Lost and Found

Scott Risley

Luke 15:1-32

Jesus tells three parables to illustrate God's love for the lost: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son. In each parable: 1) something of great value has been lost; 2) the owner exerts much effort to find the lost item; 3) there is rejoicing and a party when found. In the parable of the lost son, Jesus illustrates three lessons that can be learned from the older son: 1) maybe you need to realize you are just as lost as the ?sinners?; 2) maybe you need to stop ?slaving? and get to know the Father; and 3) maybe you need to ask your Father for His love for the lost.

Lessons on Prayer (Part 1)

Conrad Hilario

Matthew 18:23-34

Prayer can transform our relationship with God. We should use Jesus' prayer as a model for both personal and corporate prayer. Based on Jesus' prayer, here are five elements we should incorporate into our prayers: 1) acknowledgement/worship of who God is; 2) seek God's will for our life; 3) request provision from God; 4) recognize God's forgiveness; 5) vigilantly pray against Satan, knowing we are in the midst of a spiritual battle.

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.

Why Are You Angry?

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 4:1-6

The first biblical account of sinful anger is described. God asks Cain, "Why are you angry?" Sinful anger is destructive and rooted in wrong beliefs. To experience increasing freedom in this area three things are necessary: 1) receive God's forgiveness; 2) cooperate practically with God to combat your anger; 3) identify and replace wrong beliefs with faith in God's provision.

Our New Identity

Ryan Lowery

Romans 6:1-14

We have been given the choice to separate ourselves from our old identity in Adam and accept freedom through the work on the cross of Jesus Christ. The choices we make in our new identity in Christ are still our own choices and we can still use that free will to sin. If you're asking yourself why not keep living the life of sin that was so easy before? The answer is because it is fundamentally not who we are anymore after being freed from enslavement to sin after receiving salvation in Christ.

The Sermon on the Plain II

Dennis McCallum

Luke 6:37-45

Jesus resumes his teachings from the passage known as the Sermon on the Plain. He gives instructions for creating close, personal relationships with other believers. A key part of developing loving relationships is being able to resolve conflict in a healthy and constructive way. Jesus gives us the freedom to admit when we are at fault. In this passage he gives further instructions on what to do and what not to do after we admit our fault.\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

Reaching the Rejects

Scott Risley

Luke 5:12-32

Jesus heals a leper and a paralyzed man. Then he calls Matthew, the tax collector, to follow him. \r\nThese miracles reveal Jesus has the ability to forgive sin and heal sickness.

The Sojourner's Attitude Towards Sin

Bev DeLashmutt

Romans 8:23-24

The Christian's relationship with sin in this life can be confusing. This workshop seeks to clarify the biblical understanding of sin in order to have a biblical response. Scripture teaches that we are free from sin's power to condemn, define, blind, or enslave us. Still, we are not free from the battle of indwelling sin, something that God allows for several purposes. As we form a biblical perspective in this area, we can form habits of confessing and repenting of our own sin, as well as showing compassion to other sinners.