2 John: Stay Grounded
How do you know? How can you tell if what someone believes “squares” with what you understand the Bible to teach? In this brief letter, we discover a core reality of our faith that will help us make wise decisions regarding what others teach. One thing that we see in all of John’s writings in the Bible is an emphasis on the love of Christ and how our obedience to his teaching is our best expression of our love for Jesus.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Oct 11, 20202 John: Stay Grounded
2 John: Stay GroundedHow do you know? How can you tell if what someone believes “squares” with what you understand the Bible to teach? In this brief letter, we discover a core reality of our faith that will help us make wise decisions regarding what others teach. One thing that we see in all of John’s writings in the Bible is an emphasis on the love of Christ and how our obedience to his teaching is our best expression of our love for Jesus.
- Oct 4, 2020Philemon: Useless to Useful
Philemon: Useless to Useful
Philemon is the most personal letter of the entire New Testament. It is also a very difficult letter in that it deals with a run away slave and for us in the 21st century that brings up a host of emotions. As we look at this letter we will see the compassion of the Apostle Paul and an appeal to Philemon to show unprecedented grace and mercy to one who has wronged him and his household. Forgiveness, compassion, and restoration are among the themes we will see in this letter. - Sep 27, 2020Obadiah: The Foolishness of Pride
Obadiah: The Foolishness of Pride
We know the truth: Pride does come before a fall. We each have, at one time or another, been the unfortunate recipient of the pain caused by the pride of another. And yet we tend to struggle with this most tenacious temptation. If we are honest we all struggle with pride. It rears its ugly head in so many ways. In Obadiah we see what God thinks of pride and how he deals with it. Hopefully, we will be challenged to make some changes in our own lives. - Sep 20, 2020Making One Another Better (Heb. 10:19-25)
Making One Another Better (Heb. 10:19-25)
We have a specific purpose for meeting weekly. Yes it is about expressing our heart to God. Yes it is about learning from God’s Word. But it is also about coming alongside one another. It is about using the brief time we have to make each other better. God expects us each to stir up one another to love and good deeds. God expects us to encourage one another as we gather. Who will you encourage today? - Sep 13, 2020Forbear with and Forgive One Another (Col 3.12-14)
Forbear with and Forgive One Another (Col 3.12-14)
We all have idiosyncrasies that others have to put up with. It stands to reason that we would understand that we should put up with others as they put up with us. We all have hurt or offended someone and longed for their forgiveness. It stands to reason that we would want to grant forgiveness to others. And yet it seems we tend to struggle with granting to others what we desire. Our passage today reminds us of the model of Christ who bears with us and forgives us. - Sep 6, 2020Submit to One Another out of reverence to Christ (Eph. 5:21)
Submit to One Another out of reverence to Christ (Eph. 5:21)
This is one of the “one another” passages that elicits some of the strongest reactions from people. Submission in our world is sometimes equated with weakness and defeat. What we will discover in this passage and the explanatory verses that follow is that when we follow God’s Word and submit to one another, the result is harmony and unity. - Aug 30, 2020Serve One Another in Love (Galatians 5:13-16)
Serve One Another in Love (Galatians 5:13-16)
It is easy to “serve” someone who can return the favor. It is easy to “serve” when there is recognition for the service. But what about serving those who cannot repay you? What about serving when no one else sees? As we look at this one another command we will need to get a broader picture of what it means to serve sacrificially, just as Jesus served us. - Aug 23, 2020“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16)
“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16)
This is one of those “one another” passages that causes those of us who have grown up in conservative churches to snicker. That would never happen in our church. Too often we focus on the cultural phrase and miss the importance of the command. What does it mean to greet one another? Why would that be important? How can we live it out in a global pandemic? We will explore these questions and discover how vital it is that we learn to greet one another. - Aug 16, 2020Accept One Another (Romans 15:7)
Accept One Another (Romans 15:7)
This command has more to do with how Christ has received us than it does to just adopt a “live and let live, everything goes lifestyle.” As those who follow Christ we need to be very careful that we do not allow personal preferences to be elevated to the level of divine commands. We will look at what it means from a biblical stand point to accept one another, and how obedience to that command will strengthen the Christ following community. - Aug 9, 2020Living in Harmony With One Another (Romans 12:14-16)
Living in Harmony With One Another (Romans 12:14-16)
When one thinks of harmony from a musical standpoint, one discovers that it gives depth and richness to the musical number. Consider that reality in our personal and community relationships. When we understand and appreciate our differences and learn to work together there is a richness and a depth. This morning we will consider how we as a church can model biblical harmony in our relationships. - Aug 2, 2020A Primer on Fasting and Prayer
A Primer on Fasting and Prayer
Numerous times throughout the Bible we find the people of God setting aside a specific time for fasting and prayer. While the occasions may be different and the presenting purpose unique, the underlying reality is that the people want God to be the focus. As we prepare for a day of fasting and prayer on Sunday, August 9, we will take time to review and discover reasons to fast and pray and practical realities we all must consider. - Jul 26, 2020Offer Hospitality to One Another
Offer Hospitality to One Another
Throughout the Bible we find the concept of hospitality being held in high regard. It seems that in the ancient world showing hospitality to all, especially strangers and travelers was very important. It stands to reason that if God places a premium on hospitality then we should as well. We will look at the biblical understanding of hospitality and learn how we can apply it to our lives today. - Jul 19, 2020Be Loyal to and Value One Another (Romans 12:9-10)
Be Loyal to and Value One Another (Romans 12:9-10)
Family. For some of us that word brings warm memories. For others it serves to provide difficult memories. But for all of us there is an ideal in our minds about what a family is supposed to be. God wants us to live out that ideal in our relationships with one another in the local church. When we are loyal to one another and when we express honor, or high value to one another in the church we move toward living out the ideal of being part of God’s family. - Jul 12, 2020Love One Another (John 13:34-35)
Love One Another (John 13:34-35)
Love is not just an emotion. It is action for the benefit of another. As we see in Jesus' words and in the passages we will consider that give us a fuller definition of love, it is much deeper than what we may have ever considered. - Jul 5, 2020Will God Really Meet Our Needs? (Philippians 4:14-20)
Will God Really Meet Our Needs? (Philippians 4:14-20)
Take a minute and think very carefully about what your needs are. If you can survive without something it is not a need. When we boil it all down our basic needs are very simple. God calls for those of us to trust him to be generous and in so doing to trust him to meet our needs. The question for each of us is simply this, are we more dependent on our ability to earn income, than we are our ability to truly trust God?