The Exodus: Lessons in Spiritual Growth

Dennis McCallum

Deuteronomy 1:2-3

Idolatry and pride hindered the Jews led by Moses out of Egypt, and these same issues were present in the Corinthian church. Often we don't accept God's provisions in our life because we wanted something else. This shows that we trust our own hearts more than God's plans and provisions for our lives.

Temptation

Jim Leffel

Deuteronomy 6:13

After Jesus' baptism, he went into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. Satan offered him food, tried to force him into testing God, and promised him all the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus would worship him. Jesus denied Satan every time, creating a model for his disciples to follow. There will always be things that tempt us away from God, and Satan makes them sound legitimate, but God's provision and timing are always best. The decision we face is whether to trust in God and follow Him or be pulled away from doing so.

Strife Between Brothers

Dennis McCallum

Romans 5:1

There are many different types of conflict that we enter in life, generally God wants us to resolve conflict in a position of humility and doing what's best for the other party. We have been forgiven much by God, so we should be able to forgive most offenses against us. Conflicts can be opportunities to share God's love to a watching world.

Mental Transformation (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 4:13-14

God has given us His Word as reliable truth that we can continually turn to. When we act on God's truth and study His Word we begin to grow into mature believers. God's Word feeds us like milk feeds a baby, moving us towards maturity.

The Backward Wisdom of God

Dennis McCallum

Romans 12:2

God's wisdom stands opposed to the wisdom of this world; Jesus lived a life of self-sacrifice and love while our world calls us to be self-protective. God has given us the truth about this world, are we willing to accept His view of this world?

The Rich Fool

Dennis McCallum

Luke 12:13-21

Jesus' interaction with the rich fool highlights the perils of materialism. Those entranced by wealth are oblivious to what God says about how to use His resources and look to selfishly accumulate more and more for themselves. Often, those who seek after wealth and riches encounter worry and anxiety, as they are unable to fully control everything they are trying to keep hold of. God's way includes trusting Him to meet our needs, and acting as stewards with His resources to accomplish His purposes. This type of lifestyle leads to real fulfillment in a way that riches and wealth is incapable of.

More lessons on Prayer

Dennis McCallum

Luke 11

Jesus' prayer teaches us the importance of persistence in prayer with God. This aspect of prayer is helpful to get greater communication with God, promotes faith and appreciation, confronts Satanic opposition, and channels the power into God's hands instead of ours. Because of His goodness, we can expect God to act in our best interests through prayer.

Two Decisions

Dennis McCallum

Luke 9

Jesus gives two decisions to his followers: die to self or live for self. Choosing to pursue Christ above everything else is the key to effective discipleship and followership as we weigh the cost in our lives. Those who decide to live spiritually mediocre lives will lose themselves, while those who have counted the cost of discipleship and are eager to sell out for God will gain true life. This decision happens after the decision to accept Jesus Christ as savior has occurred.

Build Your Foundation on the Rock

Dennis McCallum

Luke 6

Jesus' final admonition on his Sermon on the Plain centers around the foundation to which people will build their life upon. There are many foundations that we can build our life around, including our family, materialism, and personal desires. However, real life fulfillment will come from placing Jesus at the center of our lives and living for him before all else. This teaching includes a testimony from a man named Chad who made Jesus the foundation for his life.