The Time of Your Visitation

Dennis McCallum

Daniel 9:24-25

Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowd is overjoyed, but Jesus weeps over the city because they don't recognize that He's fulfilling prophecy in their midst. Though it's written 500 years earlier, Daniel 9 predicts the exact year that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem. Today we are able to verify Jesus' claims through evaluating predictive prophecy. Debbie Rudy shares her experience with weighing the evidence for Jesus.

Jesus Before His Public Ministry

Gary DeLashmutt

John 3:16

Summarizes Jesus' birth and childhood. Draws a parallel between Mary's free will in deciding whether to let God put his Son in her - and our free will in deciding whether to let God supernaturally conceive his Son's life in our hearts.

Who is the Real Jesus?

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Timothy 1:14

Who is the real Jesus? Introduction to series on "The Essential Jesus". Shows differences between the canonical portrait of Jesus and portraits of him from other religions, current fiction writers, and gnostic gospels.

Knowing Christ

Mike Sullivan

John 12:23-24

As people who have been made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, Christians are now capable of growing in their personal relationship with Him. This growth is a privilege, and even though it should be a passion for all believers, it is easy to devalue the importance and joy that comes from knowing Jesus personally. To grow in our relationship with God involves admitting that: we have not arrived at a perfect knowledge of Christ yet, sharing in Christ's sufferings, and realizing we have not yet arrived at perfect knowledge and will not do so in this life.

The Resurrection

Jim Leffel

Luke 24:1-12

Is it reasonable to believe in the resurrection of Christ? The account of the empty tomb is presented and the historicity of the event is examined. Prophecy and historical evidence from the Old Testament book of Psalms and the letters of Paul are explained in connection to the resurrection.

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.

A Mountaintop Experience

Scott Risley

Luke 9:27-36

Peter, James and John see Jesus' majesty and glory in his transfiguration on the mountaintop. Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus in his glorious splendor and God reveals Jesus as His Son. Key points discussed include: 1) the greatness of Jesus; 2) how to view spiritual experiences; and 3) God wants you to be transformed too.

Two Pivotal Decisions

Conrad Hilario

Mark 9:57-62

Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is. Peter responds that he is the Christ, the prophesied Messiah. There are many ways people today respond to Jesus' question regarding his identity, including: 1) he was a simply a good teacher, 2) he was a liar, 3) he was a legend, 4) he was lunatic, or 5) he was indeed the Savior and Son of God. Jesus asks of everyone on earth who do you believe that I am, and all must answer. Of those who want to follow him, Jesus tells his disciples that they must deny themselves and pick up their cross daily. His followers must be willing to endure suffering for his mission.

The Two Most Important Decisions You Will Ever Make

Scott Risley

Luke 9:57-62

Jesus asks the disciples, ?Who do you say that I am?? Four responses to Jesus' identity are examined: 1) legend; 2) New Age guru; 3) lunatic; and 4) moral teacher. Peter identifies Jesus as the Messiah and learns what it means to be a follower of Christ.