Wisdom and the Cosmic Order

Ryan Lowery

1 Kings 11:1-6

The Proverbs offer wisdom from God on how we should approach life. Why should we heed this wisdom? As the one who created everything, God offers us reliable insight into how to approach our lives in this universe. Learning to seek out God's wisdom requires humility, but it will yield the best possible life!

Finishing Well

Don Dixon

Randy Jones

1 Kings 11:1-6

A God-centered life presents optimism and meaning, and stands opposed to the pointless tendency of a self-centered life. By drawing near to God, Christians can be effective servants for Him, even through suffering and life changes. With Christ, believers can have hope for their futures and eternity.

Romans 12 - Renewal or Conformity?

Dennis McCallum

Romans 12:1-5

As believers in Christ, we have two choices: we can conform to the values of this world, or we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We cannot straddle the line between these two choices, but are called to make a conscious decision and effort to be transformed by God. That decision allows us to make an eternal impact instead of investing in the fleeting things of this world. It also causes us to grow deep relationships alongside others in the body of Christ who are being transformed by God with us. When Christians choose to be transformed in this way, they become more persuasive, more zealous, and more mature in their spiritual lives.

The Normal Christian Life

Gary DeLashmutt

John 14-16

Jesus' farewell discourse describes the normal Christian life as a life of supernatural provisions in the midst of extraordinary difficulties. Three difficulties are presented: 1) Jesus will not be physically present; 2) we are living in a hostile world; and 3) we are given a humanly impossible mission. Four provisions are given: 1) hope in the eternal kingdom; 2) access to God through prayer; 3) help through the Holy Spirit; and 4) the authority of Jesus over the world system.

Showing Wisdom

Jim Leffel

James 3:13-18

Wisdom begins with a soft heart toward what God says. It shapes the way people see things and is evident in the way they live. Worldly wisdom is passively absorbed and focuses on the temporal, the material, and is influenced by Satan. Having worldly wisdom results in jealousy, selfish ambition, and arrogance. Spiritual wisdom is actively sought and focuses on the eternal, the supernatural, and trusting God. Having spiritual wisdom results in humility and grace.\r\n

Overcoming Prejudice with Love

Jim Leffel

1 John 3:17

James calls us to practice the love that Christ showed us. The world sees people in terms of their temporary status or wealth, but we are called to see people how God sees them. God sees them as loved, and so we should see everyone as a masterpiece of God's own creation.

Why This Waste?

Dennis McCallum

Mark 14:3-9

While in the home of Simon, a woman sacrifices a vial of perfume and pours it over Jesus' head. While Judas Iscariot and others are furious at the woman for wasting the perfume, Jesus praises the woman's faith. The underlying principle of this story is that the woman was not living for the temporary, but for the eternal. In light of what Jesus did at the cross, the sacrifice of material things doesn't compare with the thrilling commitment to radically following him. Christians are called to adopt Jesus' values over the world's values when we come to faith in him.

When Will These Things Be?

Dennis McCallum

Revelation 13:1-5

Jesus continues to speak about the end times, highlighting the abomination of desolation that will occur at the end of human history. The abomination of desolation is something directly related with the Antichrist, known as the Beast, who the entire world will worship during the time of the Great Tribulation. The Antichrist will blaspheme the name of God and will rise up out of a future Roman empire in the future. The world's current overpopulation, hunger and pollution point to the likelihood of the whole world coming together under the leadership of a single individual, like Jesus predicts in the end times. Coupled with a one-world mentality in areas like global economy, entertainment, information technology, and communication, the future of the world is readily getting to the point where Jesus' prediction doesn't seem crazy. In the meantime, there's a real need to ask for Jesus' forgiveness to cover people's sin before the end of human history comes.

Trusting God with Big Decisions

James Rochford

James 4:13-17

Major decisions are not morally neutral. In this passage, the author, James, gives an example scenario to show how to reason in decision making. One principle is to consider the immediate reward and principle two considers the ultimate reward. God gives us every reason why we can trust Him in decision making.