Direction Out of Chaos

Dennis McCallum

1 Samuel 3:1-4:18

Hannah is barren and earnestly prays for a son, vowing to dedicate the baby to the Lord if her request is granted. The Lord allows her to conceive and she gives birth to Samuel, whom she sends to live and serve at the temple under Eli the priest. Eli's failure to discipline his evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas, results in the Lord declaring judgment on all three of them. Samuel is called by God to be a prophet and the spiritual leader of Israel. The Philistines defeat the Israelites and capture the ark of the covenant, killing Hophni and Phinehas, who had irreverently carried the ark into battle. When Eli hears the news about the ark, he falls over, breaks his neck, and dies.\r\n

An Enduring Faith

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 12:1-13

Paul describes the Christian life with a multi-faceted comparison to a race. In one sense, the baton has been passed to us from those who have ran it before. In another sense, we are called to throw off hindrances as we run a marathon. The way we stay in the race is to keep our minds trained on Christ.

The Effect of Living On

Dennis McCallum

Philippians 1:21-27

Paul calls believers to be others focused and to strive for unity in the Body of Christ. The world system preaches a message of self interest because they see this life as all we have. As believers who know that there is an afterlife we are called to spend this life serving and loving others which is truly beneficial for us.

Loving Others with our Wallets

Dennis McCallum

1 John 3:16

Christians are called to love others in truth and deed, and this very much includes giving our money. We are stewards of what God has given us, and if we want to be dedicated givers we need to practice disciplined regular giving rather than only impulse giving. In this way we can heartily invest in God's work with the money He has blessed us with.

Admonition

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Paul praises the Thessalonians for their love, but urges them to continue to excel, especially in the area of admonition. Despite our culture and pride that oppose correction, we are called to humbly receive correction and give correction to other believers out of love for them. As we participate in this task, there are several principles that lead to effective admonishment.

Love in Community: Setting Limits

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 2:5-8

The cultural view of love and God's view of love are quite different. Our culture views love as an emotional connection while God views love as a choice to act for the benefit of someone else. God's love includes discipline which we do in order for the good of a brother or sister in Christ.

Two Elements of Spiritual Parenting

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

Paul explains two aspects of spiritual parenting: 1) prioritizing face to face relating; and 2) a willingness to be affected by another person's spiritual health. Technology is not a replacement for face-to-face relating. It actually can be a hindrance. We should prioritize face-to-face relating with our own children, in our own spiritual development, and in our efforts to impact others for Christ. Being affected by others' spiritual health is different than codependent relationships. Our identity is secure in Christ, not in another person.\r\n

Christian Community (Part 4) - Admonish One Another

Gary DeLashmutt

John 13:34

To love one another the way God has loved us includes admonishing one another. Biblical admonition is moral correction through verbal confrontation motivated by genuine love. To admonish effectively we must filter correction towards one another through God's grace and hold it up against His word. We should be prayerful and remember that this is a type of sacrificial love.

Self-Examination

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Timothy 2:7

Paul takes a stance on self-examination because the Corinthians are trying to accuse him of impure motives in his work. Paul leaves the examining to God and gives us insight on an appropriate willingness to examine ourselves. With that, there is also an unhealthy way of examining yourself that will lead to anxiety, confusion, and second-guessing. If we have a tendency to over examine our actions and thoughts Paul gives us some guidance on how to give this area up to God to guide us in His discipline.