1. Devotion to God’s Word 1 John 3:1-3 (NIV) 3 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

2. “The Mysterious Union with Christ” Experiencing the deepest and most intimate of all relationships Romans 8:17-25 Sunday, September 25, 2005 Larry Cantrell

3. “The Mysterious Union with Christ” 1. God shares His glory through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17) Intimacy with God often comes as a result of suffering from achieving His will.

4. “The Mysterious Union with Christ” 2. Our union with Christ is to set us free from all things that are fading (Romans 8:20,21) What is our slavery to corruption? Sin (rebellion) Satan (deception) Our bodies (failing instruments) This world (not our home eternal) Relationships without God’s glory

5. Lord’s Invitation 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.