” Christian Life is to be preserved? 1. Jesus Christ must occupy the throne of supreme sovereignty in our heart. 2. We must know “what” we believe and “why” we believe it. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 3. We must live in such a way that any accusation lev