Sermon on the Plain (Part 1)

Conrad Hilario
Luke 6:17-36

Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Plain including the Beatitudes. He explains three lessons to the crowd: 1) those who want to serve God will suffer; 2) God will generously reward in heaven those who make sacrifices in this life; and 3) service for God is characterized by sacrificial love.

The New Adam

Ryan Lowery
Genesis 5:17

What does our identity in Adam mean? Adam was given free choice in the garden, and this was Gods' design to have a loving relationship. Adam chose to disobey God and brought death into the world and that choice affects us. Jesus also made a choice and through his choice, he brought eternal life into the world. We now have the option to accept Christ's sacrificial choice to apply to our lives and pay for our sins which restores the loving relationship God wanted from the beginning.

Why Religion Doesn't Work

Ryan Lowery
Romans 2:1-11

How can God's judgment and love work in tandem? Why does God enact judgment? Why are we not fit to judge each other? These questions are addressed in Romans 2 through a discussion of God's character and humanity's limitations.

Being Perfected in God's Love (Part 2)

Gary DeLashmutt
1 John 4:7-19

God's will for Christians is to learn how to receive God's love for themselves and to freely give it to others, and He promises to train Christians on how to love others the way that He has loved them. God's training uses five different methods: 1) Biblical instruction; 2) the Spirit's personal promptings; 3) positive and negative role models; 4) difficult people; and 5) rewards of personal fulfillment and happiness. When Christians choose to commit to God's training program in love, they will experience Him meeting their needs personally.

Being Perfected in God's Love

Gary DeLashmutt
1 John 4:7-19

God's will for Christians is to learn how to receive God's love for themselves and to freely give it to others. This kind of love is unique in its origin, nature, and experience, and Christians can experience God's love for them personally by choosing to understand and trust Him. As a result, God will grow our confidence in His love, and our experience of His love is truly complete when we learn to give it to others.

The Perks of a Loving Lifestyle

Mike Sullivan
1 John 3:11-24

Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian, and this kind of love is exemplified by Jesus' death on the cross. It is supplied to us by God and manifested in concrete actions towards others. As we move towards actively loving people, God's Spirit supernaturally assures us of our new identity, gives us confidence in our prayers, and empowers us to serve more effectively.

God's Shameless Love

Ryan Lowery
Romans 1:8-16

Paul expresses intense love and excitement for the Christians in Rome as well as a longing to visit them. In spite of Paul's history of killing Christians and extensive training as a Pharisee, he is able to be shameless in preaching the Gospel of Christ. Paul's overt confidence can only be due to Jesus' shameless acts of self-sacrifice as well as Paul's understanding of the saving power of the Gospel. The only thing that is more powerful than the impact of shame is love.

Parenting in the New Identity

Ryan Lowery
Colossians 3:20-21

Paul gives instruction to the church regarding parenting. Both this passage and Colossians 3 indicate the importance of a balance between discipline, healthy boundaries, and love. Biblical parenting is counter cultural and might be met with criticism, but the instructions from the Bible help establish healthy families based on the loving intentions of God rather than the trends of culture.

Living the Life of Faith (Part 3)

Dennis McCallum
Matthew 6:19-24

The book of Hebrews continues to instruct the church on the life of faith. The author warns believers to flee from loving money. Exhortation is given to instead place faith in God as a defense from greed and the fear of man.