The Bad News is for Everyone

Ben Foust

Romans 1:18-2:3

Paul argues that people often suppress the truth about God and forge their own way. Paul uses the example of sexual ethics to illustrate this point. As controversial today as it was then, this presents a difficult dilemma for Christians. Yet the passage resolves the dilemma by teaching that all people are in the same boat as those who need God's grace. Christians have no standing for self righteous judgement, but rather are to bring the gospel to the world with humility and love.

A New Temple

Chris Hearty

Ephesians 2:11-22

Paul reminds the gentiles that they were once separated from God, but have been reconciled through Christ. There is now no separation between the Jews and gentiles, or between a believer and Christ.

The Problem With Religion

Ben Foust

Romans 2:1-3:9

Paul warns against human judgement and self-righteousness, calling attention to our hypocrisy and God's mercy for all. Paul reflects on God's righteousness.

Long for the Word

Mike Sullivan

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

Peter exhorts us to long for the Word of God as a baby longs for its milk. We know physical bodies grow in response to physical nourishment. Spiritually, we grow from being nourished by the Word. Science and human knowledge can let us down but the Word of God endures forever. If you are struggling to get into reading the Bible, pray and ask God to open your eyes to see what we have in His Word.

Six Ways to Lead a Tough Church

James Rochford

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Paul gives Timothy six ways to lead a tough church undergoing attack by false teachers who promote doctrines of demons. Timothy is directed: to stay well-fed by the Word, to work hard, to become what he wants to see, to lead with his Bible, to exploit the spiritual gift in him, and to trust that God will use him. God is not a harsh task-master. He will work on one area needing improvement at a time. What is one area you need to grow in?

Long for God's Word

Conrad Hilario

1 Peter 1:23-2:3

The Word of God is living and enduring. Although all of creation will fade away, his Word will not. God spoke all of creation into being by his Word. God's Word speaks to our present day. We are to long for the Word of God like a newborn baby longs for his mother's milk. As we long for the Word of God, we must put aside our old way of life, full of envy, malice, deceit and hypocrisy. To develop a taste for God's Word, start small, reading a few chapters of the Bible a week, start in the New Testament such as the Gospel of John, and start with a reading plan.

Resolving Personal Conflict

James Rochford

Philippians 4:1-3

Paul calls us to live in harmony with each other in the Lord. Everyone will at one time or another find themselves in conflict with someone. Even highly dedicated Christians will get into conflict. We need to remember both sides have made a contribution to the conflict and thus both sides have a role in resolving the conflict. The first step is to go before God and ask him to speak to you and then in sincerity, repent for anything he shows you. Other steps involve making a plan to meet with the other person to resolve the conflict. Ken Sande's books are very helpful in resolving conflict in a godly way.

The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ

Conrad Hilario

Philippians 3:1-9

Paul compares two ways of entering heaven. One way is to rely on your own righteousness, banking on your own good works to earn your way to salvation. Paul declares that if there ever was one who could put confidence in the flesh it was him, but after knowing Christ, he counts all his works of the flesh to be worth less than excrement. Instead, he embraces the other way, the only way, to salvation which is to rely entirely upon the work of Jesus on the cross to pay for his sins.

Religious Theater or Heartfelt Devotion

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 6:1-13

In this passage Jesus addresses people who have substituted heartfelt devotion to God with religious "theater." He calls on people to not act out of a desire to impress God or others, but to act out of a true appreciation of all God has done for them. One of the clearest ways this expresses itself is how we give financially--do we do it for recognition and influence or to gratefully share as God instructs? He also applies this to prayer.