Paul's Prayer

Mike Sullivan
Philippians 1:9-11

From Paul's prayer for the Philippians, we learn that his highest priority for the Christian community is sacrificial love. Paul prays that their love would be guided by knowledge and discernment from God, point them toward a moral lifestyle, and enable God's transformation in their lives.

Joy and Christ-Centered Relationships

Gary DeLashmutt
Philippians 1:1-8

Christ-centered relationships are a source of joy in the Christian life. Four features characterize Paul's Christ-centered relationships: 1) Partnering in sharing Christ's love with others; 2) Believing in God's commitment to transform our lives; 3) Expressing appreciation to God & the other person.

What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?

Scott Risley
Luke 10:25-37

When a religious leader tested Jesus about the way to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength and mind; and secondly, Jesus told the man to love his neighbor as he loves himself. To illustrate this, Jesus told the story of the ?Good Samaritan? who saved an enemy's life because he loved his enemy with God's love. And just like the Good Samaritan sacrificed for his enemy, Jesus died on the cross while we were still his enemies, to pay for our sins.

Ministry Motives and Methods (Part 1)

Conrad Hilario
Luke 9:37-56

Jesus confronts His disciples' values with five principles about serving Him: 1) requires faith; 2) requires humility; 3) excludes a competitive spirit; 4) should be characterized by love; and 5) starts by aligning yourself with Him.

If I Am a Father, Where Is My Honor?

Gary DeLashmutt
Malachi 1:6-14

God draws attention to Israel's half-hearted devotion when He questions the priests offerings. Whole-hearted devotion does not mean the absence of sin, but it does mean the genuine active recognition of who God really is. Only when we recognize our half-heartedness and move towards God by entering into a relationship with Him and seeking fresh revelation from Him in His word will we be able to live our lives with whole-hearted devotion.

The Great and the Small

Dennis McCallum
Luke 7:36-50

The Bible says God is our rock; He is a firm and unshakable foundation on which to build our lives. The life God wants us to lead is one driven by faith in Him. It is based on His grace and not on our good works. Biblical faith is also action-oriented. We hear what God says and then act accordingly. This faith is illustrated through three stories of healing in the book of Luke.\r\n

Sermon on the Plain (Part 2)

Conrad Hilario
Luke 6:37-49

Jesus continues teaching the sermon on the plains. He warns his audience to be careful whom they follow, indirectly addressing the problems of the leaders of his day. The religious leaders were wrongly emphasizing religious observance over Jesus' words and a life of sacrificial love. A contrast is drawn between discernment, which seeks to help others, and unrighteous judgment, which seeks to condemn others in a spirit of pride.\r\n

Sermon on the Plain (Part 1)

Conrad Hilario
Luke 6:17-36

Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Plain including the Beatitudes. He explains three lessons to the crowd: 1) those who want to serve God will suffer; 2) God will generously reward in heaven those who make sacrifices in this life; and 3) service for God is characterized by sacrificial love.

The New Adam

Ryan Lowery
Genesis 5:17

What does our identity in Adam mean? Adam was given free choice in the garden, and this was Gods' design to have a loving relationship. Adam chose to disobey God and brought death into the world and that choice affects us. Jesus also made a choice and through his choice, he brought eternal life into the world. We now have the option to accept Christ's sacrificial choice to apply to our lives and pay for our sins which restores the loving relationship God wanted from the beginning.