The New Covenant

Gary DeLashmutt

Hebrews 10:1-18

Now that the author of Hebrews has clarified that the new covenant is better than the old covenant, he gives three examples of how. 1) People now have the power to follow God. 2) People now have personal intimacy with God. 3) People now have complete forgiveness by God. While not as extreme as the old sacrificial system, it is still important to watch for ways that people can revert to relating to God through rituals.

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.

Why Jesus Became a Human

Gary DeLashmutt

Hebrews 2:5-18

Hebrews makes the case that Jesus is greater than any person or institution. This second chapter provides understanding about why this is: because of his sacrifice in order to rescue humanity. The necessity of Christ to become human is explained in three reasons: 1) to regain humanity's lost dominion over the earth (prevailing where Adam failed in the fall), 2) to die in our place for the guilt of our sins(allowing us to join God's family), and 3) to help us when we suffer (since he, himself, knows what it means to suffer).

Growing in Spirituality

Dennis McCallum

Galatians 4:21-5:1

Paul addresses Law versus grace with regard to our spiritual growth. While under the Law, we try to bring about God's promises using self effort, whereas under grace we obey God's will and watch as He fulfills His promises. It is surprisingly easy to be a walking believer and still fall prey to a law mentality, where we think we must work to God. What are signs of a law follower, and how do we get back under grace?

Law vs. Grace: The Questions

Dennis McCallum

Galatians 2:17-4:4

Paul continues to expand upon his message to the Galatians, that we are saved by faith, not works. For if we could be saved by works, then Jesus' death on the cross was pointless. Paul then addresses three questions he believes the Galatians will raise: 1) has Grace always been God's plan, 2) if so, then why did God give us the Law, and 3) if we're not under Law, why should we seek God's plan?

The Battle for Grace

Dennis McCallum

Acts 15:1-29

In this letter, Paul fights accusations from law teachers that have invaded the Galatian church. These false teachers claim that Paul has no authority and only teaches a partial gospel. Paul replies with the story of where he got his gospel, using his own life to show that salvation must be through faith alone. He then describes a moment where law teachers almost swayed the entire early church, a warning to the Galatians that they must turn from trying to adhere to the law and come under grace.

Relating to God

Dennis McCallum

Hosea 14:1-5

Hosea was a prophet who God called to marry an unfaithful prostitute. God reveals that this will "illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the Lord by worshiping other gods." Hosea's book contrasts idol worship (which applies to letting anything have priority over God) to the relationship God wants with people. This relationship includes intimacy, grace, discipline, freedom, faithfulness, and repentance, which is contrary to the perils that people experience without God.

When God Judges

Dennis McCallum

Amos 1:2-8

Amos was a prophet who spoke about God's judgment to the Assyrians. The sins of these people and this judgment is a reminder of how there must be justice from God in order Him to be good. The argument for justice needing to be served is then turned back onto the audience, who has to learn that they are just as sinful. This would hopefully lead to a lack of self-righteousness, an appreciation of grace, an eagerness to share grace, a sensitizing towards sin, and a freedom from vengeance.

Introspection and Spiritual Living

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 12:2

Paul argues that God will search our hearts and bring things to the light as He sees fit. Christians can find themselves in a state of morbid introspection where they think too much about themselves and focus too much on solving their own problems. There is a biblical level of introspection, but often we go above and beyond that in our conceited self focus.