Jesus' Spiritual Revolution

Dennis McCallum

Mark 2:13-17

Jesus interaction at Levi's party distinguishes his focus on love versus the fortress theology of the Pharisees. The attitude of the Pharisees was mean-spirited, accusing, and self-righteous. Jesus' love didn't discriminate based on their cultural standing or the sins of people, but was for those who really wanted to be healed and seek forgiveness. Jesus was excited to show love to all types of people and interested in those who see their helplessness as opposed to those who think they're fine on their own.

The Good News

Dennis McCallum

Mark 1:1-8

The gospel of Mark begins with declaring the good news that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is coming. John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus' arrival, teaching that people needed forgiveness through God that would ultimately be possible through Jesus. Jesus' work was prefigured throughout the prophets in the Old Testament, revealing God's plan for salvation from the beginning. Jesus' message of reconciliation with God was something completely radical to people of his day, and his message of grace is still radical today.

Joy, Conflict and Anxiety

Jim Leffel

Philippians 4:1-9

Throughout the book of Philippians, Paul keeps coming back to the same thing: joy! This section about conflict and anxiety is no different. In fact, he begins with this command: rejoice! How do we rejoice in the heat of conflict or in the midst of anxiety? Paul gives insight into living in harmony with one another, forgiveness, forbearance, and anxiety.\r\n

David and Bathsheba

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 32:1-5

Years after David''s throne is established, he begins making poor choices that lead his life in a bad direction. The culmination of this is when he commits adultery with Bathsheba, impregnates her, then tries to cover it up by having her husband killed in battle. A prophet named Nathan confronts him about this, and David finally chooses to admit to his wrongdoings and repent rather than continuing to lie and hide his sin. Through his repentance, we see the joy and happiness that comes from the release of guilt that God's grace offers. We also see that God's grace covers all sin, no matter how big.

The Unpredictable Jesus

Jeff Gordon

Luke 18:9-34

Jesus confronts conventional wisdom in three situations: 1) Pharisee and tax collector; 2) faith of children; 3) rich and the poor. The contrasts in each of these draws out that a life of self-sufficiency and following external rules isn't what makes people acceptable to God. It is through humility and faith in what Jesus did for humanity that makes people right with God.\r\n

Exchanging the Old Self For the New (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 4

Our new identity in Christ allows us to see real character change. As we move away from the old way of life we used to live before knowing God, we can see transformation in the ways we consider areas such as work ethic, speech, and resolving conflict. When we encounter real peace with God through Christ, we are able to see that God's Will includes being at peace with others as we live out of our new identity.

Exchanging the Old Self For the New (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 4

Once we place our faith in Christ, we have a completely new identity as God sees us as He sees Jesus. Our role is to believe and live in line with who God says we are. As God transforms our thinking, we can develop a great appreciation to be others-centered in Christian community and have the basis for radical forgiveness based on what Christ forgave us. God is capable of creating deep character transformation as we conform our lives to align with our new identity.

From Guilt to Justification

Jim Leffel

Romans 3:21-31

The only way to resolve our moral guilt before God is through being justified by faith through Jesus Christ. God decided to pay for our moral debt by sending Jesus to pay for the sin we had before God. By receiving Christ's forgiveness, our guilt has been paid for through Jesus' death on the cross and we are redeemed from our enslavement to sin. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news in human history and allows for real humility and transformation as we understand the lengths of Christ's sacrifice.

Summing Up All Things in Christ (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 2

Jesus Christ's death on the cross abolished the division between Jew and Gentile, who now were able to be equals in Christ. This "mystical union" was made possible through the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling all believers in Christ. As a result, Christians are able to have a deep unity with one another, regardless of race, ethnicity, or other cultural barriers because of Christ's work on the cross.