The Diversity of Gifting and Roles in the Body of Christ

Conrad Hilario
Ephesians 4:7-16

Many modern churches have a centralized leadership model where the pastor or priest is the head of the church and the rest of the congregation looks to the pastor to do the majority of the work. Whereas the Biblical model has a decentralized model where there are leaders but the entire work of ministry is distributed among all the members of the church. The Bible is clear all Christians have been given spiritual gifts to be used to serve the Body of Christ, building it up in love.

Four Keys to Spiritual Progress

Gary DeLashmutt
Romans 5:3

While receiving Christ is an end to works-righteousness and alienation from God, it is the beginning of growth toward spiritual maturity. Four keys to spiritual maturity are allowing suffering to play a role, rejecting all forms of perfectionism, keep moving forward, and observing and imitating more mature Christians.

The Mystery of Christ

Conrad Hilario
Ephesians 3:1-11

God created man with freewill which led to a dilemma for God. He is both loving and just. He loves us but His justice demands he punish us for our sins. His enemies make accusations against his character. So, God kept secret His plan to resolve His dilemma for a time. At the right time, he revealed that Jesus would be the perfect substitute to pay for man's sins. Thus, He demonstrated His great love but also satisfied his justice.

Revealing the Mystery

Scott Risley
Ephesians 3:1-11

God hid His plan of redemption until He revealed His Son,Jesus, to the world. He kept His plan hidden from all the spiritual forces so that Satan would be fooled into cooperating with His plan. Jesus dying on the cross was not a defeat but God's victory over sin. God's solution solved the problem of the penalty for sin, and any accusations against God's character. He is both loving and just. God can be trusted!

The Old Covenant vs. The New Covenant

Gary DeLashmutt
2 Corinthians 3:6-6:18

We, as Christians, are able to manifest the sweet aroma of the knowledge of God by understanding and communicating the New Covenant instead of the Old Covenant. The new Covenant surpasses and replaces the Old Covenant in three ways. First, the new Covenant is the ministry of the Spirit, and the Old Covenant is the ministry of death. Second, the New Covenant is the ministry of righteousness and the Old Covenant is the ministry of condemnation. Third, the New Covenant brings about profound change in your life but the Old Covenant only brings superficial change.

What's Wrong with Humans?

Dennis McCallum
Ephesians 2:1-10

Our sin is a big barrier between us and God. Our fall from grace has led to alienation from God. But God in His mercy offers us forgiveness through the death of His son Jesus. When we believe and accept this offer of forgiveness, God gives us a new identity which we then gradually grow into it. Religion is the performance of religious laws, but Jesus offers instead a relationship based on personal love.

Old Covenant vs. New Covenant

Gary DeLashmutt
2 Corinthians 3:6-18

We, as Christians, are able to manifest the sweet aroma of the knowledge of God by understanding and communicating the New Covenant instead of the Old Covenant. The new Covenant surpasses and replaces the Old Covenant in three ways. First, the new Covenant is the ministry of the Spirit, and the Old Covenant is the ministry of death. Second, the New Covenant is the ministry of righteousness and the Old Covenant is the ministry of condemnation. Third, the New Covenant brings about profound change in your life but the Old Covenant only brings superficial change.

Our Problem and God's Solution

Conrad Hilario
Ephesians 2:1-10

Humans have a serious problem and most are unaware they are in trouble. People think evil lives in the heart of men like Adolph Eichmann, Hitler's architect of the Holocaust. But the reality is that evil resides in all of our hearts and there is nothing we can do about it. But God has a solution for our deepest need. He offers forgiveness if we will acknowledge our moral failings and our need for His forgiveness. In order to appreciate the Good News, we must hear the bad news first.

Lights in the Midst of a Dark World

Gary DeLashmutt
Philippians 2:14-16

Being light in a dark world requires both a lifestyle witness and a verbal witness. Our lifestyle witness must not contain grumbling nor disputing. Our verbal witness must focus on God's love and grace rather than other parts of the biblical worldview that can be the source of contention with non-Christians. Instead, focus on inviting people to receive Christ's life rather than winning an argument.