Mountaintop Experience

Conrad Hilario

2 Peter 1:16-18

Jesus takes his three closest disciples---Peter, John and James---up to a mountain to pray. There, Jesus transforms into his glorified state. Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus. The disciples hear God's voice call Jesus ?His Chosen One,? referring to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. This moment displays for the disciples and followers today that Jesus is God's son and the predicted Messiah; he supersedes Moses, the Prophets and the Law. Later in Peter's writings, he refers to this mountaintop experience and how God used it as an encouragement. Believers should enjoy and remember moments when they personally experience God, but we should not rely on the fleeting experiences for our faith alone.

Parable of the Soils

Conrad Hilario

Matthew 13:6

Jesus tells his disciples a parable, or a story, about a sower and four different soils the sower plants his seeds on. Jesus explains to the disciples that the sower is God, the seed is his Word and the varying soils are the different ways humans choose to respond to God's Word. Jesus explains further the type of listener that each of soils reflects: 1) forgetful, 2) superficial, 3) distracted, and 4) responsive. The hearer can, at any moment, change his/her heart back towards God.

Christians & Sin

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 3:4-10

Once someone comes into a personal relationship with God, he is fully forgiven from his sins. But does that mean that Christians no longer sin? John answers this question by stating that those who claim to be Christians but continue to practice and advocate for a lifestyle of sin are not genuine followers of Christ. Moreover, he proclaims two important truths about Christians and their relationship to sin: 1) no Christian is sin-free but all Christians are forgiven, and 2) Christians cannot continue pursuing a lifestyle of sin without the Holy Spirit convicting their consciences. \r\n

Information Technology - Using it or Being Used by it

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 3:4-10

Despite information technologies' many advantages and opportunities, excessive use can inhibit or erode many key aspects of spiritual development. Christian workers must think critically about the issue of technology in order to keep themselves growing, discipling effectively, and building genuine Christian community.

Serving Christ through Life's Stages and Shifting Priorities

Mary Barnum

Colossians 1:3-12

The key to serving Christ through life's stages it to develop a "gospel-rooted, mission-driven, community-based" lifestyle. This focus will effect how we interact with the core areas of our lives and our faith: evangelism, marriage & family, discipleship, school/work, and Biblical teaching. In this breakout we see how all of these areas are interdependent.

Simple Living for Teens

Ryan Weingartner

Colossians 1:3-12

In this XSI breakout session, Ryan Weingartner unpacks what it looks like for teenagers to grow spiritually in a world so focused on material possessions. Discontentment is a barrier to spiritual growth - Ryan offers scriptural and practical solutions for helping today's teens live simply and experience true contentment.

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.

Stages of Christian Spiritual Development

Gary DeLashmutt

John 3:5

John, one of Jesus' disciples, writes his first letter to the church in Ephesus to combat Gnosticism and to assure the believers of their salvation. In these three verses, John describes the provisions given to believers in each of the three stages of spiritual development: 1) full acceptance by and a relationship with God in spiritual infancy; 2) victory over Satan, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God in spiritual young adulthood; and 3) a deep relationship with God and knowledge of His Word in spiritual maturity. Spiritual "birth" (salvation by believing in Jesus) must precede spiritual development. Spiritual development is a choice, cannot happen in isolation, and should be the ambition of every believer.

Speaking the Truth in Love

Ben Foust

Ephesians 4:1-5:4

Speech is a primary topic of Ephesians 4 & 5. Speech is powerful and can have dramatic effects on our lives to build up or cast down. As believers we are called to encourage and admonish one another according to God's will.