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Five Facets of Healthy Community Life

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 16:1-14

Paul concludes his first letter to the Corinthians with five exhortations toward a vibrant, God-glorifying community. The Christian church should be committed to generosity, expectant for God's action, grounded in their faith, collectively strong in sacrifice and, most of all, committed to self-sacrificial love.

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Serving Love and Sexuality (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 19:1-6

The biblical ideal for dating relationships is loving the whole person through agape love. Within the context of dating and ultimately marriage, this type of love is deeply sacrificial and exemplified through action over time, as opposed to a primarily feeling-based, temporary taking type of relationship or marriage. Immature relationships produce co-dependent, romanticized, superficial relating that puts self at the center. What God desires is mature, God-centered relationships where we slowly and humbly try to serve another person and identify ways to push them closer to God. If people are trying to find the right person to marry, they should focus on being a godly type of person.

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Sex

Scott Risley

Matthew 19:1-12

When the Pharisees challenged Jesus about the rules for divorce, Jesus confronted them with God's design for sex and marriage. Instead of asking what conditions will allow them to get out of their marriages, they should be asking why is their marriage failing. When each spouse is centered on a relationship with God, each is free to give sacrificially to the other instead of needing to take from the other. As each draws nearer to God, they draw nearer to each other.

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{"passage": "Matthew 19:1-12","passageabreviated": "Matt 19:1-12","passagetiny": "Matt 19:1-12","teacher": "Scott Risley","teachingDate":...

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Serving Love and Sexuality (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 6:16-20

Jesus confronts the Pharisees about the issue of divorce. God's design for human sexuality is within the confines of a heterosexual monogamous relationship between man and woman. When the focus of sexuality is servant love, we understand that sex is highly intimate and thus can be highly damaging, so we want to listen to God's perspective on what will be the most fulfilling. The key to success in sexual relationships is that it is centered around God. When centered on God, sexuality is able to be freeing and highly unifying as both parties are secure in their position in Christ and can look to serve one another out from God's love, rather than needlessly taking from one another. This teaching also surveys people's thoughts about living together before marriage.

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Jesus' Shepherd Heart

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 18:1-35

Jesus explains the humility needed to enter into the Kingdom of God. He expresses the severity that will fall on those who try to stumble others from entering the Kingdom. We see that Jesus is protective of his flock, as he addresses the practice of church discipline, which ultimately reflects God's love and care. Jesus also shares his forgiving nature as he teaches on the priority of forgiving others while talking with Peter. If we are trying to become more like Jesus, we must prioritize his heart of compassion, forgiveness, and humility. All three of these characteristics were personified with his work on the cross so that people could have a personal relationship with God.

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Through A Mirror Dimly

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

Paul concludes his famous passage on love by unpacking the triumph and centrality of love in the Christian life. He details three dimensions of biblical spirituality: faith, hope and love (which he calls the greatest of the three). This is because now we see as "through a mirror dimly", knowing truth but not in its entirety; but one day we will be face to face with God. On that day, faith and hope will no longer be necessary. But love will endure forever, so we should pursue deepening love relationships that will last for eternity.

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The Best Way Ever

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

This famous passage on love unpacks "the most excellent way", detailing what love looks like in our relationship with God and others in Christian community. Love is at the core of true spirituality and is a tell-tale indicator of spiritual health. God's love has been uniquely demonstrated through Jesus Christ and we demonstrate God's love as we believe His Word, have confident hope in His promises, and endure all things.

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Man Before the Fall

Ryan Lowery

Genesis 1:26-2:25

Mankind stands out among other creatures both in capacity for good and for evil. The Bible explains this dual picture of man in a compelling way through the creation account. In our original state, we were created to be eternal, united with God, and in harmony with both our environment and with each other. But in order for us to have the capacity for love, we also must have the capacity to choose for either good or evil.

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Freedom to Identify

Jim Leffel

Matthew 9:35-36

What does it mean to be ?all things to all people?? In this passage, Paul gives his own example of willingly using his freedom to cross cultural divides. Doing so removes any cultural obstacle from those considering a relationship with Christ and creates unexpected, yet sweet relationships based on the Gospel. Testimony by Carolyn Anson.

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