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Hospitality - How to Make Your Home a Welcoming Place

Patrice McCormac

The words entertainment and hospitality are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different from each other. Entertaining seeks to impress and places things before people, causing us to worry about making sure the house is clean and well-decorated. Hospitality puts people before things and is a demonstration of sacrificial love, that we welcome friends and strangers into our home and give generously to them. As we look at the true definition of hospitality, analyze what really makes people feel welcome into a home, and make a plan to get started, we can move toward answering God's call in this area of our lives.

Keywords

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Sex and Spiritual Growth

Scott Risley
Matthew 19:5

Paul gives direction to the Thessalonians on how to view sex and how they are sanctified by adopting God's view of sex. There is a contrast between the world's view of sex, porneia, and God's view of sex in marriage. The cultural norm for sex is critiqued, and a vision is put forth for what it looks like to have God at the center of relationships.

Keywords

{"passage": "1 Thessalonians 4:1-8","passageabreviated": "1 Thess 4:1-8","passagetiny": "1Th 4:1-8","teacher": "Scott Risley","teachingDa...

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Close Christ-Centered Friendships

Gary DeLashmutt
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

God wants us to be able to have relationships that can go deeper than just a casual friendship. These close friendships involve regular time spent, vulnerability, and sacrificially loving one another. These relationships are often the venue for us to experience true Biblical love.

Keywords

{"passage": "1 Corinthians 13:34-34","passageabreviated": "1 Cor 13:34-34","passagetiny": "1Cor 13:34-34","teacher": "Gary DeLashmutt","t...

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Serving Love and Sexuality

Dennis McCallum
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

God's will for Christians in the area of sexuality is to serve others by abstaining from sex outside of marriage and pursuing a life centered around God's view of love. Contrary to popular belief, this command is not a mere cultural construct but rather the only path to a fulfilling and healthy life, and research has shown that following the world's view of sexuality has serious consequences. Christians who are single can prepare for their future marriages and sex lives by growing in God's love and learning relational skills in the body of Christ now.

Keywords

{"passage": "1 Thessalonians 4:1-8","passageabreviated": "1 Thess 4:1-8","passagetiny": "1Th 4:1-8","teacher": "Dennis McCallum","teachin...

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Wise Marriage Choices

Scott Risley
Proverbs 31:1-31

These proverbs were written by King Lemuel as dictated to him by his mother. In this 22 lined acrostic poem, his mother describes what attributes to look for in a future wife of godly character. Her descriptions are not just limited to a potential wife but are wise guideposts for all Christians who are waiting and searching for a godly spouse. The teaching concludes with personal advice from Scott Risley on how he approached the significant and spiritual decision of choosing a spouse.

Keywords

{"passage": "Proverbs 31:1-31","passageabreviated": "Prov 31:1-31","passagetiny": "Prov 31:1-31","teacher": "Scott Risley","teachingDate"...

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An Ideal Woman (or man)

Dennis McCallum
Proverbs 31:1-31

Choosing who to marry is one of the most important decisions in life. It is important to pick the right person but to also become the right person. The Proverbs paints a picture of the type of marriage that is godly. That the husband and wife both have roles to play and finding someone who already has the characteristics described in the Proverbs will help set your marriage up for success. There are also some very clear warnings in the Proverbs on characteristics that can lead to failure.

Keywords

{"passage": "Proverbs 31:1-31","passageabreviated": "Prov 31:1-31","passagetiny": "Prov 31:1-31","teacher": "Dennis McCallum","teachingDa...

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Wise Wives

Jess Lowery
Proverbs 14:1

This acrostic poem by Lemuel concludes the book of Proverbs. According to Lemuel, an excellent wife is extremely valuable. Excellent wives are trustworthy, helpful, hardworking, strong, perceptive, generous, unafraid, respectful, willing to learn and teach, kind, shepherding, and praiseworthy. The three things that can make a woman attractive are charm, beauty, and the fear of the Lord, but only the third quality can stand the test of time. A wise wife strives to build up her household, not destroy it.\r\n

Keywords

{"passage": "Proverbs 31:10-31","passageabreviated": "Prov 31:10-31","passagetiny": "Prov 31:10-31","teacher": "Jess Lowery","teachingDat...

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God's Wisdom and Major Life Decisions

Gary DeLashmutt
1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Paul encourages believers in the Corinthian church to remain single but reminds us that there are exceptions to Biblical principles such as this. Though there isn't a formula for knowing when to follow Biblical principles regarding major life decisions and when to make an exception, the key is in understanding the wisdom that undergirds it. There are a few things we can consider before we make a major decision: what we have learned through the circumstance we want to change, why we want to change the situation, and whether we have sought godly counsel. The answer to these questions will reveal whether we are pursuing the wisdom of the world (the better my circumstances, the happier I'll be) or the wisdom of God (I can serve and love others regardless of my circumstances).

Keywords

{"passage": "1 Corinthians 7:17-24","passageabreviated": "1 Cor 7:17-24","passagetiny": "1Cor 7:17-24","teacher": "Gary DeLashmutt","teac...

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Adultery and Pornography, Part 1

Ryan Lowery
1 Corinthians 6:18-19

God intended sex to be enjoyed within the confines of heterosexual marriage. Adultery (extramarital sex) is a powerful temptation and trap, and leads to death and destruction. There are three components essential to avoiding adultery: 1) avoiding temptation; 2) acknowledging what is at risk; and 3) investing deeply in your marital sex life.\r\n

Keywords

{"passage": "Proverbs 5:1-19","passageabreviated": "Prov 5:1-19","passagetiny": "Prov 5:1-19","teacher": "Ryan Lowery","teachingDate": "1...

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