A Dangerous Misunderstanding

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4

The Corinthians have taken the guidance of false teachers and are starting to mistrust Paul's teaching of the Gospel. God has made us promises in the past through the prophets that have been fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus. God wants a personal relationship with us through Christ's death. This opens us up to meet each other's needs in this life.

The Kingdom Parables

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 24:44

The parable of the wheat and the tares describes how on Judgment Day, two groups of people will be separated from one another; those who believed in Jesus and will go to heaven to be with God for eternity, and those who did not believe in Jesus and will go to hell to be apart from God for eternity. This parable teaches against the self-ghettoization of Christians and warns against counterfeit Christianity. It, like the other kingdom parables, also describes a kingdom reality that was much different than what the Jews expected. They expected a kingdom of uniformity, but pluralism was God's plan. Similarly, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast describe a kingdom that would grow gradually from the smallest beginning, rather than the sudden and total takeover expected by the Jews. Each person should be ready for Christ's return; the first and most important step is to accept Jesus' free offer of forgiveness.

Sermon on the Mount (Part 3): Jesus and the Law

Dennis McCallum

Romans 3:19-24

Jesus made it clear to the Pharisees that their interpretation of the Law fell way short of God's. The Law wasn't meant to show people the path to righteousness, but to show people their sin and that they need God's grace. God's Law isn't something we can bend to fit our moral inclinations, but a strong moral law that shows people their moral inadequacy compared to God's perfect moral standard.

Discipleship

Dennis McCallum

2 Timothy 2:2

Jesus chose personal discipleship as his teaching methodology to pass on the message of the Christian faith. Teaching in the context of deep personal relationships allows us to pass truth down in teaching and in action. Jesus sent his disciples to go out and practice this same method of teaching the Christian message.