Who Do You Say that I Am?

Mike Sullivan
Mark 8:27-38

The disciples may have finally realized Jesus was the Messiah, but their understanding of what the Messiah came to do had to be transformed.  Jesus was not at that time coming as a conquering king, but as a suffering servant.

The New Self and Parenting

Ryan Lowery
Ephesians 6:1-4

With so many outside pressures from the world, this section of Ephesians teaches parents to raise their children to love God and others. This is the ultimate priority in biblically centered parenting. 

The New Self and Marriage

Ryan Lowery
Ephesians 5:22-33

Paul provides guidance concerning what Christian marriages should look like, and he assigns men and women different roles within a marriage. Women are called to respect their husbands, while men are called to love and sacrifice for their wives like Christ did for the church.

Living the Already, Not Yet

Ben Foust
1 Corinthians 6:1-20

Worldly wisdom says our bodies are our own to do as we like, but Godly wisdom says our bodies were bought with a price and our bodies are spiritually significant as we are His agency in this world.

"Who Do You Say that I Am?"

Conrad Hilario
Mark 8:27-37

When first confronted with who Jesus is, one must make a few decisions. The first is do you believe Jesus is God's Savior? This is a personal, significant and polarizing decision. The second decision is will you entrust and devote your entire life to Jesus and His message? To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, to give up yourself for Jesus, you will find your true self and gain Jesus and everything else thrown in.

A Tale of Two Kings

James Rochford
1 Samuel 28-31

David continually put his trust in God and not in his own abilities, whereas Saul turned to go his own way and ultimately lost the kingship. David did not let fear rule his life, but Saul was consumed by fear and jealousy of David. David drew his strength from God and His Word, but Saul turned to spiritists and mediums.

The Value of Hard Work

Scott Risley
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Although Paul was quite pleased with how well the Thessalonians were doing, he did need to address some problematic behaviors. Laziness or confusion about how soon the world was ending led some to give up working for a living. Others were living an unruly lifestyle. Paul exhorts them to imitate his example of working hard to provide for himself and not be a burden to others.

Big God, Big Verdict

Lee Campbell
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

We explore how growing in our fear of the Lord helps us grow in our understanding of our identity.

Born Again

Ben Foust
1 Peter 1:3-25

The term "born again" is a biblical description of the profound change that happens to someone who starts a relationship with God through Christ. Understanding the profound changes that happens to our identity allows us to experience a better way to live with purpose and security.