Christians and Generosity (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum

Isaiah 44:13-16

Paul preached to the early church that they should give their money as a stewardship of the things God has blessed them with. Giving is an important way to invest in God's work, and He wants us to give out of what we have. God wants us to be open, honest with our finances, and to view our possessions as the things that He has given us.

The Ark in Captivity

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 9:4-10

The Ark of the Covenant was also called the Ark of Testimony. It contained three pieces of evidence of God's provision for the Israelites, and their rebellion against Him. Its contents included: 1) a gold jar of manna, representing God's provision of His Word; 2) Aaron's rod which had budded, representing God's provision of the priesthood; and 3) the two tablets of the law, God's moral requirements. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the lid of the ark, also known as the mercy seat. All of these symbols foreshadowed Jesus' sacrifice, God's solution to mankind's problem of sin. God's protection and empowerment of Israel was contingent upon the nation's repentance from idolatry. The same is true of us today.\r\n

Exploring Our Identity

Jim Leffel

Romans 6:1-13

Spiritual growth is based off living out our new identity in Christ. All who have placed their faith in Christ have been permanently placed into Christ and his life lives in and through them. As a result, we are grafted into Christ and removed from being identified with Adam, and are considered as dead to our sin nature but alive to God. As we choose to live on the basis of what God says about us in His Word, we are able to present ourselves to God in our new identity, ready to be used by Him for His purposes.

Christians in a Pluralistic World

Dennis McCallum

Acts 17:1-33

Paul continues his missionary journey. He preaches and persuades others about Christ's death and resurrection. Pluralism is a common view in this culture. Paul engages people and their cultural views. He finds common ground with them, challenges them, and teaches them about the character of God. Because Paul is distressed about the idol worship, he gives a convincing speech about the truth of God. Today postmodern pluralism is the common worldview. Taking Paul's approach can be effective in our day. God's desire to have a relationship with every person is the same today as it was back then. Presenting truth in a sensitive and persuasive way is essential.\r\n

The Whore of Babylon

Gary DeLashmutt

Revelation 18

This prophecy introduces us to another evil character in the End Times, the "Whore of Babylon", that is used to describe the judgment that God will carry out on the earth. She embodies the spiritual adultery of Israel and the apostate Church's worship of idols as history comes to a close. Also described as "Babylon the Great", she represents fallen humanity's determination to construct a society without a need for God by accumulating material wealth, comforts, and technology. Don't be deceived by the appeal of Babylon; turn to Jesus Christ, who is the source of true fulfillment!

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.

Two Elements of Spiritual Parenting

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

Paul explains two aspects of spiritual parenting: 1) prioritizing face to face relating; and 2) a willingness to be affected by another person's spiritual health. Technology is not a replacement for face-to-face relating. It actually can be a hindrance. We should prioritize face-to-face relating with our own children, in our own spiritual development, and in our efforts to impact others for Christ. Being affected by others' spiritual health is different than codependent relationships. Our identity is secure in Christ, not in another person.\r\n

Profile of a Healthy Church

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul commends the Thessalonians for being a model church. This church exhibits 3 characteristics of a healthy church: 1) a work of faith (they believe in God and humbly receive His gift of grace); 2) steadfastness of hope (they have spiritual confidence even in life's storms); 3) labor of love (they actively share their faith with others). God wants each of us to have these traits individually and as a group.\r\n