Jesus' Response to Faith

Dennis McCallum
Mark 5:21-6:6

Throughout multiple encounters, Jesus gives insight into how people respond to faith. Biblical faith is not about the amount, but where the object of the faith is placed. Jesus specifically responded to people who understood their helplessness before him. At the same time, Jesus holds people accountable to respond to him in faith and is eager to demonstrate grace and God's power as people act out of their faith.

Kingdom Parables

Dennis McCallum
Mark 4:26-33

Jesus uses parables to describes new dimensions of God's purposes and plans. Contrary to what the people were expecting, the growth of the Kingdom of God will be gradual and will, over time, become large in scope. God's kingdom will infiltrate the current world system and will be purchased by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Our role in God's kingdom is cultivate and seek to grow the kingdom, to appreciate the great work of God's kingdom, and remember that God's power is the source of all the growth.

Parable of the Soils

Dennis McCallum
Mark 4:1-20

Jesus describes people's responsiveness to God's Word in a parable of four soils. The four responses of the soil include: 1) forgetful hearer; 2) superficial hearer; 3) distracted hearer; and 4) the soil that bears much fruit. The focus for Christians is sending forth God's message to people and being faithful to His message even when people don't respond to it. The choice is still up to the individual on which type of soil they'd like to be.

An Example We Can Follow

Jim Leffel
1 Thessalonians 1:3-10

Paul was an example to the church in Thessalonica. He encouraged them to be a good example for other Christians to follow. Their faith, hope, and love made them an outstanding church and one to be emulated. Following their example will result in a dynamic church movement.\r\n

Who is Jesus?

Dennis McCallum
Mark 1:21-2:12

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus performs many miracles. He interacts with a man with an unclean spirit, a man with leprosy, and a paralyzed man. These interactions communicate Jesus' authority over evil spirits, that he is deeply compassionate towards those who are outcasts, has the power to forgive sins, and can sense deep spiritual hunger of people who don't know him. These miracles are signs to point to Jesus' greater work seen through dying on the cross for humanity.

Entering God's Rest

Gary DeLashmutt
Hebrews 4:1-16

Responding to God and trusting Him leads to being able to partake in His rest. This rest lifts burdens from His people, but it can seem difficult to understand at first. Entering into God's rest involves ceasing from works, while making every effort to depend on God. This can only be understood and applied through grace and mercy, which are available through Christ.

When You Hear God's Voice

Gary DeLashmutt
Hebrews 3:1-19

Due to persecution, many Jewish Christians are considering reverting back to living under the Law, instead of following Christ. The author of Hebrews reminds the recipients of Moses, warning them of history repeating itself: God is making a promise, and His people are rejecting it. Christ is greater than Moses, and the promise is greater now than in Moses' example. Two application points can be drawn from this lesson: 1) real faith in Jesus lasts, and 2) listen to God's ongoing instruction (considering symptoms of a hardened heart and how to prevent one).

Gospel and Postmodern Culture (Part 2)

Jim Leffel
1 Peter 3:15-16

Part two of a four-part series on how the Gospel can impact postmodern culture. As we live out the Gospel, we need to have honest, compassionate and respectful answers for peoples' honest questions. Compelling arguments are given for how to dialogue with people regarding: 1) the exclusive claims of the Bible; 2) the issue of people having sincere beliefs but on different paths; and 3) the problem of those who have never heard the Gospel. A powerful video testimony by Gary Saalman, a lawyer who examined the evidence for the faith and became a Christian, is shown.\r\n

Jesus: God's Ultimate Revelation

Gary DeLashmutt
Hebrews 1

This introduction to Hebrews captures the importance of relating to God on a personal level, rather than basing our interactions on religious rituals. Christ is better than Old Testament Judaism and has replaced it. The author of Hebrews makes his case through two main points: 1) Jesus is better than the Old Testament prophets (the prophets predicted Christ!), and 2) Jesus is better than the angels. The author is trying to teach his audience that there are consequences for neglecting God's message.