Jesus Before His Public Ministry

Gary DeLashmutt

John 3:16

Summarizes Jesus' birth and childhood. Draws a parallel between Mary's free will in deciding whether to let God put his Son in her - and our free will in deciding whether to let God supernaturally conceive his Son's life in our hearts.

Ishmael and Isaac

Jim Leffel

Genesis 16:1-21:7

God helps those who help themselves. Is there truth to this common saying? What happens when we take matters into our own hands instead of relying on God? Will God change the plan He has for our lives if we make poor decisions? God promised Abraham He would make a great nation through him but Abraham and Sarah had to wait for a long time. What happens when we do not wait on God? Find answers to these questions through the births and lives of Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Isaac.\r\n

Five Things

Dennis McCallum

Luke 17:1-19

In this passage, we focus on 4 of Jesus's interactions with His disciples and end with a miracle. First, Jesus warns His disciples against false teaching and then explains the basis for corrective discipline and forgiveness. When the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, He replies that they should focus on the object of their faith rather than the amount of faith. Jesus then tells a parable of a faithful, dutiful servant and rejects the attitude of entitlement. Finally, Jesus heals 10 lepers, but only one returns to say thanks, which illustrates how a lack of gratitude causes spiritual blindness.

Five Memorable Lessons

Scott Risley

Luke 17:1-19

Five lessons from Jesus on how to have successful relationships with others and with God are: 1) Don't be a stumbling block; 2) Rebuke and forgive; 3) Faith; 4) Have a servant's attitude; and 5) Gratitude.

Foundation of Faith

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 6:18-19

Abraham starts to experience real doubt and fear when it comes to God's promise. God reaffirms His promise to Abraham and declares a covenant with him vowing to come through on His promise. Abraham sets the framework for what biblical faith should look like. Actively and at times imperfectly he trusts in God's promise, receives God's free gift, and is grateful that God is good.

Ethics and Issues of Conscience

Ryan Lowery

Romans 14:1-23

Paul discusses matters of conscience and how believers should relate with one another on these matters. Rather than judging one another or demanding that people change, Christians should set aside anything that would cause someone to stumble in their faith and focus on remaining unified and focused on what God says is important.

Religion Isn't Enough

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 6:9-13

Despite self-effort, religious zeal and ritual is not the same as real genuine faith in God and often draws people farther away from Him. To have a personal relationship with God, people must acknowledge their own sinfulness in light of God's perfect nature and in faith ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Once that has happened, Christians have the unique ability to tell others about how to start an authentic relationship with God.

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.

How Pride Sneaks into our Ministry

Scott Risley

Mark 9:21-29

A man whose son is tormented by an evil spirit begs Jesus to heal him. The disciples could not cast the demon out because they lacked faith. Jesus heals the boy and explains true greatness to His disciples. In this passage the disciples demonstrate their pride in four ways: 1) trusting in themselves; 2) wanting to be the greatest; 3) holding others back; 4) punishing the unresponsive.