Corinth: Paul Tested

Jim Leffel
Acts 18:1-17

During his second missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Corinth. Corinth was a "hub" for spirituality and immorality located near the sea. As Paul interacted with the Corinthians and established a church there, we learn many principles that tested Paul, including: 1) working hard for God by sharing his life with the Corinthians; 2) by becoming at tent maker and being inclusive to the people around him; and 3) encountering fear to speak about God amidst the Corinthians. One of the most important ways to deal with fears is to remember God's promises and how He is actively at work and near us, which motivates us to be faithful with what He has for us to do.

The Help of the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Gary DeLashmutt
John 15:26-27

How often do we rely on the Holy Spirit to show us opportunities to share Christ with those around us? Even more so, how often are we praying to be able to share Christ effectively? Paul and the apostles knew the power of the Holy Spirit and knew to pray for what they needed - whether that was boldness, to preach clearly, or opportunities to share Christ. This same Spirit is available to all believers in Christ as a helper to us in this fallen world.

The Source of Love

Jeff Gordon
John 14:1-20

Jesus leads his followers from anxiety and angst, to peace of mind and heart if we trust and believe in him through the Holy Spirit. This is the promised living water to which Jesus had been referring. The Holy Spirit would enter his disciples after he ascended to heaven and be their advocate and comforter. The Holy Spirit provides believers with: 1) assurance of our relationship with God, 2) confidence that our eternity is secure in heaven, 3) revelation about God's Word, 4) personal insight into God's Will, and 5) the empowering to do what God leads us to do.

The Lord's Prayer

Ryan Lowery
Matthew 6:5-8

Prayer is meant to be a personal communication with God, not meant to impress people.The template that Jesus lays out for prayer is to address it in terms of one's relationship with God, declare what is true about God, and then present requests to God. Jesus also teaches two important principles: 1) perseverance in prayer is important; and 2) prayer is good for us.

The Us vs. Them Mentality

Ryan Lowery
John 4:20-24

The Bible promotes a peaceable and loving attitude towards others, instead of an us vs. them mentality. After the transfiguration, Jesus says that we should be at peace within Christian community instead of competing for dominance. He also teaches that we should be at peace with different Christian communities instead of writing off their good work. Finally, we are to be peaceable towards non-Christians without giving up our stance on truth.

Jesus Calms The Storm

Ryan Lowery
Luke 8:22-25

When the disciples encounter a life-threatening storm while Jesus is asleep, their faith is tested. All followers of Christ will face hardship beyond their control, and must learn to trust God. There are five principles to help believers to overcome times of suffering: 1) Jesus must be with us; 2) God is sovereign and aware; 3) remember the promises of God; 4) God will bring good out of evil; and 5) God cares about our pain.

Jesus Feeds 5000+ People

Gary DeLashmutt
John 6:1-68

Jesus multiplies food provided by a small boy to feed thousands of people, illustrating that if we make ourselves available he will nourish us spiritually and meet the world's needs. Jesus claims he is the bread of life who can give eternal life to any who believe in him and accept his gift. The reactions of the crowd and the disciples to Jesus' teaching show that as followers of Jesus we often have selfish expectations. Our spiritual life and closeness with Jesus hinge on whether we accept these hard teachings or not.

When Faith Breaks Down: The Golden Calf

Dennis McCallum
Exodus 32:1-34:7

After being rescued from Egypt, the Israelites begin their new journey out of slavery, led by Moses. When Moses goes up to the mountain to meet with God and is gone longer than perhaps expected, the faith of the Israelites breaks down. In the trial of waiting on God, they gave up and decided to melt all of their plundered gold into a golden calf to worship instead. While we may think the Israelites are blind fools, our faith also can break down in a similar way. We are often called to wait on God at different points in our life and are tempted with other things that may want to take center stage above God and become an idol in our lives. Will we too make a golden calf when we don't hear an immediate answer from the Lord?

Fishers of Men

Ryan Lowery
Luke 5:1-11

Jesus made it clear how he would accomplish his mission to save the lost when he climbed into Simon Peter's boat on the Sea of Galilee. In this encounter, he taught 4 lessons: 1) about the Word of God; 2) we need to put our faith in him; 3) when we follow or trust Christ we see him in a new light; and 4) Jesus is calling people to join in his work of evangelism.