Spiritual Love

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

What is love? This is a question that most people will ask at some point in their lives. The Bible has a very clear definition in 1 Corinthians 13. Gain a better understanding of what love is and what it is not.

Being IN the world and not OF the world (part 2)

Ryan Lowery

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

The final part of the Upper Room discourse is discussed focusing on Jesus' prayer. His prayer is centered on three things: 1.) Jesus and the Father; 2.) the Disciples; and 3.) all future generations of believers. Here we see the call for believers to be both culturally relevant and distinct from the world system.

Washing the Disciples' Feet

Ryan Lowery

John 15:12-13

What was one of Jesus' last acts before going to the cross? He washed his disciples' feet at the Passover meal. This act of humility towards even the one who would betray him shows unconditional love. Jesus was able to do this because of the gifts God had given him, his knowledge of where he came from and his knowledge of where he was going to.

Using Your Freedom to Serve

Conrad Hilario

Romans 14:13-14

Paul addresses a conflict within the Corinthian church regarding food sacrificed to idols, revealing that, when it comes to moral grey areas, the issue isn't right or wrong, but rather avoiding division and judgment. For today's Christian, this means enjoying our freedom in Christ and using it, not to satisfy selfish desires, but rather to serve others in love, and resisting any attempt to go beyond what God has revealed in his written word.

The Good Shepherd

Ryan Lowery

John 10:1-21

Jesus uses the metaphor of the shepherd to explain his role in the world. He is the Good Shepherd. He leads His flock and protects his sheep. We are God's sheep.

God's Wisdom and Tough Love

Scott Risley

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

In Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians Paul begins to get into the issues of this group and at the heart of it is the wisdom of the world versus the backward wisdom of God. Specifically, the wisdom of God applied to the area of "tough love".

When You Are With God

Lee Campbell

Ephesians 5:18-21

God gives us every reason to be thankful, to trust him and to encourage others. In heaven, we will always be what we can choose to be now, filled with the Spirit.

3 Responses to Jesus (Part 2)

Ryan Lowery

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Jesus spoke most harshly against the Pharisees in his day. Christians have a history of being poor representatives of who God is, they can at times be more like the Pharisees than like Jesus. This holds lost people back from investigating and responding to the Gospel. The Pharisees were infuriated with Jesus for breaking their man-made rules. They were convinced that God would be pleased that they were so strict, so that when God was in front of them they missed it! Jesus gives a comprehensive argument for why he is who he claims to be. We also need to realize that we have a problem and that we do not have the solution in ourselves; it is only God who is great. Loving other people should be supreme over our desire for people to have good views of us.\r\n

Bonhoeffer - Community Under the Word

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 2:14

Dietrich Bonheoffer, a leading figure in the Christian church in Nazi Germany, became the director of the Confessing Church's underground seminary. During his time there, he lived with a dozen or more Christian men in community, something that resembles Xenos' ministry house model today in some ways. From Bonheoffer, we can learn keys to rich community, including being wary of romanticizing community and being watchful that we are living under the word in this area. This means that in the context of community we are practicing confession, thankfulness, self-control, and humility.