What Is Biblical Faith?

Dennis McCallum

Romans 4

Turning to key figures from the Old Testament who would have been very well known to the Jewish Romans, Paul uses Abraham and David to explain what faith looks like. Faith is not equivalent to works, rituals, or the Law. Instead, it is a willingness to act based on God's truth with complete dependence on Him.

Framework For Successful Community

Gary DeLashmutt

Philippians 1:27-2:4

Paul writes to the Philippian Christians about the framework needed to have a successful Christian community. Believers share a common spirituality?being indwelt by the Holy Spirit?allowing them to be in fellowship with one another. They share the same source of truth?God's Word. Having the same access to truth enables them to love people in a godly way. Christians also share an understanding of Christ-like love and they have a common focus on reaching other people for Christ. All of these factors make for an enjoyable and deep community.

How to Fall Prey to Spiritual Deception

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 11:1-21

The Corinthian Christians are being spiritually deceived, and Paul is motivated by godly jealousy to intervene. We are in the same situation today--spiritual deception is just as real, and spiritual intervention is just as important. If you want to avoid spiritual deception, pay primary attention to the objective content of the message. Those of us who are successfully avoiding spiritual deception have a responsibility to provide authentic spiritual direction for others! Be like Paul--be able to exemplify these qualities!

Being Ready

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 25:1-13

Focusing on prophecies and descriptions of the end times, there's a sense of urgency on what it means to be ready for Christ's return. No one knows when the last day will be, but in the same vein, no one knows when their personal last day will be. Because of this, all people are encouraged to investigate biblical Christianity. There are dangers of nominal Christianity for both Christians and non-Christians alike.

Spiritual Weapons for Spiritual Warfare

Gary DeLashmutt

James 1:25

Paul says our weapons against spiritual warfare are not humanely-originated, but rather divinely powerful. How do we use these weapons effectively? What does it look like to practice? If we want to be able to "take every thought captive," we will need to practice 3 things: 1) input, which is learning the biblical world-view so we are full of biblical truth; 2) control, which is monitoring our own thought life, such as identifying falsehoods and rejecting and replacing them; and 3) output, which is choosing to act existentially on truth, building our confidence in God's Word.

God's Triumph in Christ

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Have you ever meet someone and you wanted to listen to them and be around them more? This sort of instant connection is described by Paul as an aromatic Christian and there are a few ways we can grow in being a pleasant aroma to those around us. Speaking God's Word, our confidence in God's Word and the power of the Gospel has the power to convict people and bring them to God. Living out our transformed lives shows something different to the watching world. We can all have this kind of impact on others regardless of our limitations.

A Dangerous Misunderstanding

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4

The Corinthians have taken the guidance of false teachers and are starting to mistrust Paul's teaching of the Gospel. God has made us promises in the past through the prophets that have been fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus. God wants a personal relationship with us through Christ's death. This opens us up to meet each other's needs in this life.

The God of All Comfort

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Have you ever gone through a difficult time and wondered why God isn't comforting you? The truth is that God loves us enough to bring us into situations that go beyond our own strength so that we abandon self-dependence and discover more deeply what it means to trust in him. We can't control how much we suffer, but we can look to God's comfort in Paul's life and see how we can respond to God during suffering.

A Mountaintop Experience

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 7:18-19

Peter, James, and John were witnesses to the transfiguration. They got to see a miraculous event where Jesus stood before them in His true glory alongside God's prophets Moses and Elijah. This experience was so powerful and tangible that it helped lead them throughout their life. God too can open our hearts and eyes to experiencing Him in powerful ways. We must be careful not to allow the experiences God gives us to be the goal. We must welcome God's experiences but not idolize them.