Living by the Spirit | Romans 8

On Sunday evenings I've been teaching a series of messages through Romans 8 at Calvary | Curitiba entitled "Living by the Spirit". Romans 8 is great chapter with a message that every Christian should know. It teaches us that the presence, control, power, and assurance of the Holy Spirit is essential to living a victorious Christian life. In fact, the Holy Spirit is specifically mentioned 19 times in this one chapter. The theology contained in these 39 verses is relevant and practical for you and me. If we will listen to its message and apply it on a daily basis with the Spirit's help, then we will live the Christian life the way God wants us to live it. During the next few days, I'll be sharing in my blog some doctrinal and practical lessons that I've been learning from this great chapter in Romans. Stay tuned; more's to come...

Calvary | Curitiba 2010 Easter Retreat

Our church spent three days at a retreat facility in Piraquara, PR during Easter weekend. The purpose of this mini-getaway was to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Christ together as a church fellowship. The theme of the retreat was "The Glory of the Cross". Each of the four teaching sessions focused-in on the powerful and practical relevance of the cross of Christ in the Christian life.

The highlight of the retreat was waking up early Sunday morning to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It was a joy to worship our living King on Easter Sunday through music and message, continuing a tradition that Christians have been enjoying for 2,000 years. Before the morning was over five members of our church were baptized; being united with Christ in the waters of baptism.

The retreat ended with our evening Easter service at church in Curitiba. God met us in a special way in His word. We opened our Bibles to Romans 8 and learned that the event and doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus is essential to living the Christian life by the Spirit.

To God be the glory! Christ is indeed risen!