Text: 2 Peter 1:3 Through the provisions He has given, God has made it so that each of us can faithfully serve Him, regardless of what others might choose to do. This is not to say that we should not work together, or that we cannot help one another, but rather that we must take [...]

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18; Luke 9:23 The themes associated with Christ’s cross extend to ours as well. Love “God so loved the world…” (John 3:16) Jesus laid down His life for us (John 10:17-18) Our following Christ & enduring all things must be done in love (John 14:15; Matthew 22:36-40) Grace Man’s condition before the [...]

Text: Revelation 3:1 “Christian” is More than a Name The term “Christian” describes what we are — Christ-like Disciples of Christ (Acts 11:26) — daily, full-time responsibility One must be persuaded to become a Christian (Acts 26:28) — different than the world Target of persecution (1 Peter 4:12,16) If one wants to be a Christian, [...]

Text: Matthew 7:12 We Must Take the Initiative Don’t treat others as they treat you, but as you want them to treat you People may not treat us the way we would like (2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:38-41) We must treat others as we would want them to treat us (Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 22:39-40) Why [...]

Text: Philippians 3:12-14 Forget What Lies Behind Our old lives of sin (Romans 6:6) Evil companions (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) Hopelessness (Ephesians 2:12) Lack of direction (Jeremiah 10:23) Reach Forward to What Lies Ahead Maturity (Hebrews 6:1) Wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-18) Hope (Hebrews 6:18-20) Press On Toward the Goal We need to have endurance (Hebrews 12:1) Stay [...]

Text: Galatians 6:14 The Cross of Christ A symbol of death (Acts 2:23) A symbol of rejection (Matthew 23:37; John 19:15) A symbol of humiliation (Hebrews 12:2) A symbol of rebellion (John 19:12) A symbol of submission (Philippians 2:8) Our Cross (Luke 9:23) A symbol of death (Romans 6:3-6,11) A symbol of rejection (1 Peter [...]

Text: Philippians 1:21-24 To Live is Christ Similar point in Galatians 2:20 We must be crucified with Christ (Romans 6:3-6) Fruitful labor (Philippians 1:22) Help others (Philippians 1:24) Live worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27) To Die is Gain Nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of this life (Ecclesiastes 11:8) — but keep things in [...]

Text: Acts 22:3 What Is Zeal? “Eagerness & ardent interest in pursuit of something” (Merriam Webster) If we are zealous for something — we will make it a priority, it will affect our actions, we will speak about it, we will hold fast our convictions Zeal Alone is Not Enough Zeal for God was one [...]

Most of the time we use these terms negatively. Yet in a sense, these terms can also be used to describe the good that God expects of us. Radical The Bible cautions us against radical ideas (Deuteronomy 5:32; Proverbs 24:21) — But… We are to be far different than the norms of the world (Romans [...]

Text: Matthew 5:14 Highly Visible We should not expect to blend in with the world (Romans 12:1-2) There would be a sharp contrast between Christians and the world (John 15:18-19; 1 Peter 4:3-4) Target of Attacks Expect persecution (1 Peter 4:12) Do not surrender (Revelation 2:10) Fight back (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) Position of Strength God [...]