The Life of a Spiritual Ambassador

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul explained that as Christians we are ambassadors of Christ, we can either be a stumbling block to the watching world or we can reflect God's love to them. Being an ambassador for God is difficult, but is also deeply satisfying, because it is rich with meaning. God will empower us to do His work, the question is whether we are willing to do it?

What Motivates Christians?

Dennis McCallum

1 John 5:15

Paul explained that when someone accepts Christ's reconciliation for themselves they have a new identity. They become a citizen of heaven and a child of God; this new identity is something we can share with others. Christians who understand this are motivated to go out and share God's message of reconciliation as His ambassadors to this world.

Walking in Love

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 2:3-11

Walking in a lifestyle of sacrificial love is a priority within the Christian life. Loving others deepens our intimacy with God as He guides us, assures us, gives us peace, and develops a more confident prayer life for others. Love is the culmination of God's commandments, and God provided the resources to love radically through giving His Holy Spirit which enables us to love all types of people the way Jesus did.

Withstanding Spiritual Agony

Dennis McCallum

Philippians 4:7

Paul taught us that it is important when we face times of spiritual agony to look back at the message that God has carved into our hearts. God writes His message in our lives through the experiences that we have, where we see Him provide for us or use us in other people's lives. When we look at all that God has done for us, it becomes clear that He will continue to work in our lives, and that we are headed toward overwhelming victory in Him.

Helping People with Problems

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 2:2-11

Paul called the Corinthian church to practice loving discipline with one of the members of their church who had committed a serious sin. Biblical discipline is something the church does for the spiritual well-being of the person being disciplined, and not something done in judgement of that person. When the man who was disciplined had repented of his sin Paul called the church to invite him back and to comfort him.

Affliction and Comfort

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 15:32

Paul explained that suffering is the occasion for faith and growth. God is with us in our suffering and He can use it for good. God chooses to comfort us in our suffering when we choose to endure it for His sake. When we view suffering in the bigger picture of eternity we are able to put it in a proper perspective and see the overwhelming victory that we have in the Lord.

Who is my Neighbor?

Jim Leffel

Proverbs 14:20

At this point in history, Xenos was asking its members to join in a new vision of serving the neighbors around them, especially the poor. To address this question of ?Who is my neighbor?? we reflect on the parable of the good Samaritan. Alongside this parable, Jesus expounds on the two greatest commandments: the high standard that God has for us to love Him and our neighbor. According to Jesus, our neighbor is anyone who is in need, specifically the poor. In order to serve the poor compassion, sensitivity to suffering, and calculated action needs to be taken. At the time of this teaching, one such action was to encourage Xenos members to support creating Harambee Christian School and other key urban centers. Jeffrey Sach's book The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities of Our Time is referenced to understand modern poverty.

Mephibosheth

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 2:8-9

When David finally became king, he sought out the last known living relative of Saul in order to show him God's kindness (chesed) for Jonathan's sake. He went to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, and promised to show him kindness, restore to him the land that belonged to Saul, and take care of him. This is a perfect picture of God's grace (chesed) toward us, from Mephibosheth's awe of David's kindness to the life-changing impact it had on him. Grace is an important character trait of God and the only way anyone can come to Him. Just as God shows us grace, we should learn to show it to others the way David did.

Lifestyle Evangelism

John Rue

Connie Rue

Ephesians 2:8-9

Lifestyle evangelism means focusing on other people's eternities. Believers do this by freely distributing God's love and living as people under grace; only then are they able to distribute the same grace and love. This kind of lifestyle will radically impact every area of our lives, relationships, and community.